BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2008 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME UNLESS NOTED
 
FIRST FREEZE ON GREAT BLUE HILL
 
This morning's low temperature of 31 degrees is the first
freezing temperature observed atop Great Blue Hill this
season.  The low occurred just before 6:30 A.M. EDT. 
 
Today's observations:
 
8 A.M. EDT
Weather: Overcast stratocumulus, distant breaks in overcast
all quadrants except SW, clear sky band W-NW, higher clouds
visible N-E, sun visible
Temperature: 34F, Dew point: 28F, Wind: N at 8 kts
Wind: Direction variability WNW to NNE
Sea-level pressure: 30.62 inches, rising
Visibility: 90 miles
6-hourly minimum temperature: 31F
24-hourly rainfall: 0.01 inch
BHO SA 1155 E20 OVC 90 369/34/28/3508/062/ DSNT BRKS
IOVC ALQDS XCPT SW CLR SKY BND W-NW HIER CLDS VSBL N-E
SUN VSBL WND 29V03/ 8/508 53017 MANUAL 70001 10037 20031
 
11 A.M. EDT
Weather: Scattered stratocumulus
Temperature: 40F, Dew point: 28F, Wind: NNW at 6 kts
Wind: direction variability W to NE
Sea-level pressure: 30.64 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 80 miles
BHO SA 1455 22 SCT 80 377/40/28/3306/064/ WND 27V04/ 8/500 50008
 
2 P.M. EDT
Weather: Clear, few stratocumulus distant NE-SE
Temperature: 44F, Dew point: 23F, Wind: NE at 8 kts
Wind: Gradually veering past hour
Wind: Direction variability NNE to E
Sea-level pressure: 30.60 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 80 miles
6-hourly maximum temperature: 45F
BHO SA 1755 CLR 80 364/44/23/0508/060/ FEW SC DSNT NE-SE
WND GRDLY VEERING PST HR WND 02V10/ 8/500 58013 10045 20034
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....44    NORMAL.....58
MIN.....38    NORMAL.....41
MEAN....41    NORMAL.....50
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.............-9
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.............+3
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............24  DEPARTURE........+8
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........259  DEPARTURE........-9
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON......... 375  DEPARTURE.......-62
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.... 233  DIFFERENCE.....+142
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY............32 NNW AT  5:02 P.M. 
                   AEROVANE.............33 NNW AT  5:06 P.M.   
                   ASOS.................32  N  AT  5:06 P.M.  
                   DAVIS................33 NNW AT  5:05 P.M.  
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY..............22 NNW AT 12:14 P.M.   
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...........22  N  AT 12:19 P.M.  
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..........23 NNW AT 12:19 P.M.  
                   AVERAGE............ 14.1 NNW
                   ASOS................13.5
                   DAVIS...............14.1 NW [326 deg]
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.01   DEPARTURE.......-0.13
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........0.73   DEPARTURE.......-2.35
                         ASOS..............0.72
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........43.63   DEPARTURE.......+2.95
                         ASOS.............46.20 #
#  Includes erroneous ASOS precipitation data on 2/13/08.
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR OCTOBER 2008 CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/ PEAK GUST/AERO GUST
AERO: Aerovane recording wind system gust when significant
TSTM: Thunderstorm day (thunder heard some time during day)
....: Data not yet available, records not finalized
 
10/1  68/58/63/+6/0.49/120/17     38 SW   TSTM #
10/2  62/46/54/-2/0.11/455/65     45 W   
10/3  62/45/54/-2/T/376/54        44 SSW  Aero 43 MPH SSW
10/4  61/40/51/-5/0.00/612/88     32 WSW
10/5  53/45/49/-6/T/000/00        18 WNW
10/6  58/39/49/-6/0.00/303/44     28 WNW
10/7  64/37/51/-4/0.00/687/100    23 WNW
10/8  69/43/56/+2/0.00/581/85     32 S    Aero 30 MPH S
10/9  72/55/64/+10/0.02/510/75    33 WSW 
10/10 69/53/61/+7/0.00/664/98     29 W
10/11 68/49/59/+6/0.00/668/99     20 NNW
10/12 67/47/57/+4/0.00/625/93     21 W
10/13 62/50/56/+4/0.00/308/46     20 NE
10/14 65/50/58/+6/0.00/514/77     30 SSE
10/15 64/52/58/+6/0.00/618/93     21 ENE  
10/16 67/51/59/+8/T/026/04        35 NW
10/17 59/42/51/0/0.00/474/72      26 NW
10/18 51/37/44/-7/0.00/440/67     25 N
10/19 46/36/41/-10/0.00/176/27    36 NNE  Aero 36 MPH NNE
10/20 54/34/44/-6/0.00/631/97     25 N 
10/21 59/43/51/+1/0.01/129/20     20 W
10/22 44/38/41/-9/0.10/000/00     32 NNW
 
10/23 morning low temp. 31F; our normal low is now 41F
 
# Thunderstorm gust 
 
NEW DAILY RECORDS FOR OCTOBER
 
None...
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR OCTOBER 23
HIGH 82 IN 1947
LOW 24 IN 1969
PRECIP 2.18 INCHES IN 1956
SNOWFALL 3.0 INCHES IN 1891
PEAK GUST 78e MPH NW IN 1941
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED By: Stephanie Radner