BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2008 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME UNLESS NOTED
 
A NOVEMBER-LIKE CHILL TODAY WITH GUSTY SW WINDS
AND MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES
 
A cold southwest wind gusting up to 30 to
35 MPH is combining with high temperatures in the
low 40's early this afternoon to bring a November-
like chill to the day under mostly cloudy
skies.  The day is more typical of late November
when normal high temperatures are in the low 40's.
Today's normal maximum temperature is in the middle 50's.
 
Yesterday's rainfall totaled 0.43 inch while the peak gust
reached 42 MPH SSE during the afternoon. The lowest
barometric of close to 29.17 inches was reached early
last evening. Winds diminished from the south-
southeast before gradually veering to southwest.
Light winds under 10 MPH occurred at the time of the
lowest pressure around 8:30 P.M. EDT during the gradual
wind shift. Winds increased and were gusting past
30 MPH at mid-evening from the southwest.  
 
Today's observations:
 
8 A.M. EDT
Weather: Thin scattered high cirrus clouds, stratocumulus
southwest thru northwest, altocumulus and some lenticularis
all parts of the sky 
Temperature: 36F, Dew point: 28F, Wind: SSW at 15 kts,
Wind: Peak wind 31 kts WSW at 6:57 a.m. EDT, direction
variable S-WSW, gradually backing past hour 
Sea-level pressure: 29.55 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 50 miles, 40 miles SW-NW 
6-hourly minimum temperature: 36F
24-hourly precipitation: 0.43 inch
BHO SA 1155 250 –SCT 300 –SCT 50 008/36/28/2115/955/ SC SW-NW AND
DSNT NE-S AC/ACSL ALQDS VSBY SW-NW 40 PK WND 2431/57/ WND GRDLY 
BACKING WND 18V24/ 8/541 51022 MANUAL 70043 ASOS 70043 10038 20036 

11 A.M. EDT
Weather: Overcast stratocumulus, breaks to the distant SE-S
Temperature: 40F, Dew point: 24F, Wind: WSW at 18G26 kts,
Wind: Peak gust 26 kts WSW at 10:48 a.m. EDT,
variability SSW-W 
Sea-level pressure: 29.61 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 70 miles 
3-hourly precip: 0.00 inch
BHO SA 1455 E40 OVC 70 028/40/24/2418G26/961/
BINOVC DSNT SE-S PK WND 2426/48/ WND 20V27/ 8/5// 51020
 
2 P.M. EDT
Weather: Overcast stratocumulus, breaks in overcast 
Temperature: 43F, Dew point: 22F, Wind: SW at 17G26 kts,
Wind: Peak gust 31 kts WSW at 1:37 p.m. EDT, direction
variability SSW-W
Sea-level pressure: 29.62 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 70 miles  
6-hourly maximum temperature: 43F
6-hourly precip: 0.00 inch 
BHO SA 1755 E55 OVC 70 030/43/22/2317G26/962/
BINOVC PK WND 2531/37/ WND 20V27/
8/5// 53002 10043 20036
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....51    NORMAL.....56
MIN.....36    NORMAL.....39
MEAN....44    NORMAL.....48
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL..............-4
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.............+10 [+0.2 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............21  DEPARTURE........+4
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........351  DEPARTURE.......-17
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........467  DEPARTURE.......-70
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....294  DIFFERENCE.....+173 
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY............42 SSE AT  3:37 P.M. *     
                   AEROVANE.............42 SSE AT  3:37 P.M. *    
                   ASOS.................43 SSE AT  3:43 P.M.       
                   DAVIS................46 SE  AT  3:40 P.M.  
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY..............31 SSE AT  3:36 P.M. 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...........31 SSE AT  3:37 P.M.     
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..........34 SSE AT  3:37 P.M.
                   AVERAGE............15.4 SSE  
                   ASOS...............14.4
                   DAVIS..............14.1 ESE [120 deg]
* last of several occurrences...
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M... 0.43   DEPARTURE.......+0.28
                         ASOS..............0.43
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........2.04   DEPARTURE.......-1.93
                         ASOS..............2.04
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........44.94   DEPARTURE.......+3.37
                         ASOS.............47.52 #
#  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 45/31/38/-11/0.00/520/81    23 N   
10/24 62/34/48/-1/0.00/589/92     22 WSW
10/25 66/44/55/+6/0.28/038/06     60 SSE  Aero 61 MPH SSE TSTM 
10/26 64/48/56/+8/0.60/.../..     55 SSE  Aero 60 MPH SSE
10/27 66/47/57/+9/0.00/.../..     21 NNE
10/28 51/36/44/-4/0.43/.../..     42 SSE
 
10/29 morning low temp. 36F; normal low temp. 39F
 
# 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 29
HIGH 74 IN 1989
LOW 23 IN 1891
PRECIP 2.27 INCHES IN 1953
SNOWFALL 1.5 INCHES IN 2005
PEAK GUST 69 S IN 2003
 
RECORDS FOR OCTOBER 30
HIGH 75 IN 1946,1989
LOW 21 IN 1928
PRECIP 1.85 INCHES IN 1917
SNOWFALL 0.6 INCHES IN 2000
PEAK GUST 66 NW IN 1963
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED By: Robert Skilling