BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186 ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA   DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2009 ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME   TEMPERATURE APPROACHING TODAY'S RECORD OF 90F THREE DAY HEAT WAVE THROUGH YESTERDAY BUT  MAX. TEMP. 91F FALLS 2 DEG. SHORT OF RECORD TODAY'S HIGH RECORD 90F LAST OCCURRED IN 2002   The temperature continues to rise into the upper 80's early this afternoon and is getting close to the record of 90F set in 1906, 1966, and most recently in 2002. Much like yesterday, the dew point has dropped from near 70F early this morning to the mid-60's by early this afternoon.     A three-day heat wave was made official yesterday with 91F following 91F on Monday and 90F on Sunday.  The high temperature, however, fell two degrees short of the record of 93 in 2002.  A record today would be more easily attainable with the record of 90F last occurring in 2002.  Today is one of only two days during August where the high- est for the date is just 90 degrees. Also,  the minimum temperature of 71F this morning would tie the high minimum for the date set back in 2002 if that reading should hold through midnight tonight.    Today's observations:   7 A.M.   Weather: Scattered altocumulus, chaotic sky including a few castellanus S-WNW, thin scattered cirrus, occasional cumulus fractus forming overhead   Temperature: 75F, Dew point: 70F, Wind: W at 10 kts, Wind: direction gradually veering past hour  Sea-level pressure: 29.94 inches Hg, rising Visibility: 9 miles, hazy, increasing past hour   6-hour minimum temp: 71F BHO SA 1155 100 SCT 150 –SCT 250 –SCT 300 –SCT 9 140/75/70/2610/994/ OCNL CUFRA FRMG OVHD AC CHAOTIC FEW ACC S-WNW CLDS DSSPTNG PST HR VSBY INCRSNG PST HR HAZY ALQDS WND GRDLY VEERING/ 8/191 53008 10075 20071   10 A.M. Weather: Scattered altocumulus and altocumulus lenticularis to the east through south, few cumulus fractus and cumulus forming NE-SE-SSW  Temperature: 82F, Dew point: 69F, Wind: W at 5 kts Sea-level pressure:  29.95 inches Hg, falling Visibility: 20 miles, 25 miles to the west-northwest  BHO SA 1455 180 SCT 20 143/82/69/2705/995/ AC/ACSL E-S FEW CUFRA/CU FRMG NE-SE-SSW VSBY WNW 25 HAZY/ 8/140 50003    1 P.M. Weather: Clear, cumulus all quadrants  Temperature: 88F, Dew point: 65F, Wind: SSW at 8 kts, Wind: direction variable S to WNW Sea-level pressure: 29.94 inches Hg, falling Visibility: 30 miles, 25 NE-SE   6-hourly max. temp: 88F BHO SA 1755 CLR 30 138/88/65/2108/994/ CU ALQDS FEW AC DSNT NW VSBY NE-SE 25 LGT HZ ALQDS WND 18V29/ 8/140 56005 10088 20075    WEATHER SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, AUGUST 18   TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F) MAX.....91    NORMAL.....79 MIN.....72    NORMAL.....61 MEAN....82    NORMAL.....70   DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR AVERAGE..........+12 TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH...........+33 [+1.6 DEGREES/DAY]   HEATING DEGREE DATA WILL RESUME IN SEPTEMBER   PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............29 SSW AT  4:43 P.M. *                     AEROVANE..............28 SSW AT  6:32 P.M. *                    ASOS..................29 SSW AT  4:43 P.M.                            DAVIS.................30 SSW AT  4:59 P.M.     FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...............23 SSW AT  4:56 P.M.  MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............22 SSW AT  5:00 P.M.          MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........23 SSW AT  5:00 P.M.      AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.......12.5 SSW                     ASOS................12.5                    DAVIS...............12.0 SW [220 DEG]   * last of several occurrences   PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST) TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00   DEPARTURE....-0.13                          ASOS..............0.00 TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........0.84   DEPARTURE....-1.47                          ASOS..............0.84 TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........32.10   DEPARTURE....+0.38                          ASOS.............33.22   PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR AUGUST 2009 CALENDAR DAY DATA DATA REPORTED: DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/ PEAK GUST/AERO GUST AERO: Aerovane wind recording system gust when significant TSTM: Thunderstorm day (thunder heard some time during day) ....: Data not yet available, records not finalized   8/1  83/63/73/+1/0/823/95    18 SSE 8/2  77/64/71/-1/T/104/12    25 SSE 8/3  84/67/76/+4/0/638/74    17 SW 8/4  83/66/75/+3/0/714/83    23 S 8/5  86/67/77/+5/T/378/44    27 SSW  TSTM 8/6  76/61/69/-3/0/564/66    18 SSE 8/7  79/58/69/-2/0/836/98    32 W 8/8  74/55/65/-6/0/791/93    21 WNW 8/9  76/59/68/-3/T/178/21    25 SSE  8/10 87/66/77/+6/0.12/584/69 27 W    TSTM  8/11 84/66/75/+4/0.54/684/81 25 NE   TSTM  8/12 67/63/65/-6/T/000/00    18 N 8/13 66/60/63/-8/0.18/042/05 23 NNE 8/14 83/58/71/+1/0/762/91    16 S 8/15 88/66/77/+7/0/810/97    18 S 8/16 90/68/79/+9/0/749/90    22 S 8/17 91/69/80/+10/0/.../..   21 WSW 8/18 91/72/82/+12/0/.../..   29 SSW   8/19 our morning low temp: 71F; the normal low is now 61F   NEW DAILY RECORDS FOR AUGUST 2009 TO DATE... NONE   DAILY EXTREMES   Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):   RECORDS FOR AUGUST 19 HIGH 90F IN 1906, 1966, 2002 LOW 48F IN 1958 PRECIP 7.02 INCHES IN 1955 [DIANE - RECORD FOR MONTH] PEAK GUST 78 MPH ENE 1991   RECORDS FOR AUGUST 20 HIGH 93F IN 1937 LOW 48F IN 1896, 1905, 1949 PRECIP 2.71 INCHES IN 1970 PEAK GUST 47 MPH W 1983   TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling