BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2009
ALL DATA IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
BRIGHT SUNSHINE BUT MUCH COOLER WEATHER
 
Just a few high clouds were observed in an
otherwise clear sky today with plenty of
bright sunshine.  The six-day period from
November 10-15 had only 7% of the possible
bright sunshine so the sunshine is certainly
welcomed.  The almost a week of cloudy weather
was preceded by 60% of the possible sunshine
from November 1-9 so the first half of November
ended up with only 39% sunshine. The long-term
average for November is 47%.
Temperatures started our very near the normal
low with 35 degrees this morning and could
only rise into the upper 40's by this afternoon.
The cooling trend comes after over a week of
very mild November weather. 
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few altocumulus, altocumulus lenticularis mostly
east thru south thru west, patch cirrus distant northwest thru
the north-northeast
Temperature: 37F, Dew point: 24F, Wind: NW at 12 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.24 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 60 miles
6-hour minimum temp: 35F
24-hour precipitation: 0.00 
BHO SA 1155 CLR 60 239/37/24/3212/024/ FEW AC/ACSL MSTLY E-S-W
PTCH CI DSNT NW-NNE/ 8/041 53021 10040 20035
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few stratocumulus along shore NE-E and
few cirrocumulus and cirrocumulus lenticularis SE-SW 
Temperature: 45F, Dew point: 26F, Wind: N at 6 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.29 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 60 miles, 70 miles northwest
BHO SA 1455 CLR 60 257/45/26/3606/029/ FEW SC ALGSHR NE-E
FEW CC/CCSL SE-SW VSBY NW 70/ 8/509 53018
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Clear, few stratocumulus east thru east-southeast,
few small cumulus south-southeast thru southwest, cirro-
cumulus radiatus and few cirrocumulus lenticularis ESE-SW  
Temperature: 47F, Dew point: 33F, Wind: NE at 6 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.30 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 60 miles, 70 miles northwest
6-hour max. temp: 47F 
BHO SA 1755 CLR 60 261/47/33/0406/030/ FEW SC E-ESE
FEW SML CU SSE-SW CC/CCSL ESE-SW VSBY NW 70/
8/809 53004 10047 20037 
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....56     NORMAL.....49
MIN.....43     NORMAL.....34
MEAN....50     NORMAL.....42
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR AVERAGE............+ 8
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.............+66 [+3.9 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............15    DEPARTURE........-8
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........267    DEPARTURE.......-67
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........888    DEPARTURE.......-37
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....794    DIFFERENCE......+94
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............30 NW  AT 11:26 P.M. *    
                   AEROVANE..............31 NW  AT 11:22 P.M.  
                   ASOS..................30 NW  AT 11:22 P.M.     
                   DAVIS.................33 WNW AT 11:21 P.M.      
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...............21 WNW AT 11:49 P.M.    
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............21 WNW AT 11:47 P.M.     
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........23 WNW AT 11:54 P.M.    
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.......13.8 WNW
                   ASOS................13.3
                   DAVIS...............14.8 WNW [290 DEG]
 
* last of several occurrences...
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00   DEPARTURE....-0.16
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR MONTH  ............2.20   DEPARTURE....-0.28
                         ASOS..............2.23
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........47.31   DEPARTURE....+2.81
                         ASOS.............48.54
                 
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE.....-0.1
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................0.0  DEPARTURE.....-1.3
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON...............3.0  DEPARTURE.....+1.5
                                               
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR NOVEMBER 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
 
11/1  58/44/51/+4/0.05/167/27   22 WNW  
11/2  49/42/46/0/T/099/16       29 NE
11/3  57/36/47/+1/0/474/77      32 W    AERO 32 MPH W    
11/4  49/34/42/-4/0/514/84      24 W
11/5  46/36/41/-4/0.01/006/01   21 N
11/6  47/31/39/-6/0/419/69      38 WNW  AERO 38 MPH WNW
11/7  49/29/39/-6/0/575/95      33 S
11/8  66/42/54/+10/0/549/91     31 SSW
11/9  68/49/59/+15/0/486/81     35 S    AERO 35 MPH S
11/10 62/50/56/+12/0/000/00     23 SW 
11/11 50/43/47/+4/0/113/19      31 NNE
11/12 49/41/45/+2/0/125/21      34 NE   AERO 31 MPH NNE
11/13 49/44/47/+4/0/000/00      39 NNE  AERO 37 MPH NNE
11/14 59/49/54/+12/2.08/000/00  39 NE   AERO 38 MPH NE
11/15 60/52/56/+14/0.06/012/02  18 W
11/16 56/43/50/+8/0/.../..      30 NW   AERO 31 MPH NW
 
11/17 our morning low temp: 35F; the normal low is 34F 
 
NEW DAILY RECORD FOR NOVEMBER 2009
A new daily rainfall record set for November 14 at 2.08 inches;
the previous record was 1.87 inches in 1972. 
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR NOVEMBER 17
HIGH 74 IN 1928
LOW 10 IN 1924
PRECIP 1.92 INCHES IN 1920
SNOWFALL 1.0 INS IN 1980
PEAK GUST 61 SSE IN 2006
 
RECORDS FOR NOVEMBER 18
HIGH 72 IN 1963
LOW 10 IN 1936
PRECIP 1.80 INS IN 1929
SNOWFALL 6.3 INS IN 1980
PEAK GUST 60 SW IN 1987
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling