BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186 ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA   DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 2010  ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME   DRY WEATHER PATTERN CONTINUES AND RAINFALL TOTALS CONTINUE TO FALL FARTHER BELOW NORMAL   August continues the dry weather pattern which also prevailed during July. In fact, less than normal rainfall has prevailed each month starting with April. March had 393% of normal precipitation with a record 18.81 inches.  Thus, the year still shows a surplus of over 7 inches. However, since April 1 our total precipitation is 10.47 inches or 61% of normal. If March had had normal precipitation we would currently be below normal for the year by 6.45 inches instead of being above normal by over 7 inches.    Today's observations:    7 A.M. Weather: Broken dense cirrus, overcast cirrus, altocumulus, few altocumulus castellanus, lenticularis, chaotic sky, thin spots in the overcast Temperature: 68F, Dew point: 62F; Wind: ENE at 2 kts (estimated), Sea-level pressure: 29.96 inches Hg, rising  Visibility: 20 miles, thin smoke layer near horizon to the northwest thru north, visibility 25 above inversion to the west-northwest, thin fog below inversion southwest thru northwest dissipating 24-hour rainfall: 0.00 6-hour minimum temp: 65F BHO SA 1155 E200 BKN 250 OVC 20 144/68/62/E0602/996/ AC/FEW ACC/FEW ACSL SE ALQDS CHAOTIC SKY DNS CI ALQDS OVC PTLY THN THN FG BLO INVSN SW-NW THN K LYR ALG HRZN NW-N VSBY 25 WNW ABV INVSN HAZY/ 8/092 51010 10068 20065    10 A.M. Weather: Scattered altocumulus, altocumulus chaotic, scattered dense cirrus, thin broken cirrus, cumulus forming all quadrants Temperature: 78F, Dew point: 56F; Wind: ESE at 5 kts, Sea-level pressure: 29.96 inches Hg, rising Visibility: 40 miles, WNW 45 miles, distant haze BHO SA 1455 150 SCT 220 SCT 250 –BKN 40 146/78/56/1205/996/ CU FRMG ALQDS AC CHAOTIC PTCHS DNS CI AND CC/ 8/192 53002    1 P.M.  Weather: Scattered cumulus/stratocumulus, broken altocumulus with two layers, few moderate cumulus Temperature: 77F, Dew point: 60F; Wind: ENE at 10 kts, Wind: Direction variable NNE to E Sea-level pressure: 29.96 inches Hg, falling Visibility: 50 miles, except 45 miles west-northwest, distant haze  6-hour maximum temp: 80F BHO SA 1755 60 SCT 80 SCT E150 BKN 50 144/77/60/0710/996/ FEW MDT CU VSBY WNW 45 LGT DSNT HZ WND 03V10/ 8/47/ 58002 10080 20068    WEATHER SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 11   TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F) MAX.....80     NORMAL.....80 MIN.....66     NORMAL.....62 MEAN....73     NORMAL.....71                                                                            DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR AVERAGE.................+2 TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.................+36 [+3.1 DEGREES/DAY]   PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............22 NNE AT  8:40 A.M.                    AEROVANE..............23 NNE AT  8:38 A.M.                       ASOS..................22 NNE AT  8:41 A.M.                     DAVIS.................21 NE  AT  8:12 A.M.   THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........16 NNE AT  8:39 A.M.  MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............15 ENE AT  3:34 P.M.     MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.......... 15 NNE AT  8:39 A.M.     AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION........9.0 NNE                       ASOS.................8.9                     DAVIS................8.8 NE [040 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..........1.03  DEPARTURE........-0.37                          ASOS..............1.03 TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........38.38  DEPARTURE........+7.57                          ASOS.............38.07 ** ** ASOS missing rainfall due to system failure on 6/24-25   PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR AUGUST 2010 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  79/59/69/-3/0.00/512/59   22 SE 8/2  82/61/72/0/0.00/614/71    24 S 8/3  83/64/74/+2/0.00/397/46   32 SSW AERO 36 MPH SSW 8/4  89/71/80/+8/0.00/421/49   27 SSW 8/5  89/71/80/+8/0.86/103/12   30 W   AERO 35 MPH W    TSTM 8/6  85/62/74/+2/0.00/693/81   33 W   AERO 36 MPH W 8/7  79/58/69/-2/0.00/768/90   28 SSW 8/8  84/63/74/+3/0.00/664/78   30 S 8/9  91/69/80/+9/T/.../..      25 WSW 8/10 87/69/78/+7/0.17/.../..   18 WSW 8/11 80/66/73/+2/0.00/.../..   22 NNE   8/12 our morning low temp: 65F; the normal low is 62F   NEW DAILY RECORDS FOR AUGUST 2010  None   DAILY EXTREMES Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):   RECORDS FOR AUGUST 12 HIGH 99F IN 1944 LOW 48F IN 1930 PRECIP 1.89 INCHES IN 1979 PEAK GUST 50 MPH NE IN 1983   RECORDS FOR AUGUST 13 HIGH 98F IN 1944, 2002 LOW 47F IN 1902, 1957 PRECIP 2.92 INCHES IN 1989 PEAK GUST 52 MPH SSE IN 1963   TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling/Hari Anbarasu