BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY 
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2010
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
SNOW DEPTH ON GROUND 13 INCHES EARLY TODAY 
WARMING TREND, SUNSHINE, INCREASING HAZE
 
The snow on ground depth is gradually melting
today starting at 13 inches this morning. 
Plenty of bright sunshine and a developing
southwest winds is bringing milder temperature
and a reading of 40 degrees will occur and
would be a first since 55F way back on
the 13th of this month. Increasing haze is
keep visibility between 12 and 20 miles.
A morning inversion and rising temperatures
aloft has trapped a smoke layer which is still
observed along the horizon northwest thru east 
early this afternoon. 
 
Today's observations: 
 
7 A.M.  
Weather: Thin scattered cirrus, two levels, few small
stratocumulus offshore distant E-ESE
Temperature: 24F, Dew point: 20F; Wind: W at 10 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.16 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 20 miles, thin fog mostly distant below an
inversion, hazy
6-hourly min. temp. 23F
Total snow depth on ground: 13 inches
BHO SA 1155 300 –SCT CLR 20 214/24/20/2610/016/ LWR CI PRSNT 
FEW SML SC DSNT OFFSHR E-ESE THN FG MSTLY DSNT BLO INVSN HAZY 
ALQDS/ 8/501 4/013 53011 10026 20023
 
10 A.M.  
Weather: Thin scattered cirrus, thin broken cirrus, two levels
Temperature: 30F, Dew point: 22F; Wind: W at 6 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.18 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 12 miles, smoke layer along horizon WSW-N-NE,
hazy all quadrants
BHO SA 1455 250 –SCT 300 –BKN 12 221/30/22/2606/018/
K LYR ALG HRZN WSW-N-NE HAZY ALQDS/ 8/001 51007 
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Thin scattered cirrus  
Temperature: 38F, Dew point: 24F; Wind: SW at 6 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.14 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 15 miles, S-WNW 20 N-E 12, dark smoke layer
NW-E, hazy all quadrants
6-hourly max. temp: 39F 
BHO SA 1755 300 –SCT 15 206/38/24/2306/014/ DRK K LYR NW-E 
VSBY N-E 12 S-NW 15 HAZY ALQDS/ 8/001 56015 10039 20024
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 29 
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....36     NORMAL.....35
MIN.....24     NORMAL.....20
MEAN....30     NORMAL.....28
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.................+2
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH................-61 [-2.3 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............35    DEPARTURE........-2
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH..........1034    DEPARTURE.......+68
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........2194    DEPARTURE.......-61
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE....2157    DIFFERENCE......+37
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY............. 32 WNW AT 10:54 A.M. 
                   AEROVANE...............36 WNW AT 10:54 A.M. 
                   ASOS...................32 WNW AT 10:55 A.M. 
                   DAVIS..................32 W   AT  1:04 A.M. 
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY............25 WNW AT 11:15 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE.............23 WNW AT 11:17 A.M.      
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE............25 WNW AT 11:17 A.M.     
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION........13.2 WNW 
                   ASOS.................12.7               
                   DAVIS................13.1 W [280 DEG]
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00  DEPARTURE........-0.15
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........4.71  DEPARTURE........+0.45
                         ASOS..............5.26 
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........62.74  DEPARTURE........+11.82
                         ASOS.............63.18**
** ASOS missing rainfall due to system failure on 6/24-25
 
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE.....-0.4
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH...............22.9  DEPARTURE....+13.0
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............23.0  DEPARTURE....+10.2
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER 2010 CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SNOW/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
 
12/1  55/43/49/+13/0.49/0.0/000/00  55 SE   AERO 61 MPH SE
12/2  48/29/39/+3/0.00/0.0/540/100  30 W
12/3  38/29/34/-1/0.00/0.0/050/09   25 WNW
12/4  40/28/34/-1/0.00/0.0/516/93   27 WNW
12/5  34/23/29/-6/0.00/0.0/127/23   24 W
12/6  32/22/27/-7/0.00/0.0/447/81   37 WSW  AERO 38 MPH WSW
12/7  33/23/28/-6/0.00/0.0/463/84   35 W    AERO 37 MPH W
12/8  31/19/25/-8/0.00/0.0/550/100  39 W    AERO 40 MPH W
12/9  26/14/20/-13/0.00/0.0/550/100 29 WNW
12/10 25/9/17/-16/0.00/0.0/181/33   17 SSE
12/11 44/25/35/+3/0.00/0.0/460/84   23 WSW
12/12 55/33/44/+12/1.57/0.0/000/00  55 SE   AERO 69 MPH SE
12/13 55/33/44/+12/0.35/0.0/027/05  50 SSE  AERO 58 MPH SSE
12/14 33/16/25/-6/T/T/120/22        30 W
12/15 19/13/16/-15/0.02/0.2/038/07  33 WNW  AERO 38 MPH WNW 
12/16 32/15/24/-7/0.00/0.0/491/90   25 SSW
12/17 34/17/26/-5/0.00/0.0/545/100  22 WNW
12/18 37/22/30/0/0.00/0.0/392/72    20 N
12/19 34/25/30/0/0.00/0.0/038/07    17 N
12/20 30/23/27/-3/0.34/3.2/000/00   33 NW   AERO 37 MPH NW
12/21 38/23/31/+1/0.02/0.2/125/23   38 NW
12/22 36/28/32/+3/0.14/1.4/000/00   31 NW   AERO 35 MPH NW
12/23 36/27/32/+3/0.11/1.1/011/02   36 NW   AERO 38 MPH NW
12/24 35/23/29/0/0.00/0.0/545/100   31 NW 
12/25 29/18/24/-5/0.00/0.0/055/10*  20 WNW
12/26 30/20/25/-3/.../../000/00     58 NNE  AERO 65 MPH NNE
12/27 28/15/22/-6/.../../011/02     58 NW   AERO 67 MPH NW
12/28 32/14/23/-5/0.00/0.0/546/100  52 WNW  AERO 60 MPH WNW
12/29 36/24/30/+2/0.00/0.0/.../..   32 WNW  AERO 36 MPH WNW
 
12/25 - after a review sunshine corrected from 60 mins.
        and 11% to 55 mins. or 10%
 
12/30 our morning low temp: 23F; the normal low is now 20F
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 2010
 
12/15 - NEW RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMP. OF 19F;
this surpasses the previous record of 20F 
in 1903,1905,1931, and 1962 
 
12/27 - NEW RECORD PEAK WIND GUST FOR THIS DATE OF 58 MPH NW; 
the previous record for this date was 53 MPH W
1957 W, 1976 WNW, 1978 W (estimated)                             
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 30
HIGH 60 IN 1984
LOW -18 IN 1933
PRECIP 1.48 INS. IN 1891
SNOWFALL 7.5 INS. IN 1956
PEAK GUST 81 MPH WNW IN 1962
 
RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 31
HIGH 62 IN 1965
LOW -12 IN 1917
PRECIP 0.96 INS. IN 1906
SNOWFALL 7.5 INS. IN 2008
PEAK GUST 78 MPH NW IN 1990
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling