BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2010
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
COLD WEATHER PERSISTS WITH SUB-FREEZING
WEATHER CONTINUING FOR AN 8TH CONSECUTIVE DAY
CLOUDY SKY WITH A FEW SMALL BREAKS TODAY
 
The temperature here at the summit has remained
in the subfreezing range for over a week now with the
last above freezing weather occurring on December 28th.
Average temperatures, with the exception of a zero
departure on Jan. 1, have all been below the normals.
A deck of stratocumulus clouds up around 5000 feet
has been very persistant today with just a few small
breaks but numerous bright spots in the overcast.
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Sky overcast statocumulus, breaks in overcast, 
clear sky band extending ESE-S
Temperature: 22F, Dew point: 17F, Wind: W at 9 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 29.60 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 50 miles
6-hour minimum temp: 18F
24-hour precipitation: 0.00
24-hour snowfall: 0.0
Average snow depth: 8 inches
BHO SA 1155 23 SCT E45 OVC 50 023/22/17/2709/960/
CLR SKY BND/BINOVC ALG HRZN DSNT ESE-S/ 8/5//
4/008 53003 10022 20018
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Overcast stratocumulus, breaks in overcast and
higher clouds visible to the distant ESE-S  
Temperature: 25F, Dew point: 17F, Wind: W at 11 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 29.61 inches Hg, steady
Visibility: 70 miles, mountain in cloud 70 miles northwest
BHO SA 1455 E50 OVC 70 027/25/17/2811/961/
BINOVC HIER CLD VSB DSNT ESE-S MTN INCLD 70 NW /
8/5// 51004   
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Overcast stratocumulus, small breaks in the
overcast west thru north-northwest, numerous bright
spots in the overcast 
Temperature: 28F, Dew point: 18F, Wind: W at 10 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 29.56 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 65 miles
6-hourly max. temp: 28F
BHO SA 1755 E50 OVC 65 009/28/18/2610/956/
SML BINOVC W-NNW NMRS BRGHT SPTS IOVC
SUN OCNL DMLY VSB/ 8/5// 58018 10028 20022
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, JANUARY 4
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....32     NORMAL.....34
MIN.....20     NORMAL.....19
MEAN....26     NORMAL.....27
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR AVERAGE.............-1
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.............-12 [-3.2 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............39    DEPARTURE........-1
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........164    DEPARTURE.......+10
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........2408    DEPARTURE.......-73
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE....2417    DIFFERENCE.......-9
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............35 W   AT  9:01 A.M. *   
                   AEROVANE..............32 W   AT  6:53 A.M. 
                   ASOS..................33 W   AT  6:53 A.M. 
                   DAVIS.................33 W   AT  6:03 A.M.  
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........24 W   AT  8:27 A.M. 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............24 W   AT  8:28 A.M.    
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........25 W   AT  8:29 A.M.     
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.......15.5 W
                   ASOS................14.9 
                   DAVIS...............16.0 W [280 DEG]
* last of several occurrences.....
 
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..........0.80   DEPARTURE....+0.20
                         ASOS..............0.70 
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........0.80   DEPARTURE....+0.20
                         ASOS..............0.70
                 
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE.....-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH...............10.1  DEPARTURE.....+8.1
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............39.9  DEPARTURE....+24.3
                                               
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 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
 
1/1  31/23/27/0/0.01/0.1/005/01    24 NW 
1/2  28/19/24/-3/.../.../000/00    53 W    AERO 55 W
1/3  25/13/19/-8/.../../000/00     45 W    AER0 44 W
1/4  32/20/26/-1/0/0/.../..        35 W    AERO 28 W
 
1/5 our morning low temp: 18F; the normal low is now 19F
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR JANUARY 5
HIGH 61F IN 2007
LOW -9F IN 1981
PRECIP 0.98 INS. IN 1993
SNOW 4.5 INS. IN 1891
WIND 70 MPH WNW IN 1959
 
RECORDS FOR JANUARY 6
HIGH 66F IN 2007
LOW -14F IN 1896
PRECIP 3.10 INS. IN 1889 [RECORD FOR MONTH]
SNOWFALL 7.5 INS. IN 1893
WIND 70 MPH WNW IN 1959
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling