BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186 ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA   DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 2010  ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME   ABOVE-NORMAL TEMPERATURE TREND CONTINUES...SUNSHINE NEAR 70 PERCENT   Temperatures were once again well above-normal on Wednesday as the maximum recorded temperature reached 88F by 2:00 PM EDT. Dew points were in the upper 60s for most of the morning and afternoon, creating somewhat uncomfortable conditions on the summit. Today's mean temperature of 78F is six degrees above normal and consistent with the current average daily departure for the month thus far.   Through the first 20 days of the month, the observatory has received approximately 69% sunshine - well above the normal July sunshine percentage of 57. However, this is still short of the ever-famous July of 1952 which received 75%. July 1952 is also the warmest month on record at the Observatory.     STATS BELOW FOR FIRST 20 DAYS OF JULY.....   Greatest monthly number of 90-degree days, July 1) 14 in 1952 2) 10 in 1949    10 in 1963    10 in 2010 (through the 20th) 5)  9 in 1911  6)  8 in 1983     8 in 1988   Greatest monthly number of 90-degree days, all months 1) 14 in July, 1952 2) 13 in August, 2002 3) 10 in August, 1944    10 in July, 1949    10 in July, 1963    10 in July, 2010 (through the 20th) 7)  9 in July, 1911     9 in August, 1928 9)  8 in August, 1949     8 in July, 1983     8 in July, 1988   Today's observations:    7 A.M. Weather: Broken altocumulus, lower altocumulus S-NW, sky clearing past hour, mostly clear W-NW, thin fog and haze all quadrants, thin smoke layer along horizon SW-N, estimated inversion top 600 FT over city N Temperature: 74F, Dew point: 67F; Wind: Calm Sea-level pressure: 29.97 inches Hg, falling Visibility: 10 miles, thin fog and haze 6-hour minimum temp: 68F  BHO SA 1155 E130 BKN 10 149/74/67/0000/997/ LWR AC S-NW SKY CLRG PST HR MSTLY CLR W-NW THN FG HZ ALQDS THN K LYR ALG HZN SW-N ESTMTD INVSN TOP 6 HND OVCTY N/ 8/070 58002 10074 20068   10 A.M. Weather: Overcast altocumulus, cumulus/moderate cumulus forming except NE-E, numerous small breaks in overcast, large break in overcast NW-NE, hazy Temperature: 82F, Dew point: 69F; Wind: S at 6 kts, Sea-level pressure: 29.97 inches Hg, falling Visibility: 20 miles, hazy BHO SA 1455 E80 OVC 20 148/82/69/1706/997/ CU/MDT CU FRMG XCPT NE-E NMRS SML BINOVC LGE BINOVC NW-NE HAZY/ 8/230 58001   1 P.M. Weather: Broken cumulus, broken altocumulus, moderate/towering cumulus all quadrants, few altocumulus lenticularis NW-NE, hazy Temperature: 85F, Dew point: 68F; Wind: S at 10 kts Sea-level pressure: 29.91 inches Hg, falling Wind: Direction variable SSE-SSW Visibility: 15 miles, 20 miles WNW, hazy 6-hour maximum temp: 88F BHO SA 1755 E45 BKN 80 BKN 15 127/85/68/1810/991/ MDT CU/FEW TCU ALQDS FEW ACSL NW-NE VSBY WNW 20 HAZY WND 15V21/ 8/240 58021 10088 20074   WEATHER SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, JULY 20   TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F) MAX.....80     NORMAL.....82 MIN.....68     NORMAL.....63 MEAN....74     NORMAL.....72   DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR AVERAGE.................+2 TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH................+120 [+5.8 DEGREES/DAY]   PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............16 S   AT 10:45 P.M. *                    AEROVANE..............18 S   AT 10:45 P.M. *                    ASOS..................17 S   AT 10:43 P.M.                      DAVIS.................17 WNW AT  3:31 A.M.   THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........12 S   AT 10:45 P.M.  MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............13 S   AT 10:46 P.M.   MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........N/A  AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION........6.6 NNW                    ASOS.................6.7                    DAVIS................6.9 NW [323 DEG] * last of several occurrences   PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST) TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00  DEPARTURE........-0.12                          ASOS..............0.00 TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........0.52  DEPARTURE........-1.90                          ASOS..............0.47 TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........36.61  DEPARTURE........+8.52                          ASOS.............36.29 ** ** ASOS missing rainfall due to system failure on 6/24-25   PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR JULY 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   7/1  74/53/64/-6/0.00/649/71   30 W   AERO 30 MPH W 7/2  80/54/67/-3/0.00/867/95   23 WNW 7/3  85/60/73/+3/0.00/821/90   20 SW 7/4  93/67/80/+10/0.00/492/54  31 W 7/5  94/70/82/+11/0.00/864/97  22 WNW 7/6  99/77/88/+17/0.00/746/82  25 NNW 7/7  91/73/82/+11/0.00/772/85  18 SE 7/8  89/69/79/+8/0.00/835/92   23 S 7/9  90/71/81/+10/0.01/770/85  28 S 7/10 89/68/79/+8/0.01/371/41   30 W    TSTM 7/11 86/67/77/+5/0.00/750/83   20 ENE  7/12 90/68/79/+7/0.00/677/75   32 SSW  AERO 33 MPH SSW 7/13 91/71/81/+9/0.06/423/47   25 S   7/14 77/65/71/-1/.../000/00    21 NE 7/15 78/64/71/-1/.../449/50    18 ENE 7/16 90/65/78/+6/0.08/629/70   30 W    AERO 33 MPH WNW TSTM 7/17 91/71/81/+9/0.00/780/87   25 SW 7/18 90/71/81/+9/0.00/742/83   32 W 7/19 86/69/78/+6/0.04/482/54   30 S    AERO 35 MPH S 7/20 80/68/74/+2/0.00/330/37   16 S    7/21 our morning low temp: 68F; the normal low is now 63F   NEW DAILY RECORDS FOR JULY 2010 TO DATE: 7/6 - Maximum temperature of 99 degrees F; surpasses 98F set in 1911. 7/6 - Minimum temperature of 77 degrees F; surpasses 73F set in 2003. 7/7 - Minimum temperature of 73 degrees F; surpasses 72F set in 1908.   DAILY EXTREMES Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):   RECORDS FOR JULY 21 HIGH 100F IN 1977 [RECORD FOR MONTH] LOW 48F IN 1890 PRECIP 2.09 INCHES IN 1938 PEAK GUST 60e MPH WNW IN 1977   RECORDS FOR JULY 22 HIGH 99F IN 1926 LOW 52F IN 1890 PRECIP 1.73 INCHES IN 1900 PEAK GUST 55 MPH IN 1983   TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Eli Melaas / Robert Skilling