BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2011 ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME 4.6 INCHES OF NEW SNOW, PLUS SLEET, FREEZING RAIN AND DRIZZLE Snow that began Thursday evening accumulated to 4.6 inches through 6:40 AM EDT. Sleet began mixing with the snow during the 5-6 AM EDT hour, becoming all sleet by 6:05 AM EDT. Freezing rain began mixing in as well, becoming all light freezing rain by 6:35 AM EDT. The light freezing rain tapered to freezing drizzle which persisted until shortly after 7:00 AM EDT. A layer of glaze was observed on all exposed surfaces, with 0.2 inch of ice accretion on guy wires on the roof of the tower. Today's snowfall is well short of the record of 15.0 inches in 1997. Light snow began again shortly after 1PM EDT, but no accumuluation has been observed through this afternoon. Pressure is continuing to fall into this afternoon. Today will become the 13th consecutive day of below average temperatures. Such a streak has not occurred early summer of 2009. March 2011 ended up just slightly above average for temperature, and well below average for precipitation. See stats below: MARCH 2011 PRELIMINARY STATS Average Max Temp: 45.0F Average Min Temp: 28.0F Mean Temp: 36.5F [+ 0.2F] 24-hr. Corr Mean Temp: 35.9F Max Temp: 69F on 18th Min Temp: 8F on 3rd Total precipitation: 2.68 ins. [-2.11 in.] Total snowfall: 5.5 ins. [-6.0 ins. ] Total heating degree day units (month): 876 [-18] Total heating degree day units (season): 5398 [-66] Avg wind speed: 14.0 MPH W 21% Avg corrected wind speed: 14.3 MPH W Peak gust: 58 MPH SE on 7th, 58 MPH W on 18th Peak fastest mile: 47 MPH W on 18th Today's observations: 7 A.M. Weather: Light rain and drizzle, fog, overcast stratus, ceiling ragged, stratus occassionally drifting over summit, light freezing drizzle ended unknown, light drizzle began unknown, light rain began unkown, light rain ended 6:55 AM EST, precipitation very light, thin glaze all surfaces except glaze 0.2 inch on tower wires Temperature: 32F, Dew point: 32F; Wind: NNW at 13G22* kts, Wind: Peak wind 30* kts from the N at 6:16 AM EST Wind: Direction variable WNW to NNE *wind speeds likely low due to ice/snow accretion Sea-level pressure: 29.37 ins. Hg, falling Visibility: 6 miles, N-NNE 12 miles, light rain and drizzle, fog 24-hour precip: 1.02 inches 24-hour snowfall: 4.6 inches 6-hour precip: 6-hour snowfall: Snow depth: 5 inches 6-hour min. temp: 31F BHO SA 1155 E2 OVC 6R-L-F 946/32/32/3413G22/937/ CIG RGD STRA OCNLY DRFTG OVR SMT VSBY N-NNE 12 PK WND 0130/16 WND 30V03 ZL-EUKN L-BUKN R-BUKN R-E55 PCPN VRY LGT THN GLZ XCPT GLZ 0.2 IN TWR WIRES TOTAL NEW SNW PST 24 HRS 4.6 INS / 8/7// 4/005 56051 ASOS 60045 MANUAL 70102 ASOS 70101 10032 20031 10 A.M. Weather: Light drizzle, fog, overcast stratus, stratus drifting over the summit Temperature: 32F, Dew point: 32F; Wind: NNW at 14G23* kts, Wind: Direction variable W to N *wind speeds likely low due to ice/snow accretion Sea-level pressure: 29.24 inches Hg, falling Visibility: 2 miles, variable to 1/2 mile, light drizzle, fog 3-hour precip: 0.09 inch BHO SA 1455 E1 OVC 2VL-F 901/32/32/3314G23/924/ STRA DRFTG OVR SMT VSBY 2V1/2 WND 28V36/ 8/7// 58045 MANUAL 60009 ASOS 60009 1 P.M. Weather: Light snow, fog, broken stratus, overcast nimbostratus, stratus drifting over summit, higher nimbostratus layer occassionally visible, light snow began 12:05 PM EST, light drizzle ended unknown, precipitation very light Temperature: 33F, Dew point: 33F; Wind: WNW at 12 kts, Wind: Direction variable W to NNW Sea-level pressure: 29.20 inches Hg, falling Visibility: 1 1/2 miles, variable 1 to 2 miles, light snow, fog 6-hour max. temp. 33F 6-hour precip: 0.10 inch 6-hour snowfall: Trace BHO SA 1755 E4 BKN 9 OVC 11/2VS-F 889/33/33/3012/920/ STRA DRFTG OVR SMT HIER NS LYR OCNLY VSBL VSBY 1V2 WND 26V33 S-B05 L-EUKN PCPN VRY LGT/ 8/7// 58012 MANUAL 60010 ASOS 60010 10033 20032 WEATHER SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, MARCH 31 TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F) MAX.....45 NORMAL.....50 MIN.....31 NORMAL.....32 MEAN....38 NORMAL.....41 DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL...................-3 TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH..................+14 [+0.3 DEGREES/DAY] HEATING DEGREE DAYS TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............27 DEPARTURE........+3 TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........876 DEPARTURE.......-18 TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........5398 DEPARTURE.......-66 TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE....5096 DIFFERENCE.....+302 PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY..............27 NE AT 10:48 P.M. * AEROVANE...............30 NE AT 11:34 P.M. * ASOS...................29 ENE AT 10:48 P.M. DAVIS..................25 NE AT 10:48 P.M. THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY............20 NE AT 10:48 P.M. MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE.............21 ENE AT 10:49 P.M. MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE............20 ENE AT 2:14 P.M. AVERRAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.......10.8 ENE ASOS.................10.0 DAVIS.................9.9 E [084 DEG] * last of several occurrences... PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST) TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....1.02 DEPARTURE........+0.87 ASOS..............1.01 TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR MARCH..............2.68 DEPARTURE........-2.11 ASOS............2.78 TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR APRIL..............0.59 ASOS............0.54 TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........14.20 DEPARTURE........+0.57 ASOS..............14.93** ** ASOS data is in error due to system failure on 1/12-13 SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST) TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........4.6 DEPARTURE........+4.4 TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR MARCH....................5.5 DEPARTURE........-6.0 TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR APRIL....................1.6 TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............96.8 DEPARTURE.......+39.9 PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR MARCH 2011 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 3/1 36/27/32/0/0.00/0.0/580/86 37 WNW AERO 40 MPH WNW 3/2 45/18/32/0/T/T/264/39 51 W AERO 53 MPH W 3/3 27/8/18/-14/0.00/0.0/659/97 36 WNW AERO 40 MPH WNW 3/4 37/15/26/-7/0.00/0.0/540/79 24 SSE 3/5 53/27/40/+7/T/0.0/158/23 48 SSW AERO 53 MPH SSW 3/6 59/46/53/+20/0.16/0.0/028/04 48 S AERO 56 MPH S 3/7 54/25/40/+7/0.64/T/159/23 58 SE AERO 62 MPH SSE 3/8 41/22/32/-2/0.00/0.0/638/92 23 NW 3/9 34/28/31/-3/T/T/049/07 31 NE AERO 32 MPH NE 3/10 40/32/36/+2/0.06/T/000/00 37 E AERO 39 MPH E 3/11 54/40/47/+12/0.46/0.0/000/00 40 E AERO 40 MPH E 3/12 51/34/43/+8/0.00/0.0/550/78 35 SW AERO 37 MPH WSW 3/13 48/36/42/+7/T/0.0/326/46 39 W AERO 42 MPH W 3/14 37/28/33/-3/0.01/T/021/03 20 NW 3/15 47/28/38/+2/0.00/0.0/635/89 23 SSE 3/16 43/30/37/+1/0.54/0.0/000/00 25 WNW 3/17 61/35/48/+10/0.00/0.0/677/94 27 S AERO 29 MPH S 3/18 69/43/56/+19/0.00/0.0/448/62 58 W AERO 58 MPH W 3/19 50/30/40/+3/T/0.0/421/58 31 NW AERO 32 MPH NW 3/20 42/26/34/-4/0.00/0.0/677/93 23 SE 3/21 38/31/35/-3/0.33/2.0/000/00 29 SSE AERO 31 MPH SSE 3/22 40/30/35/-3/0.00/0.0/132/18 36 WNW AERO 37 MPH WNW 3/23 38/27/33/-5/T/T/177/24 20 WNW 3/24 36/27/32/-7/0.05/0.5/059/08 27 NW AERO 31 MPH NW 3/25 43/25/34/-5/0.00/0.0/594/80 32 WSW AERO 35 MPH WSW 3/26 39/20/30/-9/0.00/0.0/723/97 40 WNW AERO 40 MPH WNW 3/27 43/22/33/-7/0.00/0.0/681/91 40 WNW AERO 40 MPH W 3/28 44/23/34/-6/0.00/0.0/661/88 39 W AERO 42 MPH W 3/29 47/26/37/-3/0.00/0.0/738/98 32 W AERO 34 MPH W 3/30 53/27/40/-1/0.00/0.0/712/94 25 W AERO 25 MPH WNW 3/31 45/31/38/-3/0.43/3.0/000/00 27 NE AERO 30 MPH NE 4/1 our morning low temp: 31F; the normal low is now 33F DAILY RECORDS FOR MARCH 2011 3/18 - NEW RECORD HIGH MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 69F; surpasses the previous record of 68F in 1999 DAILY EXTREMES Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated): RECORDS FOR APRIL 1 HIGH 74 IN 1967 LOW 6 IN 1923 [RECORD FOR MONTH] PRECIP 3.47 IN. IN 2004 [RECORD FOR MONTH] SNOWFALL 15.0 IN. IN 1997 [RECORD FOR MONTH] PEAK GUST 75 MPH SSW IN 1962 RECORDS FOR APRIL 2 HIGH 77 IN 1967 LOW 14 IN 1919 PRECIP 1.83 IN. IN 1970 SNOWFALL 13.0 IN. IN 1887 PEAK GUST 76 MPH SSW IN 1970 TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Sean Fankhauser