BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011 ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME BEAUTIFUL LATE AUGUST DAY! Temperatures are running very close to average, if not a little on the cool side. A temperature inversion was observed this morning, as our morning low on the summit reached 57F and nearby Norwood reached 51F. The afternoon high has made it into the upper 70s, right where it should be for the date. The air mass continues to be dry, with comfortable dew point temperatures in the mid 50s and very few clouds. Visiblity has been quite good, ranging from 80 miles this morning to 75 miles with the addition of a little light distant haze this afternoon. With August almost wrapped up, and temperatures expected to be fairly close to average through tomorrow, the month will end up about one degree above average. With a nearly zero chance of rain through tomorrow, August will finish as the 7th wettest August on record at Blue Hill. WETTEST AUGUSTS (inches) 1) 18.78 1955 2) 11.44 1946 3) 10.72 1927 4) 8.92 1976 5) 8.68 2010 6) 8.58 1917 7) 8.36 2011 ** 8) 8.00 1924 9) 7.72 1975 10 7.48 1936 Today's observations: 7 A.M. Weather: Scattered altocumulus, scattered cirrus, valley fog SSW-W and distant NNW, few altocumulus lenticularis NE-S, thin smoke layer along horizon NNW-NE and SE-SSW, inversion dissipating Temperature: 62F, Dew point: 53F; Wind: NW at 7 kts Sea-level pressure: 30.10 inches Hg, rising Visibility: 80 miles 6-hour min. temp: 57F BHO SA 1155 140 SCT 250 -SCT 80 194/62/53/3207/010/ VLY FG SSW-W AND DSNT NNW FEW ACSL NE-S THN K LYR ALG HRZN NNW-NE AND SE-SSW INVSN DSPTNG/ 8/041 51010 10062 20057 10 A.M. Weather: Scattered cirrus (2 levels), few cumulus forming distant SW-N, few altocumulus/altocumulus lenticularis distant E-SE, cirrus/ patches of dense cirrus NE-SE-SW, light distant haze Temperature: 72F, Dew Point: 53F; Wind: ESE at 2 kts, Wind: Light and variable Sea-level pressure: 30.14 inches Hg, rising Visibility: 75 miles, light distant haze BHO SA 1455 220 SCT 250 -SCT 75 207/72/53/1202/014/ FEW CU FRMG DSNT SW-N FEW AC/ACSL DSNT E-SE CI/PTCHS DNS CI NE-SE-SW LGT DSNT HZ WND LGT AND VRB/ 8/142 51013 1 P.M. Weather: Scattered cumulus, scattered cirrus (2 levels), small cumulus/ cumulus fractus all quadrants except NNE-E, cirrus/patches of dense cirrus ENE-S, light distant haze Temperature: 77F, Dew Point: 54F; Wind: WSW at 4 kts Wind: Light and variable Sea-level pressure: 30.11 inches Hg, falling Visibility: 75 miles, light distant haze 6-hour max. 77F BHO SA 1755 45 SCT 220 SCT 250 –SCT 75 196/77/54/2404/011/ SML CU/CUFRA ALQDS XCPT NNE-E CI/PTCHS DNS CI ENE-S LGT DSNT HZ WND LGT AND VRB/ 8/102 56011 10077 20062 WEATHER SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, AUGUST 29 TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F) MAX.....77 NORMAL.....76 MIN.....56 NORMAL.....59 MEAN....67 NORMAL.....67 DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL......................0 TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH....................+35 [+1.0 DEGREES/DAY] PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY..............43 SW AT 12:02 A.M. AEROVANE...............48 SW AT 12:03 A.M. ASOS...................45 W AT 12:04 A.M. DAVIS..................43 WSW AT 12-1 A.M. THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY............34 SW AT 12:01 A.M. MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE.............31 W AT 12:06 A.M. MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE............30 WSW AT 12-1 A.M. AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION........11.3 SW ASOS.................10.8 DAVIS................10.8 WSW [241 deg] PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST) TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00 DEPARTURE.........-0.14 ASOS..............0.00 TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........8.36 DEPARTURE.........+4.58 ASOS..............8.38 TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........38.05 DEPARTURE.........+4.86 ASOS..............38.56** **ASOS data is in error due to system failure on 1/12-13 PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR AUGUST 2011 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 RMY: R.M. Young wind gust recording system added 8/9/2011 TSTM: Thunderstorm day (thunder heard some time during day) ....: Data not yet available, records not finalized 8/1 91/69/80/+8/T/503/58 24 S 8/2 88/63/76/+4/0.15/657/76 27 NNE AERO 34 MPH TSTM 8/3 76/59/68/-4/0.00/673/78 18 ENE AERO 25 MPH 8/4 77/62/70/-2/0.00/783/91 20 NE 8/5 78/61/70/-2/0.00/575/67 20 SE 8/6 85/66/76/+4/0.01/265/31 22 SSW AERO 28 MPH 8/7 73/67/70/-1/1.09/000/00 33 SSE AERO 39 MPH 8/8 80/70/75/+4/0.26/332/39 15 NNW 8/9 77/64/71/0/0.82/433/51 29 ESE AERO 36 MPH RMY 32 MPH TSTM ** 8/10 79/61/70/-1/1.15/364/43 18 W AERO 21 MPH RMY 18 MPH 8/11 79/61/70/-1/0.00/776/92 24 W AERO 29 MPH RMY 27 MPH 8/12 81/58/70/-1/0.00/817/97 18 WNW AERO 25 MPH RMY 21 MPH 8/13 82/63/73/+2/0.00/512/61 15 SSW AERO 21 MPH RMY 19 MPH 8/14 74/65/70/0/0.04/000/00 21 S AERO 28 MPH RMY 23 MPH 8/15 67/58/63/-7/1.89/000/00 40 NNE AERO 43 NNE RMY 41 MPH 8/16 69/58/61/-6/T/0.09/058/07 21 WNW AERO 24 MPH RMY 19 MPH 8/17 83/61/72/+2/0.00/813/98 20 W AERO 24 MPH RMY 21 MPH 8/18 85/64/75/+5/0.00/695/84 24 SSW AERO 30 MPH RMY 26 MPH 8/19 85/67/76/+6/T/371/45 31 W AERO 37 MPH RMY 31 MPH TSTM 8/20 83/67/75/+6/0.01/411/50 20 SSE AERO 25 MPH RMY 22 MPH 8/21 82/66/74/+5/0.04/311/38 35 S AERO 42 MPH RMY 36 MPH 8/22 75/60/68/-1/0.67/661/81 33 W AERO 40 MPH RMY 37 MPH 8/23 77/55/66/-3/0.00/724/89 20 WSW AERO 24 MPH RMY 21 MPH 8/24 78/61/70/+1/0.00/681/84 33 S AERO 40 MPH RMY 36 MPH 8/25 83/65/74/+6/..../388/48 36 SSW AERO 44 MPH RMY 39 MPH 8/26 84/66/75/+7/..../758/94 26 WSW AERO 32 MPH RMY N/A 8/27 79/67/73/+5/..../040/05 23 E AERO 28 MPH RMY N/A 8/28 72/62/67/-1/..../000/00 77 SE AERO 89 MPH RMY 82 MPH "IRENE" 8/29 77/56/67/0/0.00/.../.. 43 SW AERO 48 MPH RMY N/A 8/30 our morning low temp: 57F; the normal low is now 58F DAILY RECORDS FOR AUGUST 2011 None so far. DAILY EXTREMES Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated): RECORDS FOR AUGUST 30 HIGH 94F IN 1953 LOW 39F IN 1965 PRECIP 2.75 INCHES IN 1936 PEAK GUST 43 MPH NW IN 1965 RECORDS FOR AUGUST 30 HIGH 94F IN 1953 LOW 39F IN 1965 PRECIP 2.75 INCHES IN 1936 PEAK GUST 43 MPH NW IN 1965 TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Sean Fankhauser