BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2011
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
HIGHEST BAROMETRIC PRESSURE SINCE MARCH YESTERDAY
DECEMBER TEMPS. AVERAGING SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL
 
The barometric pressure reached approximately 30.69 inches
corrected to sea level yesterday for the highest reading
since 30.78 inches on March 4, 2011.
Temperatures continued to average warmer than normal during
the first 3 days of the month with a +2 yesterday.
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M. 
Weather: Broken stratocumulus, increased rapidlyBroken stratocumulus, 
broken cirrus, stratocumulus layer formed and increased rapidly from SW, 
mostly clear sky NE-SE, except for a few cirrus
Temperature: 36F, Dew point: 33F; Wind: S at 11 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.60 inches Hg, steady
Visibility: 20 miles, thin fog, except 30 miles above inversion fog
to the west-northwest 
6-hour min. temp: 34F
BHO SA 1155 E27 BKN 220 BKN 20 362/36/33/1811/060/ SC LYR FRMD/INCRSD 
RPDLY FRM SW MSTLY CLR/FEW CI NE-SE THN FG BLO SMT/INVSN ALQDS VSBY 
WNW 30 ABV INVSN PTCHS LGT DEW/ 8/501 55002 10037 20034
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Scattered stratocumulus, mostly clear overhead, but
stratocumulus all quadrants  
Temperature: 44F, Dew Point: 38F; Wind: S at 9 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.58 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 25 miles, except 20 miles NE, 45 miles WNW
thin smoke layer along NW-N horizon, hazy all quadrants,
estimated top of inversion 8 hundred feet over city N  
BHO SA 1455 25 SCT 25 355/44/38/1709/058/ SC ALQDS MSTLY CLR OVHD
THN K LYR ALG HRZN DSNT NW-N HAZY ALQDS ESTMTD TOP OF INVSN
8 HND N OVER CTY VSBY NE 20 WNW 45/ 8/500 58007
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....43    NORMAL.....43
MIN.....30    NORMAL.....28
MEAN....37    NORMAL.....35
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL......................+2
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.....................+10 [+3.1 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............28   DEPARTURE.........-2
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............78   DEPARTURE........-10
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........985   DEPARTURE.......-392
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....1233   DIFFERENCE......-248
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............21 NW  AT  2:39 A.M.
                   AERO..................22 NW  AT  2:39 A.M.          
                   ASOS..................22 NW  AT  2:39 A.M.
                   DAVIS.................19 NW  AT 12:28 A.M. N/A
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........15 NW  AT  2:36 A.M. 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............16 NNW AT  2:39 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........14 NW  AT  2:39 A.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION........9.5 NNW 
                   ASOS.................9.1
                   DAVIS................8.8 NNE [020 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..........0.00  DEPARTURE..........-0.45
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........58.69  DEPARTURE.........+11.58
                        ASOS..............59.09**
**ASOS data is in error due to system failure on 1/12-13/11
     
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE.........-0.2
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................0.0  DEPARTURE.........-0.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON...............8.5  DEPARTURE.........+5.0
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER 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
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
 
12/1  46/33/40/+4/0.00/0.0/.../..   29 NW  AERO 29 MPH NW  RMY 27
12/2  49/31/40/+4/0.00/0.0/.../..   25 NW  AERO 28 MPH NW  RMY 28
12/3  43/30/37/+2/0.00/0.0/.../..   21 NW  AERO 22 MPH NW  RMY N/A
 
12/4  our morning low temp: 34F; the normal low is now 28F
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 2011
None so far.
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 4
HIGH 67 IN 1998
LOW -4 IN 1940
PRECIP 1.87 INS. IN 1968
SNOWFALL 6.0 INS. IN 1907
PEAK GUST 73 MPH WNW IN 1980
 
RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 5
HIGH 65 IN 2001
LOW -1 IN 1926
PRECIP 2.86 INS. IN 1993
SNOWFALL 7.0 INS. IN 1926, 1981
PEAK GUST 67 MPH WNW IN 1961, S IN 1973
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling/Patrick Peters