BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2011 ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME 3-DAY SNOWFALL REACHES 10.6 INCHES MUCH COOLER TODAY The snowfall total from Tuesday morning through early this afternoon amounted to 10.6 inches total. Sleet, freezing rain, and rain also fell on Wednesday. Thundersnow was observed in the area yesterday evening accompanied by snow pellets or graupel. The total liquid precipitation for the 3 day period was 1.97 inches. Our season snowfall has surpassed 80 inches, more than 50 inches above average! The snow depth this morning was 30 inches! Cold air began arriving in a hurry yesterday afternoon, and is firmly in place today. The average temperature for today will be several degrees below average. February is starting out below average. Snowiest Januarys (inches): 1) 56.3 in 1948 2) 48.2 in 2011 3) 48.0 in 1904 4) 47.6 in 1996 5) 46.0 in 1966 6) 44.8 in 2005 7) 44.5 in 1923 Snowiest Months (inches): 1) 65.4 in Feb 1969 2) 56.3 in Jan 1948 3) 52.0 in Mar 1956 4) 51.3 in Feb 2003 5) 48.2 in Jan 2011 6) 48.0 in Jan 1904 7) 47.6 in Jan 1996 JANUARY 2011 STATS Average Max Temp: 31.3F Average Min Temp: 17.6F Mean Temp: 24.5F [-1.3F] 24-hr. Corr Mean Temp: 24.4F Max Temp: 57F on 1st Min Temp: -7F on 24th Total precipitation: 6.01 ins. [+1.23 in.] Total snowfall: 48.2 ins. [+32.4 ins. ] Total heating degree day units (month): 1249 [+42] Total heating degree day units (season): 3501 [-35] Avg wind speed: 12.4 MPH W 22% Avg corrected wind speed: 12.8 MPH W Peak gust: 52 MPH NNE on 12th Peak fastest mile: 41 MPH NNE on 12th More January statistics to come in the next few days. . . Today's observations: 7 A.M. Weather: Light snow, fog, scattered stratocumulus, broken nimbostratus, few stratocumulus lenticularis WNW-NNW, precipitation very light Temperature: 17F, Dew point: 15F; Wind: W at 10 kts Sea-level pressure: 30.11 inches Hg, rising Visibility: 8 miles, light snow and fog 24-hour snowfall: 0.7 inch 24-hour precip: 0.73 inch 6-hour min. temp: 15F Total snow depth on ground: 30 inches BHO SA 1155 20 SCT E30 BKN 8S-F 197/17/15/2810/011/ FEW SCSL WNW-NNW PCPN VRY LGT TOTAL NEW SNW PST 24 HRS 0.7 IN/ 8/800 4/030 51037 MANUAL 70073 ASOS 70076 10017 20015 10 A.M. Weather: Light snow, scattered cumulus/stratocumulus, broken stratocumulus, broken altocumulus, few altocumulus lenticularis distant SSE-S, sun dimly visible, light distant haze, snow shower SW-W-N moving S, precipitation very light Temperature: 18F, Dew point: 16F; Wind: WNW at 10 kts Wind: Direction variable W to NNW Sea-level pressure: 30.21 inches Hg, rising Visibility: 20 miles, light snow, distant haze 3-hour snowfall: Trace 3-hour precip: Trace BHO SA 1455 30 SCT E50 BKN 60 BKN 20S- 231/18/16/3010/021/ FEW ACSL DSNT SSE-S SUN DMLY VSB LGT DSNT HZ SW- SW-W-N MOVG S WND 26V33 PCPN VRY LGT TOTAL NEW SNW PST 3 HRS TRACE/ 8/840 51034 MANUAL 6000/ 1 P.M. Weather: Light snow, scattered cumulus, scattered stratocumulus, broken altocumulus, few altocumulus lenticularis N-ENE, light distant haze, snow shower E-S moving S, precipitation very light Temperature: 22F, Dew point: 18F; Wind: WNW at 9 kts Sea-level pressure: 30.23 inches Hg, rising Visibility: 30 miles, SW-NE 40, E-S lower, light snow, light distant haze 6-hour snowfall: Trace 6-hour precip: Trace 6-hour max. temp: 23F BHO SA 1755 20 SCT 45 SCT E100 BKN 30S- 237/22/18/3009/023/ FEW ACSL N-ENE LGT DSNT HZ VSBY SW-NE 40 VSBY E-S LWR SW- E-S MOVG S WND 25V33 PCPN VRY LGT TOTAL NEW SNW PST 6 HRS TRACE/ 8/840 51006 MANUAL 6000/ 10023 20017 WEATHER SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2 TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F) MAX.....34 NORMAL.....34 MIN.....18 NORMAL.....18 MEAN....26 NORMAL.....26 DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL...................0 TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH..................-8 [-4.2 DEGREES/DAY] HEATING DEGREE DAYS TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............39 DEPARTURE.........0 TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH............86 DEPARTURE........+8 TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........3587 DEPARTURE.......-27 TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE....3507 DIFFERENCE......+80 PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY..............35 NNE AT 11:49 A.M. * AEROVANE...............37 NNE AT 11:49 A.M. ASOS...................36 NE AT 11:49 A.M. DAVIS..................37 N AT 12:40 P.M. THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY............26 NNE AT 11:49 A.M. MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE.............26 NE AT 11:50 A.M. MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE............27 N AT 11:49 A.M. AVERRAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION........14.0 NW ASOS..................13.4 DAVIS.................12.5 NNW [342 DEG] * Last of several occurrences PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST) TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.73 DEPARTURE........+0.58 ASOS..............0.76 TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........1.97 DEPARTURE........+1.67 ASOS..............1.87** TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........7.98 DEPARTURE........+2.90 ASOS...............8.59** ** 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..........0.7 DEPARTURE........+0.1 TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH...............10.6 DEPARTURE........+9.4 TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............81.8 DEPARTURE ......+51.2 PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR JANUARY & FEBRUARY 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 1/1 57/37/47/+20/0.00/0.0/318/58 25 S 1/2 47/33/40/+13/0.21/0.0/000/00 38 WNW AERO 44 MPH WNW 1/3 33/23/28/+1/0.00/0.0/539/98 40 NW AERO 48 MPH NW 1/4 37/21/29/+2/0.00/0.0/408/74 29 SSW AERO 35 MPH SSW 1/5 37/22/30/+3/0.00/0.0/497/90 35 W AERO 38 MPH W 1/6 30/17/24/-2/0.00/0.0/421/76 16 WNW 1/7 33/20/27/+1/T/T/117/21 19 NNE 1/8 30/26/28/+2/0.14/1.7/000/00 23 NNW 1/9 32/20/26/0/0.02/0.5/134/24 38 W AERO 42 MPH W 1/10 33/18/26/0/0.00/0.0/552/99 32 WNW AERO 37 MPH WNW 1/11 30/16/23/-3/0.00/0.0/.../.. 22 NNW 1/12 31/24/28/+2/2.04/18.2/000/00/ 52 NNE AERO 1/13 28/16/22/-4/0.00/0.0/552/98 35 NW AERO 39 MPH NW 1/14 23/11/17/-9/T/T/011/02 21 NNW 1/15 30/8/19/-7/0.01/0.3/300/53 28 SSW AERO 33 MPH SSW 1/16 31/16/24/-2/0.00/0.0/545/96 36 W AERO 39 MPH W 1/17 18/10/14/-12/0.00/0.0/507/89 24 WNW 1/18 39/16/28/+2/1.01/2.1/000/00 32 ENE AERO missing 1/19 36/30/33/+8/0.19/1.1/000/00 27 WNW 1/20 30/21/26/+1/0.02/0.2/397/69 22 WNW 1/21 26/17/22/-3/0.64/7.6/046/08 43 W AERO 47 MPH WNW 1/22 24/10/17/-8/0.00/0.0/474/82 27 W AERO 31 MPH W 1/23 22/1/12/-13/0.00/0.0/488/84 37 WNW AERO 40 MPH WNW 1/24 11/-7/2/-24/0.00/0.0/571/98 29 W 1/25 29/7/18/-8/0.10/1.8/000/00 23 S AERO 30 MPH S 1/26 31/19/25/-1/0.33/3.0/000/00 43 NNE AERO 48 MPH NNE 1/27 33/21/27/+1/1.30/11.7/253/43 43 NNW AERO 47 MPH NNW 1/28 33/20/27/+1/T/T/230/39 17 WSW 1/29 36/23/30/+4/T/T/267/45 16 W 1/30 36/19/28/+2/0.00/0.0/.../.. 30 W 1/31 25/12/19/-7/0.00/0.0/.../.. 22 WNW 2/1 20/15/18/-8/.../../.../.. 27 N 2/2 34/18/26/0/.../../.../.. 35 NNE AERO 37 MPH NNE 2/3 overnight low temp: 15F; the normal low is now 18F DAILY RECORDS FOR JANUARY 2011 1/12 - NEW RECORD PRECIPITATION OF 2.04 INCHES; surpasses the previous record of 1.46 inches in 1900 1/12 - NEW RECORD SNOWFALL OF 18.2 INCHES; surpasses the previous record of 6.0 inches in 1923 1/21 - NEW RECORD SNOWFALL OF 7.6 INCHES; surpasses the previous record of 7.5 inches in 2001 1/27 - NEW RECORD SNOWFALL OF 11.7 inches; surpasses the previous record of 11.0 inches in 1894 DAILY RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 2011 None so far. DAILY EXTREMES Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated): RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 3 HIGH 58F IN 1991 LOW -7F IN 1955 PRECIP 2.14 INS. IN 1970 SNOWFALL 7.0 INS. IN 1913 PEAK GUST 102 MPH S IN 1970 [RECORD FOR MONTH] RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 4 HIGH 63F IN 1991 LOW -4F IN 1886, 1908 PRECIP 1.80 INS. IN 1926 SNOWFALL 15.0 INS. IN 1961 PEAK GUST 89 MPH SSE IN 1972 TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Sean Fankhauser