BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY 
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2011
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
MIDDLE AND HIGH CLOUD DECK CLEARS AWAY
EARLY THIS MORNING LEAVING US WITH A CLEAR,
SUNNY BUT COLD FEBRUARY DAY...
DEEP LONG DURATION SNOW COVER CONTINUES
 
A cloud cover last night held temperatures during
the overnight to the 20's finally dropping to
the upper teens just as the deck of clouds
began clearing away.  In fact the low temperature
of 18.2 degrees did not occur until about 8:30 A.M.
Despite plenty of bright sunshine our high temperature
had only reached 26F by 1 P.M. with dew points in
the low single numbers. Visibility had improved
slowly to barely 70 miles to the northwest in the
light distant haze.
Snow depth remains over 20 inches since the 27th
of January, a total of 15 days, quite a remarkably 
long period of time for such deep snow to remain on 
the ground.  The longest period of days on record
with 20 inches or more snow depth is 53 days from 
December 27th, 1947 to February 17th, 1948. 
 
Today's observations: 
 
7 A.M.  
Weather:  Broken dense altostratus, dense cirrostratus,
sky clearing with a clear sky band extending WSW-NNE,
few altocumulus NE 
Temperature: 19F, Dew point: 7F; Wind: WNW at 10 kts 
Sea-level pressure: 29.93 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 30 miles, lower east through south, light haze   
6-hour min. temp: 19F
Total snow depth on ground: 23 inches
BHO SA 1155 E140 BKN 200 BKN 30 135/19/7/2910/993/
SKY CLRG CLR SKY BND XTDNG WSW-NNE LYR AS/AC/CS
FEW ACSL NE MOVG E/ 8/078 4/023 53009 10023 20019
 
10 A.M.  
Weather: Scattered dense ci layer receding ENE-SE-SSW
Temperature: 22F; Dew point 5F; Wind: WNW at 10 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.95 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 50 miles, light distant haze
BHO SA 1455 220 SCT 50 142/22/5/2910/995/ DNS CI LYR
RCDNG ENE-SE-SSW LGT DSNT HZ/ 8/002 53007
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Clear, small cumulus, stratocumulus all quadrants
Temperature: 25F, Dew point: 2F; Wind: WNW at 12G20 kts,
Wind: Direction variable WSW-NW
Sea-level pressure: 29.90 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 60 miles, NW 70 miles, light distant haze
6-hour max. temp: 26F
BHO SA 1755 CLR 60 125/25/2/2912G20/990/ SML CU/CUFRA SC ALQDS
VSBY NW 70 LGT DSNT HZ WND 25V32/ 8/800 58017 10026 20018 
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....28     NORMAL.....35
MIN......9     NORMAL.....19
MEAN....19     NORMAL.....27
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL..................-8
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH..................-2 [-0.4 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS    
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............46    DEPARTURE........+8
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........348    DEPARTURE.........0
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........3849    DEPARTURE.......-35
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE....3792    DIFFERENCE......+57
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY..............42 W   AT 1:26 A.M.
                   AEROVANE............. .45 W   AT 1:26 A.M. 
                   ASOS...................40 W   AT 1:27 A.M.  
                   DAVIS..................41 W   AT 1:26 A.M.  
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY............29 W   AT 1:01 A.M. * 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE.............28 W   AT 1:02 A.M.  
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE............28 W   AT 1:01 A.M.  
AVERRAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION........16.1 SSW  
                   ASOS..................15.2              
                   DAVIS.................15.0 SW [220 DEG]
 
* last of several occurrences...
 
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..........2.49  DEPARTURE........+1.16
                         ASOS..............2.41   
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........8.50  DEPARTURE........+2.39
                        ASOS...............9.13**
** 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......... 0.0  DEPARTURE........-0.7
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH...............12.6  DEPARTURE........+6.7
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............83.8  DEPARTURE ......+48.5
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR 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
 
2/1  20/15/18/-8/.../../000/00       27 N
2/2  34/18/26/0/.../../000/00        35 NNE  AERO 37 MPH NNE
2/3  25/15/20/-6/.../../.../..       21 WNW
2/4  32/13/23/-3/0.00/0.0/.../..     28 SW
2/5  45/22/34/+7/0.24/0.0/.../..     36 SW   AERO 42 MPH SW   TSTM
2/6  41/30/36/+9/0.00/0.0/.../..     53 W    AERO 58 MPH W
2/7  43/28/36/+9/.../../.../..       20 SSE
2/8  36/13/25/-2/.../../.../..       53 W    AERO 62 MPH W
2/9  28/9/19/-8/0.00/0.0/.../..      42 WNW  AERO 45 MPH WNW
 
2/10 our morning low temp. 18F occurred after 7 a.m.; the normal low is 19F
 
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 10
HIGH 56F IN 1909
LOW -8F IN 1899
PRECIP 1.34 INS. IN 1909
SNOWFALL 12.1 INS. IN 1926
PEAK GUST 64 MPH W IN 2001
 
RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 11
HIGH 60F IN 1981
LOW -10F IN 1899
PRECIP 1.07 INCHES IN 1955
SNOWFALL 9.6 INCHES IN 1933
PEAK GUST 95 MPH S IN 1981
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling