BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY 
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
SUNDAY, MARCH 6, 2011
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
TEMPS IN THE UPPER 50s TODAY WITH GUSTY WINDS....
 
Temperatures were once again well-above normal on
Sunday as a significant low pressure system moves
into the region. After a morning low of 46F (just
two degrees cooler than the record high minimum of
48F set in 1979), temperatures increased to as high
as 58F through the early afternoon.
 
Meanwhile, sustained winds out of the south-southeast
are averaging 25-30 MPH with gusts as high as 48 MPH
on the 420C wind gust recorder and 57 MPH on the Aerovane.
Skies have been mainly overcast, with a few minutes of
recorded bright sunshine around 9 AM.
 
This morning's snow depth measurement averaged roughly
3 inches, marking the end of a 53-day period with snow
depth greater than or equal to 6 inches. However, our
other current streak of consecutive days with greater
than 1 inch remains intact.
 
BHO Longest Periods 6"+ Snow Depth (1895-2011):
1) 84 days, 23 Dec 1947 - 15 Mar 1948
2) 73 days, 4 Jan 1923 - 17 Mar 1923
3) 68 days, 10 Jan 1920 - 17 Mar 1920
4) 66 days, 2 Jan 1904 - 7 Mar 1904
5) 58 days, 29 Dec 1976 - 24 Feb 1977
6) 53 days, 12 Jan 2011- 5 Mar 2011
7) 51 days, 19 Jan 1936 - 9 Mar 1936
8) 46 days, 20 Jan 1987 - 6 Mar 1987
   46 days, 30 Jan 2003 - 16 Mar 2003
10) 44 days, 10 Feb 1969 - 25 Mar 1969
 
BHO Longest Periods 1"+ Snow Depth (1895-2011):
1) 100 days, 14 Dec 1922 - 23 Mar 1923
2) 85 days, 26 Dec 1903 - 19 Mar 1904
3) 84 days, 23 Dec 1947 - 15 Mar 1948
   84 days, 26 Dec 2002 - 19 Mar 2003
5) 82 days, 30 Dec 1993 - 21 Mar 1994
6) 78 days, 9 Jan 1920 - 26 Mar 1920
7) 76 days, 12 Dec 1960 - 25 Feb 1961
8) 76 days, 21 Dec 2010 - 6 Mar 2011 (through Mar 6th)
9) 71 days, 13 Jan 1978 - 24 Mar 1978   
10) 67 days, 12 Dec 1970 - 16 Feb 1971
 
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.  
Weather: Overcast stratocumulus, broken stratocumulus, scattered
cumulus, few stratus fractus all quadrants, rain shaft NW, thin
fog SW-NNE, very light precipitation
Temperature: 51F, Dew point: 47F; Wind: SSE at 17G26 kts  
Wind: Peak gust 32 kts, SSE at 6:06 A.M.
Sea-level pressure: 30.14 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 15 miles, decreasing SW-NNW, thin fog
Total snow depth on ground: 3 inches
6-hour precip.: Trace
6-hour min. temp: 46F
BHO SA 1155 25 SCT E40 BKN 65 OVC 15 205/51/47/1617G26/014/
FEW STFRA ALQDS VSBY DCRSNG SW-NNW RAIN SHAFT NW THN FG SW-NNE
PK WND 1632/06 PCPN VRY LGT/ 8/6// 4/003 55003 6000/ 10051 20046
 
10 A.M.  
Weather: Overcast stratocumulus, scattered cumulus, few stratus
fractus all quadrants, thin spots in overcast overhead-S
Temperature: 56F, Dew point: 49F; Wind: SSE at 26G36 kts,
Wind: Peak gust 36 kts, SSE at 9:52 A.M.
Sea-level pressure: 30.08 inches Hg, falling 
Visibility: 25 miles, light haze   
BHO SA 1455 25 SCT E55 OVC 25 187/56/49/1626G36/008/ FEW STFRA
ALQDS THN SPTS INOVC OVHD-S PK WND 1636/52 LGT HZ/ 8/5// 58016
 
1 P.M.  
Weather: Overcast stratocumulus, broken stratocumulus,
few small cumulus distant E
Temperature: 58F, Dew point: 45F; Wind: S at 25G32 kts,
Wind: Peak gust 34 kts, SSE at 12:35 P.M.
Sea-level pressure: 30.02 inches Hg, falling 
Visibility: 20 miles, hazy
6-hour max temp: 58F  
BHO SA 1755 E50 BKN 55 OVC 20 166/58/45/1725G32/002/ FEW
SML CU DSNT E WND 11V21 PK WND 1634/35 HAZY/ 8/8// 58021
10058 20051
 
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SATURDAY, MARCH 5
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....53     NORMAL.....41
MIN.....27     NORMAL.....25
MEAN....40     NORMAL.....33
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL...................+7
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH..................-14 [-3.0 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS    
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............25    DEPARTURE........-7
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........177    DEPARTURE.......+12
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........4699    DEPARTURE.......-36
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE....4550    DIFFERENCE.....+149
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY..............48 SSW AT  2:54 P.M.
                   AEROVANE...............53 SSW AT  3:04 P.M. *
                   ASOS...................51 SSW AT  2:54 P.M. 
                   DAVIS..................52 SSW AT  2:54 P.M. 
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY............36 SSE AT  3:20 P.M.  
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE.............35 S   AT  3:06 P.M.   
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE............34 S   AT  2:55 P.M.    
AVERRAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.......21.8 SSE
                   ASOS.................21.6               
                   DAVIS................19.9 SSE [157 DEG]
* Last of several occurrences.
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M...Trace   DEPARTURE.......-0.15
                         ASOS..............0.00   
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH.........Trace   DEPARTURE.......-0.75
                         ASOS..............0.00   
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........10.93   DEPARTURE.......+1.34
                        ASOS..............11.61**
** 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........-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH..............Trace  DEPARTURE........-2.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............89.7  DEPARTURE.......+41.8
 
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/.../..           51 W    AERO 53 MPH W
3/3  27/8/18/-14/0.00/0.0/.../..     36 WNW  AERO 40 MPH WNW
3/4  37/15/26/-7/0.00/0.0/.../..     24 SSE
3/5  53/27/40/7/T/0.0/.../..         48 SSW  AERO 53 MPH SSW
 
3/6  morning low temp. 46F; the normal low is now 25F
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR MARCH 2011
None so far
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR MARCH 6
HIGH 66 IN 1894
LOW 3 IN 1948, 2007
PRECIP 1.85 INS. IN 2001
SNOWFALL 15.5 INS. IN 2001
PEAK GUST 82 MPH S IN 1959
 
RECORDS FOR MARCH 7
HIGH 66 IN 1946
LOW -1 IN 1890
PRECIP 2.05 INS. IN 1967
SNOWFALL 11.1 INS. IN 1967
PEAK GUST 66 MPH NE IN 1962
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Eli Melaas