BUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY 
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2011, MOTHERS DAY
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
LOW STRATUS CLOUDS AND FOG TODAY WITH WINDS
FROM FROM THE NORTHEAST HOLD TEMPS. IN 50'S  
IN A COOL MARITIME AIRMASS
THUNDERSTORMS YESTERDAY AFTERNOON BROUGHT A
HALF INCH OF RAINFALL
 
Low stratus clouds are persistent today and
along with winds turning to the northeast
our temperatures are being held in the 50's
with only some limited sunshine.
Thunderstorms yesterday afternoon lasted for
several hours leaving one half inch of rainfall. 
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.  
Weather: Broken variable overcast low stratus,
thin fog  
Temperature: 49F, Dew point: 48F; Wind: N at 8 kts,
Wind: Direction variable NW-N 
Sea-level pressure: 29.89 inches Hg, rising  
Visibility: 5 miles, NE-ESE 2 miles fog 
6-hour min. temp: 48F
24-hour precip: 0.50 in.   
BHO SA 1155 E3 BKN 5F 123/49/48/3508/989/ BKN V OVC
VSBY NE-ESE 2 WND 31V01/ 8/600 53013 MANUAL 70050
ASOS 70050 10050 20048
 
10 A.M.  
Weather: Overcast stratus (two layer) layer occasionally
broken  
Temperature: 53F, Dew point: 49F; Wind: NNE at 11 kts,
Wind: Direction variable N-EBE
Sea-level pressure: 29.92 inches Hg, rising 
Visibility: 5 miles, N-SE 3 miles, SW 10 miles,
thin fog all quadrants 
BHO SA 1455 5 SCT E12 OVC 5F 132/53/49/0311/992/ BINOVC
12 OVC V BKN VSBY N-SE 3 SW 10/ 8/6// 51009
                                                                                   
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SATURDAY, MAY 7
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....71     NORMAL.....64
MIN.....48     NORMAL.....44
MEAN....60     NORMAL.....54
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL...................+6
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH..................+20 [+2.7 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS    
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............5    DEPARTURE........-6
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH............64    DEPARTURE.......-22
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........5959    DEPARTURE......-153
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE....5488    DIFFERENCE.....+471
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY..............29 SSW AT  4:45 P.M.   
                   AEROVANE...............30 SSW AT  4:45 P.M.    
                   ASOS...................26 SSW AT  4:45 P.M.  
                   DAVIS..................30 WNW AT  2:12 P.M.   
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY............21 WNW AT  2:13 P.M. 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE.............21 NW  AT  2:13 P.M.   
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE............22 WNW AT  2:13 P.M.   
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION........11.0 SSE
                   ASOS.................11.0    
                   DAVIS................10.5 S [180 DEG]
* Last of several occurrences...
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.50  DEPARTURE........+0.38
                         ASOS..............0.50  
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........1.09  DEPARTURE........+0.20
                         ASOS..............1.07
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........19.31  DEPARTURE........+0.47
                        ASOS..............20.03**
**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.........0.0
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................0.0  DEPARTURE........-0.1
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............96.8  DEPARTURE.......+36.7
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR MAY 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
 
5/1  55/43/49/-3/0.00/0.0/.../..     30 NE
5/2  73/42/58/+6/0.00/0.0/.../..     24 SSW
5/3  74/51/63/+10/0.00/0.0/.../..    31 SSE
5/4  63/44/54/+1/0.56/0.0/.../..     35 SSE
5/5  58/41/50/-3/0.02/0.0/.../..     47 W
5/6  70/43/57/+3/0.00/0.0/.../..     41 SSE  AERO 41 MPH SSE
5/7  71/48/60/+6/0.50/0/0/.../..     29 WNW  TSTM 
 
5/8  our morning low temperature 48F; the normal low is now 44F 
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR MAY 2011
None so far...
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR MAY 8
HIGH 89F IN 2000
LOW 29F IN 1956
PRECIP 1.48 INCHES IN 1886
SNOWFALL TRACE IN 1898, 1947
PEAK GUST 68e MPH NNW IN 1943
 
RECORDS FOR MAY 9
HIGH 93F IN 2000
LOW 31F IN 1947
PRECIP 2.72 INCHES IN 1954
SNOWFALL 5.0 INS IN 1977 (RECORD FOR MAY)
PEAK GUST 70e MPH NE IN 1977
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling