BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
TUESDAY, MAY 17, 2011
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
CONTINUED COOL, CLOUDY, BREEZY AND DAMP
Stratus clouds have shrouded the summit all day, keeping visibility
down to 1/16th of a mile at times. Persistent drizzle and occasional
rain showers have added another 0.25 inch to the storm total through
2PM EDT today. The rainfall total since Sunday morning now sits at
1.22 inches.
Winds have continued to be brisk from the N-NNE, gusting 30-35 mph at
times. With a persistent flow off of the cool Atlantic (mid 40s), it's
no wonder that the temperature on the summit has not moved much over
the past couple of days. In fact the temperature did not budge from
the 45F mark from Monday morning through late this morning. Monday's
high temperature of 47F early in the day was 20 degrees below average!
It was just shy of the record low maximum temperature of 45F in 1958.
Today's very low maximum temperature of 46F through 2PM EDT will again
miss the record mark which is 42F in 1905.
On a positive note, we have passed the latest freeze on record at the
Blue Hill Observatory. A temperature of 30F was recorded on May 16,
1936.
Today's observations:
7 A.M.
Weather: Sky obscurred by light drizzle and dense fog, stratus
drifting over summit, precipitation very light
Temperature: 45F, Dew point: 45F; Wind: NNE at 15G25 kts
Wind: Peak wind 29 kts NNE at 6:42 AM EST
Wind: Direction variable NNW-ENE
Sea-level pressure: 30.09 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 1/16 mile, dense fog, light drizzle
24-hour precip: 0.15 in.
6-hour min. temp: 45F
BHO SA 1155 W3 X 1/16L-F 189/45/45/0215G25/009/ STRA DRFTG OVR SMT
PK WND 0229/42 WND 33V07 PCPN VRY LGT/ 8//// 51020 MANUAL 70015
ASOS 70013 10045 20045
10 A.M.
Weather: Sky obscurred by light drizzle and fog, stratus drifting
over summit, light drizzle began at unknown time, precipitation
very light
Temperature: 45F, Dew point: 45F; Wind: NNE at 15G26 kts,
Wind: Peak wind 30 kts N at 9:43 AM EST
Wind: Direction variable NW to ENE
Sea-level pressure: 30.13 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 1/2 mile, light drizzle and fog
3-hour precip: 0.05 in.
BHO SA 1455 W4 X 1/2L-F 203/45/45/0215G26/013/ STRA DRFTG OVR SMT
PK WND 0130/43 WND 32V06 L-BUKN PCPN VRY LGT/ 8//// 51014
MANUAL 60005 ASOS 60005
1 P.M.
Weather: Sky obscurred by light drizzle and dense fog, stratus
drifting over summit, precipitation very light
Temperature: 46F, Dew point: 46F; Wind: NNE at 14G29 kts,
Wind: Peak wind from N @ 31 kts at 12:24 P.M. EST,
Wind: Direction variable NW to ENE
Sea-level pressure: 30.13 inches Hg, rising then falling
Visibility: 1/8 mile, light drizzle and dense fog
6-hour precip: 0.10 in.
6-hour max. temp: 46F
BHO SA 1755 W3 X 1/8L-F 203/46/46/0214G29/013/ STRA DRFTG OVR SMT
PK WND 0131/24 WND 32V07 PCPN VRY LGT/ 8//// 50000 MANUAL 60010
ASOS 60008 10046 20045
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, MAY 16
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....47 NORMAL.....67
MIN.....45 NORMAL.....47
MEAN....46 NORMAL.....57
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL..................-11
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH...................-9 [-0.8 DEGREE/DAY]
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............19 DEPARTURE.......+10
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........176 DEPARTURE........+2
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........6071 DEPARTURE......-129
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE....5601 DIFFERENCE.....+470
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY..............38 NNE AT 2:43 A.M.
AEROVANE...............38 NNE AT 12:56 P.M. *
ASOS...................36 NE AT 2:43 A.M.
DAVIS..................37 N AT 8:54 A.M.
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY............24 NNE AT 2:05 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE.............24 NE AT 2:06 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE............24 NNE AT 2:06 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.........15.5 N
ASOS..................14.8
DAVIS.................14.8 NNE [016 DEG]
* Last of several occurrences
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.15 DEPARTURE........+0.03
ASOS..............0.13
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........2.42 DEPARTURE........+0.45
ASOS..............2.34
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........20.64 DEPARTURE........+0.72
ASOS..............21.30**
**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/-3/0.00/0.0/819/97 30 NE
5/2 73/42/58/+6/0.00/0.0/651/77 24 SSW
5/3 74/51/63/+10/0.00/0.0/441/52 31 SSE
5/4 63/44/54/+1/0.57/0.0/000/00 35 SSE
5/5 58/41/50/-3/0.02/0.0/264/31 47 W
5/6 70/43/57/+3/0.00/0.0/667/78 41 SSE AERO 41 MPH SSE
5/7 71/48/60/+6/0.50/0/0/326/38 29 WNW TSTM
5/8 54/48/51/-3/0.00/0.0/238/27 31 NE
5/9 67/47/57/+2/T/0.0/474/55 43 N
5/10 53/46/50/-5/.../0.0/000/00 50 N
5/11 59/45/52/-3/.../0.0/035/04 37 NNE
5/12 57/48/53/-3/T/0.0/287/33 30 NNE
5/13 64/46/55/-1/0.00/0.0/828/95 22 NE
5/14 64/43/54/-3/T/0.0/.../.. 22 SSE
5/15 63/47/55/-2/.../0.0/000/00 23 NE
5/16 47/45/46/-11/.../0.0/000/00 38 NNE
5/17 our morning low temp: 45F; the normal low is now 47F
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 17
HIGH 88F IN 1974, 1977
LOW 34F IN 1956, 1957
PRECIP 2.07 INS IN 1916
PEAK GUST 52 MPH SW IN 1967, W IN 1974
RECORDS FOR MAY 18
HIGH 88F IN 1906, 1936, 1986
LOW 35F IN 2002
PRECIP 1.93 INS IN 2007
SNOW TRACE IN 2002 (Ice pellets)
PEAK GUST 64 MPH SSW IN 2000
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Sean Fankhauser/Caroline Corbett