BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY 
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2011 VETERANS DAY
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

RAINFALL REACHES 1.12 INCHES;
MUCH COOLER, DRIER, AND WINDY TODAY

Rain that began late yesterday morning and ended yesterday evening has
amounted to 1.12 inches.  This was the first precipitation in about a
week and a half, or since our early season snow.

A cold front swept through the region overnight, and with it has come
cooler, drier, windy conditions.  Temperatures dropped steadily from
the passage of the front yesterday evening to a low this morning 
between 8 and 9 AM EST of 42F.  Temperatures have struggled to reach
today's high this afternoon of 49F.  Dew point temperatures have also
shown a steady drop from yesterday's readings near 60F to this
afternoon's readings near 30F.  Also with the frontal passage, the wind
direction made a dramatic change from a SE direction to a WNW direction
in the course of about one hour.  Wind speeds have also increased, and
this afternoon winds have been gusting consistently in the 35-40 mph
range.  The sun has also made a welcome appearnce today.

Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.  
Weather: Scattered stratocumulus, broken altocumulus (2 levels),
few altocumulus lenticularis NNE-E-SSE, altocumulus lenticularis
distant ENE, mountain in cloud 65 miles NW
Temperature: 43F, Dew point: 39F; Wind: WNW at 13G17 kts,
Wind: Direction variable WSW-NW
Sea-level pressure: 29.46 inches Hg, steady (falling then rising)
Visibility: 65 miles, mountain in cloud 65 miles NW
24-hour precip: 1.12 inches
6-hour min. temp: 43F
BHO SA 1155 20 SCT E60 BKN 100 BKN 65 975/43/39/2913G17/946/ FEW
ACSL NNE-E-SSE ACC DSNT ENE MTN INCLD 65 NW WND 25V32/ 8/580 55000
MANUAL 70112 ASOS 70111 10051 20043
 
10 A.M. 
Weather: Scattered cumulus, broken altocumulus, cumulus/cumulus fractus
all quadrants, few altocumulus lenticularis NNW, altocumulus layer
NNW-E-S and overhead, rain shower distant NNE-SE moving E
Temperature: 44F, Dew Point: 36F; Wind: W at 14G22 kts,
Wind: Direction variable WSW-NW
Sea-level pressure: 29.48 inches Hg, rising  
Visibility: 60 miles, NW 65 miles, NNE-SE lower 
BHO SA 1455 25 SCT E60 BKN 60 982/44/36/2814G22/948/ CU/CUFRA ALQDS
FEW ACSL NNW AC LYR NNW-E-S AND OVHD VSBY NW 65 NNE-SE LWR
SHRA DSNT NNE-SE MOVG E WND 24V32/ 8/140 51007 
  
1 P.M.  
Weather: Broken cumulus (2 levels), broken altocumulus, few moderate
cumulus all quadrants, few cumulus fractus all quadrants, altocumulus/
altocumulus lenticularis layer distant NNE-SSE, light distant haze
Temperature: 48F, Dew Point: 30F; Wind: W at 16G25 kts,
Wind: Peak wind W at 37 kts at 12:04 PM EST,
Wind: Direction variable SW-NW
Sea-level pressure: 29.48 inches Hg, rising slightly
Visibility: 55 miles, light distant haze      
6-hour max. temp: 49F
6-hour min. temp: 42F (8-9 AM EST)
BHO SA 1755 E40 BKN 45 BKN 60 BKN 55 984/48/30/2816G25/948/ FEW MDT
CU ALQDS FEW CUFRA ALQDS AC/ACSL LYR DSNT NNE-ESE LGT DSNT HZ
PK WND 2837/04 WND 23V31/ 8/240 53002 10049 20042
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....60    NORMAL.....51
MIN.....53    NORMAL.....36
MEAN....57    NORMAL.....44
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL....................+13
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH....................+36  [+3.4 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............8   DEPARTURE........-13
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH............161   DEPARTURE........-38
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........587   DEPARTURE.......-203 
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......702   DIFFERENCE......-115
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY..............22 WNW AT 10:12 P.M. 
                   AERO...................22 WNW AT 10:12 P.M. 
                   ASOS...................22  NW AT 10:12 P.M.
                   DAVIS..................22 WNW AT 10:11 P.M.
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY............15 WNW AT 10:12 P.M. *
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE.............16  NW AT 10:12 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE............16 WNW AT 10:12 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.........9.5 SE
                   ASOS..................8.7 
                   DAVIS.................8.9 SSE [153 deg]
* last of several occurrences.... 

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....1.12 DEPARTURE..........+0.96
                         ASOS..............1.11
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH  ........1.12 DEPARTURE..........-0.40
                         ASOS..............1.11	
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........55.14 DEPARTURE.........+11.60
                        ASOS..............55.56**
**ASOS data is in error due to system failure on 1/12-13/11

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE.........-0.1
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR NOVEMER..................0.0  DEPARTURE.........-0.7
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON...............8.5  DEPARTURE.........+7.6
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR NOVEMBER 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
RMY:  R.M. Young wind gust recording system added 8/9/2011
TSTM: Thunderstorm day (thunder heard some time during day)
....: Data not yet available, records not finalized
 
11/1  50/38/44/-3/0.00/0.0/286/46   25 ENE AERO 24 MPH ENE RMY 24 
11/2  54/34/44/-2/0.00/0.0/619/100  17 S   AERO 16 MPH S   RMY N/A
11/3  60/40/50/+4/0.00/0.0/437/71   27 WSW AERO 30 MPH WSW RMY 28
11/4  49/33/41/-5/0.00/0.0/343/56   33 NW  AERO 35 MPH NNW RMY 36
11/5  47/29/38/-7/0.00/0.0/556/91   18 NW  AERO 21 MPH NNW RMY 21 
11/6  56/35/46/+1/0.00/0.0/603/99   24 SSW AERO 24 MPH SSW RMY 26
11/7  62/39/51/+6/0.00/0.0/600/99   23 WSW AERO 24 MPH SW  RMY 25
11/8  68/49/59/+15/0.00/0.0/580/96  20 W   AERO 21 MPH W   RMY N/A
11/9  68/50/59/+15/0.00/0.0/584/97  22 S   AERO 23 MPH S   RMY 23
11/10 60/53/57/+13/1.12/0.0/000/00  22 WNW AERO 22 MPH WNW RMY N/A

11/11 our morning low temp: 42F; the normal low is now 36F
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR NOVEMBER 2011
None so far... 
  
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):

RECORDS FOR NOVEMBER 11
HIGH 68 IN 1984
LOW 17 IN 1956
PRECIP 1.14 INCHES IN 1991
SNOWFALL 2.5 IN 1986
PEAK GUST 64 NW IN 1962

RECORDS FOR NOVEMBER 12
HIGH 74 IN 1909
LOW 18 IN 1926
PRECIP 3.25 INCHES IN 1947
SNOWFALL 8.1 INCHES IN 1987
PEAK GUST 79e MPH NW IN 1947

TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Sean Fankhauser