BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
SUNDAY, APRIL 8, 2012 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
MOSTLY CLOUDY AND COOL; PRECIP DEFICIT APPROACHES 9 INCHES FOR YEAR
 
Skies have been mostly cloudy today associated with a low sitting over
Canada. An area of high pressure is off to our west and providing dry,
WNW flow keeping humidity values in the upper 30s. Visibility has
been good today, with Grand Monadnock visible out to the northwest.
Winds have been gusty at times but are expected to weaken as we approach
tonight. Another day without precipitation brings the Observatory even
closer to a 9 inch deficit for the year, currently at -8.92 inches. A
low pressure system will be present for most of this week, hopefully
providing much needed rainfall.
 
The rainfall deficit for the year is now approaching 9 inches, as
moderate drought conditions continue to develop across the region. In
fact, all of Rhode Island, all of Connecticut, and 87% of Massachusetts
(excluding the far northwestern part of the state) are now considered
to be in moderate drought, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor
report.
 
http://www.droughtmonitor.unl.edu/DM_northeast.htm
 
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Overcast altostratus, few stratocumulus castellanus distant NE-SE,
break in overcast overhead, light distant haze
Temperature: 40F, Dew point: 28F, Wind: WNW at 8 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.85 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 55 miles 
6-hour min. temp: 37F
BHO SA 1155 EOVC 85 55 109/40/28/2908/985/ FEW SCC DSNT NE-SE BINOVC OVD
LGT DSNT HZ VSBY HIER W-NW 65/ 8/25/ 58010 10040 20037
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Broken stratocumulus, broken altocumulus, light distant haze
Temperature: 48F, Dew Point: 26F; Wind: W at 12 kts,
Wind: Direction variable WSW-NNW
Sea-level pressure: 29.78 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 60 miles 
BHO SA 1455 E50 BKN 80 BKN 60 084/48/26/2712/978/ LGT DSNT HZ/ 8/54/ 58025
 
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SATURDAY, APRIL 7
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....54    NORMAL.....52
MIN.....32    NORMAL.....35
MEAN....43    NORMAL.....43
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL........................0
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH......................+10 [+1.2 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............22   DEPARTURE...........0
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............150   DEPARTURE..........-9
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........4435   DEPARTURE.......-1188
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......5560   DEPARTURE.......-1125
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............31 NW  AT 11:32 A.M.
                   AERO..................32 NW  AT 12:40 P.M.
                   ASOS..................31 NW  AT 12:42 P.M.
                   DAVIS.................31 NW  AT 12:41 P.M. RMY 32
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........21 NW  AT 12:42 P.M. *
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............24 NW  AT 12:43 P.M.
DAVIS MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE AVERAGE...........25 NW  AT 12:43 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION........8.5 NW
                   ASOS.................7.9
                   DAVIS................8.0 NNW [346 deg.]
* Last of several occurrences.
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00   DEPARTURE..........-0.17
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........0.18   DEPARTURE..........-1.01
                         ASOS..............0.17
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........6.27   DEPARTURE..........-8.92
                         ASOS..............6.32
     
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0    DEPARTURE..........-0.1
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................0.0    DEPARTURE..........-0.8
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............24.2    DEPARTURE.........-33.5
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR APRIL 2012 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:  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
 
4/1  50/34/42/+1/0.14/0.0/.../..    20 SSW AERO 20 MPH SSW RMY N/A
4/2  51/35/43/+2/0.04/T/.../..      35 NNW AERO 33 MPH NNW RMY 35
4/3  57/31/44/+2/0.00/0.0/.../..    36 NW  AERO 37 MPH NW  RMY 40
4/4  62/38/50/+8/T/0.0/.../..       40 NW  AERO 39 MPH NW  RMY 43
4/5  51/33/42/-1/0.00/0.0/.../..    29 NW  AERO 27 MPH NW  RMY 30
4/6  51/31/41/-2/0.00/0.0/.../..    26 NNW AERO 26 MPH NNW RMY 28
4/7  54/32/40/0/0.00/0.0/.../..     31 NW  AERO 32 MPH NW  RMY 32
 
4/8  morning low temp: 37F; the normal low is now 35F
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR APRIL 2012
None so far.
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR APRIL 8
HIGH 87 IN 1991
LOW 17 IN 1888
PRECIP 1.78 IN. IN 1956
SNOWFALL 9.3 IN. IN 1956
PEAK GUST 70 MPH S IN 2000
 
RECORDS FOR APRIL 9
HIGH 83 IN 1991
LOW 18 IN 1888
PRECIP 2.38 IN. IN 1935
SNOWFALL 11.0 IN. IN 1917
PEAK GUST 72 MPH WNW IN 1962
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: George Tabeek
 
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