BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2012 ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME WARM, CONTINUED VERY DRY, AND BREEZY Temperatures are running several degrees above normal today with a morning low of 40F and an afternoon high thus far of 61F (normals 53/36). The air mass is quite dry with dewpoint temperatures in the low to mid 20s and relative humidity falling to 20-25% this afternoon. Winds continue from the west, gusty at times. Gusts are occasionally reaching 30-35 mph. These conditions have prompted, once again, a red flag warning for the area for dangerous outdoor fire conditions. The sky began the day mostly clear, with a layer of cirrostratus and cirrus to our W-NE slowly invading the sky. Widespread moderate cumulus have formed this afternoon, leading to mostly cloudy conditions. A few areas of virga have also been observed beneath some of the more developed cumulus. The rainfall deficit for the year is now in excess of 9 inches. Drought conditions continue to develop and worsen 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. An updated report will be issued on Thursday. http://www.droughtmonitor.unl.edu/DM_northeast.htm Today's observations: 7 A.M. Weather: Scattered cirrostratus, scattered thin cirrus, few altocumulus lenticularis NW-NNE and distant E, cirrostratus/cirrus WSW-N-ENE invading the sky, thin smoke layer along horizon distant N-E-S-WSW, distant haze Temperature: 45F, Dew point: 23F, Wind: WSW at 11G17 kts, Wind: Direction variable SSW-W Sea-level pressure: 29.63 inches Hg, steady then rising Visibility: 65 miles, distant haze 6-hour min. temp: 40F BHO SA 1155 200 SCT 250 –SCT 65 035/45/23/2411G17/963/ FEW ACSL NW-NNE AND DSNT E CS/CI WSW-N-ENE INVADING THN K LYR ALG HRZN DSNT N-E-S-WSW DSNT HZ WND 21V28/ 8/046 53007 10045 20040 10 A.M. Weather: Scattered altocumulus, scattered cirrostratus, scattered thin cirrus, few cumulus forming E-SSW and in the vicinity of the station and distant SSW-W-N, altocumulus/altocumulus lenticularis distant NW-NE, cirrostratus/cirrus SW-N-ENE and overhead invading the sky, distant haze Temperature: 55F, Dew Point: 26F; Wind: WSW at 12G22 kts, Wind: Peak wind from W at 26 kts at 9:28 A.M. EST Wind: Direction variable SSW-WNW Sea-level pressure: 29.64 inches Hg, rising then falling Visibility: 65 miles, distant haze BHO SA 1455 100 SCT 200 SCT 250 –SCT 65 036/55/26/2412G22/964/ FEW CU FRMG E-SSW AND VCTY STN AND DSNT SSW-W-N AC/ACSL DSNT NW-NE CS/CI SW-N-ENE AND OVHD INVADING DSNT HZ PK WND 2626/28 WND 20V30/ 8/146 50001 1 P.M. Weather: Scattered cumulus, broken cirrostratus, broken cirrus, moderate cumulus all quadrants, cirrostratus/cirrus invading slowly, higher cirrus layer partly thin, virga distant SE and distant SSW and distant NW, distant haze Temperature: 60F, Dew Point: 23F; Wind: W at 15G20 kts, Wind: Peak wind from W at 28 kts at 12:01 P.M. EST Wind: Direction variable SW-WNW Sea-level pressure: 29.60 inches Hg, falling Visibility: 65 miles, distant haze 6-hour max. temp: 61F BHO SA 1755 75 SCT E200 BKN 250 BKN 65 025/60/23/2615G20/960/ MDT CU ALQDS CS/CI INVADING HIER CI LYR PRTLY THN VIRGA DSNT SE AND DSNT SSW AND DSNT NW DSNT HZ PK WND 2828/01 WND 22V29/ 8/206 58011 10061 20045 WEATHER SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, APRIL 9 TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F) MAX.....57 NORMAL.....53 MIN.....43 NORMAL.....35 MEAN....50 NORMAL.....44 DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.......................+6 TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH......................+16 [+1.6 DEGREES/DAY] HEATING DEGREE DAYS TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............15 DEPARTURE..........-6 TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............186 DEPARTURE.........-15 TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........4471 DEPARTURE.......-1194 TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......5600 DIFFERENCE......-1129 PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............44 W AT 3:37 P.M. AERO..................42 W AT 3:37 P.M. ASOS..................44 W AT 3:38 P.M. DAVIS.................42 W AT 3:37 P.M. RMY 44 THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........32 W AT 5:24 P.M. * MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............31 W AT 2:16 P.M. DAVIS MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE AVERAGE...........30 W AT 2:16 P.M. AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.......18.8 W ASOS................17.4 DAVIS...............16.3 W [264 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..........-1.34 ASOS..............0.17 TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........6.27 DEPARTURE..........-9.25 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..........-1.0 TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............24.2 DEPARTURE.........-33.7 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 54/32/43/0/0.00/0.0/.../.. 31 NW AERO 32 MPH NW RMY 32 4/8 51/37/44/0/0.00/0.0/.../.. 32 NW AERO 31 MPH NW RMY 33 4/9 57/43/50/+6/T/0.0/.../.. 44 W AERO 42 MPH W RMY 44 4/10 morning low temp: 40F; the normal low is now 36F 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 10 HIGH 83 IN 1922 LOW 20 IN 1985 PRECIP 2.40 IN. IN 1935 SNOWFALL 10.1 IN. IN 1996 PEAK GUST 66 MPH WNW IN 1967 RECORDS FOR APRIL 11 HIGH 78 IN 1945 LOW 19 IN 1909 PRECIP 1.72 IN. IN 2003 SNOWFALL 9.5 IN. IN 1958 PEAK GUST 65 MPH NW IN 1963 TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Sean Fankhauser