BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
HEAVY CUMULUS CLOUDS AND VIRGA FILL THE SKY EARLY
THIS AFTERNOON BUT NONE OF THE RAIN IS MAKING TO
THE GROUND IN THE DRY AIR AT LEAST HERE AT BLUE HILL
WINDS HAVE TURNED TO NORTHEAST AND EAST-NORTHEAST
A HIGH TEMP. OF 57F CAME JUST AFTER 1 PM BEFORE
FALLING BACK TO THE LOW 50'S.
 
Temperatures are running several degrees above normal again today with a
morning low of 40F and an early afternoon high thus far of 57F (normals 53/36).
The air mass is quite dry with dew point temperatures in the upper 20's.
Winds have shifted from north early this morning to northeast
before noon. Heavy virga (showers falling from the clouds) are mostly
not reaching the ground due to the dry air mass at the surface.
 
The rainfall deficit for the year has now reached 9.43 inches and in the
the shorter term dryness since March 3 shows we've recorded only 0.59 inch of
precipitation or only 9% of the normal for the five weeks from March 4
through April 10th. This is truly amazing!
 
The drought conditions continue to develop and get worse.
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: Broken stratocumulus with moderate cumuloform tops,
virga overhead and heavy virga all quadrants
Temperature: 45F, Dew point: 30F, Wind: N at 6 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 29.80 inches Hg, rising then steady
Visibility: 60 miles, except 75 miles NW, virga intermittently
obscurring mountains WNW-NW
6-hour min. temp: 40F
BHO SA 1155 E65 BKN 60 092/45/30/3506/980/ SC MDT CUFRM TOPS
VIRGA OVHD AND HVY VIRGA ALQDS MTNS WNW-NW INTMTLY OBSCRD/VIRGA
VSBY NW 75/ 8/500  51017 10045 20040
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Scattered altocumulus castellanus with virga,
cumulus forming S-W-N, few moderate 
Temperature: 50F, Dew Point: 30F; Wind: N at 5 kts,
Wind: Light 
Sea-level pressure: 29.81 inches Hg, rising then falling
Visibility: 70 miles, virga, 75 miles NW
BHO SA 1455 80 SCT 250 SCT 70 096/50/30/0105/981/ CU/FEW MDT CU
FRMG S-W-N MSTLY DSNT ACC N-E /VIRGA OVHD-NE-SE-SW ACC/VIRGA
DSNT W-N WND L/V/ 8/281 50004
 
1 P.M. 
Weather: Broken moderate cumulus, stratocumulus formed by the
spreading out of cumulus, altocumulus castellanus N-E,
dark cumulus bases S-SW, cloud bases obscured by virga
SE-S, mostly clear sky distant NNE-NE
Temperature: 52F, Dew Point: 29F; Wind: ENE at 10G16 kts,
Wind: Direction variable NNE-ESE
Sea-level pressure: 29.77 inches Hg, falling then more slowly
Visibility: 60 miles, virga, visibility 70 miles NW
6-hour max. temp: 57F
BHO SA 1755 E60 BKN 70 BKN 85 BKN 60 082/52/29/0710G16/977/
MDT CU OVHD-S-W-N DRK BASES S-SW ACC N-E SCCU OVHD-SE-SW-N
HVY VIRGA SE-S CLD BASES OBSCURD VIRGA ALQDS MSTLY CLR SKY
DSNT NNE-NE WND 03V12/ 8/280 56014 10057 20045
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, APRIL 10
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....61    NORMAL.....53
MIN.....40    NORMAL.....36
MEAN....51    NORMAL.....45
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.......................+6
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH......................+22 [+2.0 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............14   DEPARTURE..........-7
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............200   DEPARTURE.........-22
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........4485   DEPARTURE.......-1201
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......5615   DIFFERENCE......-1130
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............32 W   AT 11:31 A.M.
                   AERO..................31 W   AT 11:31 A.M.
                   ASOS..................33 WNW AT 12:01 P.M.
                   DAVIS.................33 W   AT 11:31 A.M. RMY 34
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........25 w   AT 11:56 A.M. 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............24 W   AT 11:57 A.M.
DAVIS MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE AVERAGE...........23 W   AT 11:57 A.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.......12.7 W
                   ASOS................12.0
                   DAVIS...............11.2 WSW [250 deg.]
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00   DEPARTURE..........-0.18
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........0.18   DEPARTURE..........-1.52
                         ASOS..............0.17
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........6.27   DEPARTURE..........-9.43
                         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..........-1.1
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............24.2    DEPARTURE.........-33.8
 
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/+1/0.14/0.0/360/47    20 SSW AERO 20 MPH SSW RMY N/A
4/2  51/35/43/+2/0.04/T/353/46      35 NNW AERO 33 MPH NNW RMY 35
4/3  57/31/44/+2/0.00/0.0/724/94    36 NW  AERO 37 MPH NW  RMY 40
4/4  62/38/50/+8/T/0.0/688/89     40 NW  AERO 39 MPH NW  RMY 43
4/5  51/33/42/-1/0.00/0.0/660/85    29 NW  AERO 27 MPH NW  RMY 30
4/6  51/31/41/-2/0.00/0.0/623/80    26 NNW AERO 26 MPH NNW RMY 28
4/7  54/32/43/0/0.00/0.0/305/39     31 NW  AERO 32 MPH NW  RMY 32
4/8  51/37/44/0/0.00/0.0/086/11     32 NW  AERO 31 MPH NW  RMY 33
4/9  57/43/50/+6/T/0.0/323/41       44 W   AERO 42 MPH W   RMY 44
4/10 61/40/51/+6/0.00/0.0/.../..    32 W   AERO 31 MPH W   RMY 34
 
4/11 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 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
 
RECORDS FOR APRIL 12
HIGH 82 IN 1945
LOW 17 IN 1926
PRECIP 1.51 IN. IN 1993
SNOWFALL 12.0 IN. IN 1894
PEAK GUST 65e MPH W IN 1978
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling