BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2012
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
A "DROUGHT BUSTER" RAINSTORM
ALMOST 3 INCHES OF RAIN AND GALE FORCE WINDS FROM THE NORTHEAST
HEAVIEST RAINFALL EVENT SINCE AUGUST 2010
NEW RECORD DAILY AMOUNT FOR APRIL 23
 
Additional rainfall brings storm total to 3.11 ins.
later this morning.
 
The rain came down heavily overnight totaling 2.87 inches
in our standard gage by 8 A.M. EDT this morning. Rainfall
totaled about one inch by midnight EDT. The heaviest rain
came in the form of downpours early today totaling well
over one inch in the 3-hourly period from 1 A.M. to 4 A.M.
EDT.    
 
Northeast wind were increasing overnight and then veered
to southeast and south-southeast during the early morning
hours of today with the passage of a warm front. Temp-
eratures jumped from a low of 41F very late last evening
and 42F at 1 A.M. to the upper 50's or 59 degrees by 6 A.M.   
 
Peak wind gusts included:
 
ASOS  53 MPH NE @ 11:43 P.M.  4/22
420C  50 MPH NE @ 11:43 P.M.  4/22 
Davis 50 MPH NNE @ 11:42 P.M. 4/22
Davis 50 MPH NE  @ 12:59 A.M. 4/23 RM Young 52 MPH
Maximum, Inc. 57 MPH Maestro
Maximum, Inc. 53 MPH Merlin
 
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Overcast, stratus fractus, higher nimbostratus overcast
occasionally visible, light rain showers and fog
Temperature: 59F, Dew point: 59F, Wind: SE at 25G31 kts,
Wind: Peak wind 34 kts SSE at 6:23 A.M.
Sea-level pressure: 29.30 inches Hg, falling then steady 
Visibility: 6 miles, except 4 miles SE, 3 miles WSW,
4 miles WNW, 9 miles N, 15 miles NE
24-hour precipitation: 2.87 ins.  
6-hour min. temp: 43F
BHO SA 1155 E6 OVC 6RW-F 922/59/59/1425G31/930/ SHRA SE WSW WNW
VSBY SE 4 WSW 3 WNW 4 N 9 NE 20 PK WND 1634/23/ WND 11V18/ 8/72/
56018 ASOS 60140 MANUAL 6//// ASOS 70299 10059 20043
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Sky obscured with fog, light drizzle and fog
Temperature: 60F, Dew Point: 60F; Wind: SSE at 16G24 kts,
Wind: Peak wind gust: 34 kts from SSE @ 8:57 A.M.  
Wind: Wind direction variable ESE-SSW
Sea-level pressure: 29.33 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 1/2 mile, light drizzle and fog 
3-hour precipitation: 0.21 in.
BHO SA 1455 W3 X 1/2L-F 931/60/60/1616G24/933/ STRA DRFTG OVR SMT
VSBY SE-W BRFLY 1 N 1/4 PK WND 1634/1357/ WND 12V20 53009 MANUAL 6021/
ASOS 60021  
 
1 P.M. 
Weather: Sky scattered variable broken low stratus and
overcast stratus, bright spots in overcast
Temperature: 59F, Dew Point: 58F; Wind: S at 14G21 kts,
Wind: Direction variable SE-SSW
Sea-level pressure: 29.33 inches Hg, falling slightly
Visibility: 25 miles, 20 miles S-E, hazy
6-hour max. temp: 61F 
6-hour precipitation: 0.24 in.
BHO SA 1755 6V SCT E13 OVC 25 930/59/58/1714G21/933/
CIG RGD BRGHT SPTS IOVC 6 SCT V BKN VSBY E-S 20 HAZY ALQDS
WND 13V20/ 8/6// 58001 MANUAL 6024/ ASOS 60023 10061 20059 
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY, APRIL 22
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....59    NORMAL.....58
MIN.....41    NORMAL.....40
MEAN....50    NORMAL.....49
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.......................+1
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.....................+148 [+6.5 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............15   DEPARTURE..........-1
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............299   DEPARTURE........-144
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........4584   DEPARTURE.......-1323
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......5835   DIFFERENCE......-1251
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............50 NE  AT 10:43 P.M.
                   AERO..................51 NE  AT 10:54 P.M. * 
                   ASOS..................53 NE  AT 10:43 P.M.
                   DAVIS.................50 NE  AT 10:43 P.M. RMY 52
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........37 NE  AT 11:01 P.M. *  
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............36 NE  AT 11:02 P.M.
DAVIS MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE AVERAGE...........35 NE  AT 10:38 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.......16.3 NE
                   ASOS................16.1
                   DAVIS...............13.7** ENE [060 deg.]
* Last of several occurrences.
** time difference one hour due EDT...
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....2.87   DEPARTURE..........+2.73
                         ASOS..............2.99
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........3.22   DEPARTURE..........-0.26
                         ASOS..............3.31
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........9.31   DEPARTURE..........-8.17
                         ASOS..............9.46
     
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..........-2.3
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............24.2    DEPARTURE.........-35.0
 
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/+6/0.00/0.0/600/76    32 W   AERO 31 MPH W   RMY 34
4/11 57/40/49/+4/0.00/0.0/397/50    21 NE  AERO 20 MPH NE  RMY 22
4/12 54/39/47/+2/0.16/0.0/127/16    25 NNW AERO 24 MPH NNW RMY 28
4/13 63/36/50/+4/0.00/0.0/782/98    24 W   AERO 23 MPH W   RMY 25
4/14 70/44/57/+11/0.00/0.0/617/77   25 SSW AERO 27 MPH SSW RMY 28
4/15 75/52/64/+17/T/0.0/426/53      23 W   AERO 23 MPH W   RMY 25
4/16 89/57/73/+26/0.01/0.0/678/84   28 SSW AERO 30 MPH SSW RMY 32
4/17 83/53/68/+21/0.00/0.0/777/96   28 W   AERO 28 MPH W   RMY 32
4/18 61/45/53/+5/0.00/0.0/.../..    27 NNW AERO 27 MPH NNW RMY N/A
4/19 70/44/57/+9/0.00/0.0/.../..    23 S   AERO 22 MPH S   RMY 25
4/20 75/46/61/+12/0.00/0.0/.../..   30 S   AERO 31 MPH S   RMY 33
4/21 75/51/63/+14/T/0.0/.../..      32 S   AERO 37 MPH SSW RMY 38
4/22 59/41/50/+1/..../0.0/000/00    50 NE  AERO 51 MPH NE  RMY 52
 
4/23 the morning low temp since midnight: 42F; the normal low is now 41F
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR APRIL 2012
4/16 - NEW DAILY RECORD HIGH MAXIMUM TEMP OF 89F;
surpasses the previous record of 87F in 1896.
4/23 - likely a NEW RECORD MAXIMUM DAILY PRECIP.
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR APRIL 23
HIGH 85 IN 1908, 2007
LOW 25 IN 1933,1989
PRECIP 1.51 IN. IN 1998
SNOWFALL 0.5 IN. IN 1911, 1956
PEAK GUST 64 MPH WNW IN 1962
 
RECORDS FOR APRIL 24
HIGH 82 IN 2001
LOW 22 IN 1930
PRECIP 2.51 INS IN 1898
SNOWFALL 1.2 INS IN 1967
PEAK GUST 59 MPH NW IN 1962
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling/Patrick Peters