BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
SECOND CONSECUTIVE DAY OF HAZY,HOT,HUMID CONDITIONS 
 
Haze, heat, and humidity have returned today as an area of high pressure
ahead of a cold front has settled in for the weekend. Winds have been out
of the south/southwest providing a very moist air mass for most areas. Dew
points have been in the high 60s for most of the day, and was even 70 at
one point this morning. The haze has taken away from the visibility today,
currently around 30-35 miles.
 
With such a warm start to the day (70F), temperatures easily climbed into
the upper 80s today, with a current maximum of 90F through the last
observation. Our overnight low of 70F fell 1 degree shy of the daily record
for highest minimum temperature. Depending on how much the temperature
drops tonight, tomorrow has a slight chance of seeing a new daily high
minimum temperature (72F, 1974).
 
July ended up on a cool note, although the average temperature for the
month ended up 2.1 degrees above the 30-year average.
Precipitation for the month was only a tenth of an inch below normal.
Almost all of the rainfall for July (96%) fell in three events that were
relatively evenly spread throughout the month.  The periods between the
heavier rain events were fairly dry.  The first 17 days of the month only
saw 0.38 inch of precipitation.
 
JULY MONTHLY STATS
DEG. F
AVG MAX.    83.5
AVG MIN.    64.5
MEAN        74.0 [+2.1]{corrected]
24-HR. MEAN 73.2
Highest 95/17th
Lowest  58/21st
HDD UNITS: 0 [-9]
CDD UNITS: 289 [+67] (changed by +1, 8/2)
CDD SEASON: 439 [+91]
PRECIP Ins.
TOTAL:      3.92
DEPARTURE: -0.10
YEAR 2012: 21.61
DEPARTURE: -9.38
PERCENT OF NORMAL: 70%
WIND: MPH
AVERAGE:              9.2
PREVAILING DIRECTION: SSW 14%
CORRECTED WIND SPEED: 9.8
ASOS:                 9.0
PEAK GUST:            43 NW [7/24] TSTM
PEAK GUST AEROVANE    46 NW [7/24] TSTM
PEAK GUST RMY         46    [7/24] TSTM
FASTEST MILE:         31 ENE [7/18]
SUNSHINE:
TOTAL ASTRONOMICAL MINUTES: 17,532 (292.2 HOURS) OR 63%
TOTAL CAMPBELL-STOKES MINUTES: 16,896 (281.6 HOURS) OR 63%
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Broken altocumulus, broken cirrus, few altocumulus standing
lenticularis E-SE, virga all quadrants, dark smoke layer along horizon
SW-NNE, hazy
Temperature: 74F; Dew Point: 70F; Wind: WSW @ 11 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.99 in. Hg, increasing steadily   
Visibility: 20 miles, 30 miles E-SSW, 15 miles N-NNE, hazy 
6-hour min. temp: 70F   
BHO SA 1155 E180 BKN 220 BKN 20 157/74/70/2411/999/ FEW ACSL E-SE VIRGA
ALQDS DRK K LYR ALG HRZN SW-NNE HAZY VSBY HIER E-SSW 30 VSBY LWR N-NNE 15/
8/073 52017 10074 20070
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Broken altocumulus, broken dense cirrus, broken thin cirrus,
contrails N and S,
hazy  
Temperature: 84F; Dew Point: 69F; Wind: W @ 12 kts,
Wind: Direction variable SW-WNW
Sea-level pressure: 30.02 ins. Hg, increasing
Visibility: 30 miles, hazy    
BHO SA 1455 E180 BKN 220 BKN 250 -BKN 30 165/84/69/2612/002/ CONTRAILS N AND
S HAZY WND 22V30/ 8/073 51008
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered cumulus, scattered altocumulus, scattered altocumulus
standing lenticularis, scattered dense cirrus, scattered thin cirrus,
few moderate cumulus E-S, few altocumulus standing lenticularis N, virga
distant SE, hazy
Temperature: 90F; Dew Point: 68F; Wind: WNW @ 12 kts,
Wind: Direction variable W-NW
Sea-level pressure: 30.02 ins. Hg, increasing 
Visibility: 35 miles, hazy
6-hour max. temp: 90F
BHO SA 1755 50 SCT 80 SCT 180 SCT 200 SCT 250 -SCT 35 167/90/68/2912/002/
FEW MDT CU E-S FEW ACSL N VIRGA DSNT SE HAZY WND 26V32/ 8/173 50002 10090
20074
 
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, AUGUST 2
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....87    NORMAL.....81
MIN.....67    NORMAL.....63
MEAN....77    NORMAL.....72
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.....................+5
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.....................+7 [+3.3 DEGREES/DAY]
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............20 W   AT  12:44 P.M.
                   AERO..................20 W   AT  12:45 P.M.
                   ASOS..................20 WSW AT  12:44 P.M.
                   DAVIS.................19 WSW AT  12:43 P.M. RMY 20
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........14 W   AT  12:46 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............14 SSW AT  10:22 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........14 WSW AT  12:44 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION........8.2 SW
                   ASOS.................8.2
                   DAVIS................7.6 SSW [214 deg]
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....Trace  DEPARTURE...........-0.15
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........0.58   DEPARTURE...........+0.28
                         ASOS..............0.60
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........22.19   DEPARTURE...........-9.10
                         ASOS.............22.15
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR JULY- AUGUST 2012 CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/ PEAK GUST/AERO GUST
AERO: Aerovane wind recording system gust
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
 
7/1  89/67/78/+8/0.01/676/74        33 WSW AERO 32 MPH WSW RMY 34 TSTM
7/2  84/66/75/+5/T/644/71           23 W   AERO 22 MPH W   RMY 23
7/3  85/63/74/+3/0.00/787/86        23 W   AERO 21 MPH W   RMY 20
7/4  85/66/76/+5/0.37/480/53        20 W   AERO 20 MPH W   RMY 23 TSTM
7/5  81/68/75/+4/0.00/729/80        23 NW  AERO 23 MPH NW  RMY 22
7/6  86/64/75/+4/0.00/753/83        18 SSW AERO 18 MPH SSW RMY 19
7/7  81/69/75/+4/T/224/25           23 W   AERO 23 MPH W   RMY 24
7/8  87/66/77/+5/0.00/814/90        23 W   AERO 23 MPH W   RMY 25
7/9  82/61/72/0/0.00/738/85         22 W   AERO 21 MPH W   RMY 23
7/10 83/61/72/0/0.00/852/98         18 W   AERO 18 MPH W   RMY 18
7/11 84/64/74/+2/0.00/768/88        21 W   AERO 21 MPH W   RMY 23
7/12 89/64/77/+5/0.00/875/97        25 SSW AERO 25 MPH SSW RMY 26
7/13 89/66/78/+6/0.00/604/67        28 S   AERO 27 MPH S   RMY 29
7/14 90/69/80/+8/0.00/521/58        24 W   AERO 22 MPH W   RMY 23
7/15 91/68/80/+8/T/539/60           18 SW  AERO 18 MPH SSW RMY 20
7/16 91/70/81/+9/T/771/86           23 NW  AERO 23 MPH NW  RMY 24
7/17 95/71/83/+11/0.00/831/93       33 SSW AERO 33 MPH SSW RMY 35
7/18 91/69/80/+8/1.45/312/36        40 NE  AERO 39 MPH NE  RMY 41 TSTM
7/19 81/63/72/0/0.00/516/60         21 NNW AERO 18 MPH NNW RMY 18
7/20 70/61/66/-6/0.00/60/7          18 E   AERO 18 MPH E   RMY 19
7/21 77/58/68/-4/0.00/834/97        20 ENE AERO 20 MPH SSE RMY 19
7/22 84/59/72/0/0.00/834/98         24 S   AERO 24 MPH S   RMY 27
7/23 84/63/74/+2/0.02/354/40        27 SSW AERO 29 MPH SSW RMY 29
7/24 88/65/77/+5/0.09/477/54        43 NW  AERO 46 MPH NW  RMY 46 TSTM
7/25 82/59/71/-1/0.00/798/94        30 NW  AERO 31 MPH WNW RMY 31
7/26 82/67/75/+3/T/105/12           23 WSW AERO 23 MPH SW  RMY 25
7/27 73/66/70/-2/0.01/079/09        21 WSW AERO 24 MPH WSW RMY N/A
7/28 79/64/72/0/1.44/402/46         25 NE  AERO 24 MPH NE  RMY 24 TSTM
7/29 69/61/65/-7/T/000/00           22 NE  AERO 21 MPH NE  RMY 22
7/30 82/59/71/-1/0.00/835/96        22 S   AERO 23 MPH S   RMY 24
7/31 76/62/69/-3/0.53/104/12        20 E   AERO 18 MPH E   RMY 19
 
8/1  82/66/74/+2/0.58/.../..        33 W   AERO 33 MPH W   RMY 35
8/2  87/67/77/+5/T/.../..           20 W   AERO 20 MPH W   RMY 20
 
8/3 morning low temp: 70F; the normal low is now 63F
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR JULY 2012
None.
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR AUGUST 3
HIGH 96F IN 1930
LOW 50F IN 1976
PRECIP 1.45 INCHES IN 1979
PEAK GUST 52 MPH NW IN 2008 [TSTM]
 
RECORDS FOR AUGUST 4
HIGH 95F IN 1928
LOW 48F IN 1900
PRECIP 1.68 INS IN 1983
PEAK GUST 48 MPH SW IN 1974
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: George Tabeek