BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2012 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
AUGUST A VERY SUNNY MONTH TO DATE
2ND WARMEST WEEK OF SUMMER AUG. 1-7 
WARMEST JULY ON RECORD FOR THE U.S.
 
Our sunshine record through the first week of August
shows it to be a very sunny month with 76% of the
possible bright sunshine to date.  The record 
sunniest August had 74% for the entire month in 1971.
 
Additionally, the first week of August was our second
warmest week of the summer to date after a slightly
warmer week which occurred around mid-July. 
 
Across the nation, July 2012 was the hottest month
on record for the contiguous U.S. The previous hottest
July for the nation was recorded in 1936. The record
July temperatures contributed to a record warm first
seven months of the year.  
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Cirrus, lower cirrus distant S, few cirrocumulus SW-W, clear
sky band extending W-N-ENE,
Temperature: 68F; Dew Point: 65F; Wind: SW at 7 kts 
Sea-level pressure: 30.01 ins. Hg, rising then rising more slowly    
Visibility: 35 miles, except 50 miles WNW, thin smoke layer S-W-N, hazy 
6-hour min. temp: 65F
BHO SA 1155 250 –BKN 35 164/68/65/2207/001/ LWR CI DSNT S
CLR SKY BND XTDNG W-N-ENE THN K LYR S-W-N VSBY 50 ABV INVSN WNW HAZY
ALQDS/8/008 52008 10068 20065
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Cirrus, lower cirrus distant south, cumulus/cumulus fractus
forming distant SSE-SW-WNW, few moderate cumulus SSW-WSW, clear sky band
distant W-NE
Temperature: 80F; Dew Point: 66F; Wind: W at 5 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.02 ins. Hg, rising slightly
Visibility: 35 miles, except 30 miles NE-SE and 45 miles WNW, thin smoke
layer W-NW, distant haze      
BHO SA 1455 220 SCT 250 –BKN 35 165/80/66/2805/002/ CUFRA/CU FRMG
DSNT SSE-SW-WNW FEW MDT SSW-WSW CLR SKY BND DSNT W-NE THN K LYR W-NW
VSBY NE-SE 30 VSBY WNW 45 DSNT HZ WND LGT/ 8/201 53001
 
1 P.M.   
Weather:  Opaque cirrostratus/cirrus covering more than half the sky,
partly thin cirrus and break in overcast
W-N, clear sky band distant W-N except for lower cumulus, overcast partly
thin/break in overcast W-N 
Temperature: 85F; Dew Point: 60F; Wind: SW at 5 kts,
Wind: Light
Sea-level pressure: 29.99 ins. Hg, falling then falling more rapidly
Visibility: 40 miles, except 30 miles NE-SE and 55 miles WNW,
distant haze
6-hr. max. temp.: 86F
BHO SA 1755 E220 BKN 250 40 157/85/60/2205/999/ CU/FEW MDT ALQDS
XCPT NE BINOVC/OVC PTLY THN W-N CLR SKY BND DSNT W-N XCPT CU
VSBY NE-SE 30 NW 55 DSNT HZ WND LGT/ 8/208 56008 10086 20068     
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, AUGUST 7

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....84    NORMAL.....81
MIN.....65    NORMAL.....63
MEAN....75    NORMAL.....72
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.....................+3
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH....................+39 [+5.4 DEGREES/DAY]
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............23 S   AT  4:27 P.M.
                   AERO..................21 S   AT  5:05 P.M. *
                   ASOS..................23 SSW AT  4:27 P.M.
                   DAVIS.................22 S   AT  4:53 P.M. RMY 23
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........16 S   AT  4:44 P.M. *
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............16 S   AT  4:53 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........16 SW  AT  4:53 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.......7.6  S
                   ASOS................7.9
                   DAVIS...............6.9 SSW [197 deg]
* last of several occurrences...
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00   DEPARTURE...........-0.14
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........0.72   DEPARTURE...........-0.32
                         ASOS..............0.72
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........22.33   DEPARTURE...........-9.70
                         ASOS.............22.27
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR 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
 
8/1  82/66/74/+2/0.58/390/45        33 W   AERO 33 MPH W   RMY 35
8/2  87/67/77/+5/T/648/75           20 W   AERO 20 MPH W   RMY 20
8/3  90/70/80/+8/0.00/707/82        23 SW  AERO 23 MPH SW  RMY 23
8/4  91/72/82/+10/0.00/713/83       22 S   AERP 21 MPH S   RMY 23
8/5  87/72/80/+8/0.14/660/77        37 S   AERO 37 MPH SSW RMY 37
8/6  82/67/75/+3/0.00/710/83        25 WNW AERO 27 MPH WNW RMY 26
8/7  84/65/75/+3/0.00/725/85        23 S   AERO 21 MPH S   RMY 23
 
8/8 morning low temp: 65F; the normal low is now 63F
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR AUGUST 2012
8/4 - TIED DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMP OF 72F;
ties the current record of 72F in 1974.
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR AUGUST 8
HIGH 93F IN 1909,1949
LOW 47F IN 1903
PRECIP 3.08 INCHES IN 1976
PEAK GUST 45 MPH WNW IN 1958
 
RECORDS FOR AUGUST 9
HIGH 100F IN 1949
LOW 49F IN 1899
PRE 2.65 INS IN 1976
PEAK GUST 90 MPH SW IN 1968
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling and Jonathan O'Brien