BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
A dry weather trend this week will continue to increase
the large 2012 precipitation departure but I think the
comparison of precipitation departures for both 8 months
of this year and 12 months dating back to August, last year
at this time are worth a look.  Please see below.
 
Despite a yearly rainfall deficit of over 9 inches so far, a look back
over the past 12 months reveals we haven't been that dry.  Between August
23 and December 31 of 2011, we were 7.85 inches above normal, making this
year's departure to date of 9.52 inches seem much less significant than it
really is.
 
AUG 23-31 2011:  2.14 ins. +1.11 ins.
SEP 2011:        6.02 ins. +1.89 ins.
OCT 2011:        9.96 ins. +5.54 ins.
NOV 2011:        4.67 ins. +0.03 ins.
DEC 2011:        3.84 ins. -0.72 ins.
JAN 2012:        3.19 ins. -1.16 ins.
FEB 2012:        1.08 ins. -2.99 ins.
MAR 2012:        1.82 ins. -3.76 ins.
APR 2012:        3.52 ins. -1.03 ins.
MAY 2012:        3.63 ins. -0.48 ins.
JUN 2012:        4.45 ins. +0.14 ins.
JUL 2012:        3.92 ins. -0.10 ins.
AUG 1-21 2012:   2.74 ins. -0.14 ins.
TOTAL:          50.98 ins. -1.67 ins.
 
By: Jonathan O'Brien
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Scattered dense cirrus, thin cirrus overcast, clear sky band
distant NNE-NE
Temperature: 69F; Dew Point: 52F; Wind: NNE @ 6 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.14 ins. Hg, steady    
Visibility: 50 miles, light distant haze
24-hour rainfall: 0.01 ins
6-hour min. temp: N/A
BHO SA 1155 220 SCT 250 –OVC 50 208/69/52/0306/014/ PTCHS DNS CI
BINOVC CLR SKY BND DSNT NNE-NE DSNT HZ/ 8/001 53008 100// 200//
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Cumulus and cumulus fractus forming all quadrants except E,
moderate cumulus forming N, scattered cirrus, lower cirrus distant S-SW
Temperature: 78F; Dew Point: 56F; Wind: NW @ 3 kts
Wind: Light 
Sea-level pressure: 30.16 ins. Hg, rising then rising more slowly 
Visibility: 55 miles, except 35 miles NE, distant haze
BHO SA 1455 250 –SCT 300 –SCT 55 214/78/56/3203/016/ SML CU FRMG ALQDS
XCPT E MDT CU FRMG VC N LWR CI DSNT S-SW DSNT HZ WND LGT/ 8/201 51006
 
1 P.M.   
Weather: Cumulus and moderate cumulus all quadrants except distant NE-E, cirrocumulus
all quadrants, scattered dense cirrus, thin broken cirrus, break in overcast distant
N-NE, overcast partly thin, partial halo visible
Temperature: 80F; Dew Point: 53F; Wind: SW @ 5 kts
Wind: Light
Sea-level pressure: 30.15 ins. Hg, falling slightly
Visibility: 55 miles, except 60 miles NW and 35 miles NE, distant haze
6-hour max. temp: 82F
BHO SA 1755 45 SCT 220 SCT 250 –OVC 55 209/80/53/2305/015/ CU/MDT CU
ALQDS XCPT DSNT NE-E CC ALQDS PTCHS DNS CI HIER CI AT 300 BINOVC DSNT
N-NE OVC PTLY THN PARTIAL HALO VSBY NW 60 NE 35 DSNT HZ WND LGT/
8/209/ 58005 10082 20069
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, AUGUST 21
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....81    NORMAL.....79
MIN.....62    NORMAL.....61
MEAN....72    NORMAL.....70
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.....................+2
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH....................+73 [+3.3 DEGREES/DAY]
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............21 W   AT  2:29 P.M. *
                   AERO..................20 W   AT  2:30 P.M.
                   ASOS..................20 WNW AT  2:30 P.M.
                   DAVIS.................19 W   AT  2:29 P.M. RMY 19
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........14 W   AT  2:28 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............15 W   AT  2:27 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........14 W   AT  2:25 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION........8.5 W
                   ASOS.................8.4
                   DAVIS................7.6 W [261 deg]
* last of several occurrences.
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.01   DEPARTURE...........-0.12
                         ASOS..............0.01
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........2.74   DEPARTURE...........-0.14
                         ASOS..............2.70
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........24.35   DEPARTURE...........-9.52
                         ASOS.............24.25
 
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  87/68/78/+6/0.00/578/68        20 S   AERO 18 MPH S   RMY 18
8/9  89/68/79/+7/0.00/630/77        25 S   AERO 23 MPH S   RMY 25
8/10 84/70/77/+6/0.87/228/27        32 SE  AERO 32 MPH SE  RMY 32 TSTM
8/11 84/69/77/+6/0.00/464/55        25 S   AERO 27 MPH S   RMY 27
8/12 83/70/77/+6/0.03/420/50        24 S   AERO 23 MPH S   RMY 23
8/13 84/66/75/+4/0.00/787/94        21 WNW AERO 20 MPH WNW RMY 19
8/14 81/64/73/+2/0.00/451/54        18 W   AERO 18 MPH SW  RMY 19
8/15 83/63/73/+2/0.89/358/43        33 W   AERO 33 MPH W   RMY 32 TSTM
8/16 82/64/73/+2/T/714/86           23 WNW AERO 22 MPH WNW RMY 21
8/17 84/65/75/+4/T/729/88           26 S   AERO 26 MPH SSW RMY 27
8/18 69/62/66/-5/0.22/0/0           18 WNW AERO 17 MPH WNW RMY 16
8/19 73/56/65/-5/T/353/43           17 N   AERO 16 MPH NNW RMY 16
8/20 77/61/69/-1/0.00/312/38        16 SSW AERO 15 MPH SSW RMY 16
8/21 81/62/72/+2/0.01/539/66        21 W   AERO 20 MPH W   RMY 19 
 
8/22 our morning low temp: 62F; the normal low is now 61F
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR AUGUST 2012
8/4 - 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 22
HIGH 90F IN 1939
LOW 42F IN 1894
PRECIP 2.28 INCHES IN 1935
PEAK GUST 44 MPH SSW IN 1987
 
RECORDS FOR AUGUST 23
HIGH 88F IN 1918, 1947, 1949, 1996
LOW 45F IN 1923
PRECIP 2.09 INCHES IN 2010
PEAK GUST 60e MPH NW IN 1940
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling and Jonathan O'Brien