BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2012
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
COOL AND BREEZY WITH EXCELLENT VISIBILITY
 
Fairly gusty winds still remain as a strong low pressure that brought
snow to much of the Midwest/Great Lakes and rain/gale force winds to much
of the northeast is now moving offshore. Winds have been primarily out
of the west, with a peak gust of 35 mph thus far. Visibility has been
excellent today, reaching at least 80 miles for most of the day. Our low
temperature at the summit this morning was 25 F, which is still 4 degrees
above our average minimum temperature for this time of year. Both
Houghton's Pond and Ponkapoag Pond had noticeable ice cover this morning
due to such low temperatures overnight. The ice has since melted as the
day progressed. The last time both ponds were completely frozen over
was on the morning of January 24th.
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Clear, stratocumulus layer along horizon NE-S-WSW, few cumulus
fractus distant NE-S-WSW, few altocumulus standing lenticularis distant
N-NE and SSE-WSW, light distant haze
Temperature: 28F; Dew Point: 18F; Wind: W at 13 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.84 ins. Hg, increasing steadily
Visibility: 55 miles, light distant haze
24-hour snowfall: Trace
24-hour precip: Trace
6-hour min. temp: 25F
BHO SA 1155 CLR 55 104/28/18/2713/984/ SC LYR ALNG HRZN NE-S-WSW FEW
CUFRA DSNT NE-S-WSW FEW ACSL DSNT N-NE AND SSE-WSW LGT DSNT HZ/ 8/540
52024 10028 20025
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Scattered cirrus spissatus, scattered cirrus fibratus,
stratocumulus layer along horizon SSE-SW, few cumulus fractus distant
NE-SW, few altocumulus standing lenticularis distant all quadrants except
N-SE, contrail overhead
Temperature: 33F; Dew Point: 19F; Wind: W at 16G24 kts,
Wind: Direction variable SW-WNW
Sea-level pressure: 29.88 ins. Hg, increasing then increasing more slowly
Visibility: 80 miles
BHO SA 1455 200 SCT 250 –SCT 80 120/33/19/2716G24/988/ SC LYR ALNG HRZN
SSE-SW FEW CUFRA DSNT NE-SW FEW ACSL DSNT ALQDS XCPT N-SE CONTRAIL OVD
WND 23V30/ 8/542 51016
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Broken stratocumulus, broken altocumulus cumulogenitus, broken
cirrus spissatus, broken cirrus fibratus, few cumulus fractus all
quadrants, few altocumulus standing lenticularis all quadrants except N-E,
contrail E, light distant haze all quadrants except N-ENE
Temperature: 36F; Dew Point: 21F; Wind: W at 14 kts,
Wind: Peak gust 26 kts W at 12:17 PM
Wind: Direction variable SSW-WNW
Sea-level pressure: 29.85 ins Hg, decreasing
Visibility: 70 miles, 40 SSE-S, 80 miles WNW-E 
6-hour max. temp: 37F
BHO SA 1755 50 BKN 70 BKN 200 BKN 250 –BKN 70 109/36/21/2614/985/ FEW
CUFRA ALQDS FEW ACSL ALQDS XCPT N-E CONTRAIL E LGT DSNT HZ ALQDS XCPT
N-ENE VSBY LWR SSE-S 40 VSBY HIER WNW-E 80 PK WND 2726/17 WND 21V29/
8/562 58011 10037 20028
 
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SATURDAY, DECEMBER 22
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....37      NORMAL.....37
MIN.....26      NORMAL.....22
MEAN....32      NORMAL.....29
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL......................+3
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH....................+148 [+6.5 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............33    DEPARTURE.........-3
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........559    DEPARTURE.......-150
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........1709    DEPARTURE.......-262
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE....1468    DIFFERENCE......+241
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...............47 W   AT  10:32 A.M.
                   AERO....................47 W   AT  10:32 A.M.
                   ASOS....................47 W   AT  10:32 A.M.
                   DAVIS...................41 WNW AT  10:32 A.M.  RMY: 43 
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.............32 W   AT  12:25 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..............32 W   AT  11:23 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.............30 W   AT  11:23 A.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.........19.0 WNW
                   ASOS..................17.5
                   DAVIS.................16.6 W [263 deg.]
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....Trace  DEPARTURE..........-0.16
                         ASOS..............0.01
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........3.52   DEPARTURE..........-0.03
                         ASOS..............3.55
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........38.40   DEPARTURE.........-13.68
                         ASOS.............38.44
 
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M.........Trace  DEPARTURE..........-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH...............0.9    DEPARTURE..........-7.8
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............6.9    DEPARTURE..........-4.4    
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER 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
 
12/1  34/25/30/-7/0.08/0.8/000/00     16 E   AERO 14 MPH E   RMY 16
12/2  52/32/42/+6/0.00/0.0/006/01     32 SSW AERO 32 MPH SSW RMY 34
12/3  57/43/50/+14/0.00/0.0/523/94    31 NW  AERO 30 MPH NW  RMY 32
12/4  56/40/48/+13/0.03/0.0/000/00    37 S   AERO 39 MPH S   RMY 38
12/5  56/31/44/+9/0.03/0.0/310/56     38 WNW AERO 37 MPH WNW RMY 40
12/6  38/25/32/-3/0.00/0.0/519/94     31 NW  AERO 30 MPH NW  RMY N/A
12/7  42/30/36/+2/0.02/0.0/000/00     18 SSW AERO 16 MPH SSW RMY 18       
12/8  45/41/43/+9/0.35/0.0/000/00     21 ENE AERO 18 MPH ENE RMY N/A
12/9  45/38/42/+8/0.10/0.0/181/33     24 NNW AERO 24 MPH NNW RMY 25
12/10 59/39/49/+16/0.51/0.0/000/00    32 SSW AERO 33 MPH SSW RMY 35
12/11 54/30/42/+9/0.01/0.0/351/64     25 W   AERO 25 MPH W   RMY 23
12/12 38/26/32/-1/0.00/0.0/.../..     20 NW  AERO 18 MPH NW  RMY N/A
12/13 42/29/36/+4/0.00/0.0/.../..     18 NW  AERO 15 MPH NW  RMY N/A
12/14 47/29/38/+6/0.00/0.0/.../..     28 W   AERO 25 MPH W   RMY 27
12/15 40/31/36/+4/0.00/0.0/.../..     24 NNW AERO 22 MPH NNW RMY 21
12/16 36/31/34/+3/0.25/0.1/.../..     25 E   AERO 22 MPH E   RMY N/A
12/17 44/36/40/+9/0.65/0.0/000/00     31 ENE AERO 29 MPH ENE RMY 30
12/18 50/40/45/+14/0.61/0.0/000/00    28 E   AERO 24 MPH E   RMY N/A
12/19 44/35/40/+10/T/0.0/.../..       42 WNW AERO 40 MPN WNW RMY 43
12/20 42/30/36/+6/T/0.0/.../..        25 NNW AERO 23 MPH NNW RMY N/A
12/21 53/35/44/+14/0.00/0.0/.../..    58 E   AERO 53 MPH E   RMY 57
12/22 37/26/32/+3/T/T/.../..          47 W   AERO 47 MPH W   RMY 43
 
12/23 morning low temp: 25F; the normal low is now 21F
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 2012
None so far.
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 23
HIGH 62 IN 1990
LOW -1 IN 1989
PRECIP 1.70 INS. IN 1947
SNOWFALL 11.9 INS. IN 1947
PEAK GUST 67 SSE IN 2004
 
RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 24
HIGH 58 IN 1996
LOW -6 IN 1943
PRECIP 2.21 INS. IN 1994
SNOWFALL 12.3 INS. IN 1961
PEAK GUST 79e MPH SE IN 1941
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: George Tabeek