BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2012 ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME TEMPERATURES MUCH COOLER, BUT STILL SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL; SUNNY SKIES PREVAILING TODAY Temperatures are much cooler today than recently. Despite the cooler air mass, temperatures are still running slightly above average. Today will likely extend our above normal streak to 12 consecutive days. The recent warmth has led to extensive ice loss on both Ponkapoag pond and Houghtons pond. In fact, only a trace of ice has been observed on the far SW corner of the larger pond, Ponkapoag. The sky has been mostly clear today, with a few passing altocumulus this afternoon. An ocean-effect band of low clouds has been apparent all day just offshore. The wind direction has been persistent out of the NW, ushering in the cooler and drier air. The dew point temperature has dropped from the mid teens earlier this morning to the lower teens this afternoon. Visibility has increased significantly as well, reaching 85 miles this afternoon. Periods of very light freezing drizzle occurred late yesterday afternoon into yesterday evening, providing a very light glaze of ice on exposed surfaces on the summit. Only a trace of precipitation was recorded. JANUARY 2012 PRELIMINARY STATS TEMPERATURE: Average Max Temp: 39.8F [+6.0F] Average Min Temp: 23.4F [+6.3F] Mean Temp: 31.6F [+6.1F] 24-hr. Corr Mean Temp: 31.2F Max Temp: 59F on 7th Min Temp: 4F on 15th Total heating degree day units (month): 1,028 [-179] Total heating degree day units (season): 2,781 [-755] *start July 1 PRECIPITATION: Total precipitation: 3.19 ins. [-1.16 in.] Greatest 24-hr precipitation: 1.37 ins. on 12th Total snowfall: 8.0 [-7.8 ins.] Greatest 24-hr snowfall: 3.4 ins. on 21st Greatest 7AM snow depth: 4 ins. on 22nd and 23rd Total winter season snowfall: 8.0 ins. WIND: Avg wind speed: 13.3 MPH Avg corrected wind speed: 13.7 MPH Prevailing wind direction: W [17%] Peak gust: 63 MPH SW on 13th Peak fastest mile: 45 MPH SSW on 13th SUNSHINE: Total astronomical minutes: 10,072 of possible 17,702; OR 57% Total Campbell-Stokes card minutes: 9,767 of possible 17,138; OR 57% Warmest January Average Maximum Temperature, deg F (1885-2011): 1) 44.3 in 1913 2) 42.9 in 1937 3) 42.2 in 1950 1932 5) 42.0 in 1933 6) 41.7 in 1990 7) 41.5 in 2006 8) 40.9 in 2002 9) 39.9 in 1890 10) 39.8 in 1949 2012 Warmest December through January, deg F (1886-2012): 1) 35.4 in 2001-02 2) 35.1 in 1912-13 3) 34.4 in 2011-2012 4) 34.3 in 2011-12 5) 34.2 in 2006-07 6) 33.8 in 1932-33 Today's observations: 7 A.M. Weather: Scattered stratocumulus, few stratocumulus lenticularis all quadrants, light distant haze Temperature: 22F, Dew point: 15F, Wind: NW at 10 kts, Wind: Direction variable W-N Sea-level pressure: 30.33 inches Hg, rising Visibility: 60 miles, light distant haze 6-hour min. temp: 22F 24-hour precip: Trace BHO SA 1155 25 SCT 60 271/22/15/3210/033/ FEW SCSL ALQDS LGT DSNT HZ WND 28V35/ 8/500 51027 MANUAL 7000/ 10028 20022 10 A.M. Weather: Scattered dense cirrus, scattered thin cirrus, cumulus/ stratocumulus layer along/offshore distant NE-SE, few moderate stratocumulus tops distant NE-SE, few cumulus/stratocumulus distant NW-N, cirrus and patches of dense cirrus distant NNE-ENE, light distant haze Temperature: 27F, Dew Point: 15F; Wind: NW at 9 kts, Wind: Direction variable W-N Sea-level pressure: 30.37 inches Hg, rising Visibility: 75 miles, light distant haze BHO SA 1455 220 SCT 250 -SCT 75 283/27/15/3209/037/ CU/SC LYR ALG/OFFSHR DSNT NE-SE FEW MDT SC TOPS DSNT NE-SE FEW CU/SC DSNT NW-N CI AND PTCHS DNS CI DSNT NNE-ENE LGT DSNT HZ WND 28V36/ 8/502 50012 1 P.M. Weather: Scattered altocumulus, cumulus/stratocumulus layer along/ offshore distant NE-ESE, few altocumulus lenticularis WSW-WNW, light distant haze Temperature: 34F, Dew Point: 12F; Wind: WNW at 15G21 kts, Wind: Direction variable W-NNW Sea-level pressure: 30.32 inches Hg, falling Visibility: 85 miles, light distant haze 6 hour max. temp: 34F BHO SA 1755 60 SCT 85 266/34/12/3015G21/032/ CU/SC LYR ALG/OFFSHR DSNT NE-ESE FEW ACSL WSW-NNW LGT DSNT HZ WND 26V33/ 8/500 58017 10034 20022 WEATHER SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2 TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F) MAX.....40 NORMAL.....35 MIN.....28 NORMAL.....17 MEAN....34 NORMAL.....26 DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL......................+8 TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.....................+27 [+13.3 DEGREES/DAY] HEATING DEGREE DAYS TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............31 DEPARTURE.........-8 TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............51 DEPARTURE.........-27 TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........2832 DEPARTURE........-782 TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....3587 DIFFERENCE.......-755 PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............25 WNW AT 12:26 A.M. AERO..................25 WNW AT 12:25 A.M. ASOS..................25 WNW AT 12:26 A.M. DAVIS.................25 WNW AT 12:26 A.M. RMY: N/A THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........17 WNW AT 12:25 A.M. * MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............17 WNW AT 12:27 A.M. MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........16 W AT 12:04 A.M. AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.......10.4 NE ASOS................10.6 DAVIS................9.3 N (355 deg) *last of several occurrences... PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST) TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M...Trace DEPARTURE..........-0.14 ASOS..............0.00 TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH.........Trace DEPARTURE..........-0.27 ASOS..............0.00 TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........3.19 DEPARTURE..........-1.43 ASOS...............3.24 SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST) TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0 DEPARTURE..........-0.6 TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................0.0 DEPARTURE..........-1.2 TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............16.5 DEPARTURE.........-14.1 PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR JANUARY & FEBRUARY 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 1/1 51/35/42/+16/0.01/0.0/494/90 35 S AERO 35 MPH S RMY 37 1/2 48/30/39/+12/0.02/T/346/63 36 W AERO 36 MPH W RMY 37 1/3 30/11/21/-5/0.00/0.0/446/81 39 NW AERO 38 MPH NW RMY 39 1/4 26/7/17/-9/0.00/0.0/468/85 28 NW AERO 25 MPH NW RMY N/A 1/5 35/20/28/+2/T/T/166/30 27 W AERO 25 MPH W RMY 26 1/6 47/23/35/+9/0.01/0.1/133/24 26 S AERO 25 MPH S RMY 27 1/7 59/39/49/+23/0.00/0.0/477/86 29 WSW AERO 29 MPH SW RMY 30 1/8 43/26/35/+9/0.00/0.0/367/66 28 W AERO 27 MPH W RMY N/A 1/9 39/21/30/+4/0.00/0.0/384/69 22 S AERO 21 MPH S RMY 24 1/10 43/28/36/+11/0.05/0.5/379/68 29 WNW AERO 30 MPH WNW RMY 32 1/11 38/27/33/+8/0.00/0.0/448/80 24 E AERO 24 MPH E RMY N/A 1/12 40/31/36/+11/1.37/0.1/000/00 52 ENE AERO 52 MPH NE RMY 49 1/13 50/27/39/+14/0.06/T/174/31 63 SW AERO 67 MPH SW RMY 67 1/14 33/16/25/0/0.00/0.0/451/80 36 WSW AERO 37 MPH WSW RMY 35 1/15 16/4/10/-15/0.00/0.0/555/98 36 NW AERO 36 MPH NW RMY 37 1/16 31/5/18/-7/0.11/1.2/408/72 32 SSW AERO 32 MPH SSW RMY N/A 1/17 46/31/39/+14/0.11/0.4/000/00 35 SW AERO 36 MPH SW RMY N/A 1/18 49/18/34/+9/0.00/0.0/564/99 56 WNW AERO 55 MPH WNW RMY 56 1/19 28/12/20/-5/0.10/1.1/372/65 27 SE AERO 28 MPH ESE RMY 28 1/20 29/17/23/-2/0.06/0.7/385/67 30 W AERO 30 MPH W RMY 30 1/21 20/13/17/-8/0.29/3.4/000/00 25 N AERO 25 MPH N RMY 25 1/22 28/11/20/-5/0.00/0.0/266/46 20 NNW AERO 20 MPH NNW RMY 20 1/23 49/26/38/+13/0.18/0.1/000/00 36 S AERO 36 MPH S RMY 37 1/24 56/38/47/+22/0.01/0.0/407/70 36 S AERO 37 MPH S RMY N/A 1/25 41/32/37/+11/0.00/0.0/479/82 36 WNW AERO 36 MPH WNW RMY 37 1/26 40/28/34/+9/0.19/0.4/188/32 20 E AERO 17 MPH E RMY N/A 1/27 47/33/40/+15/0.62/0.0/000/00 51 W AERO 50 MPH W RMY 50 1/28 46/32/39/+14/0.00/0.0/437/74 40 W AERO 39 MPH W RMY 39 1/29 41/31/36/+11/T/0.0/563/95 43 W AERO 46 MPH W RMY N/A 1/30 38/26/32/+6/0.00/0.0/446/75 46 WNW AERO 46 MPH WNW RMY 49 1/31 48/26/37/+11/T/T/269/45 18 ESE AERO 18 MPH ESE RMY 20 2/1 58/31/45/+19/T/0.0/174/29 39 WNW AERO 40 MPH WNW RMY 41 2/2 40/28/34/+8/T/0.0/.../.. 25 WNW AERO 25 MPH WNW RMY N/A 2/3 our morning low temp: 22F; the normal low is now 17F DAILY RECORDS FOR JANUARY 2012 None DAILY RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 2012 None so far. DAILY EXTREMES Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated): RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 3 HIGH 58F IN 1991 LOW -7F IN 1955 PRECIP 2.14 INS. IN 1970 SNOWFALL 7.0 INS. IN 1913 PEAK GUST 102 MPH S IN 1970 [RECORD FOR MONTH] RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 4 HIGH 63F IN 1991 LOW -4F IN 1886, 1908 PRECIP 1.80 INS. IN 1926 SNOWFALL 15.0 INS. IN 1961 PEAK GUST 89 MPH SSE IN 1972 TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Sean Fankhauser