BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2012
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
TWO WEEKS OF ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES ENDED YESTERDAY
ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES RETURN TODAY
PERFECTLY CLEAR SKY BY EARLY AFTERNOON
 
Yesterday with a daily temperature departure of zero was the
First day without above normal temperatures since January 22;  
two weeks were consistently on the warm side of normal. 
Much warmer weather returned today after a maximum of only
34F on Sunday.  By early this afternoon readings had already
reached the mid-40's with gusty WSW winds and plenty of
bright sunshine.  In fact, as of 1 P.M., the sky was perfectly
clear, something we don't often observe from the summit. 
 
The three month average temperature for November-January
tied for the second warmest on record.
 
Warmest November-January, 1885-2012 (deg F)
 
1) 40.3 in 2001-2002
2) 39.7 in 2006-2007
   39.7 in 2011-2012
4) 38.9 in 1949-1950
5) 38.8 in 1912-1913
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M. 
Weather: Scattered altocumulus, scattered dense ci, scattered thin cirrus
Temperature: 26F, Dew point: 16F, Wind: SW at 15G21 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.99 inches Hg, falling then falling more slowly
Visibility: 50 miles, distant haze 
6-hour min. temp: 24F
BHO SA 1155 130 SCT 220 SCT 250 SCT 50 156/26/16/2215G21/999/
PTCHS DNS CI DSNT E-ESE THN CI DSNT WNW-NW DSNT HZ/
8/032 56011 10026 20024
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Clear, cirrus distant NNE-E
Temperature: 35F, Dew Point: 20F; Wind: WSW at 15G26 kts,
Wind: Peak wind 26 kts from WSW @ 9:54 A.M.
Wind: Direction variable SSW to W
Sea-level pressure: 29.97 inches Hg, falling 
Visibility: 50 miles, distant haze
BHO SA 1455 CLR 50 150/35/20/2415G26/997/ FEW CI NNE-E THN K LYR
XTDNG W-NE DSNT HZ PK WND 2426/54/ WND 20V28/ 8/001 58006
 
1 P.M. 
Weather: Clear, perfectly clear, SKC
Temperature: 45F, Dew Point: 20F; Wind: WSW at 17G25 kts,
Wind: Direction variable SSW-WNW
Sea-level pressure: 29.90 inches Hg, falling 
Visibility: 60 miles, 70 miles NW, light distant haze  
6 hour max. temp: 46F
BHO SA 1755 CLR 60 126/45/20/2517G25/990/ SKC VSBY NW 70 LGT DSNT HZ
ALQDS WND 20V29/ 58024 10046 20026 
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....34    NORMAL.....35
MIN.....18    NORMAL.....17
MEAN....26    NORMAL.....26
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.......................0
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.....................+39 [+7.6 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............39   DEPARTURE...........0
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............156   DEPARTURE.........-39
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........2937   DEPARTURE........-794
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......3705   DIFFERENCE.......-768
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............18  W   AT   9:15 P.M.
                   AERO..................17  W   AT   9:15 P.M.
                   ASOS..................18  W   AT   9:16 P.M.
                   DAVIS.................18 WSW  AT   8:55 P.M. RMY N/A
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........14  W   AT  11:57 P.M. * 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............14  W   AT  11:57 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........14  W   AT   9:07 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION........8.0 NNW
                   ASOS.................7.9
                   DAVIS................7.2 NW  (310 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.........trace  DEPARTURE..........-0.68
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........3.19  DEPARTURE..........-1.84
                        ASOS...............3.24
     
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE..........-0.7
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................0.0  DEPARTURE..........-3.2     
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............16.5  DEPARTURE.........-16.1     
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR 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
 
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  37/22/30/+4/0.00/0.0/.../..    28 NW  AERO 28 MPH NW  RMY 29
2/4  43/24/34/+8/0.00/0.0/.../..    28 WNW AERO 31 MPH WNW RMY 30
2/5  34/18/26/0/0.00/0.0/.../..     18 W   AERO 17 MPH W   RMY N/A
 
2/6  our morning low temp: 24F; the normal low is now 18F
 
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 6
HIGH 54F IN 1909
LOW -10F IN 1895
PRECIP 1.88 INS. IN 1896
SNOWFALL 13.0 INS. IN 1978 [BLIZZARD OF 1978]
PEAK GUST 84e MPH NE IN 1978
 
RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 7
HIGH 51F IN 1951,1953
LOW -8F IN 1910
PRECIP 2.12 INS. IN 1983
SNOWFALL 17.1 INS. IN 1978 [BLIZZARD OF 1978]
PEAK GUST 87e MPH SSE IN 1951
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling/Patrick Peters