BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012 VALENTINES DAY
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
TEMPERATURES HEADING BACK ABOVE NORMAL TODAY AFTER THE FIRST
TWO DAYS BELOW NORMAL SINCE JANUARY 22, OVER THREE WEEKS AGO
WINDS HAVE DIMINISHED TODAY AFTER TWO WINDY, COLD DAYS
PRECIPITATION AND SNOWFALL DEFICIT CONTINUES TO INCREASE
(see the numbers in the table below)
 
This morning's low temperature of 29 degrees was above the
normal low by 10 degrees.  However, there was a temperature
inversion this morning with Norwood Airport reporting 17F.
After reaching a high of just 40F yesterday, readings this
afternoon are rising into the 40's as we begin what appears
to be another long series of abnormally mild temperature for
mid-February.  The air continues very dry with dew points in
the lower teens and relative humidity values dropping below 30%. 
The month and year and now well under average in precipitation;
the year is approaching minus 3 inches. 
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M. 
Weather: Scattered dense cirrus/cirrostratus, overcast dense cirrus/
cirrostratus, higher thin cirrus distant NNW-NE-SE, break in the
overcast distant NNW-NE, higher cirrus NNW-NE-SE, break in the
overcast NNW-NE, virga S-W
Temperature: 30F, Dew point: 14F, Wind: WNW at 8 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.07 inches Hg, rising then more slowly
Visibility: 50 miles, distant haze
6-hour min. temp: 29F
BHO SA 1155 200 SCT E220 OVC 50 182/30/14/3008/007/
VIRGA S-W HIER THN CI/OVC PTLY THN DSNT NNW-SE BINOVC
DSNT NNW-NE/ 8/007 51012 10031 20029  
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Overcast altostratus, bright spots in the overcast
to the east thru south, sun dimly visible 
Temperature: 35F, Dew Point: 13F; Wind: WSW at 4 KTS, 
Wind: Light
Sea-level pressure: 30.11 inches Hg, rising then more slowly
Visibility: 50 miles, distant haze 
BHO SA 1455 E80 OVC 50 198/35/13/2404/011/
VIRGA SUN DMLY VSB BRGHT SPTS IOVC DSNT E-S DSNT HZ WND LGT/ 8/01/ 51016
 
1 P.M. 
Weather: Broken altocumulus duplicatus opaqus, overcast altostratus,
few lower altocumulus lenticularis, smalL breaks in overcast and
few thin spots mostly overhead 
Temperature: 42F, Dew Point: 11F; Wind: S at 12 KTS,
Wind: Direction variable SE-SSW
Sea-level pressure: 30.08 inches Hg, falling 
Visibility: 55 miles, distant haze 
6-hour max. temp: 43F
BHO SA 1755 E90 BKN 120 BKN 150 OVC 55 185/42/11/1812/008/ FEW LWR ACSL
SML BINOVC/THN SPTS IOVC MSTLY OVHD DSNT HZ WND 13V21/ 8/07/ 58013
10043 20030 
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....40    NORMAL.....36
MIN.....12    NORMAL.....19
MEAN....26    NORMAL.....28
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL......................-2
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.....................+77 [+5.7 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............39   DEPARTURE..........+2
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............422   DEPARTURE.........-77
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........3203   DEPARTURE........-832
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......4011   DIFFERENCE.......-808
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............43 W   AT 10:36 A.M. 
                   AERO..................43 W   AT 10:36 A.M.
                   ASOS..................42 W   AT 10:36 A.M.
                   DAVIS.................42 W   AT 10:35 A.M. RMY 44
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........30 W   AT 10:35 A.M. 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............30 W   AT 10:36 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........29 W   AT 10:36 A.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.......15.4 W
                   ASOS................14.5
                   DAVIS...............13.7 WSW (250 deg)
*...Last of several occurrences
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00  DEPARTURE..........-0.15
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........0.15  DEPARTURE..........-1.63
                         ASOS..............0.14
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........3.34  DEPARTURE..........-2.79
                        ASOS...............3.38
     
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE..........-0.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................0.6  DEPARTURE..........-7.7
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............17.1  DEPARTURE.........-20.6
 
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/0.0/000/00       25 WNW AERO 25 MPH WNW RMY N/A
2/3  37/22/30/+4/0.00/0.0/574/95    28 NW  AERO 28 MPH NW  RMY 29
2/4  43/24/34/+8/0.00/0.0/498/82    28 WNW AERO 31 MPH WNW RMY 30
2/5  34/18/26/0/0.00/0.0/597/98     18 W   AERO 17 MPH W   RMY N/A
2/6  49/24/37/+11/0.00/0.0/599/98   33 WSW AERO 32 MPH WSW RMY 34
2/7  43/27/35/+8/0.00/0.0/596/97    24 NNW AERO 28 MPH NNW RMY 24
2/8  37/17/27/0/0.00/0.0/388/63     22 N   AERO 21 MPH N   RMY 24
2/9  45/26/36/+9/0.00/0.0/.../..    21 NW  AERO 21 MPH W   RMY 21
2/10 49/30/40/+13/.../0.0/.../..    32 SSW AERO 35 MPH SSW RMY 34
2/11 36/27/32/+5/.../0.6/.../..     33 NW  AERO 33 MPH NW  RMY N/A
2/12 28/13/21/-6/0.00/0.0/.../..    46 WNW AERO 48 MPH WNW RMY 50
2/13 40/12/26/-2/0.00/0.0/.../..    43 W   AERO 42 MPH W   RMY 44 
 
2/14 morning low temp: 29F; the normal low is now 19F
 
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 14
HIGH 56F IN 1949
LOW -8F IN 1979
PRECIP 2.09 INCHES IN 2007
SNOWFALL 11.0 INCHES IN 1914
PEAK GUST 83 MPH SSW IN 2000
 
RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 15
HIGH 60F IN 1954
LOW -18F IN 1943
PRECIP 1.28 INCHES IN 1950
SNOWFALL 11.2 INCHES IN 1940
PEAK GUST 94e MPH WNW IN 1946
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling