BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2012
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
ANOTHER WEEK OF ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES NOW COMPLETE
STILL MORE DAYS WITH INCREASINGLY MILD WEATHER EXPECTED
ONLY 2 DAY THIS MONTH HAVE AVERAGED COLDER THAN NORMAL
 
Temperatures are on the rise today after feeling cold
yesterday with a high in the upper 30's but actually
averaging 3 degrees above normal. Another warming
trend will most certainly send the month up over  
7 degrees above normal.  Only two days have averaged
below normal this month to date. The ranking of the
warmest winter, DJF, and November through February
are listed below along with the to date average for
this season. 
 
The winter season (Dec-Feb) may rank among the warmest on record,
which are listed below.  The winter mean temperature for the
2011-12 season through February 20th is 34.0 degrees F, which is
currently second warmest on record.
 
Warmest Winters (Dec-Feb), deg F, 1885-2011
1) 34.8 in 2001-2002
2) 32.6 in 1997-1998
3) 32.3 in 1936-1937
   32.3 in 1998-1999
5) 32.2 in 1932-1933
 
The November through February mean temperature is also very warm
and the mean for this season for November 1st through February 20th
is 37.5 degrees, which is close to the warmest on record.
 
Warmest Nov-Feb, deg F, 1885-2011
1) 37.6 in 2001-2002
2) 35.4 in 1948-1949
3) 35.1 in 1990-1991
4) 34.8 in 1953-1954
   34.8 in 2006-2007
 
The total snowfall for the winter season (Dec-Feb) so far of
8.6 inches is one of the lowest totals on record.
 
Least Snowy Winters (Dec-Feb), inches, 1885-2011
 
1)  3.3 in 1936-1937
2) 12.0 in 1888-1889
3) 13.6 in 1991-1992
4) 13.8 in 1979-1980
5) 13.9 in 2006-2007
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M. 
Weather: High thin overcast
Temperature: 24F, Dew point: 14F, Wind: NW at 6 KTS,
Sea-level pressure: 30.33 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 55 miles, distant haze 
6-hour min. temp: 22F
BHO SA 1155 300 –OVC 55 272/24/14/3106/033/ FEW AC/ACSL DSNT ENE-SE 
LGT DSNT HZ/ 8/007 53003 10037 20027 20022
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Scattered dense cirrus, thin broken cirrus 
Temperature: 34F, Dew Point: 17F; Wind: S at 7 kts,
Wind: Direction SE-SW
Sea-level pressure: 30.31 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 70 miles, light distant haze 
BHO SA 1455 220 SCT 250 –BKN 70 264/34/17/1707/031/ PTCHS DNS CI WND 13V23/
LGT DSNT/ 8/002 58008 
 
Weather: Scattered dense cirrus, few dense cirrus wilth virga NW,
thin broken cirrus, thin overcast cirrus
Temperature: 40F, Dew Point: 17F; Wind: S at 9 kts, 
Wind: Direction variable SE to SSW
Sea-level pressure: 30.22 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 60 miles, 70 miles NW, distant haze 
6-hour max temperature: 41F
BHO SA 1755 220 SCT 250 –BKN 300 –OVC 60 235/40/17/1809/022/
PTCHS DNS CI PTCHS DNS CI/VIRGA NW VSBY NW 70 DSNT HZ ALQDS WND 14V21/
8/002 58029 10041 20024
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, PRESIDENTS DAY
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....39    NORMAL.....38
MIN.....24    NORMAL.....20
MEAN....32    NORMAL.....29
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL......................+3
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH....................+137 [+6.7 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............33   DEPARTURE..........-3
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............585   DEPARTURE........-137
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........3366   DEPARTURE........-892
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......4222   DIFFERENCE.......-823
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............37 NNW AT  4:41 P.M.     
                   AERO..................37 NNW AT  4:41 P.M.   
                   ASOS..................37 NNW AT  4:41 P.M. .  
                   DAVIS.................35 WNW AT  2:38 P.M. RMY 37 MPH
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........24 NNW AT  3:32 P.M.   
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............23 NNW AT  4:32 P.M.    
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........23 NNW AT  3:33 P.M.  
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.......N/A 
                   ASOS................12.4
                   DAVIS...............11.2 NNW [330 deg]
 
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..........0.23  DEPARTURE..........-2.58
                         ASOS..............0.23
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........3.42  DEPARTURE..........-3.74
                        ASOS...............3.47
     
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE..........-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................0.6  DEPARTURE.........-11.4
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............17.1  DEPARTURE.........-24.3
 
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/+9/0.00/0.0/607/98    21 NW  AERO 21 MPH W   RMY 21
2/10 49/30/40/+13/0.02/0.0/467/75   32 SSW AERO 35 MPH SSW RMY 34
2/11 36/27/32/+5/0.13/0.6/012/02    33 NW  AERO 33 MPH NW  RMY N/A
2/12 28/13/21/-6/0.00/0.0/621/99    46 WNW AERO 48 MPH WNW RMY 50
2/13 40/12/26/-2/0.00/0.0/535/85    43 W   AERO 42 MPH W   RMY 44 
2/14 43/29/36/+8/0.00/0.0/082/13    23 SSW AERO N/A        RMY 23
2/15 43/36/40/+12/T/0.0/.../..      21 SSW AERO 22 MPH SSW RMY N/A  
2/16 45/30/38/+12/0.07/0.0/.../..   24 S   AERO 27 MPH S   RMY N/A
2/17 49/32/41/+13/0.01/0.0/.../..   29 WNW AERO 29 MPH WNW RMY 31
2/18 45/29/37/+8/0.00/0.0/.../..    30 W   AERO 30 MPH W   RMY 31
2/19 44/26/35/+6/0.00/0.0/.../..    23 NW  AERO 22 MPH NW  RMY 23
2/20 39/24/32/+3/0.00/0.0/.../..    37 NNW aero 37 MPH NNW RMY 37
 
2/21 our morning low temp: 22F; our normal low temp: 20F
 
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 21
HIGH 62F IN 1930
LOW -6F IN 1950
PRECIP 2.42 INCHES IN 1898
SNOWFALL 9.0 INCHES IN 1929
PEAK GUST 72 MPH WNW IN 1967
 
RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 22
HIGH 63F IN 1997
LOW -1F IN 1918
PRECIP 1.38 INCHES IN 1900
SNOWFALL 8.0 INCHES IN 1893
PEAK GUST 74 MPH S IN 1974
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling/Patrick Peters