BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
SNOW FELL EARLY THIS WITH NO ACCUMULATION
TEMPERATURES ROSE TO 52F YESTERDAY 
ONLY 3RD DAY IN 50'S DESPITE VERY WARM MONTH
YESTERDAY AVERAGED 14F ABOVE NORMAL  
 
Light snow began to fall at 6:45 A.M. this
morning and visibility dropped briefly to
3 miles before the snow quickly ended within
the next hour.  The low temperature dropped
to 32.0F while the snow was falling but the
ground remained too warm for any accumulation
after yesterday's high of 52 degrees.
Snow finally did make a slight accumulation 9 and 10 A.M.
with 0.1 on the boards, and just traces on grass
and nothing on hard surfaces. 
 
Despite temperatures averaging seven degrees
above normal this month yesterday was only the
3rd day with 50-degree temperature readings.
The high was 52F and low 35F so the day averaged
14 degrees above normal at 44F. This second day
of double-digit warmth has raised our
average February temperature to 34.2 degrees. 
The warmest for any February mean temperature on
our record is 34.9 degrees in 1984.
 
The total monthly departure is now +171 degrees so the first
23 days of the month are running 7.2 degrees over
the new 30-year normal (1981-2010).  
 
1) 34.9 in 1984
2) 34.0 in 1998
3) 33.9 in 1981
 
   34.2 degrees through 2/23/2012
 
   
The snowfall total of 0.6 is tied with 0.6 also
recorded in February 1984 but the lowest on record
is the 0.4 inch in February 1937.
 
This had not only been a very warm month but an
extremely dry one.  So far only 0.26 inch of
liquid precipitation has been measured.  The
driest February on our entire record is the
0.71 inch in 1987.  Only that single February has had
less than one inch of precipitation. 
 
THE WINTER SEASON AND NOVEMBER THROUGH HAVE BECOME WARMER
(see below)
 
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 23rd is 34.3 degrees F, so
yesterday added another 0.2 degree to that average. 
 
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 23rd
is 37.7 degrees, which is now just over the warmest on record set
in 2001-2002 so yesterday added another 0.1 degree to that average. 
 
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: Sky partly obscured with snow, very light snow in progrees,
began at 6:45 A.M., snow obscuring 4/10 of sky    
Temperature: 36F, Dew point: 26F, Wind: E at 4 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 29.77 inches Hg, was falling, now rising
Visibility: 20 miles, very light snow, 15 miles ESE-WSW, 50 miles
to the NW-NE 
6-hour min. temp: 34F
24-hour precip: trace 
24-hour snowfall: trace 
BHO SA 1155 –X E50 OVC 20S- 080/36/26/0904/977/ S4
HIER CLD VSB ALG BND ABV HRZN DSNT NW-NE
VSBY ESE-WSW 15SN AND LWRG VSBY NW-NE 50 SB45 PCPN VRY LGT/
8/02/ 55007 MANUAL 6000/ 10036 20034
 
10 A.M.
Weather:  Overcast nimbostratus, very light rain, snow ended
during past hour
Temperature: 32F, Dew Point: 32F; Wind: ESE at 5 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 29.769 inches Hg, falling 
Visibility: 3 miles, light rain and fog  
3-hour precip: trace
3-hour snowfall: 0.1 in. 
BHO SA 1455 E40 OVC 3R-F 077/32/32/1105/976/ PCPN VRY LGT
SE10B25E45RB45 PCPN VRY LGT TOTAL NEW SNW PST 3 HRS 0.1 IN/
8/02/ 58003 MANUAL 60XX/
ASOS 60002
 
(this is last ob of day, office closed 12 noon)
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....52    NORMAL.....39
MIN.....35    NORMAL.....21
MEAN....44    NORMAL.....30
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.....................+14
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH....................+171 [+7.2 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............21   DEPARTURE.........-14
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............691   DEPARTURE........-171
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........3472   DEPARTURE........-926
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......4351   DIFFERENCE.......-879
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............40 W   AT  1:55 P.M.         
                   AERO..................42 W   AT  1:55 P.M.  
                   ASOS..................41 W   AT  1:55 P.M.      
                   DAVIS.................37 W   AT  1:39 P.M. RMY 39 MPH
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........31 W   AT  1:55 P.M. 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............30 W   AT  1:57 P.M.      
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........28 W   AT  1:41 P.M.     
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.......14.9 WNW 
                   ASOS................13.9
                   DAVIS...............13.2 WSW [250 deg]
 
 PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M... 0.03  DEPARTURE..........-0.13
                         ASOS..............0.04
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........0.26  DEPARTURE..........-3.00
                         ASOS..............0.27
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........3.45  DEPARTURE..........-4.16
                        ASOS...............3.51
     
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.........-12.9
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............17.1  DEPARTURE.........-25.8
 
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/0.0/000/00      21 SSW AERO 22 MPH SSW RMY N/A  
2/16 45/30/38/+12/0.07/0.0/127/20   24 S   AERO 27 MPH S   RMY N/A
2/17 49/32/41/+13/0.01/0.0/224/35   29 WNW AERO 29 MPH WNW RMY 31
2/18 45/29/37/+8/0.00/0.0/521/81    30 W   AERO 30 MPH W   RMY 31
2/19 44/26/35/+6/0.00/0.0/626/97    23 NW  AERO 22 MPH NW  RMY 23
2/20 39/24/32/+3/0.00/0.0/577/89    37 NNW AERO 37 MPH NNW RMY 37
2/21 42/22/32/+3/T/0.0/469/72       30 S   AERO 30 MPH S   RMY 31
2/22 55/36/46/+17/0.00/0.0/419/64   28 W   AERO 28 MPH W   N/A   
2/23 52/35/44/+14/0.03/0.0/.../..   40 W   AERO 42 MPH W   RMY 39
 
2/24 our morning low temp: 34F; the normal low is now 21F
 
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 24
HIGH 68F IN 1985 [RECORD FOR MONTH]
LOW -11F IN 1894
PRECIP 3.10 INCHES IN 1969
SNOWFALL 27.4 INCHES IN 1969 [HIGHEST CALENDAR DAY AMOUNT ON RECORD]
PEAK GUST 63 MPH NE IN 1998
 
RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 25
HIGH 67F IN 1976
LOW -10F IN 1894
PRECIP 2.40 INCHES IN 1981
SNOWFALL 13.6 INCHES IN 1966
PEAK GUST 75 MPH S IN 1965
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling