BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES AND GREAT VISIBILITY
 
Mostly clear skies have paved way for a pleasant day here at the summit today.
Visibility has been great with Grand Monadnock visible to our WNW. Humidity
values have remained low, with a prevailing westerly flow associated with a high
pressure system moving its way on through. Temperatures have reached the upper
30s by this afternoon, with a temperature of 40F at 1:00 EST. This, along with a
morning low of 31F will keep the average temperature for the day above normal
once again. For the month, the average temperature is now 5.9 degrees above normal.
With only a few more days to go, January 2012 will likely finish in the top 20
warmest Januarys on record.
 
A cold front will pass through tonight bringing scattered snow showers to some areas
with no accumulation expected. Mostly sunny skies return tomorrow with highs in the
upper 30s.
 
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M. 
Weather: Clear, few small cumulus/cumulus fractus distant ENE-S, few
altocumulus castellanus distant E-SE, few altocumulus standing lenticularis
distant E, cirrus band NE-SW, light distant haze
Temperature: 32F, Dew point: 14F, Wind: W at 16G24 kts,
Wind: Peak wind 26 kts W @ 6:37 EST
Sea-level pressure: 30.06 inches Hg, rising 
Visibility: 55 miles, light distant haze
24-hour precip: Trace
6-hour min. temp: 32F
BHO SA 1155 CLR 55 181/32/14/2716G24/006/ FEW SML CU/CUFRA DSNT ENE-S FEW
ACC DSNT E-SE FEW ACSL DSNT E CI BAND NE-SW LGT DSNT HZ PK WND 2626/37/
8/184 52030 10036 20032
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few cumulus distant WNW-NW, few cirrus distant E-SSW, few
cirrus castellanus S-SSW, light distant haze
Temperature: 36F, Dew Point: 14F; Wind: W at 14G22 kts,
Wind: Direction variable WSW-NW
Sea-level pressure: 30.09 inches Hg, rising   
Visibility: 80 miles, light distant haze
BHO SA 1455 CLR 80 190/36/14/2614G22/009/ FEW CU DSNT WNW-NW FEW CI DSNT
E-SSW FEW CIC SW-SSW LGT DSNT HZ WND 24V31/ 8/104 51009
 
1 P.M. 
Weather: Scattered cirrus, few altocumulus standing lenticularis E-S, clear
overhead, virga distant SW, thin smoke layer S, light distant haze
Temperature: 40F, Dew Point: 14F; Wind: WSW at 14G18 kts,
Wind: Peak wind 28 kts WSW @ 12:38 EST,
Wind: Direction variable SSW-W
Sea-level pressure: 30.04 inches Hg, falling 
Visibility: 80 miles, light distant haze, thin smoke layer S
6-hour max. temp: 40F
6-hour min. temp: 31F
BHO SA 1755 250 SCT 80 174/40/14/2514G18/004/ FEW ACSL E-S CLR OVD VIRGA
DSNT SW THN K LYR S LGT DSNT HZ PK WND 2428/38 WND 20V28/ 8/044 58016 10040
20031
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SATURDAY, JANUARY 28
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....46    NORMAL.....34
MIN.....32    NORMAL.....17
MEAN....39    NORMAL.....25
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.....................+14
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH....................+171 [+5.9 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............26   DEPARTURE........-14
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH............938   DEPARTURE.......-152
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........2691   DEPARTURE.......-728
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....3383   DIFFERENCE......-692
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............40 W   AT  1:54 A.M. *
                   AERO..................39 W   AT  1:47 A.M.
                   ASOS..................40 WNW AT 12:45 A.M.
                   DAVIS.................37 WNW AT 12:45 A.M. RMY 39
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........31 W   AT 12:46 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............29 W   AT  1:50 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........26 W   AT 12:46 A.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.......15.0 W
                   ASOS................14.0
                   DAVIS...............13.4 WSW [239 deg]
*Last of several occurrences...
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....Trace DEPARTURE..........-0.13
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........3.19  DEPARTURE..........-0.75
                         ASOS..............3.24
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........3.19  DEPARTURE..........-0.75
                        ASOS...............3.24
     
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE..........-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................8.0  DEPARTURE..........-6.0     
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............16.5  DEPARTURE.........-11.1     
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 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/.../..    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/T/0.0/.../..      40 W   AERO 39 MPH W   RMY 39
 
1/29 our morning low temp: 31F; the normal low is 17F
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR JANUARY 2012
None so far.
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):

RECORDS FOR JANUARY 29
HIGH 66F IN 2002
LOW -11F IN 1888
PRECIP 1.48 INS. IN 1973
SNOWFALL 8.0 INS. IN 1943
PEAK GUST 72 MPH NW IN 1973
 
RECORDS FOR JANUARY 30
HIGH 60F IN 1914
LOW -8F IN 1948
PRECIP 1.12 INS. IN 1925
SNOWFALL 6.5 INS. IN 1986
PEAK GUST 76 MPH WNW IN 1962
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: George A. Tabeek