BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
A COLD AND WINDY TODAY AS ARCTIC AIR ARRIVES
AFTER SIX OUT OF PAST SEVEN DAYS HAD AVERAGE
TEMPERATURES IN DOUBLE DIGITS ABOVE NORMAL
ONE OF OUR LOCAL PONDS HAS COMPLETELY THAWED
 
An early morning snow flurry passed to the north of
Blue Hill early this morning and was followed by a
windy invasion of Arctic air.  Dew points have fallen
to near 10 degrees by early this afternoon after being
in the 20's early today. Ponkapoag Pond is all open
water today (thawed) at likely a record early winter
date.  Houghton's Pond was back to 8/10 ice cover by
early this afternoon.     
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M. 
Weather: Scattered stratocumulus, scattered altocumulus, few altocumulus
lenticularis SSE, virga and snow showers W-N moving east
distant E, cirrus band NE-SW, light distant haze
Temperature: 32F, Dew point: 21F, Wind: W at 14 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 29.96 inches Hg, rising 
Visibility: 35 miles, snow showers W-N, light haze
24-hour precip: 0.00
6-hour min. temp: 32F
BHO SA 1155 60 SCT 85 SCT 35 145/32/21/2614/996/ VIRGA/SHSN W-N MOVG E 
FEW ACSL SSE DSNT HZ WND GRDLY VEERING/ 8/540 53004 10034 20032
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Overcast stratocumulus, few lower cumulus distant S,
breaks in overcast
Temperature: 33F, Dew Point: 22F; Wind: W at 16G26 kts,
Wind: Peak wind WNW at 32 kts @ 9:09 A.M.,
Wind: Direction variable WSW to NW
Sea-level pressure: 30.07 inches Hg, rising   
Visibility: 80 miles
BHO SA 1455 E32 OVC 80 183/33/22/2916G26/007/ FEW LWR CU DSNT S BINOVC
PK WND 3032/09/ WND 25V32/ 8/8// 53038 
 
1 P.M. 
Weather: Clear, few small cumulus, stratocumulus
Temperature: 36F, Dew Point: 11F; Wind: W at 17G27 kts,
Wind: Peak wind 31 kts WNW @ 12:01 P.M.
Wind: Direction variable WSW-NW
Sea-level pressure: 30.11 inches Hg, falling 
Visibility: 85 miles
6-hour max. temp: 37F
6-hour min. temp: 32F
BHO SA 1755 CLR 85 195/36/11/2817G27/011/ CU/SC ALQDS PK WND 2931/01/ 
WND 24V32/ 8/800 50012 10037 20032
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY, JANUARY 29
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....41    NORMAL.....34
MIN.....31    NORMAL.....17
MEAN....36    NORMAL.....25
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.....................+11
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH....................+182 [+6.1 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............29   DEPARTURE........-10
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH............967   DEPARTURE.......-162
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........2720   DEPARTURE.......-738
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....3418   DIFFERENCE......-698
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............43 W   AT  3:09 A.M.
                   AERO..................46 W   AT  3:09 A.M.
                   ASOS..................43 W   AT  3:10 A.M.
                   DAVIS.................38 W   AT  3:10 A.M. RMY 39
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........29 W   AT  3:10 A.M. 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............28 W   AT  3:13 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........26 W   AT  3:12 A.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.......16.1 W
                   ASOS................14.9
                   DAVIS...............14.5 WSW (250 deg)
*Last of several occurrences...
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00  DEPARTURE..........-0.14
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........3.19  DEPARTURE..........-0.89
                         ASOS..............3.24
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........3.19  DEPARTURE..........-0.89
                        ASOS...............3.24
     
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE..........-0.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................8.0  DEPARTURE..........-6.6     
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............16.5  DEPARTURE.........-11.7     
 
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 41/31/36/+11/0.00/0.0/.../..   43 W   AERI 46 MPH W   RMY N/A
 
1/30 low temp since midnight 31F; the normal low is now 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 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

RECORDS FOR JANUARY 31
HIGH 58F IN 1913, 1947
LOW -12F IN 1920
PRECIP 1.03 INS. IN 1914
SNOWFALL 9.0 INS. IN 1898
PEAK GUST 75 MPH NW IN 1974
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling/Patrick Peters