BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
RAINFALL YESTERDAY MORNING TOTALED 0.37 INCH
RUMBLES OF THUNDER NNW-N AS THUNDERSTORM PASSED
BOSTON LAST EVENING AS IT DISSIPATED
 
The light rain on Independence Day morning brought some
welcome rainfall totaling 0.37 inch.  A thunderstorm,
which was dissipating as it reached Boston from the north-
northwest, briefly interrupted the July 4th festivities
at the Esplanade with a brief evacuation of people there
into the Storrow Drive Tunnel for a short time. Later a
brief downpour occurred during the fireworks display.
 
JUNE 2012 PRELIMINARY STATS
 
TEMPERATURE:
Average Max Temp:  73.4F [-1.6F]
Average Min Temp:  56.1F [-1.0F]
Mean Temp:  64.8F [-1.3F]
24-hr. Corr Mean Temp:  64.3F
Max Temp:  94F on 21st
Min Temp:  47F on  4th, 5th
Total heating degree day units (month):     96    [+22]
Total heating degree day units (season): 4,984 [-1,387] *start July 1
Total cooling degree day units (month):     97     [-8]
Total cooling degree day units (season):   150    [+21] *start Jan 1
 
PRECIPITATION:
Total precipitation:  4.45 ins. [+0.14 in.]
Greatest 24-hr precipitation:  1.38 ins. on 25th
Hail: Trace on 7th (1/8 inch diameter)
 
WIND:
Avg wind speed: 10.4 MPH
Avg corrected wind speed:  10.9 MPH
Prevailing wind direction: S [14%]
Peak gust:  48 MPH NNW on 23rd
Peak fastest mile:  34 MPH NNW on 23rd
 
SUNSHINE:
Total Campbell-Stokes card minutes: 14,342 or 55%
Total astronomical minutes:         14,953 of possible 27,362 or 55%
 
Officially, with the June 2012 average temperature finishing below the
30-year normal, the incredible streak of warmer-than-normal months comes
to an end for one warm-streak-measuring method.
 
Longest Number of Consecutive Months Above 30-Year Normal
(using NWS mean temperature), and average departure in that time
1) 15 months, Jul 1998 - Sep 1999; +2.7 deg F
2) 14 months, Jan 1931 - Feb 1932; +3.0 deg F
3) 14 months, Nov 1952 - Dec 1953; +2.8 deg F
4) 13 months, Aug 1990 - Aug 1991; +3.0 deg F
5) 11 months, Jan 2010 - Nov 2010; +3.0 deg F
6) 11 months, Jul 2011 - May 2012; +4.4 deg F
 
However, for the other warm-streak-measuring method below, preliminary
indications show that the streak continues.  The corrected mean
temperature for June 2012 of 64.3F just squeaked above the 120-year mean
for June of 64.1F.
 
Longest Number of Consecutive Months Above 120-Year Mean
(using corrected mean temperature), and average departure in that time
1) 17 months, Feb 2011 - Jun 2012; +4.0 deg F
2) 15 months, Jun 1990 - Aug 1991; +3.1 deg F
3) 15 months, Jul 1998 - Sep 1999; +3.0 deg F
4) 13 months, Nov 2009 - Nov 2010; +3.7 deg F
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Scattered Cirrus, Few Cirrocumulus NW-N
Temperature: 73F; Dew Point: 65F; Wind: NNW at 10 kts
Wind: Direction: Variable WNW-N
Sea-level pressure: 29.74 in Hg, rising then rising more slowly
Visibility: 40 miles, 45 miles WNW, Distant Haze All Quadrants
24-hour precip: 0.20 in
6-hour min. temp: 69F
BHO SA 1155 300 –SCT 40 069/73/65/3410/974/ FEW CC NW-N VSBY WNW 45
DSNT HZ ALQDS WND 30V36/ 8/001 51016 70020 10073 20069  
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Scattered Cumulus, Few Moderate cumulus, Broken Cirrus, 
Few Cirrocumulus
Temperature: 76F; Dew Point: 63F; Wind: NW at 10 kts,
Wind: Direction: variable W-N
Sea-level pressure: 29.75 in Hg, rising then rising more slowly  
Visibility: 55 miles, distant haze
BHO SA 1455 36 SCT 300 BKN 55 075/76/63/3310/975/ FEW MDT FEW CC
WND 27V36 DSNT HZ/ 8/201 51006
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered cumulus, Few moderate cumulus, Broken Cirrus, 
Broken Cirrocumulus
Temperature: 79F; Dew Point 63F; Wind: NNW at 9 kts
Wind: Direction variable W-N
Sea-level pressure: 29.75 in Hg, rising then falling slightly
Visibility: 60 miles, Distant Haze
6-hour max temp.: 81F
BHO SA 1755 42 SCT E220 BKN 250 BKN 60 076/79/63/3409/975/ FEW MDT CU 
FEW CC DSNT HZ WND 28V01/ 8/201 50001 10081 20073
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, INDEPENDENCE DAY
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....85    NORMAL.....80
MIN.....66    NORMAL.....62
MEAN....76    NORMAL.....71
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.......................+5
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH......................+21 [+5.1 DEGREES/DAY]
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............20 W   AT   4:12 P.M.
                   AERO..................20 W   AT   4:12 P.M.
                   ASOS..................21 W   AT   4:13 P.M.
                   DAVIS.................20 S   AT   2:59 A.M. RMY 23
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........15 S   AT   2:29 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............15 S   AT   3:01 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........15 S   AT   2:31 A.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION........9.9 SSW
                   ASOS.................9.8
                   DAVIS................9.2 SW [220 deg]
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.20   DEPARTURE...........+0.10
                         ASOS..............0.36
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........0.38   DEPARTURE...........-0.05
                         ASOS..............0.36
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........18.07   DEPARTURE...........-9.33
                         ASOS.............17.98
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR  JULY 2012 CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/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
 
7/1  89/67/78/+8/0.01/..../..       33 WSW AERO 32 MPH WSW RMY 34
7/2  84/66/75/+5/T/..../..          23 W   AERO 22 MPH W   RMY 23
7/3  85/63/74/+3/0.00/.../..        23 W   AERO 21 MPH W   RMY 20
7/4  85/66/76/+5/0.37/.../..        20 W   AERO 20 MPH W   RMY 23
 
7/5 morning low temp: 69F; the normal low is now 62F
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR JULY 2012
None so far.
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
None to date
 
RECORDS FOR JULY 5
HIGH 98F IN 1911
LOW 48F IN 1920, 1927 & 1979
PRECIP 1.45 INS IN 1922
PEAK GUST 44e N IN 1944
 
RECORDS FOR JULY 6
HIGH 99F IN 2010
LOW 47F IN 1979
PRECIP 1.43 INCHES IN 2005
PEAK GUST 56e MPH NNW IN 1942, 56 MPH WNW IN 1999
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling, Jonathan O'Brien, William Wilson