BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
WARM AND HUMID WITH MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES
VERY SUNNY AND VERY DRY JULY TO DATE
 
Temperatures started out a bit cooler than yesterday, but a break from the
mid level clouds have allowed temperatures to rise into the mid 80s by early
afternoon. Dew points have been in the low 60s for most of the day providing
that "sticky" feeling. The break in clouds allowed for some diurnal cumulus
clouds to develop, and even a few towering cumulus clouds were seen out to the
west during the last observation.
 
Visibility has once again been reduced due to haze that has settled over the
region. Wachusett Mountain was not even in sight today. Winds have been on
the calmer side relatively speaking, which has been the case for most of this
month, and even for this year for that matter.
 
Today will mark the 12th day this month of above normal temperatures, and
that trend will continue for the next few days. Although this heat will not
likely break any daily record high temperatures, our overnight high minimum
temperature records will be in jeopardy for the next few days. Here are the
following record high minimum temperatures that have a chance of being
broken:
 
July 14: 71F set in 1997
July 15: 70F set in 1901,1934,1995
July 16: 71F set in 1901,1958,1968
July 17: 74F set in 1900
 
Scattered showers are in the forecast tomorrow as a warm front will be
passing through with favorable conditions for thunderstorm development as
well. Temperature trends should be very similar to that of yesterday.
 
July has not only been a very dry month to date but also a very sunny one.
Through 11 days the 75% of possible bright sunshine is far above the
average for the month which is 57%.  The record sunniest July was back in
1952 when this month had 75% of the possible bright sunshine. That month
was also the driest July on record with just 0.13 inch of rainfall.
 
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Overcast altostratus, few lower altocumulus/altocumulus standing
lenticularis all quadrants except SSW-W, break in overcast SSW-W, distant
haze
Temperature: 71F; Dew Point 64F; Wind: SSW at 9 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.16 ins. Hg, increasing 
Visibility: 30 miles, distant haze
6-hour min. temp: 69F
BHO SA 1155 E100 OVC 30 213/71/64/2109/016/ FEW LWR AC/ACSL ALQDS XCPT
SSW-W BINOVC SSW-W DSNT HZ/ 8/070 51017 10071 20069
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Broken altostratus, broken cirrus, few lower altocumulus NW-N,
clearing S-WSW, distant haze
Temperature: 84F; Dew Point: 63F; Wind: WNW at 11 kts,
Wind: Direction variable WSW-NW
Sea-level pressure: 30.15 ins. Hg, decreasing
Visibility: 30 miles, 40 miles S-SSW, 25 miles NW-NE, distant haze
BHO SA 1455 E100 BKN 250 BKN 30 210/84/63/2911/015/ FEW LWR AC NW-N CLRNG
S-WSW DSNT HZ VSBY HIER S-SSW 40 VSBY LWR NW-NE 25 WND 24V31/ 8/071 58003
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Broken altostratus, broken cirrus, diurnal cumulus forming SE-SSW,
towering cumulus NW moving NE, distant haze
Temperature: 84F; Dew Point 65F; Wind: W at 8 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.14 ins. Hg, decreasing
Visibility: 35 miles, 40 miles E-S, distant haze
6-hour max temp: 86F 
BHO SA 1755 E100 BKN 250 BKN 35 205/84/65/2608/014/ DIURNAL CU FRMG SE-SSW
TCU NW MOVG NE DSNT HZ VSBY HIER E-S 40/ 8/171 58005 10086 20071
 
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR FRIDAY, JULY 13
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....89    NORMAL.....81
MIN.....66    NORMAL.....63
MEAN....78    NORMAL.....72
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.......................+6
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH......................+51 [+3.7 DEGREES/DAY]
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............28 S  AT 4:55 P.M.
                   AERO..................27 S  AT 4:53 P.M. *
                   ASOS..................29 S  AT 4:56 P.M.
                   DAVIS.................28 S  AT 4:55 P.M. RMY 29
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........21 S  AT 4:58 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............21 S  AT 4:57 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........21 S  AT 4:56 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.......12.3 S
                   ASOS................12.3
                   DAVIS...............11.4 SSW [208 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..........0.38   DEPARTURE...........-1.14
                         ASOS..............0.36
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........18.07   DEPARTURE..........-10.42
                         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/+8/0.01/676/74        33 WSW AERO 32 MPH WSW RMY 34
7/2  84/66/75/+5/T/644/71           23 W   AERO 22 MPH W   RMY 23
7/3  85/63/74/+3/0.00/787/86        23 W   AERO 21 MPH W   RMY 20
7/4  85/66/76/+5/0.37/480/53        20 W   AERO 20 MPH W   RMY 23
7/5  81/68/75/+4/0.00/729/80        23 NW  AERO 23 MPH NW  RMY 22
7/6  86/64/75/+4/0.00/753/83        18 SSW AERO 18 MPH SSW RMY 19
7/7  81/69/75/+4/T/224/25           23 W   AERO 23 MPH W   RMY 24
7/8  87/66/77/+5/0.00/814/90        23 W   AERO 23 MPH W   RMY 25
7/9  82/61/72/0/0.00/738/85         22 W   AERO 21 MPH W   RMY 23
7/10 83/61/72/0/0.00/852/98         18 W   AERO 18 MPH W   RMY 18
7/11 84/64/74/+2/0.00/768/88        21 W   AERO 21 MPH W   RMY 23
7/12 89/64/77/+5/0.00/.../..        25 SSW AERO 25 MPH SSW RMY 26
7/13 89/66/78/+6/0.00/.../..        28 S   AERO 27 MPH S   RMY 29
 
7/14 morning low temp: 69F; the normal low is now 63F
 
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):
 
RECORDS FOR JULY 14
HIGH 98F IN 1952
LOW 51F IN 1895, 1937
PRECIP 1.97 INS IN 1960
WIND 110e MPH NW IN 1942 [RECORD FOR MONTH]
 
RECORDS FOR JULY 15
HIGH 94F IN 1995
LOW 50F IN 1929, 1930
PRECIP 1.64 INS IN 1896
WIND 71 MPH WNW IN 2002
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: George Tabeek