BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2012 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
LOW OVERCAST AND COOL WITH NORTHEAST WINDS
TRACE OF PRECIPITATION IN DRIZZLE OVERNIGHT
TEMPS. RISE FROM LOW OF 35F TO THE 40'S
 
Early morning fog lifted to a layer of low clouds this
morning and some light drizzle ended leaving just a
trace of precipitation. Although the morning low
temperature was 35F that was still 9 warmer than the
average for this date. Temperatures are continuing a
much above normal trend which began March 7 and
average near 7 degrees above normal.
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Low overcast stratus with fog, drizzle end past hour 
Temperature: 35F, Dew point: 35F, Wind: ENE at 5 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.37 inches Hg, rising then rising more slowly
Visibility: 5 miles in fog, visibility S-W 3, N 9, NE 30, visibility
increasing rapidly past hour 
24-hour precip: trace
6-hour min. temp: 35F
BHO SA 1155 E4 OVC 5F 285/35/35/0705/037/ VSBY S-W 3 N 9 NE 30
VSBY INCRSD RPDLY PST HR LEUKN SFCS WET/ 8/6// 51015 MANUAL 6000/
10036 20035
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Overcast stratocumulus, bright spots in overcast and
bright along horizon ESE-S 
Temperature: 37F, Dew Point: 33F; Wind: NNE at 7 kts,
Wind: Direction variable NNE-E 
Sea-level pressure: 30.39 inches Hg, rising then rising more slowly
Visibility: 40 miles, except NE-S 50 miles
BHO SA 1455 E12 0VC 40 291/37/33/0607/039/ BRGHT SPTS IOVC
BRGHT SKY BND ALG HRZN ESE-S VSBY NE-S 50 DSNT HZ SW-NW
WND 03V09/ 8/5// 51006
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Overcast stratocumulus, 2 layers, few cumulus forming N-NE,
bright spots in overcast, sun dimly visible 
Temperature: 40F, Dew Point: 32F; Wind: NE at 7 kts,
Wind: Direction variable N-E
Sea-level pressure: 30.35 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 40 miles, except 50 miles E-S, 30 miles W-N, hazy 
6-hour max. temp: 42F
BHO SA 1755 E15 BKN 18 OVC 40 277/40/32/0407/035/ FEW LWR CU FRMG
N-NE BRGHT SPTS IOVC SUN DMLY VSB VSSBY E-S 50 W-N 30 HAZY
WND 36V08/ 8/8// 58014 10042 20035
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....51    NORMAL.....44
MIN.....36    NORMAL.....26
MEAN....44    NORMAL.....35
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.......................+9
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.....................+100 [+6.9 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............21   DEPARTURE..........-8
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............351   DEPARTURE.........-90
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........4002   DEPARTURE.......-1009
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......4927   DEPARTURE........-925 
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............23 NE  AT  4:38 P.M. * 
                   AERO..................23 ENE AT  2:53 A.M. 
                   ASOS..................23 ENE AT  2:53 A.M. 
                   DAVIS.................21 ENE AT  2:52 A.M. RMY N/A
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........16 ENE AT  2:17 P.M. *  
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............17 ENE AT  2:18 P.M. 
DAVIS MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE AVERAGE...........16 ENE AT  1:33 P.M.  
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION....... 8.5 NE
                   ASOS.................8.8 
                   DAVIS................7.9 NE [050 deg]
* last of several occurrences...
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....Trace  DEPARTURE..........-0.17
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........1.54   DEPARTURE..........-0.87
                         ASOS..............1.56
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........5.81   DEPARTURE..........-5.02
                        ASOS...............5.89
     
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0    DEPARTURE..........-0.4
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................4.0    DEPARTURE..........-2.2
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............24.2    DEPARTURE.........-27.4
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR MARCH 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
 
3/1  34/22/28/-3/1.05/3.3/000/00    40 ENE AERO 44 MPH ENE RMY 42
3/2  30/21/26/-5/0.01/0.1/000/00    23 ESE AERO 25 MPH ESE RMY 26
3/3  44/30/37/+5/0.35/0.6/000/00    27 W   AERO 29 MPH SW  RMY 28
3/4  39/30/35/+3/0.00/0.0/082/12    28 W   AERO 28 MPH W   RMY 28
3/5  35/22/29/-3/0.00/0.0/651/95    33 W   AERO 35 MPH W   RMY 35
3/6  37/16/27/-5/0.00/0.0/674/98    28 NW  AERO 28 MPH NW  RMY N/A
3/7  50/29/45/+12/0.00/0.0/608/88   40 SSW AERO 43 MPH SSW RMY 43
3/8  66/48/57/+24/0.00/0.0/499/72   59 SSW AERO 61 MPH SSW RMY N/A
3/9  57/31/44/+11/0.05/T/279/40     62 SSW AERO 63 MPH SSW RMY N/A
3/10 37/27/32/-1/T/T/168/24         32 WNW AERO 33 MPH WNW RMY N/A
3/11 56/27/42/+8/0.00/0.0/681/97    35 SW  AERO 37 MPH SW  RMY 36
3/12 72/40/56/+22/0.00/0.0/620/88   23 SW  AERO 25 MPH SW  RMY N/A
3/13 68/46/57/+23/0.08/0.0/347/49   30 SSW AERO 31 MPH SSW RMY 31
3/14 51/36/44/+9/T/0.0/007/01       23 NE  AERO 23 MPH ENE RMY 22
 
3/15 our morning low temp: 35F; the normal low is now 26F
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR MARCH 2012
3/8 - NEW DAILY RECORD HIGH MAXIMUM TEMP OF 66F;
surpasses the previous record of 63F set in 1942 and 1995.
3/12 - NEW DAILY RECORD HIGH MAXIMUM TEMP OF 72F;
surpasses the previous record of 67F set in 1977.
3/12 - NEW EARLY SEASON RECORD (NESR) of 72F;
surpasses 71F on 3/9/2000.
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR MARCH 15
HIGH 80 IN 1990
LOW 6 IN 1993
PRE 2.86 INS. IN 2010 
SNOW 12.0 INS. 1967
WIND 73e MPH ESE IN 1940
 
RECORDS FOR MARCH 16
HIGH 73 IN 1990
LOW 8 IN 1932
PRE 1.95 INS. IN 1900
SNOW 10.0 INS. IN 1896
WIND 79 MPH NE IN 1956
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling
 
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