BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY 
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012  
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

MUCH COLDER AND DRY AIR ARRIVES ON GUSTY NW WINDS
11 HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORDS BETWEEN MARCH 8TH AND 
MARCH 23RD INCLUDED SEVERAL RECORD HIGH MINIMA 
ONLY 0.01 IN. RAINFALL DOES NOTHING FOR DRY SPELL 

Gusty northwest winds are importing much colder and 
drier air today. Gusts have reached 40 to 50 MPH 
at times.  The dew point has fallen rapidly from 
42F at 8 A.M. this afternoon to the lower teens by 
early this afternoon as the temperatures struggles
in the low to mid-40's. 

The prolonged warm to hot March temperatures set as 
many as 11 daily records this month including not 
only highest daily maxima but three consecutive 
highest daily minimum the latter from March 21-23. 

Yesterday's rainfall was a failure in that only 0.01 
inch was recorded here when it was predicted to be 
a tenth to one quarter inch and so the monthly 
precipitation departure approaches 3 inches while 
that for the year has just surpassed 7 inches! 
 
The cumulative temperature departure for the month has climbed
to +288 degrees, or +11.3 degrees warmer than the 30-year average. 

The average temperature for March through the 25th is 44.5 deg F. 
This is already among the warmest March's on record.

BHO Warmest March, 1885-2011 (deg F)

1) 43.5 in 1946
2) 42.7 in 1945
3) 42.2 in 1903
4) 41.5 in 2010
5) 41.2 in 1921

Today's observations:
 
7 A.M. 
Weather: Scattered stratocumulus, broken stratocumulus, broken cirrus,
few cirrus distant S, thin fog below summit, dew on a few surfaces
Temperature: 44F, Dew point: 42F, Wind: W at 12 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 29.63 inches Hg, steady
Visibility: 15 miles, 12 miles NW-E and 20 miles SE-SW,
thin fog below summit/inversion
6-hour min. temp: 38F
BHO SA 1155 38 SCT E44 BKN 250 BKN 15 034/44/42/2812/963/ FEW CI
DSNT S THN FG BLO SMT VSBY NW-E 12 SE-SW 20 DEW FEW SFCS/ 8/501 56000
10044 20038

10 A.M. 
Weather: Broken stratocumulus, broken altocumulus, few lower cumulus,
few moderate tops on stratocumulus
Temperature: 44F, Dew Point: 29F; Wind: NNW at 18G29 kts,
Wind: Peak wind gust 35 kts NNW at 9:34  A.M.
Sea-level pressure: 29.71 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 70 miles, light distant haze   
BHO SA 1455 E38 BKN 75 BKN 70 060/44/29/3318G29/971/ FEW LWR CU
SC/FEW MDT TOPS LGT DSNT HZ PK WND 3335/34 WND 28V01/ 8/870 51026 

1 P.M. 
Weather:  Clear, few cumulus fractus/small cumulus S-W-N, few
stratocumulus E, altocumulus extending along horizon ENE-SSE,
haze layer aloft SE-SW  
Temperature: 43F, Dew Point: 14F; Wind: NW at 20G34 kts,
Wind: Peak wind from NW @ 39 kts NW at 12:34 P.M.,
Wind: Direction variable W-N  
Sea-level pressure: 29.72 inches Hg, rising slightly  
Visibility: 60 miles, 70 miles NW, distant haze    
6-hour max. temp: 45F 
BHO SA 1755 CLR 60 064/43/14/3220G34/972/ FEW SML CUFRA/CU S-W-N 
FEW SC E AC LYR ALG HRZN DSNT ENE-SSE HZ LYR ALF SE-SW VSBY NW 70 
DSNT HZ HRZNS PK WND 3139/34/ WND 27V36/ 8/870 51004 10045 20042  

WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY, MARCH 25

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....47    NORMAL.....47
MIN.....40    NORMAL.....30
MEAN....44    NORMAL.....38
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.......................+6
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.....................+288 [+11.3 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............21   DEPARTURE..........-5
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............479   DEPARTURE........-266
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........4130   DEPARTURE.......-1185
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......5220*  DEPARTURE.......-1090 
* incorrect on Sunday report, should have been 5189  

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............17 ESE AT  8:30 A.M.  
                   AERO..................16 ESE AT  8:30 A.M. * 
                   ASOS..................17 ESE AT  8:30 A.M. 
                   DAVIS.................16 E   AT  6:34 A.M.  RMY 17
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........12 ESE AT  7:58 A.M.  
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............13 ESE AT  8:31 A.M. 
DAVIS MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE AVERAGE...........12 ESE AT  7:56 A.M. 
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION........6.0 ESE 
                   ASOS.................6.1
                   DAVIS................5.6 E  [080 deg.]

* last of several occurrences...

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00   DEPARTURE..........-0.19
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........1.61   DEPARTURE..........-2.88
                         ASOS..............1.61
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........5.88   DEPARTURE..........-7.03
                        ASOS...............5.94
	
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0    DEPARTURE..........-0.3
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................4.0    DEPARTURE..........-6.1
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............24.2    DEPARTURE.........-31.3

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 42/33/38/+3/T/0.0/014/02       16 ENE AERO 15 MPH E   RMY 15
3/16 43/32/38/+3/0.05/0.0/000/00    16 NNW AERO 16 MPH NNW RMY 17
3/17 51/40/46/+10/0.00/0.0/079/11   21 SSW AERO N/A        RMY 24
3/18 72/38/55/+19/0.00/0.0/652/91   27 SW  AERO 27 MPH SW  RMY 27
3/19 77/44/61/+25/0.00/0.0/667/92   24 NE  AERO 24 MPH NE  RMY 25
3/20 78/41/60/+23/0.00/0.0/662/91   22 SSW AERO 22 MPH SW  RMY 25
3/21 76/54/65/+28/0.00/0.0/556/76   25 SW  AERO 26 MPH SW  RMY 27
3/22 81/54/68/+31/0.00/0.0/.../..   22 SW  AERO 21 MPH SW  RMY 22
3/23 75/56/66/+28/T/0.0/.../..      31 NNW AERO 31 MPH NNW RMY 33
3/24 56/44/50/+12/0.00/0.0/.../..   22 E   AERO 20 MPH E   RMY 17  **
3/25 47/40/44/+6/0.02/0.0/.../..    17 ESE AERO 16 MPH ESE RMY N/A 

3/26 our morning low temp: 38F; the normal low is now 30F 

** date of precip. incorrectly reported as 3/24 when it actually 
   occurred on 3/25 

DAILY RECORDS FOR MARCH 2012

3/8  - NEW DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMP OF 48F;
surpasses the previous record of 42F set in 1995 and 2009.
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) HIGH TEMPERATURE of 72F; 
surpasses the previous record of 71F set on 3/9/2000.
3/18 – NEW DAILY RECORD HIGH MAXIMUM TEMP OF 72F;
surpasses the previous record of 69F set in 2011.
3/19 - NEW DAILY RECORD HIGH MAXIMUM TEMP OF 77F;
surpasses the previous record of 70 in 2010. 
3/21 - NEW DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMP OF 54F; 
surpasses the previous record of 51F in 1913 and 1921.
3/22 - NEW DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMP OF 54F; 
surpasses the previous record of 45F in 1902.
3/22 - NEW DAILY RECORD HIGH MAXIMUM TEMP OF 81F; 
surpasses the previous record of 71F in 1948. 
3/23 - NEW DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMP OF 56F; 
surpasses the previous record of 49F in 1949.
3/23 - NEW EARLY SEASON RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE of 56F; 
surpasses the previous record of 55F set on 3/17/1990

DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):

RECORDS FOR MARCH 26
HIGH 76 IN 1922, 1949
LOW 6 IN 1960
PRECIP 1.99 INS. IN 1988
SNOWFALL 5.4 INS. IN 2001
PEAK GUST 63 MPH S IN 1970

RECORDS FOR MARCH 27
HIGH 78 IN 1998
LOW 12 IN 1975
PRECIP 1.05 INS. IN 1913
SNOWFALL 6.6 INS. IN 1959
PEAK GUST 62 MPH NW IN 1965, SE IN 1992

TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling, Patrick Peters 

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