BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2012 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
LIGHT RAINFALL YESTERDAY AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING
LOW STRATUS AND HEAVY FOG WITH DRIZZLE AT SUMMIT TODAY
 
A total of just 0.12 inch of rainfall was recorded by the
time light rainfall ended early last evening after beginning
during the early afternoon.
 
Overnight and mainly early this morning a wind shift from
the west to west-southwest of yesterday to east to northeast
today has brought low clouds and finally heavy fog with light
drizzle to the summit leaving a couple of hundredths of an inch of
precipitation by early this afternoon. Visibility has
dropped to near zero to 1/16 of a mile today.
 
SEPTEMBER 2012 PRELIMINARY STATS
 
TEMPERATURE:
Average Max Temp:  71.5F [-0.1F]
Average Min Temp:  54.8F [+0.2F]
Mean Temp:  63.2F [+0.1F]
24-hr. Corr Mean Temp:  62.5F
Max Temp:  85F on  7th
Min Temp:  45F on 24th
Total heating degree day units (month):  99 [-18]
Total heating degree day units (season): 99 [-43] *start July 1
 
PRECIPITATION: 
Total precipitation:  3.27 ins. [-0.79 in.]
Greatest 24-hr precipitation:  1.03 ins. on 18th/19th
 
WIND:
Avg wind speed: 10.8 MPH
Avg corrected wind speed:  11.3 MPH
Prevailing wind direction: S [16%]
Peak gust:  60 MPH S on 18th
Peak gust: Aerovane 62 MPH S on 18th
Peak fastest mile:  47 MPH S on 18th
 
SUNSHINE:
Total astronomical minutes: 12,680 of possible 22,440 or 57%
Total Campbell-Stokes card minutes: 12,228 of possible 21,582 or 57%
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Obscurement, light drizzle and heavy fog
Temperature: 58F; Dew Point: 58F; Wind: ENE at 6 kts.
Wind: Gradually backing past hour
Sea-level pressure: 30.10 ins. Hg, rising then more rapidly
Visibility: 1/16 mile, light drizzle and heavy fog
6-hour precip:  trace
6-hour min. temp: 58F
24-hour precip: 0.12 inch
BHO SA 1155 W3 X 1/16L-F 193/58/58/0506/010/ VSBY LWRD PST HR
HR WND GRDLY BACKING PST HR/ 8//// 53015 MANUAL 6000/ MANUAL 70012
ASOS 70011 10059 20058 
 
10 A.M. 
Weather: Obscurement with light drizzle and heavy fog,
precipitation very light
Temperature: 61F; Dew Point: 61F; Wind: ENE at 7 kts,
Wind: Direction variable NNE-E
Sea-level pressure: 30.10 ins. Hg, rising then falling slightly
Visibility: 1/8 variable to 1/16, light drizzle, heavy fog,
precipitation very light 
3-hour precip: 0.01 inch
BHO SA 1455 W2 X 1/8VL-F 194/61/61/0707/010/ VSBY 1/8V1/16
WND 04V10 PCPN VRY LGT/ 8//// 50001 MANUAL 6001/
 
1 P.M. 
Weather: Obscurement with light drizzle and heavy fog, precipitation
is very light 
Temperature: 68F; Dew Point: 60F; Wind: ENE @ 10 kts.
Wind: Direction variable NNE to E
Sea-level pressure: 30.10 ins. Hg, falling very slightly
Visibility: 1/16 variable zero in light drizzle and heavy fog
6-hour precip: 0.01 inch
6-hour max. temp: 62F 
BHO SA 1755 W2 X 1/16VL-F 193/60/60/0610/010/ VSBY 1/16V0
WND 02V08 PCPN VRY LGT/ 8//// 58001 MANUAL 60001 ASOS 60001
10062 20058
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....69    NORMAL.....65
MIN.....53    NORMAL.....48
MEAN....61    NORMAL.....57
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.....................+4
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.....................+4 [1.8 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............4    DEPARTURE........-5
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH............12    DEPARTURE........-5
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........111    DEPARTURE.......-48
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......83    DIFFERENCE......+28
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............18 W   AT  4:15 A.M.
                   AERO..................16 W   AT  4:15 A.M.
                   ASOS..................16 W   AT  4:56 A.M.
                   DAVIS.................N/A    AT  N/A      RMY 16
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........13 W   AT  1:29 A.M. 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............14 W   AT  1:31 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........N/A    AT  N/A
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION........6.7 WSW
                   ASOS.................6.8
                   DAVIS................6.8 WSW [250 deg]
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.12   DEPARTURE...........-0.03
                         ASOS..............0.11
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH......... 0.12   DEPARTURE...........-0.19
                         ASOS..............0.11
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........28.73   DEPARTURE..........-10.65
                         ASOS.............28.66
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 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
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
 
9/1  75/60/68/0/0.00/637/81          27 ENE AERO 25 MPH ENE RMY 23
9/2  80/60/70/+2/0.00/455/58         21 ENE AERO 20 MPH ENE RMY 20
9/3  76/57/67/0/0.00/485/62          20 SE  AERO 20 MPH S   RMY 21
9/4  72/62/67/0/0.40/000/00          25 S   AERO 23 MPH S   RMY N/A
9/5  79/64/72/+5/0.31/171/22         33 SSW AERO 35 MPH SSW RMY 33
9/6  77/62/70/+3/0.00/279/36         20 SSW AERO 20 MPH SSW RMY 19
9/7  85/66/76/+10/0.00/463/60        22 SSW AERO 20 MPH SSW RMY N/A TSTM
9/8  81/62/72/+6/0.38/453/59         45 S   AERO 45 MPH S   RMY 45   
9/9  72/58/65/-1/0.02/283/37         25 WNW AERO 23 MPH WNW RMY N/A
9/10 66/50/58/-7/0.00/313/41         33 NW  AERO 32 MPH NW  RMY 34
9/11 71/47/59/-6/0.00/714/94         23 NW  AERO 21 MPH WNW RMY N/A
9/12 77/53/65/0/0.00/719/95          20 S   AERO 18 MPH S   RMY 18
9/13 81/59/70/+6/0.00/731/97         21 S   AERO 18 MPH S   RMY 19
9/14 81/59/70/+6/0.00/706/94         25 S   AERO 23 MPH S   RMY 23
9/15 72/54/63/-1/0.07/441/59         28 NW  AERO 27 MPH WNW RMY 27
9/16 70/49/60/-3/0.00/731/98         23 W   AERO 20 MPH W   RMY 21
9/17 74/51/63/0/0.00/698/94          20 S   AERO 17 MPH S   RMY N/A
9/18 74/58/66/+4/0.13/044/06         60 S   AERO 62 MPH S   RMY 63
9/19 70/53/62/0/0.90/472/64          55 S   AERO 56 MPH S   RMY N/A
9/20 63/50/57/-5/0.00/539/87         24 NE  AERO 21 MPH NE  RMY 21
9/21 63/48/56/-5/0.01/241/33         18 E   AERO 16 MPH E   RMY 16
9/22 70/55/63/+2/0.04/306/42         28 S   AERO 25 MPH S   RMY 27
9/23 69/50/60/0/0.02/653/90          27 WNW AERO 24 MPH WNW RMY 27
9/24 66/45/56/-4/0.00/694/96         23 WSW AERO 21 MPH WSW RMY 22
9/25 72/48/60/0/0.00/691/96          35 SSW AERP 35 MPH SW  RMY 36
9/26 70/57/64/+5/T/050/07            31 S   AERO 32 MPH S   RMY 32
9/27 70/53/62/+3/0.00/557/78         24 NNW AERO 23 MPH NNW RMY 23
9/28 56/53/55/-3/0.64/000/00         29 ESE AERO 29 MPH ESE RMY 30
9/29 56/51/54/-4/0.13/000/00         28 NNE AERO 25 MPH NNE RMY N/A
9/30 57/50/54/-4/0.22/054/08         23 SSW AERO 23 MPH SSW RMY N/A
 
10/1 66/47/57/0/T/.../..             36 W   AERO 35 MPH WSW RMY 36
10/2 69/53/61/+4/0.12/.../..         18 W   AERO 16 MPH W   RNT 16
 
morning low temp: 58F; the normal low is now 48F
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR SEPTEMBER 2012
9/19 - NEW RECORD PEAK WIND GUST OF 55 MPH S;
       surpasses previous record of 49 MPH NE IN 1972
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR OCTOBER 2012
None so far.
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR OCTOBER 3
HIGH 82F IN 1922
LOW 28F IN 1899
PRECIP 1.76 INCHES IN 1979
PEAK GUST 62 MPH WNW IN 1964
 
RECORDS FOR OCTOBER 4
HIGH 84F IN 2007
LOW 28F IN 1888
PRECIP 1.07 INCHES IN 1986
PEAK GUST 59 MPH SSW IN 1990
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling