BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
PLEASANT FALL DAY WITH COMFORTABLE TEMPS AND LOW HUMIDITY
 
An excellent fall day here at Blue Hill with partly cloudy skies and
temperatures in the mid 50s. By early this afternoon, temperatures
got above 60F and have remained, with a current high of 62F thus far.
Dew points today have been in the low 40s and humidity has dropped off
quite nicely since this morning. Winds started picking up late this
morning out of the west, with a peak gust of 30 mph so far.
 
A nice variety of high clouds have passed over the summit early this
morning but have since moved out. Diurnal cumulus have been prevalent
since. Visibility has been around 70 miles or so aided by the low humidity
and a high pressure system to our southwest.
 
Fall foliage has picked up nicely following a sluggish start this season,
with most of Massachusetts currently experiencing high to peak color.
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Scattered altocumulogenitus, scattered cirrus floccus, scattered
cirrus uncinus/fibratus radiatus, few altocumulus castellanus distant E-SE
and NW, few cirrus undulatus SSW and NE, smoke layer NW-NE, distant haze
all quadrants
Temperature: 46F; Dew Point: 40F; Wind: W at 13 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.87 ins. Hg, increasing steadily
Visibility: 50 miles, distant haze
24-hour precip: Trace
6-hour min. temp: 45F
BHO SA 1155 150 SCT 200 SCT 250 SCT 50 115/46/40/2613/987/ FEW ACC
DSNT E-SE AND NW K LYR NW-NE DSNT HZ ALQDS/ 8/062 52014 10051 20045
 
10 A.M. 
Weather: Scattered cumulus, scattered altocumulogenitus, few cumulus
fractus all quadrants, few altocumulus cumulogenitus NE-SE, light distant
haze
Temperature: 56F; Dew Point: 40F; Wind: w at 15 kts,
Wind: Direction variable SW-NW
Sea-level pressure: 29.88 ins. Hg, increasing slightly 
Visibility: 70 miles, light distant haze 
BHO SA 1455 45 SCT 180 SCT 70 119/56/40/2615/988/ FEW CUFRA ALQDS FEW
ACCU NE-SE LGT DSNT HZ/ 8/160 50004
 
1 P.M. 
Weather: Scattered cumulus humilis, few cumulus fractus all quadrants,
light distant haze
Temperature: 62F; Dew Point: 41F; Wind: W at 15 kts,
Wind: Direction variable SW-NNW
Wind: Peak gust of 26 kts W @ 1234E
Sea-level pressure: 29.85 ins. Hg, decreasing
Visibility: 70 miles, light distant haze
6-hour max. temp: 62F
BHO SA 1755 50 SCT 70 108/62/41/2715/985/ FEW CUFRA ALQDS LGT DSNT HZ PK
WND 2726/34 WND 22V33/ 8/100 58011 10062 20046
 
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....73   NORMAL.....59
MIN.....53   NORMAL.....41
MEAN....63   NORMAL.....50
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL....................+13
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH....................+35 [+1.6 DEGREE/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............2    DEPARTURE.......-13
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........197    DEPARTURE.......-39
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........296    DEPARTURE.......-82
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....203    DIFFERENCE......+93
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............33 SSW AT  2:28 P.M.
                   AERO..................32 SSW AT  2:28 P.M.
                   ASOS..................33 SW  AT  2:28 P.M.
                   DAVIS.................32 SSW AT  2:28 P.M. RMY 34
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........26 SSW AT  2:31 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............26 SSW AT  2:30 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........26 SSW AT  2:30 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.......12.1 SSW
                   ASOS................11.6
                   DAVIS...............11.4 SSW [195 deg]
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....Trace  DEPARTURE...........-0.15
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........1.29   DEPARTURE...........-1.69
                         ASOS..............1.23
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........29.91   DEPARTURE..........-12.15
                         ASOS.............29.78
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR 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
 
10/1  66/47/57/0/T/429/61             36 W   AERO 35 MPH WSW RMY 36
10/2  69/53/61/+4/0.12/098/14         18 W   AERO 16 MPH W   RNT 16
10/3  62/58/60/+4/0.02/000/00         20 NE  AERO 18 MPH NE  RMY 18
10/4  61/58/60/+4/0.08/000/00         17 NNE AERO 14 MPH NE  RMY 14
10/5  75/57/66/+10/0.00/623/90        20 SW  AERO 19 MPH SW  RMY 21
10/6  77/48/63/+8/0.20/269/39         36 SSW AERO 37 MPH SSW RMY 36 TSTM
10/7  57/44/51/-4/0.15/185/27         21 WNW AERO 18 MPH WNW RMY 19
10/8  55/40/48/-6/0.00/328/48         17 WNW AERO 15 MPH WNW RMY N/A
10/9  56/49/53/-1/T/000/00            27 E   AERO 25 MPH ENE RMY 25
10/10 60/47/54/0/0.22/000/00          36 WNW AERO 36 MPH WNW RMY 31
10/11 58/41/50/-3/0.00/668/99         35 WNW AERO 33 MPH WNW RMY 34
10/12 51/34/43/-10/0.04/296/44        32 WNW AERO 30 MPH NW  RMY 30
10/13 52/29/41/-12/0.00/582/87        22 SSW AERO 20 MPH WNW RMY N/A
10/14 66/43/55/+3/0.09/167/25         40 SW  AERO 39 MPH SW  RMY 39
10/15 73/58/66/+14/0.03/279/42        43 SSW AERO 43 MPH SSW RMY 43
10/16 61/40/51/0/0.03/522/79          38 WNW AERO 36 MPH WNW RMY 38
10/17 60/35/48/-3/0.00/612/93         22 NW  AERO 18 MPH NW  RMY N/A
10/18 66/46/56/+5/0.00/.../..         25 ESE AERO 23 MPH ESE RMY 25
10/19 66/51/59/+9/..../.../..         39 SSE AERO 38 MPH SSE RMY 39
10/20 73/53/63/+13/.../.../..           33 SSW AERO 32 MPH SSW RMY 34 TSTM
 
10/21 morning low temp: 45F; the normal low is now 41F
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR OCTOBER 2012
10/13 - NEW DAILY RECORD LOW MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 29F;
        surpasses previous record of 30F set in 1934, 1936, 1988
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR OCTOBER 21
HIGH 79F IN 1979
LOW 24F IN 1974
PRECIP 2.39 INCHES IN 1944
SNOWFALL TRACE IN 1895,1907,1940
PEAK GUST 69e MPH S IN 1976
 
RECORDS FOR OCTOBER 22
HIGH 85F IN 1979
LOW 22F IN 1940
PRECIP 1.37 INCHES IN 1898
SNOWFALL TRACE IN 1969
PEAK GUST 67 MPH ESE IN 1988
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: George Tabeek