BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY 
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2012  
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

CLOUDS GRADUALLY OVERTAKING THE SKY TODAY;
CONTINUED WARM

Mid and high level clouds have gradually been overtaking the sky today
as a disturbance slides just south and west of our area.

Temperatures today are continuing the recent warm trend, likely averaging
several degrees above the 30-year normal by the end of the day.  The
month of October is now running about 2 degrees above normal.

Conditions have become fairly calm this afternoon with light winds of
less than 10 mph generally from the WNW.

The month remains dry with only 39% of our normal rainfall to date.  The
rainfall deficit for the year has grown to over 12 inches.
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Broken dense cirrus, broken cirrus, few altocumulus and
altocumulus lenticularis distant SSW-N, dense cirrus SW-NW-NE-E, higher
cirrus layer partly thin, inversion present, thin smoke layer distant
all quadrants, distant haze
Temperature: 48; Dew Point: 41F; Wind: NW at 15 kts.
Sea-level pressure: 30.08 ins. Hg, rising  
Visibility: 65 miles, distant haze
6-hour min. temp: 46F
BHO SA 1155 E220 BKN 250 BKN 65 185/48/41/3115/008/ FEW AC/ACSL DSNT
SSW-N DNS CI SW-NW-NE-E HIER CI LYR PRTLY THN INVSN PRSNT THN K LYR DSNT
ALQDS DSNT HZ/ 8/042 53014 10049 20046

10 A.M.  
Weather: Scattered altocumulus, scattered cirrostratus, scattered dense
cirrus, broken thin cirrus, altocumulus and altocumulus lenticularis
distant SW-WNW, mostly clear sky ESE-SSE, thin smoke layer distant NW-E,
distant haze
Temperature: 58F; Dew Point: 41F; Wind: NW at 13GG20 kts,
Wind: Direction variable W to N
Sea-level pressure: 30.10 ins. Hg, rising
Visibility: 65 miles, distant haze 
BHO SA 1455 100 SCT 200 SCT 220 SCT 250 烹KN 65 193/58/41/3213G20/010/
AC/ACSL DSNT SW-WNW MSTLY CLR SKY ESE-SSE THN K LYR DSNT NW-E DSNT HZ
WND 27V36/ 8/047 50008

1 P.M.  
Weather: Scattered altocumulus, scattered altostratus, broken cirrostratus,
broken dense cirrus, broken thin cirrus, few lower altocumulus
lenticularis distant SSW-NW, higher altocumulus NE-E and distant SSE-NW,
partial halo, distant haze, rain shower distant SSW-W moving SE
Temperature: 63F; Dew Point: 42F; Wind: WNW at 5 kts,
Wind: Light and variable
Sea-level pressure: 30.06 ins. Hg, falling 
Visibility: 65 miles, distant haze   
BHO SA 1755 100 SCT 180 SCT E200 BKN 220 BKN 250 BKN 65
180/63/42/3005/006/ FEW LWR ACSL DSNT SSW-NW HIER AC NE-E AND DSNT SSE-NW
PARTIAL HALO DSNT HZ SHRA DSNT SSW-W MOVG SE WND LGT AND VRB/ 8/077 58013
10063 20048
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, OCTOBER 22

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....65    NORMAL.....58
MIN.....46    NORMAL.....41
MEAN....56    NORMAL.....49
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.....................+7
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH....................+46 [+1.9 DEGREE/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............9    DEPARTURE........-7 
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........217    DEPARTURE.......-50
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........316    DEPARTURE.......-93
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....226    DIFFERENCE......+90

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) 
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............37 WNW AT 10:00 A.M.
                   AERO..................35 WNW AT  9:53 A.M.
                   ASOS..................35 WNW AT 10:00 A.M.
                   DAVIS.................36 WNW AT 10:00 A.M. RMY 36
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........26 WNW AT  9:36 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............24 WNW AT  9:36 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........22 WNW AT 10:03 A.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.......15.2 W
                   ASOS................15.0
                   DAVIS...............13.3 W [278 deg]

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00   DEPARTURE...........-0.16
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........1.29   DEPARTURE...........-2.00
                         ASOS..............1.23
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........29.91   DEPARTURE..........-12.46
                         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/+9/0.20/007/01         39 SSE AERO 38 MPH SSE RMY 39
10/20 73/53/63/+13/0.11/377/58        33 SSW AERO 32 MPH SSW RMY 34 TSTM
10/21 63/45/54/+4/0.00/564/87         36 WNW AERO 32 MPH WNW RMY 34
10/22 65/46/56/+7/0.00/.../..         37 WNW AERO 35 MPH WNW RMY 36

10/23 morning low temp: 46F; the normal low is now 40F

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 23
HIGH 82F IN 1947
LOW 24F IN 1969
PRECIP 2.18 INCHES IN 1956
SNOWFALL 3.0 INCHES IN 1891
PEAK GUST 78e MPH NW IN 1941

RECORDS FOR OCTOBER 24
HIGH 79F IN 1963
LOW 22F IN 1969
PRECIP 2.96 INCHES IN 1890
SNOWFALL 1.8 INCHES IN 1960
PEAK GUST 70 MPH SE IN 1959

TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Sean Fankhauser