BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
SUN, LIGHT WIND AND NEARLY CLOUDLESS CONDITIONS
PUSH THE MERCURY INTO THE 50S
 
It was a very fair morning on Great Blue hill with
a completely clear sky at 7:00 AM EST aside from
some distant haze on the horizon.
 
Preliminary statistics for March reveal a colder
and less snowy than average month. With a mere 3.0
inches of frozen precipitation falling for the entire
month, this left the month 9.7 inches behind the
30-year norm for March snowfall.
 
With an average daily minimum temperature of 22.0 F,
this represents the coldest average since 1960 and
10th coldest March average daily minimum since records
began at Blue Hill.
 
BHO COLDEST MARCH AVERAGE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE
deg. F (1885-2014)
 
1) 15.1 in 1885
2) 19.1 in 1916
3) 20.5 in 1887
   20.5 in 1923
5) 20.9 in 1900
6) 21.0 in 1896
7) 21.2 in 1950
   21.2 in 1960
9) 21.3 in 1888
10)22.0 in 2014
 
A corrected average speed of 13.1 mph also has historic
significance, as it ranks as the 3rd least windy March
on record.
 
BHO SLOWEST MARCH WIND SPEED
mph (1885-2014)
 
1)12.1 in 1995
2)12.8 in 2012
3)13.1 in 2014
4)13.2 in 2009
5)13.4 in 2013
 
MARCH 2014 PRELIMINARY STATISTICS
 
[Departures are relative to the 1981-2010 averages]
 
TEMPERATURE: Deg. F
Avg. Max. 40.5 [-3.8]
Avg. Min. 22.0 [-4.6] *
Mean      31.3 [-4.2]
24-hr. corrected mean: 31.1
Max. temp: 57 on the 28th
Min. temp: 6 on the 4th
Total heating degree day units: 1,036 [+120]
Total seasonal heating units:  5,627  [+143]
[Season starts 7/1]
Seasonal total this date 2012: 5,020 [+607]
 
PRECIPITATION: Inches
Total: 5.03 [-0.55]
Greatest in 24 hours: TBD ()
Total snowfall: 3.0 inches [-9.7]
Greatest in 24 hours:  1.4 inches on the 13th
 
WIND
Av. speed (uncorrected): 12.7 mph
Av. speed (corrected):   13.1 mph
Prevailing direction: NW @ 13% possible
 
SUNSHINE
Total astronomical minutes: 10,395 of possible 22,247 or 47%
Total Campbell Stokes card minutes; 10,056 of possible 21,516 or 47% [-2%]
 
* Correction made.
More data will be made available in the next few days...
 
Today's Observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Sky clear
Temperature: 40F; Dew Point: 22F; Wind: NW at 10 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.09 ins. Hg, steady, then rising  
Visibility: 60 miles, light distant haze S-NNE, 80 miles NE-SSE
6-hr max temp: 41F
6-hr min temp: 36F
24-hr precip: None 
BHO SA 1155 CLR 60 190/40/22/3110/009/ SKC LGT HZ DSNT S-NNE 
VSBY NE-SSE 80 MI/ 8/000 53013 10041 20036
 
10 A.M. 
Weather: Clear, few stratocumulus distant NW, few cirrus
S and overhead
Temperature: 50F; Dew Point: 19F; Wind: WNW at 9G18 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.09 ins. Hg, about steady
Visibility: 60 miles, light distant haze all quadrants 
BHO SA 1455 CLR 60 191/50/19/3009G18/009/ FEW SC DSNT NW 
FEW CI S AND OVHD LGT HZ DSNT ALQDS/ 8/501/ 51001
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Few cirrocumulus NNW, scattered cirrus fibratus
Temperature: 53F; Dew Point: 26F; Wind: NW at 9 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.06 ins. Hg, falling then more slowly
Visibility: 60 miles, distant haze in all directions
6-hr max temp: 54F 
6-hr min temp: 39F
BHO SA 1755 250 SCT 60 180/53/26/3209/006/
FEW CC NNW LGT HZ DSNT ALQDS/ 8/002 56011 10054 20039
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2014
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....56    NORMAL.....50
MIN.....34    NORMAL.....33
MEAN....45    NORMAL.....41
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.........................+4
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.........................+3 [+1.3 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............20  DEPARTURE..........-4
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH..............45  DEPARTURE..........-3     
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........5672  DEPARTURE........+140 
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......5070  DIFFERENCE.......+602
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY..................22  WSW  AT 11:28 P.M.       
                   AERO.......................20  WSW  AT 11:28 P.M.   
                   ASOS.......................22  WSW  AT 11:29 P.M.   
                   DAVIS......................18  WNW  AT 12:52 P.M. RMY 25
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY....................16  WSW  AT 11:41 P.M. *   
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE.................16  WSW  AT 11:40 P.M. 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE................17  WSW  AT 10:52 A.M. 
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION............ 8.5 W    
                   ASOS......................9.5      
                   DAVIS..................... 7.4 WSW [246 deg]
* Last of several occurrences...
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00  DEPARTURE.............-0.17
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........0.00  DEPARTURE.............-0.34      
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........15.12  DEPARTURE.............+0.78
                         ASOS.............15.55
 
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE..............-0.2
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................0.0  DEPARTURE..............-0.4
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............84.8  DEPARTURE.............+24.7
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR MARCH 2014 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
RMY:  R.M. Young wind gust recording system
TSTM: Thunderstorm day (thunder heard some time during day)
....: Data not yet available, records not finalized
 
3/1  34/12/23/-8/0.00/0.0/458/68          28 SSW AERO 29 MPH SSW RMY 30
3/2  37/28/33/2/T/T/014/02                22 SW  AERO 22 MPH SW  RMY 29
3/3  28/11/20/-12/0.00/0.0/000/00         29 NNW AERO 30 MPH NNW RMY N/A
3/4  29/6/18/-14/0.00/0.0/444/65          17 SW  AERO 16 MPH SW  RMY 17
3/5  27/16/22/-10/0.02/0.3/000/00         21 NE  AERO 20 MPH N   RMY 23
3/6  26/7/17/-15/0.00/0.0/689/100         23 NNW AERO 23 MPH NNW RMY N/A 
3/7  35/16/26/-7/0.00/0.0/449/65          18 SE  AERO 17 MPH SE  RMY 18 
3/8  52/27/40/+7/0.00/0.0/673/97          26 NW  AERO 29 MPH NNW RMY 27
3/9  40/25/33/0/0.00/0.0/669/96           28 NW  AERO 29 MPH NW  RMY 29
3/10 42/26/34/+1/0.03/0.8/196/28          21 S   AERO 22 MPH S   RMY 27
3/11 56/34/45/+11/0.00/0.0/450/64         33 W   AERO 33 MPH W   RMY 34 
3/12 53/34/44/+10/0.50/T/120/17           29 NNW AERO 30 MPH NNW RMY 30
3/13 33/12/23/-11/0.14/1.4/007/01         43 NW  AERO 45 MPH NW  RMY 45
3/14 37/10/24/-11/0.00/0.0/498/70         39 SSW AERO 41 MPH SSW RMY 42
3/15 54/35/45/+10/0.01/0.0/450/63         50 WNW AERO 58 MPH WNW RMY 54
3/16 35/21/28/-7/0.00/0.0/509/71          36 W   AERO 36 MPH WNW RMY 37
3/17 30/13/22/-14/0.00/0.0/562/78         25 N   AERO 26 MPH N   RMY 19
3/18 35/16/26/-10/0.00/0.0/701/97         18 ENE AERO 16 MPH ENE RMY 18
3/19 44/23/34/-2/T/0.0/428/59             24 E   AERO 23 MPH E   RMY 26
3/20 51/35/43/+6/0.30/0.0/190/26          36 W   AERO 37 MPH W   RMY 39
3/21 42/29/36/-1/0.00/0.0/242/33          40 W   AERO 41 MPH W   RMY 42
3/22 55/26/41/+4/T/0.0/404/55             52 WNW AERO 52 MPH WNW RMY 53
3/23 43/20/32/-6/0.00/0.0/052/07          32 NNW AERO 32 MPH NNW RMY N/A
3/24 32/13/23/-15/0.00/0.0/725/98         37 N   AERO 36 MPH N   RMY 36
3/25 38/17/28/-10/0.00/0.0/550/74         25 SSW AERO 22 MPH SSW RMY N/A
3/26 32/20/26/-13/T/0.1/022/03            54 NW  AERO 56 MPH NW  RMY 55
3/27 45/17/31/-8/0.00/0.0/659/88          35 NW  AERO 33 MPH NW  RMY 31
3/28 57/33/45/+6/0.06/0.0/038/05          45 SW  AERO 43 MPH SW  RMY 47
3/29 53/37/45/+5/..../0.0/196/26          39 ENE AERO 40 MPH ENE RMY 38
3/30 42/33/38/-2/..../T/000/00            40 NNE AERO 38 MPH NNE RMY 41
3/31 37/31/34/-7/..../.../000/00          33 N   AERO N/A        RMY 37
 
4/1  48/31/40/-1/0.00/0.0/.../..          29 NNE AERO N/A
4/2  56/34/45/+4/0.00/0.0/.../..          22 WSW AERO 20 MPH WSW RMY N/A
 
4/3 morning low temp: 36F; the normal low is now 33F 
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR MARCH/APRIL 2014
None
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR APRIL 3
HIGH 76 IN 1892
LOW 16 IN 1894
PRECIP 2.18 IN. IN 1990
SNOWFALL 8.0 IN. IN 1915
PEAK GUST 83e MPH NW IN 1977 [RECORD FOR MONTH]
 
RECORDS FOR APRIL 4
HIGH 76 IN 2010
LOW 12 IN 1954
PRECIP 1.45 IN. IN 1987
SNOWFALL 3.7 IN. IN 1975
PEAK GUST 80 MPH WNW IN 1963
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Brian Fitzgerald