BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014    
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
COLDER TODAY WITH SUNSHINE THROUGH HIGH CLOUDS
WARM START TO DECEMBER AVERAGING 5 DEGREES ABOVE NORM
 
Sunshine was welcomed today after two overcast days and
just under a half inch of rainfall. There was also snow and
sleet as well as some light freezing rain during the
evening of December 2nd. There was really no way to know
how much solid precipitation may have accumulated here
at the summit as temperatures rose several degrees above
freezing later that night and it was melted before our
morning observation.
 
Today's high temperature struggled to only 41 degrees
despite the sunshine. The air has dried out considerably 
since yesterday with the dew point today down in
the lower 20's.
 
Monthly statistics have pretty well been compiled below.
Please check our website at bluehill.org for the listing
below after this list is included for the final time
in tomorrow's discussion.
 
NOVEMBER 2014 PRELIMINARY STATS
[Departures are relative to the 1981-2010 normal]
 
TEMPERATURE [deg. F]

Av. Max. 48.0 [-2.0]
Av. Min. 32.2 [-1.3]
Mean     40.1 [-1.6]
24-hour corr. mean: 40.3
Max. temp. for month: 66 on 5th 
Min, temp. for month: 17 on 29th
Total heating degree day units: 737 [+39]
Total seasonal heating   units: 1159 [-102]
 
PRECIPITATION [ins.]
Total: 6.21 [+1.45]
Greatest one calendar day: 1.77 [26th]
Greatest in 24 hours: 1.81 [26-27th]
Snow: 8.7 [+6.4]
Total Season Snow: 8.7 [+6.1]
Greatest one calendar day: 3.5 [14th]
Greatest in 24 hours: 3.5 [13-14th]
 
WIND
Av. wind speed:       13.1 MPH 
Av. corr. wind speed: 13.4 MPH
Prevailing direction: W @ 15%
 
SUNSHINE
Total astronomical minutes: 8114 of 17626 possible, or 46%
Total Campbell Stokes card minutes: 7818 of 17010 possible, or 46%
 
 
Today's Observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Thin scattered cirrus, cirrus radiatus ESE-S,
patch lower cirrus SW
Temperature: 32F; Dew Point: 21F; Wind: WSW at 8 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.23 ins. Hg, rising then more rapidly                 
Visibility: 35 miles, distant haze
6-hr max temp: 34F
6-hr min temp: 31F
24-hr precip: 0.08 in.
24-hr snowfall: none
BHO SA 1155 250 -SCT 35 238/32/21/2408/023/ CI ENE-SE-SW CI 
RADIATUS ESE-S PTCH LWR CI SW DSNT HZ/ 8/001 53022 MANUAL 70008 
ASOS 70010 10034 20031
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Scattered dense cirrus, 2 layers thin broken cirrus
Temperature: 37F; Dew Point: 21F; Wind: WSW at 9 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.31 ins. Hg, rising, then more slowly       
Visibility: 45 miles, distant haze 
BHO SA 1455 220 SCT 250 -BKN 300 -BKN 45 265/37/21/2509/031/
PTCHS DNS CI ALQDS DSNT HZ/ 8/002 51027
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Thin scattered cirrus, cirrus radiatus, thin broken
cirrus, cumulus and stratocumulus generated by cumulus to the
W-N-E (mostly distant) 
Temperature: 41F; Dew Point: 21F; Wind: NW at 11 kts,
Wind: Direction variability, WNW-N
Sea-level pressure: 30.30 ins. Hg, falling slightly
Visibility: 55 miles, distant haze
6-hr max temp: 41F
6-hr min temp: 31F
BHO SA 1755 250 -SCT 300 -BKN 55 260/41/21/3111/030/
CU/SCCG MSTLY DSNT W-N-E CI RADIATUS PRSNT WND 29V36/
8/401 58005 10041 20031
 
SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....49   NORMAL.....44
MIN.....34   NORMAL.....28
MEAN....42   NORMAL.....36
 
8DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.........................+6
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.........................+17 [+5.5 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............23  DEPARTURE...........-6
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH..............69  DEPARTURE..........-18    
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........1228  DEPARTURE.........-120
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......1306  DIFFERENCE.........-78
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY..................35 W   AT 10:17 P.M.   
                   ASOS.......................40 W   AT 10:18 P.M.   
                   DAVIS......................39 W   AT  7:20 P.M. RMY 43
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY....................29 WNW AT  9:26 P.M. 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE.................30 WMW AT  9:26 P.M.    
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE................29 W   AT  9:26 P.M.  
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION...............14.8 SSW                            
                   ASOS........................14.8  
                   DAVIS.......................13.4 WSW (240 degrees) 
                
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.08  DEPARTURE.....-0.09
                         ASOS..............0.10
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........0.42  DEPARTURE.....-0.07       
                         ASOS..............0.46 
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........48.18  DEPARTURE.....-0.84
                         ASOS.............48.65  
 
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE......-0.3
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH..............TRACE  DEPARTURE......-0.8
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON...............8.7  DEPARTURE......+5.3 
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR NOVEMBER & DECEMBER CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SNOWFALL/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/ PEAK GUST/RMY 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
 
11/1  45/36/41/-5/0.79/0.0/000/00              35 NNE RMY N/A
11/2  37/32/35/-11/0.29/1.8/000/00             46 NW  RMY 49
11/3  50/30/45/-6/0.00/0.0/584/95              39 WNW RMY 43
11/4  61/44/53/+8/0.00/0.0/208/34              28 SSW RMY 32       
11/5  66/50/58/+13/0.00/0.0/006/01             29 SSW RMY N/A 
11/6  52/45/49/+4/0.58/0.0/000/00              23 NE  RMY 24
11/7  46/34/40/-5/0.00/0.0/079/13              39 NW  RMY 42
11/8  47/30/39/-5/0.00/0.0/555/92              24 W   RMY 25
11/9  56/38/47/+3/0.00/0.0/204/34              23 SSW RMY N/A
11/10 58/40/49/+5/0.00/0.0/592/99              17 S   RMY 20
11/11 61/43/52/+9/0.00/0.0/358/60              22 S   RMY 25
11/12 59/40/50/+7/0.00/0.0/095/16              22 W   RMY 25
11/13 49/32/41/-2/0.08/T/450/76                21 NW  RMY N/A
11/14 41/27/34/-8/0.29/3.5/442/75              23 NW  RMY 27
11/15 37/24/31/-11/0.00/0.0/569/97             23 NW  RMY 23
11/16 39/26/33/-9/0.00/0.0/012/02              17 S   RMY 19
11/17 52/34/43/+2/1.67/0.0/000/00              29 ENE RMY 31
11/18 44/23/34/-7/0.00/0.0/494/85              33 W   RMY 39
11/19 35/19/27/-14/0.00/0.0/544/94             31 WSW RMY N/A 
11/20 47/26/37/-3/0.00/0.0/542/94              35 WSW RMY 41 
11/21 34/22/28/-12/0.00/0.0/569/99             31 WNW RMY 39
11/22 43/20/32/-8/0.00/0.0/350/61              32 SW  RMY 36
11/23 58/40/49/+10/0.00/0.0/365/64             26 SW  RMY N/A
11/24 63/43/53/+14/0.60/0.0/000/00             44 S   RMY 53
11/25 61/44/53/+14/0.00/0.0/023/04             28 SW  RMY 30
11/26 44/31/38/+0/1.77/1.0/000/00              41 NE  RMY 46
11/27 36/27/32/-6/0.08/0.9/057/10              29 N   RMY N/A
11/28 32/21/27/-11/0.06/1.5/175/31             29 WNW RMY 32
11/29 32/17/25/-12/0.00/0.0/455/81             17 S   RMY N/A
11/30 55/30/43/+6/0.00/0.0/386/69              32 SSW RMY 38
 
12/1  63/37/50/+13/0.01/0.0/.../..             28 WNW RMY 31
12/2  37/30/34/-2/..../T/000/00                26 E   RMY 29
12/3  49/34/42/+6/..../0.0/000/00              40 W   RMY 43
 
12/4 morning low temp: 31F since midnight; the normal low is now 28F
 
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 2014:
     None so far.

DAILY RECORDS FOR NOVEMBER 2014:
11/2  - A NEW RECORD DAILY SNOWFALL: 1.8 INCHES;
     surpasses the previous record of 0.2 ins. in 1906, 1951
11/14 - DAILY SNOWFALL RECORD EQUALED: 3.5 INCHES;
        ties previous record on this date in 1997    
    
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):    
 
RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 4
HIGH 67 IN 1998
LOW -4 IN 1940
PRECIP 1.87 INS. IN 1968
SNOWFALL 6.0 INS. IN 1907
PEAK GUST 73 MPH WNW IN 1980
 
RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 5
HIGH 65 IN 2001
LOW -1 IN 1926
PRECIP 2.86 INS. IN 1993
SNOWFALL 7.0 INS. IN 1926, 1981
PEAK GUST 67 MPH WNW IN 1961, S IN 1973
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling