BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2014    
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
SUNSHINE THIS MORNING FIRST SINCE 12/7
OVERCAST THIS AFTERNOON
 
After a partly sunny morning the clouds were back
this afternoon.  We had our first sunshine since
December 7.  No precipitation was observed today,
only one of a few days without rain this month.   
 
Today's Observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Scattered stratocumulus, overcast altocumulus,
few lower cumulus/stratocumulus distant NE-E, break in
the overcast NNE-SE-SSW, total new snow past 24 hours
is 0.4 inch, frost this morning  
Temperature: 27F; Dew Point: 24F; Wind: W at 7 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.85 ins. Hg, rising then more quickly                   
Visibility: 30 miles, light haze and distant thin fog
6-hr max temp: 28F
6-hr min temp: 26F
24-hr precip:  0.04 inch
24-hr snowfall: 0.4 inch
BHO SA 1155 42 SCT E95 OVC 30 109/27/24/2707/985/ FEW LWR 
CU/SC DSNT NE-E BINOVC NNE-SE-SSW LGT DSNT FH FROST TOTAL NEW 
SNW PST 24 HRS 0.4 IN/ 8/87/ 53013 ASOS 70003 MANUAL 70004
10028 20026
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Scattered altocumulus and altocumulus lenticularis,
scattered dense cirrus, few cumulus fractus forming,
stratocumulus later distant NW-E
Temperature: 33F; Dew Point: 27F; Wind: WNW at 10 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.88 ins. Hg, rising then more slowly    
Visibility: 50 miles, light distant haze 
BHO SA 1455 95 SCT 200 SCT 50 117/33/27/3010/988/ FEW SML CU FRMG
SC LYR DSNT NW-E PTCHS ACSL/DNS CI/ 8/842 51008
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered stratocumulus, overcast stratocumulus, distant cumulus,
breaks in overcast higher clouds [Cirrus] visible 
Temperature: 35F; Dew Point: 27F; Wind: NW at 9 kts,
Wind: Direction variability WNW-N
Sea-level pressure: 29.83 ins. Hg, falling then more slowly 
Visibility: 60 miles, mountains in cloud 60 NW, light distant haze 
6-hr max temp: 36F
6-hr min temp: 27F
BHO SA 1755 25 SCT E30 OVC 60 103/35/27/3109/983/ DSNT CU BINOVC
HIER CI VSB MTNS INCLD 60 NW WND 29V35/ 8/8// 56014 10036 20027
 
SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2014
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....35   NORMAL.....41
MIN.....29   NORMAL.....26
MEAN....32   NORMAL.....33
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.........................-1
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.........................+9 [+0.6  DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............33  DEPARTURE...........+1
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............324  DEPARTURE...........-9    
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........1483  DEPARTURE.........-112
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......1557  DIFFERENCE.........-74
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY..................27 SW  AT  1:53 P.M.   
                   ASOS.......................28 SW  AT  1:54 P.M.  
                   DAVIS......................26 SSW AT 11:22 A.M. RMY 27
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY....................19 SW  AT  2:37 P.M. * 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE.................20 SW  AT  2:37 P.M.  
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE................19 SW  AT 12:07 P.M.  
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.............12.6 SW   
                   ASOS......................12.7 SW  
                   DAVIS.....................11.5 SW (220 degrees) 
* Last of several occurrences...
               
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.04  DEPARTURE.....-0.12
                         ASOS..............0.03
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........5.40  DEPARTURE.....+3.59       
                         ASOS..............5.54 
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........53.16  DEPARTURE.....+2.82
                         ASOS.............53.73  
 
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.4  DEPARTURE......-0.0
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................0.6  DEPARTURE......-3.0
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON...............9.3  DEPARTURE......+3.1 
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR 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
 
12/1  63/37/50/+13/0.01/0.0/.../..             28 WNW RMY 31
12/2  37/30/34/-2/0.10/T/000/00                26 E   RMY 29
12/3  49/34/42/+6/0.31/0.0/000/00              40 W   RMY 43
12/4  41/27/34/-1/..../0.0/.../..              29 WNW RMY N/A
12/5  42/23/33/-2/..../0.0/.../..              21 E   RMY 22
12/6  43/36/40/+5/..../0.0/000/00              25 NNW RMY N/A
12/7  36/18/27/-7/..../0.0/……/..               31 N   RMY 34
12/8  25/16/21/-13/0.01/0.1/000/00 *           24 N   RMY N/A
12/9  48/25/37/+3/3.23/0.0/000/00              48 ENE RMY 52
12/10 47/35/41/+8/..../0.0/000/00              35 NNE RMY 37
12/11 35/29/32/-1/0.05/0.5/000/00              27 SW  RMY 27 
 
12/12 morning low temp: 26F since midnight; the normal low is now 25F
 
* 8TH--A tenth of an inch of snow estimated and added in the evening hours....
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 2014:
    
-DAILY PRECIPITATION RECORD FOR DECEMBER 9 2014
     Old record of 1.51 inches set in 1952,
     replaced with new record of 3.23 inches.
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):    
 
RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 12
HIGH 67 IN 1979
LOW -3 IN 1988
PRECIP 3.94 INS. IN 1992
SNOWFALL 20.3 INS. IN 1960
PEAK GUST 75 MPH SSE IN 2008
 
RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 13
HIGH 60 IN 1984
LOW 0 IN 1893
PRECIP 1.45 INS. IN 1983
SNOWFALL 9.2 INS. IN 2007
PEAK GUST 81e WNW IN 1976
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling