BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2014
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
TEMPERATURES DROP AND SNOW BEGINS THIS MORNING TO
START ANOTHER WINTERY WEEK.
 
After a very warm start to the month, which featured a 53
degree maximum yesterday, 2 degrees below the 1951 daily
record, temperatures are on the decline.
 
At Midnight this morning our potential maximum temperature of
the day was recorded at 37 degrees, which fell to just below
34 degrees at 7:00 AM. Overcast altostratus lowered this morning
to nimbostratus as snow began at half past 9:00 AM. Winds have
remained light primarily from the NNE-NE with visibilities
reduced from 35 miles to 1 mile partially obscured by snow
at 10:00 AM. By 1:00 PM light snow continued further reducing
visibility to 3/4 of a mile.
 
All monthly data below is preliminary, with some data currently
unavailable. Keep posted for a monthly discussion on our website,
bluehill.org.
 
THE PRELIMINARY JANUARY 2014 STATS
 
[Departures are relative to the 1981-2010 averages]
 
TEMPERATURE: Deg. F
Avg. Max. 33.2 [-0.6]
Avg. Min. 16.7 [-0.4]
Mean      25.0 [-0.5]
24-hr. corrected mean: 24.8
Max. temp: 57F on 6th and 11th
Min. temp: -4F  on 4th
Total heating degree day units: 1240 [+14]
Total seasonal heating units:   3517 [-14 less than average]
[Season starts 7/1] 
Seasonal total this date 2012:  3126 [391 more than last season]
 
PRECIPITATION: Inches
Total: 4.62 [+0.27]
Greatest in 24 hours: 1.26 inches (2nd-3rd)
Total snowfall: 33.1 [+16.0]
Greatest in 24 hours: 14.3 inches (2nd-3rd)
 
WIND
Av. speed (uncorrected): 14.2 mph
Av. speed (corrected):   14.5 mph
Prevailing direction: W 25%
 
SUNSHINE
Total astronomical minutes: 8538 of possible 17702 or 48%
Total Campbell Stokes card minutes; 8202 of possible 17130 or 48% [+2%]
 
BHO Snowiest January’s, inches (1886-2014)
 
1) 56.3 in 1948
2) 48.2 in 2011
3) 48.0 in 1904
4) 47.6 in 1996
5) 46.0 in 1966
6) 44.8 in 2005
7) 44.5 in 1923
8) 38.3 in 1987
9) 35.6 in 1978
10) 33.1 in 2014
 
Today's Observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Overcast altostratus undulatus
Temperature: 34F; Dew Point: 23F; Wind: NNE at 7 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.17 ins. Hg, increasing then more slowly
Visibility: 35 miles, distant haze
6-hr. min temp: 33F
Snow depth: Trace  
BHO SA 1155 E30 OVC 35 216/34/23/0207/017/ HZ DSNT ALQDS/ 8/02/ 
51022 MANUAL 7000/ 10036 20033
 
10 A.M. 
Weather: Light snow, partially obscuring 5/10 of the sky,
overcast nimbostratus
Temperature: 31F Dew Point: 30F; Wind: NE at 7 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.20 ins. Hg, rising, then more slowly 
Visibility: 1 mile, reduced by snow
3-hr snowfall: Trace
3-hr precipitation: Trace
BHO SA 1455 –X E20 OVC 1S- 226/31/30/0409/020/ S5 NEW SN PST 
3 HRS TRACE SB35/ 8/02/ 53010 ASOS 60001 MANUAL 6000/
 
1 P.M.  
Weather: Light snow, fog
Temperature: 29F; Dew Point: 29F; Wind: NNE at 7 kts,
Wind: Direction variable WSW-NW
Sea-level pressure: 30.17 ins. Hg, steady, then falling 
Visibility: 3/4 of a mile, reduced by snow and fog
6-hr max. temp: 33F 
6-hr snowfall: 1.3 inches
6-hr precipitation: 0.16 inch
BHO SA 1755 W5 OVC 3/4S-F 216/29/29/0307/017/ NEW SN PST 6 HRS 
1.3 INS/ 58010 ASOS 60016 MANUAL 60016 10033 20029
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2014
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....53    NORMAL.....35
MIN.....33    NORMAL.....17
MEAN....43    NORMAL.....26
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.........................+17
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.........................+29 [+14.3 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............22  DEPARTURE.........-17
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH..............49  DEPARTURE.........-30     
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........3566  DEPARTURE.........-43
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......3207  DIFFERENCE.......+359
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY..................24  S  AT  9:19 P.M.        
                   AERO.......................23  S  AT  9:19 P.M.             
                   ASOS.......................26  S  AT  4:38 P.M.          
                   DAVIS......................23  S  AT  4:42 P.M. RMY 25
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY....................19  S  AT  11:14 P.M.  
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE.................20  S  AT  11:03 P.M.            
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE................18  S  AT  11:11 P.M.          
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION............ 10.3 S           
                   ASOS......................10.4
                   DAVIS......................9.3 SSW [208 deg.]
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M...TRACE DEPARTURE..............-0.14
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH.........TRACE  DEPARTURE.............-0.27  
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........4.62  DEPARTURE...........+/-0.00
                         ASOS..............4.94
 
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M........0.0   DEPARTURE...............-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH..............0.0   DEPARTURE...............-1.0
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON............48.8   DEPARTURE..............+14.7 
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 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:  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
 
1/1  26/16/21/-6/0.00/0.0/505/92          25 W   AERO 25 MPH W   RMY 27
1/2  24/00/12/-15/0.97/10.9/000/00        39 NNE AERO 39 MPH NNE RMY 39
1/3  12/-3/05/-21/0.38/4.7/270/49         36 N   AERO 39 MPH N   RMY 34
1/4  25/-4/11/-15/0.00/0.0/545/99         35 SSW AERO 37 MPH SSW RMY 38
1/5  42/23/33/+7/0.08/0.0/259 47          30 SE  AERO 32 MPH SE  RMY 42
1/6  57/25/41/+15/0.29/0.0/006/01         41 S   AERO 46 MPH S   RMY 48
1/7  25/06/16/-10/0.00/0.0/555/100        44 WNW AERO 46 MPH WNW RMY 42
1/8  21/3/12/-14/0.00/0.0/550/99          28 WSW AERO 29 MPH WSW RMY N/A
1/9  28/13/21/-5/0.00/0.0/540/97          23 WNW AERO 24 MPH WNW RMY 27
1/10 37/17/27/+2/0.05/0.3/000/00          17 SSW AERO 18 MPH SW  RMY N/A     
1/11 57/37/47/+22/0.67/0.0/000/00         50 S   AERO 59 MPH S   RMY 59
1/12 51/32/42/+17/0.04/0.0/292/52         41 W   AERO 44 MPH W   RMY 42
1/13 50/30/40/+15/0.00/0.0/473/84         33 S   AERO 36 MPH S   RMY 37
1/14 49/41/45/+20/0.83/0.0/000/00         35 S   AERO 37 MPH S   RMY 32      
1/15 46/33/40/+15/0.00/0.0/374/66         24 W   AERO 23 MPH W   RMY N/A
1/16 40/34/37/+12/0.00/0.0/000/00         14 ENE AERO 13 MPH ENE RMY 14
1/17 44/33/39/+14/0.00/0.0/541/95         21 SW  AERO 21 MPH SW  RMY 22
1/18 37/30/34/+9/0.82/4.2/000/00          18 E   AERO 17 MPH E   RMY 18
1/19 32/27/30/+5/0.03/0.5/304/53          28 SW  AERO 35 MPH SW  RMY 34
1/20 39/23/31/+6/0.00/0.0/023/04          38 W   AERO 41 MPH W   RMY 42
1/21 23/8/16/-9/0.30/9.0/006/01           29 WNW AERO 30 MPH WNW RMY 32
1/22 15/3/9/-16/0.12/3.1/237/41           36 N   AERO 35 MPH N   RMY 34      
1/23 20/-1/10/-15/0.00/0.0/418/72         30 W   AERO 29 MPH W   RMY 30
1/24 16/2/9/-16/0.00/0.0/571/98           28 WNW AERO 25 MPH WNW RMY N/A
1/25 36/12/24/-1/0.01/0.2/053/09          60 SSW AERO 66 MPH SSW RMY 64
1/26 22/12/17/-8/0.00/0.0/405/69          45 W   AERO 43 MPH W   RMY 41
1/27 45/17/31/+6/0.02/0.0/024/04          46 S   AERO 46 MPH S   RMY 49
1/28 18/9/14/-11/0.00/0.0/455/77          33 W   AERO 31 MPH W   RMY 32
1/29 24/11/17/-8/0.01/0.2/410/69          28 W   AERO 23 MPH W   RMY 27
1/30 29/10/20/-6/0.00/0.0/590/99          25 S   AERO 20 MPH S   RMY 28
1/31 40/18/29/+3/0.00/0.0/138/23          29 SSW AERO 24 MPH SSW RMY 28
 
 
2/1  45/30/38/+12/0.00/0.0/.../..         24 S   AERO 23 MPH S   RMY 25
2/2  53/33/43/+17/0.00/0.0/.../..         22 S   AERO 21 MPH WNW RMY 21
 
2/3 morning low temp: 33F; the normal low is now 17F                               
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR JANUARY 2014
1/21 - New record daily snowfall of 9.0 ins.; this surpasses
7.6 ins. in 2011.
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 2014
None so far.
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 3
HIGH 58F IN 1991
LOW -7F IN 1955
PRECIP 2.14 INS. IN 1970
SNOWFALL 7.0 INS. IN 1913
PEAK GUST 102 MPH S IN 1970 [RECORD FOR MONTH]
 
RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 4
HIGH 63F IN 1991
LOW -4F IN 1886, 1908
PRECIP 1.80 INS. IN 1926
SNOWFALL 15.0 INS. IN 1961
PEAK GUST 89 MPH SSE IN 1972
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Brian Fitzgerald