BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2014
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
TEMPERATURE AT SUMMIT DIPS TO 2 ABOVE ZERO THIS MORNING
HIGH CLOUDS ADVANCE NORTHWARD OVERHEAD AND BEYOND BY AFTERNOON
TEMPERATURE STRUGGLED INTO MID-20'S....
DEW POINTS STAY WELL BELOW ZERO 
 
The low temperature of 2 degrees just before 7 A.M. was our
coldest for February to date and coldest since 2 above zero
on January 24.
High cirrostratus clouds were advancing overhead and beyond to
the north of us by early this afternoon.  The clouds are in
advance of a large storm system bringing damaging glaze from
freezing rain in the Southeast U.S. today.
Despite bright mid-February sunshine our temperature was
struggling in the mid 20's early this afternoon and the
air was extremely dry with dew points well below zero and
generally between 4 and 9 below.  
 
Today's Observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Clear, stratocumulus layer along and offshore NNE-S
Temperature: 3F; Dew Point: -5F; Wind: NW at 10 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.50 ins. Hg, rising, then more quickly 
Visibility: 35 miles, except 30 miles NE-SE and 45 miles
to the WNW (Mt. Wachusett faintly visible) distant haze
in all quadrants
6-hr min temp: 2F
Snow depth: 10 inches
BHO SA 1155 CLR 35 330/3/-5/3210/050/ SC LYR ALG/OFFSHR NNE-S
VSBY WNW 45 NE-SE 30 DSNT HZ ALQDS WINDCHILL -11/ 8/500 4/010
53021 10009 20002 
 
10 A.M. 
Weather: Clear, stratocumulus offshore distant NE-SE,
cirrostratus layer extending SSE-WSW gradually invading
Temperature: 15F Dew Point: -3F; Wind: WNW at 3 kts,
Wind: Light
Sea-level pressure: 30.55 ins. Hg, rising, then more rapidly 
Visibility: 30 miles, NNE-NE 20 miles, thin smoke layer,
WNW 45 miles, Mt Wachusett faintly visible, distant haze
BHO SA 1455 CLR 30 346/15/-3/3003/055/ SC OFFSHR DSNT NE-SE
CS LYR XTDNG SSE-WSW GRDLY INVDNG VSBY NNE-NE 20 THN K LYR 
VSBY WNW 45 DSNT HZ ALQDS WND LGT/ 8/505 53016
 
1 P.M.  
Weather:  Scattered opaque cirrostratus layer south, thin overcast
cirrostratus layer overhead with band of clear sky WNW-N-ENE, layer is
advancing northward, stratocumulus layer offshore NE-ESE
Temperature: 24F; Dew Point: -5F; Wind: E at 3 kts,
Wind: Light 
Sea-level pressure: 30.54 ins. Hg, falling then rising slightly but
lower than 3 hours ago   
Visibility: 50 miles, lower N-E, smoke layer along horizon and
above to an estimated top of 12 hundred feet over city north
6-hr max. temp: 25F
6-hr min. temp: 3F
BHO SA 1755 250 SCT 300 –OVC 50 342/24/-5/0803/054/ SC LYR OFFSHR
NE-ESE BINOVC/CLR SKY BND XTDNG WNW-N-ENE CS LYR ADVCNG K LYR ALG/ABV
HRZN NW-NE ESTMTD TOP OVR CTY 12 HND VSBY LWR N-E WND LGT/ 8/506 55004
10025 20003 
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....24    NORMAL.....36
MIN......8    NORMAL.....18
MEAN....16    NORMAL.....27
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.......................-11
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH........................-6 [-0.7 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............49  DEPARTURE.........+11
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............430  DEPARTURE..........+5     
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........3947  DEPARTURE..........-9
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......3573  DIFFERENCE.......+374
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY..................22  WNW AT   3:49 P.M.       
                   AERO.......................20  WNW AT   3:49 P.M.                  
                   ASOS.......................23  NNW AT   7:29 P.M.            
                   DAVIS......................23  WNW AT   3:49 P.M. RMY 25
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY....................17  WNW AT   3:49 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE.................18  NW  AT   3:51 P.M.               
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE................16  WNW AT   3:51 P.M.             
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.............10.8 WNW         
                   ASOS......................11.5   
                   DAVIS......................9.4 WNW [300 deg.]
* last in a series...
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00  DEPARTURE.............-0.14
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........1.71  DEPARTURE.............+0.22  
                         ASOS..............1.78
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........6.33  DEPARTURE.............+0.49
                         ASOS..............6.69
 
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE..............-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH...............14.9  DEPARTURE..............+9.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............63.7  DEPARTURE.............+25.2 
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY 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
 
2/1  45/30/38/+12/0.00/0.0/402/67         24 S   AERO 23 MPH S   RMY 25
2/2  53/33/43/+17/0.00/0.0/181/30         22 S   AERO 21 MPH WNW RMY 21
2/3  36/22/29/+3/0.32/2.8/000/00          22 NNE AERO 18 MPH NNE RMY 21 
2/4  33/18/26/0/0.00/0.0/.../..           20 NW  AERO 16 MPH NW  RMY 17
2/5  31/21/26/0/..../.../000/00           32 ENE AERO 30 MPH ENE RMY 30
2/6  26/15/21/-5/..../.../.../..          22 WNW AERO 21 MPH WNW RMY 22
2/7  29/13/21/-6/0.00/0.0/.../..          25 W   AERO 23 MPH W   RMY 27
2/8  28/12/20/-7/0.00/0.0/.../..          24 W   AERO 23 MPH W   RMY 23
2/9  28/19/24/-3/0.05/1.0/.../..          21 N   AERO 17 MPH N   RMY 19 
2/10 27/14/21/-6/0.00/0.0/.../..          28 NW  AERO 28 MPH NW  RMY 30   
2/11 24/8/16/-11/0.00/0.0/.../..          22 WNW AERO 20 MPH WNW RMY 25
 
2/12 morning low temp: 2F; the normal low is now 19F 
 
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 12
HIGH 56F IN 1999
LOW -14F IN 1914
PRECIP 4.85 INCHES IN 1886 [RECORD FOR MONTH]
SNOWFALL 15.0 INCHES IN 2006
PEAK GUST 70 MPH E IN 1985
 
RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 13
HIGH 64F IN 1951
LOW -10F IN 1967
PRECIP 2.80 INCHES IN 2008
SNOWFALL 13.5 INCHES IN 1894
PEAK GUST 60 MPH SE IN 1972
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling