BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2014
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
SNOW SHOWERS BEGAN ABOUT 2:15 P.M...SW+ 1/16 MILE AT 3 PM
FEBRUARY AND METEOROLOGICAL WINTER TO FINISH OUT ON
THE COLD SIDE AS STILL ANOTHER ARCTIC AIR MASS ARRIVES
 
Another invasion of Arctic air was being accompanied by
snow flurries by mid-afternoon today.  The new air mass
follows closely on the heels of the one that arrived
late yesterday dropping the temperature to 9F by midnight
last night and 7 degrees early this morning before dawn.
 
 
Today's Observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Thin broken altocumulus with a patch of irisation 
(or iridescence) briefly visible to the east 
Temperature: 11F; Dew Point: -3F; Wind: E at 6 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.75 ins. Hg, decreasing, then more quickly
Visibility: 50 miles, except 60 miles WNW, light distant haze
6-hr min temp: 7F
6-hr max temp: 11F
Snow depth: 6 inches 
BHO SA 1155 130 –BKN 50 076/11/-3/1006/975/ BRFLY PTCH IRISATION IN AC E
VSBY WNW 60 LGT DSNT HZ ALQDS/ 8/030 4/006 58022 10011 20007
 
10 A.M. 
Weather: Broken altocumulus, layer partly thin
Temperature: 21F Dew Point: -2F; Wind: S at 10 kts,
Wind: Direction variability, SE to SSW
Sea-level pressure: 29.73 ins. Hg, falling then more quickly  
Visibility: 45 miles, distant haze 
BHO SA 1455 E130 BKN 45 067/21/-2/1710/973/ BKN LYR PTLY THN DNST HZ
WND 13V21/ 8/030 58009 
 
1 P.M.  
Weather: Dense cirrostratus (2 layers) few small cumulus,
virga W, few thin spots in overcast  
Temperature: 26F; Dew Point: 9F; Wind: SW at 12G21 kts,
Wind: Direction variability, SSE-WSW
Sea-level pressure: 29.61 Hg, decreasing, then more quickly,
Pressure falling rapidly   
Visibility: 45 miles, distant haze  
6-hr max. temp: 27F
6-hr min. temp: 11F
BHO SA 1755 E220 BKN 250 OVC 45 028/26/9/2212G21/961/
FEW SML CU DNS CS (2 LYRS) FEW THN SPTS IOVC VIRGA W
DSNT HZ WND 16V24 PRESFR/  8/107 58039 10027 20011
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....29    NORMAL.....39
MIN......9    NORMAL.....21
MEAN....19    NORMAL.....30
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL........................-11
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.........................-8 [-0.5 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............46  DEPARTURE.........+11
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............975  DEPARTURE..........+6     
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........4492  DEPARTURE..........-7
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......4066  DIFFERENCE.......+426
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY..................30  WSW AT   2:40 P.M.           
                   AERO.......................30  WSW AT   2:40 P.M. *                       
                   ASOS.......................32  WSW AT   2:40 P.M.                
                   DAVIS......................29  WSW AT   2:40 P.M.  RMY 31
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY....................22  WSW AT   2:40 P.M.                
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE.................23  WSW AT   2:41 P.M.  
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE................22  SW  AT   2:41 P.M.                  
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION..............10.9 WSW         
                   ASOS.......................10.6   
                   DAVIS.......................9.8 W [270 deg.]
* last of several occurrences...
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....trace  DEPARTURE.............-0.16
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........5.39   DEPARTURE.............+1.65  
                         ASOS..............5.55
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........10.01  DEPARTURE.............+1.92
                         ASOS..............10.46
 
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE..............-0.4
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH...............32.0  DEPARTURE.............+19.1
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............80.8  DEPARTURE.............+34.8 
 
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  33/18/26/0/0.00/0.0/377/62           20 NW  AERO 16 MPH NW  RMY 17
2/5  31/21/26/0/1.32/10.7/000/00          32 ENE AERO 30 MPH ENE RMY 30
2/6  26/15/21/-5/0.02/0.4/398/65          22 WNW AERO 21 MPH WNW RMY 22
2/7  29/13/21/-6/0.00/0.0/615/100         25 W   AERO 23 MPH W   RMY 27
2/8  28/12/20/-7/0.00/0.0/612/99          24 W   AERO 23 MPH W   RMY 23
2/9  28/19/24/-3/0.05/1.0/112/18          21 N   AERO 17 MPH N   RMY 19 
2/10 27/14/21/-6/0.00/0.0/617/99          28 NW  AERO 28 MPH NW  RMY 30   
2/11 24/8/16/-11/0.00/0.0/625/100         22 WNW AERO 20 MPH WNW RMY 25
2/12 25/2/14/-13/0.00/0.0/509/81          25 NNW AERO 23 MPH NW  RMY 21
2/13 33/19/26/-2/1.67/5.0/000/00          46 NE  AERO 51 MPH NE  RMY 51
2/14 34/27/31/+3/0.39/0.4/348/55          48 W   AERO 51 MPH WNW RMY 49 
2/15 34/27/31/+3/0.68/7.2/025/04          35 NW  AERO 35 MPH NW  RMY 48
2/16 30/18/24/-4/0.03/0.4/549/86          45 NW  AERO 46 MPH NW  RMY N/A
2/17 27/9/18/-10/0.00/0.0/635/99          38 NW  AERO 38 MPH NW  RMY 41 
2/18 32/12/22/-7/0.32/4.0/000/00          27 ESE AERO 25 MPH WNW RMY 28 
2/19 35/20/28/-1/0.25/0.1/.../..          21 W   AERO 20 MPH ESE RMY 26
2/20 48/30/39/+10/..../.../.../..         26 WNW AERO 28 MPH W   RMY 26
2/21 49/33/41/+12/..../0.0/.../..         32 S   AERO 35 MPH S   RMY 35
2/22 50/33/42/+13/0.00/0.0/.../..         38 SSW AERO 39 MPH SSW RMY 42
2/23 50/36/43/+13/0.00/0.0/.../..         25 SW  AERO 27 MPH SW  RMY 29 
2/24 40/20/30/0/0.00/0.0/.../..           48 WNW AERO 50 MPH WNW RMY 49
2/25 27/16/22/-8/0.00/0.0/.../..          37 W   AERO 38 MPH W   RMY 35
2/26 29/9/19/-11/T/T/.../..               30 WSW AERO 30 MPH WSW RMY 31
 
2/27 morning low temp: 7F; the normal low is now 22F 
 
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 27
HIGH 61F IN 1976
LOW -8F IN 1900
PRECIP 1.43 INCHES IN 2013
SNOWFALL 6.0 INCHES IN 1922
PEAK GUST 67 MPH W IN 1985
 
RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 28
HIGH 62F IN 1976
LOW -2F IN 1907,1934
PRECIP 1.79 INCHES IN 1958
SNOWFALL 8.5 INCHES IN 2005
PEAK GUST 88e MPH SSW IN 1943

TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling