BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2014
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
UNSEASONABLE COLD CONTINUES WITH OVERCAST SKIES
GRADUALLY LOWERING AND THICKENING ALONG NE WINDS WITH
AFTERNOON SNOW
 
Overnight clouds were on the increase helping the mercury stay
between 24 to 22 degrees from midnight to sunrise. A layer of
stratocumulus that were few and distant offshore this morning
have gradually backed in from the ocean along NE winds, lowering
the ceiling to roughly 1,000 feet from the summit of Great Blue
Hill.
 
Snow showers and virga have been observed throughout the day
with snow finally beginning at Blue Hill at approximately 12:40 PM.
Snow flurries turned into more continuous and substantial light
snow following the 1:00 PM observation at which time snow
had reduced the prevailing visibility to 7 miles in most
directions. Only a trace of snow had been recorded by 1:00 PM.
 
 
Today's Observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Few stratocumulus distant offshore NNE-ESE, overcast
altostratus undulatus, virga distant ESE
Temperature: 22F; Dew Point: 13F; Wind: NE at 6 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.28 ins. Hg, increasing, then more quickly
Visibility: 30 miles, distant haze
6-hr min temp: 22F
6-hr max temp: 23F
Snow depth: 7 inches 
BHO SA 1155 E70 OVC 30 255/22/13/0506/028/ FEW SC DSNT OFFSHR 
NNE-ESE VIRGA DSNT ESE LGT HZ ALQDS/ 8/52/ 4/007 53014 10023 20022
 
10 A.M. 
Weather: Scattered stratocumulus advancing from NE last hour,
broken altocumulus undulatus, overcast altostratus,
snow showers distant E-ESE
Temperature: 26F Dew Point: 17F; Wind: N at 6 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.30 ins. Hg, increasing, then decreasing
Visibility: 25 miles, 35 miles SE-WSW, distant haze
BHO SA 1455 10 SCT E50 BKN 140 OVC 25 260/26/17/0106/030/
SNW SHWRS DSNT E-ESE VSBY SE-WSW 35 MI LGT HZ ALQDS/ 8/57/ 50005
 
1 P.M.  
Weather: Light snow, broken stratocumulus,
overcast stratus/nimbostratus, snow very light
Temperature: 25F; Dew Point: 19F; Wind: ENE at 7 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.28 Hg, falling then more quickly  
Visibility: 7 miles, reduced by light snow, 30 miles S-SSW
6-hr max. temp: 27F
6-hr min. temp: 21F
3-hr snow: TRACE
BHO SA 1755 E10 BKN 42 OVC 7S- 253/25/19/0607/028/
S-B40 VSBY S-SSW 30 MI NEW SNW PST 3 HRS TRACE PRCP VRY LGT/
8/52/ 58007 MANUAL 6000/ 10027 20021  
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....29    NORMAL.....41
MIN......6    NORMAL.....23
MEAN....18    NORMAL.....32
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL........................-14
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH........................-32 [-8.2 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............47  DEPARTURE.........+14
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............166  DEPARTURE.........+32     
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........4757  DEPARTURE.........+55 
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......4239  DIFFERENCE.......+518
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY..................17 SW  AT   1:37 P.M. *          
                   AERO.......................16 SW  AT   1:37 P.M. *                         
                   ASOS.......................17 N   AT   4:57 A.M.                 
                   DAVIS......................17 SSW AT   1:38 P.M. RMY 17
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY....................12 SW  AT   1:40 P.M. *                 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE.................14 SSW AT   1:40 P.M.   
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE................13 SSW AT   1:40 P.M.                  
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.............7.5 WSW            
                   ASOS......................7.4    
                   DAVIS.....................6.6 W [283 deg.]
* last of several occurrences....
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00  DEPARTURE.............-0.17
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........0.00  DEPARTURE.............-0.69    
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........10.09  DEPARTURE.............+0.98 
                         ASOS.............10.52
 
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M........  0.0  DEPARTURE..............-0.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................0.0  DEPARTURE..............-2.1
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............81.8  DEPARTURE.............+32.7 
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR MARCH 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
 
3/1  34/12/23/-8/0.00/0.0/.../..          28 SSW AERO 29 MPH SSW RMY 30
3/2  37/28/33/2/T/T/.../..                22 SW  AERO 22 MPH SW  RMY 29
3/3  28/11/20/-12/0.00/0.0/.../..         29 NNW AERO 30 MPH NNW RMY N/A
3/4  29/6/18/-14/0.00/0.0/.../..          17 SW  AERO 16 MPH SW  RMY 17
 
3/5  morning low temp: 22F; the normal low is now 23F
 
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 MARCH 5
HIGH 64 IN 1979
LOW -2 IN 1948
PRECIP 1.76 INS. IN 2001
SNOWFALL 13.0 INS. IN 1891
PEAK GUST 76e MPH WNW IN 1971
 
RECORDS FOR MARCH 6
HIGH 66 IN 1894
LOW 3 IN 1948, 2007
PRECIP 1.85 INS. IN 2001
SNOWFALL 15.5 INS. IN 2001
PEAK GUST 82 MPH S IN 1959
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Brian Fitzgerald