BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2015
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

TEMPS HIT 92F TUESDAY AFTERNOON, THUNDERSTORM
BRINGS 0.27 INCHES OF RAIN AND TEMPERATURE DROP

Following yesterday afternoon's 1:00 PM EST observation
which featured a temperature reading of 92F and a heat index
of 96F, slow moving thunderstorms quickly dropped the temperature
from 90F to 74F in just 45 minutes. Moderate and intermittent
downpours of rain totaled 0.27 inches. This rainfall helped to
chip away slightly at the annual deficit which is still in 
excess of 3.5 inches below normal. The month of August
is now just 0.09 inches below normal. Temperatures for the
month of August are now running 2.4 degrees above normal 
following yesterday's above normal heat.

By today's 1:00 PM EST observation, another day of heat and 
humidity was coming to a head with a maximum temperature reading
of 87F so far. 


Today's Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few cumulus fractus in all directions
Temperature: 73F; Dew Point: 69F; Wind: SSW at 8 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.09 ins. Hg, rising then more slowly 
Visibility: 15 miles, hazy, thin fog
6-hr Max temp: 73F
6-hr Min temp: 69F
24-hr precip: 0.27 ins.
BHO SA 1155 CLR 15 191/73/69/2108/009/ FEW CUFRA ALQDS THN FG ALQDS 
HAZY/ 8/700 51010 ASOS 70026 MANUAL 70027 10073 20069

10 A.M.
Weather: Scattered stratocumulus
Temperature: 81F; Dew Point 69F; Wind: SSW at 8 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.11 ins. Hg, rising, then more slowly
Visibility: 20 miles, hazy
BHO SA 1455 19 SCT 20 196/81/69/2008/011/ HAZY/ 8/400 51005
 
1 P.M.
Weather:  Scattered small cumulus
Temperature: 87F; Dew Point: 68F; Wind: S at 10G15 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.08 ins. Hg, falling, then more slowly
Visibility: 30 miles, hazy 
6-hr Max temp: 87F  
6-hr Min temp: 73F
BHO SA 1755 40 SCT 30 187/87/68/1710G15/008/ HAZY/ 8/100 56009 
10087 20073


SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015 
  
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....92   NORMAL.....79 
MIN.....70   NORMAL.....62 
MEAN....81   NORMAL.....71 
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.......................+10
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.......................+44  [+2.4 DEGREES/DAY]
 
COOLING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JAN TO DEC)
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............16   DEPARTURE.........+10
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............161   DEPARTURE.........+40
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR THE SEASON............555   DEPARTURE.........+83
TOTAL COOLING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.......423   DIFFERENCE.......+132
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...................31 W  AT   2:42 P.M.        
                   ASOS........................32 W  AT   2:43 P.M.     
                   DAVIS.......................29 W  AT   2:30 P.M. RMY 32
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.....................23 W  AT   2:38 P.M.     
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..................22 W  AT   2:43 P.M.       
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.................21 W  AT   2:31 P.M.     
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION..............9.0 SW 
                   ASOS.......................9.5
                   DAVIS......................8.5 SW [226 deg.]
* Last of several occurrences...

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M.....0.27  DEPARTURE.....+0.14
                         ASOS...............0.26
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH...........2.40  DEPARTURE.....-0.09
                          ASOS..............2.42
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........29.76  DEPARTURE.....-3.72
                        ASOS...............N/A ***
*** ASOS annual total not available due to erroneous readings

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR AUGUST CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/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

8/1  88/68/78/+6/0.06/729/84               28 WNW RMY N/A 
8/2  86/62/74/+2/0.00/865/100              24 SW  RMY N/A
8/3  89/68/79/+7/0.00/690/80               31 S   RMY N/A  
8/4  86/66/76/+4/0.31/422/49               45 W   RMY 50  TSTM  
8/5  84/64/74/+2/0.00/765/89               28 WNW RMY 27
8/6  80/59/70/-2/0.00/685/80               22 W   RMY 21
8/7  78/61/70/-2/0.00/845/99               20 ESE RMY 18
8/8  77/58/68/-4/0.00/741/87               18 E   RMY N/A
8/9  72/59/66/-6/T/458/54                  27 NNE RMY 26   
8/10 84/58/71/0/0.00/.../..                28 S   RMY N/A
8/11 70/63/67/-4/0.52/000/00               32 SSE RMY 35
8/12 83/65/74/+3/0.00/766/91               22 W   RMY 20
8/13 83/62/73/+2/0.00/832/99               18 WNW RMY 18
8/14 86/63/75/+4/0.00/837/100              21 S   RMY 23
8/15 91/66/79/+8/..../.../..               38 W   RMY 41  TSTM
8/16 87/65/76/+5/..../.../..               16 W   RMY N/A
8/17 90/70/80/+9/0.00/.../..               17 W   RMY 18
8/18 92/70/91/-10/0.27/.../..              31 W   RMY 32  TSTM

8/19 low since midnight is 69F; normal low is now 62F

DAILY RECORDS FOR AUGUST 2015
None so far.

DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated): 

RECORDS FOR AUGUST 19
HIGH 90F IN 1906, 1966, 2002
LOW 48F IN 1958
PRECIP 7.02 INCHES IN 1955 [DIANE - RECORD FOR MONTH]
PEAK GUST 78 MPH ENE IN 1991 - HURRICANE BOB 

RECORDS FOR AUGUST 20
HIGH 93F IN 1937
LOW 48F IN 1896, 1905, 1949
PRECIP 2.71 INCHES IN 1970
PEAK GUST 47 MPH W IN 1983

TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Brian Fitzgerald