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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2015  
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

EARLY SHOWERS BRING A TRACE OF RAIN, 
ABOVE NORMAL WARMTH CONTINUES

A round of brief light showers began just prior to the
7:00 AM EST observation. A trace of new rain was recorded,
which has not affected our monthly and annual precipitation
deficits. December's monthly deficit is now 1.10 inches 
drier than normal, and this year is now 10.22 inches 
below normal.  

By the 1:00 PM EST observation skies had cleared to reveal
partly cloudy skies, although thin fog and haze had reduced
visibility to 20 miles in all directions. Temperatures climbed
quickly through the morning to a maximum reading at the
time of the observation at 56F.

 
Today's Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Light rain showers begin 6:47 AM EST
Temperature: 45F; Dew Point: 44F; Wind: SSE at 13 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.00 ins. Hg, falling, then more slowly  
Visibility: 15 miles, except 10 miles W, rain showers and thin fog 
6-hr Max temp: 45F 
6-hr Min temp: 41F
24-hr precip: Trace 
BHO SA 1155 E60 OVC 15RW- 160/45/44/1513/000/ RW-B47 VSBY W 10 MI 
FEW STFRA ALQDS BINOVC DSNT E THN FG ALQDS/ 8/6// 56004 ASOS 60001 
MANUAL 6000/ 10045 20041   

10 A.M.
Weather: Broken stratocumulus, broken altocumulus,
few cumulus fractus N-SSW
Temperature: 50F; Dew Point: 46F; Wind: SSE at 8 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.01 ins. Hg, rising, then falling, higher still   
Visibility: 20 miles, thin fog  
BHO SA 1455 E50 BKN 100 BKN 20 162/50/46/1608/001/ FEW CUFRA N-SSW 
THN FG ALQDS/ 8/530 50002 ASOS 60001 MANUAL 6000/

1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered altocumulus, few cumulus/stratocumulus
in all directions
Temperature: 56F; Dew Point: 49F; Wind: estimated WSW at 3 kts,
Wind Speed: Light
Sea-level pressure: 29.96 ins. Hg, falling, then more slowly
Visibility: 20 miles, thin fog and hazy
6-hr max. temp: 56F
6-hr min. temp: 45F
BHO SA 1755 70 SCT 20 145/56/49/E2503/996/ FEW CU/SC ALQDS 
THN FG ALQDS HAZY WND LGT/ 8/830 56017 10056 20045


SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2015 
  
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....44   NORMAL.....41
MIN.....34   NORMAL.....26 
MEAN....39   NORMAL.....34
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL......................+5
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.....................+62  [+6.7 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............26   DEPARTURE..........-5
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............207   DEPARTURE.........-62
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........1209   DEPARTURE........-322
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......1426   DIFFERENCE.......-217
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...................28  SSE AT 11:37 P.M.*  
                   ASOS........................26  SSE AT 11:39 P.M.        
                   DAVIS.......................26  SSE AT 10:38 P.M. RMY N/A
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.....................20  SSE AT 11:22 P.M.     
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..................20  SE  AT 11:25 P.M.              
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.................20  SSE AT 11:24 P.M.              
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION...............9.0 SSE
                   ASOS........................9.0       
                   DAVIS.......................8.3 SSE [154 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...........0.37  DEPARTURE......-1.10
                         ASOS...............0.36
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........39.79  DEPARTURE.....-10.22  
                         ASOS................N/A ***
*** ASOS annual total not available due to erroneous readings

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE......-0.4
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................0.0  DEPARTURE......-2.8
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON.............TRACE  DEPARTURE......-5.4 


PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER 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

12/1  42/30/36/-1/..../0.0/000/00           19 NNE RMY 19
12/2  53/37/45/+9/..../0.0/000/00           25 SSE RMY 25
12/3  53/37/45/+9/..../0.0/.../..           43 WNW RMY 42
12/4  47/32/40/+5/0.00/0.0/.../..           32 NW  RMY 32
12/5  50/33/42/+7/0.00/0.0/.../..           21 W   RMY N/A
12/6  57/35/46/+11/0.00/0.0/.../..          22 SW  RMY N/A
12/7  54/37/46/+12/0.00/0.0/.../..          31 NE  RMY N/A
12/8  42/35/39/+5/0.01/0.0/000/00           32 NE  RMY 31
12/9  44/34/39/+5/..../0.0/.../..           28 SSE RMY N/A

12/10  low since midnight is 41F; normal low is now 26F  

DAILY RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 2015

-NONE SO FAR. 


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

RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 10
HIGH 62 IN 1946
LOW -6 IN 1902
PRECIP 1.67 INS. IN 1907
SNOWFALL 6.0 INS. IN 1905
PEAK GUST 66e SW IN 1940

RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 11
HIGH 63 IN 1911
LOW -1 IN 1988
PRECIP 2.36 INS. IN 1992
SNOWFALL 6.0 INS. IN 1894
PEAK GUST 78 S IN 1969

TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Brian Fitzgerald