BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2015 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
WE NOW HAVE RECORD WARM FIRST 15 DAYS OF DECEMBER
AFTER 6 CONSECUTIVE DAYS IN DOUBLE DIGITS ABOVE NORMAL
OUR MONTHLY DEPARTURE REACHES +11.3 DEGREES ABOVE 30-YEAR NORMAL
 
This month has surged ahead of all other years through the 15th, and it
has been the warmest first 15 days of December on record by more
than a degree.

BHO Warmest NWS Mean Temperature, December 1st-15th, deg F (1885-2015):
 
1) 45.4 in 2015
2) 44.0 in 2001
3) 43.5 in 1998
4) 43.3 in 1953
5) 40.7 in 2011
 
BHO Warmest Average Maximum Temperature, December 1st-15th, deg F (1885-2015):
 
1) 52.6 in 2015
2) 51.4 in 1953
3) 51.3 in 1998
4) 50.7 in 2001
5) 48.8 in 1891
 
BHO Warmest Average Minimum Temperature, December 1st-15th, deg F (1885-2015):
 
1) 38.2 in 2015
2) 37.2 in 2001
3) 35.6 in 1998
4) 35.1 in 1953
5) 33.7 in 1999

 
Today's Observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Broken stratocumulus, few cumulus fractus, cumulus mostly
distant NE-SE, few stratocumulus lenticularis
Temperature: 38F; Dew Point: 30F; Wind: N at 7 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.07 ins. Hg, rising then more rapidly  
Visibility: 60 miles, light distant haze
6-hr Max temp: 43F
6-hr Min temp: 38F
24-hr precip: trace 
BHO SA 1155 E// BKN 60 183/38/30/3507/007/ FEW CUFRA CU MSTLY
DSNT NE-SE FEW SCSL LGT DSNT HZ/ 8/5// 5//// 10043 20038
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Scattered cumulus and stratocumulus, cumulus E-S-W, 
few stratocumulus lenticularis
Temperature: 41F; Dew Point: 29F; Wind: NE at 8 kts,
Wind: Gust to 17 kts past hour
Sea-level pressure: 30.15 ins. Hg, rising, then more slowly    
Visibility: 60 miles, mountains in cloud 60 miles NW
BHO SA 1455 27 SCT 35 SCT 60 209/41/29/0408/015/ CU/SC CUFRM TOPS 
E-S-W FEW SCSL MTNS 60 NW INCLD GST 17 KTS PST HR/ 8/800 51026
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered cumulus, broken stratocumulus
Temperature: 41F; Dew Point: 28F; Wind: E at 8 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.15 ins. Hg, rising then falling but same
as three hours ago
Visibility: 70 miles, mountain summits near cloud base
to the 60-70 NW 
6-hr max. temp: 43F
6-hr min. temp: 38F
6-hr precip: none
BHO SA 1755 27 SCT E30 BKN 70 209/41/28/0808/015/ MTNS SMTS NR CLD B
ASE 60-70 NW LGT DSNT HZ WND 04V10/ 8/800 50000 10043 20038
 
SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2015
  
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....61   NORMAL.....39
MIN.....45   NORMAL.....24
MEAN....53   NORMAL.....32

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.....................+21
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH....................+173  [+11.3 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............12   DEPARTURE.........-22
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............291   DEPARTURE........-174
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........1293   DEPARTURE........-434
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......1607   DIFFERENCE.......-314

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...................48 W   AT  1:31 P.M. *  
                   ASOS........................50 W   AT 12:30 P.M.          
                   DAVIS.......................48 W   AT 12:42 P.M. RMY 51
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.....................35 W   AT 12:31 P.M.      
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..................35 W   AT 12:31 P.M.                
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.................33 WNW AT 12:30 P.M.                
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.............19.1 WNW
                   ASOS......................17.5       
                   DAVIS.....................16.2 WNW [290 Deg.]   
* Last of several occurrences
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M.....trace DEPARTURE......-0.16
                         ASOS...............0.01
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH...........1.00  DEPARTURE......-1.46
                         ASOS...............1.01
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........40.42  DEPARTURE.....-10.58 
                         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......-5.3
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON.............TRACE  DEPARTURE......-7.9
 
 
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/..../0.0/162/29           43 WNW RMY 42
12/4  47/32/40/+5/0.00/0.0/444/80           32 NW  RMY 32
12/5  50/33/42/+7/0.00/0.0/548/99           21 W   RMY N/A
12/6  57/35/46/+11/0.00/0.0/531/96          22 SW  RMY N/A
12/7  54/37/46/+12/0.00/0.0/353/64          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/..../0.0/044/08           28 SSE RMY N/A
12/10 57/41/49/+16/T/0.0/.../..             29 SE  RMY N/A
12/11 56/44/50/+17/0.00/0.0/.../..          28 SSW RMY 28
12/12 59/46/53/+20/0.00/0.0/.../..          23 W   RMY N/A
12/13 54/44/49/+17/0.00/0.0/.../..          18 ESE RMY 19
12/14 60/43/52/+20/..../0.0/000/00          32 S   RMY N/A
12/15 61/45/53/+21/..../0.0/.../..          48 W   RMY 51
 
12/16 since midnight is 38F; normal low is now 24F 
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 2015
 
**12/13/2015 - NEW DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 44F,
BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 43F SET IN 1919, TIED 1983**
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 16
HIGH 61 IN 1971
LOW -2 IN 1930
PRECIP 1.67 INS. IN 1960
SNOW 8.5 INS. IN 2007
WIND 73 MPH SSE IN 1982
 
RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 17
HIGH 63 IN 2000
LOW -10 IN 1942
PRECIP 3.03 INS. IN 1888
SNOWFALL 7.5 INS. IN 1988
PEAK GUST 78 MPH SSE IN 2000
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling / Mike Iacono