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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2016 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

OFFSHORE STORM BRINGS ANOTHER ROUND OF MODERATE TO
HEAVY SNOW, HIGH WINDS, POOR VISIBILITY AND DRIFTING SNOW,
4.3 INCHES OF NEW SNOW BY 1:00 PM EST OBSERVATION

Snow began once again this morning at 6:32 AM EST, beginning
very lightly for a time. By this morning's 10:00 AM EST observation
snow was falling lightly but steadily, with 1.2 inches of new
snow measured. Fog, drifting snow and light to moderate by mid
day had reduced visibility to 1/4 of a mile or less at times.

By the 1:00 PM EST observation snow was falling moderately with
fog and low drifting snow. Another 3.1 inches of new snow was 
measured by that time, bringing the storm total so far to 4.3 inches.
Temperatures had continued to drop through the day with a reading
of 16F by this afternoon's observation.


Today's Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Light snow, overcast stratus
Temperature: 27F; Dew Point: 23F; Wind: NE at 23G38 kts,
Peak Wind: 44 knots NNE at 6:20 AM EST
Sea-level pressure: 29.83 ins. Hg, falling unsteadily
Visibility: 4 miles, except 10 miles WNW-NE, thin fog and light snow 
6-hr Max temp: 27F 
6-hr Min temp: 23F
24-hr precip: Trace
24-hr snowfall: Trace
Snow depth: 8 ins.
BHO SA 1155 E5 OVC 4S- 102/27/23/0423G38/983/ S-B32 VSBY 
WNW-NE 10 MI THN FG ALQDS PK WND 0344/20/ 8/6// 4/008 56011 
MANUAL 6000/ 10036 20023 

10 A.M.
Weather: Light snow, fog 
Temperature: 19F; Dew Point: 19F; Wind: N at 17G30 kts
PeaK Wind: 33 knots N at 8:57 AM EST 
Sea-level pressure: 29.82 ins. Hg, falling, then rising but lower still
Visibility: 1/4 of a mile, light snow and fog
3-hr precip: 0.11 inches
3-hr snowfall: 1.2 inches
BHO SA 1455 W4 X 1/4S-F 098/19/19/3617G30/982/ NEW SNW PST 3 
HRS 1.2 INS PK WND 3633/1357/ 8//// 55004 ASOS 60007 MANUAL 60011

1 P.M.
Weather: Moderate snow, fog, low drifting snow
Temperature: 16F; Dew Point: 16F; Wind: N at 17G26 kts,
Peak Wind: 29 knots N at 12:39 PM EST   
Sea-level pressure: 29.72 ins. Hg, falling then more quickly 
Visibility: 1/4 of a mile, moderate snow, fog, drifting snow 
6-hr Max temp: 27F
6-hr Min temp: 16F
6-hr precip: 0.35 ins.
6-hr snowfall: 4.3 ins. 
BHO SA 1755 W4 X 1/4SF 063/16/16/3617G26/972/ DRFTG SNW ALQDS 
NEW SNW PST 6 HRS 4.3 INS PK WND 3629/39/ 8//// 58035 
ASOS 60028 MANUAL 60035 10027 20016


SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2016 
  
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....43   NORMAL.....35
MIN.....26   NORMAL.....18 
MEAN....35   NORMAL.....27

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.........................+8
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH........................+91 [+12.8 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............30   DEPARTURE..........-9
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............181   DEPARTURE.........-92
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........2923   DEPARTURE........-880
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......3682   DIFFERENCE.......-759

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) 
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...................35 ENE AT 11:37 P.M.*                        
                   ASOS........................33 E   AT 11:22 P.M.     
                   DAVIS.......................31 ENE AT 11:09 P.M. RMY N/A
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.....................24 ENE AT 11:22 P.M.     
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..................23 ENE AT 11:23 P.M.      
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.................21 E   AT 11:23 P.M.      
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.............11.2 ENE
                   ASOS......................11.2  
                   DAVIS......................9.9 S [180 Deg.]

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M...TRACE  DEPARTURE......-0.14
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........2.50  DEPARTURE......+1.55
                         ASOS..............2.55
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........6.27  DEPARTURE......+0.97  
                         ASOS..............6.49

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M........TRACE  DEPARTURE.......-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH...............12.5  DEPARTURE.......+9.0
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............28.1  DEPARTURE.......-8.5

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/ PEAK GUST/ AERO/RMY GUST
AERO: Aerovane wind recording system 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

2/1   64/40/52/+26/0.00/0.0/.../..          36 WNW AERO 37 W   RMY 34
2/2   48/31/40/+14/0.00/0.0/.../..          23 NW  AERO 23 WNW RMY N/A
2/3   55/34/45/+19/0.80/0.0/000/00          55 SSE AERO 58 SSE RMY 53
2/4   55/39/47/+21/..../0.0/000/00          37 W   AERO 36 W   RMY 35
2/5   39/19/29/+3/..../12.5/000/00          37 NNW AERO 39 NNW RMY 35
2/6   35/17/26/0/0.00/0.0/.../..            25 SSW AERO 24 SSW RMY 23 
2/7   43/26/35/+8/0.00/0.0/.../..           35 ENE AERO 35 ENE RMY N/A
 
2/8   morning low temp. since midnight 36F; normal now 18F

DAILY RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 2016

-NONE SO FAR-

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

RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 8
HIGH 60F IN 1933
LOW -9F IN 1934
PRECIP 2.50 INS. IN 1945
SNOWFALL 16.1 INS. IN 2013
PEAK GUST 63e MPH NE IN 1945, 2013

RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 9
HIGH 58F IN 1990
LOW -21F IN 1934 [LOWEST TEMPERATURE ON RECORD]
PRECIP 2.12 INS. IN 1969
SNOWFALL 14.0 INS. IN 2015
PEAK GUST 89 MPH NE IN 1969

TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Brian Fitzgerald