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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2016 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

TEMPS REACH 56F SUNDAY, 63F TODAY, 
BREAKS LEAP DAY RECORD, COLD FRONT THIS AFTERNOON

Temperatures stayed above freezing all day yesterday adding 
another February day with above normal temperatures. Temperatures
for the month of February are now averaging 3.6 degrees above 
normal per day. Coupled with December and January temperature
data, the winter 2015-2016 season may rank as one of the warmest
on record.

By this afternoon's 1:00 PM EST observation, temperatures had
reached a peak of 63F, surpassing today's daily record maximum
temperature of 56F set back in 1976. Additionally, a cold front
was approaching from the west with showers and gusty winds. A 
peak gust of nearly 40 MPH was registered just after observation
time.


Today's Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Thin broken cirrus
Temperature: 44F; Dew Point: 36F; Wind: S at 18G26 kts,
Peak Wind: 27 knots S at 6:21 AM EST
Sea-level pressure: 29.58 ins. Hg, decreasing, then more quickly
Visibility: 20 miles, thin fog 
6-hr Max temp: 44F 
6-hr Min temp: 41F
BHO SA 1155 E250 -BKN 20 017/44/36/1818G26/958/ 
THN FG ALQDS PK WND 1827/21/ 8/002 58020 10044 20041 

10 A.M.
Weather: Thin scattered cirrus, few altocumulus distant WSW-NNW
Temperature: 55F; Dew Point: 36F; Wind: S at 16G24 kts
Peak Wind: 27 knots S at 8:56 AM EST
Sea-level pressure: 29.55 ins. Hg, falling, then more quickly
Visibility: 20 miles, thin fog
BHO SA 1455 250 -SCT 20 007/55/36/1916G24/955/ FEW AC DSNT 
WSW-NNW THN FG ALQDS PK WND 1927/1356/ 8/035 58010 

1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered altocumulus, thin broken cirrostratus,
altocumulus lenticularis SW-NNE, few small cumulus S, overhead
and N, showers distant SW-NNW
Temperature: 61F; Dew Point: 33F; Wind: WSW at 15G23 kts
Peak Wind: 30 knots W at 12:35 PM EST 
Sea-level pressure: 29.50 ins. Hg, decreasing, then more slowly
Visibility: 35 miles, except 25 miles SW-NNW, distant showers,
light distant haze
6-hr Max temp: 63F
6-hr Min temp: 43F
BHO SA 1755 110 SCT E250 -BKN 35 991/61/33/2415G23/950/ 
VSBY SW-NNW 25 MI SHWRS DSNT SW-NNW ACSL SW-NNE FEW CU S 
AND OVHD AND N LGT DSNT HZ ALQDS PK WND 2730/35/ 8/146 56016 
10063 20043


SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2016 
  
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....56   NORMAL.....40
MIN.....34   NORMAL.....22 
MEAN....45   NORMAL.....31

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL........................+14
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.......................+107 [+3.6 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............20   DEPARTURE.........-14
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............928   DEPARTURE........-109
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........3670   DEPARTURE........-898
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......4708   DIFFERENCE......-1038

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) 
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...................32 S   AT  5:19 P.M.  
                   ASOS........................33 SSW AT  5:20 P.M.       
                   DAVIS.......................32 S   AT  5:19 P.M. RMY N/A
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.....................26 SSW AT  6:38 P.M.*      
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..................26 SSW AT  6:39 P.M.       
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.................25 SSW AT  6:39 P.M.       
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION...............16.5 S
                   ASOS........................16.1  
                   DAVIS.......................15.2 SW [215 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..........5.60  DEPARTURE......+1.53
                         ASOS..............6.02
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........9.37 DEPARTURE.......+0.95  
                         ASOS..............9.96

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE.......-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH...............22.5  DEPARTURE.......+8.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............38.1  DEPARTURE.......-8.9

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/+26/0.00/0.0/305/51          36 WNW AERO 37 W   RMY 34
2/2   48/31/40/+14/0.00/0.0/602/100         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   35/17/26/0/0.00/0.0/532/87            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   36/16/26/-1/..../.../000/00           53 NE  AERO 55 NE  RMY 53
2/9   26/17/22/-5/..../.../000/00           21 N   AERO 22 N   RMY N/A
2/10  33/21/27/+0/0.01/0.0/.../..           23 W   AERO 23 W   RMY 21
2/11  26/7/17/-10/T/T/.../..                39 W   AERO 47 W   RMY 42
2/12  23/4/13/-14/0.00/0.0/.../..           31 WNW AERO 38 WNW RMY 21
2/13  21/-7/7/-21/0.00/0.0/.../..           41 W   AERO 46 WNW RMY 43 
2/14  10/-14/-2/-30/0.00/0.0/632/100        33 WNW AERO 46 WNW RMY N/A
2/15  32/-2/15/-13/..../1.2/.../..          24 E   AERO 28 E   RMY N/A
2/16  55/32/44/+16/..../0.0/.../..          65 SSE AERO 69 SSE RMY 64
2/17  43/30/37/+9/0.00/0.0/.../..           33 W   AERO 35 W   RMY N/A
2/18  32/20/26/+3/0.00/0.0/.../..           25 NNW AERO 29 NW  RMY 25 
2/19  39/16/28/-1/0.01/T/.../..             24 SSW AERO 26 SSW RMY N/A
2/20  58/31/45/+16/..../.../.../..          44 SSW AERO 44 SSW RMY 41
2/21  53/39/46/+17/0.00/0.0/.../..          39 WNW AERO 43 WNW RMY 39 
2/22  45/29/37/+8/0.00/0.0/.../..           18 NW  AERO 20 NW  RMY 17
2/23  37/25/31/+1/..../T/.../..             26 E   AERO 26 E   RMY N/A
2/24  60/33/47/+17/..../0.0/000/00          60 S   AERO 66 S   RMY N/A
2/25  63/37/50/+15/..../0.0/.../..          76 S   AERO 84 S   RMY N/A
2/26  38/22/30/0/..../0.0/.../..            42 WNW AERO 44 WNW RMY 41 
2/27  38/16/27/-4/0.00/0.0/.../..           31 SSW AERO 31 SSW RMY 33  
2/28  56/34/45/+14/0.00/0.0/.../..          32 S   AERP 37 SSW RMY N/A

2/29 morning low temp. since midnight 41F; normal now 22F

DAILY RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 2016

2/14/16: **NEW DAILY RECORD LOW MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF -14F,
SURPASSING PREVIOUS RECORD OF -8F SET IN 1979**

2/14/16: **TIED DAILY RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 10F,
MATCHING PREVIOUS RECORD OF 10F SET IN 1979**

2/25/16: **NEW DAILY RECORD PEAK WIND GUST OF 76 MPH S,
SURPASSING PREVIOUS RECORD OF 75 MPH S IN 1965**

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

LEAP YEAR:
RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 29
HIGH 56F IN 1976
LOW 4F IN 1992
PRECIP 0.64 INCHES IN 1968
SNOWFALL 3.5 INCHES IN 1968
PEAK GUST 60 MPH NE IN 1968

RECORDS FOR MARCH 1
HIGH 62 IN 1972
LOW -3 IN 1886
PRECIP 1.65 INS. IN 1900
SNOWFALL 9.4 INS. IN 1949
PEAK GUST 78 WSW IN 1966

TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Brian Fitzgerald