BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2016
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
WINDY AND OVERCAST TODAY WITH POWERFUL STORM TO OUR SOUTH
LIGHT SNOW BEGINNING TO FALL BY EARLY AFTERNOON
 
A strong northeast breeze and overcast conditions have given clear notice
of an ocean storm to our south today.  However, dry air and a storm track
just far enough south is preventing most of the area from seeing the
significant snowfall that is occurring in the mid-Atlantic states, with
light to moderate amounts forecast here.  The temperature has been very steady
at around 29F, with the dew point also steady around 24F, indicating the lack
of saturation necessary for heavy precipitation.  Just a few light flurries
were observed for most of the morning, with a steadier light snow breaking
out around the time of the 1:00 P.M. observation.  The peak wind gust so far
today on our official gust recorder is 51mph, with an average speed
around 20mph.  Visibility has been in the 30-40 mile range, but has started
decreasing sharply following the last observation.
 
Today's Observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Overcast stratocumulus
Temperature: 29F; Dew Point: 23F; Wind: ENE at 16G27 kts,
Peak Wind: 28 kts NE at 6:46 A.M.
Sea-level pressure: 30.00 ins. Hg, falling then falling more rapidly
Visibility: 40 miles
6-hr Max temp: 29F
6-hr Min temp: 22F
24-hr precip: 0.00 ins.
24-hr snowfall: 0.0 ins.
Snow depth: 2 ins.
BHO SA 1155 E25 OVC 40 160/29/23/0616G27/000/ PK WND 0528/46/
8/5// 4/002 58026 10029 20022
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Very light snow grains, broken stratocumulus, overcast
stratocumulus (higher layer)
Temperature: 30F; Dew Point: 24F; Wind: ENE at 20G34 kts,
Peak Wind: 36 kts ENE at 9:43 A.M.
Sea-level pressure: 29.98 ins. Hg, falling
Visibility: 35 miles
3-hr precip: Trace
3-hr snowfall: Trace
BHO SA 1455 E20 BKN 25 OVC 35SG- 151/30/24/0720G34/998/
NEW SNW PST 3 HRS TRACE PCPN VRY LGT PK WND 0736/43/
8/5// 57009 MANUAL 6000/
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Very light snow, overcast stratocumulus
Temperature: 29F; Dew Point: 24F; Wind: ENE at 23G38 kts,
Peak Wind: 41 kts ENE at 12:23 P.M.
Sea-level pressure: 29.81 ins. Hg, falling then falling more slowly
Visibility: 30 miles, except 40 miles WNW-NNW
6-hr Max temp: 30F
6-hr Min temp: 29F
6-hr precip: Trace
6-hr snowfall: Trace
BHO SA 1755 E15 OVC 30S- 096/29/24/0623G38/981/ NEW SNW PST 6 HRS TRACE
PCPN VRY LGT VSBY WNW-NNW 40 PK WND 0641/23/ 8/5// 56055
MANUAL 6000/ 10030 20029
 
SUMMARY FOR FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016
  
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....28   NORMAL.....34
MIN.....14   NORMAL.....17
MEAN....21   NORMAL.....25
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL........................-4
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.......................+70 [+3.0 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............44   DEPARTURE..........+4
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............799   DEPARTURE.........-70
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........2455   DEPARTURE........-718
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......2953   DIFFERENCE.......-498
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...................32  NW   AT  12:03 A.M.                  
                   ASOS........................30  NW   AT  12:00 A.M.
                   DAVIS.......................28  WNW  AT  12:02 A.M. RMY 35
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.....................22  NW   AT  12:03 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..................22  NW   AT  12:04 A.M. 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.................20  NNW  AT  12:01 A.M. 
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION..............11.1 NNW
                   ASOS.......................11.0
                   DAVIS.......................9.4 NNW [341 Deg.]
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00  DEPARTURE......-0.14
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........3.03  DEPARTURE......-0.09
                         ASOS..............3.15
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........3.03  DEPARTURE......-0.09 
                         ASOS..............3.15
 
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE.......-0.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................7.2  DEPARTURE.......-5.1
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON...............8.5  DEPARTURE......-19.8
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR JANUARY CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
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
 
1/1   37/29/33/+6/0.00/0.0/005/01           29 W               RMY 29
1/2   37/27/32/+5/0.00/0.0/461/84           31 W               RMY N/A        
1/3   41/27/34/+8/0.00/0.0/501/91           28 W               RMY 29
1/4   30/10/20/-6/T/T/000/00                29 NNW             RMY 29
1/5   23/4/14/-12/0.00/0.0/552/100          28 NNW             RMY N/A
1/6   43/17/30/+4/0.00/0.0/553/100          24 SW              RMY 24
1/7   43/25/34/+8/0.00/0.0/521/94           21 SW              RMY N/A
1/8   40/28/34/+8/T/0.0/000/00              28 E   AERO 25 ENE RMY 25
1/9   39/36/38/+12/T/0.0/000/00             21 ENE AERO 20 ENE RMY N/A
1/10  58/38/48/+23/1.55/0.0/000/00          53 SSE AERO 55 SSE RMY 53
1/11  48/21/35/+10/0.00/0.0/559/100         43 W   AERO 45 WSW RMY N/A
1/12  35/19/27/+2/..../.../359/64           30 SE  AERO N/A    RMY N/A
1/13  30/17/24/-1/..../.../551/98           50 W   AERO 58 W   RMY 54
1/14  28/17/23/-2/T/T/.../..                26 W   AERO N/A    RMY 25
1/15  40/23/32/+7/0.00/0.0/.../..           26 ESE AERO 25 ESE RMY 23
1/16  41/32/37/+12/1.03/T/.../..            32 NNW AERO 32 NNW RMY 28
1/17  33/26/30/+5/..../.../.../..           29 WNW AERO 28 WNW RMY N/A
1/18  26/15/21/-4/..../.../.../..           50 W   AERO 50 W   RMY 47
1/19  22/13/18/-7/0.00/0.0/.../..           55 WNW AERO 59 W   RMY 55
1/20  30/15/23/-2/0.00/0.0/.../..           46 WNW AERO 47 WNW RMY 45
1/21  30/15/23/-2/0.00/0.0/.../..           38 WNW AERO 38 NW  RMY 35
1/22  28/14/21/-4/0.00/0.0/.../..           32 NW  AERO 32 NW  RMY N/A
 
1/23 low since midnight is 22F; normal low is now 17F 
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR JANUARY 2016
 
**1/10/16: NEW DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 58F, BREAKS
PREVIOUS RECORD OF 54F SET BACK IN 2000**
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR JANUARY 23
HIGH 62F IN 1906
LOW -10F IN 1976
PRECIP 2.40 INS. IN 1935
SNOWFALL 14.6 INS. IN 1966
PEAK GUST 85 MPH S IN 1992
 
RECORDS FOR JANUARY 24
HIGH 60F IN 1967
LOW -12F IN 1907
PRECIP 2.04 INS. IN 1998
SNOWFALL 11.3 INS. IN 1935
PEAK GUST 82 MPH S IN 1996
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Jonathan O'Brien