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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2016 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

BLIZZARD CONDITIONS TO OUR SOUTH YIELD 7.1 INCHES
OF NEW SNOW ON TOP OF GREAT BLUE HILL- WINDS GUST TO 54 MPH

Snow began in earnest yesterday afternoon, becoming moderate
between 3:00 and 9:00 PM EST. Gusty NE winds peaked at 54 MPH
just before 3:00 PM EST, with a fastest mile of 39 MPH just
thereafter. Significant blowing snow and falling snow along
with freezing fog reduced visibility to extremely low values
last evening.

Snow ended just after midnight this morning totaling 7.1 inches
for a storm total with a liquid equivalent of 0.74 inches of
liquid. Temperatures dropped 9 degrees last night between 6:00 
and 7:00 PM EST, bottoming out at 14F this morning.

Remnants from yesterday's storm were still visible offshore 
this morning to the E-SE. By today's 1:00 PM EST observation
most of yesterday's storm was no longer visible offshore with
excellent visibility in all directions. Skies were mostly clear
with temperatures rising to a maximum of 33F by that time.


Today's Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few stratocumulus distant NNE-SSW, few cirrus
(anvil top remnants) distant SE
Temperature: 15F; Dew Point: 5F; Wind: N at 16G26 kts,
Peak Wind: 26 kts NE at 6:51 A.M.
Sea-level pressure: 29.82 ins. Hg, rising, then more quickly
Visibility: 75 miles, except 30 miles NE-SE
6-hr Max temp: 18F 
6-hr Min temp: 14F
24-hr precip: 0.74 ins.
24-hr snowfall: 7.1 ins.
Snow depth: 8 ins.
BHO SA 1155 CLR 75 098/15/5/3616G26/982/ VSBY NE-SE 30 MI 
FEW SC DSNT NNE-SSW FEW CI DSNT SE NEW SNW PST 24 HRS 7.1 INS 
PK WND 0126/51/ 8/503 4/008 53021 ASOS 70079 MANUAL 70074 10018 20014

10 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few stratocumulus distant offshore ENE-SSE,
few cirrus distant E-SE  
Temperature: 22F; Dew Point: 7F; Wind: N at 13G20 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 29.87 ins. Hg, rising, then more slowly
Visibility: 80 miles, except 50 miles E-SE
BHO SA 1455 CLR 80 114/22/7/3513G20/987/ VSBY E-SE 50 MI 
FEW SC DSNT OFFSHR ENE-SSE FEW CI DSNT E-SE/ 8/503 51016

1 P.M.
Weather: Clear, few stratocumulus distant offshore E-SE,
few cirrus distant SW-NNW
Temperature: 33F; Dew Point: 7F; Wind: NNW at 8 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 29.86 ins. Hg, falling then rising, but lower still
Visibility: 75 miles
6-hr Max temp: 33F
6-hr Min temp: 14F
6-hr precip: 0.00 ins.
6-hr snowfall: 0.0 ins.
BHO SA 1755 CLR 75 112/33/7/3408/986/ FEW SC DSNT OFFSHR E-SE 
FEW CI DSNT SW-NNW/ 8/501 55002 10033 20014

SUMMARY FOR SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2016 
  
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....30   NORMAL.....34
MIN.....18   NORMAL.....17 
MEAN....24   NORMAL.....25

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL........................-1
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.......................+69 [+2.8 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............41   DEPARTURE..........+1
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............840   DEPARTURE.........-69
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........2496   DEPARTURE........-717
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......2991   DIFFERENCE.......-495

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) 
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...................54  NE   AT   2:51 P.M.  
                   ASOS........................52  NNE  AT   3:05 P.M. 
                   DAVIS.......................49  NNE  AT   5:05 P.M. RMY 50
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.....................39  NE   AT   3:07 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..................36  NE   AT   3:07 P.M. 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.................34  NE   AT   3:06 P.M. 
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION..............19.0 N
                   ASOS.......................19.1
                   DAVIS......................16.5 NE [044 Deg.]

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.74  DEPARTURE......+0.60
                         ASOS..............0.79
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........3.77  DEPARTURE......+0.51
                         ASOS..............3.94
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........3.77  DEPARTURE......+0.51  
                         ASOS..............3.94

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........7.1  DEPARTURE.......+6.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH...............14.3  DEPARTURE.......+1.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............15.6  DEPARTURE......-13.2

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  30/18/24/-1/0.74/7.1/000/00           54 NE  AERO 56 NE  RMY 50

1/24 low since midnight is 14F; 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 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

RECORDS FOR JANUARY 25
HIGH 56F IN 2010
LOW -10F IN 1935
PRECIP 2.24 INS. IN 1979
SNOWFALL 12.5 INS. IN 1941
PEAK GUST 81 MPH WNW IN 1972

TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Brian Fitzgerald