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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2016 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

90F TEMPERATURES CONTINUE, LIGHT WINDS BRING LITTLE RELIEF...
HEAT WAVE NOW LONGEST ON RECORD IN JULY...

Temperatures reached into the 90F range again today, bringing the 
total 90-Degree Days for the month to 11 and the total days in the 
current heat wave to seven.  This is the third longest heat wave
on record at the Observatory and the longest ever to occur in July. 
While dew points remained near 60F all day, winds were too light to 
bring much relief from the warm temps.  Visibility was only 40-45 
miles at each observation.


BHO Longest Heat Waves (Consecutive Days with Tmax 90F or more; 1885-2016):
1) 9 days, Aug 11-19, 2002
2) 8 days, Aug 10-17, 1944
3) 7 days, Jul 22-28, 2016  (ongoing)
4) 6 days, Aug 28-Sep 2, 1953 
   6 days, Jul 24-29, 1963
   6 days, Jul 16-21, 1977
   6 days, Jul 6-11, 1988
   6 days, Jul 16-21, 1991
   6 days, Jul 15-20, 2013
10) 5 days, Jul 2-6, 1911
   5 days, Jul 7-11, 1912
   5 days, Aug 25-29, 1948
   5 days, Aug 7-11, 1949
   5 days, Jul 15-19, 1982 
   5 days, Jul 14-18, 2012

BHO July Greatest Number of 90-Degree Days (1885-2016):
1) 14 in 1952
2) 11 in 2016  (through the 28th)
3) 10 in 1949
   10 in 1963
   10 in 2010
   10 in 2013
7) 9 in 1911
8) 8 in 1983
   8 in 1988

Today's Observations:

7 A.M. 
Weather: Scattered cirrostratus
Temperature: 79F; Dew Point: 61F; Wind: W at 5 kts,
Wind Speed: Light
Sea-level pressure: 29.92 ins. Hg, rising, then more slowly
Visibility: 40 miles
6-hr Max temp: 79F 
6-hr Min temp: 71F
24-hr precip: 0.00 in.
BHO SA 1155 250 SCT 40 131/79/61/2605/992/ WND LGT/ 8/005 51006 10079 20071

10 A.M.
Weather: Few cumulus in all directions, few cirrus S, broken cirrostratus
Temperature: 90F; Dew Point: 59F; Wind: WSW at 8G16 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.92 ins. Hg, rising, then falling
Visibility: 45 miles
BHO SA 1455 E250 BKN 45 131/90/59/2408G16/992/ FEW CU ALQDS FEW CI S/ 
8/107 58000

1 P.M.
Weather: Few cumulus in all directions, overcast cirrostratus
Temperature: 91F; Dew Point: 59F; Wind: SSW at 7 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.88 ins. Hg, falling, then more quickly
Visibility: 45 miles
6-hr Max temp: 92F 
6-hr Min temp: 79F
BHO SA 1755 E20 OVC 40 117/91/59/2107/988/ FEW CU ALQDS/ 
8/107 58014 10092 20079

SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2016 
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....94   NORMAL.....81
MIN.....68   NORMAL.....63 
MEAN....81   NORMAL.....72

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.........................+9
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH........................+87 [+3.0 DEGREES/DAY]

COOLING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JAN TO DEC)
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............16   DEPARTURE..........+8
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............277   DEPARTURE.........+84
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR THE SEASON............434   DEPARTURE........+112
TOTAL COOLING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.......335   DIFFERENCE........+99   

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) 
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...................21  ESE  AT   5:46 P.M. 
                   AEROVANE....................21  WNW  AT  11:14 A.M.        
                   ASOS........................19  WNW  AT  11:15 A.M.       
                   DAVIS.......................19  ESE  AT   5:45 P.M.  RMY 19
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.....................14  ESE  AT   5:43 P.M.  
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..................14  SE   AT   5:47 P.M.       
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.................13  ESE  AT   5:47 P.M.       
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION...............8.5 NW
                   ASOS........................8.4 
                   DAVIS.......................7.4 W [260 Deg.]
*Last of several occurrences

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00  DEPARTURE......-0.15
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........0.79  DEPARTURE......-2.63
                         ASOS..............0.74
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........22.48  DEPARTURE......-7.91
                         ASOS.............22.86
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR JULY 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
                                     
7/1  84/67/76/+6/0.20/520/57                 32 S   AERO 35 S   RMY 34 TSTM 
7/2  76/61/69/-1/0.00/811/91                 31 W   AERO 34 W   RMY 32 
7/3  83/57/70/-1/0.00/766/84                 23 W   AERO 23 W   RMY 23
7/4  87/61/74/+3/0.00/847/93                 28 SSW AERO 28 SSW RMY 28
7/5  80/65/73/+2/0.29/309/34                 16 S   AERO 16 S   RMY N/A
7/6  92/68/80/+9/0.00/864/95                 22 WSW AERO 24 WSW RMY 22
7/7  77/61/69/-2/0.00/409/45                 21 NE  AERO 20 ENE RMY N/A
7/8  67/58/63/-9/0.02/000/00                 25 NE  AERO 25 NE  RMY 26 
7/9  64/57/61/-11/0.09/000/00                20 NE  AERO 18 NE  RMY 17
7/10 66/56/61/-11/0.04/000/00                16 NE  AERO 16 NE  RMY 16
7/11 77/56/67/-5/0.00/415/46                 20 NNE AERO 21 NNE RMY 20
7/12 86/60/73/+1/0.00/848/94                 23 S   AERO 23 S   RMY 23
7/13 89/64/77/+5/0.00/874/97                 30 S   AERO 30 S   RMY 33
7/14 84/66/75/+3/0.01/.../..                 38 S   AERO 41 S   RMY 43
7/15 93/71/82/+10/0.00/.../..                23 W   AERO 23 W   RMY 23
7/16 93/69/81/+9/0.00/.../..                 25 WSW AERO 24 WSW RMY 24
7/17 83/72/78/+6/0.00/.../..                 18 ENE AERO 16 ENE RMY 19 TSTM
7/18 93/70/82/+10/0.05/.../..                41 WNW AERO 41 WNW RMY 43 TSTM
7/19 85/62/74/+2/0.00/.../..                 28 NW  AERO 28 NW  RMY 27
7/20 83/59/71/-1/0.00/.../..                 23 NW  AERO 23 NW* RMY 24
7/21 89/63/76/+4/0.00/.../..                 28 W   AERO 26 W   RMY N/A
7/22 96/70/83/+11/0.09/.../..                33 SW  AERO 35 SW  RMY 35 TSTM   
7/23 95/68/82/+10/T/.../..                   45 NNW AERO 48 NNW RMY 44
7/24 91/64/78/+6/0.00/.../..                 20 WNW AERO 20 W*  RMY 20 
7/25 96/70/83/+11/0.00/.../..                25 S   AERO 28 S   RMY 27
7/26 95/70/83/+11/0.00/.../..                26 W   AERO 26 WNW*RMY 27   
7/27 94/68/81/+9/0.00/.../..                 21 ESE AERO 21 WNW RMY 19

7/28 Low temp since midnight is 71F; normal low is now 63F

DAILY RECORDS FOR JULY 2016
7/25/16: NEW DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 96F,
BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 94F SET IN 1963 AND 1987
     
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated): 

RECORDS FOR JULY 28
HIGH 97F IN 1931
LOW 49F IN 1903
PRECIP 3.32 INS IN 1911
PEAK GUST 62 MPH SW IN 2006

RECORDS FOR JULY 29
HIGH 97F IN 1949
LOW 53F IN 1888,1914
PRECIP 1.53 INS IN 1901
PEAK GUST 40e MPH E IN 1941

TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Cecilia Borries-Strigle