BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2016
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
LIGHT RAIN BEGINS EARLY THIS MORNING...CONTINUES UNTIL LATE MORNING
HEAT WAVE ENDS WITH 92F YESTERDAY (7-DAYS LONG)
NOW HAVE REACHED 11 90-DEGREE DAYS IN JULY (2ND GREATEST ON RECORD)
 
A period of light rain began early this morning and by the time
it ended in the forenoon our total was 0.15 inch.  This was just
about the normal amount for one day and so really no dent in the
long-lasting summer drought. The U.S. Drought Monitor just
released on July 28 place Blue Hill right on the boundary between 
a moderate and severe drought.
 
The heat wave just ended yesterday with 92 degrees is ranked
our third longest heat wave, 7 days. See listing below:
 
The last day of the heat wave was also the 11th day of 90-degree
heat this month. This ranks as the second greatest total of
90-degree days for July.  See listing below:
 
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
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
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: Overcast nimbostratus, light rain occurring, thin fog
Temperature: 70F; Dew Point: 68F; Wind: NNW at 9  kts,
Sea-level pressure: 29.87 ins. Hg, rising, then more slowly
Visibility: 8 miles, except 9 miles north, light rain, thin fog
6-hr Max temp: 73F
6-hr Min temp: 70F
24-hr precip: 0.05 in.
BHO SA 1155 100 SCT E110 OVC 8R- 115/70/68/3309/987/ THN FG ALQDS 
VSBY N 9 WND 30V36/ 8/02/ 50000 MANUAL 6005/ ASOS 60004 MANUAL 
60005 10073 20070
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Overcast (stratus fractus, nimbostratus, light rain,
very light and fog
Temperature: 71F; Dew Point: 69F; Wind: NE at 6 kts,
Wind: Light
Sea-level pressure: 29.92 ins. Hg, rising, then falling
Visibility: 6 miles, light rain, very light, thin fog,
except 4 miles NE-S and 10 miles W-N
3-hourly rainfall: 0.10 inch
BHO SA 1455 4 SCT E30 BKN 45 OVC 6R-F 124/71/69/0406/990/ SKY BRGHT 
VSBY NE-S 4 W-N 10 PCPN VRY LGT WND LGT/ 8/72/ 51009 MANUAL 6010/ 
ASOS 60009 
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered stratocumulus, scattered altocumulus lenticularis,
scattered dense cirrus (layer NE-S) 
Temperature: 77F; Dew Point: 69F; Wind: NNE at 8 kts,
Wind: Direction variable N-ENE
Sea-level pressure: 29.87 ins. Hg, falling, then more quickly
Visibility: 12 miles, hazy
6-hr Max temp: 77F
6-hr Min temp: 70F
6-hr precip: 0.10 in.
BHO SA 1755 10 SCT 150 SCT 220 SCT 12 115/77/69/0308/987/ FEW ACSL NE
DNS CI LYR NE-S HAZY WND 36V06/ 8/542 58009 MANUAL 6010/ ASOS 60009
10077 20070 
 
SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2016
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....92   NORMAL.....81
MIN.....71   NORMAL.....63
MEAN....82   NORMAL.....72
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL........................+10
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH........................+97 [+3.3 DEGREES/DAY]
 
COOLING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JAN TO DEC)
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............17   DEPARTURE..........+9
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............294   DEPARTURE.........+94
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR THE SEASON............451   DEPARTURE........+122
TOTAL COOLING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.......349   DIFFERENCE.......+102  
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...................23  SW   AT   4:44 P.M. 
                   AEROVANE....................22  SW   AT   4:44 P.M.        
                   ASOS........................23  SW   AT   4:44 P.M.      
                   DAVIS.......................22  SSE  AT   3:31 P.M. RMY 23
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.....................15  S    AT   3:48 P.M.  
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..................17  S    AT   3:50 P.M.      
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.................16  S    AT   3:50 P.M.       
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION...............9.1 S
                   ASOS........................9.2 
                   DAVIS.......................8.3 SSW [210 Deg.]
*Last of several occurrences
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.05  DEPARTURE......-0.09
                         ASOS..............0.04
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........0.84  DEPARTURE......-2.86
                         ASOS..............0.78
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........22.53  DEPARTURE......-8.14
                         ASOS.............22.90

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/+3/0.01/360/40                 38 S   AERO 41 S   RMY 43
7/15 93/71/82/+10/0.00/665/74                23 W   AERO 23 W   RMY 23
7/16 93/69/81/+9/0.00/699/78                 25 WSW AERO 24 WSW RMY 24
7/17 83/72/78/+6/0.00/671/75                 18 ENE AERO 16 ENE RMY 19 TSTM
7/18 93/70/82/+10/0.05/500/56                41 WNW AERO 41 WNW RMY 43 TSTM
7/19 85/62/74/+2/0.00/802/90                 28 NW  AERO 28 NW  RMY 27
7/20 83/59/71/-1/0.00/837/94                 23 NW  AERO 23 NW* RMY 24
7/21 89/63/76/+4/0.00/852/96                 28 W   AERO 26 W   RMY N/A
7/22 96/70/83/+11/0.09/806/91                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 92/71/82/+10/0.00/.../..                23 SW  AERO 22 SW  RMY 23 
 
7/29 Low temp since midnight is 70F; 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 29
HIGH 97F IN 1949
LOW 53F IN 1888,1914
PRECIP 1.53 INS IN 1901
PEAK GUST 40e MPH E IN 1941
 
RECORDS FOR JULY 30
HIGH 99F IN 1949
LOW 51F IN 1956
PRECIP 1.84 INS IN 1976
PEAK GUST 70e MPH SW 1944
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling