BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2016
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
SUNNY, WARM AND DRY WITH WINDS VEERING TO NORTHEAST TODAY
DEW POINTS DROP INTO THE 50'S
A LITTLE LIGHT RAINFALL YESTERDAY LITTLE HELP FOR DROUGHT
 
We have a beautiful sunny warm and dry late July day today as 
temperatures rise from a low of 65 degrees early this morning 
to the 80's by afternoon with comfortably low humidity.
 
A period of light rain began early Friday 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 places Blue Hill right on the boundary between 
a moderate and severe drought.
 
The heat wave just ended Thursday 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, 2016j
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: Thin scattered cirrus. lower cirrus distant W-N
Temperature: 72F; Dew Point: 61F; Wind: N at 6  kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.03 ins. Hg, rising, then more quickly
Visibility: 45 miles, light distant haze 
6-hr Max temp: 72F
6-hr Min temp: 65F
24-hr precip: 0.10 in.
BHO SA 1155 300 -SCT 45 168/72/61/0106/003/ LWR CI DSNT W-N
LGT DSNT HZ/ 8/001 53020 MANUAL 70010 ASOS 70009 10072 20065 
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Scattered cirrus (dense cirrus), thin cirrus higher layer
Temperature: 80F; Dew Point: 57F; Wind: ENE at 7 kts,
Wind: Direction variable N-E 
Sea-level pressure: 30.05 ins. Hg, rising slightly
Visibility: 50 miles, light distant haze 
BHO SA 1455 220 SCT 250 SCT 300 SCT 50 175/80/57/0707/005/
FEW SML CUFRA/CU FRMG MSTLY CLR E-SW WND 360V090/ 8/102 53007
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered cumulus, stratocumulus, scattered altocumulus 
including some lenticularis and cirrocumulus and lenticularis 
Temperature: 82F; Dew Point: 57F; Wind: ESE at 3 kts,
Wind: Light 
Sea-level pressure: 30.05 ins. Hg, steady
Visibility: 50 miles, hazy
6-hr Max temp: 85F
6-hr Min temp: 72F
BHO SA 1755 55 SCT 110 SCT 250 SCT 50 175/82/57/1103/005/
SCCU PTCHS CC/CCSL THN CI MSTLY CLR DSNT NE-SE WND LGT/ 
8/649 50000 10085 20072
 
SUMMARY FOR FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2016
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....80   NORMAL.....81
MIN.....68   NORMAL.....63
MEAN....74   NORMAL.....72
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.........................+2
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH........................+99 [+3.2 DEGREES/DAY]
 
COOLING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JAN TO DEC)
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY...............9   DEPARTURE..........+2
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............303   DEPARTURE.........+95
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR THE SEASON............460   DEPARTURE........+122
TOTAL COOLING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.......365   DIFFERENCE........+95  
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...................20  NNW  AT   6:16 A.M.  
                   AEROVANE....................20  NNW  AT   6:16 A.M.         
                   ASOS........................20  NNW  AT   6:16 A.M.       
                   DAVIS.......................19  NE   AT   3:13 P.M. RMY 20
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.....................16  E    AT   2:38 P.M.    
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..................16  E    AT   2:39 P.M.       
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.................14  E    AT   2:39 P.M.       
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION...............7.7 NE
                   ASOS........................7.9  
                   DAVIS.......................6.8 N [010 Deg.]
*Last of several occurrences
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.10  DEPARTURE......-0.05
                         ASOS..............0.09
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........0.94  DEPARTURE......-2.86
                         ASOS..............0.87
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........22.63  DEPARTURE......-8.14
                         ASOS.............22.99

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 80/68/74/+2/0.15/.../..                 20 NNW AERO 20 NNW RMY 20
 
7/30 Low temp since midnight is 65F; 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 30
HIGH 99F IN 1949
LOW 51F IN 1956
PRECIP 1.84 INS IN 1976
PEAK GUST 70e MPH SW 1944
 
RECORDS FOR JULY 31
HIGH 95F IN 1917
LOW 50F IN 1895,1918
PRECIP 1.34 INS IN 1892
PEAK GUST 43e MPH WNW IN 1953, 43 SW IN 1971
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling