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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

RAIN ENDS THIS MORNING, TOTALS 0.30, 
NEW HIGH MINIMUM TEMP RECORD SET THURSDAY AT 50F

Light rain which began to fall more steadily yesterday
afternoon and overnight ended this morning just after the
7:00 AM EST observation. Thick fog that was present this
morning has dissipated as well as the day trends toward drier
conditions.

Yesterday was the second consecutive day with an average
temperature of 57F and departure from normal temperatures
of +24 degrees. Temperatures now average 6.2 degrees above
normal per day through the first 10 days of this month. 

A brief cool down overnight brought temperatures to a low
of 50F by midnight this morning, setting a new daily record
high minimum temperature, breaking the old record of 42F that
was set and tied in 1977 and 2006.

By today's 1:00 PM EST observation skies were becoming mostly
sunny with thin fog and a low ceiling over the city. Visibility
had improved to 80 miles in most directions, and only 9 miles
to the N to ESE due to the low cloud deck. So far temperatures
have managed a maximum of 54F.


Today's Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Light rain, scattered stratocumulus, broken altostratus,
patches of fog below the summit in all directions
Temperature: 51F; Dew Point: 50F; Wind: estimated WSW at 6 kts
Wind Speed: Light
Sea-level pressure: 29.93 ins. Hg, rising, then more quickly
Visibility: 8 miles, except 30 miles WSW-NW, fog and light rain
6-hr Max temp: 51F 
6-hr Min temp: 47F
24-hr precip: 0.30 
24-hr snowfall: 0.00 inch
BHO SA 1155 50 SCT E80 BKN 8R- 134/51/50/E2406/993/ 
VSBY WSW-NW 30 MI PTCHS FG BLO SMT ALQDS WND LGT/ 
8/520 53014 ASOS 60008 70027 MANUAL 70029 10051 20047

10 A.M.
Weather: Broken stratocumulus, thin fog NNW-SE
Temperature: 48F; Dew Point: 47F; Wind: N at 7 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.03 ins. Hg, rising, then more quickly
Visibility: 80 miles, except 2 miles NNW-SE
3-hr precip: Trace
BHO SA 1455 E5 BKN 80 168/48/47/3607/003/ VSBY NNW-SE 2 MI 
THN FG NNW-SE/ 8/500 51034 MANUAL 6000/

1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered stratocumulus, scattered cirrus,
thin fog N-ESE 
Temperature: 50F; Dew Point: 42F; Wind: estimated NNE at 5 kts,
Wind Speed: Light
Sea-level pressure: 30.08 ins. Hg, rising, then steady
Visibility: 80 miles, except 9 miles N-ESE, thin fog
6-hr Max temp: 54F 
6-hr Min temp: 43F
6-hr precip: Trace
BHO SA 1755 10 SCT 250 SCT 80 185/50/42/E0205/008/ 
VSBY N-ESE 9 MI THN FG N-ESE WND LGT/ 8/501 51017 
MANUAL 6000/ 10054 20043


SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016 
  
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....64   NORMAL.....42
MIN.....50   NORMAL.....25 
MEAN....57   NORMAL.....33

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL........................+24
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH........................+64 [+6.2 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY...............8   DEPARTURE.........-24
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............264   DEPARTURE.........-63
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........3947   DEPARTURE........-948
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......5067   DIFFERENCE......-1120

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) 
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...................31 NNW AT 11:45 P.M.  
                   ASOS........................32 W   AT  7:32 P.M.        
                   DAVIS.......................30 W   AT  7:29 P.M. RMY 32
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.....................23 NNW AT 11:45 P.M.*    
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..................22 NW  AT 11:47 P.M.        
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.................21 NW  AT 11:46 P.M.        
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION..............11.0 WSW
                   ASOS.......................10.8   
                   DAVIS......................9.7  WSW [246 Deg.]
* Last of several occurrences. 

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.30  DEPARTURE......+0.12
                         ASOS..............0.27
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........0.75  DEPARTURE......-1.00
                         ASOS..............0.75
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........10.12  DEPARTURE......-0.05 
                         ASOS.............10.71

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)  
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE.......-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................0.5  DEPARTURE.......-4.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............38.6  DEPARTURE......-14.0

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR MARCH 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

3/1   45/30/38/+7/0.00/0.0/.../..           54 W   AERO 60 W   RMY 53
3/2   52/21/37/+6/0.41/0.0/.../..           44 WNW AERP 47 NW  RMY 42
3/3   34/16/25/-7/0.00/0.0/.../..           30 WNW AERO 36 WNW RMY N/A
3/4   30/24/27/-5/..../.../.../..           32 N   AERO 38 N   RMY 34
3/5   35/20/28/-4/0.00/0.0/.../..           31 N   AERO 36 N   RMY N/A
3/6   40/25/33/+1/0.00/0.0/.../..           21 SSE AERO 21 SSE RMY N/A
3/7   49/29/39/+6/0.00/0.0/.../..           43 SSW AERO 48 SSW RMY 45
3/8   55/35/45/+12/0.00/0.0/.../..          23 S   AERO 24 S   RMY N/A
3/9   75/38/57/+24/0.00/0.0/.../..          32 S   AERO 36 S   RMY 33
3/10  64/50/57/+24/..../0.0/000/00          31 NNW AERO 38 NNW RMY 32

3/11   morning low temp. since midnight 47F; normal now 25F

DAILY RECORDS FOR MARCH 2016

***3/9/16: NEW DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 75F,
BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 71F SET BACK IN 2000.***

***3/10/16: NEW DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 50F,
BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 42F SET AND TIED IN 1977, 2006***

DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):

RECORDS FOR MARCH 11
HIGH 65 IN 1967
LOW 4 IN 1939, 1960
PRECIP 2.11 INS. IN 1901
SNOWFALL 6.3 INS. IN 1934
PEAK GUST 66e MPH W IN 1980

RECORDS FOR MARCH 12
HIGH 72 IN 2012
LOW 2 IN 1885
PRECIP 2.87 INS. IN 1888
SNOWFALL 9.7 INS. IN 1959
PEAK GUST 66 MPH SE IN 1962

TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Brian Fitzgerald