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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2016 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

TRACE OF RAIN FALLS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND POP UP
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVE THROUGH THE REGION-
TEMPS FOR MARCH NOW AVERAGE 8.4F DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL PER DAY

Temperatures yesterday afternoon were able to rise to a peak
of 63F below developing clouds and showers, which brought in cooler
conditions. Briefly, a severe thunderstorm warning was issued
N and W of Great Blue Hill due to a cell producing gusty
winds and very occasional lightning. A weakened storm passed
just N of the station later with gutsy NW winds eventually 
hitting a peak of 44 MPH on the summit. 

Overnight temperatures dipped to a low of 39F, still some
12 degrees warmer than normal. By today's 1:00 PM EST observation
skies were mostly cloudy with broken stratocumulus with a maximum
temperature so far of 50F. A brief shower just before and after
1:00 PM EST brought another trace of new precipitation.


Today's Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Thin scattered cirrus, few cumulus distant
W-NNE, few altocumulus lenticularis in all directions
Temperature: 41F; Dew Point: 30F; Wind: WSW at 12G17 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.68 ins. Hg, rising, then falling but
higher still
Visibility: 70 miles
6-hr Max temp: 41F 
6-hr Min temp: 39F
24-hr precip: Trace 
BHO SA 1155 250 -SCT 70 050/41/30/2512G17/968/ FEW CU DSNT 
W-NNE FEW ACSL ALQDS/ 8/141 50004 10041 20039

10 A.M.
Weather: Broken stratocumulus
Temperature: 46F; Dew Point: 30F; Wind: WNW at 17G27 kts,
Peak Wind: 29 knots W at 9:06 AM EST
Sea-level pressure: 29.67 ins. Hg, falling, then more rising
but lower still
Visibility: 75 miles  
BHO SA 1455 E40 BKN 75 047/46/30/2917G27/967/ PK WND 2829/06/ 
8/500 55003

1 P.M.
Weather: Light rain shower begins 12:49 PM EST, ends 12:51 PM EST,
showers distant SSE-ENE, broken stratocumulus
Temperature: 48F; Dew Point: 27F; Wind: WNW at 14G24 kts,
Peak Wind: 27 knots W at 12:01 PM EST
Sea-level pressure: 29.67 ins. Hg, falling, then rising and higher
Visibility: 80 miles, except 60 miles NW, distant showers
6-hr Max temp: 50F 
6-hr Min temp: 40F
6-hr precip: Trace
BHO SA 1755 E50 BKN 80 048/48/27/3014G24/967/ RW-B49E51 VSBY 
NW 60 MI SHWRS DSNT SSE-ENE PK WND 2727/01/ 8/500 53001 
MANUAL 6000/ 10050 20040


SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2016 
  
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....63   NORMAL.....44
MIN.....40   NORMAL.....27 
MEAN....52   NORMAL.....36

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL........................+16
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.......................+147 [+8.4 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............13   DEPARTURE.........-16
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............393   DEPARTURE........-147
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........4076   DEPARTURE.......-1032
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......5276   DIFFERENCE......-1200

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) 
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...................44 NW   AT 3:57 P.M.*   
                   ASOS........................45 NW   AT 3:51 P.M.         
                   DAVIS.......................40 WNW  AT 3:50 P.M. RMY 44
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.....................31 W    AT 5:25 P.M.*      
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..................30 W    AT 5:27 P.M.         
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.................30 WSW  AT 5:27 P.M.         
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.............11.4 WSW 
                   ASOS......................11.5    
                   DAVIS.....................10.0 W [256 Deg.]

*ADDITIONAL PEAK GUST, FASTEST MILE

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M...TRACE  DEPARTURE......-0.18
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........2.32  DEPARTURE......-0.63
                         ASOS..............2.36
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........11.69  DEPARTURE......+0.32 
                         ASOS.............12.32

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)  
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE.......-0.4
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................0.5  DEPARTURE.......-7.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............38.6  DEPARTURE......-17.0

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/+7/0.00/0.0/602/89           54 W   AERO 60 W   RMY 53
3/2   52/21/37/+6/0.41/0.0/204/30           44 WNW AERP 47 NW  RMY 42
3/3   34/16/25/-7/0.00/0.0/641/94           30 WNW AERO 36 WNW RMY N/A
3/4   30/24/27/-5/..../.../000/00           32 N   AERO 38 N   RMY 34
3/5   35/20/28/-4/0.00/0.0/536/78           31 N   AERO 36 N   RMY N/A
3/6   40/25/33/+1/0.00/0.0/593/86           21 SSE AERO 21 SSE RMY N/A
3/7   49/29/39/+6/0.00/0.0/173/25           43 SSW AERO 48 SSW RMY 45
3/8   55/35/45/+12/0.00/0.0/647/93          23 S   AERO 24 S   RMY N/A
3/9   75/38/57/+24/0.00/0.0/594/85          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  56/38/47/+13/T/0.0/331/47             28 NNW AERO 36 NNW RMY 29
3/12  58/31/45/+11/0.00/0.0/650/92          30 SW  AERO 33 SW  RMY 30 
3/13  63/46/55/+21/0.00/0.0/.../..          32 NW  AERO 35 NW  RMY 30
3/14  46/36/41/+6/..../T/000/00             32 E   AERO 33 E   RMY N/A
3/15  45/39/42/+7/..../0.0/000/00           36 ENE AERO 38 ENE RMY 34
3/16  48/39/44/+9/..../0.0/.../..           25 E   AERO 28 E   RMY N/A
3/17  63/40/52/+16/..../0.0/.../..          44 NW  AERO 48 NW  RMY 45

3/18  low temp since midnight is 39F; normal now 27F

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 18
HIGH 72 IN 2012
LOW 0 IN 1885
PRECIP 5.61 INS. IN 1968 [RECORD FOR MONTH]
SNOWFALL 9.3 INS. IN 1985
PEAK GUST 71e MPH WNW IN 1941

RECORDS FOR MARCH 19
HIGH 77 IN 2012
LOW -2 IN 1967
PRECIP 1.69 INS. IN 1956
SNOWFALL 17.6 INS. IN 1956 [RECORD FOR MONTH]
PEAK GUST 75e MPH WNW IN 1941

TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Brian Fitzgerald