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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2016 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

CALMER WINDS AND PARTLY-CLOUDY SKIES AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS

Winds continued to decrease today after the gusty conditions
in the beginning of the week.  Skies were partly cloudy and
consisted of mostly high cirrus clouds and a few fair-weather
cumulus.  Visibility remained at 70 miles for each of the day's
observations.

Temperatures started at 55F at 7:00AM EST and warmed to a max
of 63F by 1:00PM, still 4F below normal.


Today's Observations:

7 A.M. 
Weather: Few cirrocumulus in all directions, scattered cirrus
Temperature: 55F; Dew Point: 38F; Wind: ENE at 9G14 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.16 ins. Hg, rising, then more slowly 
Visibility: 70 miles
6-hr Max temp: 55F 
6-hr Min temp: 48F
24-hr precip: 0.00 in.
BHO SA 1155 260 SCT 70 212/55/38/0609G14/016/ FEW CC ALQDS/ 
8/001 51020 10055 20048

10 A.M.
Weather: Few cumulus SSE-N, broken cirrostratus
Temperature: 59F; Dew Point: 39F; Wind: ENE at 8 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.15 ins. Hg, falling, then more quickly
Visibility: 70 miles
BHO SA 1455 E250 BKN 70 211/59/39/0608/015/ FEW CU SSE-N/ 
8/108 58001

1 P.M.
Weather: Few cumulus S-N, scattered cirrus
Temperature: 63F; Dew Point: 40F; Wind: ENE at 10 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.13 ins. Hg, falling, then more quickly
Visibility: 70 miles 
6-hr Max temp: 63F 
6-hr Min temp: 55F
BHO SA 1155 260 SCT 70 204/63/40/0610/013/ FEW CU S-N/ 
8/101 58007 10063 20055

SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, MAY 17, 2016 
  
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....69   NORMAL.....67
MIN.....47   NORMAL.....48 
MEAN....58   NORMAL.....57

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL..........................+1
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.........................-39 [-2.5 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY...............7   DEPARTURE..........-1
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............208   DEPARTURE.........+31
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........5200   DEPARTURE.......-1012
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......6347   DIFFERENCE......-1147   

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) 
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...................32  W  AT 11:48 A.M.      
                   ASOS........................36 WSW AT 11:47 A.M.   
                   DAVIS.......................36 WSW AT 11:47 A.M. RMY 38
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.....................26  W  AT 12:21 P.M.*    
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..................26  W  AT 12:21 P.M. 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.................23  W  AT 11:52 A.M.   
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION...............13.5 W
                   ASOS........................13.9
                   DAVIS.......................11.8 W [280 Deg.]
* Last of several occurrences

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00  DEPARTURE......-0.13
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........1.88  DEPARTURE......-0.20
                         ASOS..............1.76
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........18.82  DEPARTURE......-1.81 
                         ASOS.............18.76

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)  
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE........0.0
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH..............TRACE  DEPARTURE........0.0
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............57.5  DEPARTURE.......-5.7

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR MAY 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

5/1 52/39/46/-7/0.08/T/000/00               21 S   AERO 22 SE  RMY 20
5/2 50/41/46/-7/0.31/0.0/000/00             20 NE  AERO 21 NE  RMY 18
5/3 48/43/46/-7/0.16/0.0/000/00             16 E   AERO 16 E   RMY 17 
5/4 48/41/45/-9/0.53/0.0/000/00             33 NE  AERO 35 NE  RMY 34
5/5 44/41/43/-11/0.30/0.0/000/00            39 NNE AERO 41 NNE RMY 39
5/6 54/43/49/-5/0.13/0.0/348/42             28 ENE AERO 29 N   RMY 26
5/7 51/43/47/-8/.../0.0/000/00              25 NE  AERO 25 NE  RMY 23
5/8 60/46/53/-2/.../0.0/276/33              47 W   AERO 53 W   RMY 49         
5/9 65/43/54/-1/0.00/0.0/720/86             40 W   AERO 44 W   RMY 40
5/10 69/40/55/0/0.00/0.0/774/93             22 W   AERO 25 WNW RMY 22
5/11 76/50/63/0.00/0.0/780/93               22 WNW AERO 23 WNW*RMY 22
5/12 75/54/65/0.00/0.0/792/94               23 NNE AERO 25 S   RMY 23
5/13 74/52/63/+7/0.21/0.0/078/09            27 S   AERO 27 S   RMY 26  
5/14 78/54/66/+9/0.00/0.0/.../..            35 SSW*AERO 40 SSW RMY 37
5/15 60/40/51/-6/0.00/0.0/.../..            50 W   AERO 54 W   RMY 49
5/16 58/38/48/-9/0.00/0.0/.../..            45 W*  AERO 51 WNW RMY 49
5/17 69/47/58/+1/0.00/0.0/.../..            32 W   AERO 38 W   RMY 38

5/18 low temp since midnight is 48F; normal low now 48F

* Last of several occurrences
     
DAILY RECORDS FOR MAY 2016

5/1/16: DAILY RECORD SNOWFALL OF A TRACE,
TIES PREVIOUS RECORDS SET IN 1905, 1917, 1921, and 1995

DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated): 
 
RECORDS FOR MAY 18
HIGH 88F IN 1906, 1936, 1986
LOW 35F IN 2002
PRECIP 1.93 INS IN 2007
SNOW TRACE IN 2002 (Ice pellets)
PEAK GUST 64 MPH SSW IN 2000

RECORDS FOR MAY 19
HIGH 91F IN 1962
LOW 34F IN 2002
PRECIP 1.54 INCHES IN 1900
PEAK GUST 58 MPH NW IN 1964

TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Cece Borries-Strigle