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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12, 2017  
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

TEMPS BEGIN TO FALL WITH APPROACHING COLD FRONT

Temperatures continued to rise after yesterday's 1:00PM
EST observation, ending with a new high temperature daily
record of 85F for April 11.  The high minimum temperature
record was also tied at 50F.  Yesterday also gave us the
season's first three cooling degree days.

Temperatures reached a max. of 68F today before falling
with an approaching cold front.  Wind direction shifted
out of the north-northwest after 1:00PM, and wind speeds
were increasing after a morning of light winds.


Today's Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Scattered cirrus
Temperature: 56F; Dew Point: 46F; Wind: ENE at 7 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.14 ins. Hg, steady then rising
Visibility: 35 miles, hazy, thin smog layer along horizon
6-hr Max temp: 56F
6-hr Min temp: 54F
24-hr precip: 0.00
24-hr snowfall: 0.0 in.
BHO SA 1155 250 SCT 35 205/56/46/0607/014/ HAZY THN K LYR ALG HRZN/
8/001 53011 10056 20054

10 A.M.
Weather: Few altocumulus WSW-NNE, broken cirrostratus
Temperature: 66F; Dew Point: 46F; Wind: E at 5 kts,
Wind Speed: Light
Sea-level pressure: 30.13 ins. Hg, rising then falling
Visibility: 35 miles, except 25 miles SW-NNW, hazy
BHO SA 1455 E250 BKN 35 202/66/46/1005/013/ FEW AC WSW-NNE VSBY SW-NNW 25
HAZY WND LGT/ 8/078 58003

1 P.M.
Weather: Broken altocumulus, overcast altostratus
Temperature: 60F; Dew Point: 45F; Wind: NE at 6 kts,
Wind Speed: Light
Sea-level pressure: 30.11 ins. Hg, falling  then steady
Visibility: 35 miles, except 20 miles SW-NW, hazy
6-hr Max temp: 68F
6-hr Min temp: 56F
BHO SA 1755 E74 BKN 180 OVC 35 195/60/45/0506/011/ VSBY SW-NW 20
HAZY WND LGT/ 8/07/ 56007 10068 20056

SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 2017
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....85   NORMAL.....54
MIN.....50   NORMAL.....36
MEAN....68   NORMAL.....45

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL........................+23
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH........................+16 [+3.3 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY...............0   DEPARTURE.........-20
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............206   DEPARTURE.........-36
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........5108   DEPARTURE........-618
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......4696   DIFFERENCE.......+412

COOLING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JAN TO DEC)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY...............3   DEPARTURE..........+3
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...............3   DEPARTURE..........+3
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..............3   DEPARTURE..........+3
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.........0   DIFFERENCE.........+3

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) 
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...................28  S  AT 5:51 P.M.
                   AERO........................28  S  AT 6:14 P.M.
                   ASOS........................30  S  AT 5:51 P.M.
                   DAVIS.......................26 SSW AT 3:12 P.M. RMY 30
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.....................21  S  AT 6:19 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..................21  S  AT 6:20 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.................19 SSW AT 4:15 A.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.............13.3  S
                   ASOS......................14.0
                   DAVIS.....................11.8 SW [220 deg.]


PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00  DEPARTURE......-0.17
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........4.26  DEPARTURE......+2.39
                         ASOS..............4.27
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........18.38  DEPARTURE......+2.51
                         ASOS...............N/A ***
*** ASOS annual total not available due to erroneous readings

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE.......-0.2
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................2.7  DEPARTURE.......+0.9
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............66.4  DEPARTURE.......+4.9


PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR APRIL CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SNOW/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
M:    Missing data

4/1  35/31/33/-8/2.21/2.7/000/00           40 ENE AERO 41 ENE RMY 41
4/2  53/30/42/+1/0.00/0.0/.../..           32 NW  AERO 33 NW  RMY 34
4/3  60/35/48/+6/0.00/0.0/.../..           21 W*  AERO 20 NW  RMY N/A
4/4  42/35/39/-3/0.78/0.0/.../..           41 ESE AERO 43 ESE RMY 42
4/5  41/35/38/-5/0.00/0.0/000/00           21 NNW AERO 20 NNW RMY N/A
4/6  55/35/45/+2/1.27/0.0/000/00           35 SSE AERO 37 S   RMY 37  TSTM
4/7  53/38/46/+3/0.00/0.0/.../..           43 SSW AERO 47 SSW RMY 48
4/8  50/34/42/-2/0.00/0.0/.../..           37 WNW AERO 40 WNW RMY 39
4/9  65/34/50/+6/0.00/0.0/.../..           23 W   AERO 23 W   RMY N/A
4/10 77/45/61/+16/0.00/0.0/.../..          37 S   AERO 37 S   RMY 39
4/11 85/50/68/+23/0.00/0.0/.../..          28 S   AERO 28 S   RMY 30

4/12 Low temp since midnight is 53F; normal low is now 36F

DAILY RECORDS FOR APRIL 2017

4/11/17: DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 85F,
         BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 78F SET IN 1945

4/11/17: DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 50F,
         TIES WITH PREVIOUS RECORD SET IN 1955


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

RECORDS FOR APRIL 12
HIGH 82 IN 1945
LOW 17 IN 1926
PRECIP 1.51 IN. IN 1993
SNOWFALL 12.0 IN. IN 1894
PEAK GUST 65e MPH W IN 1978

RECORDS FOR APRIL 13
HIGH 85 IN 1945
LOW 22 IN 1939
PRECIP 2.51 IN. IN 2004
SNOWFALL 6.8 IN. IN 1933
PEAK GUST 59 MPH SSW IN 1995

TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Cecilia Borries-Strigle