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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2017  
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

WARMER TEMPS AND AFTERNOON WINDS GUSTING OVER 35 MPH

The low pressure system to the north is bringing southwesterly
winds and warmer, hazy conditions.  The WNW winds which were
prevailing for the past few days switched to SW early this
morning.  Wind speeds began to increase shortly after 6:00AM
with peak gusts reaching 38 MPH past noon.  Yesterday saw
colder temps, but they had rebounded to a max. of 39F by today's
1:00PM ob.  Visibility today was 50-60 miles but hazy.
 

PRELIMINARY STATS FOR JANUARY 2017
 
TEMPERATURE, Deg. F
Avg. Max. 38.9 [+5.1]
Avg. Min. 26.4 [+9.3]
Mean      32.7 [+7.2]
24-hour corrected mean: 32.7
Max. for month: 59F on 12th
Min. for month:  4F on  9th
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
Total heating units: 995 [-231] 
Total for the season: 3027 [-504]
Total for last season: 2742

PRECIPITATION, Inches
Total: 5.50 [+1.15]
Greatest in 24 hrs: 1.87 on the 23-24th

SNOWFALL, Inches
Total: 13.0 [-4.1]
Greatest in 24 hrs: 9.5 in. on 7-8th
 
WIND, mph
Avg. uncorrected wind speed: 13.1
Avg. corrected wind speed: 13.5
Prevailing wind direction: WNW at 13%
Peak gust and direction: 62 NE on 24th
 
SUNSHINE:
Campbell-Stokes card minutes: 6690 mins. of possible 17130 or 39%
Astronomical total minutes: 6909 mins. of possible 17676 or 39%

The 24-hour corrected mean temperature for January of
32.7 deg F is the ninth warmest on record.

BHO Warmest January Corrected Mean Temperatures, deg F (1885-2017)

1) 35.6 in 1913
2) 35.0 in 1932
3) 34.6 in 1937
4) 33.9 in 2006
5) 33.8 in 1933
   33.8 in 1950
   33.8 in 1990
8) 33.5 in 2002
9) 32.7 in 2017
10)32.1 in 1967
   32.1 in 1995   

Today's Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Broken altostratus
Temperature: 25F; Dew Point: 10F; Wind: SSW at 15G21 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.10 ins. Hg, falling, then more slowly
Visibility: 50 miles 
6-hr Max temp: 25F
6-hr Min temp: 22F
24-hr precip: 0.00 in.
24-hr snowfall: 0.0 in.
BHO SA 1155 E150 BKN 50 194/25/10/2015G21/010/ 8/010 56021 10025 20022

10 A.M.
Weather: Broken altostratus, overcast cirrostratus
Temperature: 30F; Dew Point: 15F; Wind: S at 13 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.01 ins. Hg, falling, then more slowly  
Visibility: 50 miles, hazy
BHO SA 1455 E150 BKN 250 OVC 50 164/30/15/1913/001/ HAZY/ 8/017 58030

1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered altostratus, overcast altostratus
Temperature: 39F; Dew Point: 17F; Wind: SSW at 17G29 kts,
Peak Wind: 33 kts (38 MPH) SSW at 12:18PM
Sea-level pressure: 29.85 ins. Hg, falling rapidly
Visibility: 60 miles, hazy
6-hr Max temp: 39F
6-hr Min temp: 25F
BHO SA 1755 120 SCT E150 OVC 60 109/39/17/2117G29/985/ HAZY PRESFR
PK WND 2033/18/ 8/01/ 58055 10039 20025

SUMMARY FOR SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2017
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....31   NORMAL.....35
MIN.....15   NORMAL.....17
MEAN....23   NORMAL.....26

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL........................-3
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH........................+8 [+1.8 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............42   DEPARTURE..........+2
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............148   DEPARTURE..........-8
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........3175   DEPARTURE........-512
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......2818   DIFFERENCE.......+357

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) 
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...................31 WNW AT  1:04 A.M.
                   ASOS........................31 W   AT  1:04 A.M.
                   DAVIS.......................30 NW  AT 12:27 P.M. RMY N/A
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.....................21 WNW AT  1:06 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..................21 W   AT  3:05 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.................20 NW  AT  1:14 A.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.............13.1 WNW 
                   ASOS......................13.4
                   DAVIS.....................12.0 WNW [300 deg.]

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00  DEPARTURE......-0.14
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........0.03  DEPARTURE......-0.51
                         ASOS..............0.04
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........5.53  DEPARTURE......+0.64
                         ASOS..............5.91

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE.......-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................0.4  DEPARTURE.......-1.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............21.2  DEPARTURE......-13.9


PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 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

1/1   41/29/35/+8/0.09/0.0/533/97           35 W   AERO 36 W   RMY 34
1/2   38/29/34/+7/0.00/0.0/011/02           21 E   AERO 20 E   RMY N/A  
1/3   42/37/40/+14/1.14/0.0/000/00          39 ENE AERO 41 ENE RMY 34
1/4   44/30/37/+11/0.11/T/000/00            41 WNW AERO 46 WNW RMY 45 
1/5   30/23/27/+1/0.00/0.0/343/62           37 W   AERO 39 W   RMY 38
1/6   30/20/25/-1/0.05/1.7/072/13           20 W   AERO 20 W   RMY N/A
1/7   22/14/18/-8/0.74/9.5/000/00           32 NNW AERO 39 NNW RMY 38
1/8   20/06/13/-13/0.01/T/512/92            26 NNW AERO 29 NNW RMY N/A
1/9   17/04/11/-15/0.00/0.0/335/60          23 SSW AERO 23 SSW RMY 25
1/10  41/14/28/+3/0.18/0.0/369/66           35 SE  AERO 37 SE  RMY N/A
1/11  53/40/47/+22/0.13/0.0/358/64          51 SSW AERO 48 SSW RMY 57
1/12  59/42/51/+26/0.15/0.0/118/21          37 SSW AERO 40 S   RMY 40
1/13  55/23/39/+14/0.00/0.0/535/95          39 WNW AERO 43 WNW RMY 42
1/14  30/14/22/-3/0.00/0.0/339/60           20 SSW AERO 20 SSW RMY 22
1/15  35/23/29/+4/0.00/0.0/555/98           28 NW  AERO 28 NW  RMY 28 
1/16  40/22/31/+6/0.00/0.0/540/95           28 SW  AERO 25 SW  RMY 27
1/17  40/29/35/+10/0.27/T/257/45            23 E   AERO 23 E   RMY 25
1/18  38/31/30/+10/0.29/T/000/00            30 ENE AERO 29 ENE RMY 26
1/19  44/30/37/+12/T/T/379/66               21 NNW AERO 20 NNW RMY 20
1/20  40/30/35/+10/T/0.0/000/00             17 NNW AERO 17 NNW RMY N/A
1/21  54/35/45/+20/T/0.0/133/23             29 W   AERO 29 W   RMY 28
1/22  46/36/41/+16/0.14/T/023/04            31 ENE AERO 30 ENE RMY N/A
1/23  36/33/35/+10/0.48/0.3/000/00          56 NE  AERO 58 NE  RMY N/A
1/24  40/32/36/+11/1.48/0.0/000/00          62 NE  AERO 60 NE  RMY 60
1/25  42/32/37/+12/0.03/0.0/486/83          41 WNW AERO 40 WNW RMY 38
1/26  48/36/42/+17/0.10/0.0/024/04          40 W   AERO 44 W   RMY 41
1/27  42/33/38/+13/T/T/212/36               46 W   AERO 46 W   RMY 50
1/28  38/29/34/+9/0.00/0.0/249/42           36 WNW AERO 40 WNW RMY 43
1/29  39/28/34/+9/0.00/0.0/143/24           29 WSW AERO 29 WSW RMY 32
1/30  34/20/27/+1/0.00/0.0/185/31           30 WNW*AERO 31 WNW RMY 31
1/31  28/15/22/-4/0.11/1.5/198/33           29 WNW AERO 30 WNW RMY N/A

DAILY RECORDS FOR JANUARY 2017

1/12/17: NEW DAILY RECORD HIGH MAXIMUM TEMP. OF 59F,
         PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 57F SET 1913 AND TIED IN 1975
1/12/17: NEW DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMP. OF 42F,
         PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 40F SET 2006

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY 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

2/1   40/23/32/+6/0.03/0.4/.../..           43 W   AERO 44 W   RMY 47
2/2   38/25/32/+6/T/T/.../..                36 WNW AERO 37 WNW RMY 36
2/3   30/19/25/-1/0.00/0.0/.../..           28 WNW AERO 29 WNW RMY 31
2/4   31/15/23/-3/0.00/0.0/.../..           31 WNW AERO 30 WNW RMY N/A

2/5  Low temp since midnight is 22F; normal low is now 17F


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

RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 5
HIGH 65F IN 1991
LOW -14F IN 1918
PRECIP 1.55 INS. IN 2001
SNOWFALL 16.0 INS. IN 1907
PEAK GUST 67 MPH WNW IN 1969

RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 6
HIGH 54F IN 1909
LOW -10F IN 1895
PRECIP 1.88 INS. IN 1896
SNOWFALL 13.0 INS. IN 1978 [BLIZZARD OF 1978]
PEAK GUST 84e MPH NE IN 1978

TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Cecilia Borries-Strigle