BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2017 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
WET AND RAW TODAY WITH GUSTY EAST WIND
 
Light rain and drizzle began in the predawn hours today and have continued
ever since along with low clouds and fog.  Through the 1:00 P.M.
observation, 0.24 ins. of rain have fallen.  Temperatures have been
stagnant, hovering at or just below 40F for the entire day.  We've had a
steady 15-20mph breeze from the east, with gusts up to 35mph.  This has all
combined to make for a day of raw, unpleasant weather conditions.
 
It appears 2016 will go down as the 2nd warmest year on record here at the
Observatory.  A list of our ten warmest years, along with preliminary
statistics for December, are below.
 
BLUE HILL OBSERVATORY WARMEST ANNUAL TEMPERATURE 1885-2016 (deg F)
1) 51.7 in 2012
2) 51.2 in 2016
3) 51.0 in 2010
4) 50.9 in 1999
5) 50.8 in 1998
6) 50.6 in 2006
7) 50.5 in 1953
8) 50.4 in 2011
9) 50.3 in 1990, 1991
 
PRELIMINARY STATS FOR DECEMBER 2016
 
TEMPERATURE, Deg. F
Avg. Max. 39.5 [+0.4]
Avg. Min. 25.3 [+1.7]
Mean      32.4 [+1.1]
24-hour corrected mean: 32.1
Max. for month: 56F on 27th
Min. for month:  1F on 16th

HEATING DEGREE DAYS
Total heating units: 1002 [-41]
Total for the season: 2032 [-273]
Total for last season: 1656

PRECIPITATION, Inches
Total: 2.83 [-2.06]
Greatest in 24 hrs: 0.87 in. on 29th-30th
 
SNOWFALL, Inches
Total: 7.8 [-5.6]
Greatest in 24 hrs: 4.3 in. on 17th

WIND, mph
Avg. uncorrected wind speed: 13.4
Avg. corrected wind speed: 13.7
Prevailing wind direction: W at 19%
Peak gust and direction: 51 SW on 27th

SUNSHINE:
Campbell-Stokes card minutes: 8604 mins. of possible 16470 mins. or 52%
Astronomical total minutes: 8881 mins. of possible 16991 mins. or 52%
 
 
Today's Observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Light drizzle, scattered stratocumulus, broken stratocumulus
(higher layer), overcast nimbostratus
Temperature: 39F; Dew Point: 37F; Wind: E at 15G25 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.21 ins. Hg, falling
Visibility: 15 miles
6-hr Max temp: 39F
6-hr Min temp: 38F
24-hr precip: 0.05 ins.
Snow depth: Trace
BHO SA 1155 10 SCT E20 BKN 40 OVC 15L- 230/39/37/0815G25/021/
8/52/ 57028 ASOS 60005 MANUAL 70005 ASOS 70005 10039 20038
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Sky partially obscured with light rain and fog, broken
stratocumulus, overcast nimbostratus, stratus fractus drifting below summit
Temperature: 38F; Dew Point: 38F; Wind: E at 16G26 kts,
Peak Wind: 26 kts E at 9:49 A.M.
Sea-level pressure: 30.15 ins. Hg, falling then more rapidly
Visibility: 1/2 miles, except 2 miles ESE-SW
3-hr precip: 0.05 ins.
BHO SA 1455 -X E5 BKN 10 OVC 1/2R-F 210/38/38/0816G26/015/
F6 STFRA DRFTG BLO SMT VSBY ESE-SW 2 PK WND 0826/49/ 8/52/ 58020
MANUAL 60006 ASOS 60006 
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Sky partially obscured with light rain and fog, broken
stratocumulus, overcast nimbostratus, stratus fractus drifting below summit
Temperature: 39F; Dew Point: 39F; Wind: E at 18G28 kts,
Peak Wind: 30 kts E at 12:13 P.M.
Sea-level pressure: 29.99 ins. Hg, falling then more rapidly
Visibility: 3/4 miles, except 2 miles SSE-SW
6-hr Max temp: 40F
6-hr Min temp: 38F
6-hr precip: 0.19 ins.
BHO SA 1755 -X E2 BKN 9 OVC 3/4R-F 155/39/39/0818G28/999/
F6 STFRA DRFTG BLO SMT VSBY SSE-SW 2 WND04V11 PK WND 0830/13/
8/52/ 58055 MANUAL 60019 ASOS 60020 10040 20038
 
SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, JANUARY 2, 2017

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....38   NORMAL.....35
MIN.....29   NORMAL.....19
MEAN....34   NORMAL.....27
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL........................+7
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.......................+15 [+7.3 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............31   DEPARTURE..........-7
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH..............61   DEPARTURE.........-16
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........2093   DEPARTURE........-288
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......1721   DIFFERENCE.......+372
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...................21 E   AT 11:31 P.M.*
                   ASOS........................20 E   AT 11:32 P.M.
                   DAVIS.......................20 ENE AT 11:31 P.M. RMY N/A
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.....................16 E   AT 11:11 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..................14 E   AT 11:33 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.................14 ENE AT 11:18 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION..............6.9 E
                   ASOS.......................7.2
                   DAVIS......................6.3 E [94 deg.]
*Last of several occurrences
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.05  DEPARTURE......-0.09
                         ASOS..............0.05
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........0.14  DEPARTURE......-0.29
                         ASOS..............0.14
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........0.14  DEPARTURE......-0.29
                         ASOS..............0.14
 
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE.......-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................0.0  DEPARTURE.......-1.1
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON...............7.8  DEPARTURE.......-9.3
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER-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
 
12/1  55/39/47/+10/0.20/0.0/385/69          36 W   AERO 37 W   RMY 36
12/2  48/34/41/+5/0.00/0.0/535/96           32 W   AERO 32 W   RMY N/A
13/3  44/31/38/+2/0.00/0.0/445/80           37 WNW AERO 39 WNW RMY 40
12/4  39/27/33/-2/0.00/0.0/355/64           25 NW  AERO 25 NW  RMY N/A
12/5  36/27/32/-3/0.13/0.4/000/00           26 W   AERO 25 W   RMY 29
12/6  42/30/36/+1/0.00/0.0/392/71           22 W   AERO 21 W   RMY N/A
12/7  39/34/37/+3/0.10/0.0/000/00           21 E   AERO 21 E   RMY N/A
12/8  40/29/35/+1/0.00/0.0/033/06           30 W   AERO 31 W   RMY 33
12/9  35/21/28/-6/0.00/0.0/549/100          35 W   AERO 36 WNW RMY 34
12/10 27/17/22/-11/0.00/0.0/544/99          26 WNW AERO 27 WNW RMY 29
12/11 33/16/25/-8/0.06/0.4/411/75           17 SSW AERO 15 SW  RMY N/A
12/12 41/27/34/+1/0.35/0.9/038/07           29 ESE AERO 29 SE  RMY 30
12/13 41/30/36/+4/0.00/0.0/427/78           25 WSW AERO 25 W   RMY 27
12/14 40/26/33/+1/0.00/0.0/530/97           30 WNW AERO 31 WNW RMY N/A
12/15 29/13/21/-11/T/T/420/77               50 W   AERO 62 W   RMY 56
12/16 18/01/10/-21/0.00/0.0/485/89          39 WNW AERO 51 WNW RMY N/A
12/17 36/18/27/-4/0.60/4.3/000/00           25 SSW AERO 28 SSW RMY N/A
12/18 55/30/43/+12/0.05/0.0/000/00          47 WSW AERO 53 S   RMY 53
12/19 30/17/24/-6/0.00/0.0/273/50           26 WNW*AERO 28 NW  RMY 26
12/20 32/13/23/-7/0.00/0.0/359/66           28 SSE AERO 29 SSW RMY N/A
12/21 40/25/33/+3/0.00/0.0/354/65           28 SSE AERO 28 SSW RMY 30
12/22 38/29/34/+5/T/T/033/06                28 SSE AERO 29 S   RMY 30
12/23 44/29/37/+8/0.00/0.0/512/94           25 WNW AERO 25 WNW RMY N/A
12/24 41/34/38/+9/0.39/0.0/033/06           30 SSW AERO 31 SSW RMY 30
12/25 43/25/34/+6/0.00/0.0/545/100          35 NW  AERO 37 NW  RMY 36
12/26 46/20/33/+5/..../0.0/425/78           39 S   AERO 40 S   RMY N/A
12/27 56/35/46/+18/..../0.0/169/31          51 SW  AERO 55 SW  RMY N/A
12/28 40/29/35/+7/0.00/0.0/207/38           31 W   AERO 32 W   RMY 26
12/29 40/28/34/+7/0.87/1.8/000/00           38 NW  AERO 44 NW  RMY 42 TSTM
12/30 37/26/32/+5/0.00/0.0/323/59           46 W   AERO 55 WSW RMY 50
12/31 43/23/32/+5/..../0.0/099/18           46 SSW AERO 51 SSW RMY 50
 
1/1   41/29/35/+8/..../0.0/.../..           35 W   AERO 36 W   RMY 34
1/2   38/29/34/+7/..../0.0/.../..           21 E   AERO 29 E   RMY N/A 
 
1/3   Low temp since midnight is 37F; normal low is now 18F
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 2016
None.
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR JANUARY 2017
None so far.
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR JANUARY 3
HIGH 64F IN 2000
LOW -4F IN 1904
PRECIP 1.93 INS. IN 1999
SNOW 11.3 INS. 1996
PEAK GUST 92 MPH S IN 1960
 
RECORDS FOR JANUARY 4
HIGH 60F IN 2000
LOW -8F IN 1904, 1981
PRECIP 1.79 INS. IN 1982
SNOW 8.6 INS. 1923, 1941
PEAK GUST 84 MPH S IN 1982
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Jonathan O'Brien