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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2018  
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

CLOUDS INCREASE THROUGHOUT THE DAY AS PRESSURE
BEGINS TO DROP...

Skies began clear this morning with only a few
cirrostratus clouds. As pressure began to drop
throughout the day clouds increased and we had
overcast cirrostratus. Visibility remained at
40 miles all day due to a distant haze/fog. 
A moderate wind from the WNW has kept temps. 
slightly below normal since yesterday's max of 
30F at midnight. We've had a low of 16F since
midnight today. This is 2 degrees below the 
normal of 18F. The wind shifted mid-afternoon 
today and is now coming from the SSW.  

Today's Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Few cirrostratus 
along the horizon in all directions  
Temperature: 17F; Dew Point: 12F; Wind: W at 8 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.51 ins. Hg, rising then falling   
Visibility: 40 miles, distant fog in all directions
6-hr Max temp: 20F
6-hr Min temp: 16F
24-hr precip: 0.00 ins.
24-hr snowfall: 0.0 ins.
Snow depth: 0 ins.
BHO SA 1155 CLR 40 333/17/12/2608/051/ FEW CS DSNT ALNG 
HRZN ALQDS DSNT FG ALQDS/ 8/005 50021 10020 20016

10 A.M.
Weather: Scattered cirrus, scattered cirrostratus 
Temperature: 26F; Dew Point: 13F; Wind: W at 8 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.55 ins. Hg, rising, then more slowly 
Visibility: 40 miles, distant haze in all directions  
3-hr precip: 0.00 ins.
3-hr snowfall: 0.0 ins.  
BHO SA 1455 160 SCT 260 SCT 40 345/26/13/2808/055/ 
DSNT HZ ALQDS/ 8/005 51012 
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered altocumulus, overcast cirrostratus  
Temperature: 30F; Dew Point: 11F; Wind: NW at 09G15 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.51 ins. Hg, falling, then more quickly 
Visibility: 40 miles, distant haze in all directions
6-hr Max temp: 30F
6-hr Min temp: 17F
6-hr precip: 0.00 ins.
6-hr snowfall: 0.0 ins.
Snow depth: 0 in.
BHO SA 1755 90 SCT E250 OVC 40 331/30/11/2209G15/051/ 
DSNT HZ ALQDS/ 8/036 58014 10030 20017

SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2018

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....30   NORMAL.....35
MIN.....20   NORMAL.....18
MEAN....25   NORMAL.....27

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.............................-2
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH............................+10 [+1.1 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............40   DEPARTURE..........+2
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH............300   DEPARTURE.........-11
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........3621   DEPARTURE........-221
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....3297   DIFFERENCE.......+324

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) 
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY....................38 WNW AT 12:27 A.M. 
                   AERO.........................38 WNW AT 12:28 A.M.
                   ASOS.........................36 NW  AT 12:28 A.M.
                   DAVIS........................37 M   AT 12:28 A.M.** RMY N/A 
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY......................29 WNW AT 12:27 A.M.   
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...................28 NW  AT 12:29 A.M.  
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..................27 M   AT 12:29 A.M.**
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION..............13.1 NW
                   ASOS.......................13.3 
                   DAVIS......................11.6 ** 
** Davis direction malfunctioning

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..........1.61  DEPARTURE......+0.53
                         ASOS..............1.69  
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........7.61  DEPARTURE......+2.18
                         ASOS..............8.27

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE........-0.4
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................3.6  DEPARTURE........-0.3
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............38.1  DEPARTURE........+1.0

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 45/27/36/+10/..../0.0/.../..      36 SSW AERO 35 SSW RMY N/A 
2/2 34/08/21/-5/..../.../.../..       43 WNW AERO 46 WNW RMY 46 
2/3 25/04/15/-11/0.00/0.0/.../..      26 S   AERO 24 S   RMY 30 
2/4 45/23/34/+8/.../T/.../..          31 SSE AERO 29 S   RMY 30
2/5 46/19/33/+7/0.00/0.0/.../..       47 WNW AERO 47 WNW RMY 44
2/6 31/17/24/+2/T/T/.../..            26 SSW AERO 23 SSW RMY 23 
2/7 42/21/32/+5/0.62/1.1/000/00       45 SW  AERO 46 SW  RMY 47
2/8 30/20/25/-2/0.00/0.0/.../..       38 WNW AERO 38 WNW RMY N/A

2/9 Low temp since midnight is 16F; normal low is now 18F

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

RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 9
HIGH 58F IN 1990
LOW -21F IN 1934 [LOWEST TEMPERATURE ON RECORD]
PRECIP 2.12 INS. IN 1969
SNOWFALL 16.9 INS. IN 2016
PEAK GUST 89 MPH NE IN 1969

RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 10
HIGH 56F IN 1909
LOW -8F IN 1899
PRECIP 1.34 INS. IN 1909
SNOWFALL 12.1 INS. IN 1926
PEAK GUST 64 MPH W IN 2001

TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Kaitlin Geagan