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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018  
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

WIND FROM THE SSW BRINGS TWO DAYS OF RECORD 
BREAKING WARMTH...

We had a record breaking high maximum yesterday
of 68F. The previous record of 66F was set in 
1930. We have already broke today's daily high
maximum record with a high of 68F so far today.
The previous record of 62F was also set in 1930.
We could also set the record of high minimum 
today if temperatures don't drop down below 45F
before midnight. The low so far today has been
50F, which is 30 degrees above the normal of 
20F. We were one degree short of the high 
minimum record yesterday of 49F, with a minimum 
of 48F.
Winds continue to be from the SSW and moderate
with gust frequently over 22 kts (25 MPH). 
Yesterday with the warm temperatures we observed
the thawing of Ponkapong pond. Today Houghton's
pond was 20% covered with a thin layer of ice.  
Visibility was obscured due to a distant fog in 
the morning and haze in the afternoon which 
allowed for a max of 40 miles by 10:00 A.M. 

Today's Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Overcast stratus 
Temperature: 55F; Dew Point: 55F; Wind: WSW at 13G20 kts,
Peak wind: 27 kts (31 MPH) SW at 6:43 A.M. 
Sea-level pressure: 30.24 ins. Hg, rising then more quickly        
Visibility:  35 miles, distant fog in all directions
6-hr Max temp: 55F
6-hr Min temp: 50F
24-hr precip:  0.00 ins.
24-hr snowfall: 0.0 ins.
Snow depth: 0 ins.
BHO SA 1155 E11 OVC 35 239/55/55/2417G26/024/ 
VSBY 15 SSW-NNE DSNT FG ALQDS PK WND 2327/43/ 
8/02/ 58011 10055 20050

10 A.M.
Weather: Broken altostratus, few stratus fractus in 
all directions, sun dimly visible 
Temperature: 60F; Dew Point: 56F; Wind: SW at 14G24 kt,
Peak Wind: 28 (32 MPH) SW at 9:06 A.M.
Sea-level pressure: 30.24 ins. Hg, rising then falling 
Visibility: 40 miles, distant fog in all directions
3-hr precip: 0.00
3-hr snowfall: 0.0 ins.  
BHO SA 1455 E180 BKN 40 239/60/56/2214G24/024/ FEW STFA 
ALQDS DSNT FG ALQDS SUN DMLY VSBL PK WND 2228/06/ 8/710 
58000        

1 P.M.
Weather: scattered cirrostratus, few cirrus in all 
directions
Temperature: 68F; Dew Point: 55F; Wind: SSW at 15G21 kts 
Sea-level pressure: 30.17 ins. Hg, falling, then more quickly   
Visibility: 40 miles   
6-hr Max temp: 68F
6-hr Min temp: 55F
6-hr precip: 0.00 ins.
6-hr snowfall: 0.0 ins.
Snow depth: 0 ins.
BHO SA 1755 250 SCT 40 217/68/55/2115G21/017/ FEW 
CI ALQDS DSNT HZ ALQDS/ 8/005 58022 10068 20055              

SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....68   NORMAL.....38
MIN.....48   NORMAL.....20
MEAN....58   NORMAL.....29

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL...........................+29
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH..........................+126 [+6.1 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............7   DEPARTURE.........-29
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH............629   DEPARTURE........-128
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........3950   DEPARTURE........-337
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....3728   DIFFERENCE.......+222

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) 
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...................32 SSW AT 12:19 A.M.* 
                   AERO........................30 SSW AT 12:20 A.M.
                   ASOS........................31 SSW AT 12:20 A.M.
                   DAVIS.......................30 M   AT 12:07 A.M.** RMY N/A
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.....................22 SSW AT 12:20 A.M.   
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..................23 SSW AT  5:44 A.M.  
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.................22 M   AT 12:20 A.M.**
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.............15.5 SSW 
                   ASOS......................15.3 
                   DAVIS.....................14.5 ** 

** Davis direction malfunctioning

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00  DEPARTURE......-0.15
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........3.25  DEPARTURE......+0.44
                         ASOS..............3.40  
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........9.25  DEPARTURE......+2.09
                         ASOS..............9.98

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE........-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................9.4  DEPARTURE........-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............43.9  DEPARTURE........+0.8

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/..../0.0/120/20      36 SSW AERO 35 SSW RMY N/A 
2/2  34/08/21/-5/..../2.5/223/37       43 WNW AERO 46 WNW RMY 46 
2/3  25/04/15/-11/0.00/0.0/557/92      26 S   AERO 24 S   RMY 30 
2/4  45/23/34/+8/.../T/000/00          31 SSE AERO 29 S   RMY 30
2/5  46/19/33/+7/0.00/0.0/464/76       47 WNW AERO 47 WNW RMY 44
2/6  31/17/24/+2/T/T/025/04            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/-2/0.00/0.0/501/81       38 WNW AERO 38 WNW RMY N/A
2/9  30/16/23/-4/0.00/0.0/384/62       28 S   AERO 25 S   RMY N/A
2/10 51/28/40/+13/..../0.0/.../..      31 S   AERO 30 S   RMY 31
2/11 46/36/41/+14/..../0.0/000/00      24 SW  AERO 21 SW  RMY N/A
2/12 53/27/40/+13/..../0.0/.../..      33 WNW AERO 33 WNW RMY N/A
2/13 31/21/26/-2/0.00/0.0/.../..       22 S   AERO 18 WNW RMY 21
2/14 46/25/36/+8/0.00/0.0/.../..       30 S   AERO 26 SSW RMY 29 
2/15 47/35/41/+13/..../0.0/000/00      23 SSW AERO 20 SSW RMY N/A
2/16 50/31/41/+13/..../0.0/.../..      45 W   AERO 44 W   RMY 42
2/17 38/23/31/+3/..../.../.../..       33 SSW AERO 29 SSE RMY 33
2/18 42/29/35/+6/..../.../.../..       32 WNW AERO 29 WNW RMY 34 
2/19 48/30/39/+10/..../0.0/.../..      39 SSW AERO 37 SSW RMY 40       
2/20 68/48/58/+29/..../0.0/.../..      32 SSW AERO 30 SSW RMY N/A

2/21 Low temp since midnight is 50F; normal low is now 29F

DAILY RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 2018

2/20/17: NEW DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 68F
         PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 66F SET IN 1930

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

RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 21
HIGH 62F IN 1930
LOW -6F IN 1950
PRECIP 2.42 INCHES IN 1898
SNOWFALL 9.0 INCHES IN 1929
PEAK GUST 72 MPH WNW IN 1967

RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 22
HIGH 63F IN 1997
LOW -1F IN 1918
PRECIP 1.38 INCHES IN 1900
SNOWFALL 8.0 INCHES IN 1893
PEAK GUST 74 MPH S IN 1974

TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Kaitlin Geagan