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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
MONDAY, JANUARY 1, 2018  
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM BLUE HILL OBSERVATORY!
2018 BEGINS WITH NEAR RECORD COLD

The change in years has not changed our weather pattern, as Arctic cold remains 
in place across New England today. This morning was the coldest point yet of 
this impressive stretch of cold, with a low temperature of -5F. This was just one
degree away from the record low for January 1 of -6F, set 100 years ago in 1918.
The record low maximum temperature for today of 6F, also set in 1918, is out
of reach as well, as the temperature had struggled up to 11F by 1PM.

Mainly clear skies have accompanied the cold, with just some ocean effect
stratocumulus clouds offshore. Visibility has been superb, at times as high as 
our station maximum value of 90 miles. December has ended below normal for 
temperatures, precipitation, and snowfall at Blue Hill. Additional statistics on 
December and the year 2017 will be forthcoming in the days and weeks ahead, but 
we can say that despite a bitter cold finish, 2017 will go down as a warmer than 
normal year at the Observatory, and with precipitation very close to average.

Today's Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Clear, stratocumulus distant offshore NE-S
Temperature: -4F; Dew Point: -14F; Wind: WNW at 14 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.20 ins. Hg, falling then rising
Visibility: 60 miles
6-hr Max temp: -2F
6-hr Min temp: -5F
24-hr precip: 0.00 ins.
24-hr snowfall: 0.0 ins. 
Snow depth: 2 ins.
BHO SA 1155 CLR 60 227/M4/M14/2914/020/ SC DSNT OFFSHR NE-S WINDCHILL -25/ 
8/500 4/002 53005 11002 21005

10 A.M.
Weather: Clear, stratocumulus distant offshore NNE-S
Temperature: 3F; Dew Point: -12F; Wind: WNW at 15G21 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.23 ins. Hg, rising then falling
Visibility: 90 miles
3-hr precip: 0.00 ins. 
BHO SA 1455 CLR 90 236/3/M12/3015G21/023/ SC DSNT OFFSHR NNE-S WINDCHILL -17/ 
8/500 50009 

1 P.M.
Weather: Clear, stratocumulus distant offshore NE-S
Temperature: 11F; Dew Point: F; Wind:  at  kts,
Wind: Peak wind of 26kts (30mph) WNW at 11:56 A.M. 
Sea-level pressure: 30.18 ins. Hg, falling then falling more rapidly 
Visibility: 80 miles
6-hr Max temp: 11F
6-hr Min temp: -4F
6-hr precip: 0.00 ins.
6-hr snowfall: 0.0 ins.
Snow depth: 2 ins.
BHO SA 1755 CLR 80 219/11/M7/2813/018/ SC DSNT OFFSHR NE-S PK WND 3026/56/ 
8/500 58017 4/002 10011 21004

SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2017

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....10   NORMAL.....35
MIN......0   NORMAL.....19
MEAN.....5   NORMAL.....27

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL..........................-22
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH..........................-100 [-3.4 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............60  DEPARTURE.........+22
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........1153  DEPARTURE........+110
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........2122  DEPARTURE........-183
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....2032  DIFFERENCE........+90

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) 
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...................32  WNW  AT   3:24 P.M.* 
                   AERO........................32  WNW  AT   3:24 P.M.*
                   ASOS........................32  W    AT  11:09 A.M. 
                   DAVIS.......................24  WNW  AT   1:10 P.M. RMY 35
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.....................27  WNW  AT  11:41 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..................23  W    AT  10:54 A.M
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.................26  WNW  AT   1:11 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION..............14.1 WNW   
                   ASOS.......................N/A 
                   DAVIS......................13.1 NW [305 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..........2.98  DEPARTURE......-1.91
                         ASOS..............3.23
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........52.82  DEPARTURE......-0.60
                         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.......-0.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................9.4  DEPARTURE.......-4.0
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON...............9.4  DEPARTURE.......-6.6

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

12/01 50/35/43/+6/0.04/0.0/262/47         28 NW  AERO 29 NW  RMY 30
12/02 42/29/36/0/0.00/0.0/033/06          20 NNW AERO 18 NNW RMY N/A
12/03 42/32/37/+1/0.00/0.0/172/31         14 N   AERO 10 N   RMY N/A 
12/04 43/32/38/+3/0.00/0.0/522/94         16 E   AERO 14 E   RMY N/A 
12/05 58/34/46/+11/0.18/0.0/000/00        62 S   AERO 66 S   RMY 65
12/06 56/32/44/+9/0.54/0.0/160/29         52 S   AERO 55 S   RMY N/A
12/07 44/30/37/+3/0.00/0.0/540/98         25 WSW AERO 24 WSW RMY 25
12/08 38/28/33/-1/0.00/0.0/116/21         21 W   AERO 18 W   RMY 20
12/09 34/28/31/-3./0.70/.../000/00        23 NNW AERO 23 NNW RMY 23 
12/10 35/27/31/-2/0.02/.../384/70         30 W   AERO 30 W   RMY 27 
12/11 38/29/34/+1/0.00/0.0/301/55         23 W   AERO 21 W   RMY 22
12/12 43/31/37/+4/0.06/0.0/000/00         35 W   AERO 31 W   RMY N/A
12/13 31/18/25/-7/0.00/0.0/372/68         44 W   AERO 44 W   RMY 44
12/14 27/14/21/-11/T/T/257/47             35 WSW AERO 33 W   RMY 34 
12/15 24/12/18/-14/T/.../011/02           25 W   AERO 23 W   RMY N/A
12/16 32/17/25/-6/0.00/0.0/382/70         33 W   AERO 35 W   RMY 36
12/17 27/14/21/-10/0.00/0.0/425/78        21 NW  AERO 21 NW  RMY 20
12/18 35/20/28/-3/T/.../011/02            20 SSE AERO 16 SSE RMY 20
12/19 49/34/42/+12/T/.../185/34           36 WNW AERO 35 SW  RMY 38  
12/20 42/26/34/+4/T/.../.../..            41 W   AERO 40 W   RMY 45 
12/21 32/23/28/-2/0.00/0.0/.../..         26 NW  AERO 24 NW  RMY 27
12/22 32/21/27/-2/..../.../.../..         18 E   AERO 17 E   RMY N/A
12/23 36/24/30/+1/..../.../.../..         31 WSW AERO 28 WSW RMY 31
12/24 35/29/32/+3/..../.../.../..         30 ENE AERO 25 ENE RMY N/A
12/25 35/21/28/0/..../.../.../..          50 W   AERO 54 W   RMY 47
12/26 24/13/19/-9/0.00/0.0/..../..        39 W   AERO 39 W   RMY 41     
12/27 19/6/13/-15/0.00/0.0/..../..        28 WNW AERO 25 WNW RMY N/A
12/28 10/1/6/-22/0.00/0.0/..../..         37 WNW AERO 44 WNW RMY 43          
12/29 13/-3/5/-22/0.00/0.0/.../..         25 W   AERO 25 W   RMY 27
12/30 14/1/8/-19/0.03/0.5/.../..          21 W   AERO 18 W   RMY 24
12/31 10/0/5/-22/0.00/0.0/.../..          32 WNW AERO 32 WNW RMY 35

1/1 Low temp since midnight is -5F; normal low is now 19F

DAILY RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 2017

12/28/17: DAILY RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 10F,
          PREVIOUS RECORD OF 18 SET IN 1894

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

RECORDS FOR JANUARY 1
HIGH 58F IN 1966
LOW -6F IN 1918
PRECIP 1.45 INS. IN 1982
SNOWFALL 7.2 INS. IN 1938
PEAK GUST 90e MPH S IN 1945

RECORDS FOR JANUARY 2
HIGH 62F IN 1890
LOW -7F IN 1899,1918
PRECIP 2.10 INS. IN 1987
SNOWFALL 9.0 INS. IN 1904
PEAK GUST 85e MPH S IN 1942

TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Jonathan O'Brien