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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2018  
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

MILD TEMPERATURE DAY WITH MODERATE WINDS...

Temperatures have returned to more seasonable 
conditions after a record breaking cold snap. 
So far today we have a slightly above seasonable 
high of 40F. This is 6 degrees above the daily 
normal of 34F. 
The wind began to pick up mid-morning as it shifted 
from the SW-NW. So far today we have a peak gust of 
32 kts (37 MPH). The sky remained mostly cloudy in 
the morning with a midmorning clearing then scattered 
cumulus clouds moved in. Humidity dramatically dropped 
down 82-49% today after a quick morning snow shower, 
which only left a trace of snow on top of Great Blue 
Hill. Yesterday afternoon we also received a wintry 
mix which accumulated to 0.02 ins of liquid 
precipitation by 7:00 A.M. 

Today's Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Broken altocumulus 
Temperature: 30F; Dew Point: 24F; Wind: WSW at 13G19 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.95 ins. Hg, rising then steady 
Visibility: 30 miles, distant fog in all directions
6-hr Max temp: 30F
6-hr Min temp: 22F
24-hr precip: 0.02 ins.
24-hr snowfall: Trace
Snow depth: 14 ins.
BHO SA 1155 E70 BKN 30 143/30/24/2513G19/995/ NEW SNW PST 24 HRS 
TRACE DSNT FG ALQDS/ 8/090 4/014 51006 MANUAL 70002 ASOS 70001 
10030 20028 

10 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few altocumulus E-WNW
Temperature: 35F; Dew Point: 25F; Wind: WSW at 11G25 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.01 ins. Hg, rising unsteadily 
Visibility: 40 miles, distant haze in all directions 
3-hr precip: Trace 
3-hr snowfall: Trace
BHO SA 1455 CLR 40 161/35/25/2511G25/001/ FEW AC E-WNW NEW 
SNW PST 3 HRS TRACE DSNT HZ ALQDS/ 8/090 51018 MANUAL 600//

1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered cumulus 
Temperature: 38F; Dew Point: 20F; Wind: WNW at 14G25 kts,
Peak wind: 29 kts (33 MPH) WNW at 12:11 P.M.
Sea-level pressure: 30.01 ins. Hg, steady 
Visibility: 70 miles
6-hr Max temp: 40F
6-hr Min temp: 29F
6-hr precip: Trace
6-hr snowfall: Trace
Snow depth: 13 ins.
BHO SA 1755 50 SCT 70 161/38/20/3014G25/001/ NEW SNW PST 6 HRS
TRACE PK WND 2929/11/ 8/100 4/013 58000 MANUAL 600// 10040 20029    

SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2018

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....33   NORMAL.....34
MIN.....14   NORMAL.....18
MEAN....24   NORMAL.....26

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL...........................-2
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.........................-116 [-14.7 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............41  DEPARTURE..........+2
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH............426  DEPARTURE........+116
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........2548  DEPARTURE.........-66
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....2323  DIFFERENCE.......+225

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) 
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...................40 S AT 3:17 P.M.
                   AERO........................40 S AT 3:17 P.M. 
                   ASOS........................38 S AT 3:02 P.M.
                   DAVIS.......................N/A*          RMY 42 
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.....................29 S AT 3:17 P.M. 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..................28 S AT 3:02 P.M.  
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.................N/A*
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION..............18.3 SSW  
                   ASOS.......................17.6
                   DAVIS.......................N/A*

*ASOS and Davis anemometers malfunctioning
** Last of several occurrences

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.02  DEPARTURE......-0.12
                         ASOS..............0.01
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........1.68  DEPARTURE......+0.54
                         ASOS..............1.98
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........1.68  DEPARTURE......+0.54
                         ASOS..............1.98

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE........-0.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH...............16.5  DEPARTURE.......+12.0
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............25.9  DEPARTURE........+5.4

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 11/-5/3/-24/0.00/0.0/.../..         30 NW  AERO 30 NW  RMY 31
1/2 15/-2/7/-20/0.00/0.0/.../..         26 W   AERO 25 W   RMY 26  
1/3 28/11/20/-6/0.00/0.0/.../..         23 WSW AERO 20 WSW RMY N/A
1/4 28/18/23/-3/1.66/16.5/000/00        54 NNW AERO 60 NNW RMY 64
1/5 18/2/10/-16/0.00/0.0/.../..         53 W   AERO 53 W   RMY 57
1/6 10/-2/4/-22/0.00/0.0/.../..         43 WSW AERO 47 WSW RMY 47
1/7 14/-8/3/23/0.00/0.0/.../..          37 WNW AERO 35 WNW RMY N/A 
1/8 33/14/24/T/T/.../..                 40 S   AERO 40 S   RMY 42 

1/9 Low temp since midnight is 28F; normal low is now 17F

DAILY RECORDS FOR JANUARY 2018

01/04/18: NEW DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM SNOWFALL OF 16.5 INS. 
          PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 8.6 INS. SET IN 1923 AND 
          TIED IN 1942 

01/07/18: DAILY RECORD LOW MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF -8F,
          PREVIOUS RECORD OF -7F WAS SET IN 1896

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

RECORDS FOR JANUARY 9
HIGH 62F IN 1937
LOW -9F IN 1968
PRECIP 3.00 INS. IN 1956
SNOWFALL 10.0 INS. IN 1904
PEAK GUST 101e MPH SE IN 1978 [RECORD FOR MONTH]

RECORDS FOR JANUARY 10
HIGH 58F IN 2016
LOW -7F IN 2004
PRECIP 2.16 INS. IN 1935
SNOWFALL 6.3 INS. IN 1977
PEAK GUST 73e SE IN 1977

TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Kaitlin Geagan