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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2018  
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

CLOUDS INCREASE AS PRESSURE BEGINS TO DROP...

We had an significant increase in cloud cover
throughout the day and we had close to overcast
skies in the afternoon. The wind shifted today
from N to NE and began to slowly pick up. After
a lighter wind day yesterday. Temperatures have 
been seasonable with a normal average temperature
of 34F. So far today we have been slightly below
seasonable with a max of 39F by 1:00 P.M.
With lower humidity we had decreasing but good
visibility all day ranging from 70-80 miles. 

Today's Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Scattered altocumulus, scattered cirrostratus,
few stratocumulus distant off shore NNE-E, thin smoke
layer along horizon SSE-NNW 
Temperature: 28F; Dew Point: 22F; Wind: NNE at 10G16 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.06 ins. Hg, rising steadily          
Visibility: 80 miles
6-hr Max temp: 31F
6-hr Min temp: 26F
24-hr precip:  0.00 ins.
24-hr snowfall: 0.0 ins.
Snow depth: 6 ins.
BHO SA 1155 200 SCT 300 SCT 80 181/28/22/0310G16/006/ 
FEW SC DSNT OFFSHR NNE-E THN K LYR SSE-NNW/ 8/435 4/006 
57005 10031 20026

10 A.M.
Weather: Scattered stratocumulus, broken altostratus 
Temperature: 38F; Dew Point: 30F; Wind: NE at 10G14 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.96 ins. Hg, steady
Visibility: 75 miles
3-hr precip: 0.00 ins.
3-hr snowfall: 0.0 ins.    
BHO SA 1455 25 SCT E200 BKN 75 181/38/30/0510G14/006/ 
8/510 50000 

1 P.M.
Weather: Broken stratocumulus 
Temperature: 38F; Dew Point: 28F; Wind: ENE at 11G18 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.96 ins. Hg, falling, then more rapidly 
Visibility: 70 miles 
6-hr Max temp: 39F
6-hr Min temp: 28F
6-hr precip: Trace
6-hr snowfall: 0.0 ins.
Snow depth: 5 ins.
BHO SA 1755 E40 BKN 70 164/38/28/0711G18/001/ 8/500 
4/005 58017 MANUAL 600// 10039 20028 
 
SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY, MARCH 11, 2018

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....42   NORMAL.....43
MIN.....26   NORMAL.....25
MEAN....34   NORMAL.....34

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.............................0
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH...........................+30 [+2.5 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............31   DEPARTURE...........0
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH............329   DEPARTURE.........-30
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........4451   DEPARTURE........-476
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....4241   DIFFERENCE.......+210

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) 
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...................28 NW AT 8:39 A.M. 
                   AERO........................26 NW AT 8:38 A.M.
                   ASOS........................28 NW AT 8:40 A.M.
                   DAVIS.......................28 M  AT 8:39 A.M ** RMY 29
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.....................27 NW AT 9:21 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..................28 NW AT 9:22 A.M.  
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.................26 M  AT 9:22 A.M.**
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.............11.5 NW 
                   ASOS......................11.4  
                   DAVIS.....................10.1 ** 
* Last of multiple occurrences
** Davis direction malfunctioning

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00  DEPARTURE......-0.17
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........5.76  DEPARTURE......+4.02
                         ASOS..............6.32  
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........15.87  DEPARTURE......+5.71
                         ASOS.............17.17

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE........-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH...............16.9  DEPARTURE.......+11.3
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............61.6  DEPARTURE........+8.9

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR MARCH 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

3/01 61/37/49/+18/0.00/0.0/.../..    39 ENE AERO 37 ENE RMY N/A 
3/02 40/32/36/+5/3.47/0.7/000/00     73 NNE AERO 70 NNE RMY N/A
3/03 40/32/26/+4/T/T/.../..          52 NNE AERO 50 NNE RMY 49
3/04 39//34/37/+5/T/T/.../..         36 NNE AERO 32 NNE RMY 32 
3/05 40/29/35/+3/.../1.2/.../..      40 NE  AERO 39 NE  RMY 40
3/06 34/29/32/0/0.00/0.0/.../..      20 N   AERO 16 N   RMY N/A
3/07 35/31/33/0/..../.../000/00      52 ENE AERO 53 ENE RMY 50 
3/08 34/28/31/-2/..../.../.../..     44 NNE AERO 47 NNE RMY N/A
3/09 36/24/30/-3/T/T/.../..          28 W   AERO 26 W   RMY N/A 
3/10 37/28/33/0/0.00/0.0/.../..      38 WNW AERO 38 WNW RMY 41
3/11 42/26/34/0/0.00/0.0/.../..      28 NW  AERO 26 NW  RMY 29

3/12 Low temp since midnight is 26F; normal low is now 25F

DAILY RECORDS FOR MARCH 2018

3/02/18: NEW DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM PRECIPITATION OF 3.47 INS.
         PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 2.15 INS. SET IN 1983

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

RECORDS FOR MARCH 12
HIGH 72 IN 2012
LOW 2 IN 1885
PRECIP 2.87 INS. IN 1888
SNOWFALL 9.7 INS. IN 1959
PEAK GUST 66 MPH SE IN 1962

RECORDS FOR MARCH 13
HIGH 72 IN 1990
LOW -1 IN 1885
PRECIP 2.47 INS. IN 1993
SNOWFALL 10.0 INS. IN 1993
PEAK GUST 76 MPH ENE IN 1993 [THE "STORM OF THE CENTURY"]

TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Kaitlin Geagan