BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY, MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186 ELEVATION 635 FT. ABOVE MSL....10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 2002 PLEASE VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT: http:// www.bluehill.org DAILY DISCUSSION... 90 DEGREE TEMPERATURES AGAIN ON SATURDAY... SECOND LONGEST HEAT WAVE ON RECORD...7 DAYS... As of noon EDT, the temperature has reached 90 degrees for the 7th consecutive day. The current heat wave is now the second longest on record, with high temps over that time of 93, 93, 98, 99, 91, 92, and at least 90 today. The longest heat wave lasted 8-days and occurred on 8/10-17/1944. There have been five 6-day heat waves with the last occurring in July, 1991. Heat waves of 6-days or more have occurred about once per decade during the last 60 years. The low temperature this morning of 72 is higher than the record high minimum for the date of 71 in 1959 and 1978. MJI Today's observations: 8 AM BHO SA 1155 250 -BKN 10 164/77/69/2510/001/ FEW AC W-N HAZY/ 8/071 53010 10077 20072 11 AM BHO SA 1455 150 SCT 250 -BKN 15 161/87/62/2610/000/ HAZY/ 8/031 58003 WINDS AT BLUE HILL FOR FRIDAY, AUGUST 16 PEAK WIND GUST FOR FRIDAY...........24 MPH S AT 3:31 PM EDT AEROVANE.........25 MPH S AT 3:31 PM EDT ASOS.............24 MPH S AT 3:31 PM EDT AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIR........12.7 MPH, SSW ASOS...........13.4 MPH WINDS AT BLUE HILL FOR SATURDAY, AUGUST 17: PEAK WIND GUST THROUGH 11 AM.........19 MPH W AT 10:23 AM EDT AEROVANE..........21 MPH W AT 10:23 AM EDT ASOS..............18 MPH W AT 10:23 AM EDT TEMPERATURES AT BLUE HILL FOR FRIDAY, AUGUST 16 MAX.....92 NORMAL.....79 ASOS.....92 AT 3:15 PM EDT MIN.....73 NORMAL.....62 ASOS.....73 AM 3:51 AM EDT MEAN....83 NORMAL.....70 DEP......+13 DEP FOR MONTH....+94 (CORRECTED) The month is averaging about 6 degrees above normal per day. PRECIPITATION DATA AT BLUE HILL..... TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 8 AM....0.00 IN DEP....-0.13 IN ASOS.............0.00 IN TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH.........0.39 IN DEP....-1.79 INS ASOS.............0.39 IN TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR.........28.18 INS DEP....-3.41 INS ASOS............N/A RECORDS FOR AUGUST 17 HIGH 97 IN 1944 LOW 48 IN 1902 PRE 2.17 INS IN 1998 WIND 50 MPH SSW IN 1952 (ESTIMATED) AND WNW IN 1962 RECORDS FOR AUGUST 18 HIGH 91 IN 1935, 1956 LOW 47 IN 1894 PRE 5.75 INS IN 1955 (HURRICANE DIANE) WIND 39 MPH SW IN 1991 Daily wind records are for the period 1940-2001. Temperature and precipitation records are for the full period of record 1885-2001. Mike Iacono