BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
SUNDAY, APRIL 5, 2009
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME 
 
SPECTACULR VISIBILITY UP TO 90 MILES TODAY
SUNSHINE AT LAST AFTER FOUR CLOUDY DAYS
GUSTY WINDS CONTINUE FROM THE WEST
 
Our visibility is up to 90 miles and possibly may
be as high as 100 miles today.
Very persistent clouds finally broke and began
clearing away late this morning after four
overcast days in a row.  Gusty west continue today
for a second straight day but temperatures are warming
through the 50's with the bright sunshine.
 
Today's Observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Broken altocumulus clouds, with lenticularis variety 
Temperature: 40F, Dew point: 29F, Wind: W at 14G29 kts,
Wind: Peak wind gust 29 kts W at 6:53 A.M. 
Sea-level pressure: 29.60 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 80 miles 
6-hour minimum temperature: 37F
24-hour precipitation: 0.01 inch
BHO SA 1155 E100 BKN 80 025/40/29/2714G29/960/
FEW LWR AC ACSL ALQDS PK WND 2729/53/ 8/040 53021
ASOS 70001 MANUAL 70001 10040 20037
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Broken altocumulus, altocumlus lenticularis,
stratocumulus forming distant W-N  
Temperature: 48F, Dew point: 31F, Wind: W at 16G29 kts,
Wind: Peak wind gust 31 kts @ 9:45 A.M. from west,
Wind: direction variability WSW-WNW  
Sea-level pressure: 29.64 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 90 miles
BHO SA 1455 E95 BKN 90 037/48/31/2716G29/964/
SC FRMG W-N ACSL ALQDS PK WND 2731/44 WND 24V30/
8/540 51012
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SATURDAY APRIL 4, 2009
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....51    NORMAL.....51
MIN.....38    NORMAL.....33
MEAN....45    NORMAL.....42
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL................. +3
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.................+14  [+3.3 DEGREE/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............20  DEPARTURE.........-3
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............79  DEPARTURE........-14
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........5497  DEPARTURE........-60
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....5224  DIFFERENCE......+273
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY............48 WSW AT 4:24 P.M.                 
                   AEROVANE.............47 WSW AT 4:24 P.M.
                   ASOS.................48 WSW AT 4:25 P.M.
                   DAVIS................44 SW  AT 1:28 P.M.
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY..............39 WSW AT 3:47 P.M.      
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...........37 WSW AT 3:49 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..........33 WSW AT 3:49 P.M.
                   AVERAGE............21.4 W         
                   ASOS...............20.4
                   DAVIS..............18.6 WSW [240 deg]
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M.....0.01 DEPARTURE.........-0.14
                         ASOS...............0.01
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH...........0.86 DEPARTURE.........+0.26
                         ASOS...............0.91
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........10.94 DEPARTURE.........-3.29
                         ASOS..............12.04 #
# Includes erroneous ASOS precipitation data on 1/1/09, 1/2/09 and 2/27/09.
 
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0   DEPARTURE.........-0.1
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................0.0   DEPARTURE.........-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............78.7   DEPARTURE........+21.3
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR APRIL 2009 CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SNOW/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/ PEAK GUST/AERO GUST
AERO: Aerovane recording wind system gust when significant
TSTM: Thunderstorm day (thunder heard some time during day)
....: Data not yet available, records not finalized
 
4/1  43/31/38/-3/0.13/0/015/02       24 SE    
4/2  52/39/46/+4/0.02/0/000/00       20 SSE       
4/3  58/45/52/+10/0.70//000/00       39 SSE   AERO 38 MPH SSE TSTM
4/4  51/38/45/+3/0.01/0/.../..       48 WSW   AERO 48 MPH WSW 
 
4/5  morning low temp: 37F; our normal low is now 34F
 
NEW DAILY RECORDS FOR APRIL 2009...
None to date..
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR APRIL 5
HIGH 81 IN 1928
LOW 15 IN 1995
PRECIP 2.15 IN. IN 1987
SNOWFALL 4.0 IN. IN 1898
PEAK GUST 76 MPH WNW IN 1963
 
RECORDS FOR APRIL 6
HIGH 82 IN 1921
LOW 16 IN 1982
PRE 1.72 INS IN 1886
SNOW 12.3 INS IN 1982
WIND 71e MPH WNW IN 1940
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling