BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2009
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
TWO CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF 90-DEGREE HEAT
OCCUR AS WE REACH 90F TODAY
FIRST 90-DEGREE READING OF SUMMER 2009 SUNDAY
WARM AND HUMID CONDITIONS TO PERSIST
AUGUST RAINFALL CONTINUES WELL BELOW NORMAL
 
As temperatures reached the 90-degree mark
early this afternoon today became the second
day of what may become the first heat wave
here at Blue Hill since June 7-10, 2008.
Yesterday's maximum of 90F (89.5) was our
first 90-degree day of the summer season and
first since 92F last April 28.
Rainfall for the month continues well below
the normal by over an inch now.
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.  
Weather: Partial obscurement with thin fog and haze
obscuring one tenth of sky and scattered altocumulus
Temperature: 72F, Dew point: 69F, Wind: WSW at 8 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.17 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 4 miles, thin fog and haze 
6-hour minimum temp: 69F
BHO SA 1155 –X 85 SCT 4FH 217/72/69/2408/017/
FH1 WND GRDLY VEERING/ 8/030 51007 10072 20069
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Partial obscurement with haze obscuring
one tenth of sky 
Temperature: 84F, Dew point: 71F, Wind: SW at 4 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.18 inches Hg, steady
Visibility: 9 miles, hazy
BHO SA 1455 –X 9 220/84/71/2304/018/ H1 HAZY 53003
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered cumulus, cumulus congestus 
Temperature: 87F, Dew point: 65F, Wind: W at 10 kts,
Wind: direction variable SW TO WNW 
Sea-level pressure: 30.14 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 10 miles, hazy
6-hourly max. temp: 89F
BHO SA 1755 55 SCT 10 208/87/65/2610/014/ FEW MDT CU HAZY
WND 23V29/ 8/200 58012 10089 20072
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY, AUGUST 16
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....90    NORMAL.....79
MIN.....68    NORMAL.....61
MEAN....79    NORMAL.....70
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR AVERAGE..........+9
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH...........+11 [+0.5 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DATA WILL RESUME IN SEPTEMBER
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............22 SSE AT  5:34 P.M.
                   AEROVANE..............23 SSE AT  5:34 P.M. 
                   ASOS..................21 SSE AT  5:34 P.M.      
                   DAVIS.................20 S   AT  4:24 P.M.  
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...............15 S   AT  4:25 P.M. 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............16 S   AT  4:26 P.M.       
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........17 S   AT  4:25 P.M.   
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION........8.1 S
                   ASOS.................8.2
                   DAVIS................7.5 SSW [200 DEG]
* last of several occurrences
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00   DEPARTURE....-0.13
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........0.84   DEPARTURE....-1.21
                         ASOS..............0.84
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........32.10   DEPARTURE....+0.64
                         ASOS.............33.22
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR AUGUST 2009 CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/ PEAK GUST/AERO GUST
AERO: Aerovane wind recording system gust when significant
TSTM: Thunderstorm day (thunder heard some time during day)
....: Data not yet available, records not finalized
 
8/1  83/63/73/+1/0/823/95    18 SSE
8/2  77/64/71/-1/T/104/12    25 SSE
8/3  84/67/76/+4/0/638/74    17 SW
8/4  83/66/75/+3/0/714/83    23 S
8/5  86/67/77/+5/T/378/44    27 SSW  TSTM
8/6  76/61/69/-3/0/564/66    18 SSE
8/7  79/58/69/-2/0/836/98    32 W
8/8  74/55/65/-6/0/791/93    21 WNW
8/9  76/59/68/-3/T/178/21    25 SSE 
8/10 87/66/77/+6/0.12/584/69 27 W    TSTM 
8/11 84/66/75/+4/0.54/684/81 25 NE   TSTM 
8/12 67/63/65/-6/T/000/00    18 N
8/13 66/60/63/-8/0.18/042/05 23 NNE
8/14 83/58/71/+1/0/.../..    16 S
8/15 88/66/77/+7/0/.../..    18 S
8/16 90/68/79/+9/.../..      22 S
 
8/17 our morning low temp: 69F; the normal low is now 61F
 
NEW DAILY RECORDS FOR AUGUST 2009 TO DATE...
NONE
 
DAILY EXTREMES
 
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR AUGUST 17
HIGH 97F IN 1944
LOW 48F IN 1902
PRECIP 2.17 INCHES IN 1998
PEAK GUST 50e MPH SSW IN 1952, 50 MPH WNW IN 1962
 
RECORDS FOR AUGUST 18
HIGH 93F IN 2002
LOW 47F IN 1824
PRECIP 5.75 INCHES IN 1955 [DIANE]
PEAK GUST 46 MPH WNW 2007
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling