BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2009 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
BRIEF EARLY FEBRUARY THAW FOLLOWED BY SNOW TODAY
FALLING TEMPERATURES FROM 33F AT 7 A.M. TO MID-20'S
WITH LIGHT SNOW CONTINUING & TOTALING 1.5 INS. 
BY EARLY THIS AFTERNOON
 
Yesterday's sunny and very mild early February
weather brought a high temperature of 50F but
readings were down to the freezing point by
late last evening. Light snow began just after
8:30 a.m. this morning with temperatures just
slight over the freezing mark at 33F.
Light to very briefly moderate snow has continued
into this afternoon and the average depth of a drifting
snowfall was at 1.5 inches at 1 pm. The water
equivalent was roughly 0.15 inch.
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Overcast altostratus, stratocumulus NNE-E-S increasing,
precipitation (snow) within sight SE about 20 miles away  
Temperature: 33F, Dew point: 23F, Wind: NNE at 14G24 kts,
Wind: direction variability NNW to NE
Sea-level pressure: 29.83 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 30 miles but 20 miles east thru south in snow
6-hour minimum temperature: 31F
Snow depth on ground: 11 inches
BHO SA 1155 E130 OVC 30 103/33/23/0214G24/983/
SC LYR NNE-E-S INCRSNG/ PCPN SE VSBY E-S 20
WND 34V06/ 8/52/ 4/011 56024 10033 20031 
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Obscurement with light snow and fog  
Temperature: 30F, Dew point: 29F, Wind: NNE at 17G26 kts,
Wind: Peak gust 33 kts from N at 9:17 a.m.
Wind: direction variability from NNW to ENE 
Sea-level pressure: 29.81 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 1 mile and lowering in light snow and fog 
BHO SA 1455 W3 X 1S-F 094/30/29/0217G26/981/
VSBY LWRG PK WND 0133/17 WND 33V06 TOTAL NEW
SNW PST 3 HRS 0.3 IN/ 8//// 58009 ASOS 60002
MANUAL 6004/  
 
1 P.M.  
Weather: Partial obscurement with snow and fog
obscuring 2/10 of sky with an overcast of stratus fractus,
drifting snow  
Temperature: 25F, Dew point: 24F, Wind: N at 17G32 kts,
Wind: Peak gust 34 kts from N at 12:10 p.m.,
Wind: direction variability NW to NNE,
Wind: direction gradually backing
Sea-level pressure: 29.67 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 11/4 miles, variable 1 to 11/2 miles
6-hour maximum temperature: 33F 
BHO SA 1755 –X E8 OVC 11/4VS-F 049/25/24/3517G32/967/
SF2 VSBY 1V11/2 PK WND 3634/10/ WND 31V03 WND GRDLY
BACKING DRFTG SNW TOTAL NEW SNW PST 6 HRS 1.2 INS/
8/7// 56045 ASOS 60013 MANUAL N/A 10033 20025 
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....50    NORMAL.....34 
MIN.....32    NORMAL.....18
MEAN....41    NORMAL.....26
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL..............+15
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH..............+19 [+9.3 per day]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............24  DEPARTURE........-15
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............59  DEPARTURE....... -19
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........3627  DEPARTURE........+13
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....3284  DIFFERENCE......+343
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY............29 NNW AT  9:28 P.M. 
                   AEROVANE.............25 NNW AT  9:28 P.M.   
                   ASOS.................28 NNW AT  9:28 P.M.  
                   DAVIS................26  N  AT  9:02 P.M.  
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY..............18 NNW AT  9:27 P.M.   
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...........18 NNW AT  9:29 P.M. 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..........18 NW  AT  9:28 P.M.  
                   AVERAGE............ 8.8 S  
                   ASOS................8.6
                   DAVIS...............8.3 W [280 DEGREES]
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M.....0.00  DEPARTURE.........-0.15
                         ASOS...............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH...........0.00  DEPARTURE.........-0.30
                         ASOS...............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR............4.16  DEPARTURE.........-0.92
                         ASOS...............5.20 #
# Includes erroneous ASOS precipitation data on 1/1/09 and 1/2/09
 
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0   DEPARTURE.........-0.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................0.0   DEPARTURE.........-1.2
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............55.1   DEPARTURE........+24.5
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY 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
 
2/1  45/15/30/+4/0/0/.../..          35 SW
2/2  50/32/41/+15/0/0/.../..         29 NNW
 
2/3  morning low temp. 31F; our normal low is now 18F
 
NEW DAILY RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 2009...
 
None to date
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 3
HIGH 58F IN 1991
LOW -7F IN 1955
PRECIP 2.14 INS. IN 1970
SNOWFALL 7.0 INS. IN 1913
PEAK GUST 102 MPH S IN 1970 [RECORD FOR MONTH]
 
RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 4
HIGH 63F IN 1991
LOW -4F IN 1886, 1908
PRECIP 1.80 INS. IN 1926
SNOWFALL 15.0 INS. IN 1961
PEAK GUST 89 MPH SSE IN 1972
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED By: Robert Skilling