BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2009 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
TEMPERATURES RISING TOWARD THE RECORDS
WARMEST READINGS SINCE LATE DECEMBER
MELTING OF 40-DAY PLUS SNOW COVER CONTINUES
 
The record high temperature reading for
today's date is 60F in 1981 and while we
may not reach a record its the nicest day
since late December with light winds and
plenty of bright warm February sunshine.
The high had reached 57F by 1 p.m., our
warmest since 58F on December 28th. The
snow cover was melting down to about 6
inches early this afternoon from 7 inches
earlier today.  
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Scattered mostly dense cirrus and thin broken
cirrus, patch altocumulus southwest, thin fog
Temperature: 39F, Dew point: 35F, Wind: WSW at 14 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.99 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 9 miles, thin fog 
6-hour minimum temperature: 34F
Snow depth on ground: 7 inches
BHO SA 1155 220 SCT 250 –BKN 9 155/39/35/2414/999/
PTCH AC SW PTCHS DENS CI THN FG ALQDS/ 8/042 4/007
51004 10039 20034
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few altocumulus west and few cirrus
all parts of the sky 
Temperature: 47F, Dew point: 38F, Wind: SW at 6 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 29.96 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 12 miles, smoke W-N hazy all quads 
BHO SA 1455 CLR 12 147/47/38/2206/996/
FEW AC W FEW CI ALQDS K W-N HAZY ALQDS/ 8/041 58008   
 
1 P.M.  
Weather: Scattered cirrus, thin scattered cirrus,
few altocumulus distant WNW-N and E-SE, hazy
Temperature: 56F, Dew point: 40F, Wind: S at 7 kts,
Wind: direction variable SE-SSW
Sea-level pressure: 29.90 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 15 miles, WNW 20 miles
6-hour maximum temperature: 57F
BHO SA 1755 220 SCT 250 –SCT 15 126/56/40/1707/990/
FEW AC DSNT NW-N AND DSNT E-SE VSBY WNW 20 THN K NW-NE
HAZY ALQDS WND 13V21/ 8/041 58021 10057 20038
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....36    NORMAL.....35 
MIN.....22    NORMAL.....19
MEAN....29    NORMAL.....27
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.................+2
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.................+2 [0.0 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............36  DEPARTURE........- 2
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH............382  DEPARTURE........- 4
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........3950  DEPARTURE........+28
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....3541  DIFFERENCE......+409
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY............21 SSE AT  2:45 P.M. * 
                   AEROVANE.............18 SSE AT  2:45 P.M. * 
                   ASOS.................20 SSE AT  2:45 P.M.  
                   DAVIS................21 SE  AT 12:43 P.M.   
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY..............15 SSE AT  2:45 P.M.   
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...........16 SSE AT  2:46 P.M.    
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..........16 SE  AT 12:42 P.M.   
                   AVERAGE............  7.6 SE 
                   ASOS.................7.3
                   DAVIS................7.4 ESE [120 DEGREES]
* Last of several occurrences...
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M.....0.00  DEPARTURE.........-0.14
                         ASOS...............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH...........0.49  DEPARTURE.........-0.98
                         ASOS...............0.45
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR............4.65  DEPARTURE.........-1.60
                         ASOS...............5.65 #
# 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................6.5   DEPARTURE..........0.0
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............61.6   DEPARTURE........+25.7
 
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/+4/0/0/402/67          35 SW
2/2  50/32/41/+15/0/0/568/94         29 NNW
2/3  33/22/28/+2/0.44/5.6/000/00     39 N    AERO 38 MPH N 
2/4  24/10/17/-9/0.05/0.9/572/94     37 WNW
2/5  17/3/10/-17/0/0/538/88          33 W
2/6  26/4/15/-12/0/0/509/83          26 W
2/7  42/16/29/+2/0/0/314/51          45 S    AERO 44 MPH S
2/8  49/30/40/+13/0/0/433/70         54 W    AERO 54 MPH W
2/9  37/21/29/+2/0/0/621/100         38 WNW  AERO 38 MPH WNW
2/10 36/22/29/+2/0/0/006/01          21 SSE
 
2/11 morning low temp: 34F; our normal low is now 20F
 
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 11
HIGH 60F IN 1981
LOW -10F IN 1899
PRECIP 1.07 INCHES IN 1955
SNOWFALL 9.6 INCHES IN 1933
PEAK GUST 95 MPH S IN 1981
 
RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 12
HIGH 56F IN 1999
LOW -14F IN 1914
PRECIP 4.85 INCHES IN 1886 [RECORD FOR MONTH]
SNOWFALL 15.0 INCHES IN 2006
PEAK GUST 70 MPH E IN 1985
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED By: Robert Skilling