BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2009, PRESIDENTS' DAY
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
OVER ONE WEEK OF ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES
UNUSUALLY QUIET WEATHER PATTERN CONTINUES
ONLY PATCHES OF SNOW REMAIN AROUND THE SUMMIT
 
Temperatures average above normal yesterday
for the 9th consecutive day. All but three
days have averaged warmer than normal during
the first half of February and the month is
now running 3 degrees milder than normal.
 
The absence of any significant storms has
resulted in an increasing deficit in the
precipitation now over an inch and a half.
 
The February snowfall total of 6.5 inches is
currently 3 inches less than the long-time
average but the seasonal total of 63 inches is
23 inches on the plus side of average.  The long
stretch of above normal temperatures has melted away
a 17-inch snow depth on the 5th to a trace by
February 13th, the end of a 42-day long con-
tinuous snow cover which began on January 1st.
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Clear, stratocumulus layer along horizon distant
NNE thru SE, cirrus distant SSE-SW
Temperature: 21F, Dew point: 14F, Wind: NW at 8 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.10 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 70 miles
6-hour minimum temperature: 21F
Snow depth on ground: trace
BHO SA 1155 CLR 70 194/21/14/3208/010/ SC LYR DSNT NNE-SE
AND CI DSNT SSE-SW/ 8/501 53006 10026 20021
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Clear, stratocumulus, few cumulus, distant north
thru east and south-southeast, few cirrus distant SE-SW  
Temperature: 30F, Dew point: 15F, Wind: NNW at 7 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.11 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 80 miles
BHO SA 1455 CLR 80 196/30/15/3407/011/
SC DSNT N-E-SSE LYR ALG HRZN NNE-NE FEW
LWR CU FRMG DSNT N-SE FEW DSNT CI SE-SW WND 30V03/
8/801 51002
 
1 P.M.  
Weather: Clear, stratocumulus, cumulus all quadrants,
stratocumulus layer distant NE-E 
Temperature: 34F, Dew point: 19F, Wind: N at 5 kts,
Wind: light and variable 
Sea-level pressure: 30.09 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 80 miles
6-hour maximum temperature: 35F
BHO SA 1755 CLR 80 190/34/19/0105/009/
CU/SC ALQDS SC LYR DNST NE-E
WND L/V/ 8/800 58006 10035 20021
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....38    NORMAL.....36
MIN.....23    NORMAL.....20
MEAN....31    NORMAL.....28
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.................+3
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH................+46 [+2.9 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............34  DEPARTURE.........-3
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH............524  DEPARTURE........-49
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........4092  DEPARTURE........-17
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....3729  DIFFERENCE......+363
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY............30 NW  AT  4:38 A.M.
                   AEROVANE.............28 NW  AT  4:38 A.M.
                   ASOS.................29 NW  AT  4:38 A.M.   
                   DAVIS................30 WNW AT  3:35 A.M.    
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY..............22 WNW AT  4:39 A.M.  
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...........21 WNW AT  4:40 A.M.    
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..........22 WNW AT  4:37 A.M.    
                   AVERAGE............13.2 WNW 
                   ASOS...............12.7
                   DAVIS..............13.4 WNW [290 DEGREES]
 
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...........0.62  DEPARTURE.........-1.55
                         ASOS...............0.62
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR............4.78  DEPARTURE.........-2.17
                         ASOS...............5.82 #
# 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.........-3.0
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............61.6   DEPARTURE........+22.7
 
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 59/34/47/+20/0/0/482/77         29 SSE  AERO 24 MPH SSE
2/12 51/37/44/+16/0.13/0/.../..      54 WSW  AERO 54 MPH WSW
2/13 38/24/31/+3/0/.../..            47 W    AERO 47 MPH W
2/14 39/20/30/+2/0/0/.../..          42 W    AERO 40 MPH W
2/15 39/23/31/+3/0/0/637/100         30 NW   AERO 28 MPH NW
 
2/16 morning low temp: 21F; 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 16
HIGH 62F IN 1954
LOW -16F IN 1943
PRECIP 1.91 INCHES IN 1958
SNOWFALL 18.6 INCHES IN 1958
PEAK GUST 78 MPH W IN 1967
 
RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 17
HIGH 61F IN 1981
LOW -16F IN 1896
PRECIP 1.86 INCHES IN 2003
SNOWFALL 20.0 INCHES IN 2003
PEAK GUST 72 MPH NW IN 1968
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED By: Robert Skilling