BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2009
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
VERY SUNNY FOUR DAYS AVERAGE 98% SUNSHINE 
FEBRUARY CONTINUES TO BE A VERY SUNNY MONTH
 
Over the past four days ending with yesterday,
February 17, we have recorded an average of 98%
of the possible bright sunshine with two perfectly
sunny days coming in at 100%. The monthly percent
is now on 70% and well over the monthly long-term
average of 50%.  This month may become the 4th
sunny February of the decade. The sunniest February
on record had 74% sunshine in 1987.
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few stratocumulus distant east along the
horizon, few cirrus, frost, patchy thin fog below inversion
Temperature: 25F, Dew point: 21F, Wind: SE at 10 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.11 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 30 miles, thin fog below inversion
6-hour minimum temperature: 24F
Snow depth on ground: trace
BHO SA 1155 CLR 30 195/25/21/1310/011/
FEW SC ALG HRZN DSNT E FEW CI FROST
PTCHY THN FG BLO SMT/INVSN/ 8/501 58008 10026 20044 
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Clear, cirrostratus layer S-W invading the
sky, few cumulus forming N-NNE and distant SE-S,
altocumulus southwest thru northwest 
Temperature: 35F, Dew point: 22F, Wind: SSE at 13 kts,
Wind: direction variable ESE-S
Sea-level pressure: 30.08 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 35 miles, thin smoke along horizon NW-N  
BHO SA 1455 CLR 250 SCT 35 187/35/22/1513/008/
FEW CU FRMG N-NNE AND DSNT SE-S FEW AC SW-NW
CI LYR XTDNG S-W INCRSNG THN K ALG HRZN NW-N
WND 11V17/ 8/545 55008
 
1 P.M.  
Weather: High dense overcast of cirrostratus partly thin
overhead thru north thru east, stratocumulus, altocumulus
lenticular forms all quadrants 
Temperature: 39F, Dew point: 21F, Wind: SSE at 14G23 kts,
Wind: Peak gust to 26 kts from SE at 12:34 p.m.
Wind: Variable direction ESE-S
Sea-level pressure: 30.00 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 50 miles 
6-hour maximum temperature: 41F
BHO SA 1755 110 SCT E220 BKN 250 OVC 50 160/39/21/1514G23/000/
SC/ACSL ALQDS OVC PTLY THN OVHD-N-E PK WND 1426/34/ WND 11V18/
8/547 58027 10041 20025
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....35    NORMAL.....37
MIN.....19    NORMAL.....21
MEAN....27    NORMAL.....29
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.................-2
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH................+44 [+2.4 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............38  DEPARTURE.........+1
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH............599  DEPARTURE........-48
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........4167  DEPARTURE........-16
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....3805  DIFFERENCE......+362
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY............21 NW  AT  6:36 A.M. *
                   AEROVANE.............18 NW  AT  6:55 A.M.
                   ASOS.................21 NW  AT  6:28 A.M.    
                   DAVIS................24 WNW AT  6:54 A.M.     
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY..............15 NW  AT  3:35 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...........15 NNW AT  3:37 A.M.     
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..........16 NW  AT  5:55 A.M.     
                   AVERAGE.............8.3 NW
                   ASOS................7.9
                   DAVIS...............8.3 NW [310 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...........0.62  DEPARTURE.........-1.83
                         ASOS...............0.62
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR............4.78  DEPARTURE.........-2.45
                         ASOS...............5.72 #
# 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.........-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................6.5   DEPARTURE.........-4.0
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............61.6   DEPARTURE........+21.7
 
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/+16/0.13/0/063/10      54 WSW  AERO 54 MPH WSW
2/13 38/24/31/+3/0/429/68            47 W    AERO 47 MPH W
2/14 39/20/30/+2/0/0/595/94          42 W    AERO 40 MPH W
2/15 39/23/31/+3/0/0/637/100         30 NW   AERO 28 MPH NW
2/16 35/21/28/0/0/0/633/99           23 NW   
2/17 35/19/27/-2/0/0/641/100         21 NW 
 
2/18 morning low temp. 24F; our normal low is now 21F
 
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 18
HIGH 65F IN 1981
LOW -10F IN 1958
PRECIP 1.97 INCHES IN 1887
SNOWFALL 9.2 INCHES IN 1952
PEAK GUST 65e MPH NNW IN 1952
 
RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 19
HIGH 66F IN 1981
LOW -5F IN 1923
PRECIP 2.73 INCHES IN 1972
SNOWFALL 12.0 INCHES IN 1893
PEAK GUST 76 MPH ENE IN 1972
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED By: Robert Skilling