BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
COLDEST TEMPERATURE SINCE FEBRUARY 6TH
THIS MORNING AND WINDIEST DAY YESTERDAY
SINCE MID-DECEMBER 2008
 
A morning low temperature of 15 degrees
was our coldest reading since 4F on Feb-
ruary 6th. Since then only three days have
averaged colder than normal and yesterday was
one of them. This month has continued to
average close to 2 degrees above the long-term
average. The three days from 4-6 February were the
coldest of the month averaging 12 degrees below
the average. Yesterday the strong westerly 
winds with a peak gust to 51 mph was the fifth
day in a row to have strong westerly wind gusts
between 39 and 51 MPH. A daily average of 25.5
MPH from the west made it the windiest day
since 28.4 MPH from south on December 15th.   
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Clear, stratocumulus offshore distant NE-SE, few
altocumulus NW-NE and SE, few cirrus N-E
Temperature: 16F, Dew point: 7F, Wind: W at 16G26 kts,
Wind: Peak wind gust 27 kts W at 6:11 a.m. 
Sea-level pressure: 30.09 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 60 miles 
6-hour minimum temperature: 15F
Snow depth on ground: 1 in.
BHO SA 1155 CLR 60 188/16/7/2816G26/009/
SC DSNT OFFSHR ALG HRZN NE-SE FEW AC DSNT NW
AND FEW AC NE AND SSE FEW CI N-E PK WND 2827/11/
8/541 4/001 53014 10018 20015
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Thin scattered cirrus, stratocumulus faintly
visible distant offshore NE-SE 
Temperature: 24F, Dew point: 10F, Wind: WNW at 13G24 kts,
Wind: Peak wind gust 29 kts W at 9:17 a.m.,
Wind: direction variability WSW-NW  
Sea-level pressure: 30.13 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 75 miles  
BHO SA 1455 250 -SCT 75 204/24/10/2913G24/013/
SC DSNT OFFSHR NE-SE CI N-ESE PK WND 2829/17/
WND 25V32/ 8/501 51016
 
1 P.M.  
Weather: Clear, stratocumulus faintly visible distant
offshore along horizon NE-E, cirrus ENE-SSE 
Temperature: 31F, Dew point: 13F, Wind: W at 13G21 kts,
Wind: gust to 25 kts past hour
Wind: direction variable WSW to NW 
Sea-level pressure: 30.14 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 75 miles
6-hour maximum temperature: 32F  
BHO SA 1755 CLR 75 206/31/13/2813G21/014/
SC DSNT OFFSHR NE-E ALG HRZN CI ENE-ESE
GST 25 KTS PST HR WND 25V31 8/501 50002 10032 20016
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....31    NORMAL.....38
MIN.....18    NORMAL.....22
MEAN....25    NORMAL.....30
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.................-5
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH................+49 [+1.9 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............40  DEPARTURE.........+5
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH............808  DEPARTURE........-54
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........4376  DEPARTURE........-22
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....4019  DIFFERENCE......+357
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY............51 W  AT  8:00 A.M. 
                   AEROVANE.............53 W  AT  1:20 A.M. *  
                   ASOS.................52 W  AT  1:03 A.M. 
                   DAVIS................48 W  AT  1:03 A.M.
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY..............38 W  AT  9:36 A.M. 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...........37 W  AT 12:40 A.M.        
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..........34 W  AT  9:37 A.M.       
                   AVERAGE............25.5 W 
                   ASOS...............24.2 
                   DAVIS..............22.7 W [270 DEGREES]
* Last of several occurrences.
 
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...........2.17  DEPARTURE.........-1.14
                         ASOS...............2.14
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR............6.33  DEPARTURE.........-1.76
                         ASOS...............7.34 #
# 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...............10.2   DEPARTURE.........-3.3
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............65.3   DEPARTURE........+22.4
 
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  
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 41/24/33/+4/0.25/1.6/361/56     33 E    
2/19 46/24/35/+6/0.34/0.4/155/24     43 W    AERO 44 MPH W
2/20 27/18/23/-6/T/T/364/56          50 W    AERO 48 MPH W
2/21 37/23/30/+1/0/0/626/96          42 W    AERO 37 MPH W
2/22 41/28/35/+5/0.83/1.7/000/00     46 W    AERO 48 MPH W
2/23 31/18/25/-5/T/T/.../..          51 W    AERO 53 MPH W
 
2/24 our morning low temp: 15F; the normal low is 22F
 
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 24
HIGH 68F IN 1985 [RECORD FOR MONTH]
LOW -11F IN 1894
PRECIP 3.10 INCHES IN 1969
SNOWFALL 27.4 INCHES IN 1969 [HIGHEST CALENDAR DAY AMOUNT ON RECORD]
PEAK GUST 63 MPH NE IN 1998
 
RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 25
HIGH 67F IN 1976
LOW -10F IN 1894
PRECIP 2.40 INCHES IN 1981
SNOWFALL 13.6 INCHES IN 1966
PEAK GUST 75 MPH S IN 1965
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED By: Robert Skilling