BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2009
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
LONG SPELL OF PREVAILING WEST WINDS ENDS
WARMER THAN NORMAL FEBRUARY CONTINUES
 
A total of 49 consecutive hours was logged
with the wind blowing from the west ending
last evening. The wind shifted into the
west Sunday evening at 7 p.m. as rain was
changing to snow and that same wind direction
continued until 8 p.m. late yesterday.
Monday, February 23rd, was our windiest day in
over two months at 25.5 MPH. We recorded winds
which frequently gusted past 40 MPH and over
50 MPH at times. Maximum hourly averages were
not that unusual but reached 30 MPH for several
hours.   
The past two days have each averaged 5 degrees
colder than normal but February continues to
run a degree and one half above the 30-year
average.
  
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Scattered altostratus, thin broken cirrus, partial
halo with parahelia ("sun dogs") left and right of the sun 
Temperature: 18F, Dew point: 9F, Wind: NW at 8 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.43 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 60 miles, 70 miles to northwest 
6-hour minimum temperature: 17F
Snow depth on ground: trace
BHO SA 1155 150 SCT 220 SCT 250 –BKN 300 -BKN 60 305/18/9/3108/043/
PARTIAL HALO/PARAHELIA THN K ALG HRZN NW-NE VSBY NW 70/ 8/011
53016 10022 20017
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Dense cirrus overcast, overcast partly thin
overhead thru NNW-NNE, sun dimly visible, virga 
Temperature: 26F, Dew point: 11F, Wind: SSW at 4 kts,
Wind: light
Sea-level pressure: 30.46 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 70 miles  
BHO SA 1455 E200 OVC 70 316/26/11/2004/046/
DENS CI ALQDS OVC PTLY THN OVHD-NNW-NNE HIER CI
CLDS VSB N SUN DMLY VSB VIRGA THN K ALG HRZN N-E
WND LGT/ 8/002 51011
 
1 P.M.  
Weather: Scattered dense cirrus, thin broken cirrus,
sky clearing with clear sky SW-N and dense cirrus to
the NE-S
Temperature: 33F, Dew point: 15F, Wind: S at 6 kts,
Wind: light
Sea-level pressure: 30.43 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 70 miles
6-hour maximum temperature: 33F  
BHO SA 1755 220 SCT 250 –BKN 300 –BKN 70 306/33/15/1706/043/
SKY CLRG CLR SKY SW-N DENS CI LYR NE-S WND LGT/
8/008 58010 10033 20018 
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....34    NORMAL.....38
MIN.....15    NORMAL.....22
MEAN....25    NORMAL.....30
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.................-5
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH................+44 [+1.6 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............40  DEPARTURE.........+5
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH............848  DEPARTURE........-49
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........4416  DEPARTURE........-17
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....4058  DIFFERENCE......+358
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY............35 WNW  AT  8:14 A.M. *  
                   AEROVANE.............32 WNW  AT  8:29 A.M. *    
                   ASOS.................32 W    AT  3:34 A.M. 
                   DAVIS................31 WNW  AT  8:29 A.M. 
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY..............25 WNW AT 8:16 A.M.   
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...........23 WNW AT 8:17 A.M.         
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..........24 W   AT 8:17 A.M.       
                   AVERAGE........... 16.7 W
                   ASOS...............15.4  
                   DAVIS..............15.9 W [280 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.........-1.29
                         ASOS...............2.14
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR............6.33  DEPARTURE.........-1.91
                         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.........-3.8
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............65.3   DEPARTURE........+21.9
 
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/507/77          51 W    AERO 53 MPH W
2/24 34/15/25/-5/0/0/.../..          35 WNW  AERO 32 MPH WNW
 
2/25 morning low temp. 17F; normal low is now 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 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
 
RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 26
HIGH 67F IN 1957
LOW -7F IN 1928
PRECIP 2.24 INCHES IN 1979
SNOWFALL 11.1 INCHES IN 1933
PEAK GUST 66 MPH W IN 1961
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED By: Robert Skilling