BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2009 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
COLD JANUARY CONTINUES WITHOUT A THAW
PREVAILING WINDS FROM WEST 38% OF THE TIME
SNOW ON THE GROUND STILL AT 15 INCHES
WATER CONTENT OF SNOW COVER 2.7 INCHES
 
January temperatures continue to average
colder than normal and by close to 5 degrees
through the first three weeks. In fact, only
one day during the past two weeks had an
above normal daily mean and that by only
one degree. Only three days have had high
temperatures over 35 degrees with the monthly
maximum so far at 38 degrees on 8 January.
Most of the cold weather this month has come
to us from the west as indicated by a prevailing
west wind direction 38% of the time.
Very rarely do we have a month which has a
prevailing wind direction which occurs 30% of
the time.
A sample of the snow on the ground which is
averaging 15 inches in depth had a water content
of 2.7 inches as recorded from a snow core taken
yesterday. 
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Thin broken altocumulus, few lenticular south
Temperature: 15F, Dew point: 7F, Wind: SW at 13 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.87 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 20 miles, 25 miles NE, hazy
6-hour minimum temperature: 14F
Snow depth on ground: 15 inches
BHO SA 1155 130 –BKN 20 116/15/7/2313/987/
FEW ACSL S VSBY NE 25 HAZY ALQDS/
8/030 4/015 53004 10015 20014 
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Clear, altocumulus, few lenticular from SE-SW-N-NE,
few cirrus east 
Temperature: 23F, Dew point: 11F, Wind: SW at 14G21 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.87 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 25 miles, hazy
BHO SA 1455 CLR 25 117/23/11/2214G21/987/ AC/FEW ACSL SE-SW-N-NE
FEW CI E HAZY/ 8/031 51001
 
1 P.M.  
Weather:  Thin broken altocumulus, sky clearing, hazy
Temperature: 29F, Dew point: 14F, Wind: SW at 14G23 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.82 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 25 miles, hazy 
6-hour maximum temperature: 29F
BHO SA 1755 130 –BKN 25 099/29/14/2214G23/982/
SKY CLRG HAZY WND 19V25/ 8/030 58018 10029 20015 
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....23    NORMAL.....33 
MIN......9    NORMAL.....17
MEAN....16    NORMAL.....25
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL...............-9
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH..............-94  [-4.7 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............49  DEPARTURE.........+9
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH............911  DEPARTURE........+97
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........3151  DEPARTURE.........+8
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....2865  DIFFERENCE......+286
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY............25  W  AT  8:19 P.M.
                   AEROVANE.............22  W  AT  8:19 P.M.
                   ASOS.................25  W  AT  8:19 P.M.
                   DAVIS................25 WNW AT  1:02 A.M.
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY..............20  W  AT  8:21 P.M.  
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...........20 WSW AT  8:13 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..........19 WNW AT  1:02 A.M.
                   AVERAGE............12.9 W 
                   ASOS...............12.9
                   DAVIS..............12.6 W [270 deg]  
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M.....0.00  DEPARTURE.........-0.16
                         ASOS...............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH...........2.86  DEPARTURE.........-0.42
                         ASOS...............3.94 #
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR............2.86  DEPARTURE.........-0.42
                         ASOS...............3.94 #
# 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...............20.6   DEPARTURE........+10.1
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............51.0   DEPARTURE........+26.9
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 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
 
1/1  16/1/9/-18/0/0/538/98           44 WNW   Aero 44 MPH WNW
1/2  32/9/21/-6/0/0/005/01           28 S
1/3  32/21/27/0/T/T/539/98           43 WNW   Aero 44 MPH WNW
1/4  35/17/26/-1/0/0/512/93          36 W     Aero 33 MPH W
1/5  36/26/31/+4/0.06/0/512/93       30 W   
1/6  33/21/27/+1/0/0/183/33          27 W 
1/7  36/26/31/+5/1.26/0.8/000/00     46 NE    Aero 45 MPH NE
1/8  38/21/30/+4/0.01/0.1/389/70     47 W     Aero 45 MPH W
1/9  25/16/21/-5/0/0/546/98          37 W     Aero 36 MPH W
1/10 24/11/18/-8/0.10/1.0/329/59     28 W
1/11 31/19/25/-1/0.55/5.3/000/00     30 NW
1/12 27/18/23/-3/0.02/0.4/410/73     24 WNW
1/13 34/16/25/-1/0.04/T/107/19       25 SE
1/14 33/10/22/-4/0/0/518/92          47 W     Aero 48 MPH W
1/15 16/5/11/-15/0/0/000/00          20 NW
1/16 17/0/9/-17/0/0/557/98           26 W
1/17 19/1/10/-16/0/0/450/79          23 W
1/18 29/14/22/-4/0.58/9.5/000/00     24 E
1/19 32/19/26/+1/0.24/3.5/057/10     18 NW
1/20 30/17/24/-1/T/T/247/43          30 NW
1/21 23/9/16/-9/0/0/.../..           25 SW
 
1/22 morning low temp: 14F our normal low temp. is now 17F
    
NEW DAILY RECORDS FOR JANUARY 2009...
 
..NONE..
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR JANUARY 22
HIGH 59F IN 1916
LOW -8F IN 1888,1976
PRECIP 1.24 INS. IN 1891,1987
SNOWFALL 10.0 INS. IN 2005
PEAK GUST 67 MPH W IN 1976
 
RECORDS FOR JANUARY 23
HIGH 62F IN 1906
LOW -10F IN 1976
PRECIP 2.40 INS. IN 1935
SNOWFALL 14.6 INS. IN 1966
PEAK GUST 85 MPH S IN 1992
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED By: Robert Skilling