BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2009
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY 2009 STATS 
Degrees F
Av. Max. 39.4
Av. Min. 21.7
Mean     30.6 [+2.3]
Mean (corr.) 30.3
Maximum temp: 59/11th
Minimum temp:  3/5th
Total heating units:   959 [-75]
Total seasonal units: 4257 [-43 ]
Total precip: 2.37 ins. [-1.69 ]
Total snowfall: 10.2 [-5.8 ]
Av. corr. wind speed: 15.4 MPH (uncorr. 15.1 MPH)
Prevailing direction: W 23%
Peak gust: 58 MPH S [27th] Aerovane 59 MPH S
Sunshine: total corr. mins. 11339 or 64%
Total uncorr. mins: 10914 or 64% (from sun card)
 
COLD BEGINNING TO THE MONTH OF MARCH
COLDEST SINCE FEBRUARY 6TH THIS MORNING
TWO VERY SUNNY DAYS AFTER TWO CLOUDY ONES
 
The low temperature dropped to 6F this morning
or far below the normal for the date of 24F but
far above the record low of 5F below in 1950.
It was our coldest temperature since 4F way
back on February 6th.  
The first three days of March averaged a dozen
degrees colder than normal but yesterday and
today have had more than 90% of possible sunshine.
 
Today's observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few stratocumulus distant offshore
northeast thru southeast, few cirrus SSW-W
northeast through southeast
Temperature: 9F, Dew point: -3F, Wind: W at 12 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.30 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 60 miles, 70 miles NW
6-hour minimum temperature: 6F
Snow depth on ground: 8 inches 
BHO SA 1155 CLR 60 261/9/-3/2812/030/ SC DSNT OFFSHR NE-SE
FEW CI SSW-W/ 8/501 4/008 51012 10013 20006
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few stratocumulus distant offshore NE-SE
Temperature: 20F, Dew point: -2F, Wind: WNN at 14G22 kts,
Wind: peak wind gust 27 kts WNW at 9:17 a.m.,
Wind: direction variability WSW-NW   
Sea-level pressure: 30.33 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 70 miles
BHO SA 1455 CLR 70 271/20/-2/3014G22/033/
FEW SC DSNT OFFSHR NE-SE PK WND 3027/17/ WND 26V33/
8/500 51010
 
1 P.M.  
Weather: Clear, few stratocumulus along and
offshore NE-SE, few cirrus distant NW-NNE 
Temperature: 26F, Dew point: 2F, Wind: WNW at 14G20 kts,
Wind: direction variability W to NW 
Sea-level pressure: 30.26 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 70 miles
6-hour maximum temperature: 27F
BHO SA 1755 CLR 70 246/26/2/2914G20/026/
FEW SC ALG/OFFSHR NE-SE FEW CI DSNT NW-NNE
WND 26V32/ 8/501 10027 20009 
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2009
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....25    NORMAL.....41
MIN.....11    NORMAL.....24
MEAN....18    NORMAL.....32
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.................-14
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.................-34 [-11.5 per day] 
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............47  DEPARTURE........+14
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH............133  DEPARTURE........+33
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........4660  DEPARTURE........-10
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....4349  DIFFERENCE......+311
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY............33 NW  AT 11:25 P.M.                           
                   ASOS.................32 NW  AT 11:25 P.M.     
                   AEROVANE.............32 NW  AT 11:25 P.M.                       
                   DAVIS................36 NW  AT 11:24 P.M.  
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY..............22 WNW AT 11:25 P.M. *  
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...........22 WNW AT 12:29 A.M.           
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..........26 WNW AT 11:26 P.M.          
                   AVERAGE............14.1 WNW  
                   ASOS...............13.2 
                   DAVIS..............13.9 WNW [290 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...........1.48 DEPARTURE........+1.03
                         ASOS...............1.34
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR............8.01 DEPARTURE........-1.28
                         ASOS...............8.96 #
# Includes erroneous ASOS precipitation data on 1/1/09, 1/2/09 and 2/27/09.
 
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.........+8.7
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............75.5   DEPARTURE........+28.6
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY - MARCH 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/-5/0/0/661/100         35 WNW  AERO 28 MPH WNW
2/25 37/17/27/-4/0/0/431/65          22 NW  
2/26 47/26/37/+6/0/0/047/07          31 S
2/27 58/34/46/+15/0.17/0/415/62      58 S    AERO 59 MPH S
2/28 49/28/39/+8/0.03/0/329/49       33 WNW

 
3/1/ 28/21/25/-7/..../.../000/00     38 NNE
3/2  22/15/19/-13/.../.../000/00     40 NNE
3/3  25/11/18/-14/0.01/0.3/640/94    33 NW
 
3/4  morning low temp. 6F; our normal low now 24F
 
NEW DAILY RECORDS FOR MARCH 2009...
 
None 
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR MARCH 4
HIGH 69 IN 1974
LOW  -5 IN 1950
PRECIP 1.80 IN 1960
SNOWFALL 17.3 IN 1960
PEAK GUST 81e MPH SSW IN 1971
 
RECORDS FOR MARCH 5
HIGH 64 IN 1979
LOW -2 IN 1948
PRECIP 1.76 INS. IN 2001
SNOWFALL 13.0 INS. IN 1891
PEAK GUST 76e MPH WNW IN 1971
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED By: Robert Skilling