BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2009
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Thin broken cirrostratus, few stratocumulus
Temperature: 29F, Dew point: 9F, Wind: WNW at 7 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.29 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 60 miles
6-hour minimum temperature: 27F
24-hour precip: 0.03 in. 
Snow depth on ground: 0
BHO SA 1155 200 –BKN 60 257/29/9/3007/029/ FEW SC NW-N-E/
8/501 51044 MANUAL 70003 ASOS 70008 10036 20027
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Thin broken cirrostratus, broken cirrus
Temperature: 33F, Dew point: 11F, Wind: W at 11 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.35 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 70 miles
BHO SA 1455 200 –BKN E250 BKN 70 276/33/11/2711/035/
FEW CU NW-N/ 8/106 51019
 
1 P.M.  
Weather: Thin broken cirrus
Temperature: 36F, Dew point: 10F, Wind: WNW at 12G23 kts,
Wind: Peak wind gust 26 kts W at 12:31 P.M.
Wind: direction variability SSE to W 
Sea-level pressure: 30.28 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 75 miles
6-hour maximum temperature: 37F
BHO SA 1755 250 –BKN 75 253/36/10/2912G23/028/
FEW CU NW-N-E PK WND 2626/31 WND 16V27/ 8/101 58004 10037 20028
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2009
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....50    NORMAL.....43
MIN.....33    NORMAL.....26
MEAN....42    NORMAL.....35
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL..................+7
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH..................-5 [-0.7 DEGREES/DAY] 
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............23  DEPARTURE.........-7
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH............355  DEPARTURE.........+3
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........4882  DEPARTURE........-40
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....4558  DIFFERENCE......+324
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY............51 W   AT 10:34 P.M. *
                   AEROVANE.............52 W   AT 10:35 P.M.
                   ASOS.................49 W   AT 10:37 P.M. 
                   DAVIS................47 W   AT 10:32 P.M. 
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY..............42 W   AT 10:33 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...........38 W   AT 10:34 P.M. 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..........37 W   AT 10:34 P.M.
                   AVERAGE............ 20.0 SSE
                   ASOS................19.5
                   DAVIS...............18.8 S  [172 DEGREES]
* last of several occurrences..
  
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M.....0.03 DEPARTURE.........-0.12
                         ASOS...............0.08
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH...........2.41 DEPARTURE.........+0.76
                         ASOS...............2.34
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR............8.94 DEPARTURE.........-1.55
                         ASOS...............9.96 #
# 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.........-0.4
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH...............13.4   DEPARTURE.........+8.4
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............78.7   DEPARTURE........+28.3
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR 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
 
3/1  28/21/25/-7/0.26/1.9/000/00     38 NNE
3/2  22/15/19/-13/1.21/8.2/000/00    40 NNE    AERO 37 MPH NNE
3/3  25/11/18/-14/0.01/0.1/640/94    33 NW
3/4  30/6/18/-14/0/0/684/100         31 WNW
3/5  39/16/28/-5/0/0/659/96          25 WSW
3/6  49/30/40/+7/T/0/.../..          43 S      AERO 41 MPH S
3/7  60/42/51/+18/0.06/0/.../..      37 S
3/8  57/42/50/+16/0/0/.../..         39 WNW    AERO 40 MPH WNW
3/9  42/28/35/+1/0.72/3.2/000/00     33 N
3/10 42/26/34/0/0.02/0/.../..        23 SSE
3/11 50/33/42/+7/0.13/0/000/00       51 W
 
3/12 morning low temp: 27F; our normal low is now 27F
 
NEW DAILY RECORDS FOR MARCH 2009...
3/2: DAILY SNOWFALL 8.2 INS. SURPASSES PREVIOUS
     RECORD OF 7.1 INS. IN 1948
3/7: DAILY MINIMUM 42 TIES RECORD HIGH MINIMUM FOR DATE
     PREVIOUSLY SET IN 1974 AND 1987
3/8: DAILY MINIMUM 42 TIES RECORD HIGH MINIMUM FOR DATE
     PREVIOUSLY SET IN 1995
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR MARCH 12
HIGH 67 IN 1977
LOW 2 IN 1885
PRECIP 2.87 INS. IN 1888
SNOWFALL 9.7 INS. IN 1959
PEAK GUST 66 MPH SE IN 1962
 
RECORDS FOR MARCH 13
HIGH 72 IN 1990
LOW -1 IN 1885
PRECIP 2.47 INS. IN 1993
SNOWFALL 10.0 INS. IN 1993
PEAK GUST 76 MPH ENE IN 1993 [THE "STORM OF THE CENTURY"]
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Stephanie Radner