BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2009
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
STRONG HIGH PRESSURE OVER US TODAY AND
DESPITE LIGHT WINDS AND SUNSHINE TEMPS.
ARE STRUGGLING INTO THE MID 30'S
 
The barometer reached a maximum reading
close to 30.59 inches at 10:20 a.m. EDT
this morning for the highest pressure
here since 30.62 inches on December 26th.
The low temperature dropped to 19F and
was our coldest since March 5th. High
readings are edging into the mid 30's.
Ponkapoag Pond was observed to be thawed
yesterday morning but Houghtons Pond
continues with 9/10 ice cover today.
Only a few traces of snow can be seen
below the summit.
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Scattered cirrus, thin broken cirrus,
few stratocumulus distant offshore NE-SE
Temperature: 20F, Dew point: 3F, Wind: NNW at 5 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.57 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 70 miles
6-hour minimum temperature: 19F
Snow depth on ground: 0
BHO SA 1155 250 SCT 300 –BKN 70 352/20/3/3305/057/
FEW SC DSNT OFFSHR NE-SE CLRG SKY NW-NE/
8/508 51012 10024 20019 
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few cumulus fractus forming distant SE,
few cirrus distant north and southeast thru south 
Temperature: 28F, Dew point: 3F, Wind: SE at 4 kts.
Wind: light
Sea-level pressure: 30.58 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 70 miles
BHO SA 1455 CLR 70 354/28/3/1404/058/
FEW CUFRA FRMG DSNT SE FEW CI DSNT N AND SE-S WND LGT/
8/101 50002 
 
1 P.M.  
Weather: Clear, few small cumulus distant southeast,
cirrus WNW-N-NE 
Temperature: 33F, Dew point: 5F, Wind: SW at 6 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.51 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 70 miles 
6-hour maximum temperature: 34F 
BHO SA 1755 CLR 70 331/33/5/2206/051/
FEW SML CU DSNT SE CI WNW-N-NE/ 8/101 58023 10034 20020
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2009
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....39    NORMAL.....43
MIN.....25    NORMAL.....27
MEAN....32    NORMAL.....35
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL..................-3
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH..................-8 [-0.9 DEGREES/DAY] 
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............33  DEPARTURE.........+3
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH............388  DEPARTURE.........+6
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........4915  DEPARTURE........-37
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....4588  DIFFERENCE......+327
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY............44 W   AT  1:04 A.M.
                   AEROVANE.............45 W   AT  1:04 A.M. 
                   ASOS.................43 W   AT  1:04 A.M.  
                   DAVIS................40 W   AT  1 TO 2 A.M.   
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY..............32 W   AT  1:05 A.M. *
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...........30 W   AT 12:45 A.M.  
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..........29 W   AT 12:52 A.M.  
                   AVERAGE............ 15.1 W
                   ASOS................12.6
                   DAVIS...............14.3 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...........2.41 DEPARTURE.........+0.61
                         ASOS...............2.34 **
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR............8.94 DEPARTURE.........-1.70
                         ASOS...............9.96 #
# Includes erroneous ASOS precipitation data on 1/1/09, 1/2/09 and 2/27/09.
 
** ASOS monthly precip. total corrected....from 2.26
 
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.........+8.0
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............78.7   DEPARTURE........+27.9
 
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 39/25/32/-3/0/0/.../..          44 W      AERO 45 MPH W
 
3/13 morning low temp: 19F; our normal low is now 27F
 
* the total precip. for 3/2 is corrected from 1.16 ins.
  to read 1.21 ins. The total for the month remains
  unchanged. 
 
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 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"]
 
RECORDS FOR MARCH 14
HIGH 74 IN 1946
LOW 8 IN 1926
PRECIP 1.72 INS. IN 1984
SNOWFALL 6.7 INS. IN 1958
PEAK GUST 66 MPH WNW IN 1982
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling