BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186 ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2009 ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME The vernal equinox occurred this morning at 7:44 AM EDT, but temperatures so far today are below normal and not very spring-like, with the high for the day so far of just 36 degrees. Today's observations: 7 A.M. Weather: Scattered cirrostratus, line stratocumulus along horizon distant E-SE, few ACSL S-W Temperature: 30F, Dew point: 18F, Wind: NNE at 13 kts, Wind: Direction variability NNW-NE Sea-level pressure: 30.25 inches Hg, rising Visibility: 65 miles 6-hour minimum temperature: 30F 24-hour precipitation: 0.04 in. BHO SA 1155 200 SCT 65 244/30/18/0213/025/ LINE SC ALNG HRZN DSNT E-SE FEW ACSL S-W WND 33V05/ 8/548 53022 MANUAL 70004 ASOS 70005 10034 20030 10 A.M. Weather: Scattered stratocumulus, broken cirrostratus, broken cirrus Temperature: 34F, Dew point: 20F, Wind: NNE at 10G17 kts, Wind: direction variability NW-E Sea-level pressure: 30.31 inches Hg, rising Visibility: 55 miles BHO SA 1455 35 SCT E200 BKN 250 BKN 55 263/34/20/0310G17/031/ WND 32V08/ 8/508 51019 1 P.M. Weather: Scattered stratocumulus, scattered altocumulus, thin broken cirrus Temperature: 34F, Dew point: 18F, Wind: NE at 7 kts Wind: Direction variability N-E Sea-level pressure: 30.31 inches Hg, steady Visibility: 45 miles, light haze 6-hour maximum temperature: 36F BHO SA 1755 40 SCT 180 SCT 250 –BKN 45 263/34/18/0407/031/ LGT HZ WND 36V90/ 8/531 50000 10036 20030 WEATHER SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2009 TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F) MAX.....45 NORMAL.....46 MIN.....36 NORMAL.....29 MEAN....41 NORMAL.....37 DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL..................+4 TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.................+11 [+0.4 DEGREES/DAY] HEATING DEGREE DAYS TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............24 DEPARTURE.........-4 TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH............570 DEPARTURE........-14 TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........5097 DEPARTURE........-57 TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....4792 DIFFERENCE......+305 PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY............22 S AT 1:26 A.M. * AEROVANE.............24 S AT 1:26 A.M. * ASOS.................25 N AT 11:24 P.M. DAVIS................N/A FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY..............20 S AT 12:27 A.M. MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...........21 SSW AT 12:27 A.M. MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..........N/A AVERAGE............10.4 SW ASOS................9.4 DAVIS..............10.5 WSW [239 DEGREES] * last of several occurrences PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST) TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M.....0.04 DEPARTURE.........-0.12 ASOS...............0.05 TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH...........2.45 DEPARTURE.........-0.34 ASOS...............2.39 TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR............8.98 DEPARTURE.........-2.77 ASOS..............10.01 # # 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.........+5.2 TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............78.7 DEPARTURE........+25.1 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/0/152/22 43 S AERO 41 MPH S 3/7 60/42/51/+18/0.06/0/429/62 37 S 3/8 57/42/50/+16/0/0/445/64 39 WNW AERO 40 MPH WNW 3/9 42/28/35/+1/0.72/3.2/000/00 33 N 3/10 42/26/34/0/0.02/0/470/67 23 SSE 3/11 50/33/42/+7/0.13/0/000/00 51 W 3/12 39/25/32/-3/0/0/685/97 44 W AERO 45 MPH W 3/13 37/19/28/-7/0/0/660/93 26 SSE 3/14 50/25/38/+2/0/0/613/86 24 SSW 3/15 59/34/47/+11/0/0/686/96 17 SSW 3/16 42/29/36/0/0/0/000/00 30 NE 3/17 47/28/38/0/+1/671/93 21 SSW AERO 23 MPH SSW 3/18 59/31/45/+8/0/0/448/62 37 SSW AERO 40 MPH S 3/19 45/36/41/+4/0.04/0/000/00 22 S AERO 24 MPH S 3/20 morning low temp: 30F; our normal low now 29F 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 20 HIGH 79 IN 1945 LOW 4 IN 1885 PRECIP 1.39 INS. IN 1957 SNOWFALL 11.4 INS. IN 1957 PEAK GUST 63 MPH SE IN 1975 RECORDS FOR MARCH 21 HIGH 81 IN 1921 LOW 2 IN 1885 PRECIP 2.67 INS. IN 1974 SNOWFALL 10.6 INS. IN 1958 PEAK GUST 72 MPH NE IN 1958 TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Stephanie Radner