BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186 ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2009 ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME MOSTLY SUNNY WITH NEAR NORMAL TEMPS. TODAY FINAL RAINFALL TOTAL 0.75 INCH MARCH ENDS OVER ONE INCH ON DRY SIDE Sunshine returned today after two overcast days. Sunshine is again above normal for the third month this year so far and the first quarter of 2009 may rank among the sunniest on record for this time of year. Temperatures reached the lower 50's by early this afternoon and then dropped back a few degrees after the onset of the sea breeze. The most significant rainfall event (0.75 inch) since March 9th was not enough to bring the monthly total up to normal and we'll wind up an inch and one quarter on the dry side for March. Today's observations: 7 A.M. Weather: Clear, stratocumulus distand WNW-N-ENE-SE Temperature: 38F, Dew point: 30F, Wind: NW at 11 kts, Wind: gust to 21 kts past hour Sea-level pressure: 30.08 inches Hg, rising Visibility: 75 miles 6-hour minimum temperature: 35F 24-hour precipitation: 0.18 inch BHO SA 1155 CLR 75 185/38/30/3111/008/ SC DSNT WNW-N-ENE-SE GST 21 KTS PST HR/ 8/500 53037 MANUAL 70018 ASOS 70018 10038 20035 10 A.M. Weather: Scattered stratocumulus forming all quadrants Temperature: 48F, Dew point: 33F, Wind: NNW at 8 kts, Wind: gust to 20 kts past hour Wind: direction variability W TO NNE Sea-level pressure: 30.14 inches Hg, rising Visibility: 80 miles BHO SA 1455 34 SCT 80 206/48/33/3408/014/ SC FRMG/INCRSNG ALQDS WND 28V03 GST TO 20 KTS PST HR/ 8/500 51021 1 P.M. Weather: Scattered stratocumulus, lenticularis all quadrants, few lower cumulus Temperature: 49F, Dew point: 34F, Wind: NE at 8 kts Wind: direction variable N to E Sea-level pressure: 30.17 inches Hg, rising Visibility: 75 miles 6-hour maximum temperature: 51F BHO SA 1755 40 SCT 75 217/49/34/0408/017/ FEW CU SCSL ALQDS WND 36V09/ 8/800 51011 10051 20038 WEATHER SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2009 TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F) MAX.....42 NORMAL.....50 MIN.....36 NORMAL.....32 MEAN....39 NORMAL.....41 DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL..................-2 TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH..................-3 [-0.3 DEGREES/DAY] HEATING DEGREE DAYS TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............26 DEPARTURE.........+2 TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH............869 DEPARTURE.........-1 TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........5396 DEPARTURE........-44 TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....5111 DIFFERENCE......+285 PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY............40 WNW AT 12:29 P.M. AEROVANE.............36 NE AT 9:28 A.M. ASOS.................38 WNW AT 12:29 P.M. DAVIS................39 W AT 12:28 P.M. FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY..............26 W AT 12:35 P.M. * MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...........25 W AT 11:33 A.M. MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..........26 W AT 12:36 P.M. AVERAGE............15.2 W ASOS...............13.8 DAVIS..............14.3 W [280 DEGREES] * last of several occurrences... PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST) TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M.....0.18 DEPARTURE.........+0.03 ASOS...............0.18 TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH...........3.55 DEPARTURE.........-1.09 ASOS...............3.51 TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........10.08 DEPARTURE.........-3.40 ASOS..............11.13 # # 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.........-0.2 TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH...............13.4 DEPARTURE.........+2.1 TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............78.7 DEPARTURE........+22.0 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 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 3/20 36/25/31/-7/0/0/650/89 26 NNE 3/21 43/23/33/-5/0/0/704/96 21 S 3/22 50/27/39/+1/0/0/206/28 29 NW AERO 31 MPH WNW 3/23 32/18/25/-13/0/0/694/94 38 NW 3/24 44/18/31/-8/0/0/630/85 33 NW AERO 37 MPH NW 3/25 49/29/39/0/0/0/670/90 25 N 3/26 53/33/43/+4/0.25/0/298/40 23 SE 3/27 57/36/47/+7/0.10/0/353/47 22 S 3/28 58/39/49/+9/0/0/459/61 22 S 3/29 42/37/40/0/0.57/0/000/00 38 NE TSTM 3/30 42/36/39/-2/0.18/0/000/00 40 WNW 3/31 morning low temp: 35F; our normal low is now 32F 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 31 HIGH 89 IN 1998 [RECORD HIGH FOR MONTH] LOW 16 IN 1923 PRECIP 2.89 IN 1987 SNOWFALL 15.0 IN 1997 PEAK GUST 81 MPH SSE IN 1987 RECORDS FOR APRIL 1 HIGH 74 IN 1967 LOW 6 IN 1923 [RECORD FOR MONTH] PRECIP 3.47 IN. IN 2004 [RECORD FOR MONTH] SNOWFALL 15.0 IN. IN 1997 [RECORD FOR MONTH] PEAK GUST 75 MPH SSW IN 1962 TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling