BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2009  
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
WARM AND GUSTY WITH STRONG SOUTH WINDS TODAY...
Low clouds and fog covered the summit very early
this morning, though the fog lifted shortly after
8:00 AM EDT.  There has been occasional sunshine
through persistent low clouds this morning, though
the temperature has soared to the low 70s on
strong south winds by early afternoon.  The average
wind speed for the hour ending at 2 PM EDT was
30 mph S.  The peak wind gust so far today has
been 48 mph (42 kts) S at 1:46 PM EDT.
 
EASTERN STANDARD TIME RETURNS TONIGHT...
Set your clocks back one hour by 2 AM on Sunday
as we return to Eastern Standard Time tonight. 
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Sky obscured in dense fog, stratus drifting
over the summit
Temperature: 56F, Dew point: 56F, Wind: S at 21G27 kts
Wind: Peak gust 28 kts, S at 6:43 AM EST
Sea-level pressure: 29.97 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 1/4 mile, variable 1/8-1/2 mile
6-hour minimum temp: 45F
BHO SA 1155 W3 X 1/4VF 149/56/56/1821G27/997/ VSBY 1/8V1/2
STRA DRFTG OVR SMT PK WND 1828/43/ 8/6// 56017 10056 20045
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Overcast stratocumulus, breaks in overcast
overhead and N to E to S, sun occasionally visible
Temperature: 65F, Dew point: 57F, Wind: S at 22G35 kts,
Wind: Peak gust 37 kts, S at 9:28 AM EST
Sea-level pressure: 29.93 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 30 miles, hazy
BHO SA 1455 25 SCT E45 OVC 30 135/65/57/1822G35/993/ SUN
OCNLY VSBL BINOVC OVHD-N-E-S HIR CLDS VSBL HAZY PK WND
1837/28/ 8/501 58014
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Broken stratocumulus, broken cirrus
Temperature: 70F, Dew point: 57F, Wind: S at 26G37 kts,
Wind: Peak gust 42 kts, S at 12:46 PM EST
Sea-level pressure: 29.84 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 35 miles, hazy
6-hour maximum temp: 71F
BHO SA 1755 35 SCT E50 BKN 250 BKN 35 104/70/57/1926G37/984/
HAZY PK WND 1942/46/ 8/501 58031 10071 20056
 
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....54     NORMAL.....55
MIN.....43     NORMAL.....39
MEAN....49     NORMAL.....47
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR AVERAGE...........+2
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH...........-60 [-2.2 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............16  DEPARTURE.......-2
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........457  DEPARTURE......+53
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........614  DEPARTURE......+41
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....522  DIFFERENCE.....+92
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............24 SSE AT  5:53 P.M. *
                   AEROVANE..............22 SSE AT 10:34 P.M. *
                   ASOS..................22 S   AT  5:53 P.M.
                   DAVIS.................22 SSE AT  5:13 P.M.
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...............16 SSE AT  5:47 P.M. *
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............17 S   AT  5:42 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........16 SSE AT  5:46 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION........8.7 SSE
                   ASOS.................7.8
                   DAVIS................6.9 SSE [157 DEG]
 
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 MONTH..............7.16   DEPARTURE....+2.89
                         ASOS..............7.18
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........45.04   DEPARTURE....+3.17
                         ASOS.............46.24
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR OCTOBER 2009 CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/ PEAK GUST/AERO GUST
AERO: Aerovane wind recording system gust when significant
TSTM: Thunderstorm day (thunder heard some time during day)
....: Data not yet available, records not finalized
 
10/1  56/39/48/-9/0/155/22     27 WSW 
10/2  60/40/50/-6/0/442/63     23 SSE 
10/3  63/51/57/+1/1.10/000/00  32 ESE  AERO 30 MPH ESE 
10/4  67/57/62/+6/0/202/29     21 WSW
10/5  64/49/57/+2/0/595/86     33 W    AERO 31 MPH W
10/6  65/45/55/0/0/628/91      25 W
10/7  67/51/59/+4/0.70/344/50  54 W    AERO 54 MPH W
10/8  61/48/55/+1/0/602/88     43 W    AERO 39 MPH W
10/9  60/48/54/0/0.05/000/00   29 SSE
10/10 62/42/52/-2/0.26/205/30  37 NW
10/11 61/39/50/-3/0/655/97     35 WSW  AERO 33 MPH W 
10/12 53/36/45/-8/T/471/70     23 SSW
10/13 51/36/44/-8/0.20/074/11  35 WNW 
10/14 52/32/42/-10/0/494/74    27 NW
10/15 41/32/37/-15/0.19/000/00 29 NNE
10/16 41/33/37/-14/0.24/000/00 37 NNE  AERO 35 MPH NNE T SNOW
10/17 48/33/41/-10/0/250/38    35 NNE
10/18 46/32/39/-12/1.79/000/00 43 NNE  SNOWFALL 3.0 INS
10/19 52/33/43/-8/0/628/96     25 NNW
10/20 65/38/52/+2/0/566/87     23 W    
10/21 68/48/58/+8/0/363/56     19 W
10/22 74/50/62/+12/0/265/41    30 S
10/23 57/38/48/-1/T/000/00     35 NW   AERO 32 MPH NW
10/24 67/42/55/+6/1.58/000/00  53 S    AERO 51 MPH S
10/25 64/44/54/+5/0.06/.../..  35 W    AERO 35 MPH W
10/26 59/40/50/+2/0/.../..     27 NW
10/27 50/43/47/-1/0.01/000/00  24 NNE
10/28 50/46/48/0/0.78/000/00   46 NNE  AERO 46 MPH NE
10/29 46/40/43/-4/T/.../..     38 N
10/30 54/43/49/+2/0/.../..     24 SSE
 
10/31 our morning low temp: 44F; the normal low is now 39F
 
NEW DAILY RECORDS FOR OCTOBER 2009
10/7: NEW RECORD WIND GUST 54 MPH W AT 2005E;
      surpasses previous record of 52 MPH ESE in 1972
10/15: NEW RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE 41;
      surpasses previous 47 set in 1887 and 1896
10/16: NEW RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE 41;
      surpasses previous 42 set in 1940
10/16: NEW RECORD DAILY SNOWFALL TRACE; 
      surpasses previous zero for the date
10/18: NEW RECORD DAILY SNOWFALL 3.0 INS; 
      surpasses previous trace in 1972
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR OCTOBER 31
HIGH 79 IN 1946
LOW 22 IN 1904
PRECIP 3.74 INCHES IN 1991
SNOWFALL TRACE IN 1906
PEAK GUST 70e S IN 1945
 
RECORDS FOR NOVEMBER 1
HIGH 75 IN 2003
LOW 22 IN 1913,1923
PRECIP 2.93 INCHES IN 1985
SNOWFALL TRACE IN 1906,1951
PEAK GUST 78 ESE IN 1997
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Mike Iacono