BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2010 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
LATE SUMMER AUGUST NORTHEASTER BRINGS
BADLY NEEDED GENERAL RAINFALL AS STORM
TOTAL ADDS UP TO OVER ONE INCH BY 11 A.M.
AND TO 1.7 INCHES EARLY AFTERNOON (2 PM EDT)
NEW RECORD MAXIMUM DAILY RAINFALL TODAY
SURPASSING 1.37 INCHES IN 1955
 
Our late August summer northeaster was slow
to get started with only light rainfall on
Sunday.  The amounts were only a few hundredths
per hour and precipitation was intermittent at
times throughout the day.  Winds increased during
to the evening from the northeast.  Two-minute
average speeds reached 28 MPH NE by 11 P.M.
with peak gusts to 36 MPH.  Rainfall had only
added up to about one quarter inch at late evening.
 
Rain began moving east to west early this morning
and light rain became moderate around 8 A.M. Rainfall
of close to 0.2 inch per hour added up to 1.11 ins. at
11 A.M., and moderate rain continued into the afternoon
with amounts of 0.2 inch or more per hour.  As of 2 P.M. 
EDT we had a 6-hour total of 1.14 inches. 
 
Today's observations: 
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Broken stratus fractus, overcast nimbostratus,
light rain and drizzle and fog
Temperature: 59F, Dew point: 58F; Wind: NE at 20G27 kts,
Wind: Peak wind gust 32 kts NE at 6:03 a.m.,
Wind: Direction variable from N to ENE  
Sea-level pressure: 29.98 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 4 miles, light rain, drizzle and fog
6-hour rainfall:  0.24 inch (ASOS)
6-hour rainfall:  0.24 inch
24-hour rainfall: 0.54 inch
6-hour minimum temp: 58F
BHO SA 1155 E18 BKN 30 OVC 4R-L-F 152/59/58/0518G27/998/
L- INTMT PK WND 0432/03/ WND 01V07/ 8/72/ 51009 ASOS 60024
MANUAL 6024/ ASOS 70054 MANUAL 70054 10063 20058 
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Obscurement with heavy fog, moderate rain.
light drizzle  
Temperature: 61F, Dew point: 61F; Wind: NNE at 15G30 kts,
Wind: Peak wind gust 30 kts NNE at 9:50 a.m.,
Wind: Direction variability NNW to ENE
Sea-level pressure: 30.00 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 1/8 mile, variable to 1/16 mile
3-hour rainfall: 0.57 inch
BHO SA 1455 W2 X 1/8VRL-F 159/61/61/0215G30/000/ HIER NS LYR
OCNL VSB VSBY 1/8V1/16 PK WND 0230/52/ WND 33V07/ 8////
51007 MANUAL 6057/ ASOS 60057
 
1 P.M. 
Weather: Obscurement with heavy fog, moderate rain and
light drizzle
Temperature: 61F, Dew point: 61F; Wind: NNE at 17G29 kts,
Wind: Peak wind gust 33 kts NNE at 12:24 p.m.,
Wind: Direction variable NNW to ENE
Sea-level pressure: 29.99 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 1/8 miles, variable to 1/16 mile,
moderate rain, light drizzle and heavy fog
6-hour rainfall: 1.14 ins. 
6-hour max. temp: 61F 
BHO SA 1755 W2 X 1/8VRL-F 156/61/61/0217G29/999/ PK WND 0233/24/
WND 33V07 8//// 57003 MANUAL 6114/ ASOS 60114 10061 20059 
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY, AUGUST 22
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....68     NORMAL.....78
MIN.....62     NORMAL.....60
MEAN....65     NORMAL.....69       
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR AVERAGE.................-4
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.................+60 [+2.5 DEGREES/DAY]
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............35 NE  AT 10:41 P.M. *    
                   AEROVANE..............36 NE  AT 10:41 P.M. *    
                   ASOS..................36 NE  AT 10:41 P.M.    
                   DAVIS.................35 ENE AT  9:16 P.M.  
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........27 ENE AT  9:20 P.M. *
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............28 ENE AT  9:21 P.M.      
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........27 NE  AT  9:20 P.M.       
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.......14.9 ESE
                   ASOS................13.9
                   DAVIS...............13.7 E [100 DEG]
* last of several occurrences...
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.54  DEPARTURE........+0.41
                         ASOS..............0.54
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........1.75  DEPARTURE........-1.08
                         ASOS..............1.75
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........39.10  DEPARTURE........+6.86
                         ASOS.............38.25 **
** ASOS missing rainfall due to system failure on 6/24-25
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR AUGUST 2010 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
 
8/1  79/59/69/-3/0.00/512/59   22 SE
8/2  82/61/72/0/0.00/614/71    24 S
8/3  83/64/74/+2/0.00/397/46   32 SSW AERO 36 MPH SSW
8/4  89/71/80/+8/0.00/421/49   27 SSW
8/5  89/71/80/+8/0.86/103/12   30 W   AERO 35 MPH W    TSTM
8/6  85/62/74/+2/0.00/693/81   33 W   AERO 36 MPH W
8/7  79/58/69/-2/0.00/768/90   28 SSW
8/8  84/63/74/+3/0.00/664/78   30 S
8/9  91/69/80/+9/T/637/75      25 WSW
8/10 87/69/78/+7/0.17/660/78   18 WSW
8/11 80/66/73/+2/0.00/819/97   22 NNE
8/12 80/65/73/+2/T/362/43      21 E
8/13 77/61/69/-2/0.00/780/93   22 ENE
8/14 81/58/70/0/0.00/787/94    22 SSE
8/15 78/59/69/-1/0.00/309/37   24 SSE
8/16 78/63/71/+1/0.17/.../..   33 S   AERO 36 MPH S
8/17 90/70/80/+10/T/.../..     25 WSW AERO 27 MPH WSW
8/18 83/66/75/+5/0.00/.../..   16 SSW
8/19 88/64/76/+6/0.01/.../..   22 SW
8/20 86/63/75/+6/0.00/.../..   23 W
8/21 81/58/70/+1/0.00/.../..   18 S
8/22 68/62/65/-4/.../000/00    35 NE  AERO 36 MPH NE
 
8/23 our morning low temp: 58F; the normal low is now 60F 
 
NEW DAILY RECORDS FOR AUGUST 2010 
None
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR AUGUST 23
HIGH 88F IN 1918, 1947, 1949, 1996
LOW 45F IN 1923
PRECIP 1.37 INCHES IN 1955 (new record in 2010)
PEAK GUST 60e MPH NW IN 1940
 
RECORDS FOR AUGUST 24
HIGH 92F IN 1947
LOW 43F IN 1971
PRECIP 1.92 INCHES IN 1897
PEAK GUST 54 MPH W IN 1986
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling