BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2010
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
SUNSHINE IS BACK TODAY AFTER A CLOUDY
START TO THE MONTH AND THE NEW YEAR
TEMPERATURES CONTINUE ON THE COLD SIDE
BY SEVERAL DEGREES FOR OVER A WEEK
 
Sunshine returned today after a stretch of cloudy
weather but temperatures remained on the cold
side by a few degrees.  The last above normal
in temperature day was December 28th.
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Clear, stratocumulus layer along and offshore
NNE-E-S and few stratocumulus distant SSW-SW,
few altocumulus and altocumulus lenticularis and few
cirrus northwest
Temperature: 18F, Dew point: 14F, Wind: W at 12 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.58 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 45 miles, light distant haze 
6-hour minimum temp: 17F
24-hour precipitation: 0.00
24-hour snowfall: 0.0
Average snow depth: 7 inches
BHO SA 1155 CLR 45 016/18/14/2712/958/ SC LYR ALG/OFFSHR 
XTDNG NNE-E-S FEW SC DSNT SSW-W FEW AC/ACSL/CI NW/
LGT DSNT HZ/8/541 4/007 53002 10024 20017  
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Clear, stratocumulus distant west to north-northwest
and offshore NE-SE, cirrus W-N-E
Temperature: 24F, Dew point: 15F, Wind: W at 12 kts,
Wind: Direction variable WSW to NW
Sea-level pressure: 29.60 inches Hg, steady
Visibility: 60 miles  
BHO SA 1455 CLR 60 023/24/15/2814G20/960/
SC DSNT W-NNW AND DSNT OFFSHR NE-SE CI W-N-E
WND 24V31/ 8/501 51007
 
1 P.M. .
Weather:  High thin broken cirrus, few stratocumulus and
layer of stratocumulus offshore NE-SE
Temperature: 29F, Dew point: 15F, Wind: W at 120 kts,
Wind: Direction variable WSW to NW,
Wind: gust to 19 kts past hour
Sea-level pressure: 29.54 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 70 miles, mountain in cloud 70 miles NW  
6-hourly max. temp: 30F
BHO SA 1755 250 –BKN 70 004/29/15/2712/954/
FEW SC ALQDS MTN INCLD 70 NW WND GST 19 KTS PST HR
WND 24V32/ 8/501 58019 10030 20017
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, JANUARY 5
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....29     NORMAL.....34
MIN.....18     NORMAL.....19
MEAN....24     NORMAL.....27
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR AVERAGE.............-3
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR JANUARY...............-15 [-3.2 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............41    DEPARTURE........+3
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........205    DEPARTURE.......+13
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........2449    DEPARTURE.......-70
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE....2519    DIFFERENCE.......-2
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............29 WNW AT 11:05 P.M.    
                   AEROVANE..............28 WNW AT 10:59 P.M.  
                   ASOS..................28 WNW AT 11:06 P.M.  
                   DAVIS.................29 NW  AT 11:05 P.M.   
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........22 WNW AT 11:03 P.M.  
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............22 WNW AT 11:04 P.M.     
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........23 WNW AT 11:04 P.M.      
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.......11.0 W
                   ASOS................11.1 
                   DAVIS...............11.6 W [280 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 THE MONTH..........0.80   DEPARTURE....+0.05
                         ASOS..............0.70 
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........0.80   DEPARTURE....+0.05
                         ASOS..............0.70
                 
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE.....-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH...............10.1  DEPARTURE.....+7.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............39.9  DEPARTURE....+23.8
                                               
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 2010 CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SNOW/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
 
1/1  31/23/27/0/0.01/0.1/005/01    24 NW 
1/2  28/19/24/-3/.../.../000/00    53 W    AERO 55 W
1/3  25/13/19/-8/.../../000/00     45 W    AER0 44 W
1/4  32/20/26/-1/0/0/397/72        35 W    AERO 28 W
1/5  29/18/24/-3/0/0/.../..        29 WNW
 
1/6  our morning low temp: 17F; the normal low is now 19F
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR JANUARY 6
HIGH 66F IN 2007
LOW -14F IN 1896
PRECIP 3.10 INS. IN 1889 [RECORD FOR MONTH]
SNOWFALL 7.5 INS. IN 1893
WIND 70 MPH WNW IN 1959
 
RECORDS FOR JANUARY 7
HIGH 60F IN 1930
LOW -7F IN 1896
PRECIP 1.97 INS. IN 1977
SNOWFALL 16.0 INS. IN 1977
WIND 74 MPH NW IN 1968
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling