BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2010 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
TEMPERATURES COOLING DOWN AFTER 4-DAY LONG WARM SPELL
ONE NEW DAILY RECORD HIGH OF 70F AND ONE NEW DAILY
HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 47F ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
 
Four days of double digit positive temperature departures
included one day with a record high of 70F on March 19 and
a record high minimum of 47 degrees on March 20. Each of
the new records broke the our existing records by one degree.
(see our list of new monthly records below)
Temperatures averaged nearly 20 degrees warmer than normal
from March 17-20 leaving a previously unusually warm March
even warmer and running 8 degrees above the 30-year average.
Currently the month is within one degree of the warmest
March on our entire record which occurred in 1946.
This month's mean is 42.6F or less than one degree from
the record warmest March at 43.5F.  
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Obscurement with fog
Temperature: 40F, Dew point: 40F, Wind: NE at 4 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.10 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 1/8 mile, heavy fog
6-hour minimum temp: 38F
24-hour precip: 0.00
BHO SA 1155 W2 X 1/8F 192/40/40/0404/010/ 8////
53002 10040 20038 
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Obscurement with fog, light rain shower
began 9:05 a.m. ended 9:25 a.m.  
Temperature: 42F, Dew point: 42F, Wind: NE at 5 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.12 inches Hg, steady
Visibility: 1/16 dense fog
3-hour precip: trace
BHO SA 1455 W1 X 1/16F 199/42/42/0405/012/ RB05E25/
8//// 50007 ASOS 60001 MANUAL 6000/
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Obscurement with fog, very light rain  
Temperature: 42F, Dew point: 42F, Wind: NNE at 8 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.08 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 1/16 dense fog
6-hour maximum temp: 42F
6-hour precip: 0.02 in. 
BHO SA 1755 W1 X 1/16R-F 187/42/42/0308/008/
PCPN VRY LGT/ 8//// 58012 ASOS 60003 MANUAL
6002/ 10042 20040
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY, MARCH 21
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....55     NORMAL.....46
MIN.....38     NORMAL.....29
MEAN....47     NORMAL.....38
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR AVERAGE..............+9
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.............+171 [+7.9 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............18    DEPARTURE........-9
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........464    DEPARTURE......-175
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........4846    DEPARTURE......-345
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE....5163    DIFFERENCE.....-299
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............26 NE  AT  12:24 P.M 
                   AEROVANE..............24 NE  AT  12:24 P.M.    
                   ASOS..................25 NE  AT  12:24 P.M.    
                   DAVIS.................25 N   AT  12:37 A.M. 
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........19 NE  AT  12:25 P.M. 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............18 NE  AT   1:01 P.M.                
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........19 NE  AT  12:24 P.M.    
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.........11.3  NE 
                   ASOS..................10.8
                   DAVIS.................11.2  NE [050 DEG] 
* last of several occurrences
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00  DEPARTURE.....-0.16
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH ........10.26  DEPARTURE.....+7.03
                         ASOS.............10.31
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR .........19.36  DEPARTURE.....+7.29
                         ASOS.............19.43
 
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE......-0.4
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................7.5  DEPARTURE......-1.1
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON THRU FEB.....64.0  DEPARTURE.....+10.0
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR MARCH 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
 
3/1  44/33/38/+6/0.38/3.2/047/07    43 NW    AERO 42 MPH NW
3/2  43/32/38/+6/0/0/352/52         22 NNE
3/3  34/31/33/+1/0.18/1.7/000/00    45 NNE   AERO 43 MPH NNE 
3/4  33/30/32/-1/0.19/1.9/000/00    32 NNW
3/5  39/28/34/+1/0.06/0.5/226/33    28 N
3/6  54/27/41/+8/0/0/689/100        25 WNW
3/7  55/31/43/+10/0/0/684/99        28 W
3/8  58/36/47/+13/0/0/680/98        38 W
3/9  51/32/42/+8/0/0/656/94         31 WNW
3/10 53/30/42/+8/0/0/672/96         19 SE
3/11 46/35/41/+6/0.04/0/049/07      17 ENE  
3/12 45/36/41/+6/T/0/007/01         26 NE   
3/13 39/36/38/+3/1.60/0/000/00      53 NE    AERO 50 MPH NE
3/14 45/38/42/+6/4.95/T/000/00      68 ENE   AERO 67 MPH ENE 
3/15 40/34/37/+1/2.86/0.2/000/00    53 NNE   AERO 52 MPH NNE
3/16 49/34/42/+6/0/0/653/91         38 N     AERO 35 MPH N
3/17 65/38/52/+15/0/0/698/97        24 WSW   AERO 22 MPH WSW
3/18 65/43/54/+17/0/0/658/91        36 WSW   AERO 32 MPH WSW
3/19 70/46/58/+21/0/0/.../..        23 SSW
3/20 71/47/59/+21/0/0/.../..        28 WSW
3/21 55/38/47/+9/0/0/.../..         26 NE
 
3/22 our morning low temp: 38F; the normal low is now 30F
 
NEW DAILY RECORDS FOR MARCH 2010
3/14 - new daily record rainfall of 4.95 ins.
surpasses the previous record of 1.72 ins. in 1974
3/14 - new daily record peak wind gust of 67 MPH ENE
surpasses the previous record of 66 MPH WNW in 1982
3/15 - new daily record rainfall of 2.86 ins.
surpasses the previous record of 1.33 ins. in 1972
3/19 - new record high maximum temperature of 70F;
the previous record was 69F in 1903.
3/20 - new record high minimum temperature of 47F;
the previous record was 46F in 1976.
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR MARCH 22
HIGH 71 IN 1948
LOW 3 IN 1885
PRE 3.48 INS. IN 2001
SNOW 8.7 INS. 1967
WIND 84e MPH E IN 1977
 
RECORDS FOR MARCH 23
HIGH 78 IN 1938
LOW 3 IN 1934
PRE 1.58 INS. IN 1903
SNOW 3.0 INS. IN 1977
WIND 78e MPH W IN 1940
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling