BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186 ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 2010 ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME 2ND WETTEST MARCH AND 6TH WETTEST OF ANY MONTH ON RECORD WITH 12.91 INCHES TOTAL PRECIPITATION NEW DAILY RECORD PRECIPITATION FOR MARCH 23 Rain which began Monday and ended early this morning totaled 2.65 inches. This brings the total monthly precipitation to 12.91 inches, making it the second wettest March on record, only 0.16 inch behind the wettest (13.07 inches in 2001). 2.52 inches of rain fell during the calendar day yesterday which surpasses the previous record for March 23 of 1.58 inches which occurred in 1903. With rain in the forecast for Thursday night, Friday, and early next week, we have a good chance of setting a new record for the wettest month of March on record and March 2010 could move into the 5th position for wettest of any month on record. March precipitation 1. 13.07 inches in 2001 2. 12.91 inches in 2010 3. 10.96 inches in 1968 4. 10.02 inches in 1983 5. 9.53 inches in 1953 Monthly precipitation in inches 1. 18.78 August 1955 2. 17.32 June 1998 3. 14.72 October 2005 4. 13.73 June 1982 5. 13.07 March 2001 6. 12.91 March 2010 7. 12.60 December 1969 8. 12.37 September 1999 9. 12.31 June 2006 10. 11.76 October 1996 Today's observations: 7 A.M. Weather: Scattered stratocumulus, overcast altocumulus, few stratus all quadrants, small breaks in overcast SE-S-W Temperature: 36F, Dew point: 33F, Wind: WNW at 17G30 kts Wind: Peak gust 32 kts WNW at 6:30 A.M. EST Wind: Direction variable WSW to NNW Sea-level pressure: 29.97 inches Hg, rising Visibility: 80 miles 6-hour minimum temp: 36F 6-hour precipitation: 0.05 in. 24-hour precipitation: 1.06 in. BHO SA 1155 40 SCT E100 OVC 80 997/36/33/2917G30/952/ FEW STRA ALQDS SML BRKS IOVC SE-S-W PK WND 3032/18 WND 24V33/ 8/57/ 51036 MANUAL 6005/ ASOS 60005 MANUAL 70106 ASOS 70107 10043 20036 10 A.M. Weather: Overcast stratocumulus, breaks in overcast all quadrants Temperature: 41F, Dew point: 30F, Wind: WNW at 24G35 kts Wind: Peak gust 35 kts W at 9:46 A.M. EST Wind: Direction variable SW to N Sea-level pressure: 29.58 inches Hg, rising Visibility: 75 miles BHO SA 1455 E35 OVC 75 018/41/30/2924G35/958/ BRKS IOVC ALQDS PK WND 2835/46 WND 23V32/ 8/5// 51021 1 P.M. Weather: Broken stratocumulus Temperature: 46F, Dew point: 31F, Wind: W at 23G37 kts Wind: Peak gust 38 kts W at 12:14 P.M. EST Wind: Direction variable SSW to NNW Sea-level pressure: 29.62 inches Hg, rising Visibility: 70 miles 6-hour maximum temp: 46F BHO SA 1755 E35 BKN 70 031/46/31/2823G37/962/ PK WND 2738/14 WND 21V33/ 8/500 50013 10046 20036 WEATHER SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, MARCH 23 TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F) MAX.....44 NORMAL.....47 MIN.....39 NORMAL.....30 MEAN....42 NORMAL.....38 DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR AVERAGE..............+4 TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.............+177 [+7.5 DEGREES/DAY] HEATING DEGREE DAYS TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............23 DEPARTURE........-4 TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........512 DEPARTURE......-181 TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........4912 DEPARTURE......-351 TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE....5229 DIFFERENCE.....-317 PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............39 NNE AT 3:23 A.M. * AEROVANE..............N/A # ASOS..................39 NE AT 3:23 A.M. DAVIS.................38 NNE AT 2:00 A.M. THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........30 N AT 3:13 A.M. MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............30 NE AT 3:13 A.M. MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........29 NNE AT 3:13 A.M. AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.........16.8 NW ASOS..................16.6 DAVIS.................16.3 NNW [345 DEG] * last of several occurrences # Aerovane gust recorder malfunction PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST) TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....1.06 DEPARTURE.....+2.33 ASOS..............1.07 TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH ........12.91 DEPARTURE.....+9.36 ASOS.............12.94 TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR .........22.01 DEPARTURE.....+9.62 ASOS.............22.06 SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST) TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M........ 0.0 DEPARTURE......-0.3 TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH............... 7.5 DEPARTURE......-2.0 TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON THRU FEB.....64.0 DEPARTURE......+9.1 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/+21/0/0/661/91 23 SSW 3/20 71/47/59/+21/0/0/633/87 28 WSW 3/21 55/38/47/+9/0/0/643/88 26 NE 3/22 42/38/40/+2/0/0.05/000/00 36 NNE 3/23 44/39/42/+4/0/2.52/000/00 39 NNE 3/24 our morning low temp: 36F; 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 24 HIGH 70 DEGREES IN 1920 LOW 6 DEGREES IN 1906 PRECIP 1.51 INS. IN 1956 SNOWFALL 12.3 INS. IN 1956 PEAK GUST 71 MPH W IN 1968 RECORDS FOR MARCH 25 HIGH 76 IN 1910 LOW 8 IN 1888, 1956 PRECIP 1.84 INS. IN 1909 SNOWFALL 1.0 INS. IN 1912 PEAK GUST 69 MPH SE IN 1969 TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Stephanie Radner