BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
SATURDAY MAY 8, 2010 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
TEMPERATURES CONTINUE TO FALL BACK CLOSER TO
AVERAGE, BUT STILL ON THE WARM SIDE
 
Temperatures are still running 14F degrees above
average for the first seven days of May.  Looks
like we will work on whittling that number down
over the next few days with cooler temperatures
in the forecast.
 
Rain that began early this morning has amounted
to 0.57 inches total through 1pm EDT.  A few distant
rumbles of thunder were noted throughout the day.
Stratus which has shrouded the summit since late morning
finally began lifting shortly before 1:30 p.m. EDT.
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Scattered stratus, broken altostratus/altocumulus,
overcast cirrus, few stratus fractus, altocumulus
castellanus northwest thru north, few altocumulus
lenticularus south-southeast thru south-southwest and
northwest thru northeast, cumulonimbus distant
east-southeast moving east
Temperature: 51F, Dew point: 49F, Wind: ESE at 13 kts
Wind: Gradually veering over the past hour
Sea-level pressure: 29.58 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 20 miles, lower west thru northwest  
6-hour minimum temp: 49F
24-hour precipitation: 0.27 inches
BHO SA 1155 50 SCT E120 BKN 250 OVC 20 016/51/49/1213/958/
FEW STFRA ACC NW-N FEW ACSL SSE-SSW AND NW-NE VSB LWR W-NW
CB DSNT ESE MOVG E WND GRDLY VEERING PST HR/ 8/381 58047
ASOS 60029 MANUAL 60027/ ASOS 70029 MANUAL 70027 10055 20049
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Light rain and fog, stratus drifting
over summit
Temperature: 51F, Dew point: 51F, Wind: ESE at 9 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 29.49 inches Hg, falling
Visibility:  1/16 mile, light rain and fog
3-hour ASOS rainfall: 0.04 inch
BHO SA 1455 W2 X 1/16R-F 988/51/51/1209/949/
STRA DRFTG OVR SMT TE00/ 8//// 58028 ASOS 60004
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Fog, stratus drifting over summit
Temperature: 56F, Dew point: 55F, Wind: SW at 7 kts,
Wind: Direction variable S to W
Sea-level pressure: 29.44 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 1/16 mile, fog
6-hourly max. temp: 56F
6-hour precipitation: 0.30 inches
BHO SA 1755 W2 X 1/16F 968/56/55/2307/944/ STRA DRFTG OVR SMT
WND 18V26/ 8//// 58020 MANUAL 60030/ ASOS 60030 10056 20050
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR FRIDAY, MAY 7
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....72     NORMAL.....64
MIN.....47     NORMAL.....44
MEAN....60     NORMAL.....54
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR AVERAGE...............+6
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH................+98 [+14.0 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............5    DEPARTURE........-6
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............6    DEPARTURE.......-80
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........5488    DEPARTURE......-624
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE....5960    DIFFERENCE.....-472
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............28 W   AT  1:07 P.M.
                   AEROVANE..............28 W   AT  2:20 P.M.
                   ASOS..................28 WNW AT  1:07 P.M.      
                   DAVIS.................30 W   AT  1:07 P.M.         
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........20 W   AT  2:20 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............20 WNW AT  2:21 P.M.       
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........22 W   AT  2:20 P.M.            
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION........13.1 W
                   ASOS.................12.3
                   DAVIS................12.6 W [271 DEG] 
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.27  DEPARTURE......+0.15
                         ASOS..............0.29
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........0.40  DEPARTURE......-0.50
                         ASOS..............0.40
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........30.76  DEPARTURE.....+11.91
                         ASOS.............30.85
 
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE.......0.0
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................0.0  DEPARTURE......-0.1
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............64.4  DEPARTURE......+4.3
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR MAY 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
 
5/1  81/58/70/+18/0.00/0.0/684/81   29 SE
5/2  87/56/72/+20/0.00/0.0/432/51   29 SSW
5/3  80/62/71/+18/T/0.0/170/20      41 W     AERO 50 MPH W
5/4  81/52/67+14/0.09/0/562/66      51 WNW   AERO 58 MPH WNW TSTM
5/5  78/50/64/+11/0.00/0/845/99     28 S
5/6  76/54/65/+11/T/0/531/62        46 WNW   AERO 48 MPH WNW
5/7  72/47/60/+6/0.00/0/.../..      28 W
 
5/8  our morning low temp: 49F; the normal low is now 44F
 
NEW DAILY RECORDS FOR MAY 2010
5/1 - minimum temp. of 58F equals record high
      minimum for the date set in 2001
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR MAY 8
HIGH 89F IN 2000
LOW 29F IN 1956
PRECIP 1.48 INCHES IN 1886
SNOWFALL TRACE IN 1898, 1947
PEAK GUST 68e MPH NNW IN 1943
 
RECORDS FOR MAY 9
HIGH 93F IN 2000
LOW 31F IN 1947
PRECIP 2.72 INCHES IN 1954
SNOWFALL 5.0 INS IN 1977 (RECORD FOR MAY)
PEAK GUST 70e MPH NE IN 1977
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Sean Fankhauser