BLUE HILL OBSERVATORY MILTON, MA
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2010
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
FIRST MEASURABLE SNOW AND SLEET....
SHORT PERIOD OF HIGH WINDS THIS MORNING
 
Winds veered from west-northwest and northwest
to north and north-northeast and increased
rapidly to peak gusts over 50 MPH. The peak
gust was 52 kts N or 60 MPH at 9:02 A.M. 
Winds diminished after 10 A.M. 
 
The first snow and sleet accumulation of
the season occurred very early today and
totaled 0.1 inch. Traces of the solid
precipitation were still visible right here
on the summit at 7 AM as the temperature
had been rising for several hours up to 36F.
 
Rain began early last evening with the
temperature near 37 degrees.  It soon 
became mixed with snow and sleet and
possibly changed to all snow and sleet  
for a short time during the very early
hours of today. The temperature dropped
down to 32.0 degrees between 2:00 and 2:30 AM.  
 
The precipitation arrived from a most 
unusual direction moving westward from off
the Atlantic as an intensifying low pressure
system moved westward toward the Massachusetts
coast. The wind direction remained from the WNW to NW
rather than the usual N or NE direction most
often associated with a typical northeaster-type
storm situation which brings us some of our most
important precipitation at this time of year.
A total liquid content of 0.78 inch was measured
in the standard gage at 7 AM. 
 
Today's observations: 
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Obscurement with heavy fog, moderate drizzle occurring
Temperature: 36F, Dew point: 36F; Wind: WNW at 18G29 kts
Wind: Peak wind gust past hour 31 kts from WNW at 6:37 A.M.
Wind: Direction variable from W-NNW
Sea-level pressure: 29.29 inches Hg, falling 
Visibility: 1/8 mile in moderate drizzle and heavy fog 
6-hour minimum temp: 32F
24-hour precip. 0.78 inch
24-hour snowfall: 0.1 inch
BHO SA 1155 W3 X 1/8LF 917/36/36/3018G29/929/ STRA DRFTG OVR SMT 
VSBY 1/16V1/4 PK WND 3031/37/ WND 28V34 TOTAL NEW SNW PST 24 HRS 
0.1 IN/ 8//// 56052 ASOS 60052 MANUAL 6XXX/ ASOS 70074
MANUAL 70078 10036 20032
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Overcast stratus fractus, very light drizzle    
Temperature: 40F, Dew point: 38F; Wind: NNE at 21G39 kts,
Wind: Peak wind from N at 52 kts at 9:02 a.m.
Sea-level pressure: 29.32 inches Hg, rising  
Visibility: 25 miles, very light drizzle 
3-hour precipitation: 0.07 inch
BHO SA 1455 E6 OVC 25L- 928/40/38/0221G39/932/ VSBY NE 30 S-SW 15
PK WND 0152/02/ WND 34V06/ PCPN VRY LGT/ 8/7// ASOS 60008
MANUAL 6007/ 53011
 
1 P.M. 
Weather: Broken stratocumulus, broken altocumulus,
overcast dense cirrus, moderate stratocumulus tops
very light rain shower occurring 
Temperature: 44F, Dew point: 39F; Wind: NNE at 17G29 kts,
Wind: Peak wind gust 29 kts NNE at 12:47 p.m.
Sea-level pressure: 29.41 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 25 miles, SE 8 miles, rain shower  
6-hourly max. temp: 44F
6-hour precipitation: 0.09 inch
BHO SA 1755 18 SCT E26 BKN 95 BKN 200 OVC 25RW- 960/44/39/0317G29/
941/ SC/MDT CUFRM TOPS DRK SE RW DNS CI OVHD BINOVC VSBY SE 8 
PK WND 0229/47/ WND 34V07/ PCPN VRY LGT/ 8/532 51032 MANUAL 6009/ 
ASOS 60011 10044 20036
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 7
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....42     NORMAL.....52
MIN.....33     NORMAL.....37
MEAN....38     NORMAL.....45
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL...............-7
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH..............-23 [-3.5 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............27    DEPARTURE........+7
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........158    DEPARTURE.......+22
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........635    DEPARTURE.......-92
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....771    DIFFERENCE.....-136
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............32 NW  AT   8:51 P.M.
                   AEROVANE..............36 NW  AT   8:51 P.M.   
                   ASOS..................33 NW  AT   8:51 P.M.   
                   DAVIS.................35 WNW AT   5:03 P.M.   
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........25 WNW AT  11:51 P.M. 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............24 WNW AT  11:53 P.M.   
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........25 WNW AT   8:25 P.M.   
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.......13.8 NNW
                   ASOS................13.1  
                   DAVIS...............13.8 NW [310 DEG]
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.78  DEPARTURE........+0.63
                         ASOS..............0.74
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........2.20  DEPARTURE........+1.15
                         ASOS..............2.22
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........55.92  DEPARTURE.......+12.90
                         ASOS.............55.77**
** ASOS missing rainfall due to system failure on 6/24-25
 
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.1  DEPARTURE..... 0.0
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................0.1  DEPARTURE.....-0.3
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON...............0.1  DEPARTURE.....-0.5 
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR NOVEMBER 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
 
11/1  49/29/39/-8/0.00/.../..   24 WNW
11/2  46/33/40/-6/0.00/.../..   21 NW
11/3  50/28/39/-7/0.00/.../..   20 SSE
11/4  54/37/46/0/.../0/0        43 NNE  AERO 45 MPH NE
11/5  59/44/52/+7/.../.../..    36 S    AERO 39 MPH S
11/6  48/38/43/-2/.../.../..    20 N
11/7  42/33/38/-7/.../T/000/00  32 NW
 
11/8  our morning low temp: 32F; the normal low is now 37F
 
NEW DAILY RECORDS FOR NOVEMBER 2010
None so far
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR NOVEMBER 8
HIGH 72 IN 1938
LOW 20 IN 1921
PRECIP 2.24 INCHES IN 1972
SNOWFALL 4.0 IN 1894
PEAK GUST 72e SE IN 1947
 
RECORDS FOR NOVEMBER 9
HIGH 72 IN 1975
LOW 17 IN 1971
PRECIP 1.37 INCHES IN 1969
SNOWFALL 0.2 IN 1921,1923
PEAK GUST 73e S IN 1943
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling