BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 2013
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
NICE STRETCH OF WEATHER CONTINUES
 
It has been another beautiful summer day at the summit today.  After another
cool morning low of 57F, the temperature has risen into the mid 70s today.
Once again, the air has been dry and refreshing with the dew point only in the
low-mid 50s throughout the day.  The day began with sunshine filtering through
cirrus clouds, which have been joined by numerous cumulus clouds this
afternoon.  Winds have been fairly light but steady at about 10mph out of the
west for much of the day, though they have decreased a little and shifted more
northwesterly since about 1PM EDT.  Visibility has been fairly good again
today, at about 60 miles, though a little more haze today has prevented it
from reaching the very high levels of yesterday.
 
With yesterday's well below average temperature of 64F, the coldest average
temperature since July 26, this month is now running 2.7 degrees cooler than
normal.  Through August 11 this has been a sunny month with 66% of the possible
sunshine.  Precipitation also continues to run a little above normal for the
month, but that is almost entirely due to the 2.21 inches of rain that fell
one week ago.
 
Today's Observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Scattered cirrus, broken cirrus (partly thin) 
Temperature: 62F; Dew Point: 51F; Wind: W at 9 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.16 ins. Hg, rising then steady
Visibility: 65 miles, light distant haze
6-hr min. temp: 57F
BHO SA 1155 220 SCT E250 BKN 65 215/62/51/2609/016/ HIER CI LYR PRTLY THN
LGT DSNT HZ/ 8/001 51010 10062 20057
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Scattered cirrus, few cumulus all quadrants
Temperature: 73F; Dew Point: 55F; Wind: WNW at 12G17 kts,
Wind: Direction variable W-NW
Sea-level pressure: 30.17 ins. Hg, steady then rising slightly 
Visibility: 60 miles, light distant haze
BHO SA 1455 250 SCT 60 216/73/55/2912G17/017/ FEW CU ALQDS LGT DSNT HZ
WND 26V32/ 8/101 53001
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Broken cumulus, broken cirrus, altocumulus perlucidus overhead,
few cirrocumulus
Temperature: 73F; Dew Point: 55F; Wind: WNW at 7 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.17 ins. Hg, rising slightly
Visibility: 60 miles, light distant haze
6-hr max. temp: 76F
BHO SA 1755 E55 BKN 250 BKN 60 218/73/55/2907/017/ AC OVHD FEW CC LGT DSNT HZ/
8/151 53002 10076 20062
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 2013
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....75     NORMAL.....80
MIN.....53     NORMAL.....62
MEAN....64     NORMAL.....71
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.......................-7
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH......................-38  [-2.7 DEGREES/DAY]
 
COOLING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JAN TO DEC)
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............0    DEPARTURE.........-6
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR THE MONTH............63    DEPARTURE........-40
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........546    DEPARTURE........+92
TOTAL COOLING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....614    DIFFERENCE.......-68
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY................23 W  AT   1:24 P.M. 
                   AERO.....................23 W  AT  11:12 A.M.  
                   ASOS.....................23 W  AT   1:24 P.M.
                   DAVIS....................32 W  AT   1:24 P.M. RMY 24
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY..................18 W  AT   1:27 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...............16 W  AT   1:28 P.M. 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..............15 W  AT   1:26 P.M. 
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION..........9.9  W
                   ASOS...................9.4
                   DAVIS..................8.8  W [272 deg.]
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00   DEPARTURE............-0.13
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........2.55   DEPARTURE............+0.45
                         ASOS..............2.60
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........37.84   DEPARTURE............+4.75
                         ASOS..............N/A*
*ASOS malfunctioned during storm on 2/8-9, leading to erroneous totals 
     
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR AUGUST 2013 CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/ PEAK GUST/AERO GUST
AERO: Aerovane wind recording system gust
RMY:  RMY = R.M. Young wind gust recording system added 8/9/2011
TSTM: Thunderstorm day (thunder heard some time during day)
....: Data not yet available, records not finalized
 
8/1  81/62/72/0/0.01/503/58          25 S   AERO 26 MPH S   RMY 27
8/2  81/62/72/0/0.23/518/60          26 W   AERO 26 MPH W   RMY 28
8/3  77/63/70/-2/T/276/32            22 WSW AERO 23 MPH WSW RMY 23
8/4  79/58/69/-3/T/645/75            25 WNW AERO 21 MPH WNW RMY 26
8/5  75/54/65/-7/0.00/858/100        26 WNW AERO 25 MPH WNW RMY 27
8/6  78/56/67/-5/0.00/846/99         17 ESE AERO 15 MPH S   RMY 16
8/7  80/59/70/-2/0.00/759/89         21 S   AERO 21 MPH S   RMY N/A
8/8  79/62/71/-1/0.08/153/18         25 S   AERO 25 MPH S   RMY N/A
8/9  73/70/72/0/2.21/000/00          37 S   AERO 39 MPH S   RMY 40
8/10 81/61/71/-1/0.00/795/94         30 WNW AERO 31 MPH WNW RMY 31
8/11 78/58/68/-3/0.00/835/99         18 W   AERO 18 MPH W   RMY 21
8/12 81/62/72/+1/0.00/.../..         18 W   AERO 17 MPH WSW RMY 19
8/13 73/64/69/-2/0.02/.../..         16 SSE AERO 15 MPH SSE RMY N/A
8/14 73/57/65/-6/0.00/.../..         35 W   AERO 35 MPH W   RMY 35
8/15 75/53/64/-7/0.00/.../..         23 W   AERO 23 MPH W   RMY 24
 
8/16 morning low temp: 57F; the normal low is now 62F
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR AUGUST 2013
None so far.
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR AUGUST 16
HIGH 95F IN 1944
LOW 50F IN 1927
PRECIP 1.47 INCHES IN 1926
PEAK GUST 45e MPH N IN 1951
 
RECORDS FOR AUGUST 17
HIGH 97F IN 1944
LOW 48F IN 1902
PRECIP 2.17 INCHES IN 1998
PEAK GUST 50e MPH SSW IN 1952, 50 MPH WNW IN 1962
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Jonathan O'Brien and Kevin Pecora