BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
SUNDAY RAINSTORM LEAVES 1.23 INCHES
MONTHLY TOTAL NOW EXCEEDS 5 INCHES
COLDER AND DRIER AIR ARRIVING TODAY
 
All of yesterday's rain, moderate to heavy at times, fell
during a 10 hour period. Temperatures were well above freezing.
December is now a wetter than normal month with 5.27 inches.
The beginning of the arrival of a strong Arctic air mass could
be observed by the rapidly falling dew points from 33 degrees
early this morning to the mid-teens by early afternoon. 
 
Today's Observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Scattered altocumulus, scattered cirrus, few stratocumulus
distant N, few altocumulus lenticularis, with frost on ground.
Temperature: 34F; Dew Point: 33F; Wind: W at 14 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.75 ins. Hg, increasing, then more slowly
Visibility: 35 miles, thin fog and haze
6-hr. min temp: 33F
BHO SA 1155 160 SCT 220 SCT 35 075/34/33/2614/975/ FEW SC DSNT N
FEW ACSL THN F HZ FROST/ 8/541 51026 MANUAL 70123 ASOS 70125 10034 20033
 
10 A.M. 
Weather: Scattered stratocumulus/cumulus, scattered altocumulus and
altocumulus lenticularis, broken cirrostratus, two layers 
Temperature: 37F; Dew Point: 33F; Wind: WSW at 13 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.85 ins. Hg, increasing, then more slowly
Visibility: 30 miles, distant haze
BHO SA 1455 35 SCT 180 SCT E220 BKN 250 BKN 30 109/37/33/2413/985/
VSBY S-SW 15 HAZY WNW 50 LGT DSNT HZ/ 8/848 51034
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered altocumulus lenticularis, scattered cirrostratus,
broken cirrostratus, cirrostratus layer receding, edge extending NE-SW
Temperature: 35F; Dew Point: 17F; Wind: W at 15 kts,
Wind: Peak wind from WNW @ 29 kts at 12:31 p.m.,
Wind: Direction variable WSW-NW
Sea-level pressure: 29.89 ins. Hg, rising then more slowly
Visibility: 70 miles 
6-hr max temp: 39F
BHO SA 1755 150 SCT E220 BKN 250 BKN 70 122/35/17/2715/989/ CUFRA/CU N-NE
AND FEW CU SE ACSL ENE-SSW CS LYR RCDNG XTDNG NE-SW PK WND 2929/31 WND 25V31/
8/148 51013 10039 20034
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2013
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....42    NORMAL.....35
MIN.....34    NORMAL.....20
MEAN....38    NORMAL.....27
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL......................+11
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.......................-3 [-0.2 DEGREE/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............27  DEPARTURE.........-8
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............969  DEPARTURE.........+2
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........2193  DEPARTURE........-36
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......1945  DIFFERENCE......+248
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY..................30 NNE  AT  8:44 P.M. 
                   AERO.......................37 NNE  AT  8:44 P.M.      
                   ASOS.......................38 NE   AT  8:45 P.M.    
                   DAVIS......................35 NNE  AT  8:45 P.M. RMY 38
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY....................27 NNE  AT  8:48 P.M.   
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE.................29 NE   AT  8:46 P.M.    
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE................27 NNE  AT  8:46 P.M.    
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION............13.4 SSW
                   ASOS.....................13.9
                   DAVIS....................12.1 DSW [210 deg.]
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....1.23  DEPARTURE.............+1.09
                         ASOS..............1.25
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........5.27  DEPARTURE.............+0.52
                         ASOS..............5.27
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........51.87  DEPARTURE.............-1.41
                         ASOS..............N/A**
** ASOS malfunctioned during storm on 2/8-9, leading to erroneous totals
 
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M.......0.0     DEPARTURE.............-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH............15.4     DEPARTURE.............+3.1
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON...........15.6     DEPARTURE.............+0.7
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER 2013 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
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
 
12/1  45/30/38/+1/0.28/T/000/00           22 SSE AERO 23 MPH SSE RMY 23
12/2  38/34/36/0/T/0.0/000/00             15 NW  AERO 15 MPH NW  RMY 16
12/3  45/32/39/+3/0.00/0.0/284/51         18 NNW AERO 18 MPH NNW RMY 20
12/4  43/29/36/+1/0.00/0.0/389/70         21 WNW AERO 21 MPH WNW RMY 21
12/5  53/38/46/+11/0.02/0.0/000/00        36 S   AERO 40 MPH S   RMY 39
12/6  55/33/44/+9/0.38/T/000/00           25 SSW AERO 28 MPH SSW RMY N/A
12/7  40/26/33/-1/0.12/T/287/52           23 NW  AERO 25 MPH NW  RMY N/A
12/8  30/22/26/-8/T/T/039/07              25 NW  AERO 27 MPH NW  RMY N/A
12/9  41/25/33/-1/0.35/0.6/000/00         28 E   AERO 28 MPH E   RMY 24
12/10 33/21/27/-6/0.14/2.1/000/00         28 W   AERO 28 MPH W   RMY 28
12/11 28/19/24/-9/0.00/0.0/345/63         27 SW  AERO 28 MPH SW  RMY 27
12/12 23/14/19/-14/0.00/0.0/542/99        28 WNW AERO 31 MPH NW  RMY 30
12/13 28/14/21/-11/0.00/0.0/405/74        31 W   AERO 32 MPH W   RMY 33
12/14 28/9/19/-13/0.45/4.8/000/00         30 E   AERO 26 MPH E   RMY N/A
12/15 36/21/29/-3/0.98/2.0/000/00         48 NE  AERO 50 MPH NE  RMY 51 
12/16 27/14/21/-10/0.00/0.0/529/97        36 W   AERO 37 MPH W   RMY N/A 
12/17 23/7/15/-16/0.53/5.5/104/19         28 N   AERO 30 MPH N   RMY 28
12/18 32/15/24/-7/0.00/0.0/436/80         29 WNW AERO 30 MPH NW  RMY 29   
12/19 42/22/32/+2/0.00/0.0/425/78         38 SW  AERO 44 MPH SW  RMY 42
12/20 52/34/43/+13/0.00/0.0/332/61        26 SSW AERO 29 MPH SSW RMY 29
12/21 58/42/50/+20/0.00/0.0/082/15        28 SSW AERO 29 MPH SSW RMY 30
12/22 63/35/49/+20/0.01/0.0/000/00        37 SW  AERO 41 MPH SW  RMY 41
12/23 37/32/35/+6/0.73/0.0/000/00         24 NW  AERO 25 MPH NW  RMY 25
12/24 36/25/31/+2/T/T/142/26              25 NW  AERO 
12/25 25/13/19/-9/0.00/0.0/480/88         29 NW  AERO 30 MPH WNW RMY 30
12/26 35/19/27/-1/0.05/0.4/000/00         24 W   AERO 25 MPH W   RMY 25
12/27 32/22/27/-1/0.00/0.0/.../..         25 W   AERO 25 MPH W   RMY 26
12/28 46/25/36/+8/0.00/0.0/.../..         30 WSW AERO 32 MPH SW  RMY 32 
12/29 42/34/38/+11/1.23/0.0/000/00        36 NNE AERO 37 MPH NNE RMY 38
 
12/30 morning low temp: 33F; the normal low is now 19F   
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 2013
12/22- NEW DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 63F;
       surpasses previous record of 62F set in 1994                          
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 30
HIGH 60 IN 1984
LOW -18 IN 1933
PRECIP 1.48 INS. IN 1891
SNOWFALL 7.5 INS. IN 1956
PEAK GUST 81 MPH WNW IN 1962
 
RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 31
HIGH 62 IN 1965
LOW -12 IN 1917
PRECIP 0.96 INS. IN 1906
SNOWFALL 7.5 INS. IN 2008
PEAK GUST 78 MPH NW IN 1990
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling/Brian Fitzgerald