BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2013 ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME COLDER, LESS WINDY DAY After tying our daily record high of 58F on January 31, temperatures have returned to below average territory, as they have not been able to reach 30F. After a month averaging over 3 degrees above normal, the first day of February finished with a mean temperature of 26F, the same as the 30 year average for the date. Winds have calmed significantly today, with no gusts over 23mph recorded since 7AM this morning. For the second day in a row, visibility has been excellent, up to 75 miles at times. January finished as the 7th driest on record. Despite the cold snap of more than 9 days below freezing, the month ended very much on the warm side. Additional stats are below, with more to come over the next few days. Driest Januarys, inches (1885-2013) 1) 0.89 in 1955 2) 0.97 in 1980 3) 1.00 in 1989 4) 1.07 in 1970 5) 1.25 in 1981 6) 1.31 in 1985 7) 1.42 in 2013 JANUARY 2013 PRELIMINARY STATISTICS: TEMPERATURE: Average Max Temp: 36.8F [+3.0F] Average Min Temp: 21.8F [+4.7F] Mean Temp: 29.3F [+3.8F] 24-hr. Corr. Mean Temp: 29.5F [+3.3F] Max Temp: 59F on 14th, 30th Min Temp: 0F on 24th Total heating degree day units (month): 1,097 [-129] *NCDC method Total heating degree day units (season): 3,125 [-406] *start July 1 (NCDC) PRECIPITATION: Total precipitation: 1.42 ins. [-2.93 ins.] Greatest 24-hr precipitation: 0.45 ins. on 16th, 30th/31st Total snowfall: 6.1 inches [-9.9 ins.] *using 1890-2010 mean Greatest snow depth: 4 ins. on 1st WIND: Avg wind speed: 13.6 MPH Avg corrected wind speed: 14.0 MPH Prevailing wind direction: WNW [23%] Peak gust: 74 MPH SSE on 31st Peak fastest mile: 62 MPH SSE on 31st SUNSHINE: Suncard minutes: 9528 of possible 17130 (56%) * Preliminary estimate Today's observations: 7 A.M. Weather: Clear, stratocumulus layer distant offshore NNE-SSW, few altocumulus distant N-NE Temperature: 15F; Dew Point: 2F; Wind: W at 11 kts. Sea-level pressure: 30.21 ins. Hg, rising Visibility: 70 miles 24-hour precip: Trace 6-hour min. temp: 15F BHO SA 1155 BHO SA 1155 CLR 70 231/15/2/2711/021/ SC LYR OFFSHR DSNT NNE-SSW FEW AC DSNT N-NE 8/450 52027 10018 20015 10 A.M. Weather: Thin scattered cirrus, stratocumulus layer distant offshore NE-SE and SSE-SSW Temperature: 22F; Dew Point: 2F; Wind: WSW at 7 kts, Wind: Direction variable SSW-NW Sea-level pressure: 30.24 ins. Hg, rising then falling Visibility: 75 miles BHO SA 1455 220 –SCT 75 239/22/2/2507/024/ SC LYR OFFSHR DSNT NE-ESE AND SSE-SSW AC SW-NNE WND 20V31/ 8/454 50008 1 P.M. Weather: Scattered cumulus, scattered altocumulus, thin scattered cirrus, stratocumulus layer distant offshore NE-ESE, few cumulus fractus overhead Temperature: 27F; Dew Point: 7F; Wind: WNW at 10G19 kts, Wind: Direction variable ESE-SSW Sea-level pressure: 30.16 ins. Hg, falling then falling more rapidly Visibility: 70 miles, light distant haze 6-hr max temp: 29F BHO SA 1755 BHO SA 1755 55 SCT 150 SCT 250 –SCT 70 212/27/7/2010G19/016/ SC LYR OFFSHR DSNT NE-ESE FEW CUFRA OVHD LT DSNT HZ WND 15V25/ 8/454 58027 10029 20015 WEATHER SUMMARY FOR FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1 TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F) MAX.....32 NORMAL.....34 MIN.....19 NORMAL.....17 MEAN....26 NORMAL.....26 DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.....................+0 TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH....................+0 [+O.0 DEGREES/DAY] HEATING DEGREE DAYS TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............39 DEPARTURE.........+0 TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH............39 DEPARTURE.........+0 TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........3164 DEPARTURE........-406 TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE....2801 DIFFERENCE.......+363 PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...............39 WSW AT 9:29 A.M. AERO....................38 W AT 9:24 P.M. ASOS....................39 W AT 9:30 A.M. DAVIS...................39 WSW AT 9:10 A.M. RMY 42 THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.............32 WSW AT 9:09 A.M. MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..............31 W AT 9:10 A.M. MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.............30 W AT 9:31 A.M. AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION..........17.6 W ASOS...................15.8 DAVIS..................15.4 W [274 deg.] PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST) TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....Trace DEPARTURE..........-0.13 ASOS..............0.00 TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........Trace DEPARTURE..........-0.13 ASOS..............0.00 TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........1.42 DEPARTURE..........-3.06 ASOS..............1.48 SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST) TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M.........Trace DEPARTURE............-0.5 TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH...............Trace DEPARTURE............-0.5 TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON.............21.5 DEPARTURE...........-12.1 PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 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 1/1 35/18/27/0/0.00/0.0/313/57 44 WNW AERO 44 MPH WNW RMY 45 1/2 29/11/20/-7/0.00/0.0/457/83 35 WNW AERO 35 MPH WNW RMY 33 1/3 23/2/13/-13/0.00/0.0/529/96 24 WNW AERO 23 MPH WNW RMY 23 1/4 38/19/29/+3/0.00/0.0/320/58 35 W AERO 36 MPH W RMY 36 1/5 40/27/34/+8/0.00/0.0/536/97 36 WNW AERO 37 MPH WNW RMY 38 1/6 42/27/35/+9/T/0.1/471/85 29 SW AERO 29 MPH SW RMY 29 1/7 38/27/33/+7/0.00/0.0/538/97 29 NW AERO 27 MPH NW RMY N/A 1/8 45/27/36/+10/0.00/0.0/428/77 39 SW AERO 42 MPH SW RMY 41 1/9 42/31/37/+11/T/0.0/033/06 40 W AERO 39 MPH W RMY N/A 1/10 45/32/39/+14/0.00/0.0/548/98 47 WNW AERO 48 MPH WNW RMY 50 1/11 38/29/34/+9/0.15/0.0/050/09 23 SE AERO 21 MPH SE RMY 23 1/12 43/35/40/+15/0.02/0.0/000/00 21 SE AERO 18 MPH SE RMY 15 1/13 50/41/46/+21/0.01/0.0/000/00 30 SW AERO 30 MPH SW RMY N/A 1/14 59/40/50/+25/T/0.0/175/31 36 S AERO 37 MPH S RMY 39 1/15 40/33/37/+12/T/0.0/045/08 17 N AERO 16 MPH NNW RMY 17 1/16 33/29/31/+6/0.45/3.5/000/00 16 NNE AERO 14 MPH N RMY 15 1/17 39/28/34/+9/0.00/0.0/519/91 36 WNW AERO 35 MPH WNW RMY 32 1/18 28/16/22/-3/0.00/0.0/566/99 39 NW AERO 39 MPH NW RMY 43 1/19 47/21/34/+9/0.00/0.0/350/61 46 SSW AERO 45 MPH SSW RMY 48 1/20 52/26/39/+14/0.00/0.0/408/71 48 SW AERO 52 MPH SW RMY 51 1/21 26/18/22/-3/0.06/0.9/144/25 35 WNW AERO 32 MPH WNW RMY N/A 1/22 23/10/17/-8/T/T/544/94 35 WNW AERO 30 MPH WNW RMY 35 1/23 15/4/10/-15/0.00/0.0/569/98 39 W AERO 35 MPH W RMY 37 1/24 17/0/9/-16/0.00/0.0/583/100 43 WNW AERO 39 MPH WNW RMY 44 1/25 22/4/13/-12/0.05/0.6/386/66 33 WNW AERO 27 MPH WNW RMY 32 1/26 23/9/16/-9/0.01/0.1/488/83 35 WNW AERO 31 MPH WNW RMY 33 1/27 29/9/19/-6/0.00/0.0/590/100 32 NW AERO 28 MPH NW RMY 31 1/28 29/17/23/-2/0.16/0.9/000/00 20 WNW AERO 14 MPH WNW RMY N/A 1/29 33/25/29/+4/0.06/0.0/000/00 17 SSE AERO 14 MPH SSE RMY N/A 1/30 59/33/46/+20/0.08/0.0/006/01 50 SSW AERO 48 MPH SSW RMY N/A 1/31 58/29/44/+18/0.37/0.0/246/41 * 74 SSE AERO 81 MPH SSE RMY N/A * Sunshine for the 31st is a preliminary estimate... 2/1 32/19/26/0/T/T/.../... 39 WSW AERO 38 MPH W RMY 42 2/2 morning low temp: 24F; the normal low is now 17F DAILY RECORDS FOR JANUARY 2013 1/31 - TIED DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 58F; ties the record of 58F in 1913, 1947 DAILY RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 2013 None so far. DAILY EXTREMES Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated): RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 2 HIGH 55F IN 1951, 1973 LOW -12F IN 1961 PRECIP 1.91 INS. IN 1999 SNOWFALL 5.5 INS. IN 1916, 1934 PEAK GUST 92 MPH SW IN 1970 RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 3 HIGH 58F IN 1991 LOW -7F IN 1955 PRECIP 2.14 INS. IN 1970 SNOWFALL 7.0 INS. IN 1913 PEAK GUST 102 MPH S IN 1970 [RECORD FOR MONTH] TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Mike Iacono, Jonathan O'Brien, Peter Volpe