BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
TUESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2013   HAPPY NEW YEAR
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
LAST TWO DAYS OF DECEMBER FIRST BELOW NORMAL SINCE DECEMBER 12
ANOTHER WARM DECEMBER AVERAGING JUST OVER 5 DEG. ABOVE NORMAL
THIS DECEMBER WAS ONE DEGREE BELOW THE WARM DECEMBER 2011
PRECIPITATION THIS MONTH OVER AN INCH AND A HALF ABOVE NORMAL
 
The colder weather with slightly below normal temperatures over
the past two days of December did little to decrease the warm
monthly mean temperature. The month averaged about one degree less
warm than in 2011 and thus was 36.5 or +5.2 degrees in 2012. The corrected
average for 24 hours was 36.2 degrees.
 
A total of 17 days had measurable precipitation and the monthly total of 6.51 inches
was just over one and a half inches more than average.
 
Snowfall of 9 inches was 4 inches below average. The heaviest snowfall
of the month was 6.6 inches with all of that falling in less than
12 hours on December 29-30.  A rounded to the nearest inch 7 inches was the
maximum depth on ground for December on the 30th. 
 
DECEMBER 2012 STATS:
Temp. deg. F
Av. Max. 42.8
Av. Min. 30.1
Mean     36.5 [+5.2]
24-hr. corr. mean: 36.2
Maximum: 59 on 10th
Minimum: 17 on 31st
Total heating units: 878 [-165]
Total heating season: 2028 [-277]
Total precip: 6.51 ins. {+1.62)
Snowfall: 9.2 ins. [-4.2 ins.]
Max. depth on ground: 7 inches on 30th
Av. uncorrected wind speed: 12.7 MPH
Av. corr. wind speed 13.0 MPH
Peak wind gust: 70 MPH E on 27th
Fastest mile:   51 MPH E on 27th
 
Additional stats including sunshine will be
forthcoming in the next day or so.
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Broken stratocumulus, broken altocumulus lenticularis,
patch of lenticularis distant SE
Temperature: 32F; Dew Point: 24F; Wind: WSW at 12 kts,
Wind: Direction variable SSW-W
Sea-level pressure: 29.75 ins. Hg, rising slightly   
Visibility: 20 miles, hazy
6-hour min. temp: 32F
Snow on ground: 4 inches
BHO SA 1155 E55 BKN 150 BKN 20 074/32/24/2412/975/
PTCH ACSL DSNT SE HAZY WND 21V27/ 8/540 4/004 51007 10032 20032   
 
10 A.M.
Weather:  Scattered cumulus fractus, cumulus, stratocumulus.
scattered dense cirrus, layer SE-WSW 
Temperature: 34F; Dew Point: 18F; Wind: WNW at 23G38 kts,
Wind: Peak wind 38 knots from WNW @ 9:47 a.m.
Wind: Direction variable W-NNW
Wind: Direction gradually veering
Sea-level pressure: 29.77 ins. Hg, rising slightly
Visibility: 50 miles, distant haze 
BHO SA 1455 44 SCT 200 SCT 50 081/34/18/2923G38/977/
FEW LWR CU DNS CI LYR XTDNG SE-WSW PK WND 2938/47/
WND 26V33 WND GRDLY VEERING OCNL DRFTG SNW DSNT HZ/ 8/802 51007
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered dense cirrus (layer E-S-W, thin broken cirrus,
few cumulus and stratocumulus  
Temperature: 32F; Dew Point: 16F; Wind: NW at 16G27 kts,
Wind: Peak wind from WNW @ 31 kts at 12:01 p.m.
Sea-level pressure: 29.74 ins. Hg, decreasing then more rapidly
Visibility: 60 miles, NW 70 miles, distant haze
6-hour max: 35F
6-hour min: 32F 
BHO SA 1755 200 SCT 220 SCT 250 –BKN 60 072/32/16/3116G27/974/
FEW CU/SC ALQDS DNS CI/CS LYR XTDNG E-S-W VSBY NW 70 PK WND 2931/01/
WND 27V34/ 8/802 58009 10035 20032     
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, DECEMBER 31
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....31      NORMAL.....35
MIN.....17      NORMAL.....19
MEAN....24      NORMAL.....27
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL......................-3
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH....................+163 [+5.2 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............41    DEPARTURE.........+3
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........878    DEPARTURE.......-165
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........2028    DEPARTURE.......-277
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE....1753    DIFFERENCE......+275
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...............35 WNW AT  1:32 P.M.
                   AERO....................35 WNW AT  1:32 P.M.
                   ASOS....................33 WNW AT  1:33 P.M.
                   DAVIS...................33 WNW AT  1:33 P.M. RMY: 36 
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.............23 W   AT  1:33 P.M.   
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..............24 W   AT  1:34 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.............23 W   AT  1:34 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.........14.4 WSW
                   ASOS..................13.5
                   DAVIS.................12.7 W [260 deg.]
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00   DEPARTURE..........-0.14
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........6.51   DEPARTURE..........+1.62
                         ASOS..............6.59
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........41.39   DEPARTURE.........-12.02
                         ASOS.............41.48
 
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M.........0.0     DEPARTURE..........-0.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH...............9.2 *   DEPARTURE..........-4.2 *
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON.............15.2 *   DEPARTURE..........-0.8 * 
 
* error in monthly snowfall, 9.6 corrected to 9.2, departures are corrected
accordingly in today's report, error persists  in daily reports Dec. 25-31. 
 
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER 2012 – 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
 
12/1  34/25/30/-7/0.08/0.8/000/00     16 E   AERO 14 MPH E   RMY 16
12/2  52/32/42/+6/0.00/0.0/006/01     32 SSW AERO 32 MPH SSW RMY 34
12/3  57/43/50/+14/0.00/0.0/523/94    31 NW  AERO 30 MPH NW  RMY 32
12/4  56/40/48/+13/0.03/0.0/000/00    37 S   AERO 39 MPH S   RMY 38
12/5  56/31/44/+9/0.03/0.0/310/56     38 WNW AERO 37 MPH WNW RMY 40
12/6  38/25/32/-3/0.00/0.0/519/94     31 NW  AERO 30 MPH NW  RMY N/A
12/7  42/30/36/+2/0.02/0.0/000/00     18 SSW AERO 16 MPH SSW RMY 18       
12/8  45/41/43/+9/0.35/0.0/000/00     21 ENE AERO 18 MPH ENE RMY N/A
12/9  45/38/42/+8/0.10/0.0/181/33     24 NNW AERO 24 MPH NNW RMY 25
12/10 59/39/49/+16/0.51/0.0/000/00    32 SSW AERO 33 MPH SSW RMY 35
12/11 54/30/42/+9/0.01/0.0/351/64     25 W   AERO 25 MPH W   RMY 23
12/12 38/26/32/-1/0.00/0.0/126/23     20 NW  AERO 18 MPH NW  RMY N/A
12/13 42/29/36/+4/0.00/0.0/416/76     18 NW  AERO 15 MPH NW  RMY N/A
12/14 47/29/38/+6/0.00/0.0/535/98     28 W   AERO 25 MPH W   RMY 27
12/15 40/31/36/+4/0.00/0.0/530/97     24 NNW AERO 22 MPH NNW RMY 21
12/16 36/31/34/+3/0.25/0.1/000/00     25 E   AERO 22 MPH E   RMY N/A
12/17 44/36/40/+9/0.65/0.0/000/00     31 ENE AERO 29 MPH ENE RMY 30
12/18 50/40/45/+14/0.61/0.0/000/00    28 E   AERO 24 MPH E   RMY N/A
12/19 44/35/40/+10/T/0.0/087/16       42 WNW AERO 40 MPN WNW RMY 43
12/20 42/30/36/+6/T/0.0/262/48        25 NNW AERO 23 MPH NNW RMY N/A
12/21 53/35/44/+14/0.90/0.0/000/00    58 E   AERO 53 MPH E   RMY 57 *
12/22 37/26/32/+3/T/T/136/25          47 W   AERO 47 MPH W   RMY 43
12/23 37/25/31/+2/0.00/0.0/305/56     44 WNW AERO 44 MPH WNW RMY N/A
12/24 39/28/34/+5/0.00/0.0/452/83     25 W   AERO 23 MPH W   RMY 22
12/25 33/25/29/+1/0.03/0.4/000/00     21 NNW AERO 21 MPH NNW RMY 19 
12/26 35/20/28/+0/0.30/1.0/228/43     39 E   AERO 39 MPH E   RMY N/A
12/27 45/30/38/+10/1.64/0.3/.../..    70 E   AERO 71 MPH E   RMY 67
12/28 34/24/29/+1/0.00/0.0/000/00     37 NW  AERO 39 MPH NW  RMY 36
12/29 34/25/30/+3/0.98/6.0/.../..     39 ENE AERO 39 MPH ENE RMY 40
12/30 27/18/23/-4/0.04/0.6/.../..     50 NW  AERO 53 MPH NW  RMY 53
12/31 31/17/24/-3/0/00/0.0/.../..     35 WNW AERO 35 MPH WNW RMY 36
 
1/1   morning low temp: 32F; the normal low is now 19F
 
* correction: added 0.90 precip: 21st
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 2012
None
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR JANUARY 1
HIGH 58F IN 1966
LOW -6F IN 1918
PRECIP 1.45 INS. IN 1982
SNOWFALL 7.2 INS. IN 1938
PEAK GUST 90e MPH S IN 1945
 
RECORDS FOR JANUARY 2
HIGH 62F IN 1890
LOW -7F IN 1899,1918
PRECIP 2.10 INS. IN 1987
SNOWFALL 9.0 INS. IN 1904
PEAK GUST 85e MPH S IN 1942
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling/Peter Volpe