BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2013 ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME CHILLY JANUARY BEGINS TO THAW The day started off clear with cloud cover increasing quickly in the afternoon. Maximum and minimum temperatures were just slightly above normal which goes against the cold trend we've been experiencing so far in 2013, where he first 4 days of January have been 4.3 F colder than the 30 year average. At Blue Hill, 2012 finished as the warmest year on record by a significant margin. The year also finished with the lowest wind speed on record, again by a significant margin. BLUE HILL WARMEST ANNUAL TEMPERATURE 1885-2012 (deg F) 1) 51.7 in 2012 2) 51.0 in 2010 3) 50.9 in 1999 4) 50.8 in 1998 5) 50.6 in 2006 BLUE HILL LOWEST ANNUAL WIND SPEED 1885-2012 (deg F) 1) 11.8 in 2012 2) 12.5 in 2011 3) 12.6 in 2008 12.6 in 2009 5) 12.7 in 2001 12.7 in 2005 A few updates/additions have been made to the December stats below. DECEMBER 2012 PRELIMINARY STATISTICS: TEMPERATURE: Average Max Temp: 42.8F [+3.7F] Average Min Temp: 30.1F [+6.5F] Mean Temp: 36.5F [+5.2F] 24-hr. Corr. Mean Temp: 36.2F [+4.6F] Max Temp: 59F on 10th Min Temp: 17F on 31st Total heating degree day units (month): 878 [-165] *NCDC method Total heating degree day units (season): 2,028 [-276] *start July 1 (NCDC) Total heating degree day units (calendar year): 5,259 PRECIPITATION: Total precipitation: 6.52 ins. [+1.63 ins.] Greatest 24-hr precipitation: 1.93 ins. on 26th/27th Total snowfall: 9.4 inches [-2.0 ins.] *using 1890-2010 mean Greatest snow depth: 7 ins. on 30th WIND: Avg wind speed: 12.7 MPH Avg corrected wind speed: 13.0 MPH Prevailing wind direction: WNW [14%] Peak gust: 70 MPH E on 27th Peak fastest mile: 51 MPH E on 27th SUNSHINE: * Total astronomical minutes: 5,695 of possible 17,037 or 33% Total Campbell-Stokes card minutes: 5,520 of possible 16,470 or 34% * Corrected values as of 1/5/2012 Today's observations: 7 A.M. Weather: Clear, stratocumulus distant offshore NNE-ESE, few stratocumulus / altocumulus SSE-WNW, distant haze Temperature: 27F; Dew Point: 21F; Wind: WSW at 12 kts Sea-level pressure: 30.01 ins. Hg, rising Visibility: 45 miles, distant haze Snow on ground: 3 inches BHO SA 1155 CLR 45 161/27/21/2412/001/ SC DSNT OFFSHR NNE-ESE FEW AC/SC SSE-WNW DSNT HZ/ 8/500 4/003 51030 10028 20027 10 A.M. Weather: Scattered stratocumulus/altocumulus, Few cumulus fractus, few lower cumulus distant ENE-E Temperature: 35F; Dew Point: 21F; Wind: WSW at 10 kts, Sea-level pressure: 30.12 ins. Hg, rising then rising more slowly Visibility: 50 miles, distant haze BHO SA 1455 50 SCT 50 201/35/21/2510/012/ FEW CUFRA FEW LWR CU DSNT ENE-E DSNT HZ/ 8/500 51040 1 P.M. Weather: Scattered cumulus, scattered cirrus, Few cumulus fractus, cirrus SSW-WSW, light distant haze Temperature: 39F; Dew Point: 21F; Wind: WNW at 16G26 kts, Wind: Peak wind of 31 kts. from the WNW at 12:38 P.M. EST Wind: direction variable WSW-N Sea-level pressure: 30.01 ins. Hg, slowly rising Visibility: 75 miles, light distant haze 6-hour max: 39F 6-hour min: 27F BHO SA 1755 50 SCT 200 SCT 75 164/39/21/3016G26/001/ FEW CUFRA CI SSW-WSW LT DSNT HZ PK WND 3031/38 WND 26V36/ 8/101 51003 10039 20027 WEATHER SUMMARY FOR FRIDAY, JANUARY 4 TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F) MAX.....38 NORMAL.....34 MIN.....19 NORMAL.....18 MEAN....29 NORMAL.....26 DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL......................+3 TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.....................-17 [-4.5 DEGREES/DAY] HEATING DEGREE DAYS TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............36 DEPARTURE.........-3 TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........171 DEPARTURE........+17 TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........2199 DEPARTURE.......-259 TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE....1893 DIFFERENCE......+306 PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...............35 W AT 10:36 A.M. AERO....................36 W AT 12:42 P.M. ASOS....................35 WSW AT 12:53 P.M. DAVIS...................34 WSW AT 11:05 A.M. RMY: 36 THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.............25 WSW AT 12:56 P.M. * MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..............24 WSW AT 12:53 P.M. MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.............24 WSW AT 12:53 P.M. AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.........14.8 WSW ASOS..................14.0 DAVIS.................13.1 WSW [245 deg.] * Last of several occurrences 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..........0.00 DEPARTURE..........-0.58 ASOS..............0.00 TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........0.00 DEPARTURE..........-0.58 ASOS..............0.00 SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST) TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M.........0.0 DEPARTURE............-0.6 TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH...............0.0 DEPARTURE............-2.3 TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON.............15.4 DEPARTURE............-2.9 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/-7/0.06/0.8/000/00 16 E AERO 14 MPH E RMY 16 12/2 52/32/42/+6/T/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/+1/0.04/0.6/000/00 21 NNW AERO 21 MPH NNW RMY 19 12/26 35/20/28/+0/0.30/1.0/234/43 39 E AERO 39 MPH E RMY N/A 12/27 45/30/38/+10/1.64/0.3/000/00 70 E AERO 71 MPH E RMY 67 12/28 34/24/29/+1/0.00/0.0/528/99 37 NW AERO 39 MPH NW RMY 36 12/29 34/25/30/+3/0.98/6.0/000/00 39 ENE AERO 39 MPH ENE RMY 40 12/30 27/18/23/-4/0.04/0.6/132/24 50 NW AERO 53 MPH NW RMY 53 12/31 31/17/24/-3/0.00/0.0/049/09 35 WNW AERO 35 MPH WNW RMY 36 1/1 35/18/27/0/0.00/0.0/.../.. 44 WNW AERO 44 MPH WNW RMY 45 1/2 29/11/20/-7/0.00/0.0/.../.. 35 WNW AERO 35 MPH WNW RMY 33 1/3 23/2/13/-13/0.00/0.0/.../.. 24 WNW AERO 23 MPH WNW RMY 23 1/4 38/19/29/+3/0.00/0.0/.../.. 35 W AERO 36 MPH W RMY 36 1/5 morning low temp: 27F; the normal low is now 18F DAILY RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 2012 None so far. DAILY RECORDS FOR JANUARY 2013 None so far. DAILY EXTREMES Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated): RECORDS FOR JANUARY 5 HIGH 61F IN 2007 LOW -9F IN 1981 PRECIP 0.98 INS. IN 1993 SNOW 4.5 INS. IN 1891 PEAK GUST 70 MPH WNW IN 1959 RECORDS FOR JANUARY 6 HIGH 66F IN 2007 LOW -14F IN 1896 PRECIP 3.10 INS. IN 1889 [RECORD FOR MONTH] SNOWFALL 7.5 INS. IN 1893 PEAK GUST 70 MPH WNW IN 1959 TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Forrest Iwanik / Mike Iacono / Peter Volpe