BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013   
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
ARCTIC AIR MASS ARRIVING WITH GUSTY W-WNW WINDS
TEMPERATURES FALL TO SINGLE NUMBERS ABOVE ZERO
WIND CHILLS DOWN IN DOUBLE DIGITS BELOW ZERO
MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF -35F ON MT. WASHINGTON 
 
Temperatures fell from a high of 23F early yesterday
afternoon to 10F by midnight last and then down to
5F this morning as bitterly cold Arctic air continues
to pour into the region.  Wind chills dropped to 12 to
17F below zero early this morning.  Wind gusts have
continued to reach near 35 MPH W-WNW all day with
sustained speeds of 15 to 28 MPH. 
High temperatures have struggled to reach 14 degrees
by early afternoon. Dew points are averaging around
6 to 8 degrees below zero F. 
Despite the very cold temperatures neither of our
two nearby ponds have completely iced over generally
running with 7/10 ice cover this morning.
The summit of Mt. Washington had wind chills down
in the range of 85 below zero F with winds of 70 to
85 mph and a minimum temperature of -35F this morning.
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Scattered cirrus (2 levels), stratocumulus layer inshore/
along shore/offshore NE, along and offshore E, and along and offshore
distant ESE-SSW, few altocumulus lenticularis E-S-W, patches of
dense cirrus mostly E-S
Temperature: 5F; Dew Point: -6F; Wind: W at 12 kts,
Windchill: -12F
Sea-level pressure: 30.10 ins. Hg, rising then more rapidly
Visibility: 50 miles, NE-E 15 miles, hazy, W-NW 60
miles, light distant haze
Snow depth: 1 inch
24-hour precip: 0.00 inch
6-hour min temp: 5F
BHO SA 1155 220 SCT 250 –SCT 50 194/5/-6/2712/010/
SC LYR INSHR/ALGSHR/OFFSHR NE AND ALG/OFFSHR E
AND DSNT ALG/OFFSHR ESE-SSW FEW ACSL DSNT E-S-W
FEW PTCHS DNS CI MSTLY NE-SE VSBY NE-E 15 HAZY W-NW 60
LGT DSNT HZ WNDCHILL -12F/ 8/542 4/001 53008 10009 20005 
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Clear, cumulus fractus, cumulus, stratocumulus
all quadrants
Temperature: 10F; Dew Point: -7F; Wind: WNW at 15G29 kts,
Wind: Peak wind of 32 kts from the W at 9:34 AM
Wind: Direction variable WSW-NNW
Windchill: -7F
Sea-level pressure: 30.12 ins. Hg, rising slightly
Visibility: 70 miles, light distant haze
BHO SA 1455 CLR 70 200/10/-7/2915G29/012/ CUFRA/CU/SC ALQDS
LGT DSNT HZ PK WND 2832/34/ WND 24V33 WNDCHILL -7F/ 8/800 51006
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered cumulus fractus, cumulus and stratocumulus,
virga all quadrants   
Temperature: 13F; Dew Point: -8F; Wind: WNW at 14G24 kts,
Wind: Peak wind 34 kts from W @ 12:17 P.M.
Wind: Direction variable WSW-NW
Windchill: -3F
Sea-level pressure: 30.06 ins. Hg, falling then more rapidly 
Visibility: 70 miles, light distant haze
6-hour max temp: 14F
6-hour min temp:  5F
BHO SA 1755 50 SCT 70 180/13/-8/2914G24/006/ CUFRA/CU/SC/VIRGA
ALQDS PK WND 2834/16/ WND 24V31/ WNDCHILL -3F/ 8/800 58020
10014 20005
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, JANUARY 22
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....23      NORMAL.....34
MIN.....10      NORMAL.....17                        
MEAN....17      NORMAL.....25
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.......................-8
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.....................+148 [+6.5 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............48    DEPARTURE..........+8
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........721    DEPARTURE........-148
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........2749    DEPARTURE........-424
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE....2536    DIFFERENCE.......+213
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...............35 WNW AT 11:49 A.M.  
                   AERO....................30 WNW AT 11:49 A.M. *
                   ASOS....................33 WNW AT 11:50 A.M.
                   DAVIS...................35 WNW AT 11:48 A.M. RMY 35
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.............24  W  AT  2:07 P.M. * 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..............24  W  AT  2:08 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.............22  W  AT 10:51 A.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.........13.7 WNW
                   ASOS..................13.4
                   DAVIS.................12.1 WNW [290 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..............0.01 #
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........0.69   DEPARTURE..........-2.43
                         ASOS..............0.66
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........0.69   DEPARTURE..........-2.43
                         ASOS..............0.66
# delayed 0.01
 
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M.........0.0   DEPARTURE............+0.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH...............4.5   DEPARTURE............-7.8
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON.............19.9   DEPARTURE............-8.4   
 
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/.../..     36 WNW AERO 35 MPH WNW RMY 32
1/18  28/16/22/-3/0.00/0.0/.../..     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/.../..     35 WNW AERO 32 MPH WNW RMY N/A
1/22  23/10/17/-8/T/T/.../..          35 WNW AERO 30 MPH WNW RMY 35 
 
1/23   morning low temp: 5F; the normal low is now 17F
     
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 23
HIGH 62F IN 1906
LOW -10F IN 1976
PRECIP 2.40 INS. IN 1935
SNOWFALL 14.6 INS. IN 1966
PEAK GUST 85 MPH S IN 1992
 
RECORDS FOR JANUARY 24
HIGH 60F IN 1967
LOW -12F IN 1907
PRECIP 2.04 INS. IN 1998
SNOWFALL 11.3 INS. IN 1935
PEAK GUST 82 MPH S IN 1996
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling