BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
SUNDAY, JULY 7, 2013
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
HOLIDAY WEEKEND OFFICIALLY A HEAT WAVE,
DEVELOPING CLOUDS THREATEN RAIN/TSTORMS FOR THIS AFTERNOON
 
Yesterday's high of 90 F marked the third consecutive day of 90+ F
high temperatures, making this 4th of July holiday weekend the first
official heat wave of the year. The highest temperature here on GBH
was 92 which occurred Friday between 2:00 and 3:00 in the afternoon.
Humidity at that time was 54%, which brought the heat index up to 100 F!
The heat continued today, with highs reaching 90 F again by early afternoon.
 
Today has been partly cloudy with 8-10 kt winds from the west, with the
bulk of the cirrus and altocumulus missing us to the north. A few
moderate cumulus developed to the distant W and SW as the afternoon
progressed. These could potentially lead to isolated thunderstorms for later
this afternoon and evening.
 
Today's Observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Sun visible through thin broken cirrus/cirrostratus, scattered
Altocumulus/stratocumulus distant WSW-N-E
Temperature: 76F; Dew Point: 68F; Wind: W at 8 kts.
Sea-level pressure: 30.04 ins. Hg, rising then rising more slowly
Visibility: 50 miles, hazy
6-hour min. temp: 72F
BHO SA 1155 250 –BKN 50 173/76/68/2808/004/ SUN VSBL THRU THN BKN CI/CS
SCT AC/SC DSNT WSW-N-E HAZY / 8/242 51005 10076 20072
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Dense cirrus/cirrostratus rising from distant cumulonimbus WSW-NE,
few altocumulus distant NW-NNE, few cumulus fractus SE-WSW
Temperature: 86F; Dew Point: 70F; Wind: WSW at 8 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.02 ins. Hg, rising then falling
Visibility: 45 miles, hazy
Heat Index: 91F
BHO SA 1455 300 BKN 45 167/86/70/2508/002/ DNS CI/CS FRM CB WSW-NE
FEW AC DSNT NW-NNE FEW CUFRA SE-WSW HAZY HEAT INDEX 91/ 8/145 58006
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered cumulus/cumulus fractus, towering cumulus distant SE-SW,
Cumulonimbus SW, few cirrocumulus/cirrostratus in the vicinity
Temperature: 89F; Dew Point: 72F; Wind: W at 6 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.01 ins. Hg, rising then falling
Visibility: 45 miles, hazy
6-hour max. temp: 90F
Heat Index: 96F
BHO SA 1755 150 SCT 45 161/89/72/2606/001/ CB DSNT SW MDT CU SE-SW
FEW CC/CS IN VCY HAZY HEAT INDEX 96/ 8/347 58006 10090 20076
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SATURDAY, JULY 6, 2013
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....90     NORMAL.....80
MIN.....72     NORMAL.....62
MEAN....81     NORMAL.....71
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL....................+10
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH....................+44 [+7.3 DEGREES/DAY]
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY................25 WNW AT  1:18 P.M.
                   AERO.....................25 WNW AT  1:18 P.M.
                   ASOS.....................25 W   AT  3:42 P.M.
                   DAVIS....................26 W   AT  1:20 P.M. RMY 26
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY..................20 WNW AT  1:20 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...............20 W   AT  1:21 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..............19 W   AT  1:20 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION..........11.7 W
                   ASOS...................11.2
                   DAVIS..................10.4 W [269 deg]
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00   DEPARTURE...........-0.11
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........0.05   DEPARTURE...........-0.60
                         ASOS..............0.05
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........32.25   DEPARTURE...........+4.63
                         ASOS..............N/A*
*ASOS malfunctioned during storm on 2/8-9, leading to erroneous totals 
     
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR JULY 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
                             
7/1  82/69/76/+6/0.05/.../..         29 S   AERO 31 MPH SSW RMY 32
7/2  82/61/72/+2/T/.../..            23 SSW AERO 23 MPH SSW RMY 25
7/3  87/62/75/+4/T/.../..            28 SW  AERO 30 MPH SW  RMY 30
7/4  90/71/81/+10/0.00/.../..        25 WSW AERO 26 MPH SW  RMY 28
7/5  92/73/83/+12/0.00/.../..        24 W   AERO 25 MPH WSW RMY 25
7/6  90/72/81/+10/0.00/.../..        25 WNW AERO 25 MPH WNW RMY 26
 
7/7  morning low temp: 72F; the normal low is now 62F
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR JULY 2013
None so far.
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR JULY 7
HIGH 97F IN 1908,1993
LOW 48F IN 1902
PRECIP 2.11 INCHES IN 1966
PEAK GUST 55 MPH NW IN 1989
 
RECORDS FOR JULY 8
HIGH 95F IN 1981
LOW 50F IN 1919
PRECIP 1.74 INCHES IN 1916
PEAK GUST 46e SSW IN 1941
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Forrest Iwanik & Peter Volpi