BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 2013 ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME PARTLY SUNNY AND A BIT WARMER THAN AVERAGE TODAY... After five consecutive weekends with at least some snowfall, this weekend will be relatively quiet, although a storm located far to our east is keeping clouds in the area. The low temperature this morning was 30 deg F, which is much warmer than the normal for early March of 22 deg F. The high temperature through mid-day in the low 40s is close to average. There were a few hours of sunshine after sunrise with only scattered low clouds in the area, but the diurnal heating and the ocean storm far offshore regenerated the clouds, and the sky has been mostly cloud with stratocumulus since mid-morning. February finished on the warm side and eighth wettest on record. It was also the fifth snowiest February on record. The 2012-13 winter season (Dec-Feb) was overall on the warm side, and it finished as the 12th warmest winter on record at Blue Hill. Winter precipitation and snowfall were also above normal. More February and winter statistics to come in the next few days. FEBRUARY 2013 PRELIMINARY STATISTICS: (departures relative to 1981-2010 30-year normal) TEMPERATURE: Average Max Temp: 35.9F [-0.9F] Average Min Temp: 22.5F [+3.4F] Mean Temp: 29.2F [+1.3F] 24-hr. Corr. Mean Temp: 28.7F [-0.4F] Max Temp: 48F on 15th Min Temp: 9F on 10th Total heating degree day units (month): 994 [ -43] *NCDC method Total heating degree day units (season): 4,120 [-448] *start July 1 (NCDC) PRECIPITATION: Total precipitation: 6.97 ins. [+2.90 ins.] Greatest 24-hr precipitation: 2.82 ins. on 8th/9th Total snowfall: 39.7 inches [+25.8 ins.] Greatest snow depth: 20 ins. on 9th, 10th WIND: Avg wind speed: 13.6 MPH Avg corrected wind speed: 14.0 MPH Prevailing wind direction: W [20%] Peak gust: 63 MPH NE on 8th Peak fastest mile: 42 MPH NNE on 8th SUNSHINE: Campbell-Stokes sunshine card minutes: 7554/17148 or 44% [-6%] Astronomical minutes totaled: 7844/17785 or 44% BLUE HILL WETTEST FEBRUARYS, INCHES (1885-2013): 1) 9.32 in 1969 2) 8.29 in 1886 3) 8.17 in 2008 4) 7.93 in 1981 5) 7.80 in 1984 6) 7.43 in 1920 7) 7.03 in 1926 8) 6.97 in 2013 9) 6.82 in 1900 6.82 in 1998 BLUE HILL SNOWIEST FEBRUARYS, INCHES (1886-2013): 1) 65.4 in 1969 2) 51.3 in 2003 3) 45.2 in 1967 4) 40.4 in 1920 5) 39.7 in 2013 6) 37.0 in 1893 WINTER 2012-13 (DEC, JAN, FEB) PRELIMINARY STATISTICS: (departures relative to 1981-2010 30-year normal) TEMPERATURE: Average Max Temp: 38.5F [+1.9F] Average Min Temp: 24.8F [+4.9F] Mean Temp: 31.7F [+3.4F] 24-hr. Corr. Mean Temp: 31.5F [+2.5F] * 12th warmest Max Temp: 59F on 12/10, 1/14, 1/30 Min Temp: 0F on 1/24 PRECIPITATION: Total precipitation: 14.91 ins. [+1.60 ins.] Total snowfall: 55.2 inches [+10.8 ins.] Greatest snow depth: 20 ins. on Feb. 9th, 10th Today's observations: 7 A.M. Weather: Scattered stratocumulus, scattered altocumulus, scattered cirrus, few lower stratocumulus offshore distant E Temperature: 31F; Dew Point: 26F; Wind: WNW at 9 kts Sea-level pressure: 29.67 ins. Hg, rising Visibility: 40 miles Snow depth: 1 inch 6-hour min. temp: 30F BHO SA 1155 40 SCT 150 SCT 220 SCT 40 049/31/26/3009/967/ FEW LWR SC OFFSHR DSNT E/ 8/571 4/001 51003 10033 20030 10 A.M. Weather: Broken stratocumulus, broken altocumulus Temperature: 37F; Dew Point: 25F; Wind: NW at 10 kts Sea-level pressure: 29.67 ins. Hg, steady Visibility: 65 miles, distant haze SW-NE BHO SA 1455 E30 BKN 150 BKN 65 049/37/25/3210/967/ DSNT HZ SW-NE/ 8/570 50000 1 P.M. Weather: Broken stratocumulus, broken altocumulus Temperature: 41F; Dew Point: 26F; Wind: NW at 10 kts, Sea-level pressure: 29.63 ins. Hg, falling Visibility: 70 miles, light distant haze 6-hr max temp: 42F BHO SA 1755 E30 BKN 150 BKN 70 033/41/26/3210/963/ LGT DSNT HZ/ 8/570 56013 10042 20031 WEATHER SUMMARY FOR FRIDAY, MARCH 1 TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F) MAX.....39 NORMAL.....40 MIN.....33 NORMAL.....22 MEAN....36 NORMAL.....31 DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.......................+5 TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.......................+5 [+5.0 DEGREES/DAY] HEATING DEGREE DAYS TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............29 DEPARTURE............-5 TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH............29 DEPARTURE............-5 TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........4149 DEPARTURE..........-453 TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE....3688 DIFFERENCE.........+461 PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...............25 NNW AT 9:21 A.M. AERO....................24 NNW AT 9:21 A.M. ASOS....................25 NNW AT 9:21 A.M. DAVIS...................26 NW AT 9:21 A.M. RMY 27 THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.............18 NNW AT 9:22 A.M. MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..............18 NNW AT 9:13 A.M. MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.............18 NNW AT 9:22 A.M. AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.........10.1 NNW ASOS...................8.9 DAVIS..................8.7 NNW [329 deg] * Last of several occurrences PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST) TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00 DEPARTURE...........-0.18 ASOS..............0.00 TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........0.00 DEPARTURE...........-0.18 ASOS..............0.00 TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........8.39 DEPARTURE...........-0.21 ASOS..............N/A* *ASOS malfunctioned during storm on 2/8-9, leading to erroneous totals SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST) TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M.........0.0 DEPARTURE............-0.5 TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH...............0.0 DEPARTURE............-0.5 TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON.............61.2 DEPARTURE...........+13.7 PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY 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 2/1 32/19/26/0/T/T/325/54 39 WSW AERO 38 MPH W RMY 42 2/2 30/15/23/-3/0/0/452/75 28 SSW AERO 23 MPH SSW RMY 28 2/3 26/19/23/-3/0.08/1.2/000/00 22 W AERO 21 MPH WSW RMY N/A 2/4 29/17/23/-3/T/T/547/90 44 W AERO 46 MPH W RMY N/A 2/5 25/18/22/-4/0.04/0.8/000/00 21 W AERO 16 MPH W RMY N/A 2/6 37/22/30/+4/0.01/0.2/521/85 35 W AERO 33 MPH W RMY 35 2/7 29/16/23/-4/0.00/0.0/306/52 24 NW AERO 21 MPH NW RMY 24 2/8 31/18/25/-2/1.86/16.1/000/00 63 NE AERO 61 MPH NE RMY 66 2/9 20/12/16/-11/0.98/10.5/000/00 51 NNW AERO 52 MPH N RMY 51 2/10 37/9/23/-4/0.00/0.0/623/100 29 NW AERO 27 MPH NW RMY N/A 2/11 44/23/34/+7/0.15/T/000/00 33 S AERO 35 MPH S RMY 39 2/12 44/30/37/+10/0.00/0.0/606/96 39 W AERO 37 MPH S RMY 39 2/13 42/27/35/+7/T/T/615/97 22 W AERO 17 MPH W RMY N/A 2/14 43/29/36/+8/T/0.1/564/89 21 NNW AERO 16 MPH NNW RMY N/A 2/15 48/29/39/+11/0.00/0.0/566/89 31 S AERO 30 MPH S RMY 32 2/16 35/29/32/+4/0.07/1.3/000/00 25 NNW AERO 23 MPH NNW RMY 40 2/17 29/15/22/-6/0.41/5.1/000/00 54 NW AERO 54 MPH NW RMY 58 2/18 31/11/21/-8/0.00/0.0/632/98 52 WNW AERO 52 MPH WNW RMY 53 2/19 45/21/33/+4/0.43/0.0/201/31 33 SSW AERO 32 MPH SSW RMY 36 2/20 40/23/32/+3/T/0.0/189/29 44 W AERO 43 MPH W RMY 47 2/21 31/22/27/-2/0.00/0.0/438/67 40 WNW AERO 40 MPH WNW RMY 43 2/22 37/22/30/+1/0.00/0.0/387/59 28 NW AERO 24 MPH NW RMY 24 2/23 37/30/34/+4/0.31/T/000/00 21 SE AERO 18 MPH SE RMY N/A 2/24 37/29/33/+3/1.19/4.3/000/00 31 NNE AERO 29 MPH NNE RMY 33 2/25 40/27/34/+4/0.01/0.1/339/51 16 NNW AERO 13 MPH NW RMY 15 2/26 43/31/37/+7/0.00/0.0/454/68 25 E AERO 23 MPH E RMY N/A 2/27 40/35/38/+7/1.43/T/000/00 47 E AERO 48 MPH E RMY 50 2/28 43/32/38/+7/T/0.0/067/10/ 14 W AERO 14 MPH W RMY 16 3/1 39/33/36/+5/0.00/0.0/.../.. 25 NNW AERO 24 MPH NNW RMY 28 3/2 the morning low temp: 30F; the normal low is now 22F DAILY RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 2013 2/8 - NEW RECORD DAILY SNOWFALL OF 16.1 INCHES; surpasses the previous record of 11.0 inches in 1891 2/8 - TIED DAILY RECORD PEAK WIND GUST OF 63e MPH NE IN 1945 2/27- NEW RECORD DAILY PRECIPITATION OF 1.43 INCHES; surpasses the previous record of 0.90 inch in 1922 DAILY EXTREMES Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated): RECORDS FOR MARCH 2 HIGH 63 IN 2004 LOW -3 IN 1886 PRE 2.15 INS. IN 1983 SNOW 8.2 INS. IN 2009 WIND 75 MPH NW IN 1966 RECORDS FOR MARCH 3 HIGH 64 IN 1991 LOW -1 IN 1950 PRECIP 2.36 INS. IN 1972 SNOWFALL 12.8 INS. IN 1960 PEAK GUST 78e MPH E IN 1942 TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Mike Iacono, Jonathan O'Brien, Peter Volpe