BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY 
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

ANOTHER DAY OF EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER AND LITTLE SUNSHINE;
TEMPERATURES CONTINUE A FEW DEGREES ON THE WARM SIDE

For yet another day, extensive cloud cover has been the rule.  A few
peaks of sunshine were observed late this morning.  Snow showers and
virga have been visible today to the east, especially late this morning
and into the afternoon.  The showers have been affecting the South Shore
and the Cape, but nothing observed here on the summit.

Light snow showers did make it to the summit Monday night, bringing only
a trace of precipitation.

Temperatures are once again running a bit above the 30 year average for
the date.  This is keeping with the trend of March so far, with the first
5 days now averaging close to 4 degrees above normal.

Today's observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Scattered stratocumulus, broken stratocumulus, lower
stratocumulus/stratocumulus lenticularis NE-S and SW and WNW, line of
clearing along horizon S-W, light distant haze, snow shower distant
E-ESE moving S
Temperature: 30F; Dew Point: 23F; Wind: NW at 10 kts,
Wind: Direction variable W-NNW
Sea-level pressure: 29.88 ins. Hg, rising
Visibility: 75 miles, light distant haze, mountain NW 65 miles in cloud
Snow depth: Trace
24-hr. precip. Trace
24-hr snowfall: Trace
6-hour min. temp: 30F 
BHO SA 1155 30 SCT E40 BKN 75 120/30/23/3110/988/ LWR SC/SCSL NE-S AND
SW AND WNW LINE CLRG ALG HRZN S-W LGT DSNT HZ SHSN DSNT E-ESE MOVG S
MTN NW 65 INCLD WND 28V34/ 8/800 51024 MANUAL 7000/ 10030 20030
 
10 A.M.  
Weather: Broken stratocumulus, light distant haze, snow shower/virga
distant NNE-SE moving S
Temperature: 35F; Dew Point: 26F; Wind: NNW at 8 kts,
Wind: Direction variable WNW-N
Sea-level pressure: 29.94 ins. Hg, rising
Visibility: 70 miles, light distant haze
BHO SA 1455 E20 BKN 70 140/35/26/3308/994/ LGT DSNT HZ SHSN/VIRGA DSNT
NNE-SE MOVG S WND 29V01/ 8/500 51020

1 P.M.
Weather: Broken stratocumulus/cumulus, broken stratocumulus, cumulus
S-WNW, lower stratocumulus NW-E-SSE and overhead, higher stratocumulus
visible S-WNW, light distant haze, snow shower/virga distant NNE-SE
moving S
Temperature: 40F; Dew Point: 27F; Wind: WNW at 6 kts,
Wind: Direction variable WNW-N
Sea-level pressure: 29.96 ins. Hg, rising slightly
Visibility: 65 miles, NW 75 miles, NNE-SE lower, light distant haze
6-hr max temp: 41F 
BHO SA 1755 E30 BKN 40 BKN 65 146/40/27/3306/996/ CU S-WNW LWR SC
NW-E-SSE AND OVHD HIER SC VSBL S-WNW LGT DSNT HZ VSBY NW 75 NNE-SE LWR
SHSN/VIRGA DSNT NNE-SE MOVG S WND 29V36/ 8/800 51006 10041 20030

WEATHER SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, MARCH 4

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....39      NORMAL.....41
MIN.....26      NORMAL.....23					
MEAN....33      NORMAL.....32   
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.......................+1
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH......................+15 [+3.6 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS  
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............32	  DEPARTURE............-1
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........119   DEPARTURE...........-15
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........4239   DEPARTURE..........-463
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE....3785   DIFFERENCE.........+454

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) 
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...............32 NW  AT  4:21 P.M. *
                   AERO....................33 WNW AT  2:41 P.M.
                   ASOS....................35 WNW AT  4:21 P.M.
                   DAVIS...................36 NW  AT  2:41 P.M.  RMY 37
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.............26 WNW AT  3:22 P.M. *
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..............25 NW  AT  3:26 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.............26 WNW AT  3:26 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.........17.8 WNW
                   ASOS..................16.1
                   DAVIS.................15.8 WNW [302 deg]
* Last of several occurrences

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M...Trace  DEPARTURE...........-0.17
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........0.01  DEPARTURE...........-0.68
                         ASOS..............0.02
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........8.40  DEPARTURE...........-0.71
                         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.......Trace   DEPARTURE............-0.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH...............0.2   DEPARTURE............-1.9
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON.............61.4   DEPARTURE...........+12.3

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR MARCH 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

3/1   39/33/36/+5/0.00/0.0/.../..     25 NNW AERO 24 MPH NNW RMY 28
3/2   42/30/36/+5/0.00/0.0/.../..     18 NW  AERO 16 MPH NW  RMY 21
3/3   42/30/36/+4/0.01/0.2/.../..     17 WNW AERO 15 MPH WNW RMY N/A
3/4   39/26/33/+1/T/T/.../..          32 NW  AERO 33 MPH WNW RMY 37

3/5   the morning low temp: 30F; the normal low is now 23F

DAILY RECORDS FOR MARCH 2013
None so far.

DAILY EXTREMES 
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):

RECORDS FOR MARCH 5
HIGH 64 IN 1979
LOW -2 IN 1948
PRECIP 1.76 INS. IN 2001
SNOWFALL 13.0 INS. IN 1891
PEAK GUST 76e MPH WNW IN 1971

RECORDS FOR MARCH 6
HIGH 66 IN 1894
LOW 3 IN 1948, 2007
PRECIP 1.85 INS. IN 2001
SNOWFALL 15.5 INS. IN 2001
PEAK GUST 82 MPH S IN 1959

TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Sean Fankhauser