BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2013
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
A COLD AND WINDY DAY--SPRING BEGAN AT 7:02 A.M. EDT
LATE SEASON WINTER STORM FINAL TOTAL 6.9 INCHES ON
MARCH 18-19--MONTHLY TOTAL NOW 36.9 INS. {+27.9]
MARCH IS FIFTH SNOWIEST ON RECORD THROUGH 19TH
SEASONAL SNOWFALL TOTAL HAS REACHED 98.1 INS. [+42.1]
MARCH ABOUT TO BECOME A COLDER THAN NORMAL MONTH
 
Today is a cold and windy day with high temperatures
only in the 30's while W-WNW winds gust to 30 to 38 MPH.
 
After 6.0 inches of snowfall ending 7 A.M. yesterday
came a change to ice pellets, briefly some freezing
drizzle and then a mixture of rain and ice pellets into the
afternoon.  Through 4 P.M. EDT a total of 0.4 inch
of solid precipitation fell after 8 A.M. bringing
the event total to 6.4 inches.  Snow began again
about 6 P.M. EDT and an additional 0.5 inch of snowfall
was on the boards by the time precipitation finally
ended between 10 and 11 P.M. EDT.  So the final total was
6.9 inches.  The monthly (36.0) and seasonal (98.1)
totals are astronomical when compared to what happened
one year ago in 2012.  March had only 4.0 inches and the
final seasonal total was 24.2 inches after no snow fell
during April but October 2011 had a very abnormal 8.5
inches.
 
During the first 13 days of the month March temperatures
averaged 4 degrees warmer than normal but now with a
week of below normal daily means, this month is about to
begin to show a negative temperature departure.

Blue Hill Snowiest Marches, inches (1885-2013)

1) 52.0 in 1956
2) 42.2 in 1916
3) 41.4 in 2001
4) 41.0 in 1967
5) 36.9 in 2013  (through 3/19/2013)
6) 35.5 in 1993
7) 33.9 in 1960
8) 30.6 in 1958

 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M. 
Weather: Clear, few altocumulus and altocumulus lenticularis
to the NW-E (mostly distant)
Temperature: 24F; Dew Point: 19F; Wind: W at 16G24 kts,
Wind: Peak wind 26 kts. from the W at 6:21 A.M. EST
Sea-level pressure: 29.74 ins. Hg, rising slightly
Visibility: 25 miles, hazy
24-hr precip: 0.75 inch
24-hr snowfall: 0.9 inch
Snow depth: 6 inches
BHO SA 1155 CLR 25 071/24/19/2716G24/974/ FEW AC/ACSL MSTLY DSNT
NW-E HAZY PK WND 2626/21/ TOTAL NEW SNW PST 24 HRS 0.9 IN/
8/040 4/006/ 51005 ASOS 70068 MANUAL 70075 10025 20022
 
10 A.M. 
Weather: Scattered cumulus fractus forming, scattered cumulus,
few cumulus congestus 
Temperature: 30F; Dew Point: 18F; Wind: W at 21G30 kts,
Wind: Peak wind 31 kts. from the W at 9:21 A.M. EST
Sea-level pressure: 29.74 ins. Hg, rising slightly
Visibility: 35 miles, distant haze  
BHO SA 1455 30 SCT 35 072/30/18/2721G30/974/ CUFRA/CU/FEW MDT CU
DSNT HZ PK WND 2831/21/ 8/200 53001 
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered cumulus fractus, cumulus and stratocumulus
generated by cumulus, virga distant WNW-NE
Temperature: 35F; Dew Point: 16F; Wind: W at 16G24 kts,
Wind: Peak wind 27 kts from the W at 12:28 P.M. EST,
Wind: Variability of direction WSW to NW
Sea-level pressure: 29.75 ins. Hg, falling slightly
Visibility: 50 miles, except 20 miles NNW-N in distant
showers of snow
BHO SA 1755 50 SCT 50 073/35/16/2816G24/975/ CU/SCCU ALQDS
VIRGA DSNT WNW-NE VSBY NNW-N 20 SHSN PK WND 2727/28/ WND 24V31/
8/400 50001 10036 20024
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, MARCH 19
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....35     NORMAL.....45
MIN.....26     NORMAL.....27                         
MEAN....31     NORMAL.....36  
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.......................-5
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH......................+15 [+0.6 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS 
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............34   DEPARTURE............+5
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........582   DEPARTURE...........-16
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........4702   DEPARTURE..........-464
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE....4089   DIFFERENCE.........+613
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...............42 E   AT  1:15 P.M. *
                   AERO....................39 E   AT  1:15 P.M.
                   ASOS....................44 E   AT 11:14 A.M.
                   DAVIS...................41 ENE AT  1:11 P.M. RMY: 43
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.............30 ENE AT  1:19 P.M. 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..............30 ENE AT  1:19 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.............28 E   AT 11:15 A.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.........19.6
                   ASOS..................18.5
                   DAVIS.................17.0 ENE [060 deg]
* last of several occurrences...
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.75  DEPARTURE...........+0.54
                         ASOS..............0.68
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........5.55  DEPARTURE...........+2.22
                         ASOS..............5.70
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........13.94  DEPARTURE...........+2.19
                         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.........0.9   DEPARTURE............+0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH..............36.9   DEPARTURE...........+27.9
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON.............98.1   DEPARTURE...........+42.1
 
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/+5/0.00/0.0/047/07     25 NNW AERO 24 MPH NNW RMY 28
3/2  42/30/36/+5/0.00/0.0/400/59     18 NW  AERO 16 MPH NW  RMY 21
3/3  42/30/36/+4/0.01/0.2/034/05     17 WNW AERO 15 MPH WNW RMY N/A
3/4  39/26/33/+1/T/T/328/48          32 NW  AERO 33 MPH WNW RMY 37
3/5  43/30/37/+5/0/0/123/18          27 WNW AERO 24 MPH WNW RMY N/A
3/6  37/33/35/+3/.../.../000/00 *    47 NE  AERO 46 MPH NE  RMY 51
3/7  34/29/32/-1/.../.../000/00 *    45 NE  AERO 45 MPH NE  RMY 47
3/8  37/28/33/0/.../.../000/00  *    41 NNE AERO 39 MPH NNW RMY 45
3/9  40/29/35/+2/0.00/0.0/677/97     29 N   AERO 23 MPH N   RMY 28
3/10 40/27/34/+1/0.00/0.0/372/53     21 S   AERO 17 MPH S   RMY N/A
3/11 50/32/41/+7/0.00/0.0/099/14     27 S   AERO 25 MPH S   RMY N/A
3/12 52/39/46/+12/0.51/0.0/000/00    45 S   AERO 46 MPH S   RMY 47
3/13 50/33/42/+8/T/0.0/674/95        32 WNW AERO 32 MPH WNW RMY 34
3/14 34/20/27/-8/0.00/0.0/.../..     37 W   AERO 37 MPH NW  RMY 38
3/15 39/17/28/-7/0.00/0.0/.../..     35 NW  AERO 37 MPH W   RMY 34
3/16 39/25/32/-3/0.00/0.0/.../..     23 NW  AERO 18 MPH WNW RMY 20
3/17 38/23/31/-5/0.00/0.0/.../..     32 WNW AERO 28 MPH WNW RMY 34
3/18 37/16/27/-9/0.14/1.1/.../..     27 NNW AERO 23 MPH NNW RMY N/A
3/19 35/26/31/-5/1.45/5.8/000/00     42 E   AERO 39 MPH E   RMY 43  `
 
3/20 the morning low temp: 22F; the normal low is now 28F
 
* Precipitation and snowfall for calendar days March 6-8 are under
  review. The records under review are as follows: (inches)
  March 6  0.19 precip //  0.3 snowfall
  March 7  1.36 precip // 11.5 snowfall  
  March 8  1.89 precip // 18.0 snowfall
  
DAILY RECORDS FOR MARCH 2013
None so far.
Calendar day precipitation and snowfall amounts for 3/6-8 are
under review.
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR MARCH 20
HIGH 79 IN 1945
LOW 4 IN 1885
PRECIP 1.39 INS. IN 1957
SNOWFALL 11.4 INS. IN 1957
PEAK GUST 63 MPH SE IN 1975
 
RECORDS FOR MARCH 21
HIGH 81 IN 1921
LOW 2 IN 1885
PRECIP 2.67 INS. IN 1974
SNOWFALL 10.6 INS. IN 1958
PEAK GUST 72 MPH NE IN 1958
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling