BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
MILD TEMPERATURES AND HIGH VISIBILITY
 
We've continued our streak of below average temperatures here in March
to 11 days, but today has been comfortable in the low 40s with low
humidity. Mount Monadnock looked pristine today and visibility was
estimated at 90 miles in all directions. Scattered cumulus humilis
moved in from the WNW but still allowed for plenty of sunshine.
 
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) 37.2 in 2013  (through 3/21/2013)
6) 35.5 in 1993
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Clear, stratocumulus distant WSW-N, cumulus offshore NE-ESE
Temperature: 31F; Dew Point: 20F; Wind: W at 8 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 29.82 ins. Hg, falling then rising
Visibility: 75 miles, light distant haze
Snow depth: 2 inches
6-hour min. temp: 28F
BHO SA 1155 CLR 75 097/31/20/2708/982/ SC DSNT WSW-N CU OFSHR NE-ESE
LT DSNT HZ/ 8//// 53018 40002 10031 20028
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few cumulus fractus all quadrants, scattered cumulus
distant SW-NNW
Temperature: 40F; Dew Point: 21F; Wind: NW at 10 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 29.81 ins. Hg, falling slightly
Visibility: 90 miles
BHO SA 1455 CLR 90 096/40/21/3210/981/ FEW CUFRA ALQDS
SCT CU DSNT SW-NNW/ 8/100 56001
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered cumulus humilis, cirrus distant SE-WSW
Temperature: 43F; Dew Point: 21F; Wind: NW at 10 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 29.81 ins. Hg, falling slightly
Visibility: 90 miles
6-hour max. temp: 43 F
BHO SA 1755 60 SCT 90 095/43/21/3310/981/ CI DSNT SSE-WSW/
8/100 56001 10043 20031
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SATURDAY, MARCH 23
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....41     NORMAL.....46
MIN.....28     NORMAL.....29                         
MEAN....35     NORMAL.....38  
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.......................-3
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.......................-4 [-0.2 DEGREE/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS 
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............30   DEPARTURE............+3
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........712   DEPARTURE............+2
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........4832   DEPARTURE..........-445
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE....4094   DIFFERENCE.........+738
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...............40 W   AT  3:10 P.M.
                   AERO....................38 W   AT  3:10 P.M.
                   ASOS....................41 W   AT  3:10 P.M.
                   DAVIS...................40 W   AT  3:50 P.M. RMY: 42
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.............30 W   AT  1:12 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..............30 W   AT  3:11 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.............28 WNW AT  4:17 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.........18.8 W
                   ASOS..................17.3
                   DAVIS.................16.1 WNW [286 deg]
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00  DEPARTURE...........-0.20
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........5.58  DEPARTURE...........+1.47
                         ASOS..............5.74
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........13.97  DEPARTURE...........+1.44
                         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............-0.2
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH..............37.2   DEPARTURE...........+26.9
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON.............98.4   DEPARTURE...........+41.1
 
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/+3/0.19/0.3/000/00     47 NE  AERO 46 MPH NE  RMY 51
3/7  34/29/32/-1/1.36/11.5/000/00    45 NE  AERO 45 MPH NE  RMY 47
3/8  37/28/33/0/1.89/18.0/000/00     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/-8/0.00/0.0/014/02     37 W   AERO 37 MPH NW  RMY 38
3/15 39/17/28/-7/0.00/0.0/408/57     35 NW  AERO 37 MPH W   RMY 34
3/16 39/25/32/-3/0.00/0.0/352/49     23 NW  AERO 18 MPH WNW RMY 20
3/17 38/23/31/-5/0.00/0.0/665/95     32 WNW AERO 28 MPH WNW RMY 34
3/18 37/16/27/-9/0.14/1.1/557/77     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 37/22/30/-7/0.00/0.0/.../..     37 W   AERO 33 MPH W   RMY 38
3/21 36/27/32/-5/0.03/0.3/.../..     15 NNW AERO  8 MPH NW  RMY N/A
3/22 39/26/33/-4/0.00/0.0/.../..     30 W   AERO 29 MPH W   RMY 34
3/23 41/28/35/-3/0.00/0.0/.../..     40 W   AERO 38 MPH W   RMY 42
 
3/24  the morning low temp: 28F; the normal low is now 29F
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR MARCH 2013
3/7 - NEW DAILY RECORD SNOWFALL OF 11.5 INCHES;
      surpasses the previous record of 11.1 inches in 1967
3/8 - NEW DAILY RECORD SNOWFALL OF 18.0 INCHES;
      surpasses the previous record of 8.3 inches in 1941
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR MARCH 24
HIGH 70 DEGREES IN 1920
LOW 6 DEGREES IN 1906
PRECIP 1.51 INS. IN 1956
SNOWFALL 12.3 INS. IN 1956
PEAK GUST 71 MPH W IN 1968
 
RECORDS FOR MARCH 25
HIGH 76 IN 1910
LOW 8 IN 1888, 1956
PRECIP 1.84 INS. IN 1909
SNOWFALL 1.0 INS. IN 1912
PEAK GUST 69 MPH SE IN 1969
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Forrest Iwanik