BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2013
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
NOVEMBER ENDING COLD AND CLEAR
HIGHEST BAROMETRIC PRESSURE IN YEARS OBSERVED TODAY
 
The temperature fell to 15F early this morning on the summit, making this
the second coldest morning of the season so far, behind only the 14F
temperature last Monday the 25th.  This reading was still easily above
the record low for this date of 7F set in 1887 and 1929.  Despite near full
sunshine, the temperature has only risen to a high of 32F by 1PM this
afternoon, a testament to how chilly this air mass is.  The average high
temperature for today's date is 45F.  As mentioned, the sky has been mostly
clear today, but stratocumulus clouds were observed to our east throughout
the morning.  These produced some ocean-effect snow flurries and snow
showers for parts of the area near the coast, including Cape Cod.  More
stratocumulus have formed over the rest of the sky early this afternoon.
The wind was light from the north for most of the morning, but became
variable after about 11:00 A.M.
 
Of note today is the high barometric pressure.  The sea level pressure
topped out at 30.80 ins. Hg around 9:15 this morning as a strong area of
high pressure moved over the region.  This is the highest barometer reading
since March 4, 2011, which was also 30.80 ins. Hg.  The last time the
pressure was higher than 30.80 was 30.81 ins. Hg on March 21, 2007.  The
pressure has started dropping late this morning and into the afternoon, but
it remains quite high.
 
November is ending on a chilly note, and it will end up over 1.5 degrees
below average.  Including today, 10 of the month's final 12 days averaged
below normal, erasing a positive temperature departure of 1.1 degrees
that had developed by November 18.  This month will also end with a
rainfall and snowfall deficit.  About two thirds of the month's
precipitation occurred during the storm on November 26-27.
 
Today's Observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few stratus fractus N, stratocumulus distant NNE-S, few
cirrus distant ESE
Temperature: 16F; Dew Point: 9F; Wind: N at 9 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.78 ins. Hg, rising
Visibility: 55 miles, distant haze
6-hr min temp: 15F
BHO SA 1155 CLR 55 422/16/9/3509/078/ FEW STFRA N SC DSNT NNE-S
FEW CI DSNT ESE DSNT HZ/ 8/501 52005 10018 20015
 
10 A.M. 
Weather: Clear, stratocumulus distant NNE-S, few cirrus
Temperature: 26F; Dew Point: 15F; Wind: N at 6 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.78 ins. Hg, rising then falling
Visibility: 70 miles, light distant haze
BHO SA 1455 CLR 70 424/26/15/3506/078/ SC DSNT NNE-S FEW CI LGT DSNT HZ/
8/501 50002
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered stratocumulus, thin scattered cirrus
Temperature: 30F; Dew Point: 19F; Wind: Estimated SE at 4 kts,
Wind: Light and variable
Sea-level pressure: 30.71 ins. Hg, falling then falling more slowly
Visibility: 70 miles, light distant haze
6-hr max temp: 32F
BHO SA 1755 30 SCT 270 –SCT 70 399/30/19/E1404/071/ LGT DSNT HZ
WND LGT AND VRB/ 8/501 56025 10032 20016
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2013
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....33    NORMAL.....45
MIN.....19    NORMAL.....29
MEAN....26    NORMAL.....37
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.....................-11
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.....................-37 [-1.5 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............39  DEPARTURE........+11
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............706  DEPARTURE........+36
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........1183  DEPARTURE........-50
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......1117  DIFFERENCE.......+66
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY..................23 NNW AT 9:29 P.M.
                   AERO.......................23 NNW AT 9:32 P.M. *
                   ASOS.......................25 NNW AT 9:30 P.M.
                   DAVIS......................23 N   AT 9:29 P.M. RMY 24
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY....................16 NW  AT 2:36 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE.................16 NW  AT 2:37 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE................15 W   AT 2:37 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION............8.9 WNW
                   ASOS.....................7.5
                   DAVIS....................7.8 NW [305 degrees]
* last of several occurrences...
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M... 0.00   DEPARTURE............-0.16
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........3.59   DEPARTURE............-1.01
                         ASOS..............3.60
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........46.60   DEPARTURE............-1.77
                         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.............-0.1
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH.............0.2     DEPARTURE.............-1.9
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON............0.2     DEPARTURE.............-2.2
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR NOVEMBER 2013 CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SNOW/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
 
11/1  68/56/62/+16/0.10/0.0/012/02        60 SSW AERO N/A N/A    RMY 66
11/2  65/49/57/+11/0.00/0.0/296/48        22 WSW AERO N/A N/A    RMY 23
11/3  49/30/40/-6/0.06/T/135/22           23 N   AERO N/A N/A    RMY N/A
11/4  42/27/35/-10/0.00/0.0/588/96        24 NNE AERO N/A N/A    RMY 25
11/5  50/29/40/-5/0.00/0.0/487/80         16 SSW AERO N/A N/A    RMY 17
11/6  59/40/50/+5/0.00/0.0/419/69         30 SSW AERO 31 MPH SSW RMY 33
11/7  65/37/51/+6/0.31/0.0/079/13         33 SW  AERO 37 MPH SW  RMY 37
11/8  48/31/40/-4/T/T/0.0/421/70          37 WNW AERO 37 MPH WNW RMY 39
11/9  44/29/37/-7/0.00/0.0/366/61         25 WNW AERO 25 MPH WNW RMY 29
11/10 52/40/46/+2/0.08/0.0/108/18         31 WNW AERO 33 MPH WNW RMY N/A
11/11 51/36/44/+1/0.00/0.0/500/84         36 WNW AERO 37 MPH WNW RMY 37
11/12 48/24/36/-7/0.11/0.2/000/00         42 SW  AERO 43 MPH SW  RMY 43
11/13 35/21/28/-15/0.00/0.0/591/100       29 NW  AERO 30 MPH NW  RMY 30
11/14 49/26/38/-4/0.00/0.0/536/91         25 SW  AERO 25 MPH SW  RMY 28
11/15 59/38/49/+7/0.00/0.0/393/67         24 S   AERO 25 MPH S   RMY 26
11/16 59/40/50/+8/0.00/0.0/363/62         20 WSW AERO 20 MPH WSW RMY N/A
11/17 59/42/51/+10/0.07/0.0/000/00        23 SSE AERO 25 MPH SSE RMY N/A
11/18 65/46/56/+15/0.28/0.0/400/69        40 SSW AERO 40 MPH S   RMY N/A
11/19 46/28/37/-4/0.00/0.0/428/74         46 WNW AERO 46 MPH WNW RMY 46
11/20 40/25/33/-7/0.00/0.0/565/98         23 NW  AERO 22 MPH NW  RMY 22
11/21 46/26/36/-4/0.00/0.0/460/80         16 SW  AERO 16 MPH SW  RMY N/A
11/22 46/39/43/+3/0.22/0.0/000/00         17 WSW AERO 18 MPH SW  RMY 19
11/23 46/27/37/-2/0.00/0.0/451/79         40 WNW AERO 44 MPH WNW RMY 48
11/24 27/17/22/-17/0.00/0.0/552/97        53 NW  AERO 59 MPH NW  RMY 57
11/25 32/14/23/-16/0.00/0.0/568/100       29 W   AERO 29 MPH WNW RMY N/A
11/26 42/29/36/-2/0.13/T/000/00           25 SW  AERO 27 MPH SW  RMY 28
11/27 61/34/48/+10/2.23/0.0/000/00        63 SSE AERO 68 MPH SSE RMY 67
11/28 35/21/28/-10/0.00/0.0/.../..        43 W   AERO 46 MPH W   RMY 45
11/29 33/19/26/-11/0.00/0.0/.../..        23 NNW AERO 23 MPH NNW RMY 24
 
11/30 morning low temp: 15F; the normal low is now 29F
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR NOVEMBER 2013
11/27 - NEW RECORD MAXIMUM DAILY PRECIPITATION OF 2.23 INCHES;
        surpasses the previous record of 1.92 inches in 1898
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR NOVEMBER 30
HIGH 67 IN 2006
LOW 7 IN 1887, 1929
PRECIP 2.42 INCHES IN 1944
SNOWFALL 10.2 INS IN 1945
PEAK GUST 90 SSW IN 1963
 
RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 1
HIGH 70 IN 2001
LOW 3 IN 1887
PRECIP 1.46 INS. IN 1917
SNOW 2.0 INS. IN 1902
PEAK GUST 72 MPH NW IN 1964
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Jonathan O'Brien