BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
BELOW NORMAL DAILY TEMPERATURES RETURNING TODAY
CLOUDS INCREASE AND THICKENING AFTER EARLY MORNING SUNSHINE
LINE OF CLEARING FAR TO THE WEST AS A THICK ALTOSTRATUS
LAYER COVERS THE WHOLE SKY
 
Temperatures struggled up to 50 degrees after a normal morning
low of 40F so today will average out colder than the normal of
49 degrees.  Lots of virga was observed falling from the
altostratus layer early this afternoon but a line of clearing
could be seen along the horizon distant W-NW. Winds continue
very light early this afternoon as the barometer continues to
fall steadily a total of 3 millibars in 3 hours ending 2 p.m. EDT.
 
The precipitation total for the month of 0.98 inch is OVER
2 inches drier than normal this late into October.
 
Today's Observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Scattered stratocumulus, patch dense cirrus with virga
vicinity of station N dissipating, clouds dissipating past hour  
Temperature: 41F; Dew Point: 32F; Wind: W at 4 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.77 ins. Hg, falling then rising slightly  
Visibility: 60 miles, except 70 miles northwest 
6-hr min temp: 40F
24-hour precip: trace 
BHO SA 1155 50 SCT 200 SCT 60 082/41/32/2604/977/ SC ALQDS DSPTG PST HR
PTCH DNS CI/VIRGA VC N DSPTNG PTCHS THN F BLO SMT/INVSN VSBY NW 70
LGT DSNT HZ/ 8/502 55005 10043 20040
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Overcast altostratus/altocumulus, thin spots/small break in
overcast distant N-E, higher clouds visible distant N-E  
Temperature: 48F; Dew Point: 30F; Wind: WNW at 3 kts,
Wind: Light
Sea-level pressure: 29.75 ins. Hg, falling then more rapidly 
Visibility: 70 miles, light distant haze  
BHO SA 1455 E150 200 OVC 70 073/48/30/2903/975/ THN SPTS IOVC/SML BINOVC
DSNT N-E HIER CLDS VSB DSNT N-E VIRGA W SUN DMLY VSB
LGT DSNT HZ WND LGT/ 8/077 58009
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Overcast altostratus, few stratocumulus distant SE-S,
virga all quadrants, break in overcast along line of distant
clearing extending along horizon W-NW, cumulus, few moderate
cumulus forming along line of clearing distant W-NNW
Temperature: 49F; Dew Point: 31F; Wind: NW at 5 kts, 
Wind: Light
Sea-level pressure: 29.66 ins. Hg, falling then more rapidly 
Visibility: 70 miles, NW 80 miles 
6-hr max temp: 50F 
BHO SA 1755 E80 OVC 70 043/49/31/3105/966/ FEW SC DSNT SE-S LINE OF
CLRG XTDNG ALG HRZN DSNT W-NW CU/MDT CU FRMG ALG LINE OF CLRG DSNT
W-NNW VSBY NW 80 LGT DSNT HZ WND LGT/ 8/52/ 58030 10050 20041
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2013
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....69    NORMAL.....58
MIN.....44    NORMAL.....41
MEAN....57    NORMAL.....49
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.....................+8
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH...................+113 [+4.9 DEGREES/DAY]
 
COOLING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JAN TO DEC)
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............0   DEPARTURE..........0
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR THE MONTH..............5   DEPARTURE..........0
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........701   DEPARTURE........+99
TOTAL COOLING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......767   DIFFERENCE.......-66
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY...............8  DEPARTURE.........-8
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............153  DEPARTURE.......-114
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON............299  DEPARTURE.......-110
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.......316  DIFFERENCE.......-17
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY..................25 SSW AT  11:04 A.M. * 
                   AERO.......................27 SSW AT  11:04 A.M. *    
                   ASOS.......................26 SSW AT  11:05 A.M.   
                   DAVIS......................27 S   AT  10:25 A.M. RMY 27
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY....................19 SSW AT  10:27 A.M.  
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE.................22 SSW AT  10:26 A.M.  
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE................21 SSW AT  10:27 A.M.   
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.............12.7 SSW
                   ASOS......................12.3
                   DAVIS.....................11.8 SW [220 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..........0.98   DEPARTURE.............-2.31
                         ASOS..............0.97
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........42.90   DEPARTURE.............+0.53
                         ASOS..............N/A*
*ASOS malfunctioned during storm on 2/8-9, leading to erroneous totals
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR OCTOBER 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
 
10/1  75/50/63/+6/0.00/676/96         16 WNW AERO 16 MPH WNW RMY 18
10/2  78/56/67/+10/0.00/666/95        29 W   AERO 30 MPH W   RMY 29
10/3  77/56/67/+11/0.00/628/90        20 WNW AERO 20 MPH WNW RMY N/A
10/4  67/56/62/+6/0.26/028/04         18 NW  AERO 20 MPH NW  RMY N/A
10/5  67/56/62/+6/0.01/125/18         14 ENE AERO 12 MPH ENE RMY N/A
10/6  58/53/56/+1/0.56/000/00         20 NE  AERO 20 MPH NE  RMY N/A
10/7  75/57/66/+11/0.07/213/31        48 S   AERO 55 MPH S   RMY 55
10/8  65/50/58/+4/0.00/581/85         25 NW  AERO 27 MPH NW  RMY 28
10/9  59/49/54/0/0.00/545/80          25 ENE AERO 24 MPH ENE RMY 25
10/10 61/46/54/0/0.00/095/14          18 NE  AERO 17 MPH NE  RMY 18
10/11 67/50/59/+6/0.00/473/70         20 NE  AERO 20 MPH NE  RMY N/A
10/12 59/50/55/+2/0.02/007/01         30 ENE AER0 31 MPH ENE RMY 32
10/13 59/46/53/0/0.00/482/72          23 ENE AERO 23 MPH ENE RMY 23
10/14 64/42/53/+1/0.00/580/87         15 SSW AERO 15 MPH SSW RMY 15
10/15 66/50/58/+6/0.00/266/40         16 ESE AERO 16 MPH ESE RMY N/A
10/16 60/49/55/+4/0.00/013/02         23 ESE AERO 24 MPH ESE RMY 23
10/17 70/52/61/+10/0.06/277/42        21 S   AERO 23 MPH S   RMY N/A
10/18 67/50/59/+8/0.00/630/96         32 WNW AERO 32 MPH W   RMY 31
10/19 65/45/55/+5/0.00/379/58         21 W   AERO 22 MPH W   RMY N/A
10/20 61/44/53/+3/0.00/644/99         33 W   AERO 36 MPH W   RMY 34
10/21 67/43/55/+5/0.00/.../..         23 SSW AERO 25 MPH SSW RMY 27
10/22 69/44/57/+8/T/.../..            25 SSW AERO 27 MPH SSW RMY 27
 
10/23 morning low temp: 40F; the normal low is now 40F
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR OCTOBER 2013
None so far.
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR OCTOBER 23
HIGH 82F IN 1947
LOW 24F IN 1969
PRECIP 2.18 INCHES IN 1956
SNOWFALL 3.0 INCHES IN 1891
PEAK GUST 78e MPH NW IN 1941
 
RECORDS FOR OCTOBER 24
HIGH 79F IN 1963
LOW 22F IN 1969
PRECIP 2.96 INCHES IN 1890
SNOWFALL 1.8 INCHES IN 1960
PEAK GUST 70 MPH SE IN 1959
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling