BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2013
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
ANOTHER COOL MORNING MATCHES SEASON LOW,
GUSTY AFTERNOON BREAKS 50 DEGREES F
DRY SPELL CONTINUES, NEARLY BACK TO AVERAGE FOR THE YEAR
 
This morning's low of 34F matched that of yesterday and is joint-coldest
of the season. There was a thin veneer of frost over the snow boards at
the 7:00 EST observation, but ground frost yet. The crisp, clear morning sky
grew progressively more cloudy throughout the day as gusty winds whipped in
from the SW reaching 31 kts (36 MPH) just before the afternoon observation.
 
Blue Hill has yet to have its first freeze (< = 32F) of the season.  The
long term average date (1886-2012) of the first freeze at Blue Hill is
October 20 (Julian day 293).  The 30-year average (1981-2010) date of the
first freeze is October 21 (Julian day 294).  The latest freeze was
November 14, 1938 (Julian day 319).  The earliest freeze was September 23,
1904 (Julian day 266).
 
The dry month and season continued today. October is now 2.77 inches drier
than average, with less than an inch (0.98) of total precipitation. For the
year we have plummeted back to nearly average despite a surplus of 7.8 inches
falling in June alone. Seven of the ten months thus far in 2013 have had
precipitation deficits, four of which being more than an inch below normal.
 
Today's Observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Clear with few cirrus in the vicinity, few cumulus and cumulus
fractus distant ESE-SW, WNW-NNE, and offshore NE-ENE
Temperature: 35F; Dew Point: 29F; Wind: SW at 8 kts.
Sea-level pressure: 30.13 ins. Hg, decreasing then increasing
Visibility: 70 miles, light distant haze
6-hr max temp: 37F
6-hr min temp: 34F
BHO SA 1155 CLR 70 204/35/29/2108/013/ FEW CI IN VCY CU/CUFRA DSNT ESE-SW
AND WNW-NNE AND OFSHR NE-ENE FROST ON SNOW BOARDS LT DSNT HZ/
8/001 53001 10037 20034
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Scattered altocumulus, Scattered cirrus, few cumulus and
cumulus fractus distant NE-SW
Temperature: 47F; Dew Point: 29F; Wind: SW at 11G23 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.10 ins. Hg, increasing then decreasing
Visibility: 80 miles
BHO SA 1455 150 SCT 250 SCT 80 193/47/29/2411G23/010/ CU/CUFRA DSNT NE-SW/
8/021 58011
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered cumulus, scattered altocumulus, scattered cirrocumulus,
thin scattered cirrus with sun dimly visible
Temperature: 53F; Dew Point: 25F; Wind: SW at 12G31 kts,
Wind: Peak gust: 31 kts SW (220 deg) at 1249E
Sea-level pressure: 30.00 ins. Hg, decreasing the decreasing more slowly
Visibility: 70 miles, light distant haze
6-hr max temp: 53F
BHO SA 1755 50 SCT 150 SCT 200 SCT 270 –SCT 70 160/53/25/2212G31/000/ SUN
DMLY VSBL THRU –SCT CI PK GUST 2231/1249E LT DSNT HZ/ 8/111 56033 10053 20035
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....49    NORMAL.....57
MIN.....34    NORMAL.....40
MEAN....42    NORMAL.....49
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.....................-7
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH...................+98 [+3.9 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..............23  DEPARTURE.........+7
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............193  DEPARTURE.......-100
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON............362  DEPARTURE........-96
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.......352  DIFFERENCE.......+10
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY..................25 WNW   AT  11:01 A.M.
                   AERO.......................26 WNW   AT  11:00 A.M.
                   ASOS.......................26 WNW   AT   1:57 P.M.
                   DAVIS......................25 WNW   AT  11:01 A.M. RMY 26
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY....................19 WNW   AT  11:01 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE.................18 WNW   AT   1:57 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE................18 WNW   AT  11:03 A.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION............12.1 WNW
                   ASOS.....................11.6
                   DAVIS....................10.8 W  [280 degrees]
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00   DEPARTURE.............-0.15
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........0.98   DEPARTURE.............-2.77
                         ASOS..............0.97
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........42.90   DEPARTURE.............+0.07
                         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/T/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 50/40/45/-4/0.00/.../..         18 WNW AERO 18 MPH WNW RMY N/A
10/24 53/36/45/-4/0.00/.../..         31 W   AERO 31 MPH W   RMY 34
10/25 49/34/42/-7/0.00/.../..         25 WNW AERO 26 MPH WNW RMY 26
 
10/26 morning low temp: 34F; the normal low is now 39F
 
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 26
HIGH 80F IN 1963
LOW 24F IN 1933
PRECIP 1.72 INCHES IN 1894
SNOW 3.0 INCHES IN 1962
WIND 59 MPH SSE IN 1967
 
RECORDS FOR OCTOBER 27
HIGH 83F IN 1963
LOW 21F IN 1936
PRE 1.79 INCHES IN 1886
SNOW 2.5 INCHES IN 2011
WIND 54 MPH WNW IN 1968
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Forrest Iwanik