BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2013
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
SURPRISE DRIZZLE EARLY THIS MORNING, YET YEARLY TOTAL FALLS BELOW AVERAGE
WARM, HUMID MORNING DRIES THROUGHOUT THE DAY
GUSTY WINDS DOMINATED YESTERDAY
 
Light rain fell in the early morning hours this morning to give us our first
precipitation since the 18th of this month, totaling 0.04 inch. The overcast
was breaking and moving offshore to our E-ENE at the time of our first
observation this morning. More gusting winds have been shifting from S to W
throughout the morning and early afternoon, reaching 25 MPH. Today's winds
are a bit dull in comparison to yesterday's, where our instrumentation
measured between 35 MPH (420C) and 40 MPH (Merlin) on numerous occasions,
averaging 16.2 MPH out of the SW.
 
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).
 
Despite this morning's drizzle, October is now 2.93 inches drier
than average, with just over an inch (1.02) of total precipitation. For the
year we are now below 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.
We are now 0.05 inches short of the average for the year.
 
Today's Observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Broken stratocumulus NNE-SSW, few cumulus in the vicinity,
scattered stratocumulus distant SW-NE
Temperature: 41F; Dew Point: 38F; Wind: SW at 8 kts.
Sea-level pressure: 29.89 ins. Hg, increasing then increasing more rapidly
Visibility: 35 miles, distant haze
Manual 24-hr precip: 0.04 inch
ASOS 24-hr precip: 0.03 inch
6-hr max temp: 46F
6-hr min temp: 40F
BHO SA 1155 E60 BKN 35 122/41/38/2208/989/ FEW CU VCNTY SCT SC DSNT SW-NE
DSNT HZ/ 8/400 53011 MANUAL 70004 ASOS 70003 10046 20040
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Scattered cumulus humilus and cumulus fractus
Temperature: 49F; Dew Point: 35F; Wind: W at 12 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 29.91 ins. Hg, increasing then increasing more slowly
Visibility: 70 miles, light distant haze
BHO SA 1455 50 SCT 70 128/49/35/2812/991/ LT DSNT HZ/ 8/100 51006
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered stratocumulus and thin scattered cirrus overhead,
broken stratocumulus to the SW-NNE
Temperature: 55F; Dew Point: 33F; Wind: W at 10 kts,
Wind: Direction variable SW-N
Sea-level pressure: 29.90 ins. Hg, decreasing then decreasing more slowly
Visibility: 75 miles, light distant haze
6-hr max temp: 55F
BHO SA 1755 45 SCT 120 –SCT 75 124/55/33/2810/990/ BKN SC DSNT SW-NNE
LT DSNT HZ WND VBL SW-N/ 8/401 56004 10055 20041
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2013
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....54    NORMAL.....57
MIN.....34    NORMAL.....39
MEAN....44    NORMAL.....48
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.....................-4
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH...................+94 [+3.6 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..............21  DEPARTURE.........+4
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............237  DEPARTURE........-96
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON............383  DEPARTURE........-92
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.......359  DIFFERENCE.......+24
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY..................35 SW    AT   3:26 P.M. *
                   AERO.......................36 SSW   AT   4:28 P.M.
                   ASOS.......................38 SSW   AT   1:46 P.M.
                   DAVIS......................37 SSW   AT  12:49 P.M. RMY 39
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY....................28 SSW   AT   4:29 P.M. *
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE.................28 SSW   AT   1:46 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE................27 SSW   AT   4:31 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION............16.2 SW
                   ASOS.....................14.5
                   DAVIS....................14.7 SW  [225 degrees]
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.04   DEPARTURE.............-0.12
                         ASOS..............0.03
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........1.02   DEPARTURE.............-2.93
                         ASOS..............1.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........42.90   DEPARTURE.............-0.05
                         ASOS..............N/A**
*More than one occurrance
**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 54/34/44/-4/0.00/.../..         35 SW  AERO 36 MPH SSW RMY 39
 
10/27 morning low temp: 40F; 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 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
 
RECORDS FOR OCTOBER 28
HIGH 81F IN 1919
LOW 23F IN 1914
PRECIP 2.46 INCHES IN 2006
SNOWFALL TRACE IN 1934,1957,1979
PEAK GUST 71 MPH SSW IN 1995
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Forrest Iwanik