BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
SUNDAY, APRIL 12, 2015    
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

BRIGHT SUN BRINGS TEMPERATURES ABOVE 60 FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE
DECEMBER
 
Temperatures have climbed well into the 50's as bright sunshine
continues with no clouds to be seen through the 10 AM observation.
 
Temperatures have climbed above 60 for the first time since December
25th.  Temperatures at the 1 PM Observation were measured at 65
degrees and are expected to climb higher. 
 
Both ponds at this morning's 7:00 AM EST observation were visible
with Houghton's and Ponkapoag ponds completely thawed, which makes
April 10, 2015 tied for the second latest thaw of Houghton's Pond
since 1886 and the latest thaw on record for Ponkapoag, beating the
old record of April 10, 1926, by one day. Note the records below:

Latest Houghton's Pond Thaw Date, (1886-2015)
 
1) April 14, 1926
2) April 10, 1887
   April 10, 1888
   April 10, 2015
4) April 9, 1923
5) April 8, 1993
6) April 7, 1899
   April 7, 1956
8) April 6, 1916
   April 6, 1917
   April 6, 1924
   April 6, 1940
12) April 5, 1895
    April 5, 1920
    April 5, 1941
    April 5, 1969
    April 5, 1994
17) April 4, 1904
    April 4, 1906
    April 4, 1967
    April 4, 2001
21) April 3, 1892
 
Latest Ponkapoag Pond Thaw Date, (1886-2015)
 
1) April 11, 2015
2) April 10, 1926
3) April 9, 1923
4) April 6, 1940
5) April 5, 1916
   April 5, 1924
7) April 4, 1967
   April 4, 1994
9) April 3, 1904
   April 3, 1920
 
 
-----------------------------------------------------
 
Today's Observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Clear (SKC)
Temperature: 40F; Dew Point: 27F; Wind: W at 7 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.25 ins. Hg, increasing then more slowly
Visibility: 70 miles, light distant haze
6-hr Max temp: 40F
6-hr Min temp: 35F
BHO SA 1155 CLR 70 245/40/27/2707/025/ SKC LGT DSNT HZ/ 51028
10040 20035
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Clear (SKC)
Temperature: 53F; Dew Point: 25F; Wind: SSW at 7 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.26 ins. Hg, increasing then decreasing
Visibility: 75 miles, except 70 NE, light distant haze
BHO SA 1455 CLR 75 249/53/25/2007/026/ SKC LGT DSNT HZ/ 50004
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Clear  (SKC)
Temperature: 65F; Dew Point: 28F; Wind: W at 8 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.22 ins. Hg, rising, then more quickly
Visibility: 65 miles, except 70 NE, light distant haze increasing
6-hr Max temp: 65F
6-hr Min temp: 40F
BHO SA 1755 CLR 65 235/65/28/2608/022/ SKC 70 NE LGT DSNT HZ INCR/
58014 10065 20040
 
 
SUMMARY FOR SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....56   NORMAL.....54
MIN.....38   NORMAL.....36
MEAN....47   NORMAL.....45
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.......................+2
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH......................-22 [-2.2 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............18  DEPARTURE...........-2
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............264  DEPARTURE..........+22    
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........6007  DEPARTURE.........+281
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......5829  DIFFERENCE........+178
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY..................39 WNW AT  10:14 A.M.  
                   ASOS.......................46 WNW AT  10:15 A.M.   
                   DAVIS......................46 WNW AT  10:14 A.M. RMY 48
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY....................33 WNW AT  10:11 A.M.  
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE.................32 WNW AT  10:16 A.M.     
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE................30 WNW AT  10:15 A.M.    
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION............19.6 WNW     
                   ASOS.....................18.9   
                   DAVIS.....................16.8 W [280 degrees]
* Last of several occurrences...

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M.....0.00  DEPARTURE.....-0.17
                         ASOS...............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH...........1.43  DEPARTURE.....-0.44 
                         ASOS...............1.38
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........16.02  DEPARTURE.....+0.28
                         ASOS................N/A ***
*** ASOS annual totals not available due to erroneous readings
 
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M...........0.0  DEPARTURE.....-0.2
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH.................0.0  DEPARTURE.....-1.8
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............150.8  DEPARTURE....+89.3
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR APRIL CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SNOWFALL/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/ PEAK GUST/RMY GUST
RMY:  R.M. Young wind gust recording system
TSTM: Thunderstorm day (thunder heard some time during day)
....: Data not yet available, records not finalized
 
4/1  44/26/35/-6/0.00/0.0/748/98              30 WNW RMY 31
4/2  59/29/44/+3/T/0.0/375/49                 39 SSW RMY 43
4/3  56/47/52/+10/0.02/0.0/000/00             36 SW  RMY N/A
4/4  49/32/41/-1/..../0.0/501/65              54 NW  RMY 64
4/5  47/30/39/-4/..../0.0/464/60              40 W   RMY 45
4/6  48/33/41/-2/0/00/0.0/544/70              18 NE  RMY N/A 
4/7  39/34/37/-6/..../0.0/000/00              21 NE  RMY N/A
4/8  41/32/37/-7/..../T/000/00                30 ENE RMY 32
4/9  35/32/34/-10/..../0.0/000/00             31 ENE RMY 32
4/10 53/35/44/-1/..../0.0/000/00              31 SW  RMY N/A
4/11 56/35/46/+1/0.00/0.0/.../..              39 WNW RMY 48
 
4/12 low since midnight is 34F normal low is 36F
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR APRIL 2015
 
4/3 - NEW RECORD DAILY HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE: 47F
      surpasses the previous record of 46F in 1892
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated): 
 
RECORDS FOR APRIL 12
HIGH 82 IN 1945
LOW 17 IN 1926
PRECIP 1.51 IN. IN 1993
SNOWFALL 12.0 IN. IN 1894
PEAK GUST 65e MPH W IN 1978
 
RECORDS FOR APRIL 13
HIGH 85 IN 1945
LOW 22 IN 1939
PRECIP 2.51 IN. IN 2004
SNOWFALL 6.8 IN. IN 1933
PEAK GUST 59 MPH SSW IN 1995
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY:  Robert Millette/Robert Skilling