BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2015  
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

MUCH NEEDED SOAKING RAIN FALLS OVERNIGHT, 
BRINGS 0.62 INCHES OF NEW PRECIP, GUSTY WINDS

Rain, drizzle and fog came to an end this morning after coming
down heavy at times. A maximum temperature of 61F was reached
around 5:00 AM EST before a frontal passage pushed temperatures
down more than 10 degrees in a 30 minute span. 

Yesterday's maximum temperature was 60F reached at midnight
this morning. Yesterday's temperature departure of +20 has
now pushed December's temperatures 10.7 degrees F above normal.

By today's 1:00 PM EST observation skies were partly cloudy
with gusty winds. Visibility was excellent at 80 miles, with
the exception of 60 miles from W-NW with showers distant.

Winds had gusted to a peak of 48 MPH from the W at 12:30 PM EST
so far.

 
Today's Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Light rain shower, broken altocumulus, overcast
nimbostratus, few stratus fractus in all directions,
patches of fog drifting below the summit W and ESE
Temperature: 47F; Dew Point: 47F; Wind: WNW at 13G20 kts
Peak Wind: 26 knots NW at 6:00 AM EST
Sea-level pressure: 29.33 ins. Hg, falling, then rising and higher  
Visibility: 10 miles, 1 mile W and 60 miles WNW,
thin fog, light rain shower, patches of fog
6-hr Max temp: 61F 
6-hr Min temp: 47F
24-hr precip: 0.62 
BHO SA 1155 E70 BKN 100 OVC 10RW- 931/47/47/3013G20/933/ 
VSBY W 1 MI WNW 60 MI FEW STFRA ALQDS PTCHS FG DRFTG BLO SMT 
W AND ESE THN FG ALQDS PK WND 3126/00/ 8/82/ 53011 
ASOS 60013 70063 MANUAL 70062 10061 20047  

10 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few stratocumulus in all direction, few
stratocumulus lenticularis WNW
Temperature: 53F; Dew Point: 43F; Wind: W at 18G31 kts,
Peak Wind: 31 knots WNW at 9:52 AM EST
Sea-level pressure: 29.37 ins. Hg, rising, then more quickly    
Visibility: 80 miles
3-hr precip: Trace
BHO SA 1455 CLR 80 947/53/43/2818G31/937/ FEW SCSL WNW FEW 
SC ALQDS PK WND 2931/52/ 8/500 53016 ASOS 60001 MANUAL 6000/

1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered stratocumulus, few stratocumulus 
lenticularis W-NW, showers distant W-NW
Temperature: 55F; Dew Point: 38F; Wind: W at 19G38 kts,
Peak Wind: 42 knots W at 12:30 PM EST
Sea-level pressure: 29.39 ins. Hg, steady, then rising
Visibility: 80 miles, except 60 miles W-NW, 
showers distant W-NW
6-hr max. temp: 55F
6-hr min. temp: 47F
6-hr precip: Trace
BHO SA 1755 42 SCT 80 951/55/38/2819G38/939/ VSBY W-NW 60 MI 
SHWRS DSNT W-NW FEW SCSL W-NW PK WND 2842/30/ 53004 ASOS 60001 
MANUAL 6000/ 10055 20047  


SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2015 
  
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....60   NORMAL.....40
MIN.....43   NORMAL.....24 
MEAN....52   NORMAL.....32
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.....................+20
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH....................+152  [+10.7 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............13   DEPARTURE.........-20
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............279   DEPARTURE........-153
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........1281   DEPARTURE........-412
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......1577   DIFFERENCE.......-296
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...................32 S   AT 11:43 P.M.  
                   ASOS........................35 S   AT 11:43 P.M.          
                   DAVIS.......................33 S   AT 11:43 P.M. RMY N/A
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.....................25 S   AT 11:45 P.M.       
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..................24 S   AT 11:59 P.M.                
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.................23 S   AT 11:59 P.M.                
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION..............8.0 SSE 
                   ASOS.......................9.0        
                   DAVIS......................7.6 S [171 Deg.]    
* Last of several occurrences 

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M.....0.62  DEPARTURE......+0.46
                         ASOS...............0.63
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH...........1.00  DEPARTURE......-1.30
                         ASOS...............1.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........40.42  DEPARTURE.....-10.42  
                         ASOS................N/A ***
*** ASOS annual total not available due to erroneous readings

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE......-0.4
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................0.0  DEPARTURE......-4.9
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON.............TRACE  DEPARTURE......-7.5


PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER CALENDAR DAY DATA
  DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/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

12/1  42/30/36/-1/..../0.0/000/00           19 NNE RMY 19
12/2  53/37/45/+9/..../0.0/000/00           25 SSE RMY 25
12/3  53/37/45/+9/..../0.0/162/29           43 WNW RMY 42
12/4  47/32/40/+5/0.00/0.0/444/80           32 NW  RMY 32
12/5  50/33/42/+7/0.00/0.0/548/99           21 W   RMY N/A
12/6  57/35/46/+11/0.00/0.0/531/96          22 SW  RMY N/A
12/7  54/37/46/+12/0.00/0.0/353/64          31 NE  RMY N/A
12/8  42/35/39/+5/0.01/0.0/000/00           32 NE  RMY 31
12/9  44/34/39/+5/..../0.0/044/08           28 SSE RMY N/A
12/10 57/41/49/+16/T/0.0/.../..             29 SE  RMY N/A
12/11 56/44/50/+17/0.00/0.0/.../..          28 SSW RMY 28
12/12 59/46/53/+20/0.00/0.0/.../..          23 W   RMY N/A 
12/13 54/44/49/+17/0.00/0.0/.../..          18 ESE RMY 19
12/14 60/43/52/+20/..../0.0/000/00          32 S   RMY N/A

12/15 low since midnight is 47F; normal low is now 24F  

DAILY RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 2015

**12/13/15- NEW DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 44F,
BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 43F SET IN 1919, TIED 1983**

DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated): 

RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 15
HIGH 64 IN 1975
LOW 4 IN 1900, 1905, 1933
PRECIP 1.80 INS. IN 1981
SNOW 7.5 INS. IN 1951
PEAK GUST 65 MPH NW IN 1991

RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 16
HIGH 61 IN 1971
LOW -2 IN 1930
PRECIP 1.67 INS. IN 1960
SNOW 8.5 INS. IN 2007
WIND 73 MPH SSE IN 1982

TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Brian Fitzgerald