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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 2020
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

ANOTHER TRANQUIL DAY ATOP GREAT BLUE HILL...

Today we observed partly to mostly cloudy skies as mid and high
altitude clouds filtered into the region. Visibility increased
during the day - beginning at 35 miles at 7AM and finishing at
70 miles by 1PM. Winds switched around to the southwest
late yesterday evening and have remained southwest today.
This has created some warm air advection sending temperatures
into the low 40s.

With the end of the month nearly complete, we continue to expand
our rain and snowfall deficits. The rainfall total this month is
1.46 inches, 2.76 inches below the average. This total appears
to be on pace for the 8th driest January on record. Snowfall
department is also lacking, amounting to only 4.2 inches, 12.4
inches below the normal. This total appears to be on pace for
the 15th least snowiest January on record.

The high so far today is 41F, 7 degrees above the normal high
of 34F. The low since midnight is 24F, 7 degrees below the
normal low of 17F.


Today's Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Scattered Altocumulus; few distant cirrus offshore
Temperature: 25F; Dew Point: 18F; Wind: SW at 10 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.35 ins. Hg: falling, then rising
Visibility: 35 miles, hazy
6-hr Max temp: 25F
6-hr Min temp: 24F
24-hr Precip:  0.00 ins.
24-hr Snowfall: 0.0 ins. 
BHO SA 1155 130 SCT 35 276/25/18/2310/035/ FEW DSNT CI OFFSHR HAZY/
8/072 53005 10025 20024

10 A.M.
Weather: Scattered Cirrus and Cirrostratus
Temperature: 34F; Dew Point: 23F; Wind: SW at 9 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.35 ins. Hg: rising, then rising more slowly
Visibility: 50 miles, hazy
3-hr Precip:   0.00 ins.
3-hr Snowfall:  0.0 ins.
BHO SA 1455 250 SCT 50 279/34/23/2309/035/ HAZY/ 8/003 5/1003

1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered Altostratus (south through northwest), Thin Broken Cirrus
Temperature: 40F; Dew Point: 21F; Wind: WSW at 8G16 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.29 ins. Hg: falling, then falling more rapidly
Visibility: 70 miles
6-hr Max temp: 41F
6-hr Min temp: 25F
6-hr Precip:  0.00 ins.
6-hr Snowfall: 0.0 ins.
BHO SA 1755 140 SCT E250 -BKN 70 257/40/21/258G16/029/
SCT AS S-NW/ 8/011 58022 10041 20025 


SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020 

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....34   NORMAL.....34
MIN.....16   NORMAL.....17
MEAN....25   NORMAL.....26

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL......................-1
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH....................+241 [+7.8 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY...............40  DEPARTURE......+/-0
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH..............497  DEPARTURE......-240
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON............3191  DEPARTURE......-293
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.......3436  DEPARTURE......-238

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) 
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY....................17 NNW AT  1:19 A.M.  
                   AERO.........................16 NNW AT  1:01 A.M.   
                   ASOS.........................18 N   AT  1:57 A.M. 
                   DAVIS........................18 N   AT  1:55 A.M. RMY N/A
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY......................13 NNW AT  1:21 A.M. 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...................13 N   AT  1:21 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..................13 N   AT  1:19 A.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION..............6.4 NW                 
                   ASOS.......................6.9
                   DAVIS......................6.8 NNW [333 deg.]


PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00  DEPARTURE......-0.14
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........1.46  DEPARTURE......-2.76
                         ASOS..............1.54
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........1.46  DEPARTURE......-2.76
                         ASOS..............1.54

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE.......-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................4.2  DEPARTURE......-12.4
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............24.2  DEPARTURE.......-8.4


PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR JANUARY CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SNOW/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/PEAK GUST/AERO/RMY GUST
AERO: Aerovane wind recording system 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
M:    Missing data


01/01  38/30/34/+7/..../0.0/400/73           39 W   AERO 38 W   RMY 41 
01/02  46/29/38/+11/0.00/0.0/269/49          28 SW  AERO 28 SW  RMY 30
01/03  46/40/43/+17/0.00/0.0/000/00          21 SW  AERO 18 SW  RMY N/A
01/04  46/36/41/+15/..../0.0/000/00          16 NNW AERO 16 NNW RMY N/A
01/05  36/24/30/+4/..../0.5/116/21           43 NW  AERO 46 NW  RMY 43
01/06  33/23/28/+2/T/T/133/24                26 W   AERO 21 W   RMY N/A
01/07  38/29/34/+8/..../0.4/161/29           30 WSW AERO 28 WSW RMY N/A
01/08  39/22/31/+5/..../0.4/350/63           50 W   AERO 46 WNW RMY 47
01/09  28/16/22/-4/..../0.0/540/97           43 WNW AERO 40 WNW RMY N/A
01/10  48/23/36/+11/T/..../0.0/106/19        37 SW  AERO 37 SW  RMY 39 
01/11  65/46/56/+31/..../0.0/408/73          53 SSW AERO 53 SSW RMY N/A           
01/12  68/36/52/+27/..../0.0/297/53          60 SSW AERO 62 SSW RMY N/A
01/13  39/31/35/+10/0.01/T/000/00            21 NE  AERO 20 NE  RMY N/A
01/14  38/31/35/+10/0.01/0.0/000/00          16 W   AERO 15 W   RMY N/A
01/15  48/35/42/+17/0.00/0.0/503/89          24 W   AERO 23 W   RMY 24
01/16  42/24/33/+8/0.06/T/142/25             54 W   AERO 52 W   RMY 59    
01/17  24/10/17/-8/0.00/0.0/552/97           50 NW  AERO 48 NW  RMY N/A
01/18  28/8/18/-7/0.35/2.8/000/00            28 WSW AERO 24 ESE RMY N/A
01/19  40/21/31/+6/0.02/0.2/332/58           44 W   AERO 44 W   RMY 42
01/20  26/12/19/-6/0.00/0.0/442/77           33 NW  AERO 32 NW  RMY N/A
01/21  24/10/17/-8/0.00/0.0/472/82           22 NW  AERO 21 NW  RMY N/A
01/22  34/13/24/-1/0.00/0.0/566/98           16 SW  AERO 16 SW  RMY N/A
01/23  46/26/36/+11/0.00/0.0/348/60          21 SW  AERO 20 SW  RMY 19
01/24  44/31/38/+13/0.00/0.0/524/90          21 ENE AERO 17 ENE RMY N/A
01/25  50/36/43/+18/0.57/0.0/..../..         41 ESE AERO 41 ESE RMY 40 
01/26  49/35/42/+17/0.00/0.0/..../..         33 W   AERO 31 W   RMY 32
01/27  43/33/38/+13/0.00/0.0/..../..         30 W   AERO 29 W   RMY 29
01/28  37/30/34/+9/0.00/0.0/..../..          25 NW  AERO 25 NW  RMY 27
01/29  38/23/31/+6/0.00/0.0/..../..          24 N   AERO 23 N   RMY 24
01/30  34/16/25/-1/0.00/0.0/..../..          17 NNW AERO 16 NNW RMY N/A

01/31 The low since midnight is 24F, daily normal minimum is 17F 

DAILY RECORDS FOR JANUARY

1/11/20: DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 65F,
         BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 60F SET IN 1975.

1/11/20: DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 46F,
         BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 40F SET IN 1983.

1/12/20: DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 68F,
         BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 60 SET IN 2018.
         TIES HIGHEST MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE FOR JANUARY,
         MATCHES 68F SET ON 1/26/1950.

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

RECORDS FOR JANUARY 31
HIGH 58F IN 1913, 1947, 2013
LOW -12F IN 1920
PRECIP 1.03 INS. IN 1914
SNOWFALL 9.0 INS. IN 1898
PEAK GUST 75 MPH NW IN 1974

RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 1
HIGH 65F IN 1989
LOW -9F IN 1920
PRECIP 1.30 INS. IN 1898
SNOWFALL 11.0 INS. IN 1898
PEAK GUST 66e MPH SSW IN 1951

TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Andrew Swanson