BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2020 ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME RATHER PLEASANT DAY WITH FILTERED SUNSHINE AND LOWERING HUMIDITY.... We started the day with a lot of clouds and a bit of a sticky air mass, but as the day has progressed, clouds have moved out and humidity levels have dropped off. The dew point started the day in the low 60s, but has now dropped into the low 50s by early afternoon, and are likely to continue dropping into the 40s by late afternoon. Despite the clouds mostly moving out this afternoon, the sun is still being filtered. This milky appearance in the sky is due to a smoke layer aloft, courtesy of the wildfires on the west coast. It's interesting that the filtering of the sun has been enough to limit cumulus development today. We've been mostly observing flatter stratocumulus and small cumulus, despite the temperature rising into the low to mid 70s. The wind started the day out of the southwest, then gradually veered around to the northwest late this morning. This northwest flow is helping to usher in the drier air mass. The wind has been a bit busy today as well with gusts up to 27 mph so far today.   We could really use some rain as our rainfall deficit continues to mount. We've only recorded 0.51" of rain so far in September, this is 1.11 inches below normal to date. For the year our deficit has dropped to 3.32 inches below normal. Moderate to severe drought continues to plague the region. The high so far today 73F, a degree above the daily normal max of 72F. The low since midnight is 64F, which is 9 degrees above the normal low of 55F. PRELIMINARY STATS FOR AUGUST 2020 TEMPERATURE, Deg. F Avg. Max. 82.5 [+3.3] Avg. Min. 64.3 [+2.5] Mean      73.4 [+2.9] 24-hour corrected mean: 72.3 Max. for month: 94F on the 10th Min. for month: 54F on the 31st HEATING DEGREE DAYS Total heating units:     2 [-14] Total for the season:    3 [-22] Total for last season:  12 COOLING DEGREE DAYS Total cooling units:    270  [+84] Total for the season:   757  [+220] Total for last season:  622 PRECIPITATION, Inches Total: 3.74 [-0.29] Greatest in 24 hrs: 2.21 ins. on the 23rd WIND, mph Avg. uncorrected wind speed: 10.0 mph Avg. corrected wind speed:   10.6 mph Prevailing wind direction:   SSW [12%] Peak gust and direction:     67 SSE on the 4th SUNSHINE: Campbell-Stokes card minutes: 15318 minutes of a possible 24780 or 62% Astronomical total minutes: 15885 minutes of a possible 25709 or 62% Today's Observations: 7 A.M. Weather: Broken altocumulus/altocumulus castellanus, broken cirrostratus, overcast cirrus Temperature: 65F; Dew Point: 61F; Relative Humidity: 86% Wind: WNW at 9 kts Sea-level pressure: 30.03 ins. Hg: rising, then more rapidly Visibility: 60 miles 6-hr Max temp: 65F 6-hr Min temp: 64F 24-hr Precip: 0.00 ins. BHO SA 1155 E140 BKN 200 BKN 250 OVC 60 169/65/61/2909/003/ VIRGA E-SE SUN DMLY VSBL/ 8/087 53016 10065 20064 10 A.M. Weather: Scattered stratocumulus/cumulus, scattered cirrostratus, thin overcast cirrus, smoke layer aloft Temperature: 70F; Dew Point: 54F; Relative Humidity: 57% Wind: NW at 14G22 kts Sea-level pressure: 30.06 ins. Hg: rising, then more slowly Visibility: 70 miles 3-hr Precip: 0.00 ins. BHO SA 1455 35 SCT 200 SCT 250 -OVC 60 180/70/54/3214G22/006/ K LYR ALFT/ 8/408 51011 1 P.M. Weather: Scattered stratocumulus/cumulus, thin scattered cirrus, smoke layer aloft Temperature: 73F; Dew Point: 51F; Relative Humidity: 46% Wind: NW at 11 kts Sea-level pressure: 30.06 ins. Hg: rising, then falling Visibility: 70 miles 6-hr Max temp: 73F 6-hr Min temp: 65F 6-hr Precip: 0.00 ins. BHO SA 1755 45 SCT 250 -SCT 70 179/73/51/3311/006/ K LYR ALFT/ 8/401 58001 10073 20065 SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2020 TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F) MAX.....74   NORMAL.....73 MIN.....53   NORMAL.....56 MEAN....64   NORMAL.....64 DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL................   0 TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH................ +24 [+1.6 DEGREES/DAY] HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN) TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............1  DEPARTURE......-2 TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH..............8  DEPARTURE.....-17 TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON............11  DEPARTURE.....-39 TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.......40  DEPARTURE.....-29 COOLING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JAN TO DEC) TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............  0  DEPARTURE......-2                   TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR THE MONTH............ 48  DEPARTURE..... +9 TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........805  DEPARTURE....+229 TOTAL COOLING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......642  DEPARTURE....+163 PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY (MPH)                    420C/Official................26 SSW AT  3:06 P.M.                      AERO.........................26 SSW AT  2:02 P.M.                    ASOS.........................27 SSW AT  2:37 P.M.                    DAVIS........................27 SW  AT  2:36 P.M.                    RMY 26  MERLIN 26 FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY......................21 SSW AT  2:34 P.M. MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...................21 SSW AT  2:37 P.M. MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..................20 SSW AT  2:36 P.M. AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION...............10.9 SSE                             ASOS........................10.6                    DAVIS.......................10.5 S [189 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..........0.51  DEPARTURE....-1.11                          ASOS..............0.51 TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........33.32  DEPARTURE....-3.32                          ASOS.............34.09 PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR AUGUST CALENDAR DAY DATA DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/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 08/01  87/66/77/+5/0.00/866/100            18 S    AERO 21 S    RMY 19 08/02  85/69/77/+5/0.02/320/37             36 S    AERO 37 S    RMY 38 08/03  91/75/83/+11/0.00/715/83            36 WSW  AERO 38 SW   RMY 36 08/04  83/71/77/5/0.21/094/11              67 SSE  AERO 71 S    RMY 70 08/05  90/68/79/+7/0.00/668/78             28 SW   AERO 30 SW   RMY 29 08/06  84/65/75/3/0.00/701/82   20 W    AERO 17 W    RMY 19 08/07  79/65/72/0/T/136/16                 16 NE   AERO 16 NE   RMY N/A 08/08  83/64/74/+2/0.00/612/72             20 S    AERO 20 S    RMY 19 08/09  90/65/78/+6/0.00/661/78             26 SSW  AERO 26 SSW  RMY 26 08/10  94/69/82/+11/0.00/727/86            22 W    AERO 20 W    RMY 20 08/11  92/72/82/+11/0.00/708/84            31 SSW  AERO 35 SSW  RMY 31  TSTM 08/12  93/74/84/+13/0.00/647/77            22 SSW  AERO 22 SW   RMY 19 08/13  88/71/80/+9/0.00/528/63             18 ENE  AERO 18 NE   RMY 18 08/14  82/67/75/+4/0.00/618/74             23 ENE  AERO 23 ENE RMY N/A 08/15  67/62/65/-6/T/000/00                33 NNE  AERO 32 NNE  RMY N/A 08/16  69/62/66/-5/0.34/000/00             26 ENE  AERO 28 ENE  RMY 26 08/17  73/59/66/-5/0.04/339/41             25 NE   AERO 24 NE   RMY N/A 08/18  84/63/74/+3/0.23/784/95             23 W    AERO 23 W    RMY 24 08/19  81/59/70/0/0.03/526/64              26 W    AERO 28 W    RMY 27 08/20  80/56/68/-2/0.00/804/98             22 W    AERO 21 W    RMY 22 08/21  88/61/75/+5/0.00/719/88             28 SW   AERO 26 SW   RMY 28 08/22  85/66/76/+6/0.26/521/64             18 NNE  AERO 16 S    RMY 16 08/23  89/63/76/+6/2.21/552/68             60 WNW  AERO 53 WNW  RMY 58  TSTM HAIL 08/24  87/67/77/+7/0.00/493/61             18 S    AERO 18 S    RMY 19  TSTM 08/25  86/65/76/+7/0.01/492/61             35 NNW  AERO 37 NNW  RMY 35 08/26  74/56/65/-4/0.00/780/97             29 NW   AERO 32 NW   RMY N/A 08/27  68/57/63/-6/0.33/008/01             18 SSE  AERO 20 SSE  RMY 20  TSTM 08/28  80/59/70/+1/0.00/559/70             20 W    AERO 20 W    RMY N/A 08/29  74/65/70/+1/0.06/000/00             32 W    AERO 32 W    RMY N/A 08/30  75/57/66/-2/0.00/793/100            36 W    AERO 36 W    RMY N/A 08/31  75/54/65/-3/0.00/514/65             20 S    AERO 20 S    RMY 20 DAILY RECORDS FOR AUGUST 2020 8/23/20: DAILY RECORD HIGH MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 89F,          BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD of 88F SET IN 1918, 1947, 1949, 1996 8/23/20: DAILY RECORD PRECIPITATION OF 2.21 INS,          BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 2.09 INS SET IN 2010 8/23/20: DAILY RECORD PEAK WIND GUST OF 60 MPH,          TIES PREVIOUS RECORD OF 60 MPH SET IN 1940 PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR SEPTEMBER CALENDAR DAY DATA DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/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 09/01  76/59/68/0/0.00/.../..              22 SSE  AERO 21 SE   RMY 20 09/02  69/59/64/-4/.../.../..              23 SSE  AERO 23 SSE  RMY 24 09/03  75/66/71/+4/.../.../..              22 SSW  AERO 21 SSW  RMY n/a 09/04  82/62/72/+5/0.00/.../..             26 WNW  AERO 26 WNW  RMY 25 09/05  76/55/66/-1/0.00/.../..             25 W    AERO 25 W    RMY 24 09/06  78/58/68/+1/0.00/.../..             24 W    AERO 24 W    RMY n/a 09/07  79/61/70/+4/0.00/.../..             27 SSE  AERO 30 SSE  RMY 28 09/08  82/61/72/+6/0.00/.../..             17 S    AERO 16 S    RMY 17 09/09  80/62/71/+5/0.00/.../..             16 S    AERO 15 S    RMY 16 09/10  81/69/75/+10/0.28/.../..            21 SSW  AERO 21 SSW  RMY n/a 09/11  72/55/64/-1/0.01/.../..             25 N    AERO 25 N    RMY N/A 09/12  68/51/60/-5/0.00/.../..             21 ENE  AERO 21 ENE  RMY 21 09/13  74/53/64/0/0.00/.../..              26 SSW  AERO 26 SSW  RMY 26 09/14 The low since midnight is 64F, the daily normal low is 55F DAILY EXTREMES Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):   RECORDS FOR SEPTEMBER 14 HIGH 90F IN 1931 LOW 34F IN 1911 PRECIP 4.38 INCHES IN 1944 (Great Atlantic Hurricane in 1944) PEAK GUST 96e MPH E IN 1944 (Great Atlantic Hurricane in 1944) RECORDS FOR SEPTEMBER 15 HIGH 89F IN 1931 LOW 35F IN 1913 PRECIP 3.93 INCHES IN 1904 (Extra-tropical storm making landfall in New England on 9/15/1904 passing east of BHO and bringing a storm total of 4.11 inches 9/14-15/1904) PEAK GUST 65e MPH NW, WSW IN 1944 (In the wake of Great Atlantic Hurricane) TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Matt Douglas