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

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2020
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

OVERCAST WITH SLIGHTLY BETTER VISIBILITY
IN THE AFTERNOON HOURS....

Today we observed a limited visibility of only
35 miles due to haze. The smoke layer from 
the other side of the country is back in full force,
but a full layer of cirrostratus were still able
to be observed. Wind is westerly, only coming in
at around 10 mph. The max gust so far today is 
17 mph. 

We continue to experience no rainfall, so the next
section will be updated for the current drought 
monitor from: 
https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?MA

It has been 13 days since we've recorded any measurable
rainfall (0.01" on the 11th). Only 0.51" has fallen for
the month to date, which is 2.51 inches below normal. 
For the year, our deficit is running 4.72 inches below
normal. Southeastern Massachusetts (Bristol and Plymouth 
Counties) are in an extreme drought for the most part, 
with other portions being in a severe drought. This is
the same for down the Cape and much of the Boston area.
Western MA is suffering a smaller deficit, either being
abnormally dry or in a moderate drought.   

The high so far today is 76F, 7 degrees above the daily
normal max of 69F. The low since midnight is 57F, which
is 5 degrees above the normal low of 52F.


Today's Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Broken cirrus, thin smoke layer aloft
Temperature: 59F; Dew Point: 53F; Relative Humidity: 81%
Wind: W at 9 kts 
Sea-level pressure: 29.94 ins. Hg: rising steadily
Visibility: 25 miles, hazy 
6-hr Max temp: 60F
6-hr Min temp: 57F
24-hr Precip: 0.00 ins.
BHO SA 1155 250 BKN 25 140/59/53/2709/994/ HAZY THN K LYR 
ALF/ 8/001 51016 10060 20057

10 A.M.
Weather: Broken cirrostratus, smoke layer aloft
Temperature: 72F; Dew Point: 54F; Relative Humidity: 53%
Wind: W at 7 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.98 ins. Hg: rising steadily
Visibility: 25 miles, hazy 
3-hr Precip: 0.00 ins.
BHO SA 1455 250 BKN 25 154/72/54/2707/998/ HAZY K LYR ALF/ 
8/006 51014

1 P.M.
Weather: Overcast cirrostratus, smoke layer aloft
Temperature: 75F; Dew Point: 52F; Relative Humidity: 45%
Wind: W at 9 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.96 ins. Hg: falling steadily
Visibility: 35 miles, hazy
6-hr Max temp: 76F
6-hr Min temp: 59F
6-hr Precip: 0.00 ins.
BHO SA 1755 250 OVC 35 147/75/52/2609/996/ HAZY K LYR ALF/ 
8/008 56007 10076 20059  


SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2020 

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....78   NORMAL.....69
MIN.....50   NORMAL.....52
MEAN....64   NORMAL.....60

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL................+4
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH................-32 [-1.6 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............1   DEPARTURE..... -5
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............94  DEPARTURE.....+26
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON............97  DEPARTURE......+4
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.......76  DEPARTURE.....+21

COOLING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JAN TO DEC)
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............  0  DEPARTURE......-1                   
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR THE MONTH............ 50  DEPARTURE..... -4
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........807  DEPARTURE....+216
TOTAL COOLING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......675  DEPARTURE....+132

PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY (MPH) 
                   420C/Official................31 NW  AT  2:27 P.M.  
                   AERO.........................32 WNW AT 12:21 P.M. 
                   ASOS.........................33 WNW AT  2:27 P.M.
                   DAVIS........................32 WNW AT  3:08 P.M.
                   RMY 32  MERLIN 31
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY......................20 WNW AT 10:49 A.M. 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...................21 NW  AT  3:09 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..................22 NW  AT  3:08 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION..............13.2 WNW (317 total miles)        
                   ASOS.......................12.7
                   DAVIS......................13.6 WNW [300 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....-2.51
                         ASOS..............0.51
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........33.32  DEPARTURE....-4.72
                         ASOS.............34.09

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  76/59/68/0/0.00/698/88              22 SSE  AERO 21 SE   RMY 20
09/02  69/59/64/-4/0.18/102/13             23 SSE  AERO 23 SSE  RMY 24
09/03  75/66/71/+4/0.04/000/00             22 SSW  AERO 21 SSW  RMY N/A
09/04  82/62/72/+5/0.00/763/98             26 WNW  AERO 26 WNW  RMY 25
09/05  76/55/66/-1/0.00/760/98             25 W    AERO 25 W    RMY 24
09/06  78/58/68/+1/0.00/356/46             24 W    AERO 24 W    RMY N/A
09/07  79/61/70/+4/0.00/632/82             27 SSE  AERO 30 SSE  RMY 28
09/08  82/61/72/+6/0.00/545/71             17 S    AERO 16 S    RMY 17
09/09  80/62/71/+5/0.00/214/28             16 S    AERO 15 S    RMY 16
09/10  81/69/75/+10/0.28/015/02            21 SSW  AERO 21 SSW  RMY N/A
09/11  72/55/64/-1/0.01/152/20             25 N    AERO 25 N    RMY N/A
09/12  68/51/60/-5/0.00/666/88             21 ENE  AERO 21 ENE  RMY 21
09/13  74/53/64/0/0.00/611/81              26 SSW  AERO 26 SSW  RMY 26
09/14  74/50/62/-2/0.00/511/68             29 NNW  AERO 33 NNW  RMY 30
09/15  64/44/54/-10/0.00/.../..            18 S    AERO 18 S    RMY N/A
09/16  72/49/61/-2/0.00/.../..             31 SSW  AERO 31 SSW  RMY 31
09/17  76/57/67/+4/0.00/.../..             26 WSW  AERO 28 W    RMY N/A
09/18  64/48/56/-6/0.00/.../..             28 NE   AERO 30 NNW  RMY N/A
09/19  59/42/51/-11/0.00/.../..            23 N    AERO 23 N    RMY N/A
09/20  58/40/49/-13/0.00/.../..            25 NE   AERO 25 NE   RMY 27
09/21  61/41/51/-10/0.00/.../..            29 NE   AERO 27 NE   RMY 29
09/22  63/39/51/-10/0.00/.../..            28 NNW  AERO 30 NNW  RMY 29
09/23  78/50/64/+4/0.00/.../..             31 NW   AERO 32 WNW  RMY 32

09/24 The low since midnight is 57F, the daily normal low is 52F


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

RECORDS FOR SEPTEMBER 24
HIGH 87F IN 1959
LOW 33F IN 1885,1950,1963
PRECIP 1.19 INCHES IN 1955
PEAK GUST 54e MPH SW IN 1940

RECORDS FOR SEPTEMBER 25
HIGH 87F IN 1970
LOW 31F IN 1950
PRECIP 2.68 INCHES IN 1961
PEAK GUST 63 MPH SSW IN 1991

TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Benjamin Turner