links for 2009-07-08

  • FTA: By analyzing a public data set called the “Death Master File,” which contains SSNs and birth information for people who have died, computer scientists from Carnegie Mellon University discovered distinct patterns in how the numbers are assigned. In many cases, knowing the date and state of an individual’s birth was enough to predict a person’s SSN.

About that June weather

Anecdotally, we had one one cold, gray, wet June. Seems like every morning we awoke to some combination of fog, rain and wind that persisted for most of the day.
Turns out it’s not just an anecdote. Below, I’ve quoted the entirety of the July 1 edition of the Blue Hill Weather Observatory daily discussion page. I don’t think that page is archived on a daily basis and really, this one should be saved for posterity. I added emphasis in a couple areas:

BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
THE JUNE 2009 STATS
Temperature deg. F
Av. Max. 68.4
Av. Min. 54.8
Mean 61.6 [-4.1]
24-hr. corr. mean 60.6
Max. temp: 79 on 7th/26th
Min. temp: 41 on 1st
HDD units: 117 [+43]
HDD Season: 6238 [-133]
CDD units: 22 [-71]
CDD Season: 61 [-57]
Precipitation: 5.14 ins. [+1.21]
No.days measurable: 19
Total no. of days (with traces): 24
Wind: 9.1 MPH (corrected 9.8 MPH)
Prevailing direction: N @ 14%
Directions of N,NNE,NE @ 34%
Fastest mile: 29 MPH NNE on 21st
Peak gust; 44 MPH N on 21st
Sunshine: 27% of possible or 118.1 hrs. (sun card)
Long term June average: 55%
[we had less than half the average June sunshine -JLS]

THE JUNE 2009 RANKINGS....
The list of high rankings for June is very impressive, though the
only new record is lowest wind speed for June. The corrected mean
temperature for June (60.6) was the 10th coldest on record. Note that
due to the cloudiness, the average maximum temperature was third
coldest on record (with -6.2 departure), but the average minimum
temperature was only a half degree below the 110-year mean for June.
Lowest June Bright Sunshine (1886-2009), percent:

1) 25% in 1903
2) 27% in 2009
[2nd cloudiest June on record -JLS]
3) 36% in 1998
4) 37% in 1959
5) 39% in 1948
39% in 2006
Lowest June Bright Sunshine (1886-2009), hours:
1) 108.7 in 1903
2) 118.1 in 2009
3) 157.9 in 1998
4) 161.2 in 1959
5) 171.8 in 1948
Lowest Monthly Bright Sunshine (1886-2009), percent:
1) 21% in Apr 1901
2) 24% in Oct 1913
3) 25% in Jun 1903
4) 27% in Dec 1972
27% in Jun 2009
Coldest June Average Maximum Temp (1885-2009), deg F:
1) 66.1 in 1903
2) 66.7 in 1916
3) 68.4 in 2009
4) 69.3 in 1982
5) 69.4 in 1897
Lowest June Monthly Maximum Temp (1885-2009), deg F:
1) 78 in 1916
2) 79 in 2009
3) 81 in 1886
4) 82 in 1936
82 in 1972
82 in 1982
82 in 1985
Most June Days Measurable Precipitation (1886-2009), days:

1) 20 in 1916
2) 19 in 2009
[And pretty dang rainy, too – JLS]
3) 18 in 1922
18 in 1945
Lowest June Wind Speed (1885-2009), mph:
1) 9.8 in 2009
2) 10.3 in 1895
3) 10.6 in 2005
10.6 in 2008
5) 10.8 in 2003
Lowest Monthly Wind Speed (1885-2009), mph:
1) 9.5 in Aug 1996
9.5 in Aug 2008
3) 9.8 in Jun 2009
4) 10.0 in Aug 1899
The June prevailing wind direction of N has never before happened
in the years that are tabulated (1951-2009). A prevailing direction
of NE was observed in June 1954 and 1982. The last month to have a
prevailing wind direction of N was January 1998. Only five months
in this period of record (1951-2009) had a N prevailing direction,
and these occurred in January, March, October, November and December.
Today's observations:
7 A.M.
Weather: Obscured with heavy fog
Temperature: 58F, Dew point: 58F, Wind: NE at 10 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.81 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 1/16 mile, zero past hour
6-hour minimum temp: 57F
24-hour rainfall: 0.03 inch
BHO SA 1155 W2 X 1/16F 096/58/58/0410/981/
VSBY 0 PST HR/ 8//// 53013 MANUAL 70003
ASOS 70002 10059 20057
10 A.M.
Weather: Obscurement with fog, rain shower past hour
Temperature: 58F, Dew point: 58F, Wind: NNE at 12 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.82 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: zero variable to 1/16
3-hourly rainfall: 0.01
BHO SA 1455 W1 X 0VF 099/58/58/0312/982/ VSBY 0V1/16 WND 36V06
RB50E54/ 8//// MANUAL 6001/ ASOS 60001
1 P.M.
Weather: Obscurement with heavy fog, thunderstorm and
light rain occurring, occasional lightning in cloud
all quadrants
Temperature: 58F, Dew point: 58F, Wind: N at 11 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 29.85 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: zero
6-hourly max. temp. 60F
6-hourly rainfall: 0.05 inch
BHO SA 1755 W1 X0TR-F 107/58/58/0111/985/
TB1659 OVHD ALQDS MOVG N OCNL LTGICCC OVHD-ALQDS/
8////53008 ASOS 60004 MANUAL 6005/ 10060 20058
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, JUNE 30
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....66 NORMAL.....79
MIN.....57 NORMAL.....59
MEAN....62 NORMAL.....69
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL...........-7
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.........-116 [-4.1 DEGREES/DAY]
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............3 DEPARTURE.......+2
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........117 DEPARTURE......+43
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........6238 DEPARTURE.....-133
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE....5942 DIFFERENCE....+296
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............23 NE AT 3:06 P.M.
AEROVANE..............20 NE AT 3:06 P.M.
ASOS..................22 NE AT 3:06 P.M.
DAVIS.................21 NE AT 3:05 P.M.
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...............15 NE AT 4:51 P.M. *
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............16 NE AT 3:07 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........16 NE AT 3:07 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION........8.3 N
ASOS.................7.9
DAVIS................8.4 NE [040 DEG]
* last of several occurrences...
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.03 DEPARTURE....+0.02
ASOS..............0.02
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR JUNE..............5.14 DEPARTURE....+1.21
ASOS..............5.10
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........23.64 DEPARTURE....-2.03
ASOS.............24.65
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR JUNE 2009 CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
AERO: Aerovane wind recording system gust when significant
TSTM: Thunderstorm day (thunder heard some time during day)
....: Data not yet available, records not finalized
6/1 69/41/55/-7/0/706/78 29 SSW AERO 25 MPH SSW
6/2 76/53/65/+3/T/525/58 28 S AERO 24 MPH S
6/3 69/54/62/0/T/254/28 23 SSW
6/4 73/53/63/0/0/327/36 22 SSE
6/5 64/51/58/-5/0.05/000/00 21 NE
6/6 73/51/62/-1/0.01/428/47 25 SSE
6/7 79/56/68/+4/0/583/64 28 W AERO 24 MPH W
6/8 73/57/65/+1/0/529/58 18 ENE
6/9 59/51/55/-9/0.10/000/00 27 E
6/10 59/52/56/-8/0.00/000/00 21 NE
6/11 57/52/55/-10/0.17/000/00 23 NNE AERO 21 MPH NE
6/12 70/53/62/-3/0.43/119/13 30 SSE AERO 29 MPH SSE
6/13 75/59/67/+2/T/796/87 23 NNE
6/14 63/54/59/-6/0.34/101/11 20 E
6/15 60/52/56/-10/0.06/027/03 20 NE
6/16 64/51/58/-8/T/568/62 22 NNE
6/17 74/50/62/-4/0/807/88 28 S AERO 24 MPH S
6/18 65/52/59/-7/0.44/000/00 35 ESE
6/19 70/61/66/-1/0.47/000/00 33 SE AERO 31 MPH SE
6/20 76/60/68/+1/0/266/29 21 NNE
6/21 61/57/59/-8/0.55/000/00 44 N AERO 42 MPH N
6/22 60/58/59/-8/1.26/000/00 42 NNE AERO 39 MPH NNE
6/23 64/57/61/-7/0.33/000/00 38 N AERO 33 MPH N
6/24 62/55/59/-9/0.12/000/00 27 N
6/25 74/58/66/-2/0.02/156/17 21 SSW
6/26 79/62/71/+3/0.03/339/37 30 WSW
6/27 78/59/69/0/0.20/513/56 23 N TSTM
6/28 64/58/61/-8/0.03/000/00 21 N
6/29 74/59/67/-2/0.50/220/24 20 N
6/30 66/57/62/-7/0.03/119/13 23 NE
7/1 morning low temp: 57F; our normal low is now 60F
NEW DAILY RECORDS FOR JUNE 2009 TO DATE...
NONE
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
RECORDS FOR JULY 1
HIGH 98F IN 1964
LOW 44F IN 1988 [RECORD FOR MONTH]
PRECIP 4.46 INS IN 1915 [RECORD FOR MONTH]
PEAK GUST 52 MPH WNW IN 1974
RECORDS FOR JULY 2
HIGH 95F IN 1963
LOW 47F IN 1988
PRECIP 1.42 INS IN 1986
PEAK GUST 45 MPH SW IN 1999
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling / Mike Iacono

Turning the calendar over to July hasn’t really helped much, but at least there’s one day in the next 5 with no forecast chance of rain.