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Fuel is consumed for heating based on how cold the weather has been and for how long. Knowing this, you can estimate when to deliver fuel to a customer. This system is based on a unit called a DEGREE DAY. These Degree Days reflect fuel consumption and for scheduling purposes are accumulated each season.
A Degree Day is simply a unit for measuring how cold (or hot) it has been over a 24-hour period. Whenever the average (the MEAN) temperature is below 65º, you have a Degree Day. For example, if during a 24-hour period the high outdoor temperature was 70 degrees and the low was 50 degrees, then the average temperature for that day was 60 degrees - halfway between 70 and 50 degrees. This is 5 degrees less than the base temperature of 65º. This simply means, we can say that there were 5-degree days for the period. To find out the high and low temperatures, you can use a weather radio or local newspaper or go to: http://www.wunderground.com/US/MA/Boston.html
Go under “History & Almanac”, under Detailed History and Climate, choose date you want degree date for. This will bring you to the actual degree day information for the day you choose.