gravitylover

We need a massive volcanic eruption. Hopefully not Yellowstone...

I understand that for the majority of the population reservoir levels would be important and how they define how dry it is but for many of us that live with forest as part of our daily lives it's more important that the overall moisture levels are higher than what they are now. I mentioned the other day how surprised I am at how high the reservoirs are this fall considering how little rain has fallen since the end of August but that's due to several factors. First off we had a reasonable snow year that ended late, an abundance of rain for the following 4-5 months and apparently water usage through the served areas is down over the last ten years. The land, on the other hand, is bone dry, as dry as it's been in a very long time. After how wet it had been and things rotted standing they are now just flopping over because they're brittle and can't handle a breeze, there are huge trees down everywhere and branches just falling out of the trees that aren't as healthy as they should be from last years extreme drought. The foliage is dull and falling off the trees already dry and half shriveled, creeks are barely flowing if at all, places in the woods that are almost always wet are parched and cracking and the amount of brush/forest fire fuel just waiting to burn is astounding. Sure we've had some very dry periods and the drought last year was more significant than this but the length of time that we've gone without even moistening the surface is scary and the forests are really showing it, in many places even more so than other dry times we've had in the last 20 years. Now hunting season has started and there are people traipsing through the woods, far off the regular trail networks, that are sometimes quite careless and it concerns me. I see more garbage in the woods this time of year than at others, I see smoldering fire pits that I never see when it's not hunting season and I see cigarette butts on the ground far into the woods where I never see them. These things are like waving a red flag to me so I'm beating the dry drum.

I first went there when I was 27 I instantly fell in love with the drive through Daquiri shops with the huge frozen Margaritas

Did anyone notice that it snowed above about 4k from the 'Daks through the Whites this morning?

That's what that fog was in the mornings for a few days recently

^^ That's what I'm talking about. That map posted on the last page is wrong for most areas. There may be a few pockets that are still sort of moist but for the most part it's parched out there. FWIW NJ I had easily as much rain as you did through the end of August and more in the spring.

They can calculate whatever they want. I'm telling you that it's not true. I'm out in the woods a few times a week and doing ~1k miles a week, more like 2k this week, driving around the northeast and it's dry. Some areas are still showing green but they're few and far between.

^^And that wind yesterday dried things out even more. I did a quick round trip to central VT yesterday and in many areas the trees were nearly stripped of their leaves and there were huge branches down all over the place. I also noticed that crops that hadn't been harvested went from green and tasty looking over the weekend to brown and probably only good for animal feed rather than human food. In most places the leaves haven't come down but the early color has turned brown and in general things aren't nearly as vivid as they had started out. This foliage season had such promise but as it dried out that went away

It may look luscious but the soil moisture is way down and most plant life is actually dry to the point of being crunchy now. The forest floor has turned to hardpan over the last two weeks, in many areas the leaves are down or very thin and the undergrowth is completely down already pretty much everywhere north of 287.

I remember it as being an overhyped dud.

One spark before then and it won't matter.

The forests have gone very dry very quickly at the worst time of year for that to happen. The leaves are coming down adding fuel to the understory and there is no lush growth left to retard a fire if one were to start and with fewer leaves left in the canopy there is more air movement which would also help to facilitate fire growth. Places that were muddy just a few weeks ago are sandy and dusty now

Some trees are already at full color and many are mixed and dropping leaves, it started about two weeks ago and has been accelerating. I was up and down the Taconic twice the last two weeks and into the far western Berkshires above 1400 feet yesterday and it is definitely fall already. This is at least two weeks early south of about I90. I will be up in central VT tomorrow and the NEK on Wednesday and I fully expect to see bare trees up there.

No way Jose

Over 4" now and snowing harder than at any point the last few hours. 17*, no wind at all and beautiful dendrites.

2.5-3" here. Nice surprise.

Only went to -8 at my house -4 at the local high school. So, big dump or icy, sleety glacier building episode upcoming?

8* now. Guess I shoulda put the new battery in the wifes car. Eh, it's a stick so a little roll start... She'll be fine

I don't know exactly what I got down to last night but the local high school made it to 3*. When I drove by there last night on the way home it was 10 and when I got home it was 6 so "extrapolated" I'm guessing I got to about -1 So, what's the current thinking for Wednesday? I like the map DT put up that has the lower HV in 12+

No to the long gentle thaw. Sorry I'm at the top of a hill so I want it to all run off before the ground thaws so my basement stays dry. Once the ground thaws hydrologic pressure, melting snow and multitudes of springs soak this hill pretty thoroughly. If you live in a floodplain, well, move uphill

A very pretty 4" today. Driveway is getting narrower as the banks get taller and wider. Where to put what's coming next week...??

Anybody else have a fresh coating of snow hiding the black ice this morning? Should be a fun ride...

It finally got above freezing here around 3pm and the bulk of the ice melted off the trees, power lines and streets. Ought to be a kick when it gets cold tonight Hopefully some sun tomorrow dries things out a bit before the next one.

She made it safely Subaru FTW!! I'm still holding at 25* but it's been raining for almost an hour now. Ice is getting past the 1/4" mark now

Hangin' tough at 21* Trees are starting to get glazed now so I'm assuming it's mixed sleet and freezing rain. My wifes boss told her that if she doesn't make it in by 10 yesterday was her last day at that job but that he would be working from home. I think I may have to head to his house and "explain" to him how rotten his attitude is