History, Natural History & the Arts
Central New York is renowned as one of the snowiest regions in the world. In the past, major snowstorms have crippled cities, towns, and farming country for weeks at a time.
From the Lake Ontario port in Oswego to the busy streets of Syracuse and Utica, every community in the region has found themselves buried from brutal snowstorms. [Read more…] about Historic Snowstorms of Central New York
Much has been written about September 21st, 1938, the day that a massive hurricane hit Long Island. For Jonathan C. Bergman, the more interesting story began the day after.
His extensive research focused on the cleanup and disaster relief efforts orchestrated by a shifting network of Red Cross officials, New Deal workers, Suffolk County agencies, churchgoers, and volunteers. [Read more…] about The Aftermath of The Hurricane of 1938
To say that lightning “splits” the sky is no mere poetry. A single stroke contains about one billion joules of energy, roughly 280 kilowatt-hours of electricity, and could power a modern American household for more than nine days.
What’s more, it’s enough to blast apart the very molecules that make up the atmosphere and temporarily scramble its composition. [Read more…] about Lightning: A Science Primer
Before every hike you should check the weather for the location you will be visiting. If there are thunderstorms in the forecast for that day or night, change or delay your plans. Do not risk getting caught in a thunderstorm on a mountain trail.
Sometimes, thunderstorms can develop unexpectedly and appear despite a clear weather forecast. Keep the following in mind to help you avoid pop-up thunderstorms and stay safe if you do get caught in one: [Read more…] about Hiking Essentials: Thunderstorm Safety
This month marks the 50th anniversary of Hurricane Agnes, which ravaged the mid-Atlantic and northeast region in June 1972. At the time, it was the most destructive tropical cyclone in American history and the costliest hurricane to hit the United States at the time. [Read more…] about Its Been 50 Years Since Hurricane Agnes Swept Through New York
The Whitehall correspondent submitted a long-winded, pun intended, weather report for the Dec. 28, 1889 issue of The Granville Sentinel: “The atmosphere was in great commotion here Sunday night – evidently having urgent business elsewhere – and things movable presented a decidedly twisted appearance in town Monday morning.”
A contemporary editor likely would ask the reporter to consult the National Weather Service about the speed of the wind, and would have boiled down the verbiage to something like, “Severe winds in Whitehall uprooted trees and blew off roofs at Whitehall on Sunday. But dramatics frequently trumped details in 19th century newspapers. [Read more…] about Flowery & Imprecise: 19th Century Weather Reports
It was a frigid January at Glens Falls in 1883, which was good for the ice men.
“The ice in the river at this point is now twelve inches thick,” The Morning Star reported on January 4th. “Several ice men announced they will commence their annual harvest on Monday.” [Read more…] about 1880s January Weather Reports: Ice Harvest, Cold Weather, Snow
There are only a few dozen species of birds capable of surviving the rigors of an Adirondack winter, and of these, the wild turkey is one that is more closely associated with the warmer and less snowy regions of New York than those to the north. [Read more…] about The Wild Turkey in Winter
Right on cue, Autumn has once again made its swift return to the Adirondacks. With it comes a list of work to ready ourselves for winter, including yard and garden cleanup. Well, we’re here to help alleviate your workload and share a “radical” concept. When prepping your yard for winter, do less! [Read more…] about Reconsider ‘Fall Clean-Up’ and Leaf it Be
Visions of chestnuts roasting on an open fire come December could be squelched if Jack Frost nipped at your nose in September.
“We have good promise of a fine crop of chestnuts. Frost holding off is favorable for large nuts with rich meats,” the Fort Ann correspondent reported in The Granville Sentinel on September 22nd, 1876. [Read more…] about September 1886: When Winter Comes Early