One night just before Christmas last year, my youngest daughter and I opted to walk the short distance home from dinner at my parents’ house, rather than drive with the rest of the family. Our eyes adjusted to the night, and the snow beneath our feet shimmered, even in the winter darkness. As we emerged from the cover of trees into our open field, we were thrilled to see so many stars shining brilliantly in the night sky. [Read more…] about Solstice Sky Show
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Trees, Attitudes Surveyed In NYC Heat Vulnerable Neighborhoods
This past fall, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) conducted a tree inventory and social assessment of green spaces for 18 campuses in three high heat vulnerability neighborhoods: Brownsville/East New York, East Harlem, and the South Bronx. [Read more…] about Trees, Attitudes Surveyed In NYC Heat Vulnerable Neighborhoods
Whimsical Winter Notions For A Snowy Day
It’s a whimsical winter notion.
“Some imaginative and wonderfully learned German scholars tell us that every snow flake is inhabited by happy little beings, who begin their existence, hold their revels, live long lives of happiness, and delight, die and are buried, all during the descent of the snowflake from the world of clouds to the solid land,” The Granville Sentinel reported on May 12th, 1886. [Read more…] about Whimsical Winter Notions For A Snowy Day
Remembering The Big Blowdown of 1950
The Adirondacks are prone to powerful windstorms, isolated tornadoes, and occasional hurricanes, derechos, and microbursts. Perhaps the second most destructive of these in modern Adirondack history (next to the 1998 Ice Storm) occurred in November, 1950. [Read more…] about Remembering The Big Blowdown of 1950
Woolly Bears And Winter Forecasts
Autumn is coming to a close. The brilliant fall foliage is past peak, if not already layered in the compost bin. The last geese are honking their way toward winter homes. Predictions are proffered (sometimes cheerfully, mostly not) for how cold and snowy this year’s winter will be.
Sources for seasonal predictions vary. The Farmers’ Almanac and traditional tales are often cited. How soon those geese head south, for example, is supposed to indicate how difficult winter will be. We trust these bits of folklore because they often have a scientific basis and seem to work. [Read more…] about Woolly Bears And Winter Forecasts
Seasonal Turnover Keeps Lakes Healthy
As I waded in Lake Champlain one summer, a fellow bather explained that just a little farther out, refreshing spring water would cool my feet. I have heard that old wives’ tale repeated at Lake Arrowhead in the Pennsylvania Poconos, and in Lough Ree in the Irish midlands.
The explanation of colder, deeper water is simpler, however, than coincidentally occurring springs. And as the seasons change, the same explanation turns the lake world upside down. [Read more…] about Seasonal Turnover Keeps Lakes Healthy
What’s Behind The Changing Leaves
For many, including myself, autumn is a time to accept the ever-changing climate of our lives. This metaphorical billboard reminds us that in life, change is not only necessary, but inevitable.
The change begins in early autumn and can last for several weeks into October. Although correlated to the change in temperature, the process is actually triggered by the shortening length of the days as the northern hemisphere moves further from the sun. This process is referred to as photoperiodism. [Read more…] about What’s Behind The Changing Leaves
Five Regions Now on Statewide Drought Watch List
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced that the State has expanded its Drought Watch to the Southern Tier drought region, which includes Cattaraugus, Alleghany, Steuben, and Chemung counties.
A drought watch remains in effect for four other State regions: Long Island, Upper Hudson/Mohawk, Adirondacks, and Great Lakes/St. Lawrence. [Read more…] about Five Regions Now on Statewide Drought Watch List
The Science of Fall Foliage
Where I live, autumn typically starts in late August, when pockets of red maples start to turn scarlet around the marshes and lakes. Uh oh. As they say in Westeros, “winter is coming.”
But not before we get to enjoy fall. Yes, a Northeastern autumn is a postcard cliché. Yes, the tour buses and land yachts full of leaf peepers clog the roads. But, really, who can blame them? No matter how many you’ve seen, fall in the Northeast is still one of nature’s most awesome spectacles. [Read more…] about The Science of Fall Foliage
Cold Temperatures, Dry Conditions In The Adirondacks This Weekend
Temperatures have taken a decided turn. We’re expected to see some 20s at night in colder mountain valleys this weekend.
If you’re headed into to the woods or onto the waters, now is the time to be sure you’ve got some extra clothing and be prepared to spend an unplanned night in cold temperatures.
Summit temperatures are not expected to rise out of the 30s this weekend. [Read more…] about Cold Temperatures, Dry Conditions In The Adirondacks This Weekend