Polar Vortex Blocked
Via NWS New York, here’s a nice explanation of why we are baking in December heat with a scorched brown earth instead of freezing in frosty snow-covered lands as we were the past two years right about now. El Niño should continue blocking the polar vortex as long as it stays strong, and considering it’s amounting to be the strongest ever recorded…
Read MoreRecord December Heat
What a remarkable and historic stretch of weather! The probable strongest El Niño of all-time looks like it will keep us all very warm for a while still…we are getting into more uncharted territory here in Earth’s modern history. At least it is helping the extreme drought in the west, but what other potentially severe weather is yet to come? Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreMore Frosty Mornings
This autumn has certainly been an interesting one as far as weather goes! Our first frost came rather late and last week we seemed to have had an “Indian Summer” with temperatures in the 60’s and even low 70’s…quite toasty for early November! While winter is still a little ways out, it will be interesting to see how El Niño continues to influence our weather patterns here in the Northeast. This week seems to be back to normal average temperatures, giving us freezing overnight lows and frosty mornings, but next week is forecasted to be warm once again. No matter...
Read MoreLightning Strike
There has been a lot of inclement weather lately! One good thing about all of the heavy rain and thunderstorms is that our waterways will be filled for reptiles, amphibians, odonates, and many other creatures. It may not make our work easier – for example, the Spiny Softshell Turtles are going to be a tough study for now – but it is certainly a far better fate than the droughts of places like California. Thankfully for them we have signs of a strengthening El Niño, the periodic warming of the Pacific Ocean’s surface temperatures, that may already be giving them slight...
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