Moisture Levels
Mosquitoes bothering you lately? Or have they been fewer in number than normal? Depending on your location in the Northeast you likely have differing answers. This map shows the precipitation minus the precipitation evapotranspiration, the total of evaporation and plant transpiration of water from the Earth’s surface. Preliminary research by the Northeast Regional Climate Center and Cornell Entomology “indicates that adult mosquitos (Culex) populations are typically high during periods of time when precipitation exceeds evaporation”, which are the positive values shown. The...
Read MoreScorching May
The first half of the month of May 2015 was a quietly scorching one, with the heat turned all the way up in the Northeast. You may not believe it based on the outdoor feel of our day to day weather, but the entire region was far warmer than usual. While we did not have the extreme highs or actual heat waves, a stretch or days well into the 90s or anything particularly memorable, we have been consistently warmer than average for our highs and often above the long-term lows. The Northeast Regional Climate Center map here shows us the tale. The coolest part has been sections of Maine which were...
Read MoreTale of Two April Climates
The first half of April 2015 was a Tale of Two Climates: when compared to long-term averages, New England was cool to cold and dry, sometimes exceptionally so, while the Mid-Atlantic was warm and wet, sometimes ridiculously so. Fortunately since then it has balanced out to some degree (pun intended) and conditions have moderated in both regards. In my opinion we seem to be at a relatively average place in terms of “green out”, with buds and leaves near where they “should” be for our returning birds and emerging insects. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach...
Read MoreRecord Shattering Cold & Historic Snow
To be entirely honest I meant to write this blog entry a couple of weeks ago. Yes, I have been busy during that time with meetings, gearing up for spring and summer projects, surveying, and much more. Nevertheless, I could not get myself too excited to write about the unbelievably and astonishingly historic cold we have had this winter, especially in February, or the feet of snow dumped on the region, rewriting more records for some locations. After feeling the first signs of spring in the past week I feel renewed, ready for the thaw and once again energized about our weather and climate....
Read MoreHistoric Western New York Snowfall
The past week has been nothing short of historic in Western New York with crippling and dangerous snowfall beyond what even lifelong residents could have imagined. This lake effect snowfall weather event was the culmination of several factors that allowed Lake Erie’s snow machine to turn on full blast and dump feet of snow in very short periods of time, rivaling some all-time American records. While the final totals need to be examined, assessed and fully vetted, once you pass four, five, six, or seven feet, there is really no number that can do the impact justice. It is a tragedy that...
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