Historic 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...
Read MoreFeeding Fox Sparrow
Twan snapped this snappy shot of a fine Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) feeding in the snow here at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History. We have a solid snow cover thanks to the lake effect madness off Erie in the past week, though certainly nothing of the magnitude our neighbors just to our north do. Fox Sparrows are notorious for seeking out feeders during inclement weather. If difficult conditions strike at the right time, especially in the March movement north, you may end up with several or even over a dozen in your yard. Have you had any of them visiting you this...
Read MoreThe Seen and Unseen Effects of Climate Change
“That’s western New York weather for you,” is a phrase I’ve often heard growing up in this area, as our weather seems to change pretty frequently throughout any given week and sometimes even within a day. Being accustomed to how the weather in this part of the state changes by the hour, I’ve gotten into the habit of checking the weather in the morning before I head out the door. The other morning as I was taking a look at accuweather, my typical weather go-to site, I saw an article about Alaska’s shrinking glaciers. Having taken a trip to Alaska within the...
Read MoreWinter: it’s cold and snowy
Yes, it is true – you may be fascinated to learn that in the winter season it is often both cold and snowy. Frozen precipitation can fall from the sky in great amounts when the temperature goes below freezing in many areas and this has been going on for quite some time. In fact much of the United States can have these conditions occur frequently, especially in the months of December, January and February. Huh? My sarcasm is in response to a week of nonstop climate change denial because it’s cold in the winter. We had a snowstorm that moved across much of the populated...
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