Thunderstorm Sunset
One can never be completely certain what Mother Nature will produce. As a weather nerd and wannabe meteorologist I will steadfastly defend the meteorological community while correcting anyone who unfairly besmirches it and believes we have “no idea” what the conditions will be on any given day. Advances in knowledge and technology have allowed us to predict hurricanes, snowstorms, and even tornado outbreaks well in advance to save countless lives. However, the process is not perfect, and small-scale features can be slightly off producing a massive shift in actual weather...
Read MoreDrought Worsening
Hey, did you happen to notice how dry it has been? Because our drought is steadily worsening as well. The Northeast is dry and far more dry than earlier this spring, the beginning of the year, the start of the last water year after a dry summer of 2015, and this date one year ago. We also do not have a lot of water in the forecast. Let’s hope for some clouds and some rain, please! We need more than a thunderstorm or two, and a few well-placed lows saturating the region would certainly be welcome. Extremes hurt much of the life in our environment, and climate change increasing our...
Read MoreLittle Rainbow
This little rainbow was a beautiful sight across the way in Milford, Connecticut as seen from Stratford Point yesterday afternoon. Scattered storms and periodic rain this month seems to be taking the place of April showers, and next month we may see May’s flowers thanks to this unbelievably historic and astonishingly warm winter. With that said, is there more snow on the way on Sunday? It’s a wild ride, but we hope you can get outdoors and enjoy nature this weekend. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreDragonfly Swarm!
On the evening of July 21, 2015 a cold front was rapidly advancing through Stratford, Connecticut from the northwest, bringing showers and thunderstorms to the tri-state area. This video was taken at Stratford Point, a peninsula that stretches far into Long Island Sound and harbors migratory insects and birds throughout the year. These Swamp Darners (Epiaeschna heros) and Common Green Darners (Anax junius) suddenly swarmed the site, seeking refuge from the rain and storms in this corner of the building and covered porch. Some literally flew into me while I filmed. This behavior has been...
Read MoreGnarly Sunset
I went outside to try to photograph some mammatus clouds a few days ago, with the evening sky revealing those dense pockets of descending cool air after a volatile day after severe thunderstorms and heavy rain showers. It did not go very well! The mammatus clouds to my east were a bit too spread out in distribution and too diffuse, not catching the light correctly for some reason. However, the light was funky to say the very least, with everything on the ground having these odd tones as the sun went below the horizon. This soon lit the cloudy skies to the west with fiery, gnarly tones which...
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