tamarack

Sprinkles outside, rumbling good-looking cell (had 60 dbz+ over Dixfield, still many 50-55 pixels) about to pass about 5 miles to my south. Lesser cell looks to pass to my north. Echoes coming in our direction might be 0.05". Maybe MEZ012-013-020-021-301930- Southern Oxford-Androscoggin-Southern Franklin-Kennebec- 301 PM EDT Wed Jun 30 2021 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHWESTERN KENNEBEC...NORTH CENTRAL ANDROSCOGGIN AND SOUTHEASTERN FRANKLIN COUNTIES... At 300 PM EDT, a strong thunderstorm was located near Wilton, or 10 miles southwest of Farmington, moving east at 30 mph. Winds in excess of 30 mph and pea size hail are possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Farmington, Jay, Livermore Falls, Dixfield, Canton, Wilton, Livermore, Chesterville, Fayette, New Sharon, Town Of Washington, Vienna and Mount Vernon. If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.

It's bad, though my unfavorite place to drive is Manhattan, thanks mainly to the extra-aggressive cab drivers. Our visit to our son's (then) home in Queens about 20 years ago was a relative walk in the park, once we discovered that the north end of 96th street was that no-sign "alley" under the El.

When our daughter - and then SIL + grandkids - lived in Greenville, SC, we quickly learned to take 84/81/77 to CLT thence 85 to G'ville. One time about 15 years ago we needed to stop in Middletown NJ to visit my FIL, so went the hard way. Lost 30 minutes in RIC thanks to an accident, then hit bumper-to-bumper 5 miles south of the Potomac bridge, 5 PM and 500 miles traveled. Took a full hour to reach the bridge and no better north of the span. Thought we'd be smart and take the alternate than goes by Ft. Meade but maybe not so smart - took 2+ hours to get past BWI. We'd learned that morning that our chosen Super 8 (we had a discount card) just across the Delaware was still unfinished so we were lodgeless on Labor Day Sunday. Found a place in Red Bank (changed the ethic mix there) after 760 miles and 14 hours. Not our favorite trip.

The "Enhanced" area has been extended to just north of LEW. However, the "Slight" area has shrunk both from north and south, with Moosehead Lake and points north downgraded to "Marginal". It's our 2nd time this month to be in the yellow zone. 1st time it included all of Maine north of LEW, so of course it was York and Cumberland that got pounded (while the homefront remained dusty). Maybe today hammers Aroostook?

Our little rogue started 5 minutes after my 9 PM obs for Monday, so Tuesday's report includes 0.11" in a 10-minute weak TS - almost a twin with yours.

There's one that EAB won't kill. Looks like plenty of internal decay at the break. Still an impressive gust to break that much sound wood.

"New Sharon heat wave" (Given the transpirational cooling here in the woods, 85 is my threshold.) Last 3 days have been 86.64; 92/68*; 87/65. Dews peaked at 70-71 (judged by nearby sites) on Monday. If the clouds hold together we might not crack the 85 mark. Would not help convection if that happens, and I've read some rumors of a north-south 7-10 with central Maine in the middle of the alley. * That 80.0 mean is the warmest I've recorded since moving here in May 1998.

Reminds me of the account from a woman driving about 10 over the limit on 495 outside DC, while everyone else was blowing by about 30 mph faster. She got pulled over and the trooper asked her, "Do you know why I stopped you?" "You couldn't catch anyone else?" First time I was on the newly raised limit on 95 in Maine was a forestry trip to Ashland. The driver put cruise at 82 and it was amazing how quickly we made the 85 miles to the Smyrna exit. Couldn't use cruise on Rt 11 (curves and logging trucks) but we went 75 there on the straightaways.

Talk to the folks at tackle shops near where you'll be fishing. They usually offer useful advice. (With the caveat that they make their living selling fishing stuff.)

An impressive list, with some otherworldly new records. First place goes to Grande Prairie. Halfway thru their 100th year of observations their all time high jumps by 20°F! Beaverlodge area is right behind and several other locations broke their records by 10F or more. Cra-zee! (Seems more impressive in F than in C. )

75 on I-95 north of Old Town. Not much happening on the 100 miles from there to HUL.

Some years back (15-20?) the near-surface magma created a large glacial lake in Iceland, and when it finally broke thru the ice barrier the estimated flow was 2 million cfs. Might be more than the biggest flood on the Mississippi.

That is a weird temp distribution, with the west side of the Olympics hotter than the north or east. However, the nearby readings do back up Quillayute. And 118 in The Forks? That would tie the state's record max, and I doubt many would expect it there rather than in the semi-desert east of the Cascades.

Quillayute is 4 miles from the Pacific. Hoquiam is 125 miles SE and 14 miles from the Pacific on the Columbia estuary. That 15° difference in temps is very suspicious. One station explodes their all time high by 11° while the other remains 8° below theirs. In other news, yesterday's 92/68 set new high for daily mean since moving here in May 1998. Had a weak 10-minute TS (0.11") just after 9 PM last evening. Not much but better than nothing.

Most dangerous critter in the Maine woods is probably the lowly black-legged tick. (aka deer tick)

At 10 PDT. Yesterday sure broke the 10-after-10 rule. Hope today follows the "protocol". Checked the max-min though wading thru the hot humid air was a chore - it felt almost viscous. It read 89 but had spiked to 92, which trails only the 2 days - July and Sept - that hit 93 in 2002. Morning low was 68 so if that holds (99% chance IMO) the 80° mean will be the warmest ever here, topping the 79.5 (93/66) on 7/3/02. Local dews 70-71 so using 70 it's HI 97 here.

Maybe that's why the lower one doesn't have much of the classic widening toward the tip. 91 on the remote, not interested enough to go out in the swamp to check the max-min (though I will in a minute to get the mail). LR at 80 thanks to the heat pump; feels like the fridge when I walk there from the back bedroom (SW corner of the house) where my workstation has to be sited.

Top one looks like shagbark, bottom ??, as my hickory knowledge is probably less now than when I roamed the woods of NNJ in the 1960s.

Ah so. Makes sense now. Low was 68 here. Unless we get the big TS (2% chance) that will tie 6/29/99 for highest minimum in June. Only 4 mornings have been milder, 3 in July and one in September.

The records I've downloaded show numerous 70+ minima, topped off by 3 mornings at 75. Different spots in town? 7/22/1978 96 75 8/2/2006 97 75 7/12/2011 92 75

86/64 yesterday and didn't get much (if any) below 70 this morning. 70+ dews all over New England.

Experiments that add nitrogen to the soil have shown increased growth, but the costs/benefits don't work in a forest setting. Years ago we had bioash (from biomass electricity facilities, applied at no cost to the land manager) spread on state land near Greenville and that resulted in greater growth, though that may have been mainly due to lowering soil acidity.

Adequate moisture and nutrients, and the factory (live crown) mostly in the sun? Works every time (though genetics play a part.)

A red oak of that size without deeply furrowed bark has had a happy, fast-growing life.

More snow talk as we head into a run of triple H. Adding 4"+ and 10"+. 10"+ is storm total while all the others are calendar day (except largest). Earliest flakes, accum., 1"+ 4"+ 10"+ Largest 98 11/3 11/17 12/8 12/30 3/6-7 14.5" 3/6-7 99 10/4 11/10 11/13 1/16 none 8.2" 1/25-26 00 10/9 10/29 10/29 10/29 12/31 19.0" 3/30-31 (48" depth on 3/31. Even in Fort Kent never had that much on 3/31 or later.) 01 10/31 11/1 11/29 12/15 none 9.0" 3/20-21 02 11/1 11/1 11/4 11/17 1/4 13.8" 1/4-5 03 10/22 10/23 12/6 12/6 12/6-7 24.0" 12/6-7 04 11/21 11/21 12/7 2/10 2/10-11 21.0" 2/10-11 05 10/23 10/25 10/25 12/16 none 5.9" 1/29-30 (Most recent previous winter I've seen w/o a 6"+ event was 1967-68 in NNJ.) 06 10/23 12/7 12/8 12/8 2/14-15 18.5" 4/4-5 07 11/8 11/20 12/3 12/3 12/3-4 12.5" 1/1-2 08 10/29 11/25 11/25 12/17 12/21-22 24.5" 2/22-23 09 10/13 11/5 11/6 12/9 2/25-28 10.7" 2/25-28 (2.67" LE, 4:1 mashed potatoes) 10 10/22 10/31 11/26 12/27 4/1-2 15.1" 4/1-2 11 10/29 10/29 10/30 10/30 none 9.7" 11/23 12 11/5 11/8 11/8 12/17 2/8-9 12.5" 3/19-20 13 11/10 11/10 12/2 12/15 12/15 13.5" 3/12-13 14 11/1 11/2 11/14 11/26 11/26-27 20.0" 1/27-28 15 10/18 11/23 12/29 12/29 none 8.5" 1/12-13 16 10/25 11/21 11/25 12/12 12/29-30 21.0" 12/29-30 and 2/12-13 17 11/10 11/16 12/9 12/25 1/4 13.0" 1/4 18 10/13 10/27 10/27 11/13 1/19-20 19.9" 3/7-9 19 10/25 11/8 11/11 12/31 3/23-24 10.3" 3/23-24 20 10/26 11/3 11/25 12/5 none 9.5" 2/2 Earliest flakes; accum; 1"+; 4"+ 10"+ Winter's largest Avg 10/27 11/9 11/22 12/10 1/21 14.5" Med. 10/26 11/8 11/25 12/15 1/4 13.5" OCT 15 6 3 2 6 w/none 0 NOV 8 16 12 3 1 1 DEC 0 1 8 16 6 1.5 JAN 1 3 7 FEB 1 4 4.5 MAR 2 7 APR 2 Never had 1"+ w/o an earlier T/0.1"+. Closest was 2011. Only "triplets" were 10/29/00 (accum, 1", 4") and 2/10[11]/05 (4", 10", largest)