tamarack

Jan. 1-4, 2014 averaged 26.8° BN. Jan. 6-15 produced 3 rain events (middle one had 0.2" SN) with 3.29" total precip, at which point the month was running 4.2° BN with 3.46" precip (twice the avg) and 2.1" snow. Rest of the month was slightly BN with 0.30" precip and 3.0" SN. You can't make this stuff up.

In New England, especially NNE, one can see full colors and green throughout the season - the dark greens of spruce and fir make for wonderful contrast. Actually a bit behind the average around our place, but the early-turn sugar maples along the road a mile toward town are 2/3 changed - not sure if it's health or genetics, but they're consistently early.

4.3". Only 1991 with 4.0 had less. January average is 21.0. 1990-91 had 69.1" snow while 2013-14 had 108.0". Farmington's average is 90.0". The cold snowstorm in early January 2014 brought only 2" while SNE mostly had double digits. (Side trail: on Jan 2 CAR had no snow but temp -15/-28.) After the early cold (I had -31 on the 4th, one of only 5 mornings -30 or colder in 22 winters) we had 3 rain events and never had another 1" snowfall until February.

That "paster" was forecast as 3-5" advisory snow but dumped 13.3" overnight before ending with a couple tenths RA. Even so, the 46" pack at 7 AM only settled to 43 at my 9 PM obs. Farmington didn't change until right at the end and got 16.9".

In the Northeast it's 1934 having the greatest competition with 2015. Only valid NE record I've found back beyond 1875 is NYC, and Feb that year is only 7th coldest, 5.2° less cold than 2/34. That site recorded its 3rd coldest Feb in 2015. 2013-14 was a good winter marred by a frustration January - BN temps, precip way AN, and 2nd lowest snowfall in the Farmington co-op's 128 Januarys. That's an unusual trifecta. However, the winter had 5 double-digit snowstorms, most in any winter here, though greater than 13.5". Also ranks #3 for Snow Depth Days and is one of 5 winters in which pack got above 40". Also the coldest March on record at that co-op (as was February the next year.).

21 of 22 for September frosts - only in 2011 did 1st frost wait until October, and that was a hard freeze on 10/6. Median date of 1st one is 9/19 but it's ranged from 1st to 30th.

The state system won't allow that. Parks and Lands can't even advertise the position until I'm fully retired and the process (getting a register, setting up interviews, receiving permission to make an offer) will take several months. We've talked of my coming back on a contract, for that training and because 2021 is when we have to undergo a full recertification audit by the Forest Stewardship Council - happens every fifth year. It's a complex process, and while I'm sharing some details with our recently (May) hired assistant bureau director, the new chief forester probably could use some background (unless a long-time bureau forester were to get the job.)

About 3 months ahead of me - enjoy!

Odd to see one growing on a slant, as they're about the straightest and most vertical of all deciduous trees, though like all of that group it will tilt toward the sun if shaded on one side. Five feet in diameter? Which lake - there's a bunch in that corner of the state.

Hard to get the right scale, but it might be large enough (significantly bigger than hornets/yellowjackets) to be a wood wasp. They're solitary and non-stinging.

Not as good in Maine but still decent. Not interested in solar, would need to cut loads of trees and make frequent roof trips to clear off the snow. We're exploring the heat pump option, more for AC than for heat, in part because the only place for installation (without removing windows, cabinets or both) is 10-12' from the woodstove.

Had a dust devil that summer of 1966 where I worked. It was a hot and dry day with little wind before a strong north wind arrived mid afternoon. The spin-up started at the south end of the lodge - we heard some things crashing - then moved north behind the lodge before cutting west across the beach to the lake. On its way it tossed thick chaise lounge cushions into treetops and flipped over one of the heavy wooden lounges several times and turned the 14' aluminum boat upside down. It picked up one of those thigh-high ashtrays, lifted it 40-50' and carried it across the lake (only about 1,000') before dissipating in the woods on the far side. Watching that black ashtray going round and round amid a sand cloud was amazing.

Really? 1965 set records for lowest precip year in all 3 SNE states, also DE, NJ, PA. And it wasn't just 1965. Using NYC as proxy, because of their 151-year POR: 1960s average: 43.20" 1962: 37.20" 20th lowest 1963: 34.28" 5th lowest, saved from setting new #1 by a 4" RA Nov. 7-8 1964: 33.00" New record (lasted one year) 1965: 26.09" 'nuf said '65 Jan-Aug: 19.06" '66 Jan-Aug: 19.80" (And met summer was 4.8° warmer than '65.) Then Sept. 1966 brought 8.7" and things moved back to normal.

9/65 worse for New England, slightly less bad in the MA as the dry wx hung on a bit longer there. And if a long-term drought can be said to end on one day, NYC's 5.54" on 9/21/66 was that day, though no one knew it at the time. But from there on out, precip was more normal, with some significantly AN years coming soon.

Is that map available for, say, Sept. 15, 1966?

Northern Maine got fringed by 1978, about 2". And while they did okay with the "Mayor Lindsey" storm in early Feb 1969, the big dog in late month was mainly a whiff. VT had huge variation that month, BTV getting 17" and St. Johnsbury 60, BTV 6" from the late month dump vs. 35" for St.J. The March 2011 storm dumped 19" at Eustis while 40 miles SSE we had a lot of RA followed by 2" IP then enough ZR to take out power. Bad memories - my spinal stenosis symptoms (I had no idea yet on what was going on) were getting worse. Had a day-long forestry conference in Orono and my wife was house sitting near BGR. Got home at 8, all was dark and the house about 45 inside with teens outside. Usually I'm quite cold-tolerant but that night I just couldn't get warm, even under a pile of blankets and the woodstove going full blast.

And ENE got squat. We were forecast for advisory level snow but by the time the cold air arrived the precip was about done - just a few flakes here. Fitting end to a crummy snow season.

With the July 4th weekend crowds, surprised there was any uncovered sand above the high tide line.

Hoped to find records back thru 1965. If they're available, I could not find them. Quabbin probably hit their lowest in August 1966.

2005-06 definitely, my 2nd lowest snowfall of 22 winters here and less than 8" after Jan 31. 83-84 and 85-86 were mostly meh where I am now, though 83-84 had a cold March with a 23" snowstorm and that winter we lived in northern Maine and the March storm dumped 26.5", biggest snowfall I've experienced and brought the pack to 65", also tops. The other 9 averaged 104" compared to the nearby co-op's 90" average. Weak ENSO in either direction averages AN for snow here though La Nada is about average.

Thanks for the full context; I was writing from memory. My semi-quotes came from the KJV. Both are reliable versions.

As a grandfather, I still look back to 1966 when I lived in NNJ. That met summer held NYC's heat and drought records for 44 years until 2010 came in a fraction warmer. Still holds the drought record, also tied with 1953 for most 100+ (4) though the earlier year's 4th triple came in met fall. Since I spent that summer working between counter and grill at Curtis-Wright's summer resort, that additional heat just accentuated the extremes that season. On Sunday, July 3 NYC was 103 and LGA 107 and we had the biggest crowd through the gate of any day in my 2 summers there. The coil thermometer at the end of the counter was well beyond 120, the highest number on its face, and I worked a lot closer to grill and fryers than was that instrument. It was so far beyond anything in my NNE experience that the memory is emblazoned on my brain.

Today's mid-60s dews take it out of CoC for me, but it's looking like things dry out during the day tomorrow.

Reminds me of a parable in Luke's Gospel. Paraphrasing it very loosely, a man has crop yields too great to fit in his barns, so he decides to tear them down and build bigger. He thinks that then he'll be all set for years and years. But God says, "Thou fool!" and says the man's life ends that very night, "and whose will be your goods now?"

More likely the owners didn't want to be associated with the poor folks who can only afford $5 million mansions.