tamarack

Weren't they on the west side eyewall? Might be better (meaning, faster) from a place in the east.

Maybe. Michael's 919 is actually 3 mb lower than Andrew's lowest, but I wonder if any 160+ mph was measured like Andrew at Coral Gables.

He last participated in 2015-16, probably discouraged by that awful "winter." (Actually, I think his primary residence changed, rendering it unfeasible to measure at Waterboro.) Maine Photog was in for 16-17. Jeb (from Bath) was in for a year way back, and I think jzinckgra was from Maine - last entered for 2013-14. T-fish appears to be only the 8th Maineiac since Kevin began his table in 2010-11. Still hoping for participants (or even just board members) from the 85% of Maine that lies northeast of my dooryard. There have been a few in the past, but none in the most recent 2-3 years.

Failed to drop below 60 this morning. My latest 60+ minimum is Sept. 26, with 61 both last year and in 2007 (both had 84 max, too), and with the BD moving thru WVL as we speak, that mark will stand. You aren't wrong. ORH has had 8 October events with measurable snow since 2000 That's 3 more than at my place. I guess in October, elevation trumps latitude.

Foresters in the Panhandle, AL and western GA must be shaking in their boots. I recall an article in Journal of Forestry several months after Camille that showed a bullet-shaped paraboloid about 30 miles wide at the base and 120 miles N-S with total tree destruction, plus a sizable "penumbra" of serious damage around it.

The series of strong fall storms had already begun by this date in 1995. And despite all the snow, it was less then great IMO due to no biggies reaching my (then, or current) home and crummy retention. Lots of storms, but schizo stretches, with Dec-April great for their 1st dozen-21 days then the rest of each month ranging from meh (Dec) to awful (JFM, with J getting multiple exclamation points.) 06z GFS dumps 12-18 on FVE out at Day 13.

Far from tropical, but I recall 2 December SW-wind oddities back when I lived in NNJ. Dec. 9, 1962 brought 4" snow, very nice for the next day's deer season opener. Then we had nearly a week of temps 15-20° BN on brisk-to-strong SW winds - frigid HP in SW Quebec and that Sunday snow system probably spinning east of Anticosti. Five years later, on New Year's Eve, we got 4-5" of fluff on gentle SW winds. Would not surprise me in Fort Kent, but odd for NNJ - even NYC got 3.3" from that one.

#1: Not here - that was last fall. #2: Absolutely, but IMO it's due to winter survival by well-fed bushytails followed by ideal squirrel-baby wx in spring/summer. Late May rainy-40s cutoffs can wipe out most of the young-uns. #3: have only seen 2, and I'm not up to speed with the relation between color pattern and winter severity. I'll stick with ENSO, as weak Nino has generally been good here.

Echoes of Charley, which went from a middling Cat 2 up to a LF as a solid 4 in very few hours. That was a far smaller system than Michael, however.

Another NJ expat? Wonder if he/she is in our age class. I think the South may get more frequent ice storms, but for max accretion look north. I'd also question the early/late preponderance. The 2 worst ice storms, by far, occurred mainly on Jan. 8-9, in 1953 (NNJ) and 1998 (Maine.) Earliest in season I recall any serious ice was mid December (1970 in NNJ, 1983 in N.Maine), latest was early March of 1967 in NNJ.

A loud echo to what J.Spin posted. And I'm glad to see another Maine peep on board. Only 3 reported last season.

With the whole thing framed by the slightly lighter green of the white pines. Super composition.

The Farmington observer began in 1966, and I think he's well into his 80s. If there's no replacement at Eustis, there goes that whole area, as Long Falls Dam fell off the grid about 7 years ago. Pittston Farm stopped, so there's little beyond Rangeley and Jackman for all of the true western mountains and the whole of NW Maine. Phillips and Andover are technically n that forecast region (Mts) but both are relatively low elevation. Sad.

Thanks. Both ladies doing fine. Thins were going slowly until 10 PM, then our daughter had a huge contraction and realized "it's tonight", and a few minutes later, "it's now!!" S-I-L had already called for help, and the EMT arrived 5 minute before the birth. Quite the circus, with two ambulances (in case both girls needed serious help) and at least one local cop. Daughter's memory was a bit fuzzy (suprise!) but she recalls somewhere between 6 and 10 first responders in the room. Colors are somewhere in the high/peak range here, and quite nice - bright yellows and some really vibrant reds. The same unending humidity that probably caused most of my apples to decay on the trees also made for great color? I don't know how that process could be related to the leaf color itself - perhaps Tamarack can explain that... Your guess is as good as mine. However, in my 21 fall leaf seasons here, the only really bad season was 2005 - no reds at all except for that one dependable (though about 10 days behind the other trees) maple on Sand Hill in Augusta. That was also Maine's wettest year on record.

Agreed. A further note on that event: Maine's Public Utilities Commission investigated Central Maine Power's response - CMP had more customers in the dark than in the 1998 ice storm, though for a much shorter period. The report came out week before last, and while basically giving CMP decent marks, also briefly noted that "winds were stronger than forecast." Maybe more widespread, but my recollection (and digging through the thread here on that storm), is that NWS pegged the event pretty well. Anyway, when public radio reported on the PUC opinion, guess what was highlighted - yup, the words in quotes, above. Why am I not surprised? My opinion on October snow as a predicter of winter goodness is mixed but mostly bad. In Fort Kent, Oct snow generally presaged a fine snow season. Everywhere else I've lived it generally was followed by dreck (67-68, 87-88, 05-06, 11-12), with 2000-01 the one clear exception. That said, all snow is good snow (with the possible exception of late Feb 2010.) Edit: If the season tendency continues, whatever is left of Michael will almost completely remain south of here.

Was there a stalled front somewhere in SNE all week? Mod-Wed in SNJ we had highs 80-83, dews well into the 60s, and a nice TS late Mon evening. then Thurs-Fri were raw upper 60s with occasional spritzes. Sat was 70 with clouds and high dews. We get home and find that the temp here topped out at 59 for the 6 days, low of 33, 0.90" precip. (IIRC, this past Wed-Thurs had been progged for 75 and maybe 80 for our area.)

Colors should be at peak here, though our trip back from SNJ offered little to see due to messed up plans. Even so, and with the limited spectrum of auto headlights, we spotted some bright reds on Mile Hill at 2:40 AM. More on the odd timing: We'd left family, including our new grandkid (she was in a hurry, had arrived on the dining room floor), after a late lunch, expecting to reach a motel in Sturbridge shortly after 8 PM. Several traffic jams moved that back to about 9:45, but it would not have made any difference. No room at the inn, and after countless calls from Sturbridge, MA to Saco, ME, we gave up - next possibility would've been PWM, and we were not about to drive 2.5 hours and then try for lodging less than 90 miles from home. Holiday weekend, all the places were either full of leaf peepers, or unwilling to rent for just Saturday night - looking for Sat-Sun customers, even at 11 PM Sat night. At that late hour, why not take half a loaf?

Might be a week later this year, but we'll still peak before Oct. 10, so maybe closer to half a week. Some nice reds beginning to show.

No worries yet - if Novie stays warm, different story. Small sample (20 years) but here's how snowfall has varied following AN/BN OCT & NOV, by percent of my current 90.0" average. Numbers in parentheses are occurrences. OCT NOV AN 106% (10) 92% (10) 2+AN 125% (4) 94% (5) 4+ AN 117 (1) 106% (1) * BN 94% (10) 108% (10) 2+ BN 78% (5) 115% (6) 4+ BN 75% (1) 113% (0**) * That contrary season was 2006-07, when 80% of the snow came after Feb. 1. ** Percent is for 2013-14, as Nov. 2013 was coldest of 20 at -3.6. Note: I did this exercise for the 125 years of the Farmington co-op and found all the same trends (except for Nov +4), though not as pronounced.

Only on a day when I can go icefishing. Except of course for the obligatory grinch storm. Last year was the un-Grinchiest of 20 here, with cold wx and 8" powder on Christmas Day, falling atop a 10" pack. In 20 years, only 5 have avoided the Grinch. 12 have had rainy, snow-eating wx and the other 3 had the same sensible wx but no snow to begin with.

Tale of 2 seasons. Cherrypicking start-end dates: Nov 8-Jan 13, 67 days: temp +7.00 Precip 9.62" Snow 11.0" Snow/day: 0.164 Jan 14-Apr 18, 94 days: Temp -4.91 Precip 15.17" Snow 84.3" Snow/day: 0.897

Near the hacienda the leaf drop isn't far behind color change, thanks to about 1/3 of the trees being early-naked ash. That species' drop ranges 30-90%, avg 50, while all others are under 10% drop, perhaps 30% color.

0.16" from the CF showers, though I was out with the dog when the heaviest arrived. The whole WF/CF process brought 0.90" here, and only the far north got less. Month is at 2.26" (avg is 3.7") and that's probably where it will finish. Saw some very distant little flashes, couldn't even tell from which direction, on the month's last thunder opportunity. Sept. averages slightly less than 1 thunder day, max is 2 - many times, and this month will make 9 of 21 with none. We've had 10 thunder days this year, and the avg is 15-16. Given the mongo dews late June onward, it's surprising that thunder occurrence is BN rather than way AN. OND avg is 0.7, max 3, and 11 of 20 years have had none, so we'll finish below the avg. (Still awaiting 1st Novie thunder here.) Edit: Might need some QC on Dixfield's cocorahs reports for Sept. 26 and 27. The 2-day total there is 9.11", while nobody else in Maine reached 3" and next highest in Oxford County was 1.66". Dixfield borders Franklin County, and tops there was 1.13".

Nah. It was Downeast Maine that did the thievery, with 2 ft plus in eastern Washington County. Same as the 1st big storm of the season in early November, when inland Downeast got 12-20" and we got 0.5". Had 0.72" thru 7 this morning with only drizzle to come unless the CF storms hit this afternoon/evening.

0.38" by 9 this evening, bringing the month to just over 1.5". With only light rain upstream, we finish with maybe 2" (for the month.) Probably not all that much more between now and Oct. 1, but since this morning's 28 thoroughly fried the garden, it matters little. Today was 13-14° BN, pulling the month nearly back to the norm. We finish within 0.5° of the 21-year average, probably on the high side of it.