Great Snow 1717

It is a large "built" in park in Lawrence. The park is surrounded by concrete walls. For decades the city of Lawrence would flood the Playstead in late November to turn it into a large outdoor ice skating rink. The winters were cold enough for the skating to last until late March or early April. If Lawrence did that now the park would be a quagmire in most years. It would not stay frozen. And keep in mind the Playstead has room for 2 softball fields and 2 baseball fields. Back then it was rare for the ice to not stay frozen. When I was playing football in the 70's the fields were usually frozen by late November. There were few years when the fields were not frozen by mid December. Now it is common. My yard takes longer and longer to freeze. The leaf drop now extends well into November. The growing season is longer. Growing up my friends and I would go sledding at the Reservoir in Lawrence. The sledding usually lasted from December to late March. Now there are many years when there may be only a few weeks of good sledding. Talk to anyone who has lived in the area for many years and he/she will tell you that winters have changed Falls and winters have warmed. Snow retention has decreased in the Merrimack Valley area. Most of the daily records that are being broken in the fall and winter are on the "warmth" side. As I mentioned it isn't all about snowfall. there are numerous signs that the climate has warmed and is continuing to warm.

Are you familiar with the Playstead in Lawrence?

I agree. Certainly more difficult than in the 60's and 70's.

..but it isn't all about snowfall....

Agree, it can no longer be said "long after we are gone" The effects are observed in every season. And certainly over the next few decades the impacts will grow greater.

"Sounds like someone that Brad Stevens would sign to a max contract...

Agree but the failure of futurecast for the most part leads to nowcasting....and to make matters worse every Boston TV met relies on it far too much...This morning every future cast was different. In the forum(s) there is more reasons provided for forecasts. And afterwards there are reasons provided for why a forecast did or did not work out. There should be a forecasting challenge to raise money for charity.....Boston TV mets vs the forum mets....the challenge lasts from Dec1-April 1....

outside of the models and futurecast radar I can't think of a reason why...

Most years I do not even turn the heat on till late October..

You have a fire going????

...and some are still hoping for a redux of the 1938 hurricane....

It is still broiling hot....

in this market it doesn't matter.....dumps are selling for well over asking price

...and the people who are hoping for a cat 2/3 are out of their minds

waiting for the first retrograde post.....

Euro is in fall training camp in preparation for the winter season....

This would be a popular seller(t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies) on some electric companies websites...or even as a bumper sticker on the sides and back of electric company trucks...

2009?

Agree

Correct and the same people who want a cat 2/3 to hit the area will be the same people complaining the most when the power isn't back on within 2 days.

agree

Long Island no longer exists but JB has started a GoFundMe campaign to help rebuild Long Island...

I agree. The hype by tv anchors and on air Mets was way over the top.

..and that's part of the problem. There is way too much analyzing of each model and model runs. The over reliance on future cast has greatly affected the ability to forecast. How many Mets actually forecast without showing some form of future cast??

Agree. There was plenty of hype for the storm. At some point in time there is going to be a greater threat from a storm. And people will remember storms like Henri and that will cause the general public to not prepare. The hype for snowstorms has been going on for years. Most snowfall forecasts bust to the low side.