Hoth

8 minutes ago, CoastalWx said:

July 1989

Hamden tornado is my earliest weather memory. 

Now that I've had twenty-four hours to reflect, time for a debrief. This whole thing felt like tracking a KU with an especially long lead time. I've been eyeing this eclipse for years and had made tentative plans to crash in Tupper Lake, NY, if the weather looked obliging--always iffy in April. For weeks I agonized over the models, despite knowing that the outputs were likely shite. But late last week it looked like high pressure would be more or less in charge, so I pulled the trigger and drove up the day before.

Yesterday morning dawned clear, though a cursory review of the satellite looked a bit iffy with cirrus and denser clouds entering western NY. I went for a jog into town to observe the pre-eclipse goings-on. Tupper did a good job prepping, with designated parking and viewing areas and free bus shuttles. We even had EMS messages pushed to our phones. There were a lot of people, but I got the sense that the numbers were below initial expectations, perhaps because of the cloud forecast. And sure enough, during my jog a milky cirrus deck came across the sky. The sun was still quite visible, but not crisply defined. As the morning progressed I resigned myself to the likelihood that this would not be a perfect situation for viewing and that I could likely dispense with seeing Baily's Beads and the so-called diamond effect. This was disheartening, but I still thought the experience would be cool. I just hoped that the heavier cloud cover would hold off. 

Around 1:45, my hosts and I drove the gator from their camp down to their boathouse and set up chairs on the dock on the Raquette River. We cracked some brews and chatted and called to the other watch parties on neighboring docks, and to my surprise the sky started to clear. Reviewing COD, sure enough there was a narrow channel of clear sky between the cirrus canopy and the heavier clouds. Could we actually pull this thing off?

The show started right on time at 2:12. A quick squint through my glasses revealed an ever so small but distinct incursion in the sun's bottom right quadrant. This progressed quickly and by 2:45 my host quipped that the sun looked like Pac Man. I don't recall exactly when we noted the temperature dropping, but it became quite palpable by 3:00, as did the general greying down and dimming of the light. The birds seemed to notice, too, as the swarm of songbirds that had been gaily assailing our ears subsided into silence.

Excitement really started to mount around 3:15. It was quite chilly. I looked up and saw there was clear blue sky with beautiful fox tail clouds on the western horizon and it finally sank in that I was going to get the real deal full course eclipse experience with all the trimmings. I actually gasped, "I can't believe it. We're going to pull this thing off!" At about this point, we noticed a sudden sharp breeze kick up out of the west and run down the river.

At 3:20, a peek through the glasses showed the sun was almost gone. It was quite cold and a low chroma grey had settled over the landscape. The wind slackened to utter stillness. The woods on the far bank became less distinct, just a mass of dark grey treetop silhouettes. My hosts thought it remarkable how light it still was, even with most of the sun blocked. They told me later they assumed that totality was not going to be much different. Oh how wrong that proved to be. At 3:23, I drew their attention towards to clouds to the west, which looked rather ominously dark--"like a big storm's kicking up" as my host said.

At 3:24, totality set in. I didn't expect the light to change so fast. That shadow galloped over us, and with it cheers could be heard echoing down the length of the river. The sun strangely and feebly yellowed, flashed and disappeared and the black hole burst forth from its heart. This elicited general gasps, clapping, and appeals to a higher power from all in attendance, and the most awe-inspiring spectacle I've ever seen was under way. How to adequately describe it? A coal-black heart of darkness wreathed with feathers of light in a deep twilit heaven, planets tom-peeping amid thin gossamer ribbons of cirrus, a rich gold sunset along the eastern horizon where the river dumps into the lake. I was stunned into silence, while my host on the flip side seemed to be experiencing a prolonged and quite plangent orgasm of sorts, emitting sobs and a string of high-pitched "oh-my-gods" through the whole thing. 

We got the whole shebang. At about 7 o'clock on the moon's surface, one could see a reddish eruption from the sun, a pillar of plasma many times the size of the planet I was observing it from. Then, moments later, sparkling, sharp scintillations, shards of brilliant light ringing and magnified by the black of the moon. I don't know if this was the fabled diamond ring effect, but whatever it was it put the whole show over the top.

Then, to the west, the horizon began to brighten, and just as the shadow had encroached at palpable velocity, the distant clouds brightened, and them thin cirrus wisps nearby, and just as quickly as it came, the sun burst back out and flooded us with brilliant, cold light.

My host's 90+ year old parents observed the eclipse with us as well and agreed it was the most sublime three minutes of their time on this earth. I feel so fortunate to have witnessed it. I furthermore hope to catch a two-fer in Florida 2045: a totality viewed via the stadium effect of a major landfalling hurricane. Is that so much to ask?

14 minutes ago, LibertyBell said:

That's like the rain/snow line staying 5 miles south of you during a 30" snowstorm!

 

I had the same thought. Can’t believe I pulled it off. 

Hands down the coolest natural phenomenon I’ve witnessed. Clouds snuck in ten minutes after totality. It was jaw dropping. 

Oh. My. God. 

We’re clearing out in upstate NY. We’re gonna pull this off!!

1 hour ago, Prismshine Productions said:

Still clear here on the eastern leg of VT

Sent from my SM-S146VL using Tapatalk
 

Reporting from Tupper Lake NY, so far these clouds are nothing to worry about. Bright sunshine and wispy cirrus. Hoping it’ll stay that way!

6 minutes ago, HIPPYVALLEY said:

We watch for now but certainly seems like there is potential for a juggernaut. Who is white and who is wet is very much unresolved.

Whatever happens, we want this to be a beast of low pressure to give folks in SNE a chance at one last accumulating snow

I will be wet. You can take that to the bank.

1 hour ago, Damage In Tolland said:

Rainy Day Women

I love a Rainy night 

Rain makes corn, corn makes whiskey. Whiskey makes my baby feel a little frisky.

1 hour ago, RUNNAWAYICEBERG said:

Are you heading up the night before? I’m looking for a spot for us but have not decided if we just travel the morning of and camp out somewhere random or travel the night before and go to an official viewing/party kinda thing. 
 

I’m not feeling the pattern being conducive for clear skies…as of now.

Yeah, probably heading up that Sunday to dodge some traffic. My sister-in-law's folks offered me a bed at their place, and I can't turn that down.  And I agree on the pattern. Looks iffy for sure.

Tupper Lake, NY it is. Just hope we can pull off a clear day.

16 minutes ago, The 4 Seasons said:

All snowstorms for the 2009-2010 season and SNE and CT seasonal snowfall map. 

All seasons back to 2009 can be found here im working on updating every season with a SNE snowfall seasonal totals map as well https://www.jdjweatherconsulting.com/pastwinterstorms

 

I remember thinking that season sucked. I would kill for a 40" season these days.

Pouring and howling. Nasty night out there.

44 minutes ago, H2Otown_WX said:

Gotta love how when it's rain the jackpot is like a heat-seeking missile:

Yup. We crush wintertime rain like no one else.

My entire side lawn is a blanket of crocuses. I've never had so many.  The bees were out Sunday and were loving it.

5 minutes ago, WinterWolf said:

Ya..today is horrible. 44-45 degrees with moderate damp cold rain. Just Horrid. 

I'll second that.

3 hours ago, Typhoon Tip said:

Fwiw ... family member in NJ has lawn greening with crocuses and tulips coming up - about 3 weeks ahead of schedule since she's lived there over nearly 20 years ( anecdotally).

I’ve had crocuses blooming in CT for a week. My daffodils are 6” up

Had a lovely Jebwalk in the heavy squall. At least we got a week of winter.

Absolutely beautiful out. A real workout jogging though.

1 minute ago, WxWatcher007 said:

Maybe? 20-21 was the only year I’ve gotten close to climo in the last half decade. 

Same. It's been a rough run.

Just now, WxWatcher007 said:

Last year there was no hope here in CT while other places at least had something. This year it’s the opposite. It’s still pretty terrible regionally and I feel for those being left out—knew that feeling all to well last year.

Hopefully next week produces for us all.

When was the last region-wide mauling? Feb '21?

Light snow refreshing the pack. Haven't been able to say that in a few years. It's beautiful out!

33 minutes ago, WinterWolf said:

The year of looking at radar trends for CT…can we pull it off again? 

I like our odds.

Oof, this snow has some heft to it. I’ve cleared my driveway into a single pile, then plan to saturate it with the garden hose as we drop toward freezing. Gotta protect the pack!