Temperature Swings Create Ice Skating Opportunities

View the Spreadsheet Document.  

Maybe you've noticed that temperatures have been rapidly fluctuating. We have, too. You can actually "rewind" the weather and review the past few days. Or view a windchill chart.



The good news is that the conditions have created some unprecedented ice skating opportunities.

East Rock Park, Cold Spring and Livingston.  

If temperatures drop to 13°F tonight, as announced, that will create a situation again where rain becomes ice. That's part of the process of drastic temperature fluctuation this time of year. You can choose to embrace this as an opportunity to use those frozen puddles for ice skating. One location which looked suitable today, as a very large puddle, is the field you see in this image. It's advised to use the same set of caution you normally do. Be careful about cold exposure, too.

Snow Awesome Today

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Local residents have been privileged in recent years with record amounts of snow. 2011 was one of the all-time record years for an entire season, while 2013 broke the record for a single snowfall.

This year, we're experiencing nearly record-breaking cold temperatures and are on track to have another decent year of sledding. While some experience the cold and snow as remittance for not choosing a better climate, others accept it as a part of the seasonal change in New England. Without bitter cold, would we be able to appreciate the initial warmth of springtime with the same fervor? With nothing to compare it to, summer would run the risk of being taken for granted, which is why it's good to be glad about snow.

Extra Strength! Mill River.

East Rock.
The trails were particularly flooded this afternoon as another heavy rainstorm descended upon the region.  This translated into the Mill River overflowing its banks to come capacity.

Thursday and Friday are expected to bring more rain, but Weather.Com is predicting that it will be not so rainy tomorrow.

Meanwhile the potential for energy at the waterfall by the Eli Whitney Museum remains untapped!  Maybe someday it will have hydroelectric power.

In Case You Can't Wait...

Here's what New Haven looks like in Snowfall (from earlier this winter)

Sure Was Rainy Today!

Chances are, you spent much of today indoors, somewhere dry, and possibly either assembling a house out of popsicle sticks or on the computer.  Rain is nothing new, but computers are; now, we can share more information about anything, including something as simple as rain, than ever.

West Rock Avenue in the 1980's after flooding

New Haven is no stranger to flooding, and one area that receives the worst could be the area surrounding the West River.  That's because it's a low-elevation area.  There are several dams north on Route 69 and Route 63, which are both roads that split from Whalley Avenue.  Those dams affect the volume of the West River.

The river tends to flood when it rains heavily.  If the dam breaches, Westville suffers immense damage.

Here are some pictures taken by Victoria Applegate, a typesetter and choir director at a Catholic Church in the 1980's.  These were taken with her analog Canon single lens reflex camera.

Rain can affect peoples' lives greatly.  Water, just in a broad sense, is vital to the survival of human beings.  Too much is clearly a problem, in the case of flooding.  But in the event of droughts in the MidWest USA this year (2012), the lack of rain is equally as devistating.

The world relies on balance.

  


It Rained A Ton Today! from #NHV on Vimeo.

Tour Street, 1980's after heavy rain

This rain storm left the hoopsters under water.  

More Rain.

If only David Wooster could see the devistation wrought by mother nature these days...

In the meantime, the continuation of storms from the tropics only brings more rainfall.  Elsewhere in New England is experiencing major flooding.  I suppose we're fortunate not to have to deal with too much of that.

Still though, many trees fell during the last hurricane and it was to my prediction, as with all category 1 hurricanes.  Some trees fall down, some people lose power, and it is windy and rainy in the meantime.

Suggested listening;  Weather Storm, by Massive Attack.

Weather Report

Made in conjunction with found Geoff Fox footage using Songify.

Weather And LiveCams