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December 2024 Precipitation Report

by local | Nature

For the month of December measured 4.25″ compared to a normal of 4.30 inches.  Most fell as rain but we did receive 8.4″ of snow compared to my average of 13.8″.  The approximate water equivalence of the snow was 0.55″,  so a very dry cold snow from western clipper systems.

I have been measuring snow since 1993.  The average December snow from 93-2010 = 16.1″ and from 2011 to current = 11.3″.  Snowfall on average continues to fall as total precipitation increases.  All this time we were well into climate change.  Wish I had data from the 1960s when I don’t remember a lot of rain storms in winter.

November Precipitation 2024

by local | Nature

Dryness has abated somewhat with 2 larger storms in the past 10 days.  Precipitation for the month measured 3.01″  compared to the normal of 3.53″.  The second storm included snow for many including here with 4.3″ and more at higher elevations.  My November snow average going back to 1993-94 is 2.8″.  There have been 5 years with 10 or more inches in November over that time period.

For the calendar year my total stands at 41.68 inches compared to the norm of 43.24″.  One month to go.  All numbers are from my location in the SE corner of Brattleboro.

Brattleboro October Precipitation

by local | Nature

Continued dry with only 2 rain events during the month totaling 1.38″.  Normal rain for October is 4.77″. For the calendar year the total is now 38.67″ compared to the NOAA average of 39.71″.  At the end of August the calendar year total was a +5.37″ and now we are over an inch below normal.  It has been enjoyable weather.

Across Windham County, CoCoRaHs stations reported a high of 2.71″ and a low of 0.73″ for the month of October.  I did see a few snowflakes in the air one day this month.  All my numbers are from a rain gauge located in the S.E. corner of Brattleboro.

September Precipitation

by local | Nature

A dry month with rain on only 4 days at my location totaling 1.19″.  The NOAA average for September is 4.21″. This also marks the end of the Water year or hydrologic year that runs Oct 1 – Sept. 30.  My total for this period is 51.32″ compared to the normal of 47.54″.

Talked to a Town employee last week and the town reservoir (Pleasant Valley) was only down 8 inches at the time so no water shortage.  I can remember the reservoir being down 6 or more feet with the old road across showing.  This is opinion that I try to stay away from, but I enjoyed this past month with drier than normal weather and temps not too hot or too cold on average.

August Precipitation

by local | Nature

A wetter month with 5.28″ of rainfall compared to the average of 4.32″.  There was measurable rain on 10 of the first 11 days and on 20 of August’s 31 days.  For the calendar year 36.10″ compared to the NOAA average of 30.73″. Across Windham County I see monthly totals as high as 7.59″ in Marlboro and a low of 3.75″ in Rockingham.  My numbers are from the South east corner of Brattleboro.  For more information visit CoCoRaHS.org

July Rainfall

by local | Nature

For my location a dry month with 2.27″ measured compared to the NOAA normal of 4.28″.  The moisture we did receive was evenly spread across the month with 4 being the most completely dry days in a row.  You can see the effects of less rain with lawns starting to turn brown in sunny areas.  Within the CoCoRaHs network my location is the driest in the state for July. 

In Windham County there are a couple of stations reporting over 4″ for the month so many locations are not as dry.  Up north it is a different story with near record rainfall.  A station in St. Johnsbury has measured 17.73″ for the month. 

America’s Biggest Sound

by AnneODyne | Nature

I’ve got a skiff on a slip in a tight marina, and when the ebb fully hits it’s all rocks and rip-rap underneath the boat. This is especially true in the extreme negative tides of the new and full moon. Unlike the east coast which has fairly equal tides, here it’s one high high and one low low, with one lower high, and one higher low each day. Mixed diurnal. A range about fifteen feet, with maximal ebb three feet below nominal sea level. So getting in and out, timing is everything, conditions and weather notwithstanding.

But I’m not just watching the water in port. My ongoing study, more practical than academic, how water and currents move. Specifically, about twenty billion gallons. Today was breathless calm, perfect for feeling the tide. I snuck out at daybreak in the peak of ebbing, a few hours before slack, all that liquid mass rushing out to sea. Drifting with this, I was pulled seaward around 2.5 miles an hour. Do nothing- row, sail, or motor- and I’d be gone in no time. 

June Precipitation

by local | Nature

June rainfall of 4.23″ compared to a NOAA average of 4.52″.  Just a little below normal.  The first 20 days of the month were quite dry then several days of heavier rainfall brought us to near normal.  For the calendar year still well above at 28.55″ compared to the NOAA average of 22.13″.  Any rainfall we were to receive today would be recorded/reported tomorrow at 7am, the start of a new month.  All numbers are from my location in the SE corner of Brattleboro.

May 2024 Precipitation Report

by local | Nature

A dry month for a change with 3.32″ measured compared to the NOAA normal of 3.64 inches. Much of the month was even dryer until the last 6 days when just over half of the month’s total fell. For the calendar year still well above average with 24.32″ measured compared to the NOAA average of 17.81 inches. All numbers from my location in the S.E. corner of Brattleboro and can very considerably from location to another.

Gary

April Precipitation Report

by local | Nature

Monthly precipitation of 5.04” compared to a NOAA normal of 3.85”. A couple larger storms in the first half brought most of the moisture with a much dryer second half of April. For the calendar year the total is 21.00” compared to the NOAA average of 14.3” or 148% of normal. All numbers are from my location in the S.E. corner of Brattleboro and can vary from one location to another. My snow total for the season is 40.4” compared to my yearly average of 62.8”.

Brattleboro Winter Weather Advisory Beginning April 2

by Not Signed In | Nature

The National Weather Service is forecasting a prolonged storm beginning Tuesday, April 2, and continuing into Thursday. The storm will initially bring rain before transitioning to snow Tuesday night through Wednesday, where it will potentially turn back to sleet and rain.

The shift to snow will occur first in higher elevations followed by the valleys. The Weather Service is predicting heavy snowfall in higher elevations and moderate amounts in the valleys. The accumulation of wet, heavy snow could lead to downed trees and power lines, which may cause power outages.

So, About That Winter

by cgrotke | Nature

Now that Spring is here, we can talk freely. We didn’t seem to get very much snow this winter. Felt pretty warm, too. Is the end of snow near?

This is very much like the weather used to be in the mid-Atlantic. When I was in DC in the late 80’s and early 90’s, it would get cold, but there was barely any snow. A half an inch would surprise people and shut things down. We got much more slush, and that would freeze into ruts because there wasn’t a good plow system in place.

Connecticut River Joint Commissions Receives Grant from State of Vermont

by Not Signed In | Nature

The Connecticut River Joint Commissions (CRJC) is pleased to announce that it has received a $35,000 grant through the State of Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation. This grant funds CRJC’s work program for November 2023 to October 2024. Additional funding is provided by New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.

These funds will allow the CRJC to continue its emphasis on the grassroots, locally focused work of its five local river subcommittees and the broader implementation of its river management plan. The CRJC focuses on the key issues facing the Connecticut River watershed of Vermont and New Hampshire and plays the vital bi-state role of convening, catalyzing, and leading dialogue on these regional issues.

Eighty Six Rings

by AnneODyne | Nature

In that latest Nor’easter some big trees in our yard came down under the weight of wet snow and high winds. Root structures long in place seemed to give up. Towering woods succumbed to gravity, making no sound until impact with the ground. In other instances, trunks snapped, unleashing a domino effect, adding to the violence of that day. A giant pine hit the house. We were inside at the time. That fright brought a decision to take down possible dangers in future storms, including an enduring presence and trusted climbing companion- the Hemlock.*

*Hemlocks in North America are suffering from a blight due to foreign invaders, the Woolly Adelgid. A sea of poppy-seed sized bugs feast on needles, lay eggs, and feed on the sap. On the East Coast all Hemlocks are at risk. As is often the case, threat to the species is especially felt by loss of a single specimen we have contact with. The tree in our yard stood over seventy feet tall. I know because when the working end of my rope was slung over a top branch and doubled on the trip down, it rested flush with the floor of the forest.

Wild Animals Disappearing

by tomaidh | Nature

“A vast new study finds there are 70 percent fewer wild animals sharing the earth with us than there were in 1970. Read that again. And again.”

Courtesy: Bill McKibben via Tim Stevenson

Stop the Squirrel Pot Shots Please

by rootrunner | Nature

Over this past Summer I have noticed more and more squirrels visiting our feeders showing up with nasty/raw wounds and punctures right above or behind their shoulders where you might expect a target shooter/sniper to aim and fire a B-B or pellet gun site to do the most damage. There are an increasing numbers of these squirrels now along with an amputee, one blinded in one eye, and one shot near an ear that is deformed with paralysis so this particular squirrel has a lop ear making him look like Yoda (Yes we call him Yoda). I know they are attacked or even eaten once in a while by other wild animals no matter how willy or fight aggressively among themselves, but this would only explain some amount of pervasive suffering here we see these days.

BEEC Nature Explorers Summer Camp Has Openings

by BEEC | Nature

Come to BEEC to explore, discover, imagine, and play!

Nature Explorers Summer Camp is for the young person who enjoys the natural world.  Our goal is to foster children’s love of nature in a fun, safe and supportive environment. Children spend each day outdoors exploring the forests, meadows, and waters of BEEC’s 60 acres.  Children return year after year, excited to visit special places such as Grandmother Tree, Mossy Rocks, and Frog Pond.  

Memorial Planting To Honor Helene Henry

by oakgeorgia | Nature

At 11 a.m. on Saturday April 16th, 2022 there will be a Memorial Tree Planting for Helene Henry at Prospect Hill Cemetery, South Main Street, Brattleboro.

Helene was known for her passion, commitment, and steadfast dedication to enhancing Brattleboro’s green spaces. She strongly advocated for trees being a part of any landscape, if she had her say. She believed that trees were the answer.

I Want A Snow Day

by cgrotke | Nature

Remember way back when we used to have snow? Wasn’t that a fun time?

I’d really appreciate a good, old-fashioned snow day sometime soon. One of those days when we get a foot or more of (not heavy and wet) snow and everything has to close down. Everyone gets a day off, schools close, and  we hear the sound of plowing, shoveling and snow blowing.

Autumnal Rites

by Lise | Nature

We got the predicted rain last night.  Sometime after midnight, in the darkest hours of the night, the rain began to pour.  It was hard not to notice.  Even the cat was intrigued, opening the curtains to look out despite the fact that it was before dawn.