Weather Advisory Extensions and the Sound of Ice

Ice on trees at Puffer's Pond - 12/17/2012

Today has been a study in weather advisory extensions.  As of this moment, the freezing rain advisory we've had since yesterday continues right through 2 am Tuesday. The temperatures really are supposed to rise out of their current state of hovering around freezing, but they are taking their sweet time going anywhere. Right now, in North Amherst, the temperature is 32.5, which is only about 2 degrees higher than it was four hours ago. The roads have been well treated, but side roads may be another story. Also, if it keeps drizzling like it’s supposed to over the next 3-4 hours, some of those surfaces will be refreezing.

At the same time, while no one loves freezing rain, it did paint a beautiful picture for most of the day – everywhere we looked, the trees and fields were brushed with silvery white. At one point, as I was walking (with my ice cleats) on a path near Puffer’s Pond, I suddenly heard a soft crackling/rustling sound all around me. Not able to identify what was causing it, I turned around a few times before realizing it was the sound of ice falling gently from all the tree branches at once. Apparently, exactly at that moment, the temperature outside must have climbed just high enough to melt the ever-so-thin casing of ice over everything and send countless tiny pieces shattering to the ground.