Rocky is Upon Us (can't you hear the theme music in your head?)

Are we having fun this morning? Storm "Rocky" is upon us, raining hard at the moment on top of last night's thin but hard layer of ice/snow over everything. I assumed it was pure, melting slush until I saw a plow going down our street about half an hour ago. Plows are generally not sent out for pure, melting slush. Sure enough, when I went outside just now, I realized appearances can be deceiving - it's more like a layer of ice/sleet on the ground, hard and unforgiving. Even so, it won't be that way for long. The temp right now is 35 and climbing up to around 41 degrees today. Rain and some mixed precip will continue through early Friday. We may get brief snow showers as the rain mixes in with sleet and snow early and late on Thursday, but no significant snow accumulations are expected. Still, go easy outside this morning - especially on untreated side roads and walkways, this coating of ice/snow on the ground will be treacherous until it melts.

Winter Storm Watch, Tuesday through Thursday (really!)

After The Great Fizzle, it may be hard to believe anything is really coming in our direction, but sure enough, we're under a Winter Storm Watch right now, from late Tuesday night through Thursday morning. While heavy snow is predicted for the east slopes of the Berkshires and northern Massachusetts (as much as 10 inches will fall in the higher elevations), we will likely see only about 2-4 inches of snow here in Amherst. Expect to wake up to snow on Wednesday morning, wonder whether the schools will call a snow day, and watch as the snow continues to fall during the day and into Wednesday night. Whatever does fall as snow will be heavy and wet, so especially at those higher elevations, there may be some power outages. Something is brewing for the weekend as well, but we'll cross that particular bridge to knowledge a few days from now. Tomorrow should be pretty nice out, a great day for running the errands you won't want to run on Thursday.

The Great Fizzle of 2013

Earlier this month, the Blizzard of 2013, now the Fizzle of 2013. Apparently there will be no big snowstorm this weekend, at least nothing resembling the heavy-wet-snow-with-power-outages event that forecasters were predicting even a few days ago. Current computer models are showing that the warm, wet front moving up the coast from the Gulf will not be intersecting in any major way with the cold/storm front from the west, leaving us with rain, not snow, later today across almost all of New England. The rain is expected to turn to snow tonight, but we are likely to get more like 2-4 inches, not 6-9 inches. And when you're talking about heavy wet snow, that's a big difference. Of course, to be fair to the professionals (and amateurs like us who pass along their information!), all along we've been clear that things could change significantly as we got closer to the weekend. From storms that "come out of nowhere" to storms that never materialize, part of what makes weather watching interesting is the unpredictable nature of nature. And in this case, digging out of a foot of heavy wet snow (not to mention attendant power outages and downed trees) is not something I'm going to miss in the least. But before you get too comfortable with that assessment, knock on wood, spit into the wind, or do whatever else you can to make sure the current forecast actually sticks!

Photos from the Blizzard of 2013 (Nemo)

Out of Gas, Friday 2/8/2013
Photo by Mindy

As we anticipate the arrival of more snow tomorrow, I thought this might be the perfect time to revisit The Blizzard of 2013 (aka Nemo) through some photos that have been submitted by several friends of Head in the Clouds Amherst. A small aside here - if we get another blizzard this year (and it certainly seems like a possibility), does the "Blizzard of 2013" get renamed something like the "First Blizzard of 2013"?  

Thanks to everyone who submitted (and keep in mind thsat we're always looking for new submissions of pics and writing). And now, on to the pictures:

Bird House Before, 2/8
Photos by Mindy

Bird House After, 2/9

Snowflakes, 2/9 (at start of storm)
Photo by Mindy

Garden Statue in Snow (midday Friday, 2/8)
Photo by Mindy

Wind Spinner, 2/9
Photo by Mindy

Sunset at Cherry Hill, Saturday After Storm, 2/9
Photo by Jennifer

2/9, South Amherst, Photo by Mindy

Snowshoeing in the Waning Light, 2/9 (Robert Frost Trail near Puffer's Pond)
Photo by Robyn

What NOAA Has to Say About This Weekend

I lifted the following weekend weather discussion right off the NOAA website. To be honest, one doesn't often see the word "eerie" in a NOAA weather discussion! Could this be another wild weekend? Only time will tell . . .

THE WEEKEND...
ALL EYES CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE POTENTIAL COASTAL STORM THAT

MAY IMPACT SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. 

ALTHOUGH THIS SYSTEM IS STILL SEVERAL DAYS AWAY...IT IS 

EERIE THAT ALL MODEL GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SHOW THIS SYSTEM 

AND THAT THEY ARE FAIRLY CLOSE IN EXACT PLACEMENT/LOCATION/

TIMING. EVEN LOOKING AT THE ENSEMBLES THEY ARE IN EXCELLENT 

AGREEMENT AS WELL...THEREFORE CONFIDENCE IS INCREASING THAT 

A SIGNIFICANT COASTAL STORM IS POSSIBLE.

BOTH THE GFS/EC TRACK THE SYSTEM ACROSS THE BENCHMARK WITH 

THE GFS BEING A TAD MORE ROBUST. REGARDLESS...IT APPEARS THAT

SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL IS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE INTERIOR. STILL TO

HARD TO SAY HOW MUCH AT THIS TIME AS THE TRACK OF THE SYSTEM 

CAN STILL WOBBLE. BELIEVE THAT THERE WILL BE SOME MIXING ACROSS 

THE COAST AND COASTAL PLAIN...BUT AGAIN THIS CAN CHANGE 

DEPENDING ON EXACT TEMPS. BELIEVE MODELS ARE TOO WARM IN 

THEIR 2M TEMPS AS DYNAMIC COOLING WILL MOST LIKELY OCCUR. EVEN 

THOUGH MIXING/RAIN WILL OCCUR ON THE COAST/COASTAL PLAIN...AS 

THE SYSTEM EXITS ON SUNDAY...THE MID LEVEL DEFORMATION ZONE 

COMBINED WITH THE COLD CONVEYOR BELT WILL ALLOW FOR SIGNIFICANT 

SNOWFALL. CANNOT RULE OUT HEAVY WET SNOW WITH SNOWFALL RATES 

OF OVER 2 INCHES PER HOUR AT THIS TIME. TREE LIMBS AND POWER 

LINES ARE AT RISK IF THIS HEAVY WET SNOW COMES INTO FRUITION. 

AGAIN THESE ARE ALL POSSIBILITIES IF THE CURRENT TRACK OF THIS 

SYSTEM CONTINUES...YET WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF THE TRACK 

SHIFTS. COASTAL FLOODING RISK IS INCREASING AS IT APPEARS THAT 

THERE WILL BE A PROLONGED EASTERLY FLOW. MORE DETAILS BELOW. 

AGAIN THIS SYSTEM IS STILL SEVERAL DAYS OUT...BUT HAVE 

INCREASING CONFIDENCE THAT SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND WILL BE

IMPACTED BY THIS SYSTEM. STAY TUNE FOR THE LATEST UPDATES.

Sugaring Update

Amherst's largest "backyard" maple sugaring operation has reported one of the best first week runs in recent history. Although this operation holds periodic parties, complete with music and delectable maple treats for their workforce of family, friends and neighbors, do not be fooled - this is serious business. As of late Saturday, the group had hung a total of 118 buckets, collected 335 gallons of sap, started the slow boiling process, and already produced about 6.5 gallons of syrup, for a sap to syrup ratio of somewhere between 33:1 and 31:1. With the temperature falling below freezing yesterday and today, they have gotten a break in the sap collection. But not for long. And they're nowhere near done, as they plan to hang more buckets in the days to come.

Stargazing in February? Yes!

Sure it’s freezing outside. That’s what makes this time of year so perfect for stargazing in New England. You may not be able to throw on a sweater, drag an air mattress outside to recline on, and have a leisurely viewing party (we’ll revisit that possibility in August!), but a clear, dark night sky is never as spectacular as it is in winter. Tonight promises to be clear (yes, and cold), and if you do venture out, you'll be treated to a waxing gibbous moon and the brilliant planet Jupiter (it's the brightest point of light in the sky) right in the constellation of Taurus. As you can see from the diagram below, other points of interest that can be seen with the naked eye right in the same vicinity include the red star Aldebaran, the "eye" of the bull, and The Pleiades, a cluster of stars known as "The Seven Sisters." Without a telescope, you should be able to make out seven of The Pleiades' brightest stars, although, in actuality, the Pleiades star cluster is made up of over 1,000 hot, young, blue stars, formed about 100 million years ago out of a nebula that at one time probably looked similar to today's Orion Nebula. With a good pair of binoculars, you should be able to make out many more than seven stars in the cluster, and you will also be able to see at least two of Jupiter's largest moons. (For a continuously updating star chart and more information on what to look for, see Head in the Clouds Amherst's Night Sky page.) 

Jupiter and Moon tonight, 2-18 (from EarthSky.org)

After the wild events of last week (meterorite crashing in Russia and near-Earth fly-by of Asteroid DA14), it's hard to look up into the sky without realizing just how small we are in relation to the vast universe beyond Earth. And if that isn't enough to get you thinking expansively, just reflect for a moment on the fact that the Earth is hurtling around the sun at an average speed of 18.5 miles per second. When I think about that too long, I tend to feel dizzy and am overcome with a strong urge to hug the ground (again, that would be an August activity!). So tonight, before the clouds return tomorrow and for most of the week ahead, heat up a thermos of something hot to drink, pile on the layers, grab a pair of binoculars if you have some, and don’t let another February night pass you by. 

Video Captures Meteorite Crash in Siberia

Last night, what is now believed to be a 10-ton bolide (an exceptionally large and bright meteor) apparently exploded and evaporated about 20-30 miles over Siberia, sending varying fragments of meteorite debris crashing to the ground. No deaths have been reported at this point, but some 1,000 people have been injured, mostly by breaking glass. Note about terminology here - once a solid piece of debris from a "meteor" (the solid piece of debris is called a "meteoroid") reaches the ground, it is called a "meteorite." Three large meteorites from last night's event have been retrieved so far, and a large impact crater has been located about 50 miles west of Chelyabinsk. According to The New York Times, "The object was visible from the city of Nizhniy Tagil, around 220 miles north of Chelyabinsk, where so many people called an emergency assistance number that it stopped working."  The following video compilation provides a sense of the magnitude of this event:



After seeing the footage, it's easy to understand why this has set off widespread panic across the region, particularly as people anticipate today's near-Earth flyby of Asteroid DA14. Despite the unnerving timing of these two events, Asteroid DA14 is not connected in any way to last night's shower of meteorites in Siberia. Most importantly, Asteroid DA14, although missing Earth by an astronomically close 17,200 miles, will have no impact on Earth whatsoever. That's certainly a good thing, as Asteroid DA14 - even at only 150 feet across - would not just knock out windows and television sets, but would devastate an entire region if it made impact. Of course, What's maybe more sobering is that DA14 was only discovered last year - and there is no way to track the vast number of smaller objects that fall to Earth everyday, including last night's meteorites. 

Maple Sugaring Season Has Begun!

Sure Sign of Spring  - photo by S.Vardatira, Spring 1998

Buried in snow last week at this time, sub-zero temperatures the week before that. But this is New England, and once the springtime temperatures go above freezing during the days, the sap starts running!  As you are driving around today, notice the telltale buckets hanging from trees. Maple sugaring is enormously affected by the weather. Specifically, good sap runs depend on the temperature - preferably extended periods of above freezing temperatures during the day and below freezing temperatures at night. Warm snaps that come early in the season can result in low yields, and cold that lasts late into the season can hamper sustained sap flow. Last year’s warm winter – some Massachusetts farmers started tapping their trees in January – was not great for business. An ideal season around here usually starts in late February or March, so this year’s timing may be slightly early, but not by much. And with the next 10 days of nearly perfect sap flow temperatures, things are looking promising at the moment.

Not only do we have a number of local businesses that specialize in production of maple syrup (many of which serve breakfast and lunch featuring maple syrup, maple butter, maple shakes, maple sugar on snow, maple cotton candy, etc.), but we also have a handful of local backyard operations that bring together family, friends, and neighbors to chop and haul wood for burning, tap the trees and hang the buckets, collect and boil sap, and share the work and the harvest at periodic breakfast gatherings and end-of-season celebrations. I have first-hand knowledge of two backyard operations, but you’ll have to take my word for it – neither one wants me to name their location lest mobs of eager maple syrup seekers descend on them. I first became acquainted with one on a walk years ago with my then four-year old and his best friend. As we were passing the garage-sized sugar house, with steam billowing from a vent in the roof, I saw the potential for an educational opportunity and knocked on the door. To my and the children’s delight, we were welcomed in, given a tour of the firebox and evaporator, and offered a sip of fresh, unboiled maple sap along with paper cups of maple syrup. The maple syrup was delicious, but the maple sap was a complete surprise. It tasted like better-than-average water, water with just a hint of sweetness. We thanked our guides and made our way home cradling our sweet mementos.

The other local establishment I know about, which runs quite an impressive, well-coordinated operation with dozens of volunteers, sends periodic email updates about what help is needed and how the sap is running. Since Sunday, this operation has hung 53 buckets and collected 22 gallons of sap so far. And they are revving up for their annual Sugarin’ Kickoff Boil and Party later this weekend.

If you don’t belong to a backyard operation and want to try your hand at harvesting maple syrup, instruction and supplies can be found online at Tap My Trees.

The Massachusetts Maple Producers Association also has information about maple syrup, links to resources and equipment suppliers, and a list of producers and sugarhouses in the local area.

Join the 2013 Great Backyard Bird Count, February 15-18, 2013

[The following post is an excerpt from “2013 Great Backyard Bird Count goes global” by Earth-Sky, 2/12/2013]

The Great Backyard Bird Count is a 4-day annual event where citizen scientists of all ages and expertise levels are invited to help scientists track the health of bird populations. This year’s event will be held on February 15–18, 2013. The Great Backyard Bird Count, now in its 16^thyear, draws a large number of bird watchers from across North America. For the first time ever, people from around the world are invited to participate in the event. The Great Backyard Bird Count is a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Audubon and Bird Studies Canada.

Participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count is simple. First, pick a location where you will be able to observe birds during the February 15–18 event. Locations can range anywhere from your backyard to a nearby park or wilderness area. Then, visit that area during the event and count the number and types of birds you see over at least a 15 minute period. Lastly, submit your data to the Great Backyard Bird Count. While you need to count birds at one location for at least 15 minutes, you are welcome to visit multiple locations and perform counts for longer than 15 minutes.

Click here to download data entry forms and get bird identification tips.

Everyone who participates in the Great Backyard Bird Count is eligible to receive prizes such as books about birds and bird feeders. There is even a photography contest for those who wish to submit pictures of birds that they encounter during the event.

The data collected during the Great Backyard Bird Count is used by scientists to help them understand what is happening to bird populations. For example, the data can be used to determine what areas have high levels of biodiversity and to evaluate how birds are responding to diseases and changes in their habitat and climate.

A record number of bird count checklists were submitted during the 2012 Great Backyard Bird Count. During the 2012 event, over 17 million individual birds were counted and 623 bird species were identified.

Excavating the Car After Nemo - A Photo Montage

I took this sequence of photos while clearing snow from Snowstorm Nemo off my car on Monday, 2/11/2013. Note that the snow pack would have been even deeper had I not already cleared snow from the car during the day and evening of Friday, 2/9. This is only what accumulated after about 10 pm on Friday.

Climate Change Rally in Washington D.C. on February 17

Encouraged by President Obama’s comments on climate change at his inauguration and determined to sound the alarm about run-away global warming, more than 130 environmental and progressive organizations have joined together to sponsor what is predicted to be the largest climate rally in US history: Forward on Climate, scheduled for Sunday, February 17, noon-4 pm in Washington, DC. The purpose of the rally is to urge President Obama to aggressively address climate change and to begin by stopping development of the Keystone XL Canadian tar sands pipeline.  The rally and march will gather at noon at the northeast corner of the Washington Monument (closest Metro subway stations: Federal Triangle and Smithsonian).

At his inauguration, President Obama reaffirmed his commitment to tackling the climate crisis: “We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations.”

The Forward on Climate rally comes as pressure mounts on the Administration to take strong climate action in the president’s second term. After a year of record heat and drought and devastating storms, including Sandy, calls for action are coming from all over the country. Newspapers such as the New York Times and The Washington Post, and think tanks like the Center for American Progress, are calling for the president to act now to avert the worst effects from global warming. 

In the Pioneer Valley, the first local person to charter a bus to the rally was Heath farmer Andrew Kuwolski.  Fellow Northampton farmer Oona Coy bought two bus tickets for herself and her young son, Silas.  “More frequent and severe floods and droughts have a huge impact on our ability grow food,” said Coy, who runs Town Farm and Northampton’s Tuesday Market with her husband, Ben James.  “As farmers, we know that food security is crucial to our survival.”

UMass Climate Scientist, Michael Rawlins, explained, “The Tar Sands represent an enormous amount of carbon. Burning this carbon would produce a great amount of greenhouse gases, further elevating atmospheric CO2 concentrations which are approaching 400 parts per million and contributing to global warming. Global greenhouse gas emissions reached a record high in 2011. Burning much of the Tar Sands oil would make it extremely difficult to limit future warming to acceptable levels.”

“There is nothing more grave facing our future than climate chaos,” said Lilly Lombard of Northampton, who, with her two children, is traveling by bus with 51 others to attend the rally.  “As a parent, I refuse to stand by and let the petroleum industry seal my children’s fate.”

Northampton resident, Denise Lello, has also been one of the area’s bus organizers.  “So far, at least six buses have been chartered locally, four are fully booked, and waitlists are forming while we work to secure more bus transport.  Other folks are taking the train or carpooling through an online carpooling tool, Ridebuzz.org.” Lello’s son, Isaac Lello-Smith, age 16, has organized about 10 students from Northampton High School to join one of the buses.

Molly Hale, a conservation biologist from Florence, has also bought bus tickets for her family to go to the rally. “I decided I had to stand up and make my voice heard.  Global warming will cause vast destabilization of extensive ecosystems around the world, bringing massive extinctions in a blink of time.”

Although former public health physician, Steve Jones, is unable to attend the rally, he donated to a local fund to make bus tickets more affordable to area students and low-income activists.  “Global warming is one of the greatest threats to the health of our world,” said Jones, who retired from a career with the Centers for Disease Control and now resides in Florence. “Massive displacements of populations, food shortages, and the conflict they will create are a few of the disasters that global warming will cause. We need the collective voice of millions of us to push elected officials to make real progress on slowing and stopping climate change. Together we can drown out the paid disinformation of the fossil fuel corporations.”

Holyoke Community College student and former US Marine, Anthony Stirlacci, has organized a bus for HCC students, and invites others to join. “It is our obligation to society and for the survival of humanity. There are other energy capabilities here in America.”

To learn more about the rally, visit forwardonclimate.org.  For updated local resources to find a bus, join a waitlist or share a ride, visit www.climatewma.org.

[Note: Information for this posting was obtained from Forward on Climate press releases dated 1/23, 2/6 and 2/9/2013.]

Now for the Near-Earth Asteroid (as if there hasn't been enough excitement for one week!)

You’ve probably heard by now that a small near-Earth asteroid – named DA14 by astronomers – will be passing incredibly close, within 17,200 miles from Earth this Friday, February 15.  While this proximity to the Earth brings DA14 inside the orbit of the moon and closer than some high-orbiting communications satellites, it will not strike Earth. That’s a good thing, because at 45 meters across with a mass of 130,000 metric tons, it would not destroy the Earth if it hit us, but it could definitely level a city. For a while there, astronomers were considering the remote possibility that this same asteroid would strike us in 2020, but that possibility has also been ruled out. Nothing is going to happen when DA14 passes, and you won’t even be able to see it with the naked eye, so don’t bother going outside for this one. Experienced observers with telescopes or binoculars (and really great star charts) might be able to spot it, but your best bet for experiencing this “close encounter” will be to watch it online, in real time, at one of these two sites (check them out for online observation of other events, too):

• Clay Center Observatory will offer real-time HD video, weather permitting, on February 15, from 6 pm EST to 4 am the next morning. The video feed can be freely accessed worldwide via Clay Center Observatory’s Ustream channel. The observatory has also set up a countdown clock to show how much time remains until the tracking begins.
• Slooh Space Camera is also tracking the asteroid. Visit Slooh’s event page for information about the DA14 online event.

One of the more interesting things about DA14 is that its orbit is similar to that of Earth, which is one of the reasons astronomers only discovered this asteroid for the first time last year. Moreover, although the possibility of a strike this year and in 2020 has been ruled out, this asteroid's orbit continues to be studied, so there still exists a remote possibility (one chance in 83,000 according to NASA) that DA14 and the Earth could collide between this year and 2020. (See EarthSky for details.)

Amherst Schools Closed Monday, 2/11

If you went to bed in the wee hours of the morning thinking today was a 2-hour school start time delay (that's what I did), be aware that the delay has now changed to a school closing.

Bad Weather & Wishing I Shoveled Everything

NOTE Added 2/11 at 6:15 AM: ARPS has now changed the Monday 2/11 school start time delay to a SCHOOL CLOSING. No school in Amherst today.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY currently in effect for Amherst and much of Western Massachusetts from 6am to 1pm on Monday. We also have a two hour school start time delay. Sleet, snow and freezing rain is forecast. On top of our already snowy roads and walkways, any kind of freezing precipitation is going to make for treacherous travel.

Those of you who shoveled out completely yesterday and today should be feeling pretty good about now. I myself must confess to clearing everything - walks, back porch, driveway, mailbox - everything except one exceptionally snow covered car. I started in on the mountain surrounding the car yesterday and again today, but the drifts around it were so high and the task so daunting that I decided to put it off until tomorrow in the hopes that a little melting might lighten the task. Bad idea! Given the forecast, it seems likely I'm going to be regretting that decision, especially if I end up having to deal with a car encased in over two feet of frozen solid snow-ice. On the up side, however, I look forward to being able to provide a first hand cautionary tale to entertain and inform!

Bounding Through the Snow Like a Dog

Louie bounding through the snow this morning, 2/9/2013

Our dog Kelvin (see right sidebar for our "Walkin' Kelvin" column) draws inspiration from a few sources, one of which is Louie. Seen in this clip bounding through the snow this morning, Louie is owned by Mindy, a friend of Head in the Clouds Amherst, who had this to say about Louie's most recent outing:

Quick update with the snow: Louie loves the snow and she is undaunted by its depth. We got about 20-24” of snow in Amherst, and taking her for her morning walk quickly evolved into a morning “hop” as her gait was a contant leaping. Think: surfer waves. Somehow she found a spot to take care of herself, but continued to leap around, stopping for a brief gulp of snow to quench her thirst. At the end, her leaps had created several paths through the yard. We’ll see how the wind fills in the paths in the next few hours. Remember in the snow: keep an eye on your pooch, and make sure if you leave your dog in a fenced-in yard that you assess how “low” the fence is now with the snow. You might reconsider relying on a fence that is now covered with snow and provides no barrier. 

For more on how to keep your pets safe and happy during a bizzard, visit this ASPCA site.

Snow Flying at Morning

View from driveway at the start of Nemo,
Friday, 2/8 at 10:47 am

Same view, next day, Sat. 2/9 at 7:30 am
(blowing snow on the left)

Power still on. That's the first, really good news to report this morning. And it looks like just about all of Western Massachusetts was spared the worst of this storm and the accompanying power outages. But we still have plenty of weather to talk about.

In N. Amherst, our outdoor sensor is reading 19.5 degrees, the sustained winds (best as I can tell from my vantage point) are about 18-20 mph, with gusts of 30-40 mph, and we've got two feet of snow on the ground. Except for the wind, one might say it's snowing lightly, but between the periodic, ice pellet-driving gusts and cold temperatures there's nothing "light" about how it feels outside. Even though we were clearing snow from the doorways until midnight (so I fully expected them to be clear enough to walk through this morning), there is so much snow blocking the entrance that I can only partially open the door, and even that only by pushing, hard, against the wall of snow. I'm considering hauling out the snowshoes to take a walk, but with the conditions this unpleasant, I may just stay awhile and enjoy the view from inside.

Snowing by Night

Went out to shovel one more time before calling it quits for the night. Could barely take a photo with the flash, the snow is coming down so fast. This is the view across and down the street, North Amherst.

Snowstorm Nemo, 2/8 at about 8:15 pm; N. Amherst

Snowstorm Nemo, 2/8 at about 8:30 pm, N. Amherst

Town of Amherst Declares State of Emergency

Just FYI, friends and relatives outside the area (including my brother in the mountains of Colorado who may be finding the hype just a little nutty) - it's just snow! True, lots of snow, but we expect to be completely fine (knock on wood and all). We're dry, warm, inside, and going nowhere.

Now forTown Manager John Musante's latest communication:

This is a message from Amherst Town Manager John Musante Friday, February 8 at 4:30 pm with a Winter Storm Nemo update.  I have declared a State of Emergency in the the Town of Amherst.  Additional Amherst public safety and public works personnel are working throughout this storm.  The latest forecast calls for a total snow accumulation of 18" - 24" thru mid-day Saturday with heaviest snow and winds from now until early morning.  Town officials urge you to shelter in place at home during the storm.  Governor Patrick has issued an executive order banning motor vehicle travel statewide except for emergency personnel beginning at 4 pm today. I have extended the Town of Amherst overnight parking ban from 8 pm tonight thru Saturday at Noon.  Get the latest information at www.amherstma.gov.  The Town will send additional messages as needed.

Snowstorm Nemo Through the Lens (video and photo)

Six second view over farm fields in Hadley, Massachusetts as snowstorm Nemo
moves into the Pioneer Valley in Western Massachusetts. Taken 2/8/2013 at 12:30 pm.

View of farm fields in Hadley MA as snowstorm moves in,
2/8 at 12:30 pm

Cushmann Brook, Amherst MA, 2/8 at 12:45 pm

State Street in snow, 2/8 at 12:45 pm

State Street in snow, 2/8 at 12:45 pm (Amherst MA)

Shout Out to Our Twitter Manager!

All thanks to Mindy, who's been lighting up the Head in the Clouds twitter feed with news and information about Snowstorm Nemo. Until we get a live twitter feed on our home page, follow Head in the Clouds Amherst at https://twitter.com/cloudsamherst to read even more.

Satellite View of the Blizzard of 2013

Image of Snowstorm Nemo, Fri., 2/8 at 9:01 am

This satellite image from NOAA's GOES-13 satellite was taken at 9:01 am today, Feb. 8. Reminiscent of satellite photos of Sandy, which also captured merging eastern and western fronts, today's picture shows a western frontal system - stretching from Canada through the Ohio and Tennessee valleys, into the Gulf of Mexico - approaching the coastal low pressure area. The comma-shaped low pressure system located over the Atlantic, east of Virginia, is now merging with the western front to create the powerful nor'easter that is impacting our region now and will continue to do so over the rest of today and into tomorrow morning.

Join Head in the Clouds on Facebook or Twitter

Don't forget to join the our Head in the Clouds Amherst community on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HeadInTheCloudsAmherst  and Twitter at https://twitter.com/cloudsamherst/ so we can stay in contact with each other through every storm (and between them, too!). 

Winter Storm Preparations from WMECo

According to the National Weather Service, a winter storm is expected to arrive today. WMECo is prepared to respond quickly, and we want to make sure you have the information you need to be prepared. If you experience an outage, please call 413-781-4300 (within the Springfield call area) or 877-OK-WMECO (877-659-6326) (outside of the Springfield call area) or go to www.wmeco.com (via PC or mobile device) to report it.  It's important that you report an outage even if you think your neighbors may have already reported it. The more information we have, the better we are able to improve our assessment of damage and make repairs. Most important, please stay safe. If you see a downed power line, always assume it's live; do not go near it, and never drive over the line. Please know that WMECo is ready for the storm and will work around the clock to restore power to your home or business. Thank you.  Helfpul Hints Prepare a storm kit and keep it handy. Visit our website for a list of supplies. If you use a generator, follow all safety precautions provided by the manufacturer. If you use a cell phone, save your power or have a plan to be able to charge the phone. Gather all necessary medications and make sure you have an adequate supply. If you rely on oxygen please be sure you have an ample supply on hand. If you, a friend or family member relies on electricity for life support devices, well water or refrigeration for medications, please make preparations now to switch to a backup source or move to an alternate location. It's also a good idea to have a battery back-up for medical equipment. For information on emergency disaster services, including shelters, please contact the American Red Cross at 800-733-2767 (800-RED-CROSS) or online at www.redcross.org. Please do not respond to this automated e-mail.

Preparing for “The Big One” – or Not

When it comes to storm preparation, there are three basic kinds of people – The Clueless, The Skeptics and Naysayers, and The Prepared.  As for the first category, I have no idea how you can arrive at a storm of this proportion and not know it’s coming. Every TV and radio station, every newspaper headline, every passerby on the street, and even the vibrations in the air scream “STORM IS ON THE WAY.” I really do wonder about The Clueless – how could they possibly arrive at the grocery store, see the welcoming line-up of shovels at the entrance, the throngs of people, the empty shelves, and not know what’s happening? Or maybe they just don’t go out. Perhaps they’re on a 72-hour jag of video gaming and haven’t come up for a breath. That’s really the only way I can imagine someone being so utterly out of tune with everything around them.

As for The Skeptics and Naysayers, these are the folks who counter every comment about an impending, possibly history-making storm with some variation of “yeah, right.” They’ve heard it before, the snow totals never amount to what is forecast, and it will all blow over before very long and won’t we - The Prepared - look silly. Aside from the fact that I will never look as silly as someone who hasn’t prepared when The Big One descends, Skeptics and Naysayers are also killjoys. There, I said it. They conflate preparation with fear and consider all weather events to be ho-hum, besides-the-point occurrences. Needless to say, I don’t get this attitude either. And, if I’m honest, when I’m not annoyed at The Skeptics and Naysayers, I feel a little sorry for them – how can one experience the power of nature via the extreme storm and not (at least sometimes) be completely awestruck.

And that brings us to The Prepared. I could wax on about us, but there’s not much time left to get everything in order, so chatting now is just a waste of time.  In fact, Jim Cantore from The Weather Channel (the automated version of Jim, that is) just called twice to let me know there’s now a Winter Storm Warning in effect for our area through 1 pm Saturday (it’s not a “Watch” anymore).  Are you ready? If you haven’t already checked your list, now’s the time. 

SURVIVAL ITEMS

·         Shovel. We have a few shovels in our home, one situated by the front door and one by the back door, just in case we need to dig ourselves out. It’s no good to have your shovel in your car if you’re going to need it to get to your car.

·         Salt/sand. Essential if conditions turn icy.

·         Flashlights and batteries. Candles are okay, but may prove dangerously flammable. If you have a battery-powered lantern as well as flashlights, even better.

·         Self-powered or battery operated radio (with plenty of batteries if it’s not self-powered).

·         Food. Have enough non-perishable food to get you through a few days, though perishable food can be kept outside in a cooler as long as the temps stay below or near freezing. I just picked up whitefish salad and French bread from the Black Sheep Deli, because, really, what else do you need during a snowstorm?  (Don’t worry, we have lots of canned stuff beyond that, of course).

·         Water. Have plenty of water on hand. Most authorities suggest keeping at least a 3-day supply of water on hand for emergencies, and the common definition of a 3-day supply is 3 gallons per person: half to drink and half to use for cooking and sanitation. You can supplement your “non-drinkable” water supply by filling the bathtub with water. And, of course, you can always put snow in a bucket and bring it inside to melt before using for non-drinking purposes. Do not drink melted snow water - snow absorbs contaminants from air pollution and from the ground and there may even be unhealthy levels of bacteria in snow, which can be activated when the snow is brought above freezing temperature.

·         Hand-Operated Can Opener. Remember, your electricity may go out, and the electric can opener would be rendered inoperable in that situation.

·         Blankets and warm clothing (and during the 2011 Halloween storm we found that winter hats, gloves, and hand and foot warmers were also essential).

·         Sterno & Sterno holder/frame that you can cook on top of (it is designed to support the weight of a frying pan or pot). Unlike a propane or charcoal grill or camping stove, all of which must be used outside, Sterno can be used inside and it works well enough to heat water, soup from a can, and other prepared foods. If you feel like cooking, there are plenty of things that can be cooked over Sterno, too.  It may take a while, but you weren’t going anywhere were you? Of course, if you have a fireplace, you can cook food on that, too.

·         Matches to light your Sterno, candles, fireplace. 

·         Prescription medications at least to get you through a few days

·         Cellphone with a cord, or a portable cellphone charger or a hard wired home phone. Cordless home phones will not work when the power is out.

·         Other necessities like diapers, pet food, etc.

TO DO LIST (BEFORE THE STORM)

·         Clear rain gutters and repair roof leaks (hopefully you’ve already taken care of this)

·         Cut away tree branches that could fall on a house or other structure during a storm (again, at this point you’ll just have to hope for the best if you haven’t attended to this already).

·         Anticipate a long power outage. By preparing you can make a power outage bearable.

·         Catch up on laundry and wash dishes (just in case power goes out and you lose hot water)

·         Keep tabs on your family members. Make sure you know where everyone in your family is and that they have proper shelter before the storm hits.

·         Charge all your electronics ahead of time (cell phones, iPods, laptops, etc.)

·         Keep Warm. When the storm hits, already have a fire or furnace running to keep you warm if this is feasible. Keep blankets ready, drink hot liquids, and eat hot foods.

·         Have entertainment ready, such as books, board games, cards, crafts, etc. Some families have so much fun during forced power outages that they end up instituting a regular “voluntary power outage” after the storm is long done.

And, after you’ve done all that, join the our Head in the Clouds Amherst community on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HeadInTheCloudsAmherst  and Twitter @cloudsamherst, so we can all stay in contact with each other right through the storm.  Most of all, stay safe and have fun! 

WinterFest Amherst POSTPONED to Sunday, 2/10

Given recent forecasts which predict that we may continue to feel the effects of our impending winter storm through Saturday morning, the WinterFest organizers have gone ahead and postponed the festivities one day, to Sunday 2/10. Here's the notice we received from organizers a few hours ago:

It’s Official!  In light of the most recent weather forecasts that predict that this major snow storm will last well into Saturday morning, we have postponed WinterFest to the following day, Sunday, February 10^th.  Thank you for your understanding.  Our WinterFest committee is in the process of contacting the over 100 volunteers and performers involved in this event in order to provide the same high quality production that we originally had planned for Saturday.  Again thank you for your understanding.

In addition, please help us get the word out via facebook, web pages, blogs, word of mouth, etc.  Thanks!

By Sunday, not only will the highways and byways be cleared, but the world around here will be a veritable winter wonderland. Sunday's festivities should live up to the "WinterFest" name in every way!

Snowstorm Soups

Back Porch in Snow, 1/12/2011

As you're preparing your shopping list for our impending snowstorm this weekend, stop by our Weather Cooks page and check out our "Winter Soup Series." We've just added a new recipe for one of our favorites, Multicultural Wedding Soup. You may have some time on your hands, so what better than warm soup after a trek out in the snow. Besides, just how far will milk and bread take you anyway?

Winter Storm Watching & Fireworks in February

NOTICE  ADDED 2/7:

Due to Friday/Saturday winter storm, WinterFest has been POSTPONED to Sunday, 2/10

 Too much excitement for one weekend here in Amherst!  First, if you haven’t heard already, there’s a Winter Storm Watch afoot for our area, starting late Thursday night through Saturday morning.  Different computer models are still predicting different outcomes in terms of snowfall amount, but as of last night, the map was showing a 50% probability that we will get more than 8 inches of snow.

Matt Noyes' snowfall probability predictions (2/5)
shows snow substantial accumulation for New England

All that snow should be music to the ears of Amherst Winterfest organizers – unless, of course, it snows so much that festival goers can’t make it to the main event on Saturday.  Fortunately, the celebration doesn’t start until the afternoon, by which time the roads should be well cleared. And if you find yourself snowed in, just strap on the cross country skis and snowshoes or harness up the sled dogs and glide your way over to the biggest weather-themed, winter party in town!  The festivities start at 1 pm at Cherry Hill Golf Course (325 Montague Rd., Route 63) and end with fireworks at 6 pm. Winterfest will happen with or without natural snow (organizers actually "made" snow last year), but some of the featured events, like snow sculpting, cross-country skiing, and the “Cardboard Classic” sledding box race, are just better with the real thing all around. Area restaurants will be on hand to compete in the Winterfest Chili Bowl, and if you have always wanted to experience a driving contest in winter (the golf ball is orange in this case!), this is your chance. Click here for the complete schedule of Winterfest activities.

So, if the snowstorm predictions hold, Winterfest Amherst really may be a classic winter wonderland – and even if the snow passes us by, it's still a great way to play in February. (And who doesn’t need to play in February?!)

And don’t forget – Head in the Clouds Amherst is still seeking families to “report” on Winterfest 2013 (click here for more information).