Venice Under Water

People sit at a table in a flooded Piazza San Marco in Venice, on November 11, 2012. (AP Photo/Luigi Costantini)

Over the past few weeks, while we have been watching Sandy here at home, the people of Venice, Italy have been experiencing some of the worst flooding in decades as a result of heavy rains and high tides. Although "acqua alta", or high water, is common in Venice this time of year, right now 70% of the city is at least partially under water and water levels are now among the highest ever recorded. The photos of this year's flood show both the vast extent of the deluge as well as the ability of many residents to take it all in stride. Of course, part of what makes many of these scenes so bizarre to non-locals is just how "normal" they seem. Is this just another face of global warming worldwide? For more photos of flooding in Venice, click here.

Swimming at Puffers - in November!

Lone swimmer at Puffer's Pond - 11/12/2012

Ducks paddling at Puffer's Pond - 11/12/2012

Anyone who’s been visiting this blog regularly knows that we post updates, just about daily, on conditions at Puffer’s Pond, including air and water temperature. Today – with the water temperature at an even 43° F – we actually spotted a man swimming. No, it wasn’t some accidental slip on the rocks that sent him into the frigid water, but a determination to get into shape. He insists that cold water swims are essential to his training and weight loss regimen. The one caveat he provided – just don’t stay in the water too long or you might risk nerve damage. Needless to say, I won’t be putting that to the test anytime soon. As soon as I told him what the thermometer was reading, he jumped back in – apparently knowing it was all of 43° F made it that much easier to bear!

A blue and gold mistake

These are the days when birds come back,
A very few, a bird or two,
To take a backward look.

These are the days when skies put on
The old, old sophistries of June, --
A blue and gold mistake . . . .

Oh, sacrament of summer days,
Oh, last communion in the haze,
Permit a child to join,

Thy sacred emblems to partake,
Thy consecrated bread to break,
Taste thine immortal wine!

Whatever we might say about the upcoming warm days we are about to experience here in Amherst, Emily Dickinson said it better in this poem. And while the weather we are having does not qualify as the "Indian Summer"* Emily is describing here (at least, that's how we read this poem's meaning), this still seems like a perfect time to offer up this seasonal literary gem. For more such gems, and for local resources on Emily Dickinson, visit our popular "Emily's House" page.

* An Indian summer is a period of unseasonably warm, dry weather (above 70 degrees F) occurring after a hard frost - in our area this would normally occur between late-September to mid-November. Since the temperature is not expected to go above the mid-60s, these next few days do not technically qualify as Indian Summer.

Occupy Sandy

Thousands in New York City remain without clean water, food, heat, or power. Relief efforts by locals offer continuing direct aid to the neighborhoods most affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Please visit: interoccupy.net/occupysandy

Video by:
Alex Mallis | @analectfilms
Eric Phillips-Horst
Nicodemus Nicoludis

Music by:
Loscil

brooklynfilmmakerscollective.com | @brooklynfilmny
analectfilms.com

Wind on the Water

Given the gloomy, cold, and blustery day we are experiencing, it may be hard to imagine a sunny, warmer, and dry weekend. Temps are heading into the 50s on Saturday and Sunday – and even the mid-sixties by Monday, Veteran’s Day. It’s shaping up to be a great final week to the season at Cherry Hill, our “golf course for everyone” here in Amherst. Keep in mind that Cherry Hill closes for the season on November 15^th, so this weekend would be a great time to get in a last game or two before winter. On the other hand, if you are tempted to squeeze in one more swim at Puffer’s Pond, you may want to reconsider. How many degrees did the water temperature off South Beach drop over the last 4 days?  10 degrees! Look to our Puffer’s Pond mini-report (right sidebar on the Head in the Clouds Amherst home page) for the more or less daily water temperature number.

Winter Weather Advisory

Winter Weather Advisory Sky - 11/7/2012  4:15 PM

Although I hate to intrude on all the post-Election Day festivities (and let’s face it, the vast majority of folks in Amherst are festive today), this weather blog would be remiss not to point out the obvious - there is a storm coming, and if the sky is any way to judge, we are going to get at least some amount of snow. Or, put another way, let's hope it's snow. The temperature is hovering just above freezing right now - at 33° - and that always means precipitation could come down as freezing rain. In fact, the Amherst area is currently under a winter weather advisory, with the forecast predicting snow accumulations of 2-4 inches.  But it’s the glazing of ice you need to watch out for (6 inches of snow is possible at higher elevations). Snow should be overspreading the region from south to north late this afternoon into early evening, at which point we are likely to get some freezing drizzle, which may last overnight.  We also have that tell-tale gusty northeast wind (hence another nor’easter). I’m planning to do some laundry and wash the dishes . . . just in case the power goes down.  How glad are you that this storm didn't hit yesterday?!

Jupiter in the Northeast

We haven't had many clear nights to see the stars, but this is one of them. Cold, crisp dark skies. Even if you can't stay for long, I highly recommend stepping outside your door right now and looking up. You can't miss the really bright star-like object rising in the east-northeast (moving overhead towards the west if you are reading this later in the evening). That's the planet Jupiter. If you have a pair of binoculars, you might even be able to pick out several of Jupiter's moons (small points of light around the planet). In the midst of the election eve barrage of messages, it can be very soothing to look up into a dark quiet, and brilliant night sky.

New Storm on the Way

As we posted a few days ago, a significant East Coast storm appears likely for Wednesday and Thursday this week with gusty winds, rain and inland mountain snow. Just to be clear, this is NOT a hurricane and not expected to be anywhere near the intensity of Sandy. Although the strongest impact is likely to be felt along the coast, the European computer model (which early on predicted Sandy and Irene accurately) is also forecasting snow on the back end of this week's storm, probably at higher elevations to the west and north of the Pioneer Valley. Of course, small deviations in the storm track can significantly change where the impact is felt, so keep an eye on the weather forecast - and this blog - over the next few days. For coastal areas that are still recovering from Sandy, this is not good news. Falling temperatures are making life even more miserable for folks still without power, and no one needs another nor'easter now. The one positive note here is that Election Day is unlikely to be impacted in Massachusetts. For more on this storm, see this video from The Weather Channel.

Cider Donut Run

Cider Donut Runners, 11/4/2012

It's hard to imagine a charity run with a more enticing name! Although it was a cold start to the day, hovering at freezing at 6 am, it's warmed up to a comfortable 50° F, the sun is shining, and the sky is mostly blue dotted with sporadic altocumulus clouds.  (Note how we just rolled out some fancy cloud terminology there.) Perfect weather, we assume, for the Cider Donut Run 10k and 4k walk/run for the Amherst Survival Center. The route winds through the more scenic roads of North Amherst, ending up at Mill River Recreation Area.  We assume there are cider donuts at the finish line, which (along with the fine weather, lovely scenery, and great cause) should make it all worthwhile.

Voting and the Storm

Please pass along this information to anyone you know who is not able to get to their polling place because of Sandy.

New York: The board of elections has approved an extension of the deadline for completed absentee ballots to be received (until November 19), but they still must be postmarked no later than this Monday, November 5. (After Friday, you can write a letter authorizing a representative to pick up an absentee ballot application and ballot for you at your county board of elections.)

Connecticut: In-person voter registration deadline was extended to Thursday, November 1, at 8 pm, but applications may still be faxed as long as the original arrives prior to the close of the polls on Tuesday.

New Jersey: To vote electronically, displaced voters may submit a mail-in ballot application either by e-mail or fax to their county clerk. Once an application is approved, the clerk will electronically send a ballot to the voter by either fax or e-mail in accordance to the voter’s preference. Voters must return their electronic ballot – by fax or email – no later than November 6, 2012, at 8 p.m.

Pennsylvania: Absentee voters in counties where election officers were closed this week have until 5 p.m. Monday, 11/5 to submit their ballots, either by mail or in person. The extension applies only to counties where the office of the board of elections was closed due to the storm.

The Daily Show Takes on Sandy

Those who turned to The Daily Show last Wednesday in the hopes of finding a reason to smile in the wake of Hurricane Sandy were not disappointed.  This segment, which exposes the great divide between the “haves” and “have nots” (those who have power on Manhattan and those who don’t), had us laughing out loud. 

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Hurricane Sandy's Aftermath
www.thedailyshow.com
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It is strange and unsettling, how fast these distinctions (haves and have nots) become a reality. When we saw The Daily Show team in action, we immediately thought about last year in Amherst, when even people in the same community, on the same street, were divided by access to power. Some people were out and about looking all clean and scrubbed, buying frozen food without a second thought, and going about their day as though nothing unusual had occurred. And then there was everyone else (that would have been us for about four days), clothes layered without regard to style, hair barely combed, dazed look on our faces as we searched for a shower and a power outlet, and resenting the “power possessors” just a little (except of course for the “power possessors” who helped us).  

Storm in the Forecast

That's right everyone. Setting up for next Wednesday/Thursday, a nor'easter looks to be advancing on our region, taking a swipe at New York first. Not expected to be a huge storm, by any means, but enough to hinder relief efforts in an already storm-weary New York.

Weather Politics

It’s official. With election day a mere four days away (it’s Tuesday, November 6 for anyone who’s been living under a rock), local chatter about the weather has shifted from storms and winds, where Sandy is/was, and when the power will come back to lower Manhattan, Staten Island, New Jersey, etc. to speculation about how these recent weather events will impact the election. That’s not to say Amherst residents have moved on and forgotten about the huge number of people still suffering or the enormous recovery going on immediately to our south - far from it. Many of us are in contact with or helping out friends and relatives in these areas, some of us are volunteering with rescue efforts, and many others are donating to relief efforts. But in this proudly political town, which also tends to turn out a significant Democratic majority (87% of voters cast ballots for Obama in 2008), the worry is not only that people in devastated regions won’t be able to vote, but that even if they were able to vote, they just might not care. Many of us went through our own extended power outage during last year’s Halloween weather catastrophe, and it’s easy to imagine the search for basic necessities (heat, fuel, food, hot water, plumbing, shelter, someone to help clear your property) driving everything else off the radar. Of course, the pundits are endlessly reflecting on the impact of Obama’s and Romney’s responses to the storm, how this or that nod will influence voters, and what the polls are doing. The two big stories leading every headline: the aftermath of Sandy and the election.  It may seem that “weather talk” is always a safe bet, never included in the “do not talk about” categories of religion, sex, and politics. But the truth is, from Sandy to Katrina, climate change to FEMA, politics and weather collide all the time. So until Tuesday, expect to hear a lot more about weather and the election. And after that - maybe finally? - some meaningful dialogue and action on climate change. In the meantime, we encourage anyone and everyone to vote – no matter what side you come down on, your voice matters.

(By the way, speaking of climate change, we highly recommend this New England Aquarium site for how climate change is already impacting New England. Also see, from 2008, "Exploring the link between weather and elections," by NPR.)

Sandy "Gives Up the Ghost"

This video animation of Sandy’s life cycle is an incredible view of just how far this storm traveled. The NOAA’s GOES-13 satellite imagery (released by the NASA GOES Project) runs from October 23 through yesterday, when Sandy was officially downgraded to a remnant low pressure area. The fact that the storm “gave up the ghost” (so to speak) on Halloween has provided great fodder for the twitterverse, apparently.