If you don't like the weather, wait a minute

Hadley Farms in Snow - Photo by S. Vardatira

The next 48 hours looks to typify that saying, "If you don't like the weather in New England, just wait a few minutes." (Attributed to Mark Twain)

We had sub-zero temperatures earlier this morning, followed by high pressure building over the region during the today, which will diminish the wind as the day progresses. The high quickly moves off to the east tonight, making way for a warm front to bring approximately 3-5 inches of snow to our local area late tonight and Saturday morning (higher amounts at higher elevations). The warming air should then change the snow to rain during the day on Saturday. Rain continues through Sunday, with the warming trend continuing along with blustery southerly winds. A shot of Arctic air then moves in Sunday night into Monday, followed by a warm front which will usher in more seasonable conditions for most of next week.

And, of course, what would the holidays be without the chance of a "late-week" storm right before Christmas? But there's still a lot of uncertainty about that, so no need to panic yet. And in the meantime, don your best "New Englander" identity and enjoy our weekend weather roller coaster ride. 

Freezing rain and sleet

High likelihood of freezing rain and sleet Monday morning. Especially as the temperature is hovering just around 31 degrees at midnight Sunday. In other words, check your driveway before you step out on it.

First "plowable snow" storm of the season arrives tonight

First storm of the season, 2011 - Amherst, MA
Photo by S. Vardatira

Yes! Snow coming!

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY is in effect for our area from 7 PM this evening to 1 PM Monday afternoon for much of Southern New England, including Eastern Hampshire County and Amherst. Plowable snowfall is expected for much of interior Southern New England overnight, with a slow transition of snow to ice north of the Mass Pike and west of I-495. In other words, expect the morning commute to be challenging. 2-5” of snow is forecast to fall locally, with as much as 6” across the hill country and the Berkshires. Computer models are are varying on how long cold air will hold in the region, and this may result in snow accumulation adjustments and possibly ice accumulation adjustments. Key considerations for this storm first storm of the season include:

1) Timing of the onset of the storm. It will initially be cold, and if snow is able to reach the ground Sunday Evening, it will be a lighter, fluffier snow, which could allow for more accumulation. If it is too dry, it may take time for thing to moisten up to allow snow to reach the ground.

2) How long the cold air is able to remain entrenched in the region and how deep the cold air will be. This will determine if snow is able to last longer, particularly in interior locations (like Amherst) and how much any ice accumulation could be in the area. It should be noted that temperatures were colder than expected this morning, and how much warming occurs during today could affect snow and ice amounts.

3) Storm track and how quickly the secondary low formation occurs and where it tracks. This could also impact the amount of cold air in the region.

And now onto the important question – have you got bread and milk?

Stay safe out there everyone. For new drivers, the first storm of the season always presents a steep learning curve.

Born on this day, 1830

"We have had fatal weather - thermometer two below zero all day, without a word of apology. Summer was always dear, but such a kiss as she'll get from me if I ever see her again, will make her cry, I know...." (Letter to Frances Norcross, 1862)

                                       - Emily Dickinson, born in Amherst on this day in 1830

Photo of the Dickinson Homestead by S. Vardatira
(This was the September photo in the 2014 Head in the Clouds Amherst Wall Calendar)

Below December Clouds

"Never say there is nothing beautiful in the world anymore. There is always something to make you wonder in the shape of a tree, the trembling of a leaf."

- Albert Schweitzer

Cumulus clouds over Hadley farms - Hadley, MA
Photo by S. Vardatira, 12/2/2016

Day's End in November

Day's end in November - Mt. Pollux, Amherst MA
Photo by S. Vardatira, 11/27/2016

 “It is also November. The noons are more laconic and the sunsets sterner, and Gibraltar lights make the village foreign. November always seemed to me the Norway of the year.” 

                                       Emily Dickinson, Letters, 1845-1886

Nightfall from Mt. Pollux tonight was more eventful than anticipated, as the clouds closed in with the darkness, eventually giving up their moisture in the form of rain at first, then sleet and a brief interval of hail. A chilly, biting, true November evening in Amherst.

Simple Gifts

Sunset tonight over Simple Gifts Farm, North Amherst.

Photo by Sharon Vardatira, 11/10/2016

Daylight Saving Time Ends Tonight (and why it's not about the farmers)

Sun in Winter, Photo by S. Vardatira

Ben Franklin did not invent it, nor does it have anything to do with helping farmers - just a few things you may have wrong about Daylight Saving (not Savings) Time. And while we're on the topic, it ends tonight, so set your clocks back one hour. And enjoy today's last sunlit late afternoon until next spring.

Click here to learn eight things you probably don't know about Daylight Saving Time

2017 Head in the Clouds Amherst Wall Calendar - Now Available!

(Click on photo to enlarge)

Actual calendar photos and daily entries are high resolution, 
much sharper than the images shown here

If you are looking for a unique Amherst gift that will keep giving all year round, look no further than our new Head in the Clouds Amherst 2017 Wall Calendar. This year's calendar features:

• Beautiful, seasonal nature photos taken in Amherst by twelve different photographers (scroll down for their names). 
• Over 100 daily entries highlighting: astronomical events visible from Amherst with the naked eye (full moon, new moon, meteor showers, and even a solar eclipse this year!); anniversaries of catastrophic weather events that occurred in Amherst and New England between 1660 and 2016; and pivotal dates in Amherst history. 

This is that perfect gift for Amherst residents and tourists, expatriates, college students here or away, writers and poets, and nature lovers. This calendar will have them (and you) falling in love with Amherst month after month. Full size when open is 17" high and 11" wide. 

Price is $14.00 per calendar purchased through this website (higher at local stores).

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE ONLINE NOW: 

You can also purchase our calendar at Hastings, Amherst Books, Atkins Farms, and the UMass Campus Store. Call before you go over just to make sure they have calendars in stock (we do our best to keep the stores supplied, but it's not unusual for them to run out several times during a season). Hastings is downtown at 45 South Pleasant Street on the Common. Amherst Books is located at the center of downtown Amherst at 8 Main Street.Atkins Farms now has two stores, the flagship store near Hampshire College, at 1150 West St., and Atkins North at 113 Cowls Road in North Amherst. And the UMass Store, where anyone can shop (not just students), is located in the Campus Center at UMass Amherst.

For questions or special requests (including arranging for pick up in Amherst), please mail Sharon at CloudsAmherst[@]gmail[.]com. 
The [at] and [dot] are done to keep email addresses from being collected by spammers and harvesting robots. You just have to replace them for [@] and [.] when you write your e-mail.

Between Woods and Frozen Lake
Cushman Brook, North Amherst ~ Photo by Sharon Vardatira

Snowy Sunrise Over the Holyoke Range
Station Road, Amherst ~ Photo by Pamela Berwald Bingham
(also featured on calendar cover)

Almost Spring
South Amherst ~ Photo by Mindy Domb

Small Ones Farm
Bay Road, Amherst ~ Photo by Elisa Campbell

Morning Fog
UMass Campus Pond, Amherst ~ Photo by Stephanie O'Keeffe

Spring in Amherst
Sweetser Park ~ Photo by Kathie Sullivan

Nature's Fireworks
Amherst, July 4, 2016 ~ Photo by Marian Wolfsun

The Dragon of Moody Bridge Road
Border of Amherst and Hadley ~ Photo by Brian LeClair

Rainbow Over UMass
Amherst ~ Photo by Joshua R. Wolfsun

Heron on Puffer's Pond Dam
North Amherst ~ Photo by Anna-Beth Winograd

Fall on Bridge
Robert Frost Trail, North Amherst ~ Photo by Meg Rosa

Forever
Hickory Ridge Golf Course ~ Photo by Ben Harper

Shutesbury's Northern Lights "Crown of Pillars"

Northern Lights "Crown of Pillars" - Lake Wyola, Shutesbury
Photo by Susan Adams Panlilio, taken just after midnight last night, 9/2/2016

Wonderful pic of aurora taken in Shutesbury last night by friend of Head in the Clouds Amherst, Susan Adams Panlilio. There has been a good amount of geomagnetic activity over the past week which can lead to aurora sightings even around here. Thanks so much for sharing, Susan!

First sign of fall

Twilight through Pines - UMass Amherst facing west, 2015
Photo by S. Vardatira

A line from this afternoon's Southern New England SKYWARN email (National Weather Service) definitely caught my attention: "A cold front will move through Southern New England overnight into early Monday Morning and will bring the first fall-like temperatures of the late summer for a couple of days to start the new work week."

And just like that the season begins to change. ‪#‎Winteriscoming‬

Amherst Institutes Mandatory Water Restrictions

MANDATORY WATER RESTRICTIONS AS OF MIDNIGHT.

Those of you who were alarmed by our 8/14 photo of Atkins Reservoir (namely the low water level) were not alone. The Reservoir is at 50%, and use spikes around the corner when the students return. In a move designed to be proactive, on Monday the Amherst Select Board voted to institute mandatory residential water restrictions starting at midnight tonight. The following activities will be prohibited: watering lawns, washing vehicles at non-commercial locations, washing building, sidewalks, and patios, and filling swimming pools. Residents are also encouraged to conserve water in other ways.

If only there were a way to distribute some of the 30" of rain that inundated Louisiana to other parts of the country that are dry and scorched.

Statement from the Town, as well as related resources follow below.

2016 Mandatory Water Restrictions

The Select Board, acting in its capacity as Water Commissioners, has authorized David Ziomek, Temporary Town Manager to implement Mandatory Water Restrictions for the Town of Amherst effective at 12:01 AM on Friday August 19th. Theses restrictions will stay in place until further notice. These restrictions are the result of a continued period of low precipitation and recent downgrade of the Connecticut River Region from drought advisory to drought watch status by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

The Town of Amherst asks residents to comply with these restrictions to help address the impacts of drought conditions. This is an urgent situation- water conservation steps taken now will preserve water supplies in coming months should drought conditions continue. The Town has been working closely in partnership with the major institutional users in the community- the University of Massachusetts, Amherst College, and Hampshire College- to reduce overall water consumption. The community is very grateful for this collaborative effort as we enter a new academic year and as our population increases. Temporary Town Manager David Ziomek emphasized, "I'm asking all residents to work together to help the community thorough this difficult period. We all need to do as much as we can to conserver water now, so we have adequate supplies in September and October."

Mandatory water restrictions apply to all residential customers of the Amherst public water system and include the following prohibitions:

1. Watering lawns by any method.

2. Washing cars or trucks at non-commercial vehicle washes.
3. Washing of buildings, sidewalks or patios.
4. Filling of swimming pools.

The following water uses are allowed under these mandatory restrictions:

1. For the production of food and fiber for personal use or commercial sale.
2. For the maintenance of livestock.
3. To meet the core functions of a business (for example, irrigation by plant nurseries as
necessary to maintain stock).
4. For health and safety reasons.

The Town is also asking residents to conserve water in a variety of ways, including taking
briefer showers, avoiding letting the tap run while brushing teeth or washing dishes, and 
other simple behavioral changes.

Resources

• Please follow these tips to save water
• Commonwealth of MA's guidance on municipal water restrictions
• Commonwealth of MA's drought declaration, July 6, 2016
• Amherst 2016 Water Usage Compared to 10-Year Average
• Amherst 2016 Rainfall Summary Compared to 10-Year Average

Witchy wonderful moon

It's cooler out there than it's been, but still short sleeve warm, with a witchy wonderful moon above. Lunar corona (rainbow halo around the moon) caused by tiny ice crystals in the drifting high, thin cirrus clouds. The August full moon is known as the Sturgeon Moon, as well as the Green Corn Moon or Grain Moon. But go ahead and make up your own name - dare to be different!

Full "Strugeon" Moon with corona through clouds, Amherst MA - 8/17/2016
Photo by S. Vardatira

Lightning over Lake Wyola

Incredible photo of lightning over Lake Wyola last night - taken by friend of Head in the Clouds Amherst, Susan Adams Panlilio. Thanks so much for sharing, Susan!

Lightning over Lake Wyola, Shutesbury MA - 8/13/2016
Photo by Susan Adams Panlilio