Spring in Maine

As the light increases and the tough little Maine bulbs poke their dull green heads through the snowy soil, late March has remained rather wintry. A week ago it was only 21 degrees (see featured image) with a bracing wind; the wind chill that day brought the actual temp close to ZERO. Though things have improved, most days have been overcast or rainy and quite chilly. This morning, March 30, the “real feel” was around 24 degrees, though there was no wind and a bright sun and temps are expected to rise into the 40s. Hallelujah!

By April 1 we should start seeing some really pleasant weather, right? With typical Maine-weather-irony, however, an April 1 storm is predicted. That’s right. Luckily, while Worcester, MA, for example, is supposed to get something crazy, like two feet, the brunt of it is supposed to miss our tiny town (GO AWAY WINTER!), though there may be a rain/snow/sleet mix amounting to several inches. Just when you thought we were done with the sloppy gloppy messes, winter continues to lob stuff at us. Perhaps April Fool’s Day, a quirky holiday with uncertain origins,  developed as a result of people going totally round the bend from winter. This Saturday I wouldn’t be surprised to see people doing the Cabin Fever Waltz.

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The First Day of Spring

Tomorrow, at 6:28am Eastern Time, the Spring Vernal Equinox will arrive, when nearly equal amounts of daylight and darkness are experienced throughout the world. Here in Maine, the effects of Stella are still very evident. Now, however, is when we begin to cherish every moment right up until the summer solstice, a mere three months away, when the clock starts to reverse again, and the sun starts to retreat, leading to you know what.

Though most of the sidewalks are pretty clear, there are still some wild snowbanks, five days after the storm. Though it warmed up this weekend the Friday am temperature was around 9 degrees. Brrrrr.

We like this weather better.

March 18, 2017

March 18, 2017

Temps are expected to rise this week into the upper 40s. But wait. Wednesday, March 22 shows a high of 28 degrees and a low of EIGHT degrees. April beckons.

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It’s Not Pretty Any More!

“As winds increase from a strengthening nor’easter, blizzard conditions will bring dangerous travel over the interior Northeast, while a wintry mix, rain and flooding continue to advance northward along the coast through Tuesday. The storm has forced a State of Emergency to declared in multiple states. Blizzard conditions with heavy snow, very low visibility and drifting snow will clog streets and highways from parts of central and eastern Pennsylvania and northwestern New jersey to much of Maine and New Brunswick.” — AccuWeather, March 14, 2017

Outside, “Winter Storm Stella,” as its been dubbed, is in full force. I was proactive this morning and took Gypsy (see I Have a Dog) out fairly early so we could get a good walk in before things revved up.

We went for a smaller walk in Deering Oaks Park later just as things were starting to get hairy. It wasn’t too terrible until we turned to head back across the bridge at which point our faces were encrusted by sideways, wind-driven stinging crystals of sharp snow.

We Might Want to Think Twice About This

No Squirrels (Or Dogs or People) Out Today!

Good Thing We Live a Block Away from the Park

Enough already! It’s not pretty any more! It’s lost whatever charm it had way back in January! There usually comes a point during the Maine winter when you feel yourself starting to slip psychologically over the edge. This could be the one for me.

STELLLLLA!!!!!

At least maybe I’ll be an origami master by the end of it (see Darned Socks and Origami):

The Broken Record

The historical record low for March 11 was minus 1 in 1953. Around 11 am this morning, it was 4 degrees, with a 24 mph wind and a wind chill (also known as “real feel” or “feels like”) of MINUS EIGHTEEN. So, whether the ruthless frigid air breaks a record or not today, this winter has definitely become “a broken record” for sure. Yesterday’s snowfall was disheartening. Today’s Arctic blast is more existential, as it now feels like a Sisyphean task to make it to April.

Maine! Our current motto is: The Way Life Should Be! It used to be Vacationland — if your idea of a vacation is somewhere north of the Arctic Circle, that is, which is possibly why it was changed.

But wait! There’s more! The icing on the cake will be the Nor’easter predicted for early next week, with 6-12 inches of you-know-what expected and winds ranging from 40-60 mph. Smart Mainers don’t put away any cold weather gear until mid-April at the earliest.

Marching On

The color palette of this month is dreary to say the least: red brick, dull sodden green, muddy brown, slate gray, murky silver, monochrome beige. The snow has pretty much receded, leaving muddy dregs and resurfaced ancient trash mixed with sodden leaf-pulp. The widened streets and sidewalks are bleak, especially during the recent cold rain. It felt more like November than March.

The old saying, “March comes in like a lion and leaves like a lamb” has no meaning in Maine, where it’s more like the lion is in mortal battle with other lions. This morning, for example, my dog and I (see I Have a Dog) were assaulted by gale winds that plastered our faces and eyes with grit and sand. During our walk a brief snow squall erupted, sending cascades of thick white flakes whirling about in an unsettling reminder that WINTER is not over YET.

There was a wind advisory today, with a maximum gusts of 45 mph recorded in this area. During a blustery trip to the grocery store I saw a huge telephone pole swaying. The danger this time of year comes from flying objects — anything from tree branches to roof flashing might come crashing down. It also happened to be the neighborhood’s trash/recycling day. For some reason the City requires open recycling containers; thus the streets were awash with cereal boxes, food items, cardboard, newspapers, and other detritus.

The immediate future does not look bright, with Arctic air returning, according to the National Weather Service: “A light snowfall will pass just south of the area Friday. On its heels an Arctic air mass will move across the region Friday night with bitter cold temperatures.” Saturday shows a high of 13 degrees with a low of 4. Then there’s the wind chill and the “real feel” to factor in. I also heard a rumor in the streets today of a snowstorm arriving next week. Back to soup (see Soup, Soup, and More Soup), origami (see Darned Socks and Origami)  and Netflix. . .

The front garden March 8, 2017.

 

 

It’s Cold

This morning’s brutally cold temperature of 7 degrees (“real feel MINUS NINE”) was slightly undercut by the presence of a bright rising sun (at least psychologically), but the brisk wind chill made for a bitter walk. Last night was worse — with a “real feel” of MINUS ELEVEN, walking around in the dark was a punishing experience.  The record high for this date was 59 degrees in 1974; the record low minus 4 in 1948. Just to give some context.

Walking with my dog in Deering Oaks Park this morning, I did experience a moment of sun-warmed bliss, but it was surrounded by moments of harsh discomfort. As mentioned elsewhere in this blog (see I Have a Dog), this dog is amazing. Nonetheless, she likes to go for long walks, seemingly oblivious to weather conditions, always eager to sniff and explore every oak tree, every hint of food, every tuft of grass.

The sun is brighter these days and a warm-up is expected soon. And at least it’s March, such as it is.

Featured frost bubble image courtesy of Pixabay.

 

 

Winter: It’s Back!

After a few weeks of milder temperatures and whiffs of spring that seemed too good to be true, winter has returned as feared. After a 50-degree day on Wednesday, temperatures began to nose-dive rapidly on Thursday. The important thing to keep in mind here is “real feel” vs. “actual temperature.” Today’s high, for example, was 30 degrees, with a “real feel” of 22. It felt much colder.

Tonight, temps are predicted to dive down to a mere 9 degrees (real feel of MINUS TEN). Saturday’s high is predicted to be 17 degrees with a dismal low of 3 degrees. The evening’s “real feel” temp, according to my friend AccuWeather, with their trademarked RealFeel®, predicts a RealFeel® of MINUS EIGHTEEN. We knew it would be back. At least most of the snow is gone and the sidewalks are (for now) clear and dry.

Pedestrians Scurry to Escape Cold Temperatures

Artist/Musician Freezing to Death During “First Friday Artwalk” in Portland

 

 

 

 

March

It’s the end of February and March is nigh. My boss always used to say, “I have no use for March.” Winter’s not quite over and spring hasn’t quite begun at this time of year. There’s plenty of mud, slush, and so forth to look forward to over the next month.

 Thanks to climate change, the last week has been unseasonably warm, with temps in the 40s and 50s. The sidewalks are finally clear and one is free to walk wherever one likes at last, without fearing risk of injury or death. I am so grateful I could weep.

Nonetheless, it’s not pretty out there. I spend an inordinate amount of time rinsing out muddy dog towels and sweeping acres of sand from every surface of the house. These days the cleanest place to be outside is the beach, but one would have to be air-lifted to avoid the muck and mire.

Already the memories of literally inching my way through the streets are repressing themselves into subconsciousness. The pain and trauma has begun to recede with the ice and snow. Luckily I have this blog to remind me of the truth about winter. Not only that, but colder temps are predicted for the immediate future. It’s not over yet. Not by a long shot.