11/5/11 Cape Cod Ocean Effect - Turn Your Clocks Back!

This morning is bright and sunny for most of the northeast, except for Cape Cod, were the wind flow is such that ocean effect clouds are forming and spreading over the Cape and Southshore of Mass. Moisture content is low and no precipitation is falling.

Close up of the Cape with Ocean Effect cloud streaks

This is the same process as Lake Effect snow over the Great Lake and usually occurs as cooler air streams over the warmer waters.  You can see these streams forming just south of Maine.

Ocean Effect streams extend for hundreds of miles. Notice the stream extending from Penobscot Bay, Maine and the white dot in NH is Mt Washington.

Remember to turn your clocks back tonight 1 hour at 2:00 AM!!

11/4/11 Warming up! Sean??

The tranquil weather pattern will hold through the weekend with a moderating trend in the temperature department. Expect "Indian Summer" conditions Monday and Tuesday as highs reach the mid to upper 60s.

There could be a "Sean" to track in the Atlantic next week... May bring rain late next week.

High pressure will build to the south allowing air from Texas reach New England by early next week, boosting our temperatures into the 60s! Cold Air will be held back in the upper Mid-west until late next week. A possible tropical storm may form east of the Bahamas and meet with a front late next week to bring rain to New England.

11/2/11 A quiet week & Franklin's Storm 1743

This week will feature tranquil weather with high pressure in control for at least the next 5-7 days. A weak dry front will push temperatures lower this weekend, but will rebound to above normal reading by early next week.

High pressure will keep New England dry for the next few days. A storm in Colorado, which is bringing snow to that area will split into two, going north and south of us.

Franklin's Storm!

Think back to a time when weather was just thought to happen in one place, almost pop up and die down at one location or move with the prevailing surface wind flow.  That is how most meteorologists/scientists thought back in the 18th century.

On November 2, 1743, a full eclipse of the moon was predicted, and Benjamin Franklin was eager to see the eclipse from his home in Philadelphia.

However as  the afternoon wore on, the sky darkened and what appeared to be a hurricane bore down on the east coast, and Philadelphia was struck with heavy rain and high winds from the northeast. At the time it was thought that such a storm, which had happened in the past, must have come down from the northeast! Franklin never saw the eclipse.

He wrote his brother in Boston of his disappointment and assumed that since the storm came in from the northeast, that his brother also missed the eclipse. However in later letters and newspaper accounts, the people of Boston observed the eclipse which would have occurred at the same time,  but was then followed by a 'terrible storm with great tides and a northeast wind'.

Franklin noticed the difference in the time between the onset of the storm in Philadelphia and Boston and believed that it indeed was the same storm. However, he rationed that the storm must have moved in a curve, against the prevailing winds from the southwest to the northeast. (Note: is was not until the 1800's that the term cyclone was adapted and used to describe a circular wind storm, therefore the counterclockwise motion of the wind around a hurricane was not fully understood during Franklin's time)

Franklin's Storm. It was thought all storms moved with the wind. So a northeast wind would bring a storm from the northeast (Boston to Philadelphia). However Franklin observed Philadelphia was onset first by the storm then Boston by using the time of an eclipse of the moon. He rationed that the storm had to of moved from the southwest to the northeast. Inset: It was not clear that storms had winds in a counter clockwise motion.

 
This changed the course of weather forecasting significantly, especially along the eastern seaboard and Franklin helped establish the what would become known as the "law of storm motion".

11/1/11 November Weather and Storm Misses!

Here it is, November 1st! Another month of transition for the Boston area. Warm autumn days can be mixed with wet snowy sub-freezing days. (as if we did not see that last month)

The average low drops to just above freezing, with many nights falling below. Significant weather events occurred in November. Daylight Saving Time end the first Sunday of the month.  Sunshine falls from 10hr 20min to 9hr 20min.

Freeze/Frost - Technically in the Boston area and along the immediate coastline +/- 1 to 2 miles the temperature has yet to fall below freezing, therefore some plants and vegetation still need protection from any frosts or freezes.


Today - A developing coastal storm will track south of us today and out to sea only bringing some clouds this morning to the area as high pressure builds in for the week with seasonable temperatures. The quiet weather will remain for much of the week.

Storms do not appear to impact our weather until next week! A great week to finalize fall cleanup, clear out gardens or watch the snow melt depending on your location!

Three areas of High Pressure are keeping a coastal low south of New England and will direct it east, out to sea. These highs will be in control of our weather for the next several days.