Cascading Waters can be found at 135 Olean Street on the eastern edge of Worcester's northwest parklands, the Cascades. The Cascades are 350 acres of park and conservation lands along the borders of Worcester, Paxton, and Holden, Massachusetts. Home to countless species of plants and animals, the Cascades are open to passive recreation year-round.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Tree Branch Down

First of all, things here are quiet at the moment.
Earlier we had "pop" noises, followed after a few seconds by a crash.

The most exciting was accommodated by a "bang" as something hit the roof.
No holes (checked from the inside), and the most puzzling orientation.
We will have to head out in the morning light to see which tree it came from and how it could possibly come to rest the way that it did.

Well, all is well for now!

8:10 pm conditions:

USFS Fire Danger rapidly decreases from MODERATE to NONE! (surprise surprise);
(Another "pop" pause..... "crash"!)
32.4 degrees F and steady (that means heavy and wet/melting);
98% humidity;
29.12" Hg Pressure and falling;
looks to be approaching 3" of snow in places;
no record-able wind-speed presently.

We are going to have an interesting night once the wind cranks up, or if a lot more snow is added to the equation.

Trees Bending to the Ground

It is barely a white thin coating of snow on the ground and already the trees have branches bent full over to the ground.

This could get interesting.

SIDE NOTE: Most of our "typical" trees,like Red maple, Sugar maple, Ash, Hickory, have all lost all of their leaves already. They are used to this whole crazy bit about living in New England. The trees with the most leaves in general, with exceptions, are the invasive exotics, like the Norway Maple. This is Mother Nature's way of showing ecological zone preferences for particular species. For example: Late leaves are an advantage for extra photosynthesis and energy storage, right up until the early season snow storm breaks the tree. End of advantage.

The Storm Rolls In...

Flakes are falling here at Cascading Waters!

1:35 pm Conditions:

USFS Fire Danger Class is MODERATE;
The Brook is running at 4.1";
37.4 degrees and steady;
71% humidity and steady;
7.5MPH max;
29.32" of Hg Pressure and falling;
Overcast sky;
No measurable accumulation YET!

Sunday, October 09, 2011

Unseasonably Warm!

A nice day for a hike, but dress for the weather!
At 8:59am,
-the temperature is 65.5 F and rising,
-the humidity is 65% and steady,
-the pressure is 29.59 and steady.