The Warmth is Blown Away....

This morning around 6 am it was 35 degrees F, which was nicer than the predicted overnight temperatures, so initially I was quite hopeful.

Then a steady north wind began driving through and in the space of an hour and a half the temperature was down nearly 4 degrees. Scratch that hopeful note.

Still the skies are a glorious blue, there is a little more than a half moon, and the brooks are running again.

The ground has a thin film of black ice and sheet ice where yesterday's melt finally gave up.

A HIKING NOTE: The melting snows were deep and slushy yesterday and the melt was overtopping 12" tall rubber boots yesterday and pouring down inside the boots. That may firm up today with this morning's cold again, but  snowshoes are a better way of avoiding this melting mess.

Today the Trust's sponsored Clark LEEP Intern, Ted, is getting on a bus today in NYC and headed south for Georgia to hike the Appalachian Trail. Follow Ted's travels at: tedatgwlt.blogspot.com

7:30 a.m. Trailhead Conditions at Cascading Waters (elev. 630'):

Temperature is 31.3 degrees and falling;
Humidity is 48% and steady;
Pressure is 30.00" of Hg and rising;
There is a north wind between 1-3 mph with a peak gust of 4 mph in the observation period;
The skies are blue with a few small clouds;
The Cascades Brook is finally largely uncovered, with a few covered patches, and there is flow;
The Cascades are still largely buried, but there are a few open patches where the water peeks through for a second before disapearing again;
The USFS Fire Danger Class is NONE!

National Weather Service Forecast:

Mostly sunny, with a high near 34.
Northwest wind 10 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

(NOTE: The wind predictions are likely to be observed higher in the Cascades, and down here in the Tatnuck Valley we will be sheltered from the full strength of those numbers.)