Sound and Fury

9:45pm check on conditions outside.

It varies from bare ground to 5" depending upon topography.
While the wind makes seriously howling noises the conditions outside while bundled up aren't bad at all.
Lots of sound, not so much fury.... as yet anyways.

BLIZZARD!

Oh Yeah!

BLIZZARD!

Like music to the ears...

So, the fun starts early with the shifting of the sun over its azimuth, and then it just doesn't stop!
2-4" daylight hours,
10-14" overnight,
2-4" tomorrow!

What's that? 14-22"? Oh Yeah!

Presently at 8:40 am we have 29.09" of Hg Pressure and steady;
it is 24 degrees F;
Heavily overcast skies;
an occasional frozen bit bites your lip in the sky as you walk around, but nothing observable;
The Cascades are frozen into a mass of ice;
The Cascades Brook is still flowing in the center of the channel, but the measuring device is in the frozen bank and unreadable;
The USFS Fire Danger Class is NONE;
And we await the coming snow.

But as I write this flakes begin to fall!

Blizzard coming!

The National Weather Service has issued a BLIZZARD WARNING!

...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON SUNDAY TO 6 PM EST
MONDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON SUNDAY TO 6 PM EST MONDAY.
THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* LOCATIONS...ALL OF RHODE ISLAND EXCEPT BLOCK ISLAND AND ALL OF
  EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS EXCEPT CAPE COD AND THE ISLANDS.

* HAZARD TYPES...HEAVY SNOW AND POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WINDS...WITH
  CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF SNOW AND NEAR ZERO
  VISIBILITIES. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WITH SNOW.

* ACCUMULATIONS...15 TO 20 INCHES OF SNOW.

* TIMING...LIGHT SNOW WILL START IN THE EARLY AFTERNOON AND BECOME
  HEAVY BY EVENING. VERY HEAVY SNOW WILL FALL THROUGHOUT SUNDAY
  NIGHT WITH UP TO 2 TO 4 INCHES PER HOUR LIKELY AT TIMES. THE
  SNOW WILL TAPER TO FLURRIES EARLY MONDAY AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL
  PEAK FROM LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MUCH OF MONDAY.

* IMPACTS...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP BY
  SUNDAY EVENING. STRONG WINDS WILL COMBINE WITH THE SNOW TO
  CREATE BLINDING CONDITIONS WITH NEAR ZERO VISIBILITY AT TIMES
  SUNDAY NIGHT. WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES ARE EXPECTED DURING THE
  HEIGHT OF THE STORM SUNDAY NIGHT FROM BOTH THE STRONG WINDS
  KNOCKING DOWN POWER LINES AND THE WEIGHT OF THE HEAVY SNOW.
  SHOVELING SHOULD NOT BE DONE BY ANYONE WITH HEART CONDITIONS.

* WINDS...NORTHEAST TO NORTH WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 25 TO 35 MPH
  WITH GUSTS AS HIGH 50 TO 60 MPH ESPECIALLY ALONG COASTAL RHODE
  ISLAND AND COASTAL MASSACHUSETTS FROM LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON
  THROUGH MUCH OF MONDAY.

SNOW!

At long last, a blanket of snow!
Sure, it is more like a half an inch, but it is snow and it is covering the ground, and with that Winter is truly here!

As of 9:07 a.m. the conditions are:
31 degrees;
28.79" of Hg pressure and steady;
USFS Fire Danger is NONE;
The Cascades are a frozen ice floe;
The Cascades Brook is still running with the banks and obstructions coated in ice;
and everything is finally coated in snow!

Also, due to your concerns, faithful Cascades folk, we have sent along a note to the Cook's Pond Association about the severely depressed pond level and the full throat-ed flow out of the dam.

Also, following up on a tip/complaint by some hikers yesterday morning we requested and received a police visit for some extremely dubious activity at the base of the Cascades. Rest assured, descriptions were taken, plates were copied and the car that scooted off had a cruiser following behind. Thanks for the assist in keeping the area in good shape and uninviting to mischief! We can't do it without you!

Cascades West makes the Globe!

Globe Mini Article

Well, Cascades West made the big time kids!


The Globe piece by Aaron Kagan is a brief vignette on the amphitheater at Cascades West.

It would also appear that GWLT folk are "Park Officials." Sounds pretty heavy!

Thanks for the piece to Aaron and the Globe!

Brisk!

7:37 am

Blue skies, with a breeze that gusts,
24 degrees F,
28.88" of Hg pressure and rising,
The USFS Fire Danger Class is Moderate,
The Cascades Brook is at 3.8" of flow with some ice buildup on the edges.

In addition to all of this, the pile of construction debris in front of the Lodge was whisked away, and that puts things back in order after all the previous excitement.

For hikers out there, the ground is frozen HARD this morning and you can feel it when you walk. The bright sunshine and clear skies make up substantially for the cold and as long as you are well dressed and keep moving it is pleasant.

Warm/Sunny!

Don't believe your thermometer!
34 degrees F
28.91 pressure
4.40 inches
Your thermometer may say something low, but the sun makes up for it!! Great day for a hike! There is a gentle breeze.
USFS Fire Danger is none.