Guess What’s Showing Up In Our Shellfish? One Word: Plastics
After the rain showers
Equinox Does Not Have Equal Day & Night Length
"Equinox" literally means "equal night", giving the impression that the night and day on the equinox are exactly the same length; 12 hours each. But this isn't entirely accurate.
End-of-Summer Arctic Sea Ice Extent Is Eighth Lowest on Record
"Arctic sea ice appeared to have reached its yearly lowest extent on Sept. 13, NASA and the NASA-supported National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at the University of Colorado Boulder have reported. Analysis of satellite data by NSIDC and NASA showed that at 1.79 million square miles (4.64 million square kilometers), this year’s Arctic sea ice minimum extent is the eighth lowest in the consistent long-term satellite record, which began in 1978."
"Arctic sea ice appears to have reached a record low wintertime maximum extent for 2017, according to scientists at the NASA-supported National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) in Boulder, Colorado. Observations indicate that on Sept. 13, 2017 ice extent shrunk to the eighth lowest in the satellite record, at 4.64 million square miles, or 1.79 million square miles."
"Arctic sea ice, the layer of frozen seawater covering much of the Arctic Ocean and neighboring seas, is often referred to as the planet’s air conditioner: its white surface bounces solar energy back to space, cooling the globe. The sea ice cap changes with the season, growing in the autumn and winter and shrinking in the spring and summer. Its minimum summertime extent, which typically occurs in September, has been decreasing, overall, at a rapid pace since the late 1970s due to warming temperatures."
Got my exercise walking down to 625 Broadway today
Deadly Roads
Cheap gas and a good economy is deadly on the roads.
On average, an 1% increase in vehicle miles traveled means a 4% increase in crashes due to more congested highways and more drowsy drivers. So if Americans drive 5% more, there will be on average 20% more crashes.
September 19, 2017 9 AM Update
There are definitely some colors starting to pop out at the Park and Ride this morning, with temperatures around 67 degrees and lots of blue sky. I thought today was going to be cooler and rainy, but instead it looks like we will break the 80 degree mark with ample sun and some humidity. It will feel more like a nice August day then one in the second half of September. I am not complaining, although when the weather changes, it will be a shock, as the normal for this time of year is around 70 degrees, and rapidly dropping.
When I got to the Park and Ride there was a no bus there. I waited there for about ten minutes before Colleen, one of the other bus riders gave me a ride downtown. That was nice, it as it would have been a brisk walk back to Delaware Avenue to catch the local bus to work. Traffic seemed very heavy downtown, probably the bus was running late. But I got to work promptly, so I guess that all that really maters.
The sun will set at 6:56 pm with dusk around 7:25 pm, which is one minute and 47 seconds earlier than yesterday. At sunset, look for mostly cloudy conditions and 74 degrees. The dew point will be 64 degrees. There will be a northeast breeze at 8 mph. Today will have 12 hours and 16 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 52 seconds over yesterday.
Tonight will have a chance of showers, mainly after 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low of 63 degrees at 5am. 13 degrees above normal. Maximum dew point of 64 at 6pm. North wind 7 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. In 2016, we had mostly clear skies with more clouds in the early hours of the next day. It was humid. It got down to 59 degrees. The record low of 30 occurred back in 1979.
Looking ahead two weeks from now, the sun will be setting at 6:32 pm with dusk at 7:00 pm. On that day in 2016, we had drizzle, mostly cloudy skies and temperatures between 72 and 57 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 65 degrees. We hit a record high of 83 back in 1967. Days certainly get shorter quickly this time of year.
This weekend looks so warm and sunny, I have to get somewhere for some warm Indian Summer fun. I am still thinking about Moose River Plains, because I want to get up there before the leaves are done. Maybe I will also take off Monday, but it will be a wait and see type thing. I can’t believe it may reach almost 90 in Albany on Sunday or Monday, it might be so warm at Moose that I will have to find somewhere to take a dip.
I still need to get my hunting license. Maybe today if things aren’t too crazy at work, I will walk down to the DEC and do that today. I will see.
Have a great day!