Winter

February 7, 2017 – The Next Sixteen Weeks

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We are still in the cold of winter, but it won’t last. You have probably been noticing how much later the sunsets have gotten later. But the mercury hasn’t been moving much. But once we get into the second half of February, mercury will be starting to climb as spring approaches.

After many weeks of mercury only increasing a degree a week, we will be see jump two degrees a week in late February, three degrees in early March then four degrees come the first week of spring. Average temperatures always rise most steeply around the first day of spring. The same is true with increases in daylight and time of sunset. Daylight Savings Time begins March 12th.

Week Date Dawn Sun-
rise		 Sun-
set		 Dusk Day Avg High Avg Low Record Hi Record Low
0 February 7 6:31 am 7:00 am 5:17 pm 5:46 pm 10:16 33 16 48 (2005) -18 (1995)
1 February 14 6:22 am 6:51 am 5:26 pm 5:55 pm 10:35 34 17 63 (1946) -13 (2016)
2 February 21 6:12 am 6:41 am 5:35 pm 6:04 pm 10:54 36 19 65 (1981) -10 (2015)
3 February 28 6:02 am 6:30 am 5:44 pm 6:12 pm 11:14 38 20 63 (1903) -10 (1950)
4 March 7 5:50 am 6:18 am 5:52 pm 6:20 pm 11:34 41 22 62 (1974) -6 (1950)
5 March 14 6:38 am 7:06 am 7:01 pm 7:29 pm 11:54 43 25 75 (1946) -6 (1948)
6 March 21 6:26 am 6:54 am 7:09 pm 7:37 pm 12:14 46 27 78 (1921) -1 (1956)
7 March 28 6:13 am 6:42 am 7:17 pm 7:45 pm 12:35 50 30 85 (1945) 3 (1923)
8 April 4 6:01 am 6:30 am 7:25 pm 7:53 pm 12:55 53 33 79 (1950) 14 (1954)
9 April 11 5:49 am 6:18 am 7:33 pm 8:02 pm 13:15 56 36 82 (2011) 20 (1874)
10 April 18 5:37 am 6:06 am 7:41 pm 8:10 pm 13:34 60 38 90 (1976) 21 (1948)
11 April 25 5:26 am 5:56 am 7:49 pm 8:19 pm 13:53 63 41 89 (2009) 23 (1965)
12 May 2 5:15 am 5:46 am 7:57 pm 8:28 pm 14:10 65 43 88 (2001) 29 (1974)
13 May 9 5:06 am 5:37 am 8:04 pm 8:36 pm 14:27 67 45 93 (1979) 27 (1956)
14 May 16 4:57 am 5:30 am 8:12 pm 8:44 pm 14:41 70 47 89 (1991) 33 (1980)
15 May 23 4:51 am 5:24 am 8:19 pm 8:52 pm 14:54 72 49 93 (1964) 36 (1967)
16 May 30 4:46 am 5:20 am 8:25 pm 8:59 pm 15:05 73 52 92 (1987) 33 (1967)

Springtime

Gray February 2017

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While this year hasn’t been particularly cold compared to historical averages, this winter has been quite gray — especially on the weekends. Sometimes we have a break in the clouds but most of the time, it hasn’t been even worthwhile to put some gas in the truck and go anywhere.

I don’t mind the cooler weather of winter, but when it’s cloudy and dreary, it ain’t nearly as much for hiking, much less taking pictures. You don’t see the wildlife in the woods, and the pictures one takes are pretty bland. And with no sun to warm one’s face, that wind can be pretty biting.

Weather tends to be more sunny in Albany during the spring and summer. And it certainly be much warmer. I guess the best thing to do is just hibernate, save the gas, and wait for nicer days to happen, which will happen at some point.

Sheen of Sun on Ice

Memories of Last Summer

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On cold days like today, I have set my wallpaper on my computer to the above picture. It reminds me of days that were last summer, camping at the Finger Lakes National Forest, and going every day to the pool at Watkins Glen. How fast the time goes, six months ago, and how special those days were.

Summer on Cayuga Lake

I guess summer will be back once again, before we know it.