Tag Archives: Snow

Daily Catskills: 01/18/15

28F mid-morning, rising to 36F by midday with a blanket of mist. Heavy rain late morning began to turn the snow to mush. Wet, rainy and miserable for the rest of the day with rain turning to snow as the temperature dropped to 32F after dark.

© J.N. Urbanski

© J.N. Urbanski

Hiking: Giant Ledge

© J.N. Urbanski The view from the nook through the trees

© J.N. Urbanski The view from the nook through the trees

It’s about this time of year that cabin fever firmly seizes us in these mountains and we do impulsive things like go hiking up a mountain when there’s only two hours of daylight left. Spring seems like it’s just around the corner and we’re so used to the bitter cold that 20F seems nice and toasty. It’s not until we’re approaching our icy ascent (in our snowboarding boots, stupidly wearing wool and cotton), passing very sensible hikers on their way down using sticks and cramp-ons that we realise what a risk we’ve taken, but there’s a happy ending to this story, and a sandwich.  Charles Dickens walked 20 miles a day in his prime, stalking around town in the afternoon after a sturdy lunch, no doubt conjuring up characters en route from his observations of 19th century Londoners. Writers love a good walk. First, the sandwich: corned beef brisket on toasted rye with a dash of mustard from Arkville Bread and Breakfast with a portion of chips (that were meant to go in the Fish and Chips, but that was yesterday’s lunch). Thinly-sliced brisket, lean, delicate and not too fatty on perfectly-toasted rye. This reasonably-sized portion, plus a cup of Twinings Irish Breakfast, got me to Giant Ledge in most unsuitable shoes and down again, occasionally sliding on my bottom because of the ice.

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Daily Catskills: 01/16/15

We’re having a warm spell…. 24F at 8.30am with a brisk wind making it feel cooler: a very bleak, overcast morning. Update: continual light flurries and down to 18F by mid-afternoon.

© J.N. Urbanski Antique Trail Markers at the Catskills Center

© J.N. Urbanski Antique Trail Markers at the Catskills Center

© J.N. Urbanski 8.30am

© J.N. Urbanski 8.30am

 

Daily Catskills: 01/09/15

20F at 10am, the day began cloudy, but brightened significantly when cloud cover broke but strong, gusty winds persisted. Overnight snow drifts had coated the car on only one side and reportedly put five inches of snow on Belleayre.

© J.N. Urbanski Midday

© J.N. Urbanski Midday

Daily Catskills: 01/05/15

Back to freezing conditions again after overnight sleet, rain and finally, a dusting of fine, icy snow by morning. 20F at 8am and strong, blustery winds moving the trees. Alternately brilliant sunshine and cotton wool cloud cover. One day I’ll pick the Sumac at the end of the road. Update: 10F at dusk and a face-peeling wind.

© J.N. Urbanski Frozen Sumac waving in the wind

© J.N. Urbanski 1.40pm Frozen Sumac trees waving in the wind

Daily Catskills: 01/04/15

50F by midday: another soggy day, with every branch sodden. Yesterday’s snow drained away so quickly, as the overnight temperatures rose, that all that remained were map-like traces of the tunnels the mice had dug under the snow the night before. Light rain at dusk as mist rolled into the valleys.

© J.N. Urbanski

© J.N. Urbanski

Daily Catskills: 12/31/14

Officially in the teens, the temperature this morning was 17F, with a 4 degree rise to 21F by lunchtime.  Fast flowing water is no match for the chill, and the ice is framing even the sides of even the bigger falls.

© MGP&D  Seventh and Final Day of the 7 days of waterfalls: Stratton Falls

© MGP&D – Day 7 and Final Day of The Seven Days of Waterfalls: Stratton Falls

Daily Catskills: 12/30/14

Temperatures began at 20F this morn.  By 3pm, the temp was…still 20F.  Instantly, ice has begun to form in the steams, bordered by a light layer of snow that fell last night.

© Mountain Girl Photography & Design -   Day 6 of the Seven Days of Waterfalls: Ice Begins to Form

© Mountain Girl Photography & Design – Day 6 of the Seven Days of Waterfalls: Ice Begins to Form

 

Daily Catskills: 12/29/14

A plethora of oversized fluffy flakes started falling as this shot was taken.  The day started at 28F, up to 34F, and by the end of the day, the tops of the mountains will be white again.  The cycle of water falling from the sky and falling over the rocks continues.

© Mountain Girl Photography & Design - Day 5: Name-less Falls Around the Bend

© Mountain Girl Photography & Design – Day 5: Name-less Falls Around the Bend

Daily Catskills: 12/21/14 Yuletide & The Winter Solstice

An overnight dusting of snow had clad every branch with fresh powder. 30F at midday. The afternoon sky appears to be a hologram varying between gunmetal grey and chalky white. Today is Winter Solstice, officially the first day of winter, which is hard to believe because it started snowing in November, not including a little test run back in October. The northern hemisphere of the earth is pointed the farthest away from the sun and, tonight begins its slow return towards it until the June Solstice of 2015. The ancient tradition of Yuletide began at sundown last night and will end on January 1st, 2015.

© J.N. Urbanski 1.30pm

© J.N. Urbanski 1.30pm

 

Daily Catskills: 12/20/14

28F at midday with steady snowfall for most of the morning, but faded quickly to 25F by 2pm. Mostly cloudy: the low sun managed to bleach through the hazy, foggy cloud occasionally during the afternoon to reveal the brilliant, icy blue above. Looking forward to the solstice here at Upstate Dispatch.

© J.N. Urbanski 1.38pm

© J.N. Urbanski 1.38pm

 

Daily Catskills: 12/11/14

Another day of monochrome skies from which fickle flakes continue to fall in the Catskills.  Temperatures only rose from 22F in the morning to 26F by lunchtime, with “feels like” temps only in the teens.  Still, ice has yet to form on the frigid fast moving waters and streams.

© Mountain Girl Photography and Design

© Mountain Girl Photography and Design

 

Daily Catskills: 12/10/14

8 inches of snow on Belleayre and 2 inches of snow reported in Oneonta, the morning saw 30F, with successful ploughing and reasonably clear arterial routes. 27F and cloudy by 3pm.

© Mountain Girl Photography and Design

© Mountain Girl Photography and Design 12.30pm

© Erik Johanson

© Erik Johanson/@halcott718 1pm

Daily Catskills: 12/9/14

32F and cloudy in the morning, icy rain leaving a thin layer of snow crunching underfoot and a storm predicted for the afternoon with 12 inches of snow expected. Update: freezing rain turned to snow by midday. 36F and a whiteout by dusk.

© Robert E. Block 4.30pm

© Robert E. Block 4.30pm

© Lydia Brunt

© Lydia Brunt 10.50am

© Robert E. Block

© Robert E. Block 9.30am

© Robert E. Block

© Robert E. Block 9.30am

Daily Catskills: 12/2/14

21F at 8am: a cobweb sky dissolving in a brilliantly sunny dawn and snow making on Belleayre Mountain. The temperature rose to 30F by 1pm, as ominous cloud cover rolled in, then rapidly back to 27F at 3pm. A flurry of crunchy snow that began at 3.30pm had turned into a blustery whiteout by dusk.

© J.N. Urbanski 8.15am

© J.N. Urbanski 8.15am

© J.N. Urbanski 1pm

© J.N. Urbanski 1pm

© J.N. Urbanski 4pm

© J.N. Urbanski 4pm

 

Daily Catskills: Winter Wonderland

Winter has begun in earnest with the first few feet of the seaon dumped in the lower valleys of the Catskills today 11/26/14 and further south towards New York City with anecdotal reports of cars on the I-87 sliding and spinning off roads. Up until now, we’ve only had occasional, whimsical flurries and a light blanket on 11/14/14. Compared to last season’s Fall Foliage, taken in the same place, today’s image looks barren and frigid. The home fires are truly burning across the Catskills this evening.

© J.N. Urbanski 11/26/14

© J.N. Urbanski 11/26/14

Daily Catskills: 11/18/14

The winter chill seems to have permeated the Catskills for good, with temperatures only rising 2 degrees, from 20F to 22F.  A light snow fell in the higher elevations last night, but today the sun broke through so the skies and the mountain peaks are showing off their majestic blues.

© Mountain Girl Photography and Design

© Mountain Girl Photography and Design

Daily Catskills: 11/07/14

40F at 11am, ovenight rain having stopped and been replaced by snow flurries at the higher elevations. Moody, tumultuous skies lowering a fine mist over the mountains by 1pm. Update: steady, light snow began just after 1pm turning into a whiteout which had faded to a light flurry by 4.30pm.

2014-11-07 11.03.57

© J.N. Urbanski 11am

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Daily Catskills: 11/02/14

A frigid 30F at 9.30am with a crunchy topping of overnight snow on the ground and in the treetops of the highest peaks, like Belleayre and Peekamoose, that still lingered in shaded areas by the afternoon. 35F at midday with bracing wind and cloud cover rolling through quickly with bursts of sunshine. Update: cloud cover rolled away completely to reveal briliantly clear skies until dusk.

© J.N. Urbanski 12.02pm

© J.N. Urbanski 12.02pm

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Daily Catskills: 11/01/14

A grey morning and a sullen grey day, with not a scrap of sky to be seen. 40F at midday. The outside world might have stopped for all we know. There would be an eery stillness in the air, if it wasn’t for a light breeze that moves the branches gently and chases the odd leaf here and there. An endless-cups-of-tea kind of day. National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) starts today: 1666 words by midnight. Update: Light snowfall began late in the evening.

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Daily Catskills: 10/19/14

We had a surprising flurry of light, icy snow this morning just after 9.30am with a steady temperature of just under 40F all day. Then the sun came out at 9.58am. More flurries of snow mid-afternoon and intermittant cloud, sun, freezing rain, flurries and gusts: a Catskills winter sampler.

2014-10-19 09.58.40

© J.N. Urbanski 10/19/14 9.58pm

2014-10-19 12.57.11

© J.N. Urbanski 10/19/14 12.57pm

© J.N. Urbanski 10/19/14 1.41pm Alfie the Media Lab is not scared of the freezing temperatures.

© J.N. Urbanski 10/19/14 1.41pm Alfie the Media Lab is not scared of the freezing temperatures.

© J.N. Urbanski 10/19/14 2.07pm

© J.N. Urbanski 10/19/14 2.07pm