New England color update

Well, I figured it's about time I get back on here and post something!

The colors are abundant, though it does not appear to be peak here in central MA. By the roadsides and waterways are many reds and oranges, but the sun has not shone since last Friday (it is now Thursday), and is not expected to return until at least Sunday.

I have not been able to travel much beyond the Worcester area, and cannot give field reports, though after you read the following, you will understand why:

NH received significant rainfall over the past weekend, and many roads have either been closed or washed away, such as NH-123 from Alstead to Marlow. Keene had four to six feet of water, and it is this region which was hit the hardest. There was roughly 11 inches in a twenty-four hour period during the weekend, and the rain has continued to fall. Many bridges may be unstable, and some dams are being kept under close watch for failures.

Most of the region is under flood warning. Where I live, we had major flooding in 1955 which prompted major reengineering of the primary highway and river way, and thus far it is performing admirably.

Please check ahead for alternate routes before finalizing any travel plans in the area...I wish I had better news.

Well, stay dry! Thanks for the report. Wish I could come take a look at Fall color. Arizona has some -- but not the spectacular array those of you in the East get to witness. Our gorgeous winter weather in the desert has a price I guess. Here, the color mostly follows our stream beds -- since that is where the deciduous trees congregate for the most part. Up in the mountains, we get to see the Aspens in their golden glory wherever the terrain approaches 8,000 feet MSL -- but those are fleeting and few! Bob

I would love to see the colors of New England someday. You can get some nice color if you travel a bit south of me into Oregon. But, in my part of the world, there are very few trees that aren't evergreens. Beautiful in their own way, but I love the changing colors. However, it is pretty to see the few brightly colored deciduous trees in a forest of green. It's not the overwhelming display you get back east, but it really stands out in contrast to the sea of green.

Thanks for the report.

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Originally Posted by TimboTA

I have not been able to travel much beyond the Worcester area, and cannot give field reports, though after you read the following, you will understand why:

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We have other friends in the Worcester area too -- they live on a creek that is pretending to be a major river at the moment. Hope it turns drier this week. Thanks for the report!

Mark

Well, around 5pm yesterday the rain stopped, the sun poked its head out for a little while, then set. Now the wind is here!

I had to go out yesterday to get a flat tire fixed (grateful for a full-size spare in the VW!), and there were good-sized rocks all over the main road. The river is very high...we're going to get some pictures of the dam near here in about an hour or so. Hope to have them up within the next week or two - I need to get a "normal" shot.

We took a ride to this morning and we went by a house that no longer has a front yard - it's washed away to the septic system and beyond. Many of the back roads have begun to crumble from the onslaught. From what I've heard on the news NH by far has suffered the worse, though Maine got hit pretty hard yesterday in areas with less population.

For the most part, our primary roads have held up pretty well in MA.

After all that, this should be a pretty good week to get outside and see some color, provided the wind moves out (30-50mph.)

Well, it appears we are "peaking" right about now. As with any natural process, some areas are past peak, and others are pre-peak, but my usual Central MA route is within 2-3 days either side of peak. The cold weather came in this past week, and this should push those stragglers to change!

We got a little more rain this weekend, but nothing torrential. It did put a halt to any hiking plans I've had, though.

The nearly 200-year-old wooden dam in Taunton that was expected to break (as reported by CNN and the Weather Channel) has been shored up by large quantities of rock, a permatemp solution that took about two days to implement.

A friend of mine totalled his truck when he drove over a small bridge that gave out underneath him. Fortunately nobody was hurt, but the vehicle was stuck there for almost two days. Otherwise, repairs are being made all over the region. So, as before, check ahead to make sure the roads you are planning on travelling are passable.

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Originally Posted by TimboTA

A friend of mine totalled his truck when he drove over a small bridge that gave out underneath him. Fortunately nobody was hurt, but the vehicle was stuck there for almost two days. Otherwise, repairs are being made all over the region. So, as before, check ahead to make sure the roads you are planning on travelling are passable.

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Tim, that sounds like hazard-pay-worthy driving. Glad he is OK.

Thanks for the update!

Mark

OK I'm not in New England, but since we are neighbors... Here the temperatures gets colder and colder, it finally stopped raining yesterday, still cloudy outside. Last week, the leaves were perfect but with the rain and wind, they started to fall very quickly. I went to Mt Orford during our Thanksgiving weekend, and the colours were truly amazing (photos will be posted soon)...Too bad the colours cannot last through all the cold season!

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A friend of mine totalled his truck when he drove over a small bridge that gave out underneath him

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Wow, he's pretty lucky he wasn't injured!

There were several floods around the Sherbrooke area too, some of my friends got water in their basement, 6 inches to 4 feet, depending on the area. However, it's still nothing compared to what's happening in the south right now.

Gen

No, definitely not anything like what the South has been putting up with, but still something worth paying attention to...Especially since it's raining pretty hard, again.

It looks like we are fast approaching the end of what was probably one of the less spectacular years. Two events have brought this about: recent high winds, and snow. Yes, the snow has started in Central MA, though at this point it's nothing to worry about. Last night brought some significantly low temperatures...which means about zip as a predictor of what the winter will be like. If I had a nickel for every time I heard the words "We're due for a bad (season)" ;-)

In my observations, it appears that gold was the hot color this year (the majority of wet leaves stuck to my car and blowing across the road!), though at first it looked like reds. On those three sunny days, boy, you should have seen them!

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though at this point it's nothing to worry about.

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Timbo, this reminds me of the guy who falls out of a 121st story window in Manhattan, and is heard yelling as he falls past the 87th floor, "so far so good!"

But, winter in New England has its own attractions. As a Phoenix boy, I think it would be a refreshing change, for awhile. Bob

The truck vs the bridge incident sounds awful. I'll avoid telling my sister/travelling buddy who is already petrified of bridges.

It's good to know that all is well with your house and property. I'm sorry to admit that the bad rains did not make the local news here as much as it should have. I guess I didn't realize exactly how bad it was there.

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Originally Posted by lhuff

I'm sorry to admit that the bad rains did not make the local news here as much as it should have. I guess I didn't realize exactly how bad it was there.

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Well, compared to Katrina, it's definitely miniscule. I consider it being "nickel and dimed" by the weather, where the daily toll isn't too pressing, but the cumulative effects are showing up here and there. If it wasn't for the rocky soil around here, we would be in far worse shape (ie California). I think we're going to see small incidents (sink holes, etc.) popping up for awhile.

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Originally Posted by lhuff

The truck vs the bridge incident sounds awful. I'll avoid telling my sister/travelling buddy who is already petrified of bridges.

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Some people have that about them. I wasn't until I realized just how many bridges are in sad states of repair. There's a bridge near here that has been held up for almost two decades by columns of 6x6 lumber. It is just now getting repaired. It has been beyond critical since roughly 1970.

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Originally Posted by Moderator Bob

winter in New England has its own attractions

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Yes...it makes one able to withstand some strange weather shifts, and, it makes a light jacket almost useless (I don't even own one.)

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In my observations, it appears that gold was the hot color this year

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I agree. Lots of gold this year, compared to last year when we had much more red leaves in the trees.

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But, winter in New England has its own attractions. As a Phoenix boy, I think it would be a refreshing change, for awhile. Bob

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You said it : just for awhile! When it starts to snow in October (we already have about 1 inch of snow here) and you're still stuck with it in April, let me tell you that a single day in the hot AZ desert seems to be the most appealing thing in the world for many people here...:o) But, yes, the cold season can be attractive...for awhile. Personally, I would have snow only until January 1st and then it could be hot again. I'd be soooo happy. Since I don't have a machine to control the weather, I'll just buy a couple of good novels and movies, drink cappus, put my skis on and try to enjoy the season!

Happy winter!

Gen