• Mark Lovewell

Sky Fall

Spring Is a Month Away

The sky is falling, steadily. Total snowfall since the first of January is 33.6 inches; which means we are already ahead of the annual average of 24.7 inches, according to the numbers compiled by the National Weather Service station in Edgartown.

Last year, 2013, the total snowfall was 36 inches.

It has been cold, sometimes bitter cold, with the temperature dropping below freezing almost every night. This cold arctic air has chilled more than the landscape. Freshwater ponds are frozen. Many brackish ponds are partially covered and most wear an ice collar along the shoreline.

It has been wet, too. December was wet with 4.69 inches of rain. January had a total of 3.43 inches, which is close to average. And February has already received 6.28 inches, over two inches of precipitation above average, with seven days still to go.

Morning Moon and Venus

A thin crescent moon appears close to the bright planet Venus on Wednesday morning. The two rise in the southeastern sky more than an hour before sunrise. The two are in the zodiacal constellation Sagittarius. It is not easy seeing these two, as they are hugging the southeastern sky and are in the most southern of constellations in the zodiac.

 

Sunrise and Sunset
Day Sunrise Sunset
Fri., Feb. 21 6:29 5:22
Sat., Feb. 22 6:27 5:23
Sun., Feb. 23 6:26 5:24
Mon., Feb. 24 6:24 5:25
Tues., Feb. 25 6:23 5:26
Wed., Feb. 26 6:21 5:28
Thurs., Feb. 27 6:20 5:29
Fri., Feb. 28 6:18 5:30
Temperatures and Precipitations
Day Max (Fº) Min (Fº) Inches
Feb. 14 42 34 *2.11
Feb. 15 40 26 0.00
Feb. 16 36 23 *1.14
Feb. 17 32 16 0.00
Feb. 18 30 10 0.00
Feb. 19 40 21 *0.72
Feb. 20 43 33 0.29

 

Water temperature in Edgartown harbor: 39º F

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