Weather Basics is the topic of Sail MV's next Zoom talk, March 10, with Brian Whitely of Weather Routing Inc.
Like September, October was a dry month. Total rainfall for October was .70 inches, more than twice the rainfall of September (.31 inches), but still significantly less than what the Vineyard usually gets. Normal average rainfall for October is 3.39 inches.
It is incredibly dry. How dry? Last month was the driest September on the Vineyard in 67 years of record keeping.
Foliage is turning brown. Lawns are amber and leaves and grass crunch underfoot. Fire has become a concern.
Yesterday, while responding to a mid-day small brush fire in the woods near Sweetened Water Farm in Edgartown, fire chief Peter Shemeth called for mutual aid from West Tisbury.
“It is awfully dry and there is nothing you can do about it,” confirmed West Tisbury fire chief Manuel Estrella.
Friday, August 23: Overcast in the morning. Bicyclists speed along the bike path at the State Beach, while the first beachgoers arrive. Partly sunny. Breezy.
Friday, August 16: Fair weather for the agricultural society fair. West Tisbury is bustling with activity. All roads lead to the fair. Many of those dirt roads are dusty. Draft horse pull draws a big crowd. Oak Bluffs fills up with visitors in the late afternoon for a night of fireworks. The sky is clear. A pretty sunset is the opener for the fireworks.
Friday, August 9: Overcast. Light rain. Fishermen line the shoreline to the Lagoon Pond drawbridge early. A fleet of motor boats and sailboats are anchored off the Beach Road, in Vineyard Haven. Schooner Alabama is in the harbor.
Friday, August 2: Bright sunny morning. Light southwest wind picks up in mid-afternoon. Increasing clouds over Nantucket Sound. By late afternoon, there are white caps and high surf.
