Weather Basics is the topic of Sail MV's next Zoom talk, March 10, with Brian Whitely of Weather Routing Inc.
How have the wind and choppy seas affected the fishing during the first week of the 61st Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby? That depends on whom you ask.
For a weekend anticipated to be a washout for fishermen, it was an
active three days at Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish
Derby headquarters in Edgartown.
Understanding the relationships between the ocean and air is essential if weather forecasting in the future is to be more precise. Most living on Martha's Vineyard know the ocean keeps the Island cooler when the mainland is suffering in the dog days of July, and warmer in the winter when the temperature inland is bitter cold. But scientists can't be precise about why.
Now that heavy rain and snow have arrived, last year's dry
summer is a distant memory. In fact, the Island ended up with more
rainfall than usual in 2002.
A huge storm that caused troubles for much of the nation ended up
sparing the Vineyard its worst wrath. Though the Christmas Day
northeaster passed over the Vineyard and Nantucket on its path out to
sea, it dropped an inch of snow and lots of rain. The National Weather
Service cooperative station recorded 1.41 inches of melted
precipitation.
Rainstorms that crossed the Island last month were exactly what the
Vineyard needed. After a September that was the wettest month of the
year so far, lawns are once again lush and plants are looking healthy.
According to rainfall data collected at the National Weather Service
cooperative station in Edgartown, the total rainfall for the past month
was 6.15 inches. The Vineyard hadn't seen that much rainfall since
the 6.11 inches that fell in August of last year.
