Cool, fall-like stretch ahead

Happy Sunday! The brutal heat that summer 2020 has brought here in New England has lost its grip slightly. Today, temperatures will not surpass 70 °F, when the average temperature for August 30 here in Vermont is 77 °F, so it'll be a cooler day than normal.

GFS temperatures through Thursday evening (Tropical Tidbits)

The above GIF shows the GFS model output for temperatures every 6 hours through Thursday evening. Notice the evenings where the green shade covers our region. That green shade corresponds with temperatures in the 40s and 50s which will feel great after this long summer with relentless heat.

You may be thinking, it's September already, shouldn't temperatures naturally be cooler now? That is correct, but temperatures over the next week will actually be below normal for this time of year. Here is the same GIF as above, except it shows temperature anomaly from normal.

GFS temperature anomaly through Thursday evening (Tropical Tidbits)

Especially early on in the upcoming week, we can expect cooler than average temperatures for this time of the year. The GIF shows that temperatures will trend warmer during the latter part of the week, but the cool air that we'll have to start the coming week will certainly be welcome and give a nice taste of fall.

Drought update + How are things trending?

Happy Saturday! 

If you're reading from CT, I hope you stayed safe during the severe weather on Thursday. A confirmed EF-1 tornado with 110 mph winds touched down in Bethany at 3:53 p.m. and travelled 11.1 miles to North Haven in 10 minutes. This tornado caused significant damage and many lost power. Interestingly, on the Fujita scale that measures the strength of tornadoes, an EF-2 tornado has winds that range from 111 to 135 mph, so this tornado just barely missed being classified as an EF-2. (The scale ranges from EF-0 to EF-5, with EF-5 tornadoes having winds in excess of 200 mph).

I wanted to write a quick post updating on the state of the drought in New England and what type of weather we can expect over the next few weeks.

(National Drought Mitigation Center)

This map, valid through August 25th, shows that some areas in New England, including CT, RI, MA, NH, and ME, are now in a severe drought. This drought map does not account for rain that fell on Thursday as well as rain that we can expect tomorrow from the remnants of Hurricane Laura. Drought conditions will likely persist, but it'll be interesting to see if they'll be alleviated at all.

8-14 day precipitation outlook (NWS/CPC)

Signs over the next few weeks show that we may begin to see less dry conditions. The above 8-14 day precipitation outlook from the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) indicates that conditions will be favorable for above average precipitation. 

As for temperatures, it looks like we'll stay on the warmer side.

8-14 day temperature outlook (NWS/CPC)

The CPC's 8-14 day temperature outlook indicates a large trough that could form in the midwest, which will cause temperatures to be below average there. However, the CPC is indicating that temperatures will be slightly above average for early September here in New England.

Last note: I have moved back into Middlebury College in VT, so this blog will shift its focus towards northern New England. I will continue to cover Connecticut as well, but much of the coverage will be on the North Country.

Thursday forecast update

Yesterday I highlighted the risk of severe storms that could effect us this afternoon. That risk is still there, although it is a very tricky forecast, and what we see will depend on some key factors. The HRRR shows a large swath of storms over Connecticut at around 7 p.m. tonight (see below) - some of which will be severe. I think the fist of the severe weather will be at around 2 or 2:30 this afternoon.

HRRR at 7 p.m. (Tropical Tidbits)

The map below shows the warm front moving northeast into our region today. The movement and timing of that front will be the key factor that determines what type of weather we see this afternoon.

National forecast chart (NWS)

The further northeast the warm front moves, the greater our threat for severe weather will be. It is a tricky forecast today, and we may not see much in the way of severe weather. As always, it'll be important to stay weather aware and to keep your eyes to the sky.

On a completely different note, winter is coming! Mount Washington saw its first dusting of snow overnight as temperatures dipped below 30 °F.

Mount Washington on August 27th (Mount Washington Observatory)

Severe weather threat tomorrow

Good afternoon! Today has been a spectacular day with cooler temperatures, a nice breeze throughout the day, and much less humid air then we've come to expect this summer. I would call today an A+ summer day as far as the weather in New England goes. That'll likely change tomorrow.

But before discussing tomorrow's severe weather threat, I'd be remiss to not mention hurricane Laura, which is set to bring catastrophic damage to the gulf coast states.

(NHC)

When the National Weather Service uses language like "unsurvivable storm surge" and "catastrophic damage" you know Laura will be a memorable hurricane. If anyone is reading from the eastern Texas/ Louisiana area, be sure to take any necessary precautions and stay weather aware. Keep updated with all the latest information from the National Hurricane Center at its website.

Moving on to our region, it's looking like tomorrow will be a wild weather day.

Day 2 convective outlook (NWS)

With an enhanced risk for southern New England, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) is indicating that "damaging winds and large hail should be the main threats, though a few tornadoes are also possible". In fact, the SPC indicates that much of the region has a 5% chance of seeing a tornado within 25 miles, which is quite high for here in New England.

Day 2 tornado outlook (NWS)

Hail is another big threat for tomorrow. The hatched area in the map below indicates areas that have a 25% or greater chance of seeing hail at least 2 inches in diameter within 25 miles. Two inch hail is larger than golf ball sized hail, and it can do significant damage.

Day 2 hail outlook (NWS)

The last big threat for tomorrow is wind. I'd suspect that areas that do see storms will experience winds that approach 60 mph, which can cause significant damage.

Day 2 wind outlook (NWS)

Timing for the brunt of the severe weather tomorrow will be in the afternoon hours between 1 and 6 p.m. I cannot guarantee that every town will see storms tomorrow, but those that do will likely see a significant one. It'll be important to remain vigilant tomorrow and stay weather aware. I'll have an update in the morning if any more information about the severe weather threat develops.

Tuesday Forecast

Good morning! While the Gulf Coast is seeing much of the action in the weather world as a result of post-tropical cyclone Marco and tropical storm Laura, we can expect some exciting weather here in New England today.

Day 1 convective outlook (NWS)

The above image is the Storm Prediction Center's (SPC) day 1 categorical outlook, showing a slight risk of severe thunderstorms for much of New England and an enhanced risk just to our south. There is a large amount of shear in the atmosphere, which could cause gusty winds today. Additionally, with a significant about of CAPE, we could see some larger hail today. As it tends to be the case with summertime convective weather, any storms that do pop up will be fairly isolated and likely short-lived. Here's what the HRRR thinks for 5 p.m. this afternoon.

HRRR for 5 p.m. (Tropical Tidbits)

Notice the "line" of storms that extends from western West Virginia and southern Ohio up into Quebec. That "line" will move southeastward throughout the afternoon as a result of a cold front and trough moving in that direction. The HRRR will refresh throughout the day, better forecasting exact locations that should see storms. So while on the above map it looks like northern Connecticut and southern Vermont/New Hampshire will see storms around around 5 p.m. that is likely to change throughout the day as the model undergoes new runs.

Be sure to keep your eye on the sky and check radar throughout the afternoon in preparation for any convective storms that pop up!

Earth has issued its wakeup call

I wish I could be more positive on this fine Saturday in New England, but this post will be rather grave. If you don't want to hear some worrisome truth, then you can stop reading here.

This past week, planet Earth has sent us a crude wakeup call that we need to take action to fight the climate crisis. Let me sum up what has happened in the past week.

Record high temperature in Death Valley

As I discussed in a post earlier this week, the temperature in Death Valley, CA skyrocketed to a scorching 130 °F, which, pending verification, is the hottest temperature we have seen on earth since 1913.

(Richard Brian/AP)

While I think that temperature extremes do not say much when it comes to understanding the severity of the climate crisis and that long-term gradual trends are more telling, this 130 °F temperature reading is certainly a sign that we need to take action to curtail carbon emissions. I'll add that the high temperature at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, NV, has been at least 110 °F everyday since August 14th.

Fires in the West

Wildfires are ravaging the western United States right now, as a result of the high temperatures and a lack of rain that persist there.

(Noah Berger/AP)

While California has seen the brunt of the conflagrations, there are currently fires ablaze in 15 western states, and there are 2,106 active fires in the United States right now. Many of these fires were caused by lightning strikes in northern California, and the the extreme heat in the west has only worsened them. Here is a GOES-17 satellite image showing just how extensive the fires are.

GOES imagery from Aug 20 (NOAA/CIRA)

With no real end in sight, over 100,000 people in California have been ordered to leave their homes. The smoke from these fires has made the air quality extremely unhealthy in California, and the effects of the smoke can be felt as far away as Nebraska.

Air quality map (AirNow/ESRI)

I have read that certain smoke models are forecasting the smoke to spread all the way to the eastern U.S.

Two tropical storms in the Gulf Coast

The tropics have been very active this year, and we are already at the "M" storm at the point in the calendar year when we are just beginning the brunt of hurricane season. This is the earliest that the 13th tropical storm has been named. One reason for this is the unusual warmth in the Atlantic Ocean this year. Here in New England, we have seen the crippling effects of Hurricane Isaias, and I worry that another storm could strike us at some point this year.

For Earth to make its point that we need to take action clearer, it has formed two tropical storms (Laura and Marco) that will look to be in the Gulf of Mexico at the same time. Here is some satellite imagery of the tropics now, showing the two storms.

GOES-16 Channel 13 brightness temperature (Tropical Tidbits)

While this is not the first time that we could see two named storms in the Gulf of Mexico simultaneously (it happened in 1933 and 1959), it is an extremely rare phenomenon and should certainly serve as yet another wakeup call for us.

It is still a little early to forecast the impacts of Laura and Marco here in the United States, but we should be prepared for damaging storms.

Arctic sea ice extent at lowest levels in history

While this has been overshadowed by the fires, heat, and hurricanes, the current arctic sea ice extent is approaching some of its lowest levels in history. This is particularly worrisome because so few people notice it. In the climate crisis, people get worried if it affects them, but they become complacent when they cannot see the effects of climate change.

Arctic sea ice extent (NASA/NSIDC)

The melting of this arctic ice has serious implications for sea level rise. A simple 1 meter rise in sea level can have crippling effects. 

COVID-19

If the above problems were not enough, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to kill over 1,000 U.S. citizens daily. I'm not sure how direct the connection is between climate and this pandemic, but there surely is some link. The virus has proven to spread more readily indoors, and with warmer temperatures, we are apt to remain indoors, which could exacerbate the spread of the virus.

Donald Trump's response

Clearly, Earth has issued it's wakeup call. Heat and extensive fires continue to plague the western United States, two tropical storms are set to hit our country, the arctic keeps melting, and we are in the middle of a global pandemic. How has our president responded to this wakeup call? Aside from ridiculing the DNC on his twitter account, saying that mail-in voting is corrupt, and remaining largely silent on the issues I have discussed in this post, he announced a plan to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling, threatening the largest remaining wilderness area in our country.

Where do we go Now?

Like John Kasich said earlier this week during the DNC, America is at a crossroads right now.

John Kasich saying we are at a crossroads, while standing at a crossroads (CNN)

Earth has issued it's wakeup call, but it is now on us to take action. We need to recycle. We need to consume less. We need to invest in renewable energies. We need to educate. We need to compost. We need to invest in R&D. We need to vote for a presidential candidate that does not think climate change is a hoax.

Earth has spoken up - it is now time for us to respond.

Drought Update

Happy Friday! The sky was putting on a show near my house in Middlebury, CT this morning. Here is an image of a beautiful sunrise and some cirrocumulus clouds.

 

I wanted to provide a quick update on the drought that persists here in New England. While not nearly as widespread and extreme as the drought in the western United States, the dry conditions here continue to escalate.

U.S. Drought Monitor (National Drought Mitigation Center)

The above map was released yesterday, and it shows that parts of New England are now in the "D2 Severe Drought" category. Parts of northeast Connecticut, eastern Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire, and northern Maine are now experiencing a severe drought. Additionally, it is worth noting that all of New England is abnormally dry, except for a small section of southwest Connecticut and western Maine. For us, this means we can see some short term impacts, such as impacts on agriculture and grasslands.

What has caused these dry conditions? The answer is simply that it's been dry this year.

Rankings of observed total precip from May 20 to Aug 20 (Northeast Regional Climate Centers)

Take a good look at the above map, which shows the rankings of the observed total precipitation from the period from May 20 to August 20 at different stations in the Northeast. This means that any time you see a 1 on the above map, that weather station has had the driest May 20-August 20 on record. (A 2 would mean it is the second driest on record). Clearly, it has simply been dry this summer, which has led to the drought like conditions.

Hopefully we'll see some precipitation soon, since we definitely need it.

Spectacular weather!

Unfortunately for me, it's a pretty boring weather week here in the Northeast, but maybe that's not such a bad thing, since the weather is absolutely fabulous right now. Here's a photo I took this morning overlooking Interstate 84. It's cool and there's not a cloud in the sky right now!

 

Overnight at Bradley International Airport (BDL) in Windsor Locks, CT, we hit 54 °F, which is the coolest it has been since June 17, when the temperature reached 50 °F. The average low temperature for BDL on August 20 is 61 °F, so it is cooler than normal this morning.

Temperatures will not rise above 80 °F today (the average Aug 20 high is 82 °F), so we'll see a much-welcomed respite from this summer's protracted heat.

NAM 2-m temperatures for 3 p.m. (Tropical Tidbits)

Why are we seeing this beautiful (but quiet) stretch of weather? The answer lies in the large area of high pressure that we have here in the Northeast right now.

12 hr forecast map (NWS)

Notice the blue Hs on the New York-Pennsylvania border and in Illinois. This high pressure is responsible for the fantastic fall-like weather here in the Northeast. Enjoy it while it lasts, because the weather will turn more summer-like as we head into the weekend.

Death Valley Record Heat

You may have read that it has been hot in the Southwest. In fact, the thermometer in Death Valley, CA reached 130 °F yesterday, which, pending confirmation, could be the highest temperature recorded on Earth since 1913.

(NWS Las Vegas)

At 3:41 p.m. PDT yesterday, the temperature in Death Valley officially hit 129.9 °F, at the National Park Service visitor center in Furnace Creek at an elevation 193 feet below sea level. It will take some time to confirm the validity of this temperature, but if confirmed, it will be the warmest temperature on Earth since 1913, when the temperature reached 134 °F on July 10, also in Death Valley. It is worth noting that the 1913 record is dubious, as many contend that it was a faulty temperature reading, since other temperatures in the region on that date were not similar. 

It certainly is hot in the Southwest right now, and hopefully people take the necessary precautions to protect from the harm that extreme heat can cause.

Beautiful Week Ahead

Happy Sunday! While northern New England is mostly clear today, it's a dreary Sunday here in southern New England. The rain we have been seeing is definitely not a drought-buster, but it is much needed. Also, temperatures right now in southern New England sit in the 60s (!), while there is a sharp temperature gradient, as parts of the Adirondacks are in the upper 70s.

Current temperatures (NWS)

Looking ahead to the coming week, it'll likely be one of the nicest weeks of the summer, with cooler temperatures, less humidity, and abundant sunshine. Aside from some possible showers on Tuesday, the GFS is showing clear weather for the entire week.

GFS precip through Saturday (Tropical Tidbits)

Note the area of high pressure that moves through the region later in the week on Thursday. That means that we'll see clear, stable weather with some nice and comfortable temperatures. For me, the exciting thing about this week's weather is the respite from the seemingly relentless heat and humidity that we've had this summer. Here are the week's surface temperatures, as shown by the GFS.

GFS 2-m temperatures through Saturday (Tropical Tidbits)

With daytime highs in the upper 70s or low 80s and overnight lows dropping into the 50s this week, it'll simply feel fantastic. I even think that some upper elevation areas of northern New England could see the temperature drop into the upper 30s during the week. We'll be getting a nice taste of fall. The humidity also goes away later in the week. Here are the GFS dew points for Thursday morning, with the entire region seeing values in the 40s.

GFS dew points for Thursday at 8 a.m. (Tropical Tidbits)

That is drier air that is much more reminiscent of what we see in autumn, so it'll feel fantastic. Although it's still a few days out, I think Thursday is the choice day of the week as that area of high pressure moves through our region.

That cooler, more comfortable air than what we've been seeing will likely stick around as we head into the latter parts of August. Here's the Center for Climate Prediction's (CPC) 6-10 day temperature outlook, showing that the eastern portion of the U.S. will likely experience near normal temperatures for the period from August 22-26.

6-10 day temperature outlook (CPC)

The climatology tells us that things start to cool off as we head throughout August and begin losing more sunlight, so it is no surprise that temperatures will begin to trend cooler. In Hartford, CT, the sun will set at 7:48 p.m. today, and in just one month it'll set at 6:57 p.m. During August and September especially, we start to lose sunlight hours fast. With that, we'll begin to see comfortable weather typical of fall, and we'll get our first taste of it this week.

Should heat waves be named?

As I've discussed all summer long on this blog, it has been hot here in New England. In Connecticut, where I'm based for the summer, there have been 5 heat waves, with the most recent one ending on Wednesday this week. In addition to the temperatures associated with these heat waves being unbearable at times, they can also be life-threatening. In fact, over the past 30 years, heat causes on average 93 more deaths per year than hurricanes do.

Weather related fatalities (NWS)

Out of all of the hazards in the above graphic, however, hurricanes are the only ones that are officially named by the National Weather Service. (The Weather Channel names winter storms, but that is a completely different story.) If heat causes the most weather-related fatalities, and significantly more than hurricanes, one may wonder why hurricanes are the only weather factor that gets named.

The point of naming a storm is to give a concrete way to communicate it to the public. The names Isaias or Sandy or Irene or Katrina all conjure specific images, and they provide a concrete way to discuss the storm. I totally support the idea of the NWS naming hurricanes.

This past week, a new a new group was formed called the Extreme Heat Resilience Alliance. This group consists of cities, emergency response organizations, and research labs, and it proposes that heat waves should be named, like hurricanes are. The main reason for naming heat waves would be to heighten the severity of the heat and to warn people about its dangers. While the movement to name heat waves is in its very initial stages, it is interesting to note that it is in the works.

Here's my take on naming heat waves. I'm definitely not a social scientist, so this is all speculative. People do die from the heat each year - perhaps naming heat waves could portray an image of heightened severity and cause people to take more prudent precautions when it comes to the heat, thus preventing deaths. Possibly, naming heat waves will make people more aware of the climate crisis and compel them to want to take action. Earth is warming at an alarming rate, and we humans are responsible. Naming heat waves could cause people to understand what we are doing to our planet. While I see the potential benefits of naming heat waves, I don't support the idea. I am against the idea of over-hyping the weather, and I believe that the more that we name things, the more the weather could get over-hyped. Also, I worry that if we begin naming something like heat waves, we could get on the track towards naming almost everything (like a simple rainstorm or a dense fog event). While naming heat waves is a long way out, it'll be interesting to see if it comes to fruition.

BTV July 2020 Recap

This post is the second in a two-part series recapping July 2020 weather in New England. In this one, I focus on weather data at Burlington International Airport (BTV) in South Burlington, Vermont. I covered the weather in Connecticut in a post that I published yesterday.

Like in Connecticut, it was impressively hot in Vermont this past July. The average temperature for the month was 76.8 °F, when the historical average for July based on data dating back to 1940 is 70.6 °F, giving us a departure from normal of 6.2 °F. This was the warmest July on record at BTV, with 2018 being the second warmest and 2019 being the third.

July 2020 temperature graph for BTV (NOAA Regional Climate Centers)

One thing that I find particularly striking about the above temperature graph for the month is that there was not a single day when the low temperature was not below the normal temperature range (the brown zone in the graph). On the flip side, on all but one day (July 14th), the high temperature was greater than or equal to the high in the normal temperature range. Simply by looking at the graph, you can tell that it was a hot month.

Looking at the specifics, there were 9 days when the high temperature was greater than or equal to 90 °F and only one day that the temperature failed to crack above 80 °F. BTV saw 2 heatwaves during July 2020, and the high temperature for the month, 95 °F, occurred on consecutive days: the 9th and the 10th. Also of note, the low temperature on July 10th was a scorching 75 °F. For many houses in VT that do not have air conditioning, that makes indoor conditions almost unbearable. The lowest temperature reached for the entire month was 60 °F, which occurred on the 6th. It's very rare that the temperature does not drop below 60 °F in a given month at BTV.

Like in Connecticut, it was a dry month in Vermont, though to not quite as great an extent. This July, BTV saw 2.45 inches of precipitation, when an average July sees 4.16 inches.

BTV July 2020 accumulated precipitation (NOAA Regional Climate Centers)

The above accumulated precipitation graph show that there were many days that it rained during July 2020, though each of these days contributed to the total monthly precipitation only incrementally. In fact, at least a trace of new precipitation was recorded at BTV on 20 out of 31 days during the month, but many of these days saw only a trace or 0.01 inches of precipitation. The largest single-day rainfall total occurred on the 27th, when 0.68 inches of rain fell.

Unlike in Northern Connecticut, total precipitation in VT has been fairly average this year, though it lags slightly behind normal values as of today.

BTV 2020 accumulated precipitation (NOAA Regional Climate Centers)

During a typical year, BTV would have seen 21.66 inches of precipitation by now; this year, we've seen 19.80 inches. Unfortunately, though, Burlington is moderately dry right now according to the United States Drought Monitor, while Central and Southern Vermont are in a moderate drought.

U.S. Drought Monitor for Vermont (National Drought Mitigation Center)

Hopefully, we'll see some rain for our lawns that need it. Overall, it was a warm and dry month. We'll see if that continues in August.

BDL July 2020 Recap

In all the craziness of the past week, I never got the opportunity to recap the weather for CT and VT during the month of July. This post will be the first in a two-part series where I discuss weather for Bradley International Airport (BDL) in CT and Burlington International Airport (BTV) in VT during July 2020, and I'll start with BDL.

Beginning with temperatures, as has been the case for the year as a whole, July was a warm month at BDL. The average monthly temperature was 78.0 °F, when the normal July average based on climate records dating back to 1949 is 73.6 °F, giving us a temperature departure of 4.4 °F from normal.

BDL July 2020 temperature graph (NOAA Regional Climate Centers)

As we can see in the above temperature graph, low temperatures during the month mostly remained in the normal temperature range (the brown-shaded zone), while high temperatures often exceeded the normal range, particularly at the end of the month. The high temperature was greater than or equal to 90 °F on all but 11 days this July, and from July 18 to July 31, only one day (the 24th) had a high temperature that was less than 90 °F. We saw three heatwaves during the month, but we failed to reach the 100 degree mark, with the July 2020 maximum temperature being 99 °F, which we hit on the 19th. 

At the other end of the spectrum, let's talk overnight low temperatures. I think a good threshold for determining what is an uncomfortably warm overnight low is 70 °F. At this temperature, it is quite difficult to sleep without air conditioning. The temperature failed to drop below 70 °F on 10 days this month, and on July 20, it only fell to 73 °F. Temperatures were slightly more comfortable for sleeping at the beginning of the month; on July 2, the overnight low was 58 °F. 

Now we'll look at precipitation for July 2020. As has been the case this summer, it was a dry month. The average July precipitation for BDL is 4.18 inches, but in 2020 we only saw 0.98 inches, with 0.53 in. of that total coming on July 23.

BDL July 2020 accumulated precipitation (NOAA Regional Climate Centers)

The brown line in the above graph (click on the image for better picture quality) shows the average accumulated precipitation, and the green line is what we saw this year. Clearly, July was dry, with only incremental increases in precipitation throughout the month and one larger rainstorm on the 23rd.

The following graph is the same one as above, except for 2020 to date. Note that this graph includes the rainfall from Isaias.

BDL 2020 accumulated precipitation (NOAA Regional Climate Centers)

In the above graph we can see just how dry it has been this summer - BDL has seen 18.90 inches of precipitation this year, when average to date is 27.80 inches. This year's dearth of rain has contributed to the drought that parts of CT are experiencing, and Isaias did not do much to mitigate it.

CT drought monitor (National Drought Mitigation Center)

The above drought monitor, valid for August 4 (the day Isaias struck CT), shows that the northern part of the state is in a moderate drought, while much of the rest of CT is abnormally dry. Hopefully some rain will cause the drought to abate soon.

Overall, July 2020 was a warm and dry month at BDL, and that looks to continue during August.

Trip to Vermont

In the midst of the craziness of Tropical Storm Isaias, I was actually not in my home state of Connecticut, one of the states most impacted by the storm. Being a weather weenie, I was somewhat disappointed to not be able to experience the brunt of the storm. However, I was lucky to be taking a quick getaway, visiting some friends in bucolic Vermont.

I drove up on Sunday, August 3rd, which was actually a wild weather day in the eastern U.S. Isaias first made landfall in North Carolina, and there were abundant convective storms in New England, one of which produced a tornado in Sharon, CT. The driving conditions were difficult for me, with intermittent downpours occurring throughout the day. I briefly stopped in Brattleboro, VT and again on the Appalachian Trail near Rutland to stretch my legs and get some fresh air.

I arrived at 6:00 p.m. in Middlebury, VT, our home base for the trip. Middlebury is a small near Lake Champlain in Addison County, and it serves as home to Middlebury College, where I will be going in three weeks to begin my senior year of college. We had a nice dinner that first night and prepped for our week of adventures in VT.

My friends and I packed a lot into our fist day, beginning with a hike to the summit of Mount Abraham, which has an elevation of 4,006 feet. We reached the summit via the Long Trail, which runs the length of Vermont from Massachusetts to Quebec. The cool, refreshing mountain air felt fantastic during the hike up, though we did have a few raindrops fall.

The summit was windy and cool, and I'd guess that the temperature was around 55 °F. After experiencing the warm, muggy CT summer this year, it was nice to feel a chill in the air. We descended the mountain and prepped for our next activity: swimming at Bristol Falls.

Bristol Falls is a nice swimming hole in Bristol, VT, popular amongst college students and locals. Being a Monday, it was not terribly crowded at the falls. We did some cliff jumping and cooled off in the refreshing mountain runoff. I've swam at Bristol Falls in the past, and typically the water is bitterly cold. This year, however, the water was not that cold, thanks to the warm summer we've had in New England. No Vermont summer day is complete without a maple creeme, and we stopped at Village Creeme Stand in Bristol to satisfy our sugarfix.

We closed out or first full day of the trip with a yummy dinner and s'mores at the campfire, enjoying the clean Vermont air and the light pollution-less skies.

Tuesday, August 4th, the second full day of our trip, was tropical storm day, as Isaias brought its deluge to the northeast. Luckily, we did get out early that day in a light drizzle, avoiding the worst of the rain which was set to hit later that afternoon. We did a short hike on the Long Trail to the top of the Middlebury College Snow Bowl in Hancock, VT.

Visibility was minimal, though it was nice to get outside and enjoy some time in the woods before Isaias hit. And of course, being at the ski mountain got me really excited for ski season!

Soaked after being out in the rain that morning, we returned home to shower up and prep for an afternoon of relaxation indoors as Isaias struck. 

Our last morning started bright and early with cinnamon buns from Haymaker Bun Co., a new bakery in Middlebury. We then hiked up to Silver Lake, where we were treated with beautiful views of Lake Dunmore below us. This was a nice way to cap of the trip before my drive home.

Vermont is solving the Covid-19 crisis quite well, with few total cases. Everyone I saw in public was wearing masks, even on the trails - that certainly is not the case in Connecticut. I think rural places like Vermont are very well designed for social distancing.

I'm very lucky to attend college in Vermont, and I can't wait to head back in a few weeks!