Ice-out

On Friday, March 12 the Hunter Brook Arm of the New Croton Reservoir was still frozen over. This was at the start of the massive nor'easter that did not begin to wind down until Monday. By then it was 250 miles east-southeast of Montauk and weakening with a retrogradng southeasterly motion. When I looked at the Reservoir on Monday, all the ice was gone. So I'm declaring our ice-out to be Sunday, March 14. The storm was moderate around here, bringing down a few more trees in addition to those that fell in the wet snow of February 25 and 26. In central and southern parts of this county, the damage was severe; winds gusted to near hurricane force down there and many are still without power.

Destructive Storm

February 25 and 26 brought us 18 inches of heavy, wet snow that pulled down many branches and even whole trees in this part of the world. Thousands lost power for up to 5 days. Top is the hill of home on the quiet morning of February 27. Bottom is the messy street scene below the hill on the afternoon of the 26th.

More on Maps

I highly recommend the wonderful exhibit at the New York Public Library on 42nd Street: Mapping New York's Shoreline.

A Trickle from a Dry Well

The well has run pretty dry. I promise an update on the destructive snowstorm that ended our February. Right now I finally have some good news to bring you. I have discovered a fabulous place to have coffee and look at some fine maps. This is the Atlas Cafe on the lower east side (37 Clinton Street between Stanton and Rivington Streets). Don't skip a visit to the bathroom or you'll miss some of the maps.