Nor'easter Skylar

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Nor'easter Skylar

Three nor'easters in less than two weeks! Enough already! First there was Riley on March 2-3, then there was Quinn on the 7th and finally (?) Skylar this past Tuesday March 13th.

Nor’easters form when balmy ocean breezes collide with cold air from over the continent - the larger the difference in temperature, the more powerful the storm. And no surprise to most of us, scientists say that climate change is fueling nor’easters, by warming the seas. These powerhouse storms have come with varying degrees of heavy snow and rain, sustained strong winds, and surging waves and tides, the results of which have been enormous power outages, beach erosion and serious coastal flooding all along the northeastern United States. More than a century of sea-level rise, has made seaside cities and towns more vulnerable to floods.

Storms create drama and drama often creates photo opportunities - Nor'easter Riley did along our beaches and Skylar did in our own back yard. There's a berm separating our yard from the parking lot that has 15-20 foot tall Italian cypress-like trees planted along its ridge and a flank of 10-12 foot tall rhododendrons on our side. Skyler's snows began in the early hours of the morning and persisted throughout the day until around 6:00 p.m. We have never seen snow flakes as large as these - some were the size of half-dollar coins, and they clung to everything making the world picture perfect.

When I ventured out, I found the snow was about 16 inches deep and light and fluffy, and between the two banks of trees was a magical cathedral of snow draped branches. So I'm sharing the slideshow I created of the images I captured hoping that you too can enjoy the beauty created by this storm.