Mammatus Clouds in Connecticut!

There was a severe weather event in Connecticut yesterday, June 23rd 2015. The worst of the weather was just inland from coastal Connecticut (most likely due to a seabreeze!) where towns of Wallingford and North Haven Connecticut were hit by multiple microbursts as confirmed by the National Weather Service. In those towns, winds reached upwards of 95 mph as air sank from the thunderstorms to the ground and spread out, toppling trees and damaging property. 

Where I live, we just saw some cool clouds, a few gusts of wind and a couple lightning bolts. Nothing too impressive, at least until sunset. As the storms began to move past us and the sun began to set, I was treated to an AMAZING display of nature's beauty. 

It all began as a strange yellow glow coming through the windows. As I stepped outside and looked around, I almost couldn't believe what was right outside my front porch...Mammatus Clouds! 

Mammatus clouds are a type of cloud that forms following a severe weather event, like tornadoes. These clouds look like little bubbles underneath the clouds and are formed as the thunderstorms weaken. As the storms weaken, downdrafts and updrafts mix together to form the udder (yes, like a cow udder) like structure to the base of the clouds. They are often seen in midwestern states but aren't as common here in the north east. 

Check out the photos I took below of the Mammatus clouds in Connecticut. I also took some great photos of the amazing sky at sunset too! 

All photos were taken by me in Milford, CT. 

Severe Thunderstorm Watch Issued 6/23/15

The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for all of Connecticut untill 4 pm est. It looks like the chance of storms is increasing since the sun is staying out longer than expected, allowing temps to rise into the 80's already with dewpoints up into the 70's! It's definitely muggy enough for a severe thunderstorm!

Tornado Risk in Connecticut! 6/23/15

An enhanced risk of severe weather as well as a 5% chance of tornadoes has been issued by the National Weather Service for Connecicut today ( June 23, 2015). This type of severe weather setup usually only happens a handful of times a year in out area of New England.

Connecticut does typically see a few tornadoes a year, normally in June and July. 

Below is the tornado risk map issued by the NWS. 

Napatree Point on Memorial Day Weekend 2015

It's a few weeks past Memorial Day but I figured I would post these pictures now that the unofficial start to summer is in full swing and it's actually warming up! On Memorial Day weekend, I went to one of my favorite beaches in New England, Napatree Point in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. It's a 1.5 mile long spit of sand that juts out west from the historic district of Watch Hill. From Napatree, you can see Rhode Island, Connecticut and even Fisher's Island, New York! 

The beautiful stretch of sand is currently a nature preserve but it once was government land with a fort in the first decade of the 1900's. The remains of the fort still exist at the western point of the beach, slightly hidden by the growing brush and sand dunes. The fort, Fort Mansfield, was built in 1901 and then removed from the list of active posts in 1909. In the late 1920's the United States government sold the land to a private developer who built homes on the sandy stretch of beach. These homes would only last a decade as well. In 1938, the Great New England Hurricane devastated the area and Napatree Point, destroying all the homes built on the peninsula, leaving nothing but the foundation of Fort Mansfield.  There hasn't been any development on the stretch of land since and now it's a nature preserve where people can enjoy the beautiful beach and endangered birds, like the pipping plover, can nest! 

The beach is absolutely beautiful and pretty clean. Memorial Day was a little early this year and although the sun was out, the wind was off the still frigid waters, by the afternoon beach goers were wrapped up in their hoodies and beach blankets. 

 If you walk down far enough, you feel as if you are on a deserted island. It's the perfect location for a quite beach day! 

The above photo was taken from the top of one of the sand dunes, looking east towards Watch Hill. Notice the long stretch of beautiful beach! 

The colors of the white sand, green dune grass, blue water and blue sky make for a perfect paradise on Napatree Point! 

Another view of Napatree, looking east towards Watch Hill. 

An artsy photo of some branches on a sand dune, looking out over Block Island Sound. Branches, debris and grass will build up the sand dune, protecting the strip of land from eroding into the surf! 

Could you ask for a more perfect beach spot? 

Nevada Tornado Takes a Stroll Down the Street (Video)

This was a pretty cool video that appeared on YouTube this week. An EF-0 tornado almost appears out of no where and moves down the side of the street as this person films from his car. The tornado hit Hawthorne, Nevada on June 5th 2015. Hawthorne is in northern Nevada and only has a population of just over 3,200 people!
Obviously, filming severe weather from your car is not the greatest place to be but luckily this storm wasn't strong enough to impact him. However, it was still strong enough to throw small trees in the air and rip apart the sign. The most interesting part of the video is in the beginning few secs but the rest of the video shows some of the damage from around town. 

It's So Hot It's Melting! Summer Heat Memes

It seems like it was just yesterday that we were in record cold and sharing these funny winter memes. Now we're at the other end of the extreme as hot weather grips the country for the first time in 2015. As many places reach 90 degrees for the first time this season, lets take a look at what we get to look forward to in the coming summer months! Check out these funny hot weather memes as the world melts from summer heat! 

I don't think this fan is going help you cool off! 

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It certainly will be the dog days of summer. 

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Just think, it could always be worse. It could be as hot as Texas and the ice cream truck can be melted! 

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Poor pup, he needs some air conditioning! 

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Quick before he melts! 

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Who left the cat by the window? 

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Fans are suppose to cool you off...yeah, if they don't melt! 

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The Historic Connecticut Flood of June 4-7, 1982

It's the 33rd anniversary of a historic flood in Connecticut. Between the days of June 4 - 7, 1982, a low pressure stalled off the New England coast, drenching coastal Connecticut with rains up to 16 inches! It still stands as the wettest storm in southern Connecticut's recorded history. 

The National Weather Service released this graphic below with stats from the storm. The most rain fell on June 5th, when nearly 10 inches flooded the area. The floods cost upwards of 230 million dollars! 

Below the graphic is a video with a series of news reports from the New Haven, Connecticut area during and after the storm. 

Although I wasn't alive, I do remember my dad talking about a storm around this time, flooding City Hall in Milford, Connecticut. City Hall is right on the Wepawaug river. My dad, who was a police officer at the time, said that old paper records kept in the basement of town hall were ironically floating down River Street. Below is a photo of Milford's city hall along the Wepawaug river. 

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