Flooding Rains Still Possible in Vermont

Just as a quick update, flooding rains are still in the forecast for Vermont and other areas of the East Coast tomorrow.  A tropical storm is expected to quickly form, and then zip north from South Carolina bringing heavy rain along its path.

*** note: images removed because they no longer are relevant - NWS has updated/changed the links. More info on the storm soon.***

These storm systems are small in size and hard to predict so this is not an easy forecast.  Needless to say, however, anyone from New York State south to South Carolina should be ready for the possibility of some very heavy rain.

I am hoping the downpour (if it happens) doesn't ruin the fall foliage!

Rainy times in Vermont

Rainy times have come to Vermont.  After a relatively dry late summer, fall is arriving, and is bringing copious rain.  As I type this it is raining outside, and it has been for most of the day.  It will be raining on and off for much of the rest of the week too, and if some computer models are correct, it could be very rainy indeed.

Four Mile Run Watershed Workshops; Change of Seasons.

If you live in the 4-Mile Run watershed or another urban watershed in Pittsburgh, you should consider attending these workshops!

Meanwhile, in Vermont, fall has arrived.  While it is not 'officially' fall for two days, this morning was greeted by 'almost-frosty' dew, ground fog, and slightly more fall color than the day before.  The changing of the seasons has become quite evident here, even though peak foliage is still quite far off.

Urban Seep Soil Science

This week I decided to investigate the urban seeps of UVM in greater detail.  Since seeps come from underground, it makes sense to look at the soil!  I took out one of our trusty soil probes and took some samples!  I'm not sure exactly what I found means, but it adds another piece to the seep puzzle.

Slow the Flow video

Earlier this week I went and did more investigation of the two urban seeps I mentioned last week.  I've got more to share about them... but in the mean time, I thought I'd share this video that was posted on the LA Creak Freak site.  It's called Slow the Flow and talks about ways to reduce runoff in Southern California.  While specific plants and other design elements may not work elsewhere (for instance, it does not snow in this part of southern California), the general ideas are very much relevant to any area with human-constructed structures.

I haven't watched it quite yet so let me know if you like it or not.  If it's a good video I'll have to link to it more in the future.

A Tale of Two (urban) Seeps

When I think of seeps, I usually think of water dripping down a mossy hillside in the forest.  All it takes to create a seep, though, is a place where water that soaks into the ground is forced out again, usually by bedrock or impervious clay beneath it.  Although they are less common in urban areas, because the presence of pavement and rooftops makes it harder for water to soak into the ground in the first place, they are sometimes found in the city, especially in cities that get a lot of rain and/or snow.