Norfolk’s January Weather
Good Old-Fashioned Winter By Russell Russ In 2014 the weather station began its eighty-third year of continuous weather observation and the year started off with Old Man Winter showing us what he’s made of. January is on average our coldest and snowiest month, and it was true to form this year. Three days this […]
Face Plant!
The wing span of 36 inches and the absence of ear tufts suggest that the owl that made this impression in the snow was a barred owl (Strix varia). They feed on rodents, which they take from the air, mostly at night, seizing them with their powerful talons. The photograph was taken with an iPhone […]
Winter Birds
By Lindsey Pizzica Rotolo Most of us, at one point or another, question why we stay in the Icebox of Connecticut throughout the winter months, but do you ever wonder why the birds do? When observing a little black-capped chickadee chipping away at a backyard feeder with four inches of snow on it, do you […]
Norfolk’s December Weather and a Yearly Summary for 2013
Fairly average December closes out fairly average year By Russell Russ Up to the third week of the month it looked like we would have a colder than average December. A few warm days just before Christmas, including two back to back record warm days, changed all that. The high of 59 degrees on December […]
Norfolk’s October Weather
A calm weather month By Russell Russ With little rain, no big storms and just a touch of cold air it was rather warm and mostly dry this month. After last October’s effects from Hurricane Sandy and nearly two feet of snow the October before that, it was a nice to be treated gently by […]
Norfolk’s September Weather
A Beautiful Autumn By Russell Russ Autumn treated us well this year. After a wet start it turned quite warm, then transitioned into a two-week stretch of nice fall weather. There were three, maybe four or five, scattered frosts in the area this month, but none were observed at the weather station. The growing season […]
Eye On Town Government
Pension Plans, Affordable Housing Addressed At Town Hall By Wiley Wood Changing the pension plan for town employees from a “defined benefit plan” to a “defined contribution plan” sounds like a subject for serious policy wonks. But First Selectman Sue Dyer is, in fact, a serious policy wonk, and she has pursued the issue through […]
Norfolk’s August Weather
Summer Ends On The Cool Side By Russell Russ The summer season came to a close with August’s exit. It was not the greatest summer month on record by far and not as nice as August 2012, but all in all you could not call it too bad. It was cooler than normal and nearly […]
Zone 4
Seasonal Care For The Cultivated Landscape By Martha Klein Gardeners talk about “putting the garden to bed” for winter, an apt metaphor for the living yet subdued garden tucked under its winter blanket of straw and mulch. Autumn is the time to foster soil conditions that lead to healthy spring plants. Fall yard and garden […]
It’s Only Natural
I Break For Insects By Shelley Harms October is the time when woolly bears cross the road. I mean the caterpillars (though a large actual bear was killed on Route 44 this summer). And yes, I watch for the little crawly bugs and, if I don’t brake, I at least try to steer so the […]
