Prelude To a Nor-easter

The definition goes like this: An eastern North American storm that usually develops between the Georgia and New Jersey latitudes, progressing northeastward and typified by potentially violent northeast winds: most frequent and intense from September through April; nor’easters can develop within a hundred miles of the east coast and commonly bring heavy rain or snow and coastal damage. We’re looking at 30 – 40 MPH winds and maybe two inches of rain, tomorrow. This storm was fed by the jet stream that brought the remnants from that big Pacific storm that dumped up to a foot of rain in some parts of California.

Since winds today were already about 25 MPH off Cape Elizabeth I decided to go to Crescent Beach and photograph the waves during the incoming tide. Wave heights today were about 4 -5 feet. The water temperature was about 57 F. If that seems too cold for swimming just wait awhile. The Gulf of Maine is heating at 5 times the rate of the oceans due to changes in currents, precipitated by climate change. As a result, sharks are moving in and lobsters are moving out.

Tomorrow I plan to venture out around noon when wave heights are expected to be around 11 feet. In the meantime here are a few shots from today.

Author: Stephen Fielding Images

I'm a retired medical sociologist from the University of Rochester. Climate change is one of the two great challenges facing humanity (the other is nuclear weapons). In writing about the impact of climate change I read reputable books and articles on the topic. So when I make statements about climate change you will see a link taking you to the scientific source(s) of the information I provide. As for my independently published photobooks, each has gone through several layers of editing and peer review for both readability and accuracy. This is not to say that everything I say is accurate. Even the New York Times makes mistakes. So, if you find something that is factually incorrect, let me know. I hope you find reading my blog a positive experience. If you do, please encourage your family and friends to have a look. You can find photos from my other photo work by clicking on the My SmugMug Gallery tab, above. Best wishes, -Steve View all posts by Stephen Fielding Images