Sustained Arctic Cold in the Forecast

Long range forecasts abound today calling for a prolonged period of Arctic cold to overspread a broad area of the country in the coming weeks. In areas from the Dakotas, across Indiana, through Pennsylvania, east to Maine and beyond, sub-zero readings will be commonplace. Some models show temperatures well below normal through the middle of February. By mid-week, the low temperatures should be in the single digits with the highs struggling to reach 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

Should it come to pass, it could create an ideal sheet of ice on the Hudson River producing conditions we have not seen since 1982 and 1994. Throw in a nor'easter or two, and it is going to be a busy and interesting month for watching the weather and the river.

Light nuisance snow is in the forecast for the next few days -- I'll try and get down to the Bay Sunday and assess what ice is left there. The January 17th Ice Flight photos are of excellent quality and show the near complete demise of the ice on the Hudson River north of Saugerties. Note how it is slowly being shuffled down the river over time. The field of smooth ice above the Green Flats near Cheviot finally lost its hold and drifted away. With the cold air arriving in force mid-week, the river may lock up once again next weekend and the die will be cast for our prospects for the remainder of the season.

"Welcome" to new visitors who may have found their way here from recent links at Winters Past and the Wall Street Journal.

Tivoli Bay on 1/12/2013 after the rain

Late Day Sun graces the eastern shore of Tivoli Bay

The Coast Guard Auxiliary Air flew the River January 4 and returned with a complete set of photos from West Point to Troy. Most of them were shot from the west side of the river which gives us iceboaters the most interesting perspective. This set seems to be zoomed out quite a bit and shows the big picture -- I've linked the present and previous flights below and right for quick access. The January 8th and 9th ice flights contain numerous location errors -- I will edit and annotate those files later today.

I highly commend to you fellow iceboater Brian Reid's new blog -- I can now retire to Maine in peace knowing someone else has taken up the mantle here in the Hudson Valley.

White Wings and Black Ice

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Reid Bielenberg with NORTH WIND on Tivoli Bay -- March 2011

VIXEN AND WHIFF

My tool for measuring the thickness of the ice -- Red = 3 inches, Green = 6 inches

GPS track of SPIDER at Rhinecliff -- February 2011

Swamp Skating in SG-4 -- December 2009

ORION was first to set up on the ice at Rhinecliff in February 2011.
USCG Ice Breaker PENOBSCOT BAY soon arrived and skillfully docked without disturbing the newly formed sheet of ice we were setting up on.

Current Jetstream Forecast and Surface Conditions -- Image by Environment Canada

After the rain -- 6" of ice at a drain hole. 

FDR's Ice Yacht HAWK on display at the Wallace Center in Hyde Park

FDR at the helm off Rogers Point