The Third Noel
The Third Noel
Twice before has Hurricane Noel spun across the open waters of the North Atlantic, but the Noels of 1995 and 2001 were only storms for the fish as neither threatened any land mass. Hurricane Noel of 2007 proved much different and will likely be the most fatal of this year’s Atlantic hurricanes as it inflicted parts of Hispanola with 20 inches (50 cm) of rain, causing devastating mudslides.
As Noel roared up the East Coast, it transitioned in to a hybrid hurricane-nor’easter where it received an injection of energy from large temperature gradients along the coast. Winds gusted close to 80 mph (130 kph) on Cape Cod and Nantucket and a whopping 110 mph (180 kph) at Wreckhouse, Newfoundland. On campus, the gusts were much tamer but were still able to drive the rain sideways and invert umbrellas.
Large storms usually herald changes in the overall weather pattern and Noel is no exception. A front passing through today will draw a cold air mass down from Canada giving the campus below normal temperatures through the weekend despite ample sunshine.
Extended Forecast
Tonight: Clearing and becoming colder. Low 39°F (4°C).
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. High 52°F (11°C).
Tomorrow night: Clear and cold. Low 34°F (1°C).
Thursday: Sunny and chilly. High 47°F (8°C).