The Harvest Moon

The Harvest Moon, which occurred early this morning in central Virginia, is no doubt the most notable of full moons in today's society. It's defined as the full moon which occurs closest to the Autumnal Equinox (first day of Fall). The naming of the Harvest Moon can be traced back to the Native Americans, who had different names for full moons which coincided with harvesting periods or weather changes. Close to the start of Fall, the earth and the moon are oriented in such a way that the time of moonrise from one night to the next is shorter than in any other time of the year. In other words, for a few days on end close to the start of Fall, the moon rises right around nightfall. This provides a little extra light with which to finish the harvest, and is how the Harvest Moon got it's name.

Zach

Quiet Weather

We are finally seeing some relief from the humidity. The afternoon will provide lots of sunshine and breezy conditions. The winds will subside later this evening with overnight lows dropping down into the 60s.

There is a chance for a few showers on Tuesday due to a cold front stalled in North Carolina. Communities from south of the 64/95 corridor will have the better for showers.

Jennifer

Early Migration Of Geese?

Both yesterday and today I have spotted a few "V" shaped flocks of geese flying through the sky. I thought this was a little strange - don't geese migrate later in the fall? Were these birds confused, or did they sense something that triggered their migration...possibly a cold snap? I wonder if I could use them to make a long range forecast!

I used my good ol' friend Google and did some brief researching on the topic. Apparently there is a booming population of resident geese in Virginia. They are larger than migrant geese and can handle winters better. Residents also know where to find find food and learn to avoid hunting grounds. But would these birds fly in formation from golf course to golf course? I did some more digging...

A long time ago, a study was done at the University of Virginia. Here is a passage from the introduction:

Early fall migration is significantly related to an increased frequency of cyclonic disturbances off the United States east and gulf coasts. Years in which autumn migration is delayed occur when the Atlantic coast storm track is displaced northward.

In other words, an active weather pattern can trigger early migration. If you think about it, the tropics have been very active this season. Fay, Gustav, Hanna and now Ike have brought stormy conditions to the Gulf, Deep South, East Coast and the Midwest.

Has this triggered an early migration of geese? For now, one can only watch and wonder. If you have any insight on the topic, feel free to leave a comment here on the blog, or drop me an email at ajustus@wtvr.com

Here are some useful links I found:

http://www.springerlink.com/content/380737u188354031/

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Wild-Animals-705/Canadian-Geese-made-home.htm