Weather Extremes

On this last Friday of February, let’s talk about one of New England's favorite topics - the weather. And though today's top image is idyllic New England, this post stretches from coast to coast. It's not about our frigid temperatures but overall weather extremes.

For those that follow as a regular read, there's been mention of the troubling drought in California. Unfortunately, what often happens when we experience such weather extremes - well, look at what's occurring with California's current conditions.  Major storm systems are producing lots of water but way too fast. These types of storms can often be more devastating than the drought itself.

We should be paying attention to California for more than one reason. First, weather conditions in California trickle down to the food chain. This, despite all efforts to buy and produce locally, a lot of our east coast produce comes from California. Right now, what could be worse for these farmers is too much water all at once.

From drought to flood, these extreme weather conditions plague farms, homes and also the clean water supply. It’s one of our industry's (landscape architects) focal points - that stormwater management is an integral building block in any resilient design.

To give you a better understanding of what this actually means, here is a must read link regardless of your profession. This recently updated EPA national stormwater calculator is worth the look. It’s a definite click for developers, planners and landscape architects but also for those curious about the importance of stormwater management. It supports the reason why landscape architects are an integral building block in any resilient design process.

So on this #FF (FollowFriday), take your pick. You can look at the weather maps or pay attention to how all weather extremes impact our future. Maria V. Synder, meteorologist turned novelist sums it up best. “There’s always another storm. It’s the way the world works; snowstorms, rainstorms, windstorms, sandstorms, and firestorms. Some are fierce and others are small. You have to deal with each one separately, but you need to keep an eye on what’s brewing for tomorrow.”

© Top Image - Ann Bilowz - Bottom image - Copyright note: All images and designs have been developed by and is the property of Bilowz Associates Inc. and should not be reproduced in any manner nor are they to be assigned to any third party without the expressed written permission and consent of Bilowz Associates Inc.

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