After 5 p.m.

The sun is setting later now.
Click any photo to enlarge.


But it's still winter – the tail-end, dirty-snow, muddy muck time of year.

Moving right along

Click on any photo to enlarge.

Now we begin to see the approach of spring in the northward march of each evening sunset. In a month or so I will no longer be able to photograph it over open water as I have since late fall; the lovely homes of Buttonwoods will intervene.

On the other hand, sundown arrives later and later each day and I will more often be home to catch the show from our porch.

Speaking of shows, last night's lunar eclipse was crystal-clear in the sharp cold air, and ravishing. Hope you caught it; the next one is in 2010.


A P photo

Unsettled

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
238 PM EST SUN FEB 10 2008

...ANOTHER ROUND OF SNOW SQUALLS EXPECTED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING...



AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL CROSS SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING.



IT WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY ANOTHER BAND OF SNOW SQUALLS...WHICH HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE BRIEF WHITEOUT CONDITIONS...GUSTY WINDS...AND POSSIBLY THUNDER AND LIGHTNING.

Update, 5:00 PM EST (Sunset)
Forecast: Partly cloudy, with a low around 14. Wind chill values as low as -8. Breezy, with a west wind between 18 and 23 mph, with gusts as high as 41 mph.

Pregame Show

It's Super Bowl Sunday! Go Pats. But first, we pause for sunset.
Click on any photo to enlarge.




A line of geese stretches down the middle of the bay.

January sky theater

Act I: On a blistering-cold blustery day (below), low clouds release plumes of snow ... which evaporates in the dry air before reaching the ground.


Click to enlarge any photo.


Act II: The moon rises over our dead-end street; house windows reflect the setting sun.



Act III: Did I mention the setting sun?



Act IV: The now-frozen photographer and her dog retreat to their warm house, where a roast chicken, a shot of brandy, and two good NFL conference championships await.

Curtain.

Snow is on the way

Without interesting clouds, sunsets could get monotonous. Winter weather brings frequent changes and varied displays, like these.



The forecast is calling for 4 to 12 inches of snow between midnight and the end of the day tomorrow. Clouds are gathering as we watch the sun go down this evening. Outdoors it is shivery-cold and ominously still. Several of my favorite feral cats have crouched under our cars for the night – no dummies. They know what's coming.

Sundog, sunset

2:20 pm


Click on any photograph to enlarge.

4:40 pm