...LITCHFIELD COUNTY...
CORNWALL 28.0 450 PM 1/12 MOHAWK MTN SKI AREA
WOODBURY 28.0 500 PM 1/12 WOODBURY SKI AREA
CANAAN 27.0 506 PM 1/12 WEATHERNET6
SHARON 24.8 443 PM 1/12 WEATHERNET6
2 N SOUTH CANAAN 24.5 500 PM 1/12 CT DOT NORTH CANAAN
1 SE WINSTED 24.0 1200 PM 1/12 COCORAHS
BAKERSVILLE 22.2 645 AM 1/13 CO-OP OBSERVER
NORFOLK 21.7 800 AM 1/13 CO-OP OBSERVER
NEW PRESTON 21.0 230 PM 1/12 TRAINED SPOTTER
LITCHFIELD 20.0 500 PM 1/12 CT DOT
3 NNW WINSTED 20.0 200 PM 1/12 COCORAHS
THOMASTON 18.0 500 PM 1/12 CT DOT
TORRINGTON 17.0 324 PM 1/12 TRAINED SPOTTER
WINCHESTER CENTER 17.0 500 PM 1/12 CT DOT
...HARTFORD COUNTY...
MANCHESTER 27.0 554 PM 1/12 HAM RADIO
GLASTONBURY 25.5 540 PM 1/12 HAM RADIO
NEW BRITAIN 24.3 545 PM 1/12 HAM RADIO
ELLINGTON 24.0 236 PM 1/12 HAM RADIO
SIMSBURY 24.0 123 PM 1/12 HAM RADIO
WINDSOR LOCKS 24.0 936 PM 1/12 BRADLEY AIRPORT
BRISTOL 23.0 1120 AM 1/12 SPOTTER
SOUTH WINDSOR 22.1 420 PM 1/12 NWS EMPLOYEE
WEST HARTFORD 22.0 244 PM 1/12 HAM RADIO
WETHERSFIELD 22.0 240 PM 1/12 HAM RADIO
VERNON 21.6 1149 AM 1/12 HAM RADIO
SUFFIELD 21.0 551 PM 1/12 HAM RADIO
BURLINGTON 21.0 138 PM 1/12
ENFIELD 21.0 1148 AM 1/12 HAM RADIO
FARMINGTON 20.3 100 PM 1/12
EAST HARTFORD 20.0 1158 AM 1/12 HAM RADIO
BERLIN 18.0 159 PM 1/12
EAST GRANBY 18.0 100 PM 1/12
GRANBY 17.5 1150 AM 1/12 HAM RADIO
SOUTHINGTON 17.0 1252 PM 1/12 HAM RADIO
UNIONVILLE 16.2 139 PM 1/12
GRANBY (2MI SW) 16.0 1245 PM 1/12 NWS EMPLOYEE
NORTH GRANBY 14.8 730 PM 1/12
AVON 14.0 100 PM 1/12
...TOLLAND COUNTY...
STAFFORDVILLE 29.0 726 PM 1/12
TOLLAND 25.5 649 AM 1/13
ELLINGTON 24.0 539 PM 1/12 HAM RADIO
SOMERS 23.5 745 PM 1/12
STAFFORD SPRINGS 23.3 755 PM 1/12
VERNON 23.0 538 PM 1/12 HAM RADIO
UNION 19.0 300 PM 1/12
STORRS 17.5 425 PM 1/12 SPOTTER
MANSFIELD 17.0 100 PM 1/12
...WINDHAM COUNTY...
POMFRET 22.0 825 PM 1/12 HAM RADIO
EAST KILLINGLY 21.0 639 PM 1/12
MOOSUP 21.0 620 PM 1/12 GENERAL PUBLIC
ASHFORD 19.0 328 PM 1/12
PUTNAM 17.0 300 PM 1/12
DANIELSON 16.0 826 PM 1/12 HAM RADIO
STERLING 15.7 1237 PM 1/12 HAM RADIO
SCOTLAND 13.5 352 PM 1/12
...FAIRFIELD COUNTY...
NEW FAIRFIELD 28.0 1050 AM 1/12 PUBLIC
NEWTOWN 27.0 840 AM 1/12 SKYWARN SPOTTER
WESTON 24.5 800 AM 1/12 SKYWARN SPOTTER
DANBURY 24.1 300 PM 1/12 SKYWARN SPOTTER
RIDGEFIELD 22.0 645 AM 1/12 PUBLIC
3 SSE BROOKFIELD 22.0 730 AM 1/12 COCORAHS
DANBURY 21.8 1000 AM 1/12 NWS COOP
WILTON 18.7 830 AM 1/12 PUBLIC
NEW CANAAN 18.0 915 AM 1/12 SKYWARN SPOTTER
DARIEN 17.5 1100 AM 1/12 CT DOT
WESTPORT 17.4 815 AM 1/12 SKYWARN SPOTTER
SHELTON 17.3 950 AM 1/12 PUBLIC
BRIDGEPORT 16.0 100 PM 1/12 NWS COOP
NORWALK 16.0 934 AM 1/12 PUBLIC
GREENWICH 15.5 250 PM 1/12 PUBLIC
STRATFORD 14.0 930 AM 1/12 PUBLIC
STAMFORD 14.0 800 AM 1/12 SKYWARN SPOTTER
...MIDDLESEX COUNTY...
HADDAM 22.0 214 PM 1/12 PUBLIC
PORTLAND 22.0 800 AM 1/13 COCORAHS
EAST HADDAM 21.5 335 PM 1/12 PUBLIC
CLINTON 21.0 1200 PM 1/12 PUBLIC
WESTBROOK 20.5 915 PM 1/12 PUBLIC
DEEP RIVER 20.0 1100 AM 1/12 PUBLIC
OLD SAYBROOK 17.5 300 PM 1/12 CT DOT
...NEW HAVEN COUNTY...
NORTH HAVEN 30.5 630 PM 1/12 PUBLIC
MERIDEN 29.0 120 PM 1/12 SKYWARN SPOTTER
SOUTHBURY 28.0 1120 AM 1/12 PUBLIC
CHESHIRE 25.5 300 PM 1/12 PUBLIC
GUILFORD 24.5 300 PM 1/12 PUBLIC
NORTH BRANFORD 24.0 1240 PM 1/12 PUBLIC
BETHANY 21.0 1220 PM 1/12 SKYWARN SPOTTER
SEYMOUR 20.0 1100 AM 1/12 PUBLIC
WATERBURY 20.0 100 PM 1/12 CT DOT
OXFORD 20.0 745 AM 1/12 PUBLIC
BRANFORD 19.8 1230 PM 1/12 PUBLIC
NEW HAVEN 19.0 1100 AM 1/12 CT DOT
MILFORD 18.0 1100 AM 1/12 CT DOT
BEACON FALLS 17.3 1100 AM 1/12 CT DOT
...NEW LONDON COUNTY...
OLD LYME 24.0 800 AM 1/13 PUBLIC
COLCHESTER 20.0 500 PM 1/12 CT DOT
NORWICH 17.0 100 PM 1/12 CT DOT
LISBON 16.9 300 PM 1/12 SKYWARN SPOTTER
QUAKER HILL 15.8 630 PM 1/12 COCORAHS
NORTH FRANKLIN 15.5 715 PM 1/12 PUBLIC
LEDYARD CENTER 15.0 300 PM 1/12 SKYWARN SPOTTER
GROTON 14.8 300 PM 1/12 CT DOT
GALES FERRY 14.0 110 PM 1/12 SKYWARN SPOTTER
WATERFORD 13.0 1000 AM 1/12 SKYWARN SPOTTER
STONINGTON 10.5 300 PM 1/12 SKYWARN SPOTTER
To be fair, some of those totals are suspect. Often enough one sees inflated totals when there have been repeated storms as people measure the total depth of snow (usually unintentionally) rather than what fell during the storm. Or they may have measured in a drift. Nevertheless, a few inches here or there still means much of the state saw over 20 inches, which is amazing. The North American short-range model (called the NAM) handled the system the best once it was within its 84 hour window. If your meteorologist was right about the high totals they likely trusted it and disregarded some other models.
Birders expected numerous unusual visitors to their feeders among masses of the typical species during and after the storm. When the earth is that buried ground-feeding species will obviously be unable to access it anywhere. So what happened? Very little, actually. I have read only a few reports of Rusty Blackbirds and Eastern Bluebird coming to yards. I heard about a couple Fox Sparrows and a few Pine Siskins. There were very few Common Redpolls and not a single Purple Finch reported. Only a couple Red-breasted Nuthatches showed up, and those were visiting their respective feeders all winter. There were no mega-rarities, and not even notable birds despite that snow! I do keep hearing stories of Red-tailed Hawks feeding in yards and Red-shouldered Hawks eating handouts of meat. Their primary prey - mammals - are tough to find in or get to through all that snow. Even more Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks came to feeders for the birds, too.
I think many half-hardy or rare feeder birds had already moved on south to better feeding territory after the Boxing Day Blizzard or subsequent inverted trough snowfall. It is very likely many had already succumb to the cold and snow, sadly. This storm may have taken the lives of more. Winter is a hard season - this is the natural (though sad) way of things. This year in particular has made things hard for the little ones. I was eagerly awaiting the Fox Sparrow and Rusty Blackbirds that had visited me only a couple weeks before during and after the Boxing Day Blizzard. They never came! In fact, while I had 28 species and more of a few than usual, none were that notable. Here's my list:
Wild Turkey 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Herring Gull (American) 2
Mourning Dove 10
Monk Parakeet 29
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker 4
Hairy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 2
Blue Jay 4
American Crow 7
Black-capped Chickadee 3
Tufted Titmouse 4
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
American Robin 2
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling 80
Song Sparrow 2
White-throated Sparrow 24
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 53
Northern Cardinal 9
Red-winged Blackbird 110
Common Grackle 3
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
House Finch 6
American Goldfinch 13
House Sparrow 7
Did you have a sighting you wish to share? Leave us a comment!
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