All across the island this morning was one exciting bit of news: It’s snowing on Hatteras Island! For those of you almost anywhere north of us this is not such a big deal, but we are happy to see a few flurries blowing around outside our windows. The other bit of news that is not making anyone too happy: the tide is rising on the Soundside. Combine these two pieces of information and you have a classic Nor’Easter storm on Hatteras.
It is grey and gloomy outside. It is cold and windy, and blowing about 30 knots. People here are used to dealing with this weather. This doesn’t look like a bad storm. We move our cars to higher ground for a few hours if we live near the Pamlico Sound. We make sure our boats are tied up safely. And we watch the weather to judge our day’s activities.
One tool we use these days that past generations did not have is the internet weather sites. We can check all kinds of data, watch the weather forecasts, and read the NOAA statements. One of my favorites is the NOAA site at Hatteras Inlet Coast Guard Station. This tells you at a glance how high the sound tide is, what the wind is doing, air temperature, and air pressure right in our own backyard. This data is pretty useful for the southern end of Hatteras Island.
This is great as long as the power stays on! If we lose that then it is time to revert back to the old fashioned way, the barometer. I remember growing up watching my dad thump the side of the barometer, and then gauge what the storm was doing by the air pressure reading and his past experience to know what that reading meant for our island.
So, right now I can see that the air pressure is rising, the storm is passing by, the tide has come up, but is leveling off. Looks like a good day to come in the shop and hang out around the counter. Because, besides watching the weather, the other pastime on Hatteras Island during a Nor’Easter is telling fish stories!