On February 22, we were hit by a blizzard that paralyzed the region for nearly the entire week and stressed the electrical grid to its furthest extent.

            The final numbers, according to the Narional Weather Service, have Rochester, the only time in the Tri-Town the service measures, coming in at 25 inches of snow. A little over two feet in the span of about 24 hours.

            At the same time, wind gusts in Marion were registered at a peak of 50 miles per hour, recorded at 5:30 am. Nearly all of Marion experienced power outages, with 3,111 households affected. There were 1,164 household outages in Mattapoisett and 1,446 in Rochester.

            Models and predictions had swung unprecedentedly as the storm approached. Although New York City, the Jersey Shore, and Long Island were the first to be put in the crosshairs, it quickly became apparent that the South Coast and Cape Cod would be the true targets.

            That being said, the record for this snow fall, and the area hit hardest, would prove to be Rhode Island and Narragansett Bay. T.F. Green International Airport measured 37.9” of snowfall, as National Grid scrambled to keep up with outages.

            Here in the Tri-Town, power had been restored to nearly all residents past mid-week. Eversource called on mutual aid from Connecticut, New Hampshire, and other parts of Massachusetts to assist in the restoration of power to Plymouth, Bristol and Barnstable counties.

            The travel ban was lifted the day after the storm, on Tuesday, February 24 at noon. The Rochester Select Board held an emergency Zoom meeting that day to discuss conditions and cleanup efforts.

            In Marion, city offices like the Town House Annex and Maritime Center had to be closed for much of the week, with the Maritime Center staying closed throughout.

            In Mattapoisett, the Town Administrator Michael Lorenco offered an official thank you message to the hard work of members of the Highway Department, Water/Sewer Department, and the Police and Fire Departments, saying, “For four straight days, the men and women of these departments worked around the clock, leaving their families at home during a difficult time to serve, assist, and protect our community. Their tireless commitment and professionalism ensured the safety and well-being of Mattapoisett residents during what was truly an unprecedented storm.”

            In a cruel twist of fate, snow began to fall from the heavens this past Tuesday, though it didn’t stick and would transition to rain, pelting and slowly melting the monolithic, immovable mountains of snow around the towns.

By Sam Bishop

            This week in Revolutionary War history, let’s check up on what was going on 250 years ago in and around the colonial Province of Massachusetts Bay. Last week, the best logistical and tactical minds gathered in Cambridge. General George Washington is set on descending on Boston and putting an end to the 10-month-long siege. Dorchester Heights was chosen as the spot to set up Colonel Henry Knox’s artillery he recently brough back from Ticonderoga. Washington has been given the “go-ahead” from the Continental Congress to attack when he deems it ready.

            On February 18, 1776, Washington sends a report to John Handcock, President of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. He offers updates to the preparations outside Boston, “The late freezing Weather having formed some pretty strong ice from Dorchester Point to Boston Neck and from Roxbury to the Common, thereby affording a more expanded and consequently a less dangerous approach to the town. At the time, Boston was a small peninsula with a narrow neck. Due to the freezing sea, the neck has widened, allowing for a larger and more dispersed assault. However, he informs the Congress he is still awaiting both more militia men and gunpowder. He says, “I do not utter this by way of complaint – I am sensible that all that the Congress could do, they have done, and I should feel, most powerfully, the weight of conscious ingratitude were I not to acknowledge this.”

            Washington feels he has been handed a potential massive tactical advantage on a platter, with the approaches to Boston frozen over. He feels he is unable to make use of this advantage due to the lack of powder. The next day, he sends a letter to Governor Jonathan Trumbull in Lebanon, Connecticut. He says he is “grieved to find” about 4200 pounds of powder instead of the promised 6-to-8 thousand pounds.

            On February 20 in his General Orders, Washington instructs officers to ensure “every regiment should be furnished with colors, and that those colors should, if it can be done, bear some kind of similitude to the uniform of the regiment to which they belong.” Battle is coming, and the commanding officers must be able to identify which columns are what in the onslaught. He also attempts to stress discipline, saying, “The General cannot again help urging it in the strongest terms to the Colonels the necessity of the strictest attention to the discipline of their men – learning them to march and perform all the different evolutions and maneuvers; which is of more essential service, than dwelling too long upon the manual exercise.”

            That same day, Washington writes to Joseph Johnson, a Mohegan man in Eastern Connecticut. The general says he is pleased by “our brothers of the Six Nations.” He urges Johnson to convince the other Native Americans to stay neutral “on the dispute between us and the Ministers of Great Britain.” Washington adds something that can be seen highly ironic, “you have seen a part of our strength, and can inform our brothers, that we can withstand all the force, which those who want to rob us of our lands and our houses, can send against us.” The general says he would be happy if Natives “take up the hatchet for us,” but must at least remain out of Britian’s forces.

            On February 22, Washington celebrates his 44th Birthday from his army headquarters in Cambridge. It is hard to understand the age of the man, as we generally see him as a timeless, prophetic figure. However, Washington was 43-49 throughout the Revolution. Later, serving as President, he was 57-65, and would pass a few months before his 68th birthday and just 18 days before the year 1800.

            Back to his 44th birthday, the General does not mention his birthday in his orders nor his writings. Washington spends the day writing to his officers and his estate in Mount Vernon, Virginia.

            On February 23, Washington writes to Governor Nicholas Cooke in Rhode Island requesting the Governor give hospitality to a Prussian that has washed ashore. The Baron of Woedtke was on his way to Philadelphia to pledge his services when he made landfall on Cape Cod. This is not the famed Prussian Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, he is to arrive in 1778, but instead Frederick William, Baron de Woedtke. Different man, lesser abilities. This does show that the Prussians, at this time ruled by Frederick the Great and being known for their martial prowess, are making their way with other Germans to the Americas to join the battle.

This Week in Revolutionary War History

By Sam Bishop

This is the continuing monthly column for the astronomer in all of us, or the aspiring astro-physicist. Compared to areas near Boston or New Bedford, generally speaking, the Tri-Town has pretty good dark skies and we are very fortunate in that regard. Though we can’t normally make out the Milky Way’s signature glow, we can still spot a lot. This year has already brought with it some great stellar sights, and NASA is working still to launch to the moon this month.

            On March 3, there will be a Full Moon. This moon is known as the “Worm Moon,” due to earth worms making their break through the hard soil around this time. Not only will we have a Full Moon, but a total lunar eclipse that same day. The eclipse will be visible across the entirety of the United States. On the East Coast, we will only have visibility for a bit less time as the epicenter is the mid-Pacific. However, it will last about an hour in its entirety. The eclipse will give the Worm Moon a rusty-red glow in the early morning, between 6:00 am and 7:00 am.

            On March 8, Venus and Saturn will be very near each other in the sky, or in “conjunction.” Regardless of the fact that these two bodies are about 1,320,000,000 miles apart, they will be about 1-degree apart in the sky, making them easy to spot, both having off-yellow glows. They will sit near the constellation Pisces in the sky.

            If you or anyone you know happens to be in the Southern Hemisphere in March 18, you may be able to see the comet 88P/Howell before it leaves on its relatively small orbit, returning in 2031.

            On March 19, there will be a New Moon. This will be the perfect time to look for nebulae, galaxies, and faint, more distance objects!

            At long last, on March 20, the vernal equinox, or the spring equinox. Spring will come at last and bring an end to this snow… right?

            NASA’s Artemis II was scheduled to launch last month and was then confirmed to be sometime in March. Now, it seems likely it will be pushed into April. They had eyed Friday, March 6 as a launch date, but the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has confirmed they will roll the SLS rocket off the launch pad for further work this week. The rocket had been set on the launch pad for the past month, ready to go at a moment’s notice until a helium leak was discovered in pre-launch preparation. NASA’s press correspondent Rachel H. Kraft confirmed the rocket is being prepped for its 4-mile trek back into the VAB (vehicle assembly building), but an April launch is still possible. It has been over 50 years since humans were in lunar orbit, and it seems we will have to wait a little longer.

Astronomy Update for March

By Sam Bishop