Ogunquit Beach Inn, & other adventures....: parabolic Dunes

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Ogunquit Dunes, Blizzard of 2010

Winter in Maine is a time of alternating rest and frenzied activity.
-Tom Allen

The parabolic dunes of Ogunquit beach, has seen rough weather for thousands of years. The dunes protect the mainland from the mighty north Atlantic waves. The dunes are nature's buffer, protecting the shoreline from flooding and erosion. The year 2010 was a tough year for Ogunquit' s fragile dune's. There were many winter and spring storms carved and shifted these sandbarrier habitats.

This past week, the northeast was hit by a crippling storm, which shut down New York City, and strangled most of New England. Ogunquit was not immune. Ogunquit received 10 inches of snow (far less than Boston's 19 inches or New York City's 20 inches), but experienced 35 to 50 MPH wind. The whipping wind combined with rising tides wreaked havoc on Ogunquit's fragile beach.

According to wikipeadia: A blizzard is a severe storm condition characterized by low temperatures, strong winds, and can include heavy snow. By definition, the difference between blizzard and a snowstorm is the strength of the wind. To be a blizzard, a snow storm must have winds in excess of 56 km/h (35 mph).Additionally, blizzards must reduce visibility to 400 metres (1,300 ft) or less and must last for a prolonged period of time — typically three hours or more.

The shiftal change in the dunes is a natural process. Nature moves the sand and creates new spaces. Some say that Ogunquit now has 8 feet more of beach!