Weather Service: A bright and sunny Tuesday on tap
Today, Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021, will be a bright day with plenty of sun for Shelter Island, according to the National Weather Service.
The high temperature will be about 49 degrees, with light winds out of the northwest at 6 to 10 mph.
The NWS is calling for partly cloudy skies tonight, with the temperature dropping below freezing to about 29 degrees. The winds will shift to the north at 5 to 7 mph.
There will be no drama in the weather today, unlike other 14th of Decembers in our history. The Old Farmers Almanac records that a cold wave across the young country began this day in 1770, kicking off “one of the most severe winters in U.S. history.”
The Old Farmer also notes that in 1924, the temperature fell 79 degrees in 24 hours at Helena, Mont.
Dec. 14 marks the beginning of the “Halcyon Days,” which means a remembered time of peace, happiness and a sense of general good will. The legend is that the Days comprise the two weeks around the winter solstice.
As the Farmer explains, “According to Greek legend, the halcyon, or kingfisher, built its floating nest around the 14th of December, during which time the gods calmed the seas for the nesting and hatching time.”
