National Sky Awareness Week is coming April 18 - 24, 2004

Geography and climate data for Fisher Mitchell School, Bath, ME

Donna Smith - teacher

1st grade weatherwatchers

Latitude 43.9N - Longitude 69.9W - Elevation 22 feet

Writing to Fisher Mitchell School

NOTE: The information presented here has not yet been quality controlled; use data for class activities and Sky Awareness Week-related projects only.

Fisher Mitchell School 597 High Street Bath, Maine 04530 Home page: http://www.col.k12.me.us/fms/Weather/weather.htm Our school is located in Bath, Maine. Bath is on the Kennebec River. It has hills and ponds. It is near the Atlantic Ocean. To the north of our playground there are trees and some houses. To the east of the playground there are woods, the Kennebec River and Bath Iron Works. To the south of the playground are some houses. Popham Beach and the Atlantic Ocean are about 14 miles South. Water in the Atlantic Ocean is very cold. To the west of the playground there is Hyde School on High Street. The average number of snowy days in our area is 17.5. The average number of rainy days is 128. The average number of foggy days is 48.8. The average high and low temperatures are: January: high 31.1 degrees F / low 11.9 degrees F July: high 78.9 degrees F / low 57.3 degrees F Average total amount of precipitation per year: 45.5 inches/ 115.5 cm. November is the month with the most precipitation, averaging 6.0 inches. August is our driest month, averaging 2.3 inches of precipitation. Research done by Mrs. McAllister's Fourth Grade, presented to Mrs. Smith's First Grade

Remembrances of the Ice Storm in 1998 were written by the fourth graders, handed down to the first graders, who also have a few memories of that major winter storm two years ago in southern Maine. Everyone it seems has a story of neighbors helping neighbors to survive those frozen weeks with no public utilities and most stores unavailable due to icy roads and downed power lines. Those of us who remember it, will tell of it for generations to come. It was an amazing natural phenomenon...a time of incredible beauty and danger...a "hundred year" weather event that will only be welcome in another hundred years, if then. Ice Storm '98 (Student #1) During the Ice Storm I remember the power going out. I remember a lot of loud noises and I remember trees falling down. People didn't have power for days. People didn't have heat for days. School was canceled. It was happening in the whole state of Maine and some other states. It rained so much it seemed like Maine was taking a shower. I remember a lot of huge icicles. I remember roads were blocked because of a little flood. I remember going outside on the road and slipping because it was all ice. I remember it hailing. I remember that on the news it said not to go on the road because you could get in an accident. Ice Storm '98 (Student #2) Two years ago, when I was in second grade, there was a big, big ice storm. It started in January sometime. I was without power for at least three weeks. It was like we were in a big freezer. Some of the power lines that I saw were frozen and hanging in the road. A lot of trees fell down. A lot of things froze. The ice storm was at least a week, maybe more. There were a lot of icicles around town. My yard was all ice and some kids come to play on it. It was like a big ice skating place. School was canceled for a few days for us, but in some places they were out for weeks. Then one day the sun came out and melted it all, and it was all gone. Ice Storm '98 (Student #3) I lost power in Bowdoin with my dad for more than three weeks. So I missed a lot of school then, because the roads were all frozen. And a tree almost fell on the house. All the trees were bent around our house. Ice Storm '98 (Student #4) I remember when the ice storm came, and it was very cold. School was out for a pretty long time, and I felt like an ice cube because my heat wasn't working very well. So my dad tried to fix it. But it was no use. After a day we got a generator and we had power for the stove, fridge, lights and television. And when the ice storm was over, I was so happy.

designed by Tracie Talluto

Sky Awareness Week is coordinated by HOW THE WEATHERWORKS