What Does Spring Mean for PSU?

Anyone who has been in Plymouth for more than a day would be able to tell you that the weather is very unpredictable. It is possible to see rain, snow, and sun all in one day. But the closer it gets to spring, the better. Plymouth State students are getting excited to get outdoors and enjoy the beautiful weather.

Kira Szalma, a senior, is excited to get out of her off-campus apartment. "I think [this weather] is great! I'll probably start hanging out outside, and play cornhole with my friends," said Szalma. Szalma is happy to see the snow melt and said, "I can almost see my lawn!"

"The snow needs to go away, but the weather right now is pretty good," said Amara Decker, a freshman.

Sydney Marchesseault, a junior, is happy to leave the heavy coats at home. "I'm excited to sit in the sun on my lawn, and I'm also excited for sundresses," said Marchesseault.

Suzanna Derynioski, a senior, said she's planning on having better spirits in warmer weather, "I'm probably going to be in a better mood when it's sunny. I'm looking to get a grill for this spring weather."

"I'm excited to walk around outside, the air is more breathable. There's more sunlight. Hopefully can get myself to go running," said Evan Grande, a junior.

All this nice weather is one positive when it comes to spring in Plymouth, but it is not without its downfalls. With all of this melting snow there is a possibility that the Pemi River could flood, like it has in past years. In 2011 Hurricane Irene brought major flood and damage to the ice arena and the residential area nearby. The Pemi may flood, but the odds of having an extreme flood, like in 2011, are unlikely.

Alex Herbst, a junior Meteorology student can provide a little insight on the likelihood of a flood. "In the meteorology department, we rely on sensor located along the river near the bridge that crosses into Holderness. This sensor relays the river height to the National Weather Service's Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service, who create a forecast of how high the river will rise based on current readings at Plymouth, upstream, along with current weather forecasts and expected snowmelt," said Herbst.

This sensor is linked to a website where data on the height of the river is shown. A hydrograph on the site shows the height of the river for the past few days, and predicts a few days into the future. The site also shows a probability predictor for the upcoming weeks. The site predicts major flooding between April 26th and May 5th of this year. This is still just a prediction, and there is no way to telling for sure, but as those dates get closer the predictions could change. If interested in checking out the data online go to http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/probability_information.php?wfo=gyx&gage=plmn3.