How are we feeling out there, friends? This is it. We have just one more long weekend of “summer” to go, so let’s make it count.
Here’s our itinerary:
Pass the tissues: The first week of September is commonly considered peak ragweed season.
The summer of floods: The Philly region has been a national hot spot this year — for flood warnings.
And much more: Family-friendly fun this Labor Day weekend, the removal of a dam well known to anglers and hikers, and a reader shares “a bug’s-eye view.”
🌤️ Your long weekend weather outlook: Severe weather should be in our rearview mirror (for now). Friday may see a shower or two.
— Paola Pérez (outdoorsy@inquirer.com)
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It appears harmless, but the stubborn ragweed can grow almost anywhere, and it relentlessly torments allergy sufferers every year.
We’re in the midst of its peak season for high volume, and all that recent rain may have given it a boost, too. Just one single tooth-leaved plant can produce billions of pollen particles.
🌿 Intensity can be tough to predict. In the Philly region, the season tends to spike in early and mid-September, but high pollen levels can last into the autumnal equinox. Our pollen-counting network has also shrunk, making it harder to know just how much is in the air.
🤧 Sensitive to pollen? You are in the company of roughly several hundred thousand people in the region. To help the side effects, limit time outdoors on dry, windy days. When outside, wear a dust mask. When indoors, keep windows shut, and shower before going to bed.
Learn more about the “indestructible” plants, why they make us sneeze, and how to deal with them.
News worth knowing
The Spring Garden Mill Dam at Tyler State Park in Bucks County is coming down starting Sept. 8. Officials say the dam impedes fish and can create dangerous conditions.
Fairmount Park has become a favorite target of illegal tire dumpers with U-Haul trucks, frustrating park-goers and the city as it engages in whack-a-mole.
From roller skating to festivals, immersive exhibits, and more over Labor Day weekend around Philadelphia, we rounded up the best family-friendly things to do.
Only Pennsylvania separates departments for managing fish and wildlife. Combining them could save $34 million a year.
Officials are weighing a settlement that would significantly preserve more of Chester County’s sprawling Rock Hill Farm — but still allow for development.
The Trump administration has proposed giving a small parcel of land in Yosemite National Park in California to a private developer, the New York Times reports.
🐛 Your outdoorsy experience
Reader Barbara B. sent in another snap from her adventures:
A bug’s-eye view from a summer meadow. This was taken at Idlewild Farm Natural Lands Preserve in Gladwyne.
Thanks for sharing.
📥 I’d love to see your photos, too. What are you doing or seeing out there? Send me an email, and you may see your stories and/or pictures featured right here.
🎤 Now we’re passing the microphone to Tony Wood, our resident weather expert.
If you perceive that the Philadelphia region has had an extraordinary number of flood events this summer, you are not hallucinating.
The National Weather Service in Mount Holly has set a record for issuing flood warnings this year with 147 in its coverage area from Delaware to northern New Jersey, including 76 in the Philadelphia region, and monthly records in July and August. And an Inquirer analysis documented that among 2,200 U.S. counties, Philly and six of its neighboring counties rank in the top 25 for warnings issued this year, most of which have been followed by actual floods.
In addition, with four months to go, The Inquirer analysis found, the region already has had nearly triple the annual average for flood warnings, during the 18 years in which it has been using its current methodology.
All this without a whiff of a tropical-storm remnant, and the region still emerging from drought conditions. — Anthony R. Wood
It’s all in Wood’s latest report. Read on here.
Paola’s picks
🎵 A song: “Batida do Sol” by Juls.
🦀 A fun dispatch: We went crabbing in Sea Isle City with a Philly chef.
🥬 A new report: Farmers have destroyed millions of heads of lettuce after demand dropped dramatically due to cyclospora outbreak fears.
🦋 A photo: A painted lady butterfly.
🇧🇷 An activity: Celebrate at the Brazilian Day festival on Sunday (Spruce Street Harbor Park; free).
A calming view
👋🏽 Catch you next time. Until then, have a safe and fun long weekend.
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