Here’s what our scientists are telling us using data collected at the Preserve’s Mohonk Lake Cooperative Weather Station: Temperature this winter was 7.7°F above the 127-year average, marking this as the second warmest winter season on record. Precipitation was 9 inches above average, but snowfall was nearly 13 inches below average. What does that look like? A brief ski season and wet boots on carriage roads – but also research such as vernal pool monitoring starting three weeks earlier than average to study the life cycle of amphibians on the ridge.

So, what is a vernal pool? Vernal pools are shallow water bodies, typically in forested areas, that are filled each spring by rain and snow and usually dry up in the summer. In the Gunks, vernal pools are critical breeding grounds for salamanders, frogs, and aquatic insects. In the spring, you’ll usually hear one before you see it as frogs call out to potential mates. A good place to see a vernal pool is about one mile north of Trapps bridge on Overcliff carriage road or at the intersection of Bonticou Road and Cedar Drive at Spring Farm.