A dark layer inside a gutter may look like garden soil from the ground. It can even hold a small sprout. Yet the material often began as leaves, pollen, dust, roof particles, seeds, and other outdoor debris that changed after repeated exposure to Louisville rain and...

A puddle beneath a downspout is easy to notice and difficult to interpret from one glance. The water may be evidence that roof runoff reached the outlet, while its location and persistence may reflect conditions at ground level. During a different Louisville storm,...

Louisville’s first frosty mornings often arrive while autumn leaves are still falling. A thin white layer may cover the roof and gutters at dawn, then disappear from sunny surfaces while lingering along a shaded eave. In other places, a heavier piece of ice may remain...