Category Archives: Weather +Climate

Weather +Climate

Haul the toboggan out of the rafters, wax up those cross-country skis and check the bindings on your snowshoes

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Samhain                                      Waning Wolf Moon

Find the mittens and the mad bomber hats.  Haul the toboggan out of the rafters, wax up those cross-country skis and check the bindings on your snowshoes.

Oh, yeah.  You might want gas for the snowblower.  Dig out the snow shovels from that place you put them last March.  Where was that again?

I don’t know about you but I’m hoping for the big hit.  A good snow fall will amp up the seasonal cheer.

According to NOAA and Paul Douglas, this is the real deal, heading in with heavier than normal moisture, winds and a track that seems to keep lifting north from the original predictions of a storm that would hit mainly southern Minnesota.winterstormmoving-east

(NOAA GOES graphic showing the storm as it moves east and north)

Excerpt below from NOAA Winter Weather Watch:

MODEL TRENDS OVER THE PAST 12 HOURS HAVE THIS STORM SYSTEM STRONGER AND MAY PRODUCE HIGHER WIND SPEEDS DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE STORM LATE TUESDAY NIGHT…AND INTO WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.


THE WINTER STORM WATCH EXTENDS FROM REDWOOD FALLS TO MORA ON EASTWARD…INCLUDING THE TWIN CITIES METROPOLITAN AREA AS WELL AS ALL OF WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. SNOW AND STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS ARE POSSIBLE FROM LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY WITH SNOW TOTALS REACHING OR EXCEEDING SIX INCHES. A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW…SLEET…OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

Politics, Weather +Climate

Winter

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Samhain                                   Waning Wolf Moon

A light dusting of snow has given snowy caps to the rocks in our boulder wall and covered the potting bench like Wondra shaken out to coat a chicken breast.  This amount of snow emphasizes late fall by highlighting downed leaves, their brown color emphasizing the not-yet-winter feel of this early December Saturday.

Coming at a lower angle from the sky,  pale sunlight does tell the tale of seasonal change, filtered through a milky haze, giving the morning a starkness seen through leafless trees and their bare branches.  The thermometer, too, suggests winter.  We hit a low this morning of 13 degrees and the temperature stands now at 10:20 a.m. is 20.   This is ten degrees below normal.

October was cooler than normal; we had our first significant fall then.  November was warmer than normal and we had only a tiny snow fall in a month in which we usually 9-10 inches.  December is now substantially cooler.  This qualifies as strange weather.

Both NOAA and Paul Douglas predict some snowfall early next week as a strong storm system passes through Iowa, southern Minnesota and into Wisconsin.  We could see amounts in the range of 1-2 inches over 3 days. We get a white Christmas 3 years out of 4.  I hope this is one of them.  A blanket of snow makes the season merrier.

Gotta go now because I have to prepare a 3-minute speech on fair trade for a fair-trade rally.  I’m representing the Sierra Club and emphasizing the need for environmental regulations to travel with worker’s rights protections–both here and abroad–as goods and services cross international borders.

Weather +Climate

Weather Week Ahead: Colder

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Samhain                                  Full Wolf Moon

A light dusting of snow this morning came on the heels of a drop in temperature.  We’re down to 21 right now with a low in the last 24 hours of 20.  According to NOAA and Paul Douglas, we have a bunch of cold air headed our way, air now sitting over the Canadian Prairie provinces.  The 24 hour night over the Arctic combines with the ice and snow covered terrain to produce very cold weather that then squeezes itself out to the south all around the Arctic perimeter.610tempnew

There is a teeny bit of snow in the forecast, flurries in the 20% probability range.

The drought conditions have not been updated since November 19th when Anoka County was in the moderately dry range.  The lack of appreciable snow so far can only intensify the drought.

The area with the B predicts below normal temperatures for the next 6-10 days.

The bees need me right now and the straw in the back of the truck.  Later on.

Aging, Dogs, Weather +Climate

Had a Wreck Lately?

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Samhain                            Waxing Wolf Moon

Well, Tiger Woods had a wreck.  Why?  What could have been going at 2:30 a.m. to cause him to drive into a fire hydrant near his home?  Why would I care?  Nobody but the insurance company cares when I have a wreck.  Not saying I have had one, though, and, also not saying what the circumstances were under which I may or may not have had a wreck.  Anybody want to interview me about the wreck I might have or might not have  had?  Didn’t think so.

Emma has come from the vets minus one hemangioma and much cleaner teeth.  Not a serious deal and our 78 year old dog (in human years) did not seem fazed at all.  She would not pee at the vets, but proceeded to do so as soon as we got home.  They were worried about this.  Emma has had a long life and it looks to extend a bit longer.  Good for her.

Colder weather coming.  Highs in mid-20’s, lows in the teens.  About time.  Now we need some snow.

Weather +Climate

Snain

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Fall                                 Waning Blood Moon

A drizzly, cool day has settled in over Andover.  The weather folk call this wintry mix, but that seems so inelegant.  Yucky weather.  Crummy weather.  Snain.  Slert.  Aacckk.  Something like that.

It’s a great day to be inside snuggled up next to a warm computer screen.  Even so, Jake the fence guy is out in the backyard in carharts and hoody sinking posts for the new fence.  When I said, “Great weather to work outside, eh?”  He responded, “That’s why I’m going to Thailand in three weeks.”

Art and Culture, Weather +Climate

Cozy

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Fall                                Waning Blood Moon

As the outside work wanes, the inside work increases.  This and that on the Sierra Club, getting ready for the upcoming legislative session.  Preparing multiple tours at the MIA while reading the fat Louvre catalog.  Keeping up with the blog. Getting ready for Kate’s surgery and recovery.

This all dovetails nicely with the nesting instinct that always strikes when the first snowfall and cold snap hits.  It was a record snowfall for October 12th and the temperature remains low today.  Forecasts portend more snow.

As I sat in my study yesterday working on the Asia tours, it felt snug, cozy.  The study has a small gas stove and I lit it, read object files and watched the snow come down.  A perfect day for a library rat like me.

US History, Weather +Climate, World History

Vietnam

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Fall?                                       Waning Blood Moon

Woke up again this morning to snow covered trees and lawn.  The snow hasn’t let up since then, but no snow accumulates on the roads and driveways and sidewalks.  We’re still warm at ground level.

The truck had passed the 3,000 mile mark for an oil change a couple of weeks ago, so I got it in to Carlson’s today.

While I was there, a Vietnamese man sat down and we got to talking.  He’s lived here 20 years. “I go back 2-3 years to visit my family.  They live in Saigon City.  No job.  Poor.”  In his opinion Toyota stopped making good vehicles about 8-9 years ago.  Now “they make them all over.   China.  Vietnam.  Korea.  Everywhere.  Quality not as good.”  He’s here primarily to earn money for his family since a job there often pays $40-50 U.S. a month.

We talked about Cambodia for a bit.  “Not safe.  Americans who live there left.  There a lot of Americans in Saigon City.  Looks like a small American city right in Saigon City.”  He went on, “After 1975, American’s left.  Ten years they’re back with their families.”

After he left, I worked on a tour for the MIA.  The subject matter?  Asian art.

Weather +Climate

Like A Snowball Rolling Down Hill

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Fall                                       Waning Blood Moon

The change of seasons has picked up some momentum in the past couple of days with two hard freezes in a row, then snow last night.  We’re not in late fall yet, that won’t come until November, so we could still have Indian summer, but for now, we’ve moved into meteorlogical simulacrum of early November.

It changes the feeling here.  Jackets come out, gloves go on, stocking caps replace billed caps.  There is, too, the phenomenon I used to notice most at Macalester College when I  lived in St. Paul.  One day with below freezing temps and certain Mac students would walk the streets in heavy down coats, hoods up, scarfs around the neck and insulated mittens.  Often, they would have special winter boots.  These were the wealthy kids from points south whose parents grew worried when they realized their darling would have to bear a Minnesota winter.   Freshman to a person, I’m a sure.

As for myself, I love to have on warm clothing when it’s cold outside.  The air braces me, kick starts the mental engines.  The combination of a warm torso and a cold face is a pleasure others–those outside the cold belt–would have a hard time understanding.

The snow blower got its mechanical freak on in May so it’s ready.  The furnace went on here today, set at 59.  We’ve had almost three weeks with no heating and no cooling.

Art and Culture, Weather +Climate

Dull Gray Day

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Fall                                   Waxing Blood Moon

Another dull gray day as my Aunt Roberta used to say.   The morning so far has been doing work for the Sierra Club, organizing issue briefs and selection criteria, moving our process along.  That’s done now.

Today I’m going in to the MIA for some interesting education about photographs.  I’ll also pick up my Louvre catalog.  Yes, at the last minute I got added to the list of docents touring this show that focuses on the concept of masterpiece.

Need to feed the dogs and get a nap in before the drive into the MIA.  Later.