January 17, 2009
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After the Storm
The high temperature last night during the windstorm was an incredible 50°F. I have seen rain in December here, but never in January, and only very rarely temperatures above freezing in January. This is supposed to be winter!
This morning, it was about 40°F when I went out to take pictures of the storm’s aftermath. I didn’t need a jacket or gloves, just put on my little blue hat and grabbed the camera. Even my fair-weather Fuji had no problems with the day’s temperature.
I could feel warmth on my skin from the sun. That is really weird. Usually it is mid-February before the sun is anything but a cold light low in the sky. It’s still low down to the treetops in the south, but it gives perceptible heat. That’s something I will need to think about. I had always thought the lack of heat in the winter sunlight was an effect of atmospheric absorption, and presumably we still have as much atmosphere as ever. Maybe it’s the ozone hole… like I said, I’ll have to give this some thought, maybe ask some questions where someone might have answers.
front yard, above; back yard, below
When I signed off Xanga last night, I was expecting a power outage. The lights had flickered, browned out and gone black for a few seconds several times. It happened a few more times after that, but not for more than a few seconds at a time. About 11 PM, the phone and internet service went dead, and Doug says they came back on at 7:55. A nine-hour phone outage is unprecedented here since I got my phone in 1985.
I feel sympathy for you people who are living in the remnants of that Arctic high pressure system we had here for three weeks. You can be glad it warmed up some as it traveled your way. I have been trying to recall details of a book I read several decades ago, Ice: The Ultimate Disaster, that predicted, based on computer simulations of climate change, that global warming would bring wild swings of extreme temperatures, and, ultimately, a new Ice Age. I may try and find it, for a refresher read. It’s still in my library, I think.
Comments (15)
Probably a good book to read. Think I’ll get that one from the library. It’s 83 degrees here again today.
See? This is karma in action. We’ve had a high of 7 degrees in the last six days.
wow did the 50 set records up there ??
Glad ya are safe & getting some much deserved relief from the horrible low temps ya have had. It’s been rotten here (ohio) with the “Alberta Clipper” screaming thru here….It’s warmer where you are right now than it is here! :-O ……tho it is starting to warm up…it was around -17 F w/ wind chill here Thursday nite (which I’m embarrassed to complain about, considering what yas have been in the past weeks/months) but here at the moment it’s 31 F @ 8pm EST. A welcome relief for sure!
Peace……AbbeyC
I guess I find that temperature change interesting too. If you were having -40 degree temps a few weeks ago, and it reached +50 degrees, that would be a 90 degree temp change!? Here’s hoping that doesn’t happen here. Wow. That would mean our temps would reach 120 degrees! Something is not right with these weather trends. It does bear some thought.
Beautiful countryside there, especially the first photo. I am happy you are getting a heat wave:) It was 50 here with wind chills, with blue skies and sunshine.
interesting pictures…those saplings are really having their mettle tested. I have no idea exactly what is going to happen due to climate change…the models agree on certain things but disagree on things like timing, and whether/when the north atlantic “conveyor belt” of warm-to-cold water motion is going to get shut down, causing a solid northern freeze.
I am baffled by the weather this year. Truly. My lotuses are trying to grow because we have been so warm. And yet we had snow before Christmas. It was nearly 80 a couple of days later. Bizarre.
Enjoy the warmth while it lasts!
@Thoughtsto1self - I haven’t looked at official temperatures to see if there were records set. The 50+ degree readings were on my thermometer here, and only lasted a few minutes during the height of the windstorm. As the winds calmed, the temp went down to mid-forties.
@saturnnights - Yes, a ninety-degree jump in less than a week is startling. My barometer has been upping and downing a lot, too. The effects of the sudden warming are severe: floods in an Anchorage suburb tonight from rapid snow melt, avalanches closing roads all along Cook Inlet, school closures, events canceled, and public transit not running for 2 days this week due to slick roads.
Under the now heavy granular snow (about 2 feet deep) in my yard, is a 2-3″ layer of solid ice over the ground. It is 34 degrees here now, will probably get below freezing tonight.
Tremendously odd weather out there: some areas are much warmer than usual whereas others (here in Thailand for example) are experiencing the coldest weather in a decade. Normal variations or evidence of the impact of human activity?
Crazy weather, indeed. You beat us, temp wise, by… 15 degrees or so. Pretty impressive. It’s supposed to warm up here over the next couple of days… into the upper 40s. I’m ready!
@christao408 - If this isn’t our own creation, maybe it’s something the military has…HAARP is up there in Alaska. Bounce a few microwaves around, and what happens?
i am in awe of you and how well you deal with the weather there. as i read about the cold, the water, and the car, i felt a little guilty complaining about -6!
you even make it sound appealing and wonderful at times inspite of the difficulties and the serious risks. take care, my friend! winter can be cruel.
odd weather – up and down like that. hugs Sassy
Yes it is odd weather. The book sounds like interesting read. I will be curious as to what you find and your opinions of what is the cause. Be safe and well.