Wednesday, February 18, 2009

The Man Over the Atlantic


When I was in high school, my physics teacher was an American guy who'd worked as a meteorologist in some branch of the military. As an after-school activity he formed a little club of junior meteorologists and we learned how to read weather charts and to a certain extent predict the weather. Interestingly it was an interest which has stayed with me and helped when I was out paddling. I continue to watch the clouds, the winds and the barometer for signs of change. It was his legacy which got me off a lonely island in the arctic a few years back. Noticing the changes, I was able to get to the mainland before high winds pinned me down for a week of foul weather. Instead of a lonely vigil, I was able to weather the storm with a bunch of Inuit fishermen and their families in relative comfort. Well, our tents did blow away one night, but that's another story...

This afternoon I noticed a change in the clouds to the west. They told of changing conditions on the way. Sure enough, we're going to get some snow (look at the very cold air over northern Vermont in the picture above).

While I will get some additional snow coverage to ski on, look at the system over the north Atlantic! I call it 'Atlantic Man', but perhaps I should say 'monster' given its size. He seems to be bouncing a ball just off Newfoundland, where I bet they're having some nasty weather as I write! If you live in Iceland and northern Scotland, I'd get a fire going... Stray warm!

3 comments:

Stan Mac Kenzie said...

Well I'm here to tell you that we are being more than dribbled on. I can so see that image on the weather chart. Te winds are just howling the snow is wet and well it is foul, foul weather hear in St. John's. More tomorrow I guess. Glad we were paddling yesterday. I'll be thinking of you snow shoeing/sking while I am shovelling.

Stan

Douglas Wilcox said...

In SW Scotland it's OK at the moment. You will notice the ribbon of warm air being dragged up from the south by the approaching low. Over 3 days the minimum Scottish temperature went from minus 18C to a max of 13.5C!

Richard Hayes said...

Getting what real Avalon Peninsulers call "...snot and grot" weather - snow, wind, then freezing rain, then rain, then a cold snap - useless for almost anything. Got some 20 cms. snow a few days ago (finaly!!!...we drove to Eastport to ski/snowshoe last weekend,) drizzling out right now..here's the forecast...

St. John's and vicinity
Avalon Peninsula North.
Tonight..Periods of freezing drizzle ending this evening then cloudy with periods of snow beginning overnight. Snowfall amount 2 to 4 cm. Wind northwest 20 km/h gusting to 40 becoming light this evening. Wind becoming east 30 overnight. Low minus 5.
Friday..Snow and local blowing snow changing to freezing rain in the morning then to rain showers in the afternoon. Snowfall amount 5 to 10 cm. Rainfall amount 2 to 4 mm. Fog patches late in the day. Wind southeast 50 km/h gusting to 80 becoming southwest 30 gusting to 50 early in the afternoon. High plus 4.
Friday night..Showers ending overnight then cloudy. Amount 2 mm. Fog patches. Wind southwest 30 km/h gusting to 50. Low minus 1.

Ya don't live around here for the winter climate!!!
Must say it makes pretty quick work of ridding us of the worst of the CFAs, tho...;->))