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Polar Vortex

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  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Thursday, February 18, 2021 8:40 AM

Gamera

 

 
stikpusher

 

 
Gamera

When I first heard the term 'Polar Vortex' I thought it must be sorta like a Sharknado except for blizzard like conditons and it drops polar bears on people instead of sharks... 

 

 

 
Except in the Southern Hemisphere.... then it drops Emperor Penguins!
 

 

 

OUCH! That would hurt. I've only been whacked by one of the smaller Adelie penguins. 

 

I'll bet a flying polar bear, or even a penquin would do a pretty good job of breaking a power line.

 

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Wednesday, February 17, 2021 11:29 AM

stikpusher

 

 
Gamera

When I first heard the term 'Polar Vortex' I thought it must be sorta like a Sharknado except for blizzard like conditons and it drops polar bears on people instead of sharks... 

 

 

 
Except in the Southern Hemisphere.... then it drops Emperor Penguins!
 

OUCH! That would hurt. I've only been whacked by one of the smaller Adelie penguins. 

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Bethlehem PA
Posted by the Baron on Wednesday, February 17, 2021 11:25 AM

Yeah, I saw a sun dog once, on a flight back from Germany to the US.  It was pretty cool.

The bigger the government, the smaller the citizen.

 

 

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Massachusetts
Posted by ajlafleche on Wednesday, February 17, 2021 8:46 AM

keavdog

I'd never heard of, let alone seen a sun dog.  Pretty cool.  Does it have to be cold for the effect to occur?

 

Probably more common in winter, but there can be ice crystals at cirrus cloud levels (20,000+ feet) even in summer time. 

Remember, if the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.

  • Member since
    April 2020
Posted by Eaglecash867 on Tuesday, February 16, 2021 6:49 PM

keavdog

I'd never heard of, let alone seen a sun dog.  Pretty cool.  Does it have to be cold for the effect to occur?

Yup.  There have to be ice crystals floating in the air to produce a sun dog.

"You can have my illegal fireworks when you pry them from my cold, dead fingers...which are...over there somewhere."

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: USA
Posted by keavdog on Tuesday, February 16, 2021 6:43 PM

I'd never heard of, let alone seen a sun dog.  Pretty cool.  Does it have to be cold for the effect to occur?

Ya TB - my daughter and son-in-law are in San Antonio and they're saying its crazy cold with more weather coming tonight and tomorrow.  There house is in an all electric neighborhood and they only have a bit of firewood.  Are you getting rolling blackouts?

Thanks,

John

  • Member since
    April 2020
Posted by Eaglecash867 on Tuesday, February 16, 2021 6:37 PM

Thanks guys.  Here are another couple of good ones I got in the afternoon in November of 2016 while standing behind our hangar.  I think that day we saw a high temp of -15.

 

"You can have my illegal fireworks when you pry them from my cold, dead fingers...which are...over there somewhere."

  • Member since
    October 2019
  • From: New Braunfels, Texas
Posted by Tanker-Builder on Tuesday, February 16, 2021 9:31 AM

Nice catch!

 I wonder if anyone has seen this before. They are really unusualy striking in the atmosphere at sea in the Polar regions.

  • Member since
    October 2019
  • From: New Braunfels, Texas
Posted by Tanker-Builder on Tuesday, February 16, 2021 9:29 AM

My Latest.

    This is terrible. It snowed night before last. I still am the only one who's left and returned to the house. It's 12 degrees right now and 58 in the house. Where am I? New Braunfels Texas. 45 miles north of San Antonio!

     Sunday the neighborhood was gorgeous. Except for the houses, not a foot-print or Tire-mark on the pristine layer of white stuff.The first neighbor out tried. In his new all wheel drive Audi.Sorry to say he bounced off two parked cars and a pickup before he got half a block.

    My Kia Soul might not be as fancy to some, But it's now five, with no dents in it! There's no indication anyone lives here except my foot-prints to and from, my mobile smoking room. Sure I should stop. But at my age I've given up so much I figured, ah well, besides That I get a Cig and Coffee, Before the neighborhood wakes and it's nice and quiet. I retraced my steps and my landlady wanted to know who walked away from the house after it snowed-The door-bell didn't ring.LOL.LOL

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Tuesday, February 16, 2021 9:15 AM

Eaglecash867

Sun dog at 7:15 AM in Denver yesterday.  Temp was -8 when I took the pic.

 

 

Nice one!  Love looking for sundogs, pillers, halos and other visual atmospheric effects.  There was a neat book about it- something like sundogs, glories and something.  I'd like to order a copy (read it years ago), but cannot seem to find the book.

 

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    April 2020
Posted by Eaglecash867 on Tuesday, February 16, 2021 8:04 AM

Sun dog at 7:15 AM in Denver yesterday.  Temp was -8 when I took the pic.

"You can have my illegal fireworks when you pry them from my cold, dead fingers...which are...over there somewhere."

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Monday, February 15, 2021 4:59 PM

knox

A picture of my route to and from school, whenI was younger.  

 

barefoot of course... Wink

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

  • Member since
    February 2011
Posted by knox on Monday, February 15, 2021 4:23 PM

A picture of my route to and from school, whenI was younger.  

  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: East Bethel, MN
Posted by midnightprowler on Monday, February 15, 2021 4:22 PM

Don Stauffer

 

 
the Baron

 

 
Eaglecash867

In Denver, if we can smell Greeley, it means a significant winter weather event is coming shortly.  

 

 

Ever since I sprained my knee severely at the end of 2018, I can feel precipitation coming on, too.  Rain or snow.  It really does work.

 

 

 

My osteo-arthritus does that too.

 

 

Sure does. 

Hi, I am Lee, I am a plastiholic.

Co. A, 682 Engineers, Ltchfield, MN, 1980-1986

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 1 Corinthians 15:51-54

Ask me about Speedway Decals

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Monday, February 15, 2021 12:30 PM

the Baron

 

 
Eaglecash867

In Denver, if we can smell Greeley, it means a significant winter weather event is coming shortly.  

 

 

Ever since I sprained my knee severely at the end of 2018, I can feel precipitation coming on, too.  Rain or snow.  It really does work.

 

My osteo-arthritus does that too.

 

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Bethlehem PA
Posted by the Baron on Monday, February 15, 2021 9:14 AM

Eaglecash867

In Denver, if we can smell Greeley, it means a significant winter weather event is coming shortly.  

Ever since I sprained my knee severely at the end of 2018, I can feel precipitation coming on, too.  Rain or snow.  It really does work.

The bigger the government, the smaller the citizen.

 

 

  • Member since
    April 2020
Posted by Eaglecash867 on Saturday, February 13, 2021 12:05 PM

In Denver, if we can smell Greeley, it means a significant winter weather event is coming shortly. 

"You can have my illegal fireworks when you pry them from my cold, dead fingers...which are...over there somewhere."

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Bethlehem PA
Posted by the Baron on Saturday, February 13, 2021 10:55 AM

ajlafleche
 
TheDemiGod

Polar Vortex... another word for sub temps storms. Nor'easter, Blizzards, all the same. Just a new word to describe winter storms...Cool 

Nor'eater is a coastal storm moving up the coast from, more or less, the Carolinas into New England. They are more famous as winter storms because their precipitation piles up and the after effects linger more. In the summer, they drop a bring of wind and rain. They may cause significant coatal erosion. A nor'easter may also cause blizzard conditions, which carries a very specific set of criteria regarding wind speed, volume of snowy precipitation and duration (maybe temperature, too) . A blizzard can happen anywhere it's cold enough to  snow; a nor'easter only happen along the eastern coast of North America.  

Don't forget, Al, that the wind direction in a nor'easter is from the northeast.  That's what gives it its name.  Normally the winds in our snow- or rainstorms are westerly.

When I feel that wind coming from the northeast, I know it's going to be rougher than if it's coming from the west.

The bigger the government, the smaller the citizen.

 

 

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Massachusetts
Posted by ajlafleche on Saturday, February 13, 2021 10:14 AM

TheDemiGod

Polar Vortex... another word for sub temps storms. Nor'easter, Blizzards, all the same. Just a new word to describe winter storms...Cool

 

Nor'eater is a coastal storm moving up the coast from, more or less, the Carolinas into New England. They are more famous as winter storms because their precipitation piles up and the after effects linger more. In the summer, they drop a bring of wind and rain. They may cause significant coatal erosion. A nor'easter may also cause blizzard conditions, which carries a very specific set of criteria regarding wind speed, volume of snowy precipitation and duration (maybe temperature, too) . A blizzard can happen anywhere it's cold enough to  snow; a nor'easter only happen along the eastern coast of North America. 

Remember, if the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.

  • Member since
    March 2013
Posted by patrick206 on Friday, February 12, 2021 5:51 PM

I grew up on a farm in North Damnkota, many many days we saw -40. I still have PTSD from those days. ):>(

One time in a terrible blizzard Sgt Preston got lost on his patrol rounds, but King led him to help and he stayed with us for a few days. I could tell he wasn't a local 'cuz he talked funny, eh?

Patrick

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Friday, February 12, 2021 1:18 PM

stikpusher

 

 
Don Stauffer

 

 
modelcrazy

Polar Vortex!? We used to call them storms or "cold fronts" before the weather forcasters wanted to stick a name on them and dramatize 'em.

 

 

 

No, the polar vortex is not the same as a cold front.  It is a new phenomena due to a slowing of the jet stream.  Vortices breaking off from the arctic air mass and descending into the US have been extremely rare in the past.  Cold fronts move, these isolated polar lows hang around for awhile :-(

 

 

 

 

Considering that modern weather measuring and tracking techniques are a fairly recent ability, and that the area has only be populated by people who keep records of such things for only a couple centuries, I'll wager that in the true history of the continent, it's been going on for a lot longer than the white man has been in the Americas. The jet stream was only discovered and classified in WWII. Nobody new of such things before then.

 

True, but the science of climate has advanced in a quantum leap in the past three quarters of a century.  The discovery of continental drift, or plate tectonics, which was verified soon after World War II caused a big change that overthrew much of Geophysics.  Greenhouse warming, on the other hand, has been known for almost two centuries now.  The use of satellite measurement has increased the data rate by many orders of magnitude.  I would say, too, that the US is behind the Northern Europeans in weather and climate theory.

 

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Bethlehem PA
Posted by the Baron on Friday, February 12, 2021 12:35 PM

fox

I always thought that being a weatherman had to be the greatest job in the world. You don't have to worry about making a mistake and doing the report wrong. You just say "Well folks, the upper air shifted a little overnight and blew those storm clouds over us so we won't be seeing that sun I promised you today." But, he still keeps collecting his paycheck.

Jim Captain

Stay Safe.

 
They do have to worry about ageing, though, especially the women.  I remember when the Weather Channel cleaned house and let go so many on-air staff, who had been with the channel since it started.  Mostly women, who were ageing, as we all do.

The bigger the government, the smaller the citizen.

 

 

  • Member since
    November 2020
  • From: Blaine ,MN
Posted by BootBoyx2 on Thursday, February 11, 2021 11:19 PM

Wouldn't mind a hot snow bunny weather girl ! 

Be careful of what you ask for, you just might get it.

fox
  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Narvon, Pa.
Posted by fox on Thursday, February 11, 2021 9:42 PM

I always thought that being a weatherman had to be the greatest job in the world. You don't have to worry about making a mistake and doing the report wrong. You just say "Well folks, the upper air shifted a little overnight and blew those storm clouds over us so we won't be seeing that sun I promised you today." But, he still keeps collecting his paycheck.

Jim Captain

Stay Safe.

 Main WIP: 

   On the Bench: Artesania Latina  (aka) Artists in the Latrine 1/75 Bluenose II

I keep hitting "escape", but I'm still here.

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: USA
Posted by keavdog on Thursday, February 11, 2021 8:31 PM

I imagine living in San Diego and the surrounding area that being a weatherman has to be the easiest and most boring job in the world.  Hence the hot weather girls. 

Thanks,

John

  • Member since
    August 2014
  • From: Willamette Valley, Oregon
Posted by goldhammer on Thursday, February 11, 2021 8:29 PM

Always had a laugh over the past 20 years or so.  Whenever hearings were scheduled on "global warming", they got cancelled because DC got dumped on with a good snowstorm.

  • Member since
    April 2020
Posted by Eaglecash867 on Thursday, February 11, 2021 8:10 PM

Yup.  Its an average 11,000 year climate cycle on a 4.5 billion year old planet.  Using a human lifetime as a gauge in comparison to that seems a little off.

Single digits expected in Colorado tomorrow, and dropping below zero for the weekend.   It has been that way this time of year here for as long as I can remember.  Sometimes the below zero temps have gone on for a couple of weeks.

"You can have my illegal fireworks when you pry them from my cold, dead fingers...which are...over there somewhere."

  • Member since
    August 2014
  • From: Willamette Valley, Oregon
Posted by goldhammer on Thursday, February 11, 2021 6:28 PM

Just starting to get a few flakes in Portland, and cold wind coming down the Columbia River Gorge. Calling for something like 8-12" between now and Sunday.   All meaning panic...Confused

 

When schools are in normal sessions, they close if they get 2 inches. Mayor shut down city govt at noon, declaring an emergency.

I remember in northern California, getting 5' in two days, no drifting, and my normal 3/4 mile walk to catch the school bus.  We didn't know what a "snow day" was.

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Thursday, February 11, 2021 6:10 PM

Was 45* here near Phoenix just after sunrise... high today was 79*. It's supposed to be a bit cooler here tomorrow.

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

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