Roadgeeks and Weatherfans

[florida]

Tornado warnings started at 10 sharp, this morning; it's going to be a great two days!

[KEK Inc.]

I think my current signature answers that question.  In middle school, I used to watch the Weather Channel all of the time.  I also competed in meteorology in Science Olympiad throughout middle school.  I also post the weather report from NOAA in at least one of my classes ever since 6th grade.  I'm going off to college next year and I don't plan to major in Meteorology.  I plan to focus on a major in civil engineering or computer science.

Unfortunately, I live in two very predictable places.  When I'm up in the Pacific Northwest, it's generally drizzly between November and June.  In California, it's always sunny from April to November and the winter season tends to be slightly less predictable due to the placement of the jet stream.  

[jgb191]

Looking pretty good here in South Texas as we approach September.



Although we're also looking at a heat index of 118 degrees, which is a bit warm, but I'll take this over a bitter cold 58 degrees any day.

[agentsteel53]

Although we're also looking at a heat index of 118 degrees, which is a bit warm, but I'll take this over a bitter cold 58 degrees any day.

And I'd rather have a sensible -11 with no wind, than a boiling 77 with humidity.

[bugo]

Although we're also looking at a heat index of 118 degrees, which is a bit warm, but I'll take this over a bitter cold 58 degrees any day.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Maybe -58 is bitter, but +58 is nice comfortable short sleeved weather.

[agentsteel53]

Maybe -58 is bitter, but +58 is nice comfortable short sleeved weather.

it's not the cold, it's the wind chill.  I've been perfectly comfortable in -33 with no wind, wearing a heavy coat.  And in sunlight, no breeze, 19 degrees, and I'm shoveling snow, I might even break a sweat if I'm not careful.

now, -19, winds of 55 mph... wind chill of -62 and I swear one of my nipples froze and broke off from my chest.

[KEK Inc.]

When I was much younger, I went on a trip to the East coast via flight.  Mind you, I'm used to dry 100+ degree weather in California, so I didn't expect much when I heard Atlanta was going to be 70.  It was foggy, which I thought was interesting, since it would usually be colder in a California marine layer fog.  Well, just getting off the plane in the telescope ramp was a shock. 

I hate muggy weather...  I can tolerate up to 110 degrees in dry weather, though, but in muggy weather, I can only tolerate 70.   As far as cold weather, I can't stand anything below 20.  Sorry.    I love snow, but it's sort of rare in the lowlands of the Pac NW.  It's either sunny and cold or rainy and 40 in the wintertime. 

[jgb191]

^ See, here in Texas, we have the combination of scorching heat and the heavy humidity loads.  So it's not unusual for us to get 104-degree High with a 115-120 Heat Index.  In Florida, it's not hot, but very humid.  In Arizona, it's very hot, but no humidity.  In Texas, we get the the best of both worlds.


In my area, when the overnight low drops to 40 degrees, nobody here is expected to go to work or school.  The threat of sleet or frost (just a simple advisory) is enough to shut the whole area down.  When it drops below 60 degrees, we get bundled up.

[KEK Inc.]

In Portland, if it snows, practically every school gets cancelled.  Even if it's just a cm.  We don't have that many plows.   Meanwhile, in the NE, it has to snow 12' to cancel school. 

[Ian]

Meanwhile, in the NE, it has to snow 12' to cancel school. 

Which isn't all bad, because if we don't get many snow days, we get a longer summer!

[KEK Inc.]

Meanwhile, in the NE, it has to snow 12' to cancel school. 

Which isn't all bad, because if we don't get many snow days, we get a longer summer!

We start school in like September and end in June, so my summer is already screwed.  Might as well enjoy winter. 

[agentsteel53]

Meanwhile, in the NE, it has to snow 12' to cancel school. 

by NE you mean northeast?  I grew up in Boston and had school canceled on as little as four inches, and not canceled on as much as 10" - but yes, 12 is just about a guarantee. 

It's all about how ready the plows are - which means when the snow starts falling.  If it starts in the evening, then by morning the plows will have taken care of all of it and school's ready to go.  However, if it starts at 3am or later, then a few inches dumped on the ground at 6am is enough to disrupt school bus service completely.

another factor to note is what season it is, which determines how surprising the snowstorm is.  In January, the plow crews are ready to go and intently watching the weather channel.  May, not so much.  Six inches, starting at midnight on May 18, was a perfect birthday present!

speaking of snow crews, the best I've ever seen in the business was (not surprisingly) Anchorage.  16" fell overnight, starting around 7pm, and the roads were functional by 6am and just about completely cleared by 11. 

[cu2010]

12 inches of snow is nowhere near enough to cancel school in the North Country. There needs to be at least two feet, along with sleet and freezing rain in order for them to even consider giving us a snow day.

During my freshman year at Clarkson, they had their first snow day in 30+ years (and it wasn't even a full snow day). That should say something. When I was in high school, school was more often cancelled due to several inches of ice as opposed to snow.

Anything under...say, 70 degrees is fine by me. I wear short sleeves year-round, too (and don't even consider putting on a coat unless the temperature is below 40 degrees.)

[Ian]

Anything under...say, 70 degrees is fine by me. I wear short sleeves year-round, too (and don't even consider putting on a coat unless the temperature is below 40 degrees.)

I'm pretty much the same way! I like wearing short sleeve shirts year round. In fact, last year, I ended up wearing shorts a lot of the time!

[jgb191]

Looking wet as we enter the month of September and our rainy season begins.  Still remaining in the mid 100s all the way through Labor Day; overnight lows looking at upper 80s with heat index approaching 100 on a few nights.

[nyratk1]

There's a weird overlap here - have a BS in Meteorology (and taking time off from getting my MS) and ardent roadgeek.

Was more of a weather geek first - Gloria happened when I was 3 months old, Bob when I was 6, the various blizzards in 96, 05, 06 and this past year have fueled me

[Chris]

The NWS has issued a Winter Weather Advisory, for Western Montana at elevations over 6,500 feet. I think this is the first of the 2010-2011 winter season?

[jgb191]

Tropical Storm Hermine is slowly approaching the Texas/Mexico border, which will give us a short break from the heat in the upper 80s and a very soaking week, after everything clears up next weekend then we'll go back to our usual 100s.

[bugo]

^ See, here in Texas, we have the combination of scorching heat and the heavy humidity loads.  So it's not unusual for us to get 104-degree High with a 115-120 Heat Index.  In Florida, it's not hot, but very humid.  In Arizona, it's very hot, but no humidity.  In Texas, we get the the best of both worlds.

It got up to 105 degrees a few times this summer in Tulsa.  It got to 100 or very close quite a few times.  A few nights ago it got down to the lower 50s, which was very nice.  Highs have been in the upper 80s or low to mid 90s the last few days, which is a relief from the 100 degree temperatures but still hot.

[jgb191]

I've been to Phoenix in the summer and it feels a lot better in Phoenix than it does here in South Texas area, and all my relatives in Southern Arizona say the same.  They have been so used to 110 degrees with virtually no humidity living there all their lives which makes the heat index slightly lower than the temperature, yet they were cringing here in 100 degrees with 40 percent humidity when they visit Texas, which makes the heat index feel like 115.

[mightyace]

In Middle Tennessee, we had a few day hit 100 and, while I didn't check the humidity.  It is often above 50%.  i.e. I'm sure we had some 100-100 days this summer.

[Scott5114]

100-100 days are pretty much physically impossible. Air expands as it heats, meaning warmer air can hold much more water than colder air. (This is why relative humidity is used as the standard gauge of humidity; if you used absolute humidity, it would mean different things at different temperatures. 100% relative humidity at, say, 20° F is a drop in the bucket at 100°.) At 100°, it would take ludicrous amounts of water to saturate the air. You're more likely to hit the winning combination in my avatar six times in a row.

[nyratk1]

100-100 days are pretty much physically impossible. Air expands as it heats, meaning warmer air can hold much more water than colder air. (This is why relative humidity is used as the standard gauge of humidity; if you used absolute humidity, it would mean different things at different temperatures. 100% relative humidity at, say, 20° F is a drop in the bucket at 100°.) At 100°, it would take ludicrous amounts of water to saturate the air. You're more likely to hit the winning combination in my avatar six times in a row.

Highest ever measured dewpoint was 94°F with an air temp of 108°F near Dubai. That's still an RH of 66%.

[mightyace]

^^^

I stand corrected.  

In any case, upper 90s and above still suck due to the humidity.

[agentsteel53]

Highest ever measured dewpoint was 94°F with an air temp of 108°F near Dubai. That's still an RH of 66%.

here I'd never thought of Dubai as being a humid place.  I had figured an arid desert climate.