Weird Weather Watch 2006

Winter Warmest Ever on Record in Canada

The winter of 2005-2006 has been Canada's warmest on record and the federal agency Environment Canada said Monday it was investigating whether it's a sign of global warming.

Between December and February, the country was 3.9 degrees above normal _ the warmest winter season since temperatures were first recorded in 1948. Environment Canada climatologist Bob Whitewood said it smashed the previous record set in 1987 by 0.9 degrees.

You beat me to that one loam. Good article. Here's the CBC coverage.

BTW - I really don't buy this "coming faster than we expected" line.

Fact is, the Canadian government opened up the Yukon to homesteading at least 10 years ago. ...The Yukon used to be permafrost, but it's okay for farming?

I believe it.

In hindsight, this winter just flew right by, with the snowfalls and storms not comparing at all to past winters. Here in Toronto the ground has been free of snow for the vast majority of the winter, and when it has had snow on the ground it's only stayed for a couple of days max.

Yesterday and the day before have been quite warm. it's been a nice change. Apparently there's a chance for flurries today. Talk ab out mixing it up...

Hmmm...

Freak Gust of Wind

A freak gust of wind sent 13 utility poles crashing onto Farrington Highway yesterday, trapping motorists under live power lines but causing no serious injuries.

The huge wooden poles splintered in two about 1 p.m., some crushing cars, and fell across all four lanes of the highway in what many said looked like a hurricane scene — or a disaster movie.

"This was a cross between 'War of the Worlds' and 'Earthquake,' " said Bernie Baker, contest director for the Triple Crown of Surfing who had been at the Buffalo's Big Board Surfing Classic in Makaha.

The incident closed a half-mile stretch of Farrington Highway between Haleakala Avenue and Lualualei Naval Road, cutting off access to the Wai'anae Coast until the Army opened Kolekole Pass to civilian traffic about 2 p.m. That bypass was to remain open until at least through today's morning rush hour, officials said.

Look at these pics...








[edit on 15-3-2006 by loam]

Crap, imagine the wind gust that can take down a telephone pole! That's pretty crazy.

It's been very windy here the past two days, too. It makes it quite cold.

Hawaii's twister

They are now saying it was a tornado that went through Hawaii. Does anyone know if that has EVER happened before?

Then there was a monster cyclone in Australia. I think we may be in for a wild ride, unless things change for the better.

Troy

Originally posted by loam
Hmmm...

Freak Gust of Wind

A freak gust of wind sent 13 utility poles crashing onto Farrington Highway yesterday, trapping motorists under live power lines but causing no serious injuries.

The huge wooden poles splintered in two about 1 p.m., some crushing cars, and fell across all four lanes of the highway in what many said looked like a hurricane scene — or a disaster movie.

[...]

Something similiar to this happened two weeks back 2km north of my location.



The thing is, this isn't really a freak storm. It happens almost every year, but in different locations. The local meteorological will then claim that it was a 'microburst'



And then somebody will write an angry letter because the meteorological department is obfuscating:



I tend to agree with that last piece. I've seen one of these 'freak storms' happening right in front of my eyes. It doesn't look anything like the description of what a microburst is. If a high speed vortex of wind isn't a twister, I don't know what is.

In the words of the above writer, 'the local scientific community could not be frank enough to call a spade a spade. Rather than acknowledging that tornadoes exist in this country, the local weather people have bent themselves backwards by trying to call the tornadoes “land spouts”, which is actually just a lesser-known name for twisters or tornadoes. '

I remember once some guy from the meteorological department was on TV commenting about a video of a waterspout caught of the eastern coast. It looked like a twister, but the guy said it was "just a waterspout".

looks like new englanders might have more to contend with than the
occational noreaster this year.

wwwa.accuweather.com...

I live in Flagstaff AZ and Have been here for four years now. This year was our Shortest winter ever...we really only had snow on the ground for more than 24 hrs twice this year....and both in the month of march...before that we had had less than an INCH of snow on the ground.

This is very odd...as Flagstaff(Snowbowl) usually gets quite a bit of snow....'


But I imagine its just "normal weather cycles", cause everyone knows that theres no such thing as global warming(regardless of whether or not Humans have had any affect).

El senor Pom Pom rides again

A tornado hit Northern Germany today killing 2 people and tearing roofs of houses and overturning cars.

This is a very rare event in Europe.

External Source
BERLIN (Reuters) - A rare tornado wreaked havoc in the northern German city of Hamburg on Monday,
tearing the roofs off houses, overturning cars and killing two people, authorities said.
German Tornado

Originally posted by mrsdudara
Hawaii's twister

They are now saying it was a tornado that went through Hawaii. Does anyone know if that has EVER happened before?

It's happened here several times. Although this was just a gust. We were having 45-60mph winds that day, and the poles were termite ridden and gave way.

Lanai had a tornado the other night that caused some damage, and the Kona Coast had Hail. Right now the Big Island is under a winter storm warning, and we're in our 6th straight week of rain. We have a weird low pressure system parked over us so that the radar and sat photos stay perfectly clear all day, then suddenly these huge storms come out of nowhere.

For what it's worth:

1. San Fransisco has just experienced the 2nd wettest March on record (records kept since 1850, if I'm not mistaken).

2. In Southern California, there was snow in March in the San Fernando Valley, approximately 700 feet above sea level. It didn't stick, but it was there (this has happened once that I can recall, back in the mid 80's...).

3. Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, and San Diego counties are under a flood warning - meaning it's occuring or is expected to occur - as I write this. We had a very dry winter here, but this spring it's been raining consistently. (We are also under a torando watch, although I doubt conditions will deteriorate to actually see one, let alone touch down. We tend to panic about thunderstorms...:lol.

Just thought I'd mention it.

Regards-
Aimless

What about the center of the US and the tornados and softball sized hail? Sounds like quite an event. Are we headed toward worse weather?

Troy

There was a recent BBC special - quite good - and scary. It says the junk in the atmosphere is actually keeping the planet artificially cool. I watched the program and I'm pretty much sold on the idea that the planet is approaching an ecolgical point-of-no-return. Sad too, I like this planet.

All i care about is that there few hurricanes and otrnados this year and we get a hot humid summer in England (not scotland) and that its like in Cali hot hot HOT.

So that we could sun bath and grow a lot of pot, weed ganja , hash plant keif

Originally posted by Freeman
All i care about is that there few hurricanes and otrnados this year and we get a hot humid summer in England (not scotland) and that its like in Cali hot hot HOT.

So that we could sun bath and grow a lot of pot, weed ganja , hash plant keif

I live in Southern Calif,believe me it's been way too cold and gloomy,heavy rains I'm having trouble keeping my lawns green,I've had to break out my long pants,I never wear anything but shorts usually in April

Sudden NY April Spring Snow

Our meteorologists are saying that "strange....is an understatment" today. Our temps today ranged from 91 - 96. We broke all records with this one and they are expecting it again tomorow. That with little chance of rain, I am starting to wonder if the midwest isn't turning into a desert. I should have turned on the AC today, but I just couldnt.....its only April for cryn out loud. The last time it was even close to this warm in april was back in the late 1930's.