Joined: Sep 14, 2004 Posts: 6475 Location: Rural Virginia
Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 7:41 am Post subject: Re: Autumn Weather 2007
I'm still picking tomatoes (and strawberries) too. A fringe benefit of what's looking to be the warmest October in Virginia history. I've never before made it into November with fresh tomatoes.
One of the saddest days of the year is the day I have to start buying those horrible grocery-store tomatoes again.
There are some rain chances for us in the coming week. I can still hope.
My dam and pond have gotten to the point where I can take some pictures in the coming week. I'll probably start a separate "dam" thread and post the photos there. _________________ "Actually, humans died out long ago."
---Abused, abandoned hunting dog
"Things have entered a stage where the only change that is possible is for things to get worse."
---Me and my brother
Joined: Jun 30, 2005 Posts: 731 Location: northern California
Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 10:31 am Post subject: Re: Autumn Weather 2007
Update on my NE corner of California homestead: After the hottest, driest summer ever, things have mellowed a bit this fall.
First real frost was on Sept. 24, 20 degrees, followed by 19, 25, 25, 20, 21 the rest of the month. A definitive end to the gardening season, except for Swiss Chard, which we're still eating. The pumpkins froze on the vines while still green, some turning to mush. September saw 5 rainstorms, for a total of .37 inches-BFD!
October has been really nice, with a real cool-down, albeit dry and dusty for the first half. Through the 15th we got 3 rainstorms, total .12". The past week has been really reminiscent of normal winters: 4 rainy days, capped by an inch of wet snow yesterday morning! Total rain thus far this month; .99"! Our "Plan C" piece of land over by the coast has received nearly 10" of rain so far in October! Next weekend we're going over there (300 miles) to check on the status of the newly-repaired pond dam we fixed in July. My calculations were that it would need 5" of rain to fill the pond, so we'll see. One of the primary reasons we decided to invest in a "Plan C" piece of land was the rainfall potential. So far this has proven out: 10" there vs 1" here. Of course it's way to early to tell if next summer will be habitable here or not, water-wise. The official long-range "prediction" is for the weak-to-moderate La Nina to result in an early end to winter rains---of course, if this "La Nina" (warmer waters off Pacific Coast?) is due to the arctic meltdown, it might persist? Looking at the national drought map, Heineken's area looks absolutely ominous, as does a large portion of California.
Joined: Sep 08, 2005 Posts: 750 Location: Atlanta, GA
Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 11:26 am Post subject: Re: Autumn Weather 2007
Reporting from Atlanta here. Today is another day of open dome of clear blue sky, not a wisp of cloud from horizon to horizon. Hard to believe they're calling for 70% of rain tomorrow and Tuesday...I'll believe it when I see it.
As for the water running out, people really aren't getting it. "Oh, it'll rain again soon, winter's coming." Or "They'll figure out something out to keep the water flowing." Meanwhile, Purdue is still pinning his hopes on getting that court order to halt the Corps from releasing any more water downstream as well as "voluntary" conservation measures. No talk yet of a building moratorium (still hoping that the coming economic crash will do that for us, it just needs to happen by like Nov 1st or so to make any difference), no talk of what would actually happen if the water really does run out, nor there is any discussion of dramatically raising water rates to discourage excessive use (and to fund new water projects).
Joined: Sep 14, 2004 Posts: 6475 Location: Rural Virginia
Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 12:21 pm Post subject: Re: Autumn Weather 2007
woodcutter wrote:
Update on my NE corner of California homestead: After the hottest, driest summer ever, things have mellowed a bit this fall.
First real frost was on Sept. 24, 20 degrees, followed by 19, 25, 25, 20, 21 the rest of the month. A definitive end to the gardening season, except for Swiss Chard, which we're still eating. The pumpkins froze on the vines while still green, some turning to mush. September saw 5 rainstorms, for a total of .37 inches-BFD!
October has been really nice, with a real cool-down, albeit dry and dusty for the first half. Through the 15th we got 3 rainstorms, total .12". The past week has been really reminiscent of normal winters: 4 rainy days, capped by an inch of wet snow yesterday morning! Total rain thus far this month; .99"! Our "Plan C" piece of land over by the coast has received nearly 10" of rain so far in October! Next weekend we're going over there (300 miles) to check on the status of the newly-repaired pond dam we fixed in July. My calculations were that it would need 5" of rain to fill the pond, so we'll see. One of the primary reasons we decided to invest in a "Plan C" piece of land was the rainfall potential. So far this has proven out: 10" there vs 1" here. Of course it's way to early to tell if next summer will be habitable here or not, water-wise. The official long-range "prediction" is for the weak-to-moderate La Nina to result in an early end to winter rains---of course, if this "La Nina" (warmer waters off Pacific Coast?) is due to the arctic meltdown, it might persist? Looking at the national drought map, Heineken's area looks absolutely ominous, as does a large portion of California.
Woodcutter, I think it's very smart of you to have a "Plan C," considering that most people never make it to "B." Your land near the coast may be close to pstarr's; you might want to get in touch with him, if you haven't already.
Right now I am just clinging to the 30-50% chance of some rain this coming week. I can't allow myself to look farther than the next opportunity for a little relief.
It would be very nice if you could post some pics of your dam on the thread on dams I am going to start soon. I'm more excited about this project than I've been in a long time. But oh, my aching elbows!
Byron: Our weather here today is exactly like yours. It's cloudless, in the 80s, and windy, which is a really scary combo with the withered vegetation.
I'm not in denial, but I have to adjust my focus a bit so that I don't go insane. Mainly I concentrate on work, which for me is a great anodyne to psychological pain. _________________ "Actually, humans died out long ago."
---Abused, abandoned hunting dog
"Things have entered a stage where the only change that is possible is for things to get worse."
---Me and my brother
Joined: Dec 27, 2004 Posts: 12548 Location: zombie horde wonderland
Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 4:49 pm Post subject: Re: Autumn Weather 2007
Heineken wrote:
Mainly I concentrate on work, which for me is a great anodyne to psychological pain.
Amen to that. Outdoor physical labor keeps me healthy - I start feeling ill (psychologically) if I have to stay indoors for any period of days. _________________ No original ideas are contained in this post.
Joined: Sep 04, 2005 Posts: 396 Location: central MA, USA
Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 5:08 pm Post subject: Re: Autumn Weather 2007
Here in central Massachusetts, we still haven't had a hard frost in our yard yet. And, we're at a higher altitude than towns just a few miles away, so we're typically 5 degrees cooler than where we shop for groceries. Temperatures were in the high 60s today, quite amazingly pleasant for this time of year. Not only have we only run the furnace two nights so far, but I've even been cracking a window lately at night to let in some fresh air.
We're dry, though not anything like what you folks in the southeast are experiencing. We're getting rains, but far below average amounts. The house has a foundation drain that emerges in the woods near the garage, and until last month it has never, ever, even in the dead of winter, stopped running. Used be that we'd see upwards of a gallon a minute running out of that pipe. Now, nada.
I cut down three small maples today, that were either dead or dying (construction damage from when the house was built in 2004). Chopped them up into logs. Will cut down more tomorrow, and on Tuesday I'll start splitting firewood for next year. A double benefit of global warming, I guess: Not only can I burn less wood, but I have longer in the year when I can still cut and split it.
Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 7:05 pm Post subject: Re: Autumn Weather 2007
We have only had a couple of very mild frosts so far this year. I am going to let the remaining tomatoes ripen on the vine! If this weather holds out we may be picking them in November! I don't know if it'll hold out that long, but there is no frost in the forecast this week anyway.
The trees are at peak foliage, and starting to look bare a little north of here. It's a late fall, for us. Next week starts hunting season and it is nice not to have leaves on the trees, and no bright orange distractions besides other blaze orange clad hunters.
Joined: Sep 16, 2004 Posts: 4454 Location: Southwest WI
Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 7:56 pm Post subject: Re: Autumn Weather 2007
September here in southwest WI had 2 nights in the 30's (some frost) and 3.25 inches of rain
So far for October we have been in the 30's twice during the night, 37F both times. We have also had 2 nights when the low was in the 70F's, which is more like July. We have had 2.88 inches of rain so far this month, with a little more in the forecast before the month ends.
I removed my tomatoes about a month ago, because i wanted to redo the whole bed they were in, which i'm pretty much done with now. Looks much better. I'm putting strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries all in this bed next year.
Today i dug up 2 Basjoo bananas, which was a royal pain, The corms are very heavy and akward. I'm storing them in my basement for the winter.
Fall colors are near peak here. _________________ "Oil is going up because we use too much oil, and the capacity to replace reserves is dwindling"
-President Bush 11/07/07
Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 9:20 pm Post subject: Re: Autumn Weather 2007
We had some decent rain in the Toronto area this week, and and two foggy days, but that is more like Sept. weather. Usuallky October days are crisp and clear.
Today was amazing, 24C (75F), perfect day, but seems so out of character for the second part of October here. We have not had a frost, not even come close to it in the Toronto area. Half our deciduous trees are still green.
It is like we were magically shifted about 500 miles south.
Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 8:01 am Post subject: Re: Autumn Weather 2007
NEOhio is really beautiful, but quite dry. our family went for a walk in the woods behind our house, and the stream was dry in many places, which I don't ever recall seeing. And we have had a decent supply of rain this summer. But they say we are in a minor draught now.
We also went for a drive into Amish country south of us, and all of the gardens have been plowed up (except for the peppers.). Since it appears that we'll be getting no frost for the time being, I wonder if they plowed too soon. Note: I was quite impressed with the number of barns and houses that had solar panels on their roofs! Literally, at least 25 roofs had them on! Pretty interesting, IMO!
Joined: Sep 08, 2005 Posts: 750 Location: Atlanta, GA
Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 3:59 pm Post subject: Re: Autumn Weather 2007
Big change in the weather today. Cloudy, misty, humid, and .25 inch of rain today so far. Of course, this is far, far short of a drought buster (remember, it takes a flood to break a drought), but it's soooo nice just to get some moisture back into the ground. A huge upper level low is forecast to spin to the west of us for the next 3 days, giving us here in GA at least the chance for off and on showers...and they're hoping that most of the state will get 1-2" inches of quantitative precip out of this, with MS / AL getting about twice that amount.
I can only hope this change in weather pattern is a sign of what's to come...a gradual shifting eastward of the above-normal precip areas. I'm still biting my nails though, as the countdown to an empty Lake Lanier still ticks onward...
Joined: Sep 14, 2004 Posts: 6475 Location: Rural Virginia
Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 7:59 pm Post subject: Re: Autumn Weather 2007
I am so ready for winter I could break a toe.
We're still baking in the 80s here, close to or breaking daily record highs at various locations around the state. Very few clouds, brutal sun, windy, dry as an olive's dust.
Most of the rain west and south of here is moving north and will miss us almost entirely. We might get a tiny shower or two.
They keep talking about cooler weather coming, but it never seems to get here. Except at night, when the incredibly dry air leads to dramatic radiational cooling, like you'd see in the desert.
Nothing but nothing can budge the giant High that Zardoz has posted graphs of for the past few weeks/months.
The last time we had rain exceeding "barely measurable" was September 14, when we got 0.32 inch. Basically it hasn't rained since August. Almost every local newscast now starts off with drought-related stories. The general situation is now deteriorating very quickly.
The relief being seen in places like Georgia and Tennessee supports my theory that the Great Southeast Drought of 2007 has settled most viciously on Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic region. But the national media remain fixated on Atlanta, it seems.
I don't care about the hydrological drought anymore. All I really want at this point is a little surface moisture to fend off fire and take some of the stress off the trees.
It goes on. The only question for me is how long I will go on. _________________ "Actually, humans died out long ago."
---Abused, abandoned hunting dog
"Things have entered a stage where the only change that is possible is for things to get worse."
---Me and my brother
Wildfires blown by fierce desert winds Monday reduced hundreds of Southern California homes to ashes, forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee and laid a hellish, spidery pattern of luminous orange over the drought-stricken region.
Fire officials said 500 homes and 100 businesses were destroyed by one fire in San Diego County. Nearly 130 homes had burned in one mountain town east of Los Angeles, officials said, and thousands of other buildings across the region were threatened by more than a dozen blazes covering at least 310 square miles.
This time of year is always known as the fire season, but this is especially bad this time. There are so many blazes going. _________________ "Thank you for attending the oil age. We're going to scrape what we can out of these tar pits in Alberta and then shut down the machines and turn out the lights. Goodnight." - seldom_seen
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