Weird Weather

I have already commented on the stormy weather that was predicted for this area, and which we have been experiencing.  Today/'s weather was really weird.  It was in the mid 60s most of the morning and early afternoon.  It was cloudy, dark, and gray. I ran errands early afternoon, and did not realize how cold the wind was.  I was filling up the car with gas, and wishing I had worn a light jacket, although I had  on a thermal shirt and another over shirt.

So, I did my weekly shopping. Which takes about 45 minutes.  As it did today.  When I left the store, the weather had changed drastically: the clouds were gone, it was sunny, and about 20° warmer.  Wow!  That was amazing.

About 2 hours later,  the clouds returned, the temperature dropped about 20° and the wind picked up again.  There was some light drizzle in the air, but nothing significant.  I have not seen any lightning tonight, nor heard any thunder, and so far, there has been no rain. 

Triple Digit Weather

We have been experiencing triple digit weather this past week.  It gets very hot during the day, and does not cool off below 80°.  Because of that, the day starts off hot and gets hotter as the day progresses.

The problem is compounded by the continuous days of triple digit temperature. The breeze helps, but it is still hot. Basically the heat has a cumulative effect on people, and every day that the triple digits continue, we feel more and more oppressed. 

So, it is time to stay inside as much as possible.  

I did paint the garage door today.  I got up early and bought paint, but then went home and sacked out for a while, so started painting late morning, and finished early afternoon. And, then went inside to cool off and take a cooling shower. 

Rain Again

Rain again.  We had some rain overnight and on and off all day today.  I spent a large part of the day in a windowless room in a workshop, so could not track that rain.  When we started out the building after the workshop, it looked sunny.  By the time we got outside, it started raining hard.  When I got to my house, it was not raining, but there was evidence it had rained at the house during part of the day. 

Sunset

I was sitting at my desk facing north, looking through the window, and saw the fire pink clouds in the sky.  I have seen this before, and sometimes, it is due to fire, but more often, it is due to the fabulous sunsets we have in West Texas.  Well, I went out to look, and sure enough, the pink was so vibrant when I went outside that even the concrete drive way reflected it, and it came from the sunset.  This occurs when there is a low level cloud bank in the west, and the sun reflects gold on the lower edge of the sunset, and reflects pink on the other clouds, including the mammatus clouds.  The recently erected YWCA building to my west at the end of my street blocks my direct view of the sunset.  The intensity of this kind of sunset passes very quickly, and sure enough, by the time I went in to get my phone/camera, the brilliance had faded (why didn't I bring my  phone with me. I do not think in terms of pictures.)

So this is the washed out version of the photo. We are due to have some cloudy weather other days this week, so maybe I can remember to get a better picture next time.

Wintry Weather, Three Days in a Row

Well, it turned cold over night again, and we woke up to freezing fog and heavy grey skies.  Although the skies have lightened this afternoon, we did not really have any sun today. However, the temperature has risen to above freezing, and when that happens, thawing occurs fairly quickly and extensively.  The down side is, that without the sun, the moisture will not dry well off the streets and sidewalks, except maybe on some of the more well used thoroughfares.  So, driving overnight and in the early morning will be treacherous.

The weather service says that it will warm up early in the week, cool off, then warm up again. There is a slight chance of precipitation.  So, maybe a reprieve will occur.

I did not have to go anywhere today, so I opted to stay in, again. I get cabin fever, and years ago, I would have bundled up and gone out for a walk.  I am in hopes that someday, my physical aches and pains will be resolved to the point that I will once again be able to look forward to such a walk.

The Full Moon

According to The Farmer's Almanac, the full moon this month was February 3 http://farmersalmanac.com/full-moon-dates-and-times/.  Well, I could not say, but last night, and tonight, I saw the full moon rising to the east, over my neighbor's house, from the comfort of my computer room. This morning, when I drove to work, the full moon was still hanging in the western sky, although the sun had risen to the east.  I love that phenomenon.  I do not know why, but I think it is the neatest thing that we can see the moon in the west and the sun in the east.  Wow!

Transit of Venus

Today, the transit of Venus http://www.transitofvenus.org/ was visible from Lubbock, Texas. The South Plains Astronomy Club http://southplainsastronomy.org/ set up several telescopes at the Museum of Texas Tech http://www.depts.ttu.edu/museumttu/ to allow viewing of the transit.  They started at 5 PM and went until sunset.  I was able to attend this event. There was one telescope that had a very long line, and I did not wait to use it.  But in about 30 minutes, I saw 4 different views of the transit.  The Texas Tech Graduate School was providing free (I was surprised) lemonade and tea. There was popcorn available.

There were many people just sitting there, not in line to look at the sun. There were sun-safe glasses available to allow looking at the sun. 

The next time this happens is in 105 years.  I am pleased I had the opportunity to see this tonight.

Thank you, South Plains Astronomy Club.