Trixology
Weather => General Weather Discussion => Topic started by: KeithC on June 08, 2014, 02:22:26 PM
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Hello everyone!
It's happening again right now.
The strangest thing is recurring here in Denton, Texas: whenever area radar shows a huge line of thunderstorms moments away from us, just before it arrives it all separates and goes around us--like a giant herd of mice passing by, but avoiding, a sleeping cat. This is a regular, even expected, occurrence here.
Rain events attract surges of area visitors to my web site, and many of these folks are getting pounded by the heavy rain that has avoided my VP2. So they are repeatedly tuning in and finding my scant rain amounts, giving rise to some doubt about my accuracy, no doubt. [banghead] Maybe not. I don't know.
I could speculate as to what may be causing this rain-avoidance phenomenon--e.g. slightly higher temperature, or air pollution, or just plain coincidence, or some sort of voodoo hex, or biased observation, or am I just crazy? (don't answer that), or whatever--but before I do speculate, I'm wondering if anyone else is experiencing the same sort of thing.
I'm dying to know...
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Hi Keith
My mom lives in Lincoln County Oklahoma and the same thing happens to her the rain get to Oklahoma City then when it gets to her county it seperates and goes north and south of her I keep telling her that they ain't paying the preacher
so your not the only one that happens too.
cheers
[cheers1]
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Randall,
Ask your mom if she knows any good voodoo doctors for us. (insert here the emoticon of a witch doctor)
Today's example was typical of the past 12 years I've lived here; a huge solid swath of rain the size of Florida separates just as it gets to Denton, then re-forms into a solid system again after passing Denton.
The same thing seems to happen often to nearby Ft. Worth and Dallas. I'm wondering if cities somehow affect the lines of thunderstorms. Denton is not a small town.
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Keith
I am from Texas and have lots of family in your area and east Texas
Don't think it has to do with the big cities maybe you need to get out there the next time it is coming toward you and dance naked and maybe it will chase after you
cheers
[cheers1]
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Ha ha!
No, I think that would send it running the other way. [lol]
This "phenomenon" I speak of is obviously just an extended coincidence. And a frustrating one at that.
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When I lived in East Texas, folks from up north (i.e., north of Oklahoma) blamed everything on George Bush, but I can't see how he's responsible for the weather pattern over Denton.
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I'm experiencing something similar. Rainshowers seem to have a slight preference for the area west of where I live. :)
There have been studies on the subject (I can send the link but it is in Dutch :) ) and the outcome is that wet/cooler soil gets less rain compared to the neighboring dryer & hotter soil. One would think it would even out over time but this is not the case.
The effect is small though, so it's mostly my frustration when the heavy thundershowers go around my weather station AGAIN! [banghead]
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JosBaz, I thought there might be some physics involved, something contributing to coincidence itself. That's interesting.
Blick, my local weatherman at the CBS affiliate finally returned my email and confirmed that George Bush is indeed not the cause. He said the blame lies solely on Yoko--of course.
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Same thing happens here in N. Central Arkansas, though right now it isn't happening. Many is the time, though, an approaching cold front from the NW has split apart just before crossing us, giving a sprinkle or two while all around is in flood warning.
It's probably just coincident events owing to the chaotic nature of weather, but when it happens so frequently it's hard not to imagine that there might be some causal physical process involved, like the position of the jet stream, or the effect of certain types of terrain like mountains, deserts and lakes.
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Bull Winkus,
It's good to know I'm not the only one. I'd say something like "misery loves company" but, even with a little rainfall today, we still have an exceptional drought here, so it's no fun at all. Sorry for the rainfall repellent in your area, too.
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Oh I'm sure your effect is much worse. This Spring we're getting plenty of rain despite the split in rain fronts. Much of the weather has been coming from other directions than from NW. It does't happen then.
This past week the problem has been minor rainfall but every day. My yard's grass is turning into a jungle. I can't mow, any the forecast is more of the same Thursday and Friday. So, I used the time to get out the file and sharpen the mower blades. Then on the last blade and last stroke of the file, I stupidly ran my hand into the blade on the down stroke and cut my little finger to the bone across the top and lower side. Didn't hurt too much, but was bleeding like a headless chicken. So, my one day window in the rainy weather to get some mowing done is probably lost, unless I can get out there for an hour or so near sundown.
It always seems to be either too hot to mow, or too wet. [lol2]
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Then on the last blade and last stroke of the file, I stupidly ran my hand into the blade on the down stroke and cut my little finger to the bone across the top and lower side. Didn't hurt too much, but was bleeding like a headless chicken.
Yikes Herb! Hope it heals fine.
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I second that motion, Slash--I mean Herb. Keep a close eye out for infection. It used to be that we didn't worry so much about such cuts, but not anymore. In The Snows Of Kilimanjaro the guy gets his infection from just a thorn scratch. So keep it clean and get to a doctor if it doesn't heal right.
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Hi Herb, Blick, Keith, and WeatherCat yardwork warriors,
Then on the last blade and last stroke of the file, I stupidly ran my hand into the blade on the down stroke and cut my little finger to the bone across the top and lower side.
Wow Herb! (http://www.canebas.org/Weather/LWC_forum/Custom_emoticons/eek2.gif) Definitely be careful with that sort of a wound!
;) . . . . Besides, what's the big idea of cutting the lawn with a sharp blade? I sharpen no blade . . . . . before its time!! . . . . [biggrin]
Cheers, Edouard [cheers1]
P.S. . . . . and that time usually comes when . . . . . I replace the lawn mower!! [lol2]
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Thanks for the sympathy Blick, Keith and Edouard. No swelling yet; little pain and no analgesics either, except for once that night. I clean the area around the gash with hydrogen peroxide solution each time I replace the bandaid. The biggest problem with it is forgetting about it and bumping it into something while swatting at an insect or getting up off the couch. Uh, ? the first of which happens outside and the second inside.
Just had a professional lawnmower guy pick up my big mower to sharpen its 3 blades. I know when I've had enough!
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Just had a professional lawnmower guy pick up my big mower to sharpen its 3 blades. I know when I've had enough!
So you can teach on old dog new tricks after all. [tup]
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Howdy Herb and WeatherCat weekend warriors, . . . .
Just had a professional lawnmower guy pick up my big mower to sharpen its 3 blades. I know when I've had enough!
;) . . . . . I dunno' Herb, I still think you are spoiling that mower!! . . . . . [biggrin]
I haven't come to the point where I'm very worried about sharpening the blade on my power because it is just 2 years ago and our lawn is . . . . mostly wild weed!! ;D
However, Dad and I worked on our mowers much like da' trusty wagon. Our first lawn mower was bought at about the same time as I was born - early 1960s!! I only remember an attempt to sharpen the blade once and . . . . it wasn't entirely satisfactory. That machine actually lasted into the 1980s. I only replaced our last mower because I goofed and ran it on old gas. Now I'm more careful and add fuel stabilizer!
Still, I won't sharpen the blade for . . . oh . . . at least two more years . . . Gotta to allow the existing blade to . . . . season!! [biggrin]
Cheers, Edouard [cheers1]
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Edouard and everyone,
I won't sharpen the blade for . . . oh . . . at least two more years . . . Gotta to allow the existing blade to . . . . season!!
I'm so glad I stumbled across this lawnmower forum because I've always thought that if I ever caught one of my neighbors on my lawn with a magnifying glass, looking for torn grass blades, then and only then would I take the time to sharpen my blades and ruin that nice patina that we're looking for. Also, with little rain these days, thinner grass makes sharper blades less and less necessary.
On another note, I really did email a Dallas TV meteorologist about the title theme of this thread. He said:
"Never heard that? or noticed it on radar.
Cities do produce a rain-shadow. Because of the additional particle matter (condensation nuclei) and heat they can wring out a little more rain out of a system. Sometimes the only place it?s raining is downwind from a major city."
I'll never watch that channel again. [lol] And besides, there's something wrong with that channel anyway; year after year they keep showing the Cowboys playing lousy football. [banghead] Not to mention the fact that I thought "rain-shadow" meant the blocking of rain, not inducing rain.
Or maybe "rain-shadow" is radar terminology.
Keith
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Moon shadow is a sung about by Cat Stevens but he never mentioned rain shadow.
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Blick,
That would've been WeatherCat Stevens ::)
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That would've been WeatherCat Stevens ::)
Ha ha Keith! I bow to your superior wit.
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Blick,
Ha ha Keith! I bow to your superior wit.
If it was a competition, I wouldn't stand a chance.
Is that a new emoticon I see, the one that's two over to the right from the "woohoo" owl----that little rock-n-roll dude all wigged out on caffeine or speed or whatever? We should take up a collection and get him to the emergency room.
Well heck--I'll just put him in here. This little guy [headbang]
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Hi Keith, Blick, and WeatherCat yardwork weather watchers,
I'm so glad I stumbled across this lawnmower forum
;) . . . . Just wait for Stu to come up with a WeatherCat plug-in that will automatically tell your lawn mower robot when is the best time to mow!
Now all we need is for those morons at Google to stop wasting their time with autonomous cars and make something really useful - a autonomous lawn mower!! [lol2]
On another note, I really did email a Dallas TV meteorologist about the title theme of this thread. He said:
"Never heard that? or noticed it on radar.
Cities do produce a rain-shadow. Because of the additional particle matter (condensation nuclei) and heat they can wring out a little more rain out of a system. Sometimes the only place it?s raining is downwind from a major city."
Maybe you won't ever watch that station again, but what the guy is saying does make sense. After all, it is the same principle as cloud seeding. Since that does have some effect, odds are particulate pollution will result in less rain some distance downwind from the pollution source. It is a interesting question of how the enormous pollution problem in China might be effecting the weather downwind. The jet stream does blow west to east and down wind from that pollution source is - the drought stricken western United States. Could China be creating a vast rain shadow that is making the drought worse? (http://www.canebas.org/Weather/LWC_forum/Custom_emoticons/eek2.gif)
Something to ponder . . .
Cheers, Edouard [cheers1]
P.S. In case you didn't know, pollution can travel vast distances. It has been proven that sand from the Sahara is blown as far as the Caribbean! :o
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Hi Edouard,
Google has nothing on Stu. If he could only program a lawnmower to be drought-powered...
This is where that meteorologist's quote seems conflicting to me. First, here's the quote again:
Cities do produce a rain-shadow. Because of the additional particle matter (condensation nuclei) and heat they can wring out a little more rain out of a system. Sometimes the only place it?s raining is downwind from a major city."
That last sentence seems to imply that the seeding is causing it to rain downwind, as opposed to preventing it from raining downwind. But his use of the term "rain-shadow" in the first sentence seems to contradict this, because "rain-shadow" implies less rain downwind, as you mentioned, Edouard.
Have mercy on my low IQ soul, I just don't get it.
Keith
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Hi Keith and WeatherCat fans of our glorious leader - Stu! [rockon]
Google has nothing on Stu.
You can say that again!! [tup]
This is where that meteorologist's quote seems conflicting to me.
Well, the guy may not be able to express himself, but the concept makes sense from a physics point of view. Immediately downwind of a pollution generating region there should be more rainfall because of the cloud seeding effect. Locations further downwind from the pollution could therefore get less rain because their moisture supply has been effectively "stolen" by the upwind "seeding." It is a complex concept to describe - the guy could have described it wrong.
Cheers, Edouard [cheers1]
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Good explanation, Edouard. I buy that.
Okay, I'll watch that TV station again, regardless of their ruthless depiction of Cowboys games. (emoticon of a guy repeatedly hitting his own hand with a hammer)
By the way, my genuine condolences to England for their World Cup loss!!!! :'(
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By the way, my genuine condolences to England for their World Cup loss!!!! :'(
I second the motion.