Moods of the sky behind our weather instruments 2020-21

[xairbusdriver]

Here's hoping you have to remove that cap soon and for a long time!

[elagache]

Dear WeatherCat observers of the season's turning,

The large quasi-static dome of high pressure that has been dominating the entire United States has been moving monsoonal moisture westward.  Unfortunately, Northern California is too far away to benefit from any rains, but we are getting some unusual clouds.  Here is what the sky looked like shortly after sunrise:



It appears that the summer doldrums will be continuing for a while.  All we can do is cope with it as best we can.

Cheers, Edouard

[elagache]

Dear WeatherCat observers of the seasons turning,

In the "new normal" for California, during summer it is only a matter of time before smoke from wildfires blows over populated areas.  The San Francisco Bay Area had avoided this fate until now because there was a relatively constant sea-breeze.  Yesterday the winds shifted until they blew from the Northeast and that brought the smoke from the Siskiyou and Trinity county fires.  For the first time in our area, the air quality dipped into the unhealthy range.

Overnight, the sea-breezes did clear out the smoke at ground level, but there is a hot air mass above us and the smoke remains trapped there.  This morning I took this hazardous shot before the sun got too high on the horizon:



So far the wildfire season has not been as bad as last year, but seasonally the worst of the risk is still months away.

Such are da' conditions that prevail here in the western parts of the United States (and other places in the world as well.)

Oh well, . . . . . Edouard

[Blicj11]

Smoke from the California fires has been the worst we've every experienced here and we are 700+ miles (1127+ km) from the Dixie Fire. Smoke has been pouring into the Great Basin and blocking out visibility. On top of the drought, this is packing quite a punch.

[elagache]

Dear Blick and WeatherCat victims of the conditions in the western United States,

Smoke from the California fires has been the worst we've every experienced here and we are 700+ miles (1127+ km) from the Dixie Fire. Smoke has been pouring into the Great Basin and blocking out visibility. On top of the drought, this is packing quite a punch.

Sorry to hear about your poor visibility.  The images from the GOES-West satellite are very impressive.  We are still some time away from the end of the monsoon season and the risk of dry lightning.  The National Weather Service has definitely taken up its new task of watching for potential wildfire causing weather.

Oh well, . . . . .  Edouard

[elagache]

Dear WeatherCat observers of the seasons turning,

The autumnal equinox is now about 2-1/2 weeks away and the days are definitely getting shorter.  We are in another spell of hot weather being caused by the traditional "four corners" dome of high pressure which does intrude as far as California from time to time.  Being at the edge of that dome, monsoonal moisture can be carried by the clockwise flow around the high pressure into our area.  Some of those clouds created this pleasant display this morning:



I definitely don't like the heat or the low humidities, but I'll take the pretty clouds as something of a compensation! 

Cheers, Edouard 

[elagache]

Dear WeatherCat observers of the seasons turning,

Time does seem to fly no matter what you are experiencing these days.  Tomorrow is the autumnal equinox.  As always the Time and Date website has a page with the local times around the world:

https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?iso=20210922T1921&msg=September%20Equinox%202021

About two weeks ago, I captured this photo of the monsoon clouds which certainly has a certain drama to it:



We certainly find ourselves in times of great tumult and uncertainty.  It is up to each one of us to take in the present and make our own meaning out of things given what we believe and hope for.

Edouard 

[bcurry]

The sunrise at our house here in Nova Scotia on the autumnal equinox.



Bill

[elagache]

Dear Bill and WeatherCat observers of the seasons changing,

The sunrise at our house here in Nova Scotia on the autumnal equinox.

That's a beautiful picture!  Thanks Bill for sharing!

I'm sure it feels a lot more like autumn in your location than it will here in California for perhaps months!

Cheers, Edouard 

[Blicj11]

Love the photo Bill, thanks for sharing.