Weather!

[Ann]

After a great and early start, spring came to a halt here in southern Sweden. The weather has been extremely gray, sort of opaque, and cold-ish, although it has stayed above freezing. Still, the weather hasn't been pleasant at all.

But today was sunny. Finally! Temperatures hit 8^oC, almost 9^o. Cats have been out sunning themselves, the flowers are more abundant, birds have begun their spring concerts, and I have seen the first butterfly of this season. I think it was a small tortoiseshell.

Ann

[Chris Peterson]

But today was sunny. Finally! Temperatures hit 8^oC, almost 9^o.

Sounds nice. We got dumped on yesterday- woke up to maybe 25cm of wet snow. It makes me optimistic we'll have good pastures this year, and lots of wildflowers.

Just finished about three hours of plowing snow, off the driveway, road, and neighbors drives. Then a few hundred meters of trails with the shovel. It's only just above freezing, but with the intense sun and a bit of labor, no need to dress warm!

[orin stepanek]

It is nice today; about 35F! We got powered overnight; just enough to cover everything; like hoarfrost on the ground!

[neufer]

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[b][color=#0000FF]The map above shows one of the satellite’s key measurements: the average rate of rainfall per day (shown the years 1998 to 2011). A band of heavy rain, called the Intertropical Convergence Zone, wraps around the planet near the equator.[/color][/b]

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Rainfall Going Global
EOS, March 11, 2014

. http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php? ... 98#p220898

<<In 1997, NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), launched the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) to learn more about the role of tropical rainfall in Earth’s water and energy cycles. Orbiting from 35° North to 35° South, the satellite carries the first space-based precipitation radar and a microwave imager designed to observe moderate to intense tropical rainfall.

Scientists wanted observations to improve their understanding of atmospheric circulation, one of Earth’s most important mechanisms for distributing energy from the sun-drenched tropics to Earth’s poles. Rainfall and evaporation play an important role in moving heat through the atmosphere. Evaporating water transfers energy to the atmosphere, which it releases as latent heat when water vapor condenses into cloud droplets and precipitation. This heat helps fuel winds and storms that move across the planet. Most of the latent heat in the atmosphere comes from tropical rainfall, but when TRMM launched, there were still huge uncertainties about how much tropical rain actually falls.

After 16 years, TRMM continues to provide important insights into tropical rainfall. But to fully understand the role of rainfall in the global water cycle, scientists need a planetary view—a view provided by the new Global Precipitation Mission (GPM) satellite. Launched on February 27, 2014, GPM flies in an orbit that takes it from 65° North to 65° South—an area including the TRMM data plus the lightly shaded gray area on the map above. This orbit allows the GPM to measure precipitation, including both rain and snow, everywhere except for the dark gray areas over the poles. The view expands measurements of precipitation to include population centers in the Northern Hemisphere, meaning GPM can be used to study extreme events in these locations. Scientists also will get a global view of precipitation, including the polar regions, by using GPM to calibrate observations from other satellites.

GPM also expands on the type of precipitation measurements. Like TRMM, the GPM satellite carries a precipitation radar, the Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar, and a microwave radiometer, the GPM Microwave Imager. While TRMM’s suite of instruments are optimized to measure moderate and heavy rain, they miss lighter rain and snow, two important components of the water cycle. The GPM instruments will measure all types of precipitation, observations that will help scientists better understand variability in the water cycle and the availability of fresh water; improve both weather and climate models; and improve hydrological models that help predict disasters like floods, droughts, hurricanes, and landslides. GPM is now in its 60-day check-out period, when mission operators test the health of the satellite and its instruments. On March 4, the satellite’s microwave radiometer started collecting data on rain and snowfall. Measurements made since then indicate that the instrument and satellite platform are working well. Ongoing mission updates are available on the GPM web site.>>

[MargaritaMc]

Someone may have already posted this, but I've only just come across it:

http://earthsky.org/earth/warm-u-s-west ... ge-january

Isn't this just like the joke that, to a statistician, if you have your feet in the fridge and head in the oven, on average, you are comfortable?

M

[geckzilla]

And yet, it's still not the whole truth. Global temperatures were warmer than average.

[Chris Peterson]

And yet, it's still not the whole truth. Global temperatures were warmer than average.

And beyond that, even temperatures only give a limited view. What drives the climate is energy, which in this case is heat. Temperature is a measure of heat, but it easily misunderstood. Vast amounts of heat can be stored in the ocean, for example, with only a very slight increase in temperature. It is the heat balance of the Earth that is currently messed up, and which is driving climate change. Trying to gauge that simply by looking at temperature is only of limited value.

[owlice]

Our local weather forecast...

[Ann]

I looked at the Swedish weather forecast for Washington, DC. Wednesday, a bit cold in the morning, some rain later in the day, top temperature, 4C. Thursday, nice! No rain, moderately sunny, 10C. Friday, 11C, getting cloudier in the evening, some rain at night. Saturday, well, TGIS! Some rain in the morning, but clearing up later, and 17C! Not bad!! Sunday, back to 9C, rather cloudy. Monday, freezing at night, about 4C in the afternoon. Tuesday, back to 9C, getting cloudier. Wednesday, that's a lot of rain in the wee hours!! But clearing up later that day, 3C.

And no bodies falling from the sky.

Ann

[mjimih]

to Chris's point
We might have already triggered some nasty climate change feedback loops, leading to more warming overall in the environment. Plus the increased speed of change in the location of ecosystems is troubling too.

I on the other hand have seen absolutely no sign of it here in Minneapolis all winter. We have endured a record breaking ugly winter. This tongue in cheek article explains the dire situation around here http://fourthcrown.wordpress.com/2014/0 ... minnesota/
Liquid Water Discovered on Surface of Minnesota

FORT LAUDERDALE—In a press conference held Tuesday morning, NASA officials have announced the discovery of liquid water on the surface of the region commonly referred to as Minnesota. The discovery has come as a surprise to the space exploration organization, which has listed the state of Minnesota as “unsuitable for any and all biotic life” since mid-November. Temperature trends extrapolated from four months of hard data had extensively confirmed the scientific community’s well-formed hypothesis that Minnesota temperatures were unlikely to shift above “subarctic status.”

“As we continue to develop our understanding of the incredible conditions in which life can develop, the discovery of liquid water in Minnesota is a indeed a watershed moment,” commented Major General Charles F. Bolden Jr., NASA’s chief administrator. “This planetary region has had all of its aquatic reserves trapped in large ice-masses due to extreme cold for an interminable length of time,” continued Bolden. “The discovery of unfrozen water visible from our high-powered satellites has inspired NASA to redouble our efforts to exhaustively decide if at any point this region could be home to an extremophile-type life form.”

NASA’s announcement has lent a new aura of credibility to the writings of many theorists who insist the Minnesota region plays home to a humanoid race of highly-robust organisms living on a diet consisting of nutrient-dense hot dishes, and whose culture revolves primarily around rotten football teams and complaining about their climate. These posits, best exemplified in the popular Coen Brothers film, Fargo, are still largely dismissed by the scientific community. Maj. Gen. Bolden addressed these unlikely propositions, asking viewers to reflect on “the inconsistencies between ‘intelligent’ Minnesotan life and our current Theory of Evolution. While popular culture may elevate the idea of a large tribe of suspiciously friendly bipods who stoically endure perennial beatings by the Green Bay Packers, this theory has no place in the rational realm of scientific thought.”

60f n sunny this Sunday woohoo!
Mark

[Ann]

We had a lovely day too, with 14-15^oC, with sunshine from a blue sky and not a lot of wind at all.

Ann

[owlice]

I picked daffodils from my back hill this morning though it was raining and my backyard has turned into its usual springtime pond (*squish* *squish* *squish* <-- walking to/from the hill). Now, the rain has turned to snow. I like snow, but ... but ... this just seems unkind!!

[orin stepanek]

Wow;it was supposed to be 22F this morning but it is actually 61F! It felt like a sauna outside at 6:00AM when I brought the paper in! 61F was supposed to be today's high!

[geckzilla]

Watch out for tumbleweed drifts if you venture down into the city, Chris. Haha, I know it must be bothersome for them but the video of cars pushing walls of tumbleweeds around is very funny to me.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/23/us/irpt-t ... -colorado/

[Chris Peterson]

Watch out for tumbleweed drifts if you venture down into the city, Chris. Haha, I know it must be bothersome for them but the video of cars pushing walls of tumbleweeds around is very funny to me.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/23/us/irpt-t ... -colorado/

Yeah, not a lot of that going on up here in the high country. Just the occasional bit of blowing bush.

[BMAONE23]

Must be the last stop on the Sage Coach trail

[Chris Peterson]

Yesterday we had four or five inches of heavy, wet snow. Sunny today, but maybe another few inches tomorrow. Then, more warm weather. That's springtime in the Rockies. And the pasque flowers tough it out just fine.

[bystander]

Near 80 yesterday, it's snowing now.

[Chris Peterson]

Near 80 yesterday, it's snowing now.

We had 6" of wet snow yesterday and last night, and woke up to 2°F this morning. Brilliant sun now, and all this snow's going to melt into the ground over the next day or two. Love the moisture at this time of year. I just harrowed the pastures, and with the water there's going to be grass in a few days. The horses and goats will be happy!

[Chris Peterson]

And... another 6" of heavy, wet snow last night. Haven't had a spring like this for years. This is the way things are supposed to be.

[Beyond]

Sounds, and looks like, you're having a regular good ol' Rocky Mountain High, this year. WHEEEEEEEEE

[Ann]

Lovely day yesterday. I cycled to Tirups Örtagård, Tirup's Herb garden, some fifteen kilometers from Malmö. It was harder to cycle there than I remembered, so I guess I'm out of shape.

Anyway, it was lovely! I passed some rapeseed fields that were just turning yellow. According to my local newspaper, this is the earliest recorded blooming of rapeseed in Sweden.

Click to view full size image

Cafe of Slottsträdgården. Photo: THERESRULESOK! http://www.djungeltrumman.se

It was nice in Tirup, but when I came back to Malmö again it was even nicer in our parks. I had some rhubarb pie with home made ice cream in the café of Slottsträdgården. It was quite lovely!

There is a nice windmill in Kungsparken, and when I was there the "wings" were suddenly moving. I went closer, and the wings stopped! Oh well, nowadays the wings are computer-controlled!

Click to view full size image

Photo: Ronny Åkerberg

All in all, the parks really were quite beautiful!

Ann

[Ann]

Well!! On Saturday I cycled to Tirup, some 15 kilometers from Malmö (but I also had to cycle about 6 kilometers to get out of Malmö in the first place). Going to Tirup I cycled mostly uphill in the hilly landscape, fighting a moderately stiff headwind.

On Sunday I cycled some 6 kilometers to a restaurant at the southern outskirts of Malmö. When I was going back again, my bicycle suddenly "had a breakdown"! It was the bottom bracket that suddenly gave up. Without a functioning bottom bracket, it is not possible to generate any power by pushing down the pedals of the bicycle.

Goodness me! I really, really, really need my bicycle!

(And what would have happened if my bicycle had broken down when I was halfway to Tirup on the day before?)

So it was Easter Sunday. Yes, but my favorite bicycle repair shop is run by some guys from Iraq. They don't care if it is Sunday or even if it is Easter Sunday, since Easter and Sunday are not important to them. I managed to cycle, very carefully, to that shop. Indeed, it was open, and the guy who was there yesterday promised to fix my bike the same day. He did it, too!!!

(And the weather? It was nice and warm, 20^oC, but it was quite windy.)

Ann

[Ann]

Click to view full size image

Testing the waters of the Strait of Öresund. Don't try it in April!!!
Photo: TT

As I wrote in my last post, the previous Saturday was a very nice day. The four days that followed it were also pretty nice, meaning that - would you believe it? - it is summer here in Malmö now! I kid you not! You see, here in Sweden, the meteorological definition of summer is that the 24-hour average temperature has been above 10^oC for five days in a row!

(And fall comes when the 24-hour average temperature has been below 10^oC for five days in a row, but fall "isn't allowed to" start until, say, August. In the same way, it doesn't matter how warm January might be, because spring "isn't allowed to start" until February 15. Those meteorologists!)

So now it is summer in Malmö, even if it certainly didn't feel much like it yesterday!

Ann

[Beyond]

Yeah, the changing seasons can be quite terrible exciting. Monday, for just a brief period, my thermometer pointer was doing it's darndess to hit 80F, before the rain came. Wednesday night and Thursday morning, it was just a few degrees above freezing, with a wind! Here it is Thursday night and there's a freeze warning for the Northern half of Connecticut. And yet, all week and even now, they've been calling for 60&deg; temperatures during the day. I think they've been putting something in their coffee!