Tag: weather

SoCS: tornado?

I live in the Southern Tier of New York State and, like many places on earth, we’ve had weather weirding going on as a result of climate change, caused primarily by the burning of fossil fuels. (Yes, even in Stream of Consciousness, I need to make sure I am clear on the science I present on my blog!)

This summer, we’ve had lots of big temperature swings. We’ve had lines of thunderstorms that have had high winds. That isn’t unusual for us but what is unusual is the level of damage we are seeing.

Sometimes, it is straight line winds but this year we have had an unusual number of tornados. On the weather report on television a few days, if I’m remembering correctly, we had had 12 confirmed tornados in the state so far this year, well above our average of 5. (I’m not sure if those are the correct figures as I may have misremembered, so don’t quote me on them without checking first.)

Fortunately, the tornados near us have been small and on the weaker side of the F scale they use to grade tornados. Still, they have broken trees and damaged buildings in their path.

There have been some other areas where there was similar damage but caused by straight line winds. The chief meteoraligist from channel 12 was able to go out with the National Weather Service personnel on investigation of a possible tornado. They were explaining how they tell the difference between tornados and straight line winds by looking at the debris pattern. With a tornado, the trees will fall in different directions, whereas with straight line winds the trees will fall in the same direction. I’m sure there are other factors that they observe to make their determinations, especially the radar signatures during the storm, but they always look at the debris patterns before making a final determination.

There are so many people in the US and around the world suffering from weather-related disasters these days. I’m living in a place that has been luck this year compared to so many other places. For me, all these weather events are reminders that we need to move as quickly as possible away from fossil fuels to try to keep further increases of these disasters at bay.

Let’s go!
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Linda’s prompt for Stream of Consciosness Saturday this week is “wind.” Join us! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2026/07/24/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-25-2026/

SoCS: in a brain fog

Sometimes, I remember what I used to know and be able to do.

Sometimes, I can’t.

The brain fog from the cerebellar ectopia is perhaps being made worse by my decline in kidney function.

Or maybe by the summer weather.

Hard to say.

It’s scary, though, especially because it’s been going on for over two years now. There is hope for untangling all the underlying factors and treating them – or, at least, some of them – but probably no guarantee of getting back all my lost functionality.

Sometimes, I manage to be hopeful in a realistic sort of way.

Sometimes, not so much.

Today, not so much.
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Linda’s prompt for Stream of Consciosness Saturday this week is to begin the post with “Sometimes.” Join us! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2026/07/17/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-18-2026/

coming storm

Here in upstate New York, we are preparing for a few days of severe winter weather. First, cold temperatures and wind, followed by a significant snowstorm with over a foot (1/3 meter) of snow expected.

The three of us have our supplies on board and expect to be in most of the weekend. I might make it to church for vigil on Saturday or might have to do online services. I expect my Sunday afternoon rehearsal will be cancelled.

Of course, the storm could change course, but better safe than sorry.

This post is part of Linda’s Just Jot It January. Join us! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2026/01/23/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-23rd-2026/

One-Liner Wednesday: Project 2025 and NOAA

Project 2025, the lengthy document spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation to lay out plans for the “conservative president” they expect to be elected this year, calls for disbanding NOAA (National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration), the United States’ premier agency for weather, ocean, and climate data and research. (p. 664)

This public service message is brought to you through Linda’s One-Liner Wednesday series. Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2024/07/31/one-liner-wednesday-particularly-pretty/

SoCS: health update

So, here is a reminder for those of you caught under a heat dome as we are here in the Northeast US at the moment: Drink plenty of water.

“Water” is Linda’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday this week and, as always, you are invited to join us.

Admittedly, I’m mostly posting today for SoCS not to talk about water but to let people know that I’ve finally managed to do the health update I promised at SoCS last week.

And now, I need to rest.

Maybe I should have some more water first.

eclipse thoughts

(2017 Photo by Scott Szarapka on Unsplash)

One Monday, April 8th, there was a solar eclipse over a wide swath of North America. At my home in central New York, we were close to the path of totality with 97% of the sun obscured.

We dutifully bought eclipse glasses but the afternoon was very cloudy. During the time of maximum coverage of the sun, we did notice that it became darker, darker than you expect from cloud cover, even from a thunderstorm. A few minutes after it lightened again, it began to rain.

Meanwhile, many people were expressing their awe and wonder at viewing the eclipse. Some had travelled many miles, even internationally, to see it. All were subject to the vagaries of weather, but most were lucky to have good conditions for viewing. Even people who weren’t able to see the eclipse expressed gratitude at being part of an excited crowd putting aside divisions to look up together.

As I’ve been reflecting on the eclipse experience, I find myself wondering if I would have felt the same mystical sense of awe that others have been describing. Perhaps it is my practical New England upbringing or my study of science or my overall sense of respect for creation but I have trouble separating the eclipse from other natural phenomena. Should I feel more wonder at an eclipse than I do for a broken, blue shell that recently sheltered a baby robin or a riot of forsythia blossoms or the ancient rocks worn smooth by the brook or the full moon?

While I do appreciate the effect that the eclipse had to bring people together, I had no desire to be part of a crowd. Granted, I am the type of introvert who is always uncomfortable in a crowd, however noble or friendly its purpose.

Did you experience this eclipse or one in a different time and place? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

a change in the weather

We went from having a winter storm warning over the weekend to having flash flood and high wind warnings today as we have a rainstorm with above freezing temperatures.

The increasing volatility of weather, including extreme weather, is sometimes called “weather weirding” and is evidence of climate change. It’s occurring everywhere in the world and is most pronounced in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. While the rising global temperatures don’t cause particular weather systems, they do turbocharge them.

World leaders in government and business, take action now! Believe the scientists, not the greenwashing of fossil fuel companies.
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Join us for Linda’s Just Jot It January! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2024/01/09/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-9th-2024/

One-Liner Wednesday: London snow

My granddaughters after a rare snowfall in London, UK – excited 5-year-old ABC who remembers snow from living with us in upstate NY when she was little and 2-year-old JG who had never experienced snow.

Join us for Linda’s One-Liner Wednesdays! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2022/12/14/one-liner-wednesday-the-lost-days/

not quite back home

We are back in the US but won’t make it home until tomorrow. We have at least a three hour drive tomorrow. We are hoping the forecast freezing rain does not materialize…

This jot is part of Linda’s Just Jot It January. Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2022/01/07/the-friday-reminder-for-socs-jusjojan-2022-daily-prompt-jan-8th/ . No logos today. It feels like 1:45 AM at this point.

being more northerly

Some people in the Binghamton NY area where I live have the unfortunate habit of thinking that the area has the cloudiest weather possible.

They have not been in London UK in winter. There has been very little sunshine in the nearly two weeks we have been here. This is partly due to cloud cover which is nearly constant. There hasn’t been that much rain, though there is some. It’s also quite breezy, all of which is typical of winter here.

The other reason that there isn’t much sunshine is because the amount of daylight available at this latitude is much shorter than it is in Binghamton. On December 22nd, when I arrived in London, there were nine hours and six minutes of daylight in Binghamton, but only seven hours and 54 minutes here.

One thing that is in evidence here, as elsewhere around the world, is weather weirding. It has been very warm for winter here. E has only seen frost one morning so far and the temperatures here have stayed almost entirely in the 10s Celsius (50s Fahrenheit). It’s unusual for it to stay this warm for this long in winter, which is typically, while not the cold and snow of the US Northeast, chillier and closer to freezing than what we are seeing this year. We are also having a warmer than normal early winter back home. In both places, it’s likely the climate-change induced impacts to the jet stream in conjunction with the ocean currents causing the unusual warmth.

At least none of us are having to shovel snow…
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Join us for Linda’s Just Jot It January! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2022/01/03/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-3rd-2022/