So Cold It Blows

The forecast for a snowstorm that was supposed to be no big deal for my area turned out to be just that.  The coastal storm shifted more inland even as its pressure rapidly dropped with no floor in sight - a process called "bombogenesis," the word twisted out of proportion by on-camera TV meteorologists who want to scare people - and produced more snow than initially expected.  (Ain't that always the case?)  But the snowfall paled in comparison to the bitter winds and the equally bitter cold that have followed - temperatures are supposed to get below zero this weekend, and to respond to complaints from foreigners that I'm making too big a deal of sub-zero readings . . . I ain't talking Celsius!  (It's going to be 18 or 19 below Celsius, is that below zero enough for you fans of centigrade?)

To add insult to injury, even though temperatures are supposed to recover to a point above freezing by Monday, the "warmup" could be accompanied by rain and sleet.  And some forecasts haven't ruled out some sort of ice accretion in the Northeast next weekend.

Anyway, we in New Jersey got lucky.  The South Shore of Massachusetts - where some of my friends live - got hit hard, particularly Kingston and Scituate. Maine and Nova Scotia got hit worse.  There should be a January thaw for the Northeast and the Canadian Maritimes soon, but February could see more of what we just had.

Winter is only beginning . . .

The latest hijinks in Trump World?  Relax, I'll get to it.

Like a Hurricane

Hurricane Earl did damage and caused flooding in North Carolina's Outer Banks and should graze southeastern New England. In the greater New York area, it's been a mixed bag. Earl has brought heavy rain to Long Island -a show at the Jones Beach amphitheater was canceled as a result - but much of the metropolitan area was spared. A tropical storm watch was actually in effect for inland northern New Jersey and a tropical storm warning was issued for the entire New Jersey coastline. I can't speak for the Jersey Shore, but in Essex County, twenty miles west of New York City, we were supposed to get showers or possibly a heavy and consistent rainfall.

We haven't gotten a single drop.

Even the wind was light. I forgot to take in some plastic lawn chairs, but it turns out I need never have bothered.

So, my mother and I were spared a sixteenth power outage for the year. Of course, on our block, the power can go out without warning on a calm, clear day.

In fact the power in my house could just as easily be out by the time you read this.

Meanwhile, Earl is going by so quickly, they call it Speedo. ;-)