Old Weather Lore and what you had for dinner
Watch the onion skins. Old lore says the thickness of some fruits and
vegetables is a signal of weather coming.
ÝÝ Onion skins very thin,
ÝÝ Mild Winter coming in;
ÝÝ Onion skins thick and tough,
ÝÝ Coming Winter cold and rough.
The same apparently holds true for apple skins. Also, garlic gets harder
to peel when thin. And if corn husks are thick and tight it was said to be
a tough winter ahead.
Hickey and Auer of course never mention the moon. But Bob McDavitt says
the metservice are always looking at new techniques..so long as those
techniques don't have the word 'moon' in them. Do you think they might
consider then, an Onion Skin Report? People have always cried when peeling
onions. Perhaps when the skins were thicker it saddened them because they
foresaw heftier power bills looming.
It was often said that the nearer the New Moon was to Christmas Day, the harder would be the Winter. Well, December 25 2000 was ALSO the day of the New Moon, and indeed the winter of 2000/2001 in many parts of the northern hemisphere such as USA and Russia, the season has been particularly severe. However, on December 25 2001, the new Moon is on 15th, well away. Indications are that our winter down here WILL be mild and the northern hemisphere often follows our trend. So perhaps there's something in that.
The Moon being closest to earth all year on 7th February will bring very high tides as it coincides with a Full Moon on 8th and a northern declination on 6th. Cyclone Terri fortunately did not spread here, and my feeling in the last ezine was borne out that some effects would be felt around the 4th - 6th in Northland, but mostly the cyclone would drift across to the northeast of the country, well clear of us.
I don't think we have seen the last of earthquake activity around India. The next big shake will probably be somewhere in the world around February 8th or 9th.Ý Southern hemisphere areas with fault lines running north/south are in the potential danger zone, and correspondingly, northern hemisphere locations with east/west fault lines. Watch out El Salvador, Japan and Indonesia.
One moon cycle ago almost to the day, a huge supercell thunderstorm produced 4 tornadoes as it crossed the Houston TX area. It was also accompanied by 80-mph winds and tennis ball size hail, which caused widespread damage. One of the twisters devastated a mobile home park and the David Hooks Airport, causing 2 deaths and 80 injuries.
Last weekend, 3rd/4th
I said to expect a little more weather action. Fine in the North Is. on
Saturday, but a trough coming up from the SW did bring some light warm
rain on Sunday, mixed with fine intervals.
Next
It will be dry now right to the 16th Feb. in Auckland, interrupted only by
some cloud on Thursday.
Best fishing, according to the moon, in coming weeks will be February 7th-9th and February 22nd -24th.
A correspondent writes 'Today I read in the paper that for those years that the ocean surface temperatures in the target area in the Pacific is neither above or below normal, that the year should be called -- pay attention now - a "La Nada" year.Ý For those who don't know much about the Spanish language, this means "The Nothing".Ý This is a "Nothing" year (so far) and it means that there could be a severe spring flood in Sacramento, or perhaps not.Ý Very informative. Don't these people have something better to do?
Hi Ken,
I am competing in the 'Coast To Coast' one day race being held on 10 Feb.
I am wondering what your prediction will be for the West Coast ( Hokitika
way) of the South Island, thru to the Alps and over into the Canterbury
plains and into Christchurch.
I would love to know your thoughts.
Thanks very much,
Grant
(There will be some wind, but conditions clearing, not too hot and any
showers not lasting. The prognosis is for improving and more settled
weather -K)
Ken.
Urgently need rain for my tanks at Onewhero (Tuakau South)
Will I have to get tanker in, or should I wait a little longer.
Thanks
Ross
(I make it only about 4 potential rain days around south Auckland (as close
as I can get to
you) in February. That's 4th-5th, 18th-19th, 25th-27th. Might have to
consider the tanker. - K).
Today, in Northwest Connecticut, we received 18 inches of snow beginning
around 11 am this morning.Ý This came as a big surprise to me.Ý Early this
morning I looked out the window and it was overcast and gloomy. By 2 pm I
decided to take another peek out the window, and it was a blizzard with
about 8 inches of snow blanketing the landscape.Ý I could find nothing
that would have indicated a prediction for a storm like this.Ý
Cely
(Call it coincidence if you will, but at 11am this morning you had the
Moon exactly at IC, meaning at the lowest point in the atmospheric tide,
meaning atmosphere above you severely reduced to the minimum amount. This
happens every day anyway, and at a time that suits the phase, but the huge
perigee magnifies everything. All tides, on sea and in air, are biggest
and lowest at this time. It snowed because the density of air above you
was extremely low, and
with little atmospheric blanket to prevent it, the cold of space rushed in
with a snow dump. The combination of northern declination, Full Moon
approaching, perigee and IC is spelling trouble all over the planet. Not
to trivialise your local event, there'll be a million stories of extra
gales, cloudbursts, snowdumps, heatwaves, thunderstorms and whatever else
the local conditions can serve up right now but especially at IC, rise or
set times and 45, 135,
225 and 315deg. We're getting past 1st Q Moon now, but one should nearly
always expect something of an event during the morning of a 1st Q Moon,
even if it's just extra cloud, coolness, heat etc until the moon gets up
above the horizon and restores some protection- K)
Hi Ken
I was wondering if you got time would you be able to give me idea what the
weather might be on Stewart Island Between Feb 13 & 21. I have booked a
hunting trip there and was hoping to stay warm and dry, what are my
chances.
Pete
(I only have past data for Invercargill. So it'll be only a rough guide.
Typical Last Quarter mean and ratty weather. But looks mild in
temperature, I'd say take a coat, no need for suntan lotion. Warm but not
dry -K)
Hi Ken,
I'm the Parade Coordinator for the Hero Parade 2001.Ý I've heard you on
Bfm and heard only good things about your work. As I'm sure you're aware
the Parade relies on good weather (as much as one ever can).Ý We've had a
few nasties in the past and just wondering if you are able to give us any
more detail on Sat Feb 17th.
Larissa
(The 17th is not a particularly good date. I'm guessing for drizzle on the
Saturday and quite a shower on Sunday 18th. But it will be even worse the
following Saturday, when I'm expecting a downpour. In fact not till March
10th is there a good Saturday, unless you went for the 10th or 11th of
this month which is going to be dry but probably a little too close to
organize for-K)
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