Next Tuesday should see a bit of swell on surf beaches, after we move on from the light conditions due to the moon's apogee (furthest from earth) last Tuesday. Tuesday week, 4th-7th April, should see some really big waves returning.
In the last posting we said that on March 21st Auckland would get light showers. Well, it was cloudy that day with rain in Coromandel. We also said the rain would come a few days later on the 26th and indeed the rain does look imminent around the 26th for many districts, even according to our friends the metservices. The March New Moon crosses the equator heading north on Sunday March 25th.Ý This is a double moon-event which should ensure shower activity for many areas after Monday, yes, including Blenheim! Let's all hope so.
Some hardy souls made it to the several thousand year old Auckland marker system on the summit of Mt Albert to witness the equinox sunrise on the morning of Tuesday 20th, when the rising sun appeared exactly above the ancient heel stone. The sky was relatively clear and although we were a day early it was just as well as the next day was definitely too cloudy. That (Tuesday) evening some 30 of us assembled on Stockade Hill in Howick, where once a stone circle stood, to watch the equinox sunset, the ball of fire skimming the man-made "V" cut thousands of years ago into Mt Wellington. We were all rewarded with a fantastic sight enjoyed by all who attended. The next time this happens will be September 22nd at 6.10am and 6.07pm
Next best fishing in March according to the moon will be 24th-26th. On Sunday the New Moon occurs and it crosses the equator. New Moon always brings excellent fishing prospects, and the crossing-equator factor speeds up dormant weather systems that have become slow-moving. Don't bother fishing at all on 28th/29th.
Last week we said a bit of rain around 23rd and more around 26th. Auckland indeed had rain in the afternoon and overnight on the 23rd. The 26th is still to come. The New Moon(on Sunday) nearly always brings rain before and after.
Thanks to Rex Mossman, who sent me a snow report summary dating back to 1953 prepared by the late John Mazey, we now have a better picture of expectable snow for years to come. Plugging what I know of the repeatability of moon cycles, my interpretation of the data leads me to predict that this year will be a good snow year; skiable level 5000-5200 feet. Light falls are possible around the middle and definitely at the end of May, the end of the first week in June and end of June; pretty good around mid July; at the end of August; and really good in September with the good falls ending around mid October.
REAL facts from a scientific point of view, www.globalwarming.org
Dear Ken
I have two friends, one a legal executive, the other a lawyer; who both
comment that court staff hate it when the full moon happens over a
weekend.Ý When this occurs, Monday morning sees the courts clogged with
those within the community who "go looney" with the full moon.
Interesting that someone commented on a rise in suicide activity during
the full moon phase.
Regards
Dianne (Warkworth)
Hi Ken,
I've just been looking at your weather predictions for the 26th onward. I
hope we on the Hauraki Plains are going to be blessed with some of these
rains. I have decided I'm not watching anymore of TV1's weather because
every time Jim Hickey predicts more fine weather I feel like throwing a
brick through the TV. Yes Ken we milk cows. Why an earth for I don't know.
Every time there's a drought one asks oneself why are we doing this??
Every year the big test gets thrown at us. It's 11.55pm and hubby and I
have just gotten in from milking, we are on a 16 hour milking program.
Keep up the good work, Ken, I always look forward to your monthly weather
predictions.
Regards
Marg(Thames)
Hi Ken,
Bad luck that the low out in the Tasman is stationery although your theory
of the moon being in southern monthly declination point (see pg 100 in
your book) suggested to me that this may occur!! I've told all the skinny
sheep to cross their hooves for wet weather next week.
Cheers
Jenny(Nelson)
Ken
Do you know where I can find a graph or a table (on the web) of this Lunar
declination over many years? -- I'd like to check this correlation... I'm
still not convinced that there is much sense in working with the moon's
atmospheric tide and phase cycles. But the declination cycle looks
interesting.Ý
And all the best
Bob McDavitt
(Hi Bob
Nice to hear from you. As for lunar declinations, yes, that's where it's
at - I found early on in my mapping of the place that the Stonehenge
people were crazy over them. The whole site is set up for measuring them.
But to track the lunar declinations down here one must either make one's
own stone circle (which I have done) or use an ASTROLOGICAL programme -
almost any will give you the daily and hourly lunar declination for any
location. There's quite a few shareware ones on the web but I purchased
'Solar Maps' and 'Janus 2' from Astrology House in Eden Terrace. They give
me all I need. - K)
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