Weather --Miscellaneous observations from the Twin Tiers, Reflections on temperature, precipitation, and weather-related songs Options

[bingobobbo]

I have a weather-related fetish, especially regarding temperatures. One comes to mind from 28 years ago today, also a Saturday. I was hoping for a high of 40 degrees or higher at our local weather station (near Binghamton, NY), but i was at SUNY-Oswego. On Jan. 29, 1983 they were predicting a high of 40-45 after a morning low of 20. Since I did not see the next day's paper, I did not find out the high for Jan. 29 for a long time. It seemed as though it would be 38-41 degrees. Two days later I was able to figure out the mean temperature for that day because our local paper had degree day statistics. I surmised that the mean temperature was 28 degrees, so I figured, with a minimum of 20 degrees, we only reached 36 degrees. However, a few weeks later I was looking through old newspapers at my parents' house and discovered that we had reached exactly 40 degrees after a low of 15. Radiational cooling had dropped the temperatures bigtime, even in the higher elevations--where the local station was. Making it to 40 degrees, especially in the hills, was a big deal in January during the late 1970s and early 1980s because it was rare. And it occurred on a sunny day--40-plus degree days in January were usually accompanied by a wind-blown rain during the 1975-86 period.

[bingobobbo]

Whenever a big snowstorm is coming, I commemorate by listening to U@ and Green Day's "The Saints Are Coming." It is actually inspired by Hurricane Katrina, but the song reminds me of an impending snowstorm for some reason. Here are other snowstorms and the songs that reminded me of them--most are urgent or ominous-sounding songs:

January 1964 Snowstorm Outta Limits-Marketts (a song I vaguely remember)
December 1966 storm I'm Not Your Steppin' Stone-Monkees
December 1969 Blizzard: Holly Holy-Neil Diamond; Arizona-Mark Lindsay
December 1970 snow: Stoney End-Barbra Streisand
March 1971 snow blitz: Wild World-Cat Stevens
February 1972 blizzard: Day After Day-Badfinger
November/December 1977 storms: Swingtown-Steve Miller
January 1978--three storms in one week--Dance, Dance, Dance-Chic
February 1978 storm: Stayin' Alive-Bee Gees
Christmas 1978 snowstorm: Hold the Line-Toto
January 1983 snowstorm: Dirty Laundry-Don Henley
April 1983 mid-month rain/snow blitz: Welcome to Heartlight-Kenny Loggins; Billie Jean-Michael Jackson
December 1985 lake effect (Oswego, NY): Broken Wings-Mr. Mister
January 1987 storm: Livin' on a Prayer-Bon Jovi
December 1989 storm: Just Between You and Me-Lou Gramm
March 1993 Blizzard: Walk on the Ocean-Toad the Wet Sprockett; Rhythm Is a Dancer-Snap
January 1994 storms: Heartbeats Accelerating-Linda Ronstadt; Come to My Window-Melissa Etheridge
February 1995 Snowstorm: In Your Time-Bob Seger
December 1995/January 1996 Snowstorms: Wonderwall-Oasis; The World I Know-Collective Soul
December 1997 snow: Walking on the Sun-Smashmouth
January 2000 storms: Blue-Eiffel 65
March 2001 snow: One More Time-Daft Punk
January 2003 storm: Lose Yourself-Eminem
February 2003 storm: I'm With You-Avril Lavigne
January 2005 blizzard: Bullet and a Target-Citizen Cope
February/March 2005 storm: Boulevard of Broken Dreams-Green Day
Valentine's Day 2007 Storm: The Saints Are Coming-U2/Green Day
February 2010 Snowicane Storm: Uprising-Muse
February 2011 Storm: Rolling in the Deep-Adele; National Ransom-Elvis Costello

[bingobobbo]

FAVORITE QUOTES FROM ACCU WEATHER FORUMS--2009

Note: The first quote is from December 2008. This is a list of the favorite quotes I have come across from fellow forum posters in the last two years and three months. These quotes all made my weekly top 100 quote chart, usually the Friday after the quote was said.

PART 1--2009

1. THIS IS CRITICAL BECAUSE IT COULD MEAN PHASING
FURTHER EAST, WHICH WOULD RESULT IN A DEVELOPMENT
OF LOW PRESSURE ALONG THE COAST RATHER THAN ONE
WHICH ESSENTIALLY RIDES UP THE ALPS!—THE SWISS ALPS?
LOL, U MEAN APPS?
From Boston Winter, 12-28-08; first quote from Accuweather Forums to reach my top 100, reaching #78.
2. IF THERE IS AN AFTERLIFE FOR SNOW LOVERS,
PHILADELPHIA IS HECK
BES21 from Accu Weather Forums; was first quote from the forums to reach my top 50.
3. EARLIER ICE + EARLIER WARMTH = EARLIER UMBRELLA
NYC Suburbs, 1-27-09; was first quote from the forums to reach the top 40
4. JUST STARTED SNOWING HERE, MUCH LATER THAN
REALLY WAS FORECASTED, WHICH WILL PROBABLY DROP
AMOUNTS AS IF IT EVEN MATTERS AT THIS POINT. THIS
IS JUST GOING TO BECOME A DRIVING RAINSTORM
TOMORROW, A COLD, VERY PAINFUL RAIN STORM. AFTER
ALL THE COLD AIR WE'VE HAD AROUND, FINALLY THE
MOISTURE COMES AND IT DOES WHAT IT ALWAYS SEEMS
TO DO. UGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH.
JWilson from Philadelphia, circa 1-28-09
5. I SAID BACK IN NOVEMBER THAT THIS WAS TO BE A LA
NIÑA WINTER....MANY POSTERS SLAMMED ME...GUESS
WHAT IT WAS A LA NIÑA....NANANANANANA!!!!!!!!
Crankee Yankee, May 2009
6. YEAH, CAN'T RULE THINGS OUT FOR THE HIGHER
ELEVATIONS. HOWEVER, THE 540 LINE IN OCTOBER IS LIKE
THE 540 LINE IN APRIL Weather Junkie ; from his post of 10-6-09
7. THE ACORNS STARTED FALLING IN MY POOL IN AUGUST
AND THEY’RE STILL FALLING ALL OVER THE PLACE; MY
BACKYARD IS COVERED IN THEM
Noreastero93 ; from his post of 10-12-09
8. I SEEM TO ONLY CASH IN ON THESE WEAK CLIPPER EVENTS.
OTHERWISE THE STORM IS TOO WEST AND IT RAINS,
STORMS TOO FAR EAST AND ITS JUST A LITTLE SNOW OR
THE STORM IS JUST RIGHT BUT THE AIR IS TOO DRY
AND CAUSES VIRGA.
From Hckyplayer8, late November 2009
9. THAT SECONDARY DOESN'T REALLY DEVELOP OVER WATER.
IT DEVELOPS INLAND. USUAL SUSPECTS INLAND WILL HAVE
A SHOT AT SOME WINTRY PRECIP. USUAL SUSPECTS THAT
GET NOTHING BUT RAIN WILL GET NOTHING BUT RAIN.
Weatherjunkie, from a Dec. 6, 2009 storm post
10. …BY TOMORROW WE SHOULD ALL SEE A RISE IN DEW
POINTS, OTHERWISE WE WILL HAVE AN ALL OUT VIRGA
BLIZZARD, IT WOULD BE A BIRD STORM
(NOT A FISH STORM).
From NYC Suburbs (12-18-09)
11. PERSONALLY I COULDN'T CARE LESS IF THEY
WISHCAST, BITTERCAST, SWEETCAST, SOURCAST,
FLYCAST, OR ANY OTHER KIND OF CAST. I
MEAN NO MATTER IF YOU ARE A PART TIME WEATHER
WEENIE OR A PROFESSIONAL METEOROLOGIST, THE
WEATHER IS GONNA DO WHAT THE WEATHER IS
GONNA DO, NO MATTER HOW WELL PEOPLE THINK
THEY CAN "FORECAST".-
Umfkgrad02, 12-19-09; was first quote from the forums to reach the top 20 of my quote list

[bingobobbo]

FAVORITE QUOTES FROM FORUMS, 2010

Note: There is one quote from late 2009 I had forgotten to insert into my 2009 list, so I've included it here. I was primarily a lurker for much of 2010 because I had trouble logging in.

. IT'S SNOWING SO HARD HERE IN NW NJ I CAN'T
BELIEVE IT!!!!...............TOO BAD IT ISN'T
HITTING THE GROUND.
Missmarisa, from her post of 12-19-09; about the frustrating virga "storm" of Dec. 19

. THERE'S LAKE EFFECT SNOW AND THEN THERE'S FINGER
LAKE EFFECT SNOW. JUST PURE AWESOMENESS.
Logan Tyler, 1-8-10

. WELL, LIKE I SAID...IT'S 15 DAYS AND EVERY DAY OF THAT
15 DAYS FLUCTUATES WILDLY EVERY DAY. LOL.
Posted by Garrett on 8-28-10

. IT IS ALWAYS A MYSTERY WHAT EACH HURRICANE
SEASON WILL BRING
From Weatherlord; found in late summer

. PLEASE BE SURE TO COME BACK HERE AND POST
YOUR STORM OBSERVATIONS...WE LIKE TO HEAR
FIRSTHAND WHAT THE WEATHER IS DOING OUT
THERE...ESPECIALLY AFTER TRACKING AND
FORECASTING SOMETHING FOR OVER 10 DAYS! IF
YOU CAN TAKE PICTURES OR VIDEO....PLEASE
CONSIDER OPENING A FREE PHOTO GALLERY ACCOUNT
TO SHARE YOUR PICTURES AND VIDEO
Miss Marisa, from her post of 9-2-10

. I SURE HOPE WE GET A FEW BIG MILLER B'S CHARGING UP
THE COAST THIS WINTER-THAT WOULD BE GREAT SINCE
WE HAD NOTHING LAST YEAR HERE IN SNE!!
Said by Snowrider on Oct. 15, 2010

. SHOOTS A POLAR AIR MASS STRAIGHT INTO THESE
WITHOUT BARELY ANY MODERATION... SOUNDS
LIKE GFS FANTASY LAND TO ME
From NYC Suburbs. 11-8-10--about a much-ballyhooed November cold snap that never materialized

. THE WEATHER IS ALWAYS CHANGING. IT MAY NOT BE
CHANGING NOTICEABLY AT YOUR CURRENT LOCATION
BUT IT IS SOMEWHERE THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY
THAT WILL LIKELY HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON WHAT
YOUR CONDITIONS WILL BECOME AND THOUSANDS OF
MILES AWAY FROM THAT SYNOPTIC EVENT IS ANOTHER
SYNOPTIC EVENT THAT HAS A DIRECT CORRELATION TO
THAT EVENT. ALL TIED TOGETHER IN THE WILD NATURE
OF GLOBAL THERMAL AND WIND CIRCULATION
Said by Hckyplayer8 on 11-21-10; the highest charting quote on my top 100 from the forums to date, reaching #18 in February 2011; spent three months on the chart.

. WOW....ALL THIS COLD AIR HANGING AROUND, AND
WOULDN’T YA KNOW IT JUST AS SOON AS WE GET SOME
PRECIP THROWN IN.....IT'S JUST A LIL’ BIT TOO WARM FOR
SNOW AND WE END UP WITH A DREARY COLD RAIN
Fire/Rescue, 12-5-10

. IT'S ONE THING TO FORECAST NO SNOW, AND NOT GET
ANY, THEN THERE'S NO DISAPPOINTMENT. BUT WHEN
THEY TELL YOU "EXPECT HEAVY SNOW AND
ACCUMULATIONS UP TO 8" ", AND YOU GET NOTHING
WHATSOEVER, THAT'S JUST CRUEL.
Said by Letitsnow, 12-6-10

. I'M NOT EXPECTING ANYTHING, AS A SNOW LOVER IT’S
AWESOME WATCHING THIS STORM DEVELOP AND SEEING
EVERYONE ELSE'S REACTION. HOWEVER, I DO THINK THAT
HAVING A THREAD FOR BOTH THE MID-ATLANTIC AND THE
NORTHEAST TOGETHER KIND OF CAUSES THIS - WITH SUCH A
LARGE AREA COVERED IT’S BOUND TO HAPPEN DUE TO THE
OBVIOUS DIFFERENCES IN OUTCOMES. THIS MEANS THAT
ANYONE DISCUSSING THEIR WEATHER (OR LACK OF WEATHER)
OFTEN GETS LABELED AS BITTERCASTING OR WISHCASTING.
MY INTENTION IS NOT TO BUG ANYONE, BUT SIMPLY TO
DISCUSS THE WEATHER IN MY AREA. BUT ENOUGH OF THAT,
THIS STORM IS MASSIVE AND I NEED TO KEEP
REFRESHING THIS PAGE
Said by JohnK on 12/26/10

. YOU NEED TO POST WHERE YOU ARE LOCATED...WE
HAVE NO IDEA IF YOU ARE IN VA OR NH OR SOME
POINT IN BETWEEN.
From Missmarisa's post of 12/26/10—about a snowstorm that missed us, naturally

[bingobobbo]

Since there are no current temperature threads to post in, I will post in the thread I created last winter. The "cool" spell starting Auygust 3 was a bust for us because temperatures since then here have been very close to average.

This August broke the 1959 Binghamton record for rainfall. We have had about 8.9 inches of rainfall so far this month, in sixth place all time (since 1951). Wetter months have been:

June 2006
September 1977
June 1960
October 1955
June 1972

We will probably wind up in 6th place for any month, but the August winner is this year. It is also the only year with three months achieving all-time wettest distinction (February and May are the other two).