F U Mother Nature Winter 2012/13 *Image Heavy*

[Jester]

And now, your Key West weather update: Today in the Southernmost City, it is a lovely 77F/25C, sunny with some clouds, and a nice wind blowing from the northeast at 10 mph. Perfect day to have a day off, which I do. My big decision today as I run my errands is: truck, scooter, or bike?

I think every time a low latituder taunts us, they should be obligated to switch places with us at the rate of, say, a day per taunt. I'm pretty much covered for the whole winter with what I get from my Scottsdale friend, the other Cheesers can work out their own arrangements with you, Jester.

According to your proposed system, I probably owe one or several people a whole winter. Only one problem with your idea:

It ain't gonna happen.

See, I live here for a variety of reasons, but I live in the Sun Belt because I hate the cold, and want no part of it. I've lived in the Northeast, and am never going back to that kind of weather again.Not for a job, not for a woman, not for anything. Never.

So make all the proposals and suggestions you want about switching places, but nothing is ever going to come of it when it comes to me. This Jester will never be a Snow Jester.

For me, fifties (farenheit) is "leave my jacket in the truck" weather. Oh well, what do you expect from somebody whose state decided to break a treaty between Canada and the U.S. by requiring ALL non-U.S. residents driving there to get international drivers' licenses?

Which state would that be? (Though I think I might have an idea.) And please, explain, because I am honestly not familiar with this.

[blas]

They've been downplaying the approaching storm here, thank God, even though it's just during work times for me, I'm still oh so sick of this shit.

And the stores have spring clothes out, teasing me ever so.

[dalesys]

So make all the proposals and suggestions you want about switching places, but nothing is ever going to come of it when it comes to me. This Jester will never be a Snow Jester.

That's what the large army, the black helicopters, and the CIA rendition team are for...

[wolfie]

On the plus side, we are well set up for a power outage more or less. We have the generator [unfortunately it doesn't do 220 so we can't run the water pump in our well, but we have a full hot tub so we can water the poultry and haul flushing water.]

Have you considered (wouldn't be in time for this event, but for future use) installing a secondary hand pump on your well? Can't recall which issue, but Backwoods Home Magazine had an article on how to do it.

[Jester]

Keep dreaming, Dale. Keep dreaming. Because that's basically what you would need to make me deal with winter. And honestly, even that might not be enough.

[AccountingDrone]

Have you considered (wouldn't be in time for this event, but for future use) installing a secondary hand pump on your well? Can't recall which issue, but Backwoods Home Magazine had an article on how to do it.

Not at 275 feet, it takes a 1 HP 220 pump to function dependably. On the plus side, it is filtered through limestone and is amazingly pure.

[a manual pump is generally only effective for something like 25 to 50 feet]

[wolfie]

And now, your Key West weather update: Today in the Southernmost City, it is a lovely 77F/25C, sunny with some clouds, and a nice wind blowing from the northeast at 10 mph. Perfect day to have a day off, which I do. My big decision today as I run my errands is: truck, scooter, or bike?

Instead of ridiculous plans such as dumping a planeload of snow, maybe we should be saving this weather report to send back (as a description of OUR weather) in the summer when it's 120 in the shade in Key West with a Category 5 hurricane on its way.

Not at 275 feet, it takes a 1 HP 220 pump to function dependably. On the plus side, it is filtered through limestone and is amazingly pure.

[a manual pump is generally only effective for something like 25 to 50 feet]

Didn't realize your well was that deep. Standard manual pumps are good for up to 30 feet, but that's due to the maximum lift from suction alone. It's been a while, but this article described a submerged manual pump (i.e. no need for suction) that would force the water up. Given the depth of your well, you'd need to go for a small-bore one, and maybe a 1/2" output line to minimize the weight of the water column being lifted, but that would still be better than not being able to get ANYTHING out of the well.

[Chromatix]

Indeed, roughly speaking one inch of mercury equals one foot of water. You have to make a near-perfect vacuum to lift water 30 feet by "pulling" on it - but you can "push" it any distance as long as the equipment will stand the pressure and doesn't leak too much. The main trouble is that you need to transmit mechanical force down 275 feet of well - it's hard to make something that long and sufficiently rigid.

... ...

Trivia: standard vacuum brakes on British railways used either 21 or 25 inches (of mercury) of vacuum as the release pressure. The vacuum was created (on steam locos) by a near-magical device called an ejector. Releasing the brakes on a 400-metre long sleeper train could take a while - so often the train would be held by the locomotive's steam brake while stopped at stations, while the train brake was released. These days, air brakes are preferred.

[Jester]

Instead of ridiculous plans such as dumping a planeload of snow, maybe we should be saving this weather report to send back (as a description of OUR weather) in the summer when it's 120 in the shade in Key West with a Category 5 hurricane on its way.

Once again, people seem to be confusing where I'm from (Phoenix) with where I am (Key West). In Phoenix, I have seen temps on the other side of 120. In Key West, the highest recorded temperature in history is 98. Don't get me wrong, once it starts hitting the upper 80s and lower 90s in the summer here, with the humidity, it can be damn unpleasant. But 120? Never happen.

As for the Cat 5, um, also no. Many storms come right at Key West, but the vast majority of them turn and head somewhere else before they actually hit Key West. The last direct hit by any hurricane in Key West was 1999, and that was a Cat 1. The last direct hit by a stronger hurricane in Key West was a Cat 3 in 1948.

"But what about all those storms in 2005?" Oh, yeah. Dennis, Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. They all came here, and brushed us. No direct hits. They all caused problems, sure. But not one, not even Wilma, was a direct hit. And despite that, it was still the worst storm to hit Key West in 70 years.

So, yeah. 120 and a Cat 5? Keep dreaming. I'll keep sipping rum and drinking beer in my hammock.

[BrenDAnn]

Well, we got our Snowpocalypse. Now it's so bright outside from the combo of sun and snow that you need sunglasses to even look out there. Wow. Also, the right and rear of my car are covered in snow. Just those parts, though. Guess that wind did what it was supposed to last night! ETA: There's another system coming in Sunday night through Tuesday. Just "light snow", possibly another 2 inches total. The weather guy this morning called it "A pretty winter snow"...Please...I'm ready for pretty summer grass and flowers and trees! ENOUGH SNOW!

[Chromatix]

Ice crystals are extremely reflective, so "white as snow" is actually a better descriptor than "black as coal". Turns out that unless you look at it from the same angle as the light is coming from, the Moon is blacker than coal, it only looks white because the space behind it is even darker...

Anyway, that's why decent polarising sunglasses are an essential requirement for skiers. Not wearing proper eye protection on a sunny day in a snowfield can lead to snow-blindness, where your eyes simply shut down for a while from overload. All you can see is white, no detail. It can be very dangerous because you might not realise that you've effectively lost your vision. Fortunately it isn't usually permanent, and is relatively easy to avoid if you know about it. See also this.

[sms001]

Once again, people seem to be confusing where I'm from (Phoenix) with where I am (Key West).

I think people seem pretty aware of that. Most of the ribbing that may lead you to that conclusion seems to be 'exaggeration for effect' type stuff. It's not as if we're literally going to hire a transport to dump snow on you, or really think it gets to 150 (or whatever it was) in Key West.



Love this little guy, thanks!

[Victory Sabre]

Well, this isn't an F-you. On my way home from work, I had my windows down, enjoying the warm, late winter, air. It was 44 and sunny. The snow was melting like crazy.

It felt really good. A friend, however isn't happy. She likes to ride her snowmobile, and her fun will end soon.

[sms001]

She likes to ride her snowmobile, and her fun will end soon.

I would absolutely LOVE snowmobiling. Everything about it appeals to me - the "off-road" aspect, the beauty of nature, the camaraderie. I just can't get past the noise. If they made good electric ones it would be the perfect way to see the woods in all their glory.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Ah shit, another truck day Tuesday into Wednesday, another snowstorm forecast. The way-too-early snowfall estimate from the TV meteorologist was 8 to 10 inches.

But Global Warming, everybody.