Saturday, January 15, 2011

15 January 2011 - Conditions at 7:21 AM: -2.7C,Overcast, Wind: NNW 7 km/h

Yesterday we saw temps near +4C with periods of sunshine and calm winds.The evening was partly clear and cooler with temps near 0C.Overnight temps were a few degrees below freezing.

A few flurries are expected today with some steady snowfall possible tonight.As per usual for us this year,a change to rain is expected tomorrow morning.

Much colder air will be moving in to start the week and we will have below freezing temps for a couple of days,A big upswing is expected for mid week with temps well above seasonal normals.

Forecasts for our area issued by Environment Canada :

(Normals: Max 0C / Min -10C)

Today

A mix of sun and cloud with 30 percent chance of flurries. High minus 1.

Tonight

Cloudy. Periods of snow beginning this evening except rain along the coast. Amount 2 to 4 cm. Wind becoming southwest 30 km/h gusting to 50 overnight. Low minus 4 with temperature rising to plus 1 by morning.

Sunday

Periods of snow ending in the morning then cloudy with sunny periods and 40 percent chance of flurries. Rain along the coast early in the morning. Snowfall amount 2 cm except rainfall amount 5 mm along the coast. Wind southwest 30 km/h gusting to 50 becoming west 20 gusting to 40 in the morning. Temperature steady near zero.

Monday

Sunny. Low minus 10. High minus 6.

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The marine forecast:

Wind northwesterly 10 to 15 knots backing to southwest 15 this
 evening then increasing to 20 to 25 near midnight. Wind veering to
 northwesterly 25 Sunday evening. Chance of flurries or showers
 today. A few showers and a few flurries overnight and Sunday
 morning. Chance of flurries or showers beginning Sunday afternoon.

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Today’s Weather Trivia:

15 January 1894: Two men travelled on horseback to Old Wives Lake, SK, to fetch firewood. On their return, they encountered a nasty storm. Unable to proceed, they unhitched the horses, turning one team loose. They mounted the remaining horses and tried to make it to the ranch, but got lost. One man, experiencing his first Canadian winter, suffered badly frozen feet and was in bed for a week. -Excerpt from 'The Canadian Weather Trivia Calendar' by David Phillips. © Environment Canada

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Sky Events:

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ISS visible sightings:

No sightings until Jan 23.

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Hydra, the water snake, wriggles into the evening sky this month. Its brightest star, Alphard, climbs into view in the east-southeast by 8:30 or 9 p.m. It's not especially bright, but it is in a relatively barren region of the sky.

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AURORA (‘Northern Lights’) WATCH: Auroral activity will be moderate.

Friday, January 14, 2011

14 January 2011 - Conditions at 8:04 AM: -0.3C,Overcast, Wind: NW 15 km/h

Yesterday was a very nice day here with afternoon temps reaching to +5C.Although we didn’t have much to begin with,some of the snow we received on Wednesday melted.The evening was mostly clear with a few passing flurries and temps were only around 0C.

There’s not much for weather on the way for the next few days.We may see a few flurries and a slight cold snap is expected early next week.

Forecasts for our area issued by Environment Canada :

(Normals: Max 0C / Min -10C)

Today

Sunny with cloudy periods. Becoming cloudy with sunny periods this afternoon. Wind northwest 20 km/h gusting to 40 becoming light late this morning. High plus 1.

Tonight

Cloudy with 30 percent chance of flurries. Low minus 5.

Saturday

Cloudy with sunny periods. 30 percent chance of flurries in the morning and afternoon. High zero.

Sunday

Flurries. Low minus 4. High minus 1.

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The marine forecast:

Wind northwest 25 to 30 knots diminishing to north 20 early this
 morning and to 10 to 15 near noon. Wind diminishing to light early
 this evening. Chance of flurries or showers today and Saturday.

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Today’s Weather Trivia:

14 January 1907: Heavy snow and bone-chilling cold made life miserable in Edmonton, AB. The Edmonton Journal noted: "It's been a week of mufflers and fur coats, of icicle moustaches and frost-rimmed eyebrows, of frozen windows on Jasper Avenue and frozen water jugs in the shacks and tents." The intense cold turned water in a fire hose to slush. Some families burnt straw and furniture to stay warm. -Excerpt from 'The Canadian Weather Trivia Calendar' by David Phillips. © Environment Canada

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Sky Events:

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ISS visible sightings:

No sightings until Jan 23.

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The star at the center of Orion's Belt, a compact line of three bright stars that points up from the eastern horizon on January evenings, is Alnilam. It is the brightest of the three stars of the belt, even though it is hundreds of light-years farther.

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AURORA (‘Northern Lights’) WATCH: Auroral activity will be moderate.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

13 January 2011 - Conditions at 8:56 AM: -0.1C,Clear, Wind: NW 19 km/h

Taken as the storm was ending...only a small amount here.

We didn’t get much snow here from the storm yesterday.This area received more rain than snow but winds were very strong for most of the day.The wind died out in the late afternoon and there was a period of just snow before the storm ended that left a trace on the ground.Total accumulation here was about 5 cms which was much less than what had been forecast.

The next couple of days are expected to be mild with a small chance of flurries or showers.

Forecasts for our area issued by Environment Canada :

(Normals: Max 0C / Min -10C)

Today

A few flurries or rain showers ending this morning then cloudy with 40 percent chance of rain showers or flurries. Fog patches dissipating this morning. Wind becoming northwest 40 km/h gusting to 60 this morning. High plus 3.

Tonight

Cloudy with 30 percent chance of flurries this evening. Clearing late this evening. Wind north 30 km/h gusting to 50. Low minus 3.

Friday

Sunny with cloudy periods. Increasing cloudiness near noon with 60 percent chance of flurries in the afternoon and evening. High plus 2.

Saturday

Cloudy. Low minus 3. High minus 2.

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The marine forecast:

Gale warning in effect.
Wind variable 15 knots increasing to northwest 25 to 35 early this
 morning then becoming 25 late this evening. Wind diminishing to
 northwest 15 Friday morning. A few showers and a few flurries and
 fog patches ending near noon. Risk of thunderstorms early this
 morning. Chance of flurries beginning Friday morning.

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Today’s Weather Trivia:

13 January 1903: Powerful chinook winds blew in the vicinity of Selkirk and Yukon Crossing, YT, downing telegraph wires. The winds continued all night causing multiple breaks along the line. Repairing damage was difficult and slow through fairly virgin country. Mild weather, characteristic of chinook winds, enabled workers to reach the scene without undue hardships. -Excerpt from 'The Canadian Weather Trivia Calendar' by David Phillips. © Environment Canada

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Sky Events:

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ISS visible sightings:

No sightings until Jan 23.

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Orion's three-star belt is in full view in the east at nightfall, with the constellation's other bright stars arrayed to its left and right. From top to bottom, the stars of the belt are Mintaka, Alnilam, and Alnitak.

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AURORA (‘Northern Lights’) WATCH: Auroral activity will be quite.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

12 January 2011 - Conditions at 8:35 AM: +3.0,Overcast, Wind: E 36 km/h

We had a nice day here yesterday with sunshine and temps near +5C.The evening was clear with temps dropping to just below freezing.Overnight the temps rose to above freezing,the wind picked up and clouds moved in as a major winter storm approaches.Warnings have been issued and significant snowfall is possible,especially inland.We are expecting a mix of snow and rain here on the coast with more rain than snow possible if temps remain above freezing.

Forecasts for our area issued by Environment Canada :

(Normals: Max 0C / Min -10C)

Snowfall warning in effect.

Today

Cloudy. Snow at times heavy beginning this morning. Amount 10 to 15 cm. Local blowing snow inland late this morning and this afternoon. Wind becoming east 50 km/h gusting to 80 this morning. High plus 2.

Tonight

Snow at times heavy changing to periods of rain mixed with snow this evening and then to flurries and rain showers before morning. Risk of freezing rain late this evening and after midnight. Rainfall amount 5 mm except snowfall amount 10 cm inland. Local blowing snow inland early this evening. Wind east 50 km/h gusting to 80 becoming light this evening. Wind becoming northeast 20 overnight. Low zero.

Thursday

Flurries or rain showers ending late in the morning then cloudy. Wind north 30 km/h gusting to 50. High plus 3.

Friday

A mix of sun and cloud. Low minus 2. High zero.

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The marine forecast:

Gale warning in effect.
Wind light increasing to east 20 knots early this morning and to 25
 to 35 late this morning. Wind increasing to east 35 to 45 this
 afternoon then diminishing to southerly 20 early this evening. Wind
 diminishing to variable 15 after midnight then increasing to north
 25 to 35 Thursday morning. Wind becoming northwest 25 Thursday
 afternoon. Periods of rain and periods of snow today. Chance of
 showers or flurries beginning Thursday morning. Visibility 1 mile or
 less in precipitation.

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Today’s Weather Trivia:

12 January 1903: A rare chinook, packing some of the strongest winds ever, ripped through parts of Yukon. Telegraph service was knocked out, ending an unusually lengthy period (3 days) of uninterrupted communications between Dawson and the outside world. The warm, dry blast melted up to 0.5 m of snow in a flash. Repairs to telegraph lines proceeded very slowly. -Excerpt from 'The Canadian Weather Trivia Calendar' by David Phillips. © Environment Canada

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Sky Events:

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ISS visible sightings:

Date: Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Time: 05:54 PM Duration: 2 minutes Maximum Elevation: 36° Approach: 34° above WSW Departure: 15° above SSE

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Many stars are members of clusters, bound together by their gravity. The closest cluster is the Hyades, a collection of about 100 stars. Together, they form the wedge-shaped "face" of Taurus, which stands high overhead this evening.

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AURORA (‘Northern Lights’) WATCH: Auroral activity will be quite.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

11 January 2011 - Conditions at 8:11 AM: +0.8C,Mostly clear, Wind: NW 12 km/h

Yesterday was a decent day here with some sunshine and afternoon temps near +4C.The evening was clear with temps dropping to near 0C.

It is quite nice here this morning for mid January and today is expected to be mild with above seasonal temps.

A winter storm watch is in effect for tomorrow when a disturbance is expected to be in our area.Snow and rain are expected with significant snowfall expected inland.Here along the coast we are expecting either a mix of rain and snow or mostly rain.The forecast will be refined as the system gets closer.At this time all that is certain is that it will be stormy tomorrow.

Forecasts for our area issued by Environment Canada :

(Normals: Max 0C / Min -10C)

Winter storm watch in effect.

Today

A mix of sun and cloud. 30 percent chance of flurries this morning. Wind northwest 20 km/h gusting to 40 becoming light near noon. High plus 3.

Tonight

A few clouds. Increasing cloudiness overnight. Low minus 4.

Wednesday

Cloudy. Snow beginning late in the morning changing to rain early in the evening. Snow inland. Snowfall amount 10 to 15 cm except rainfall amount 10 mm along parts of the coast. Local blowing snow in the afternoon. Local blowing snow inland in the evening. Wind becoming east 30 km/h gusting to 50 in the morning then northeast 40 gusting to 60 in the afternoon. High plus 2 except minus 1 inland.

Thursday

Flurries. Low minus 1. High plus 1.

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The marine forecast:

Gale warning in effect.
Wind northwest 20 knots veering to north 10 to 15 near noon then
 diminishing to light early this evening. Wind increasing to
 southeast 15 overnight and to east 25 to 35 Wednesday morning. Wind
 increasing to east 35 to 45 Wednesday afternoon. Chance of flurries
 today. Snow at times heavy and rain beginning Wednesday morning.
 Visibility 1 mile or less in precipitation. Temperatures near
 plus 2.

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Today’s Weather Trivia:

11 January 1918: Heavy snow falls and cold weather drove wild animals into several Saskatchewan cities. Coyotes and rabbits, among other animals, were seen in Regina. An adventuresome coyote even visited a home for the elderly. The animals came seeking food because the prairies were deep in snow. A 5-year-old girl yelled to her mother to come see a wolf just like the one that had eaten little Red Riding Hood. -Excerpt from 'The Canadian Weather Trivia Calendar' by David Phillips. © Environment Canada

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Sky Events:

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ISS visible sightings:

Date: Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Time: 05:54 PM Duration: 2 minutes Maximum Elevation: 36° Approach: 34° above WSW Departure: 15° above SSE

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The constellations of autumn are giving way to those of winter, but a few linger in the evening sky. One example is Perseus, which is high in the north at sunset. One of its most beautiful sights is the Double Cluster, two star clusters that appear side by side.

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AURORA (‘Northern Lights’) WATCH: Auroral activity will be quite.

Monday, January 10, 2011

10 January 2011 - Conditions at 6:57 AM: -0.6C, Overcast, Wind: WNW 23 gust 36 km/h

We had about 5 cms of snow here yesterday from a system that moved through from daylight until the mid-afternoon.Temps were slightly above the freezing for most of the day and slightly below during the evening and overnight hours.

Flurries are expected for the next couple of days with a possibility of periods of snow in the middle of the week.No amounts have been forecast yet.

Forecasts for our area issued by Environment Canada :

(Normals: Max 0C / Min -10C)

Today

Cloudy with sunny periods and 40 percent chance of flurries. Wind northwest 30 km/h gusting to 50. High plus 2.

Tonight

Cloudy with 30 percent chance of flurries. Wind northwest 20 km/h gusting to 40. Low minus 1.

Tuesday

A mix of sun and cloud with 30 percent chance of flurries. Wind northwest 20 km/h gusting to 40 becoming light late in the afternoon. High plus 2.

Wednesday

Periods of snow. Windy. Low minus 2. High plus 1.

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The marine forecast:

Gale warning in effect.
Wind northwest 25 to 35 knots becoming 25 this morning then
 diminishing to north 10 to 15 Tuesday afternoon. Wind diminishing to
 light Tuesday evening. Chance of flurries. Temperatures near plus 1.

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Today’s Weather Trivia:

10 January 1911: Of livestock, sheep suffer the most from cold. In Sweet Grass, AB, snow had drifted to the top of a 15-m-high cutbank, and 1,100 sheep walked off the cliff, more than 50 perishing. Another rancher lost a huge number of his 3,000-head flock, many straying before and during the storm. Another 700 sheep drifted onto the Milk River, near Coutts, after their herder abandoned them to seek shelter. -Excerpt from 'The Canadian Weather Trivia Calendar' by David Phillips. © Environment Canada

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Sky Events:

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ISS visible sightings:

Date: Monday, January 10, 2011

Time: 06:37 PM Duration: 2 minutes Maximum Elevation: 41° Approach: 27° above W

Departure: 24° above SSE

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A fat crescent Moon hangs high in the sky as darkness falls this evening. The crescent is bathed in sunshine, while the rest of the lunar disk is bathed in darkness. The brilliant planet Jupiter stands below the Moon.

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AURORA (‘Northern Lights’) WATCH: Auroral activity will be low.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

9 January 2011 - Conditions at 7:28 AM: -0.6C, Snow, Wind: NNW 21 gust 32 km/h

We had a little snow yesterday morning that left a coating on everything.By midday most was gone as temps rose to +4C.The rest of the day saw a few flurries with no accumulation.The evening was clear with temps dropping to slightly below freezing.

This morning it is snowing quite heavily and 5 to 10 cms are expected before most of the snow ends this afternoon.We may see a change over to rain on the coast as temps rise to above freezing.

Clearing and mild temps are expected tomorrow.

Forecasts for our area issued by Environment Canada :

(Normals: Max 0C / Min -10C)

Today

Snow ending this afternoon then cloudy with 40 percent chance of flurries. Amount 5 to 10 cm. Local blowing snow this morning. Wind northeast 20 km/h becoming north 40 gusting to 70 early this morning then becoming northwest 40 gusting to 70 late this morning. High plus 1.

Tonight

Cloudy. 40 percent chance of flurries early this evening. Wind northwest 40 km/h gusting to 70. Low minus 2.

Monday

A mix of sun and cloud. Wind northwest 30 km/h gusting to 50. High plus 2.

Tuesday

A mix of sun and cloud. Low minus 1. High plus 2.

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The marine forecast:

Gale warning in effect.
Wind northeast 25 to 35 knots backing to northwest 35 this afternoon
 then diminishing to 25 to 30 overnight. Wind diminishing to
 northwest 20 Monday evening. Periods of rain and snow ending
 overnight.

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Today’s Weather Trivia:

9 January 2008: Howling winds peaked at 107 km/h in Toronto, ON. Police cordoned off the city's main financial hub during the morning rush hour, when pieces of signs from bank skyscrapers tumbled 58 storeys to the ground. The empty streets below were a surreal scene reminding some businesspeople of a post-apocalyptic movie set. -Excerpt from 'The Canadian Weather Trivia Calendar' by David Phillips. © Environment Canada

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Sky Events:

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ISS visible sightings:

Date: Sunday, January 09, 2011

Time: 06:10 PM Duration: 4 minutes Maximum Elevation: 64° Approach: 16° above NW Departure: 24° above ESE

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The Moon and the giant planet Jupiter dominate the sky this evening. Jupiter looks like a brilliant star to the left of the Moon as darkness falls.

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AURORA (‘Northern Lights’) WATCH: Auroral activity will be low.

wx

Special weather statement in effect for: Queens County Potential storm over the Maritimes at anytime this Fall and Winter . A storm will lik...