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Post by toomanyirons on Oct 6, 2017 21:59:27 GMT -5
Just spit-balling, but I'm guessing there being higher ground on both sides of the valley, air-pressure diminishes in crossing the valley, resulting in less up-welling and less condensation in higher, colder air. Alternatively fact-wise, it may all be a hoax, even though many think they've seen it. No higher ground on both sides here, basically flat prairie with a ditch (valley) running through it. Hoax? No reason for me to do such a thing. Not my imagination either. Flaws in radar systems showing something that actually is not happening? Possibly, except that I could compare general rainfall totals between this side of the river and the other side of the river, if any are on record. Rainfall totals announced on the radio for towns on the other side of the river today were higher than here, as is usually the case when I see the phenomenon occurring. Next time I will save the weather radar images and post them. It really is fascinating to see on the time lapse radar. I happened to talk to a local farmer about it this evening, he firmly believes it to be factual and calls it the Minnesota River valley rain shadow. Not really a correct term but it works for me. Inside the red circle is where it mostly occurs. The arrow is the prevailing weather direction in summer and more often now in winter. Storms coming from this direction or from the west is when it occurs, it is more obvious from the southwest. Prevailing winter weather used to be from the northwest, now it comes from any direction. This decade we have been getting hammered with blizzards from the northeast/east/southeast. The old farm windbreaks are not set up for that. The narrow valley is around two miles wide or narrower in that circled area, steep walls. The narrow dark green strip is the actual valley, the medium green is the flat prairie on either side. ![]()  |
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Post by steev on Oct 6, 2017 23:03:15 GMT -5
Puzzling, for sure.
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Post by RpR on Oct 6, 2017 23:25:21 GMT -5
I wonder.
Last decade for a fair number of years in a row, I am quarter mile off of the Mississippi from where I am writing this.
During those years there would be rain North of us and rain South of us; the storm pretty much parted like the Red Sea for Moses.
Farmers here had drought crop failures no one else had.
Where I am at now is where the Mississippi really starts to flow in a valley unlike North of here where there is no real valley.
Weather.
Temps pretty normal but rain far above normal though better to have wet ground in winter than dry.
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Post by steev on Oct 8, 2017 19:19:27 GMT -5
Gusty, dry, dust-blowing north wind all weekend; great fire weather.
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Post by richardw on Oct 9, 2017 0:13:11 GMT -5
Had rain over the last three days now, the river course that winds its way through our paddocks thats normally dry is starting to flow as the water table slowly rises
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Post by keen101 (Biolumo / Andrew B.) on Oct 9, 2017 0:47:19 GMT -5
Supposed to get snow at midnight tonight. Hope my late mini fall pea crop survives. Wanted to finish harvesting dry bean pods and more f2 penelli and true Cheesmaniae fruits, but may need to do that after any snow that comes melts in the next week...
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Post by steev on Oct 9, 2017 10:01:28 GMT -5
The wind spread several fires in Napa and Sonoma counties last night; many people awakened and evacuated.
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Post by toomanyirons on Oct 10, 2017 8:24:58 GMT -5
32 degrees F last night. First frost of the season, albeit a light one. Weeks behind the average but a week earlier than last year.
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Post by steev on Oct 10, 2017 10:21:33 GMT -5
Here in Oakland, there's been a whiff of smoke, light fall of ash, and white-ish air today; the wind seems gone, which will help fire-control.
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Post by walt on Oct 10, 2017 15:03:27 GMT -5
First frost is likely tonight. I'll cover the tomatoes. Most everything else is already done for this summer. Actually, I doubt the remaining tomatoes will ripen. They are too small.
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Post by richardw on Oct 10, 2017 15:50:34 GMT -5
Heavy rain again this morning, doesn't know how to stop now.
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Post by jocelyn on Oct 10, 2017 17:17:07 GMT -5
No frost here yet, but forcasted for Sunday.....too far out to say. I might dig a couple of tomatoe plants and pot them in the porch.....would like tomatoes till Christmas, especially ones the mice have not partly eaten!!!! It would also be nice to save a few seeds....hard to do when most of the tomatoe has been eaten before I picked it  |
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Post by steev on Oct 11, 2017 17:44:07 GMT -5
Fires continue to spread; wind expected to get strong again tonight; I know a couple of people who've lost their homes; air quality in the Bay Area is reportedly the worst recorded; people wearing dust-masks ala Beijing.
Looked at the sun ~6 PM; vermilion!
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Post by steev on Oct 12, 2017 12:56:13 GMT -5
A little south breeze, so there is some blue sky today, unlike the white yesterday; thankfully the wind didn't kick up last night, so there was a little progress on fire control; many schools closed due to air quality.
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Post by reed on Oct 12, 2017 18:50:46 GMT -5
We got two inches of rain over last weekend and it has been cool with little sprinkles off and on since. The bugs that killed the ash trees must have done something odd to the structure of the wood or maybe ash does this anyway but the trees haven't been dead that long. Despite that I guess, just the added weight of the rain soaking in is causing them to break off or just fall over whole. Big dead trees, of which I'v seen plenty over last couple of decades usually lose their smaller branches and the trunk can stand a pretty long time. Not the big ash, kinda surreal, hearing them crashing down in the woods all around with out even a light breeze. steev, glad to hear from you, hope you stay safe away from the fires. My older sister in Seattle was already pretty sick but I have no doubt the 100 degree ash clouds played a role in her passing a few weeks ago. |
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