2023 What's the Weather like Where You Are?

[pepperhead212]

I wish that miserable day yesterday would have at least brought a little more rain! It was drizzling before 9 am, and didn't start drying out until after 7 pm, and only rained .09", and was barely raining every time I checked. And super humid all day. I got some things done inside that I have been neglecting, with all this gardening stuff! Today it is nice out, with humidity lifted, and high forecast for 73° - average for the date here.

[imafan26]

That's how it is here too! It is 66 degrees at 5:38 a.m. It rained overnight for most of the night and the rain is still drizzling and dripping off the roof. Yet my rain gauge will probably only about 0.10-0.25 inches. There is only a 3 mph wind from the NNW so it won't be as muggy, but with the day heating and light wind, the rain will steam off and it will feel hotter than what the temperature says. The only good thing is that most of the rain is overnight, and we do need the rain.

It is just annoying because the rain during the day is also intermittent and it frequently decides to rain just when I want to do something outside.

It will clear for a few days and by midweek it will rain again.

The wind is also changing direction. Today it is cooler because of the NW winds, NE winds are trades which are the usual windward and mountain showers and brisk breezes. Winds from the South are Kona winds which are warm and muggy and brings warm rain, higher temperatures and vog (volcano haze). All these wind changes can happen in the same week. It makes the temperature go up and down like a yoyo.

[Vanisle_BC]

It's been bone dry and 10 to 15C above normal for about 2 weeks; and forecast to stay that way for 5 more days. Yesterday I had to rescue my "hardened" - I thought - pepperlings from the sun; never thought that would happen to peppers. They were wilted right over & looked near-dead. On recovery (in the shade!) I see some sun scald on the leaves.

[imafan26]

It is 66 degrees at 5 a.m. There are a few high clouds but it should be a fairly good day. The satellite shows a few showers that will probably be light and hit or miss. Starting tomorrow and for the rest of the week, showers will be increasing as a new front approaches. The wind direction is already changing again, but it should be a good day to get things done in the garden. I had 0.2 inches in the rain gauge yesterday. That represented about a week of accumulation. So, for sure I have to water the yard again today.

[applestar]

We need some rain!

Only saving grace being that the daytime temps have been cool and pleasant … a bit too cool overnights. 70’s/40’s will continue for few more days.

Our township’s seasonal water restriction already began as of May… justifiably, it seems.

Looks like I will have to get my irrigation methods figured out already, instead of just dragging the one hose around.

[pepperhead212]

KOW, but we haven't had one 90° day yet this May thus, this year, and usually we have had several. It has been considerably cooler, and only a few about average temperature. The last two springs have been dry, as well - once again, I've had to get my drip system set up early, as it has been so dry, while most years I wouldn't even have to use them until in June.

[Gary350]

55° again this morning soil is too cold to plant beans. It warmed up to 79° yesterday and 80° is forecast today. Partly cloudy again today with a chance of evening rain. TV is already predicting cooler below average temperatures this summer with above average rain. Yea right, this is TN weather changes by the hour. We had warmer weather 86° in Feb and 81° in March than we have now. I usually plant beans about May 10.

[imafan26]

It is 69 degrees now with a high expected about 80. Winds from the NW at 5 mph. Intermittent rain especially in the late afternoon and overnight continues. At this moment there are a few clouds, it is cool and sunny. I can't believe it is still under 70 degrees at night and it is almost June.

The popcorn orchids bloomed 2 weeks late. The ginger and turmeric are finally coming up almost 6 weeks later. El Nino is expected to be strong this year, so it will be warmer than usual in the late summer and average to above average chance of hurricanes. Drought conditions will increase. The winds are not trades but for now they do bring us rain and the anticyclone helps us. It will be another story when the wind shifts to easterlies. At least the Pacific High seems to have moved back to where it needs to be right now.

[digitS']

I feel compelled to use the 2023 Weather Thread.

Because, this post has something to do with the month of May, 2023.

You see, it was the warmest May here locally in over 120 years, the Weather Service tell us.

Steve

[imafan26]

It is 6:30 p.m. It is 76 degrees. It has been warm and muggy the last two days. It is not that hot but it feels warmer.

Definitely feeling the difference in the weather. Flowers this year bloomed later than normal. My popcorn oncidiums usually bloom for Mother's day. They were 2 weeks late. Beekeepers said the honey flow was late and the bees, who are a sentry species, are declining with reports of more hives being lost than usual. I am also noticing fewer bees foraging in my front yard than usual as well. I have plants year round for them so it isn't a lack of forage issue. Temperature wise, it has been a little crazy with all the rain and the shifts in the wind direction making the average temperature go up and down like a yoyo.

La NIna brought enough rain to get most of the state out of drought status, but with El Nino and warmer Pacific ocean temperatures rising, warmer weather, less protection from the Pacific High, and drier condition will increase the chances of the return of drought conditions and the chance of stronger storm activity.

While some countries have gone to the extreme to work toward reducing their carbon imprint, the U.S. as a whole has not come even close to fulfilling it's Paris climate change agreement target by 2025.

The major reduction in the nations' cattle herd will help, but it isn't why the herds have been culled. Farmers are still being affected by extreme weather of drought and deluge and overall world agricultural output has been down for the last couple of years. Adding to those woes are the transport issues with the rail transport system, reducing or refusing to transport fertilizer to the farmers who need it. Most online places won't ship a lot of things now, leaving few other options. Local suppliers don't have it either.

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews ... ten-crops/

Those impacts are felt in the wallet from ever rising costs of basics, food, energy, water, and housing. Gas prices have come down a little but they are still higher year over year. We've just gotten used to paying more for everything. I went to Costco a couple of weeks ago. There were diapers in the food section and I could not find any rice.

Rice is one of the major staples of the world, and it is more valuable here than potatoes or wheat, the harvest last year worldwide fell short. It is going to be a long summer, with less rice.

[Gary350]

92° yesterday, 93° today. We still have cold mornings, 65° today, 64° tomorrow. Full sun with very few clouds garden is dry as desert already.

105° in Michigan relatives are complaining how hot it is and very few people have AC and stores don't sell AC window units.

[pepperhead212]

94° yesterday, but only supposed to get to 73° today, and mid 50s overnight. Only one high to 80° forecast in the 10 day, but no rain, for the most part. It seems like either way too much, or not enough, depending on where you are. And I'm smelling the smoke again - I don't know if it's that fire they've been talking about in Nova Scotia, the 5,000 acre one in Ocean County, or the newer one in Burlington county, that's just gotten started. It all depends on where the wind is blowing from!

[imafan26]

Wow, Its so hot there! It is still 76 degrees at 11:48 a.m. The trades are back at 7 mph so it does not feel as muggy as the last couple of days. It is overcast with thick clouds. This may bring convection showers later in the day. There is a 20% chance of rain. It won't be much, less than a tenth of an inch if any. I don't get a lot of difference in day and night temperatures. The overnight low's this week are 66-69. The highs are forecast around 81 degrees, but it may not get that high today. Humidity is relatively dry 62%.

I agree it does matter where the wind is blowing from. Kona winds from the south are warm and muggy, cold fronts from the West bring heavier rain, and the normal trades from the Northeast keeps things cooler and less muggy even when the temperatures are higher.

It looks like you are having an early start to your fire season. Your weather patterns are so extreme.

[pepperhead212]

I actually got rain!! Not much, mind you, only .07", but it's been about 3 weeks since I saw that much. Hope you got more, @apple,, as it looks like it went more N of here. It got very dark and windy, and I heard thunder, though it wasn't close, and about 5 minutes later, it got brighter, though it is still overcast. The temperature dropped about 4 degrees to 77° - I'd been waiting for that, before going out to the garden.

[applestar]

Nope. Thunder rolled by and brief gusty winds were about all we got.

My mixed lawn salvias are even starting to shrivel….

[imafan26]

It is 81 degrees at 1:13 pm. I am actually sweating. I did mop the floors, clean the counter and bake some brownies, so I actually did some work. It was raining when I woke up and it had been raining overnight, so I had to change my morning plans. It isn't soggy, but it is wet enough not to want to do anything unless it dries up more. Humidity is 59% and winds are NE trades at 13 mph. The rain chances are increased from 20-40% through Thursday and then it will be back down to the normal 20%. The highs will be more typical for this time of the year 83-84 degrees. I can finally start the hottest peppers. The amount of rain is 0.10 inch. With the heat after the rain, it actually steams off so it feels hotter.

[applestar]

My assessment yesterday was an intuitive leap, but the poor air quality due to air currents carrying wildfire pollutants was reported by several news outlets yesterday, and predicted to worsen and continue to affect wide swaths in the northeast regions including this area.

This morning’s report based on a local sensor readings at 5am was 80


— I keep track due to rare asthma triggered mostly by voc’s and smoke, as well as severe allergies to some of the locally prevalent pollen depending on season. Winter air quality can be in the green (Excellent 0~19), while summer air quality tends to be worse but exceedingly rare to be in the orange (Low 60~79), normally yellow (Moderate 40~59) during the day — going up as temperature rises — and usually clears to yellow-green (Fair 20~39) during the night. This dark red (Poor 80~99) is the worst level on this monitor and startlingly unfamiliar….

Oh and it’s now gone up to 81 based on 5:37am reading. (Effectively since sunrise at 5:31am….)

…I’m guessing rain — particularly with ionizing lightning — would help to clear the air but bring al the polluting particles down to the ground….

[applestar]

I was trying to reconcile how NJ seems to be taking on more of the air quality issues than the states north of us and closer to Canada. Our own wild fire hasn’t been helping the situation.



…heh, this really is NOT an encouraging picture…

(There’s one in Alaska, too)

[Gary350]

I was trying to reconcile how NJ seems to be taking on more of the air quality issues than the states north of us and closer to Canada. Our own wild fire hasn’t been helping the situation.



…heh, this really is NOT an encouraging picture… :?F9810A6C-6E7B-4D3F-83D8-7631BC51406E.jpeg(There’s one in Alaska, too)

1972 to 1974 I had a travel job I flew all over the USA every day, I was in NJ about 2 times a month. I recall how bad the air smelled from all the chemical factories when driving away from the airport in a rental car going to Hackensack NJ area. The sky was full of smoke I was always glad to get several miles up wind of that place. Is it still like that?

[applestar]

I couldn’t tell you — I live way to the south and away enough east from the western Delaware River waterftont.

From what I’ve seen in my own travels, river and seagoing waterfront dock and warehouse districts tend to be industrial with chemical factories and petroleum refineries/storage.

Although encroached by residential and business suburbanization, the unique Pine Barrens geological makeup as well as plantlife environment supply a relatively vast air cleansing effect in NJ, and my township is half located along and inside its borders. But being mostly pine, forest fires can flare up, and human caused mishaps should be vigilantly guarded against, although lightning strikes can happen, too.

(NJ has an excellent forest fire service and the squad members regularly deploy to help in other states.)

[pepperhead212]

I remember back in the mid to late 70s, when I was going to school at Stockton, which was all in the woods, at the time, they actually did "controlled burnings" in the pine barrens, to avoid the huge wildfires, you hear about now. Of course, this was in areas where there were no homes, and there would be fires then, like you hear about now, and we always thought the ones kept under 5,000 acres were well contained! The worst ones would get over 5,000 acres, and the worst one I remember was well over 6,000 acres. We weren't really in any horrible drought, back then, but we'd still get a couple of these a year. All this comes to mind when I see any of those huge fires out west in the news, and all the talk about how years of housing construction within the dry forested areas, and lack of any controlled burnings, results in those massive fires.

[Gary350]

I remember back in the mid to late 70s, when I was going to school at Stockton, which was all in the woods, at the time, they actually did "controlled burnings" in the pine barrens, to avoid the huge wildfires, you hear about now. Of course, this was in areas where there were no homes, and there would be fires then, like you hear about now, and we always thought the ones kept under 5,000 acres were well contained! The worst ones would get over 5,000 acres, and the worst one I remember was well over 6,000 acres. We weren't really in any horrible drought, back then, but we'd still get a couple of these a year. All this comes to mind when I see any of those huge fires out west in the news, and all the talk about how years of housing construction within the dry forested areas, and lack of any controlled burnings, results in those massive fires.

It is natures way for old forest to burn to make room for a new forest to grow. The planes states, Kansas & north TX 60 years ago lightning burns 1000s of acres and no one tired to put it out, no one lived there. 6000 acres is not very large, 640 acres in 1 mile square. 6000 acres = 3 miles x 3 miles, square. We lived in AZ when I was in grade school when forest fires burned no one cared because no one lived there. Now fires are put out because 1000s of houses are there. People that live in the forest should be required to have their own 150 ft diameter water pond with pumps and sprayers to protect their own house. Now days CA is in the News all the times, they have 20 feet of winter snow, then snow melt floods, Earth Quakes, Spring rain and more floods, then forest fires all summer, and water shortages. We never hear much about AZ forest fires on TV unless it is above average fires but AZ burns all summer same at CA. If its not BAD you will never hear about it on TV News.

[Vanisle_BC]

For hundreds/thousands of miles around here if you don't live in a metropolis you're either in or right beside 'the forest'. A small city can burn up in minutes. As the climate continues to heat, the design of homes and other buildings will have to change radically. Sadly that can't happen quickly.

[imafan26]

82 degrees 53% humidity and 20% chance of rain. Trades from the NE at 14 mph.
The low humidity and trades make this quite comfortable for me as long as I am not standing in the sun. I don't usually work outside between 10-3 unless I have to. It is actually cooler than usual for this time of the year. I am still getting some overnight sprinkles and the lawn is still growing, unfortunately, I still have to weed whack it. Nothing like the temperature extremes you are getting on the mainland.

[pepperhead212]

Air quality was so bad today that we were in a "code red" - not as bad as some nearby areas in code purple. I did almost nothing out there today, as the air was burning my eyes, and we are told to breathe this as little as possible. I still went out briefly, to water those few things I don't have on drip irrigation, and to harvest some garlic chives, and the snow and sugar snap peas. The sun was almost invisible through the smoke - it looks overcast, but supposedly there are no clouds, just smoke.
Sun barely visible through the smoke, 6-7, 6:11 pm by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[applestar]

Yeah the skies have looked freaky all day.

Air quality has worsened here. currently registering at 95 and, as noted above, this scale only goes up to 99. The monitoring sensor is set up at a nearby playground (which BTW is just inside the Pine Barrens border with sandy ground and pines all around)

[applestar]

Air quality index meter is 89 this morning which is no surprise at this point, but the current air temp being anywhere from 43°F according to my own sensor and 45°F official is a big surprise.

Is it because the air current driving the smoke from the north is also bringing the chill? Is it because the haze is blocking the sun? Is this a different sort of haze and doesn’t blanket and keep the ground temp from radiating out like when it’s cloudy or foggy?

[Gary350]

Yesterday our sky was very dark gray and over cast all day. Sky was 1 continuous dark gray cloud. TV said nothing about Canada forest fire smoke. There is so much Fog outside this morning I can barely see the garden looking out the window. I wonder if that is Canada smoke. Looks like CMA festival in Nashville TN and Air Show in Smyrna TN is more important than Canada smoke.

Update. ABC TV News is showing Canada Smoke. This is amazing. If you don't have a respirator breath through a wet cloth water in cloth captures tiny smoke partials. Rewet cloth every 15 minutes.

[applestar]

I needed to go out and do a few things this morning including watering starts in the hoophouse (leftover tomatoes had gotten too dry and and started to wilt), etc.

I’m not sure if this is recommended, but I’ve been laundering masks in a laundry net on genre cycle, so grabbed a true N95 and a blue surgical mask out of the “used” stash and double-masked with the surgical on top to pre-filter. They did pass the “need effort to breath — puffs and vacuums on exhalation and inhalation” test. (Ha! Basic COVID masking protocols are still fresh memory).

Also wore my nylon beach baseball cap with snap-on neck protector “curtains” and wore a windbreaker cloth jacket for good measure (it WAS cold this morning).

Air Quality meter was 83 as of 9am. This is in line with my observation yesterday when it seemed like the levels improved once the sun was fully up and warming, possibly creating an updraft? Then IF it follows yesterday’s trend, the air quality would worsen from about 2~3 PM on and then into the night as the air cools. (Of course it might be completely something else….)

[imafan26]

No wildfires here. I saw on the news that the smoke is so thick that even the sky is not visible.

While there are no wildfires, Kilauea's Halemaumau crater started erupting again yesterday. All the lava is currently contained within the crater.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5M-5XFplo0

Unless the winds shift to the south we won't get much volcanic haze.

It is currently 81 degrees winds from the East at 9 mph. Humidity 59%

[Gary350]

6:14 PM where is the sun? OH its a thunder storm. Wow its dark. Its raining so hard I almost can't see the garden. OH look our desert is under water.

[pepperhead212]

We're supposed to get that tomorrow, but I'm not counting on it at all. Today it got to 90° again, and tomorrow it is supposed to be a little cooler, but very humid, which is supposed to trigger that.

Last night it got down to 59°, so I got my house down to about 66°, before shutting it up early this morning. So my AC didn't come on until around 4:30 this afternoon! Not going to do that tonight, as it is already getting more humid, and won't go nearly as low.

[Vanisle_BC]

Is there a measure of sunlight intensity, as opposed to air temperature? Asking on behalf of my tomatoes .

[imafan26]

It is 78 degrees at 10:40 a.m., sunny and the trades are turned on at 14 mph. Humidity is 61 %. High today will be around 85 degrees. Definitely summer weather. There are some bands of showers, but they will most likely be the usual overnight and windward and mauka showers.

Noaa has a heat index and locally we do have a UV index, but it is mainly for people not plants to put on sunscreen or stay out of the sun as much as possible.
You can put your location in the box and it will show you the uv index for your area.
https://uv.willyweather.com/hi/honolulu/mililani.html

There is a site that is more technical measuring uv radiation for agriculture.
https://openweathermap.medium.com/uv-in ... 4f729b3323

Most of the time, people just look at their plants and add shade cloth or in greenhouses or shade houses, they will tarp the roof to block out the sun. The one thing we don't need here is solar gain.

[Gary350]

Is there a measure of sunlight intensity, as opposed to air temperature? Asking on behalf of my tomatoes .

Its funny I was thinking about this yesterday. Use 1 or 2 or 3 mirrors on an over cast day to double or triple the amount of sun like your plants need.

[Vanisle_BC]

@Gary My tomatoes are getting too much sun. Some are already scalded & stunted. (cherry types survived best). I'm hanging shade cloth along the side framing of the bed. My question has to do with what time in the afternoon it's safe to let them get full sun. That will determine the height I need to hang the shade cloth at. It won't cover the whole height of the frame: Sunlight will get in over the top and/or below the bottom of it.

[Gary350]

@Gary My tomatoes are getting too much sun. Some are already scalded & stunted. (cherry types survived best). I'm hanging shade cloth along the side framing of the bed. My question has to do with what time in the afternoon it's safe to let them get full sun. That will determine the height I need to hang the shade cloth at. It won't cover the whole height of the frame: Sunlight will get in over the top and/or below the bottom of it.

I plant my tomatoes on the east side of a shade tree so they get early morning sun then full shade at solar 12 noon to dark. Our solar 12 noon on daylight saving time is 12:55 pm. It is dark here at 8:30 pm. My tomatoes get sun burn after lunch with no shade. We have 60 ft tall trees east side of the yard so my tomatoes don't get direct sun until 8 am when sun is above the 60' trees. My TN plants only get 5 hrs of direct sunlight. We have 14 hr 20 min of sunlight longest day of the year June 21. When I lived in Michigan it did not get dark until 10:15 pm. What time does it get dark at your house 10:30 or 10:45 pm ???

When I lived in Arizona I planted tomatoes on the east side of the house so plants had cool morning sun then shade at 11 am by the clock until dark. Sun rise was 5 am plants had 6 hrs of direct sunlight before the hottest time of the day.

[digitS']

The US Environmental Protection Agency say,

"The sun's rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m."

https://www.epa.gov/radtown/ultraviolet ... n-exposure

[Vanisle_BC]

Haha; it's too late to plant my tomatoes other than where they're already growing; and apart from areas that get no sun at all there is no place in my yard that has shade outside of those 12 to 4pm hours. It's 5.42pm right now and still over 35C. (about 93F). The sun on exposed skin still feels just about as hot as at midday. I shudder to think what August will be like.

I need a whole new strategy for next year. Does anyone have info on what degree (%) of permanent shade allows tomatoes to still give a good harvest?

[pepperhead212]

The rain finally stopped - got .77", which wasn't as much as many places around here, but at least I got some rain.