Over the long weekend the East and West Coasts got their share of rainy weather. The country seems to be in-between Fall and Winter weather patterns. Here are a few tips about driving safely when liquid falls (I’ll discuss driving in a blizzard another time). Did you watch the Macy’s Day Parade? We advised people to bring their umbrellas - Ugh what a mess.

• Windshield Wipers - Replace worn wipers blades when they start to streak.

• Tires - Keep tires inflated to manufacturers recommended levels. You will find this information on the inside of the door or in the driver’s manual.

• Slow Down! - We are always in a rush. But, slowing to the conditions is one of the safest things you can do.

• Avoid flood prone roads - Never drive into standing water on a flooded road. Standing water can be sucked into your engine. Also, cars can be swept away on less than an inch of moving floodwater. Seek an alternate route.

• Turn your lights on - A good rule is to always turn lights on when it starts to rain. In some states it is the law.

• Know what to do when hydroplaning - Hydroplaning occurs when your tires glide across a surface of water on the road. If your car starts to hydroplane, take your foot off the gas, but don’t stomp on the brakes. Instead, if you have manual transmission, push the clutch and let your car slow down on it’s own. With automatic transmission, hold the steering wheel steady and lightly apply the brakes.

When the weather is bad - rain or snow - just take your time. Eventually, you will get there. … and in one piece.

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by pgeiger
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Ever wonder what season contains the “cleanest or purest” air? It turns out the best time to be outdoors is during the winter. The reason - during the summer the air contains more moisture and humidity. Dust during dry months is kicked up into the atmosphere and held in place. Spring has an abundance of pollens. Winter contains the best air. The atmosphere is drier, windier and has less capacity to hold pollutants.

This winter be sure to go outside and smell the … well breathe easy.

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by pgeiger
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Last week I put out a call for unusual family traditions. It can be for the major holidays or for others such as Valentines Day, Groundhog Day, etc. We want to feature these in a future edition of the Farmers’ Almanac. Those selected will receive a $50 gift card to the Farmers’ Almanac store. If you have a tradition or can relay one that was part of your family years ago, I’d love to hear from you with the details.

The closer we get to December, the more questions and comments about what is happening with Mother Nature. Here are a couple from over the weekend.

I live in Tennessee and I have noticed a lot of ground hogs in the past month. This is unusual to see. Do you have any information on if this is a sign of a bad winter or a mild winter? Thank you in advance for any information you may have on this.

Ken

There is nothing in our files that indicates ground hog activity and winter weather. We do respect the critter when he comes out for air on February 2nd , but nothing pre-winter. My guess is that they are on schedule and that you will have a cold winter while they are sleeping it off. Get ready.

It is very interesting what I heard on the news last week for our winter weather here in TN. It stated that the latest computer models were showing a snowy winter here in TN. Can this be true?

We think it will be a cold winter for sure and that you’ll get snow. I don’t believe it will be a record setter. But, our predictions for the winter are in the 2007 edition. There had been talk of an El Niño and a milder winter (by the National Weather Service) but we are sticking to our call for cold and snow.

I have heard from many in Tenn. It is one state that can have mild or severe winters. They tend to sit on the cusp. If you look at the weather map this morning, there is a little of everything going on right now. Soggy in the Northwest and Northeast corners of the Us and some real frigid stuff in between. It is beginning to get interesting!

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by pgeiger
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Over the years we have published a number of Meteorological Terms. As we approach winter you will hear some of these on the news, unless you live in the warmer climates. Here goes:

Blizzard - A severe storm characterized by low temperatures with winds above 35 miles/ 56 kilometers per hour, with visibility less than 500 feet/ 150 meters because of falling and blowing snow. Sometimes the term “ground blizzard” is used which refers to a storm in which all the airborne snow has resuspended from which had previously fallen.

Chinook - Also known as a foehn or “snow eater.” It is the name given to a warm, dry wind descending off the lee or eastern side of the Rocky Mountains that generally blow from the southwest. The Chinook not only brings relief to winter cold but also melts and evaporates the snow. It is not all good news since some winds have been measures at up to 147 miles or 235 kilometers per hour.

Cold Wave - A rapid fall in temperature within 24 hours to temperatures that requires substantially increased protection to agriculture, industry, commerce and social activities affected by the cold.

Squall - strong wind characterized by a quick start and end lasting only a few minutes. It may or may not be accompanied by precipitation.

Virga - Wisps or streaks of water or ice particles that fall from the cloud but evaporate before reaching the Earth’s surface.

Here is one more but a bit unusual…

Cornscateous Air - a term used first by old almanac makers to signify warm, damp air. While it signals ideal climate conditions for growing corn, it also poses a danger to those affected by asthma, pneumonia and other respiratory problems.

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by pgeiger
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Caleb Weatherbee move over… you can become your own weather forecaster. During the past 5 weeks I have heard from many people about the signs of nature. For the most part you can make your own predictions by close observation of what is going on above and around you. Yesterday, Bob, remembered that his grandfather used to say that when leaves are left on an oak tree for a long time it meant something - either a long winter or a mild one. Unfortunately, I have never heard about this observation and he will check back at the end of the winter to let me know what happened.

Here is a quick list of 10 signs of a hard winter:

• Very thick onion skins or corn husks

• Woodpeckers sharing a tree

• Early arrival of crickets on a hearth

• Mice entering the house in great numbers

• Frequent halos around the moon

• Heavy and numerous fogs in August

• Lots and lots of acorns

• Spiders spinning larger than usual webs

• Squirrels gathering nuts earlier than normal

• Raccoons have thick tails and bright bands

You know it will rain when….

• Leaves on a tree show their backs

•A cow scratches its ear

• Large halo around a moon

• Sound travels far and wide

• Birds stay perched on a telephone wire

• Your corns and or broken bones “talk” to you.

• Curls kink and phone cords bind

There are many others signs of weather. These are only a few. If you have a local favorite, please feel free to share it with me.

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by pgeiger
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What determines if it will rain or snow? Sometimes the air is 32 degrees F and we get rain, while other times it is 33 degrees F and it snows. Why?

Much depends not only on the temperature at the ground (where you are standing), but also the temperature of the air above you. Sometimes - especially March and April - there can be a layer of very cold air several thousand feet overhead. As the atmosphere warms, this cold layer of air becomes increasingly unstable, which can cause precipitation. If the higher altitude is below freezing, the precipitation falls as snow. Near the ground there may be a very narrow band of warmer temperatures.

As the snowflakes descend through the warmer air, they don’t have enough time to melt. Instead they turn into very large snowflakes - sometimes the size of a silver dollar - OK, maybe quarters, but they are big.

This is reversed when there is a very shallow layer of below-freezing air near the ground, while the air several thousand feet above you is unusually mild and warm. Precipitation that falls is liquid (rain).

Upon falling into the shallow, cold air near the ground, either freezes upon contact with roads, forming a glaze (freezing rain) or the raindrops freeze before hitting the ground (sleet).

We see this frequently in Southern cities like Atlanta around January 1st. Ice storms, as we had in January 1998 in the Northeast, is a very unusual combination of contrasting air masts right about your head. For drivers, ice is one of the most dreaded possibilities.

March and April are months where this occurs. You will also see it as we ease into winter.

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by pgeiger
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