We went to
bed around midnight last night with a high wind warning hanging over us. The front moving out of Texas and up into New
England was spawning all manner of dangerous weather, nature displaying its
options. The SPC graphics for convection
showed us in a predicted thunderstorm area, a high wind area, and a slight
distance from a winter storm advisory.
The previous
wind warnings blew through our locale as fiercely as predicted. The areas that took much of the damage in
April 2011 took a lot of damage last Wednesday and Thursday. It was with a sinking feeling in my gut that
I watched the projections displayed and played forward. We were predicted to be the target zone for
the front currently wreaking havoc on the eastern seaboard.
Last week’s
storm blew into the area with the breaking day and took about 12 hours to peak,
decrease, and exit. Today’s front was
forecast to show up about 0100 and then build in intensity. That would put the strongest and windiest
part of the storm overhead in the dark.
Given the terrain and the lack of light from nearby towns, the only
illumination useful for observing the sky is lightning. Not the best source. You hear things in the
wind on dark and stormy nights that don’t manifest in even the weakest
daylight.
The wind
began picking up about 2330 and gusts of around 20 MPH were being recorded by 0100. I woke up at 0450 and heard some fairly high,
sustained winds but managed to doze off for another hour. By 0800, the strongest winds were blowing
down valley. A trip out to the mailbox
with a wind-spooked dog revealed no trees down in the road. We could hear the wind decreasing and see
blue sky overhead as we ate breakfast.
By 1130, the clouds were rolling back in and light rain was
falling.
It’s 1245 and
pouring rain now. The creek is high and
will be higher by the day’s end. The
winds have decreased and the promised damage has not been visited upon Cassi
Creek. It’s a good day to bunker in and chase
Gloria around the house. (Honestly, every day is a good day for that). We may see some snow tonight. We may not.
The winter advisories don’t include us.
But, the delineation line is only three miles distant and 3000 feet higher
than where I sit right now. There’s a
scraper and a snow shovel in the Pathfinder. It’s a good day for sea stories
and good coffee.
The winds of morning
have blown past. Yesterday’s fog has
lifted and there’s no likelihood of hearing the Flying Dutchman tonight.
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