Wintery Mess

A full week into winter and the change has been rather stark. Fall was mostly dry and fairly mild but since the solstice the pattern has changed and cold and wet has taken over. Today, Virginia shows just how it straddles the north/south boundary. The eastern portion of the state, while chilly is receiving only rain, the central regions a mix of rain and snow/sleet and the west mostly snow. This system is going to be a quick mover and we may well see the sun break through before we turn away from our star (it just did).  The cold temperatures of winter are not looking to go away anytime soon and New Year's Day may well see a repeat of today's weather.
The earthquake list has no red numbers (above 6.0) on it for the entire week with no real surprises as to locations. The Ring of Fire is kickin' however with 20 volcanoes on the rumbling list. The Kamchatka peninsula and nearby islands are all fired up, Central and South America is well represented on the list and Indonesia...of course, it's got action. Kilauea continues to enlarge Hawaii in the middle of the Pacific. Need to visit an active volcano, lots of choices await.
Jupiter continues to rule the night sky after dark but has lots of bright and colorful company as the constellations of winter dominate the sky. If conditions are right, clear and dark, you can still catch the Milky Way spilled through the summer triangle in the northwest just as the sky gets fully dark. Venus and Saturn brighten the pre-dawn sky and will have encounters with the waning moon as it goes from gibbous to crescent the second week into the new year. Mercury made a bright appearance below Venus in early December but is hiding behind the sun for most of January, peaking out near very low Mars in the southwest late in the month.  When the skies are clear, get out and check it out, today on earth.

SANDY: Hurricane/Blizzard

The October, Uber-Storm, SANDY bears down on the northeast coast and promises a wild ride. The wind and rain in central Va. are not too bad so far but that is going to change as the day goes on. The eastern Va, Delmarva, and NJ and NY coasts are all getting hammered as I write this and it will get worse with landfall later today/early tomorrow.
This is what happens when 3 powerful air systems come together: a strong cold front to the west, a monstrous dome of high pressure off the Canadian Maritimes and Sandy. The front is blocked from pushing Sandy into the Atlantic by the high and stalled along the Appalachian. Sandy can't go east into the Atlantic because of the high, in fact, that's what is forcing Sandy onto the East coast. Sandy's counterclockwise rotation is pulling all that cold air to the north and west down into the region and will bring big snow to higher inland regions (West Va.) and big flakes to much of the region recently basking in 80 degree temps. A hurricane blizzard, it's a wild planet.
And, a shaky one, too. A 7.7 quake off Canada's west coast appears to have caused little damage but is certainly a reminder it's not just California that should have earthquake concerns out west. Dozens of aftershocks continue near the Canada/Alaska border.
Astronomy meets meteorology meets oceanography today: The full, Hunter's moon today at 3:50pm will bring spring tides, which combined with the hurricane's storm surge will mean much, much, much higher water than coastal residents may have ever seen. It would not be surprising to see barrier islands in new places after this is all over. Sand is just looking for a little energy to move.  Sandy, the moon & sun and ocean will be moving lots of sand and likely leave the east coast looking a little different after this is all over. Hatteras Island in NC is still recovering from little Irene last year. Sandy is no Irene...
Just a reminder folks, Earth is still in charge! Careful out there, today on earth!!!

Fall Is Early!!

No rain, no quakes and no heat for the second week of September here in central Va.  An amazingly lovely week with temps dipping into the upper 40's and 50's overnight and 70's early and barely 80 by week's end. Friday was warm but a cold front moving through last night has cooled things back down and will only allow highs into the 70's for the weekend and week ahead. Monday and Tuesday are likely to be wet as the low at the end of the cold front will move from the gulf to the central Atlantic. 50's and 70's with dry conditions will make for a lovely end to summer.
The waning crescent moon has put on quite the show moving past Jupiter and then Venus through the constellations of winter this week. Venus is so bright you can see it's not round but close to quarter in the morning sky.  The moon is new tonight at 10:11 EDT. It will reappear next week left of Saturn on Tuesday, near Mars on Wednesday and above and right of Antares in the head of Scorpio Thursday.
The quake list has calmed somewhat with very little red for the week but still the usual plate boundaries shift and rub against each other.
Nicaragua bursts onto the volcano list with two mountains, one rumbling the other raining ash and debris on nearby areas. The US and Indonesia each have 3 on the list, Soufriere Hills, Popo, Krakatau, and the Kamchatka peninsula all continue with the regular belching members.
Hope your chunk of the planet is not erupting or shaking and that atmospheric conditions make things lovely today on Earth. Get out and check it out.

Another Sultry Day and Then a Taste of Fall!

A cold front will push out the sultry air left behind by Isaac tomorrow and usher in a breath of cool, dry, fall-like air. Lows will drop into the low 60's for Sunday morning and then dip into the 50's for much of next week. Daytime highs will only be in the low 70's for most of that time. Fall is two weeks away but after a week of tropical, Isaac air, an early bit of fall will feel fine.  No rain today was the first time without the wet stuff all week. That will likely change tomorrow as the front slide through.
Tomorrow is last quarter moon at 9:15am EDT so clear sky in the evening will not be flooded with moon light until the wee hours.  When it does come up tonight it will be right underneath Jupiter and to the east (left) of Aldebaran in Taurus, with both hanging above Orion. These winter constellations are moving back into the sky, even if only in the middle of the night. Mars and Saturn have switched positions in the west at sunset with Mars hanging out in that spot for the rest of 2012 but Saturn will be left behind the sun from our view by September's end.
The planet is still quite shaky with lots of quakes in the upper 4's and 5's and a 7.6 quake hammered Costa Rica on Wednesday.  Quite a few mid-ocean ridges are slipping around recently, and that has to mean push on the other end, somewhere. And, there are a lot of somewheres on the list these days. Central Va. is fortunately quiet.
A new volcano in the Aleutians at the top end of the Ring O Fire is one of many all along the ring. Indonesia, Kamchatka, Hawaii, Central and South America, even a seamount make for sizable list.
Today on this part of Earth was hot; tomorrow will be a slide to coolness. Get out and enjoy that cool.

The September Muggies!!

September, starting in summer but ending in fall, kicks off with a warm, muggy day in central Virginia. After a summer of drought, the central US gets the drought buster in the remains of Isaac. That moisture   is heading east this weekend and will likely dampen Labor Day for much of the east coast.  After the rain, average September temps in the mid-80 and less humidity will be the story for the end of the week ahead. Get out and check out summer, only 3 more weeks!
The planet has been rocking with earthquakes for much of the past week. The San Andreas fault on the Mexico/California border rumbled with several quakes above 5 and hundreds of aftershocks, the Virgin Island edge of the Caribbean plate has also rippled the sea floor with dozens and dozens of quakes in the 2, 3 and even 4 range.  Yesterday, a 7.6 magnitude quake shook sea floor east of the Philippines, setting off tsunami panic (only 20 inches high) and doing considerable structural damage on shore. Above 6 quakes have also occurred this week up near the north pole and near the equator in Indonesia. A very busy earthquake list; a list that claims to be shutting down or changing to a map on the USGS site. ???
The volcano list highlights the Ring of Fire, eastern and western, north and south, the ring is belching. A couple of new additions, one north of Japan and a seamount below the Pacific, ruffling the surface. And, lots of old steady standbys. Soufriere Hills is back on the list, the Caribbean plate seems edgy, and Popo is still erupting in Mexico.  New earth still forming!!
Yesterday's second full moon of August, a blue moon in the new definition, was the last until the middle of the decade. It will be big and gibbous tonight washing out any stars not blocked out by cloud cover.
Get out there and enjoy Today on Earth!!

Meteors and a Hint of Fall

As is often the case in early August, the first real breath of northern air will arrive in Virginia later today  clearing skies and dropping temps to near 60 for the Perseid meteor shower.  Tonight, by midnight and into the wee hours streaks of light will zoom across the sky as bits of dust left behind as comet Swift-Tuttle last orbited the sun. The comet won't be back until 2126 but every year Earth passes through the debris trail at this time in August and offers one of the more reliable showers of the year. At a meteor or two a minute, you probably won't have to wait long to see "shooting stars".
To watch a meteor shower is easy; put on some bug spray, set up a lounge chair or blanket in an open spot away from lights and lay back and look up into space. The quick movement will catch your eye. The shower is called the Perseids because the meteors, if traced back to a point of origin seem to come out of the constellation Perseus.  Don't worry about not knowing what Perseus looks like or where it is, the meteors will seem to come from everywhere.
While you're watching for meteors the constellations of summer will be your background: the 3 bright stars of the summer triangle will be overhead with the Milky Way running through the triangle if your location is truly dark, Scorpio, Sagittarius and Capricorn will rule the south but by meteor time the big dipper will be below (or near) the northern horizon. The North Star will still be north, at the end of the little dipper handle. It should be a clear, cool evening; perfect for meteor watching and star gazing.
If you are up in the middle of the night (3am) the waning crescent moon will be hanging with Jupiter (higher) and Venus (lower). Check out the sky show!!
A 6.4 quake rocked Iran earlier today (let's hope it's not nuclear testing with that scary nation) and the Fox Islands had a quake in the red zone late yesterday. The Pacific Ring of Fire (with Hawaii dotting the ring's center) is the only spot for volcanoes right now: 2 rumble in New Zealand, Colombia and on Russia's Kamchatka peninsula as well as many of the ring's usual suspects on the list. Popo still causes the most concern on the list.
Get out and check out your planet, today on Earth.

July Goes Out Shaky & Stormy

The CentralVaQuakeZone is at it again; a 2.4 quake early Tuesday morning centered a little northeast of the more "normal" spots reminds us, almost a year later, that our new shaky world is still alive.  And, after dodging most of the storms of late, the tire house got some much needed rain as July ended and August arrived, 1 1/4 inches worth and cleaner air.  More storms are possible today with a less humid day in store for Thursday.
Mars, Saturn and Spica continue their dance in the western sky. Mars will catch up and slide eastward (or seem to) between the other two as the month goes on. Tonight's full moon (11:27pmEDT) will wash out many of the faint stars but the planet dance will still be easy to spot. For early risers Venus and Jupiter are the morning show.  August will have a blue moon this moon, at least the new version: two full moons in a month - today and the 31st.
The volcano site will be updated later today; the Virgin Isles are a bit shaky offshore recently and Oklahoma and Utah are still quaking a bit more than normal. Heat dominates the mid-US (shocker) and the Olympics continue across the pond.
Get out and check out your planet (and the space around us) today on Earth.

An "Average" End to July

A weak front slid into the region yesterday, kicked off a few showers and brought a little cooler, drier air into the region. The clear skies made for a lovely evening sky; the moon hanging above Scorpio and Mars, Saturn and Spica a little farther west. Lightning off to the east in the big cumulonimbus clouds completed the nighttime show. The waxing moon will be closer to Sagittarius tonight.
A couple of quakes above 6 in plate edge zones, and most of the other normal quake spots and an aftershock here in Va. - not showing on the list??? but I know that noise and rumble - in the wee hours of Saturday morning. 17 volcanoes on the list and no surprises; Popo and Sakura-Jima still most active of the lot.
The front will hang around for a couple of days increasing the chance of showers Monday and more likely Tuesday and temperatures will be close to average most of the week: lows near 70 and highs around 90.
It's not bad for July, get out and check out your planet, today on Earth.

One Fine Day & Then Back to Summer

July 25 (5 months 'til xmas) is shaping up to be a lovely day; fairly cool and low humidity as a cold front clears Va. and ushers in a puff of northern air. Enjoy it today because the nasty, hot, humid air that has been baking the central US is going to push the cool air off shore and let temperatures into the upper 90's with the heat indexes into the 100's for Thursday and Friday.
Both ends of the Australian plate are shaky today, mid-6 quakes at Sumatra's western end and in the Solomon Isles but the rest of the list is pretty typical. The volcano list gets updated today.
A brief break in the clouds last night didn't happen in time to see the thin waxing crescent moon near Mars and Saturn although Venus and Jupiter were likely easy to spot this morning before sunrise for early risers. The clouds of summer will make sky viewing iffy but tonight might remain clear.
Get out and check it out, Today on Earth.

It's July, What Did You Expect!!

The heat and showers of July continue; with a brief respite for Friday and part of Saturday as a slow moving "cool" front works it's way south through Virginia. Mid to upper 90's heat and high humidity has made for a fairly uncomfortable week but clouds today are holding temperatures down. Showers have been hit and miss (miss, so far here at the tirehouse) all week with some spots getting downpours but overall drought conditions continuing over much of Va. as well as the entire US. Fires continue out west. Most all of Va. should get some wetness over the next couple of days.
The CentVaEqZone is back on the world map with a 1.9 shake in the wee hours of Tuesday morning centered in western Hanover County. Planes mapping the rocks/faults/magnetism/geology of the zone have been flying low over the area all week. A 6.0 quake in the Kuril Islands north of Japan, south of Kamchatka is the only red on the world list (and no surprise there) that reads as a normal who's who of active plate boundaries.
All the volcanoes on the world active list (usgssivolcanoes) are usual visitors. The Ring of Fire is!
In the short, dark sky of summer, the moon was new yesterday and will slide by Mars and Saturn in the west as we get into next week. Venus and Jupiter are bright in the (clear) morning sky but you have to be up early - before the sun.
Hope for rain, our part of the planet needs it. The British Isle would like a break, they have had a "low jet stream" wet, cool summer. But, get out and check out your planet, Today on Earth.

A Winddown To a Lovely Week

After a blast furnace start, July gives the East Coast a heat and humidity break (and lots of rain to the south) but that will change starting tomorrow. Today will be the last day with low dew points and mid-80's temps. Enjoy!!
The world is still shaking but mostly along the boundaries of its plates and nothing too wild even there. The list of EARTHQUAKES could be from most anytime, all usual suspects. The VOLCANO list is the same: Hierro, Popo, Kamchatka, Japan, Indonesia, Kilauea, the Ring of Fire and none looking ready to blow, just the usual steam and rumbles. I'd still stay a safe distance.
The waning crescent moon will have a 3 morning rendezvous with Jupiter and Venus as it slides through Taurus on its way to New next Thursday - but you'll need to be up early, there is just not that much dark with the north end of the planet tipped to the big sun. Clear skies will show Saturn and Mars low in the west at sunset with Spica (the Big Dipper's handle arcs to Arcturus and then you spike on to Spica). We are pulling away from those two planets and nightly observations will allow you to watch that show. They are clustered even tighter later in August.
Get out on the big rocky world, today on earth.

TOE Returns!!

After an extended break TodayOnEarth returns on a cloudy, low 80's day in central Va. There is lots of rain but it's all along a stationary front hung up along the VA/NC border. Clouds are dominating but the rain is to the south. Seems to have been no aftershocks in the CentVaEqZone but the USGS will be doing low fly overs soon to try and figure out where the faults actually are; no easy find at the surface.  Elsewhere, the plate boundaries are where the action is.
The volcano list is, as usual, dominated by the Ring of Fire with Kilauea and Hierro filling in the non-Ring members. Popo still spews in Mexico.
The front will remain stalled for most of this week with temps in the 80's, a welcome relief for a toasted eastern seaboard. Unfortunately, the rainfall is unlikely to spread region-wide but will hang on the border.
If the clouds break, Mars and Saturn hang with Virgo's Spica in the evening and Venus and Jupiter are in Taurus in the pre-dawn sky. The moon is last quarter tomorrow and will slide by the morning planets this weekend.
Get out and check out your planet, TOE.

Wild Start to a Cool June!

June kicks off in the Mid-Atlantic with a warm, wild day as a warm front slides in for morning showers before being swept off-shore by a cold front and waves of t-storms. Wild winds (maybe a tornado), heavy rain, lots of lightning and reports of hail from mid-afternoon into the evening across the state. And, then it's gone and the cool, dry, loveliness of post-cold front weather moves in and drops overnight temps into the 50 and sunny days only in the 70's. The pleasant conditions are likely to linger for much of the week.
The earthquake list has few surprise locations and no terribly strong quakes (northern Italy is off the list for a couple of days, much to their delight).  The no quake stretch continues in Va. No one is convinced we're done, however, but we'll take the no shake time.
The world's active volcanos are mostly still active, no new names on that list. Popo continues its eruption outside Mexico City but remains at code Yellow.
The moon is full at 7:12am EDT Monday, June 4th and will dip into earth's shadow for sky watchers in the western US and Pacific rim. Tuesday afternoon will be the last of our life time transit of Venus across the face of the sun. Get your solar filter, eye protection or pin-hole viewers ready, you won't see this one again.
Get out and check out your lovely planet. I'm going looking for baby foxes!

Memorial Weekend Kicks Like Summer

While the northwest lingers in spring, the southeastern portion of America springs into summer. 90 degree heat in late May should perhaps remind us of the mild winter the middle of the North American continent just wrapped up and that there is likely much more heat to come as we northerners get deeper into our half year tilted toward the increasingly active sun. The blast of heat will linger into mid-week and will battle it out with tropical storm Berle off the Fla/Ga. coast. It's looking like Berle will hammer northern Florida with rain and then rearrange much sand along the southeast coast. Earth is still in charge!
Sunspot activity continues but nothing too wild yet as we head toward next year's maximum. Venus is mostly gone in the west as watchers on earth wait for it to slide across the sun's face June 5th. A lunar eclipse will happen for the same folks that caught the annular solar one half a moon cycle ago, the day before. Vega twinkles low in the east after dark heralding the arrival of summer stars. The upside down Big Dipper points us north and leads us to Saturn which continues to lose ground in the solar revolution derby to Mars. Get out and check out the hazy summer skies; bright stars only.
Earthquake and Volcano activity are in the normal suspects zone: Usual boundary types for quakes although there is some shaking going on up near the north pole, Ring of Fire members only need apply to the fire mountain list, well, there is one very happening hot spot dotting the middle of that ring.
Remember how lucky you are to be where you are on Earth!! And, remember those that sacrificed so that could be so!!

Spring Rolls On!

A big puff of dry, cool, boreal air has pushed the warm, saturated, southern system that dominated the early week south of Virginia but not far south. The center of the system dropped just off the Carolina coast and is regrouping as a coastal low that is going to make for a wet weekend on the Outer Banks. Here in central Virginia the skies are blue, the breeze freshening and it's a lovely spring Saturday.  About time to go check on the baby foxes. The phoebe, now on the west speaker, has not come to terms with my comings and goings.
A steady but low magnitude shake week in the various quake zones of Earth. The CentralVaEquakeZone is eerily quiet. Popo's eruption continues: boulders, ash, some lava, all playing havoc on the surrounding countryside. Basaltic lava seems poised to ooze from the Comoros Island's shield northwest of Madagascar.
Tomorrow's New moon will be lined up with the sun but at apogee; the result an annular eclipse, the moon too far from earth to block the sun completely. The path of the near shadow sweeps over the north Pacific and adjacent land strips in Asia and North America. Hope for clear skies for them!
Get out Today on Earth!!

A Little Rain!!

Just a little rain...0.7" early Monday morning and then another 2.3" early Tuesday morning with an additional 1.1" Tuesday night with wild electric show and spotty power outages. The mosses paths are loving life! Streams are near bank tops and fire danger is non-existent. Today has (so far) spared us showers but was warm and muggy but a cold front will change that for tomorrow and throughout the weekend with a blast of cool, dry, Canadian air.
No big earthquake news on Earth today but there are several new volcanoes on the list. Popocatapetl continues to spew ash and boulders into the Mexican sky and remains at code yellow.
Annular eclipse on Saturday for the west coast and Pacific and Venus continues it's move to the solar crossing on June 5.
Check out your planet, it's still in charge.

A Lovely Mother's Day Weekend

After a long spell of clouds and rain, the cool dry air of high pressure returns to the central Atlantic.  A classic follow-up to a cold front that cleared things up Wednesday: breezy northwest wind and still cool on Thursday, severe loveliness with less wind and mid-70's warmth Friday - not even a hint of a cloud- and today warmer still and with the warnings of change coming as cirrus clouds will waft by far, far overhead. Mother's Day will be warm as well but clouds will thicken and bring a chance of showers late in the day and that system, now just leaving Texas after an extended stay, will arrive and likely linger for much of the upcoming week.
There are, as usual, lots of quakes on the shaky planet but none in the red zone for several days. A fairly normal looking list of volcanoes is still dominated by Mexico's Popo and it continues to spew and rain boulders on itself and ash onto nearby towns in a 15 - 20 km halo around the big smoking mountain. Still code Yellow.
The baby foxes continue to grow and wander farther from their den (I've seen 5) and the more curious one or two still are ok watching and listening to me as I pass the den on my daily deep woods wander.  Still not sure what happened to the first nest of baby phoebes but mom already has another nest on my other speaker and seems to be stealing material from the first nest.  I saw a hummingbird yesterday but am late on getting the feeders out and have not seen them return since getting out the sugar water.
Get out and enjoy today on Earth, it's going to be lovely.

Caliente con Luna Grande por Cinco De Mayo

The Moon is full, straight behind the earth from the sun, tonight at 11:35. 25 minutes later it will be at perigee, its closest point to Earth in its moonthly orbit of our planet.  The combination will make for the largest and brightest full moon of the year so if anyone tells you the moon looks really big tonight - it won't be their imagination. It should be hard to miss.
Unless... there are clouds from t'storms that have fired up from a combination of another day with temps in the 80's and a cold front sweeping through the area from the north. Saturday's sunny start has already faded to clouds as another day sets up for heat and storms. With the cold front through the area, Sunday should be cooler and drier, a welcome break from the hot, humid taste of summer we have had this week.
If the clouds clear, bright Venus is still fairly high in the west but dropping nightly in May setting up for its solar transit on June 5th. Mars is high in the south as dusk and Saturn, now west of the moon, is out shining nearby Spica.
A couple of little quakes in Central Va. but we are, mercifully, winding down on aftershock action. Several volcanoes around the planet are belching and rumbling but none are going big right now. Popo watch continues in Mexico.
Get out and check out your planet and our little chunk of space!!

May Starts Like June!!

April goes out chilly and May gets hot in a hurry. Scattered t'storms and mid-80's heat feel much more like June than May and the hottest days are yet to come: Thursday - Saturday. A cool front and cool down arrives here in central Va. Sunday.
Baby critters abound here in the Va. forest: baby foxes sat for a bit and let me talk to them today before retreating to their den and the Phoebe eggs in the nest on one of my outdoor speakers have hatched and appear to be all mouth, begging mom for food. It is springtime on Earth.
Off Earth, the waxing gibbous moon grows toward full hanging between Mars and Saturn. On Earth, the Whippoorwill drowns out the crickets and other insects for nighttime sound dominance and notice.
Check it out, it's a cool planet

A Chilly Saturday Open House

A little sun early but clouds and cool air quickly take over and make for a chilly, open house, visitor day at the tire house here in the woods of central Va.  It seems the front will stay to our south for at least Saturday, leaving us in the cool zone.  We'll have to wait and see if the southern air can push back north to warm things up on Sunday.  Forecasts call for it all to be out of here by Monday.
With the clouds lingering, there is likely little chance of seeing the near 1st quarter moon tonight - much less any planets or stars.  The right angle set up that is the first quarter moon will have the sun-earth-moon at a perfect right angle 2 minutes before 6 EDT tomorrow morning.
Two Pileated Woodpeckers just flashed through the front yard, no doubt headed to a snack at a dead tree nearby. They must have kept going because when I stepped out, there was no loud warning cry issued.  Easy to forget how big those rascals are until you see one close by.  Scarlet Tanagers were also spotted earlier today, brighter red and smaller than Cardinals.  Lots of birds looking for food to feed growing families or migrations.  The little, tail dipping Phoebe sitting on her nest on top of my outdoor speaker is still giving me the evil eye as I walk by and doesn't seem thrilled with my choice of music.
It's damp and cool but dress warm and get out and enjoy your Today on Earth.

The Cruelest Month Continues

The monster Low that brought the wet, chilly weekend to the entire eastern seaboard still lingers over southeastern Canada with some minor influences on the weather here in Central Va.  High pressure to the south combined with the Low to deliver air straight from the west and warm things up today. The clear, chilly morning skies filled with cumulus clouds by mid-afternoon and the clouds have lingered and block all but the brightest sky objects: Venus, the waxing crescent moon and just barely Mars.
A warm day awaits for tomorrow but more damp weather lies ahead, a front will bounce back and forth above and below Virginia over the late week and weekend. Warm front Thursday, cold Friday, back with the warm air Saturday and cool again Sunday. Rain chances will be possible all 4 days but there is unlikely to be lots of rain at any point.  A local t'storm could change that!
No earthquakes here in the CentralVaEquakeZone but the rest of the world is shaking at a pretty normal rate; mostly the usual suspects. Popo continues to rumble in Mexico, eruption????
It's April, and while it has it's lovely moments the sneaking cruelness lurks.
Get out and enjoy!!! It's your planet.

Wet Weekend Coming!

The mid-Atlantic is clouding toward a wet Saturday afternoon and a soaking Sunday that will remind us it is only April and there is plenty of cool northern air still nearby. Monday will wind down the rain but the cool will linger into much of next week.  The good news with that is the drought and fire danger will go away for awhile. The dry April is about to change.
The quaking planet is shifting and shimming big time these days. Lots of red numbers - above 6 on the Richter scale - as well as plenty of upper 4's and 5's. Indo-Australian edges, the Scotia plate, and Eurasian African plate collisions are all slammin' and shiftin' and shaking up big chunks of the planet. Aftershocks continue from the 8+ Sumatran quakes last week. It is a shaky world. The CentralVaQuakeZone remains calm.
Volcano news is Popocatapetl; outside Mexico City, Popo, the big smoking mountain is bulging and spitting and appears ready to go into full eruption mode.
The moon was new at 3:18 this morning and a thin waxing crescent will slide up above low hanging Jupiter Sunday evening and be between bright Venus and much dimmer Aldebaran Tuesday night (probably the next time the sky will be clear enough to see any of that here in central Va).
It's your planet, get out and have a wander and look see!!!!

The Heat Returns!!

Hot southern air returns to sizzle the mid-Atlantic states today.  Mid-80's today and upper 80's tomorrow and dry, pollen filled air.  The green of the forest continues to thicken, still weeks ahead of schedule.
The quaking earth is still readjusting after several massive shakes. A 6.5 quake in Vanuatu today and lots of strong aftershocks from Wednesday's massive quakes off Sumatra are keeping the Indo-Australian Pacific plate region wondering what's next. Probably more quakes!!
A waning crescent moon will make for dark skies for star/planet viewing.
Get out and enjoy a hot Today on Earth.

Spring Swings and a Quaking Earth!

Cool mornings and warm lovely afternoons make for a fine mid-April stretch, except for the wind, dry conditions and HIGH FIRE DANGER!! The greening continues as leaves get larger and larger and the heavy oak pollen continues to fade.
Major earthquakes around the planet with lots of aftershocks have made for some tense times. An 8.6 quake followed by an 8.2 aftershock off northern Sumatra on Wednesday resulted in only minor tsunamis but allowed for a test of the Indian Ocean warning system. The quake turned out to be strike-slip, a lateral movement instead of the vertical movement that causes large tsunamis. But, stronger than previous strike-slip quakes leaving lots of room for more study and understanding.
Earth is still very much in charge!
But, it's still the finest place we know of in the universe so get out and enjoy Today on Earth!!

Blue Skies, Dry Air: FIRE DANGER!!

The dry, breezy conditions will make for another FIRE DANGER day here in all of Virginia. A change of air masses will keep temps below yesterday's 70+ warmth but today will still be a lovely spring day, as long as you don't play with fire. Cool and cloudy (but most likely still dry) conditions will make for a chilly Wednesday. The waning gibbous moon is still bright and while it won't light a late dusk walk it might wake you in the middle of the night shining through a window.
The quaking world is mostly quiet with some mid-ocean ridge action and other usual spots but no strong quakes for several days now. There was a tiny morning rumble yesterday here in the CentralVaQuakeZone. Volcanic activity is mostly confined to the the usual Ring O Fire suspects with a few outliers to keep it interesting.
Get out and enjoy your Tuesday, wander about on the big planet, but DON'T PLAY WITH FIRE!!!!

Fickle Springtime!!

It's warm and lovely, it's cold and cloudy and the dry air makes the fire danger very high. Sounds like Virginia in the springtime. A cool mid-week and a warmer weekend will continue the roller coaster ride that makes April the annual leader in the cruelest month contest. Mornings will be near freezing Wednesday and Thursday with cool days but the 60's and 70's will return late week.
NO FIRES, PLEASE!!!
And, yes, there are still aftershocks, small, not recorded, but earth rumbles nonetheless this morning in the shaky zone.
Hang On!

SPRING BREAK Starts Cool!!

Chilly, dry, still, boreal air kicks off spring break with a dip into the low 30's but warms quickly with the steepening sun angle and that bone dry air. No hint of clouds and a breeze make it feel just like it should for April here in central Va.  The crazy warmth of March, with its "month ahead of schedule" blooming has spoiled us into thinking of summer way tooooo soon. April is not called the cruelest month without reason; the fickle swings in April's air, as the summer air masses battle back the chill of winter's storms.
Here in the middle of the middle latitudes we are on that battle front during April and the month will always feature some reminders in the extremes of weather.
But, it is lovely with all the young life busting forth, verdant with sparkles of color. Get out and enjoy!!!!

Mild and Drizzly Sunday

The mild, late winter continues but the sun of Saturday gives way to clouds and drizzle on Sunday. The few clinging leaves left over from last year decided to take a tumble yesterday: the March leaf-fall. The yard that was greening is now leaf strewn. I'm guessing the new leaves are cleaning up things for their arrival.
An aftershock on the southern edge of the Central Va. Equake Zone shifts the shaky focus south and away from Louisa. Seems like the zone is not settling down anytime soon although the shakes continue to weaken.  A big aftershock off Japan two days after the anniversary of their 9.0 quake no doubt has rattled their already edgy nerves. We are still edgy here, too but nothing like they are.
Enjoy the spring weather!!

Spring A Little Early

The not as cold as thought morning will quickly turn into a warm, southern air day with temps well into the 60's with nothing but warmer conditions coming for the week ahead. Blue skies and spring-like temps with the extra hour of daylight at day's end will make Sunday a fine day to be out on the big planet.
For those up late enough to see the waning gibbous moon, you may have noticed the two stars riding with the moon. Only one was a star; the one on the left (east) was (and still is) Saturn and it's easy to see that with a pair of binoculars. The star is Spica, the brightest star in Virgo. The moon will be up 50 minutes or so later tonight and will have slid farther east of the the star and planet but it won't be far away.
Get out and check out your home planet.

Sunny and Cool

The cold front cleared Va. early yesterday but the real cold (cool?) air did arrive until today. It looks sunny and lovely out there today but a north wind and high pressure will quickly remind you we are still in winter. Here in the cold zone in central Va. we will be lucky to make 50 today. As the center of the high slides east tomorrow we will shift to southerly breezes and after one last cold morning warm well into the 60's. Next week brings little chance of much rain and temperatures may well hit 80 before week's end. Freezing temps will likely make their last appearance in this part of the world tomorrow morning and then be gone well into the long range forecast.  Spring will seem to be arriving early.

CLOCKS MOVE AHEAD AT 2am SUNDAY AS WE MOVE THE DAYLIGHT FROM MORNING TO EVENING.

Aftershocks early morning Wednesday wake few but remind us we're still in the CVEqZ.
Venus and Jupiter continue to close on each other in the west at sunset while Mars is the red beacon in the east and outshines all but the moon for the rest of the night.

Get out and enjoy Today On Earth!!

SNOW DAY!!!

A clipper system tracks a little north, has a little more pop than normal and we have a SNOW DAY in central Va.  Snow started about 6am and is now up to 3 inches on my measuring table at 8:30 and it's still coming. Two hour delays turn into closures as the white stuff continues to fall.  The birds are wild on the feeders but the air is still and quiet with the gentle snowfall.
Get out and enjoy some snow; it will likely be gone tomorrow -well, not if it keeps coming like this!!!!

March Enters Like a Wet Lamb

A mild winter continues with a lamb-ish start to March, well, here in Central Va.  West of the Appalachians things are neither mild nor pretty; another huge cyclone slams into warm, moist air from the Gulf and the instability sets off the second round of tornadoes to rip through the mid-section of the US this week.  We get heavy showers Friday that turns to drizzle late and short showers come and go early Saturday with a promise of clearing by afternoon.

Wasn't an increase in storm activity and severity something the global warming folks have been predicting?  Hmmmmmm...maybe it's nothing. But then, there is nothing but change.

Another little aftershock here in the Yanceyville seismic shake zone, early Tuesday morning at magnitude 1.8.  I went semi-fetal as it rumbled and rattled things, still edgy.  Lot of edginess out there on the big planet. Earth is sending us messages that we understand more and more but it seems fewer and fewer are listening.

I'm trying to pay attention, hope you are, too. Enjoy your ride today on Earth.

Sunshine and Plopping Snow

The heavy, wet snow that fell on Va. yesterday is coming down in big blobs today as the sun quickly gets to melting. 7 inches here at the tirehouse was a little above predictions but snow predictions are always iffy and my prediction of less than 4 or more than 6 as opposed to the narrow 4 to 6 window was once again more accurate. Cold temps tonight will determine the school arrival time tomorrow after today's melting. I'm guessing a two hour delay for Tuesday but it's not in my hands.  Building warmth will guarantee school beyond tomorrow.
The aftershocks continue: 2.7 early Sunday morning centered off Rt. 605 just past E. Old Mountain Rd., jolted some lightly sleeping folks. But, they are less and less frequent - but still unnerving and likely to continue for some time as Earth keeps on doing what it does.
Enjoy a snowy Washington's Birthday!!!

The Sun Returns

After a gloomy, icy, misty 4 days the sun returns to central Va. and brings warm temps with it. The storms that trashed parts of Alabama is rather benign by the time it arrives here and now it's gone. Cloud free skies and a southern wind will make it a lovely Tuesday. There is another lull in aftershock action and a fingernail thin crescent moon will be in the west tonight below bright Venus 9 (they will be close Wednesday and Thursday and the near quarter moon will be right and left of Jupiter next Sunday and Monday).
It's a warm January day, get out and enjoy!

Shaky, Rollar Coaster January

The weather is warm, it's cold, it's really warm, it's really cold and it's mostly dry; that will sum up January so far in Central Va. A pattern change in this La Nina winter is bringing more snow to the ski areas (and everyone else) in the western US but only little shots of moisture here in the east. Be patient, there is always change. Today is sunny but cold, hints of frozen or freezing moisture are in the near forecast but for the most part, the weather will be a little above average for temperatures.
The Central Va. Equake Zone rumbled back to our notice yesterday with two 2.5 quakes (8:08am and 4:??pm) and a 2.0 after 11am. All 3 in different spots but all 3 in locations of other aftershocks since the big rockin' on Aug 23. It's almost 5 months since the big shake and, as predicted, the shakes continue. They are less frequent but that just makes them all the more nerve racking.
Earth is just doing what is does, enjoy your ride.
CONGRATS TO ALL EARTH SCIENCE STUDENTS FOR A GREAT JOB ON YESTERDAY'S TESTS!!!!!

Snow Monday, Sun Tuesday, Rain Wednesday

After a nearly 70 degree Saturday and then a much cooler Sunday, Monday arrives and clouds and light snow, rain and sleet take over. A 1/2 inch dusting on cool surfaces is a bit of a surprise and generates lots of talk at the high school as they leave for the day with huge flakes tumbling down and the football field white.
A foggy Tuesday morn quickly gives way to a sunny, cloudless late morning that warms fairly quickly. Clouds will return later today with about a 100% chance of rain tomorrow (maybe a little snow/sleet early am) and then a clearing end of week with a chilly weekend. Ahhh, Va. in January, you get a little bit of everything.
Here in the Earthquake zone the aftershocks have returned after an almost two week break. Late Friday night, Sunday morning, and another this morning at 8:09. They don't call it an earthquake zone for nothing...
Hang on, a shaky winter continues.