Atmosphere Comparison

[Jim]

The endless chatter of weather.

[Jim]

I think I'm getting sick of all the negativity. ;)

[SuperstitionGuy]

I think I'm getting sick of all the negativity. ;)

Yes, I don't understand at all why so many of you are upset with the weather.

Gosh, yesterday I only had to put on a long sleeve shirt just to work outside on my yard.

Of course I am originally from Minnneessoootttaaaa. Ofdah, ya, you betcha....

[chumley]

I think I'm getting sick of all the negativity. ;)

[rwstorm]

Set a new all time record low at my house this morning...dropped to 15 degrees (14.6) shortly before sunrise!

[chumley]

all time record

By all-time, you mean since 1980, right? ;)

[rwstorm]

all time record

By all-time, you mean since 1980, right? ;)

You got it.

The low recorded with the old style liquid in glass thermometers inside the cotton region wooden shelter in the backyard was 13 degrees. This is the location and instrumentation I was using until 1997, during the time the previous 16 degree low occurred.

[Jim]

The non-Arizona place which I currently live in, has a low recorded last night of +10 degrees. It might have gone to the single digits, but it wasn't recorded. I see Flagstaff had at least a -9 low. Looks like they probably were not able to crack the double negative digits Fahrenheit. Interestingly, this was the morning when it was -15 in Flagstaff back in 2007. It was a very cold morning indeed, as I recall, and it would be the coldest for me for 4 years until 2011. Hard to believe it's been 6 years. Huh? Here's to warmer temperatures and an early spring.

I wonder if this year's precipitation patterns will mimic 2007? It was wetter than normal in December that year (2006) and then the winter of 2007 was warm and very dry after the bitter January cold. I recall 60s in mid February that year, 70s in April, and mid-80s Memorial Day Weekend. That Memorial Day weekend was my first one there and it was the one that gave me an incorrect impression of how Memorial Day Weekend was in Flagstaff, as every one thereafter was cold and snowy (2008), cold and extremely windy (2011, 2012), or or just cold or cool (2009, 2010). However, 2007 was also the year it was 96 on July 4. I like that, though. Still, we could use another good storm for the Peaks, as 2007 was a dry winter and Snowbowl shut down early. I know they make snow today, but it's better to have at least another good wet snow storm, for the back country. A weak El Nino died that January, resulting in the warm dry winter. We never really had an El Nino, but the wet December and this cold spell reminds me a lot of that year.

BTW, the cold stretch for Flag has been updated.
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/fgz/News/jan15_2013.png

[cactuscat]

-15 at the airport this morning ...

[Jim]

-15 a the Grand Canyon Airport? I never really get why that location is so much colder. I suspect a lot of places in northern Arizona are as cold, or colder, but lack reporting stations. For example, we never really pay attention to Window Rock, but it was -21 there this morning. I am sure there are other locations even colder, out there on the high, dry, open areas of the Plateau. And tourists wonder why no one lives out there. Cold, blowing dust, high wind, nice for about 3 months a year; hardly a wonder.

[chumley]

Window Rock -21
KGCN -17

The all-time record low (recorded) in Arizona is -40 at Hawley Lake in 1971. Did you know that half the states have not recorded lows colder than -40? Hawaii is the only state never to have recorded a below-zero temperature. (Florida has a -2 at Tallahassee)

[Jim]

Yeah, but anyone who lives in Florida for more than 2 weeks can tell you Tallahassee is really just south Alabama, not really Florida. Tampa, Miami, Orlando, Ocala, that is Florida. Those are the people who think a "freeze" is a big deal. I miss thinking like that. -21! No way! never again!

[azbackpackr]

I think I'm getting sick of all the negativity. ;)

What? Did you recently have a lobotomy or something? You are tired of the negativity? Would you even have a personality if you had no negativity?

;)

[azbackpackr]

Oh, wait, saying you are tired of something IS a bit negative.

Whew. I'm relieved! I thought we'd lost Jim!

[Dschur]

Hawaii is the only state never to have recorded a below-zero temperature

http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/webdata/ml ... noaamo.txt

Looks like that is in C not F....

[chumley]

Not sure what the text file is showing (or where it is from) but it appears to be recorded in C. Hawaii has certainly seen plenty of below 0C temperatures ... it SNOWS there, at least somewhat regularly. But the all-time low is +12F (at Mauna Kea 5/17/79).

All the other states have below 0F readings recorded.

[beterarcher]

"0C", what, is Hawaii European?

[big_load]

but it appears to be recorded in C.

I think so, too. However, when I read chumley's response, first I thought he meant the musical key, and then I thought he meant the programming language. I ruled those out after being confused about how he could tell.

[chumley]

Hawaii European?

Scotch-Romanian
I'll take obscure movie quotes for $1000 Alex.

[Jim]

Oh, wait, saying you are tired of something IS a bit negative.

Whew. I'm relieved! I thought we'd lost Jim!

Ha, yeah. Actually, I was making an ironic joke about being sick of "negativity" as though the posts were complaining, when what I was really sick of was the cold below zero, negative temps.

[Jim]

It was +9 last night in Alamogordo, which is pretty cold. Given that it was +3 for the low in Flagstaff, 9 seems so much colder. How do the palms survive here? Maybe that is why so many died over the last few years?