Hurricane Harbor

A writer and a tropical muse. A funky Lubavitcher who enjoys watching the weather, hurricanes, listening to music while enjoying life with a sense of humor and trying to make sense of it all!

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

7.7 Earthquake in Caribbean! Winter Weather Promises Broken as Winter Forecasts Went Bad.... Thoughts on Kobe and Fog and Life.

7.7 Earthquake in Caribbean.
Between Jamaica and Cuba.
Felt in Miami.
Yet... no coverage at all by CNN or FOX?
As Impeachment was on a "break"
You'd think they'd BREAK IN for a 7.7 Quake?
And that's why we have Twitter I suppose.





This is a developing story.
Imagine the local news in Florida will cover it.
And aftershocks obviously expected.
Possible Tsunami Concerns.
Sometimes Aftershocks can be as big or bigger.
If you have loved ones near this region.
Hope they are safe...
7.7 is huge.

Note in Miami buildings were evacuated.
I have friends in tall buildings in downtown Miami.
They definitely felt it there.
That has to be freaky because....
...in California you go "oh an Earthquake"
But in Miami when a building moves...
... your mind goes bad places.


The rest of the blog is about the lack of winter.
And how FOG in LA made news sadly...
...with the death of an Icon and 8 others.

As always I'm watching the Water Vapor Loop.
Well unless my friend texts me on a 7.7 Earthquake...


No apologies.
I am who I am.
I'm a Tropical Weather Person 1st!
Before I wish on winter weather...
...I'm tropically obsessed.
And I love the Water Vapor Loop!




I promised a blog today so here it is... a kind of catch up blog with many thoughts. Generally I'll be blogging more regularly now as for now things are somewhat back to normal in my life.

Okay, I'm being honest here.... it's been a beautiful winter in Raleigh North Carolina in that it's been cool and beautiful, not hot all year round and not one of those years when the city shuts down because of some snow and they don't send snow plows out and the salting didn't work because it rained first and we didn't get any of those sandwich winter storms of sleet, snow, sleet then lastly snow so when you walk outside your snow boots sink down after the initial "crunching" sound and your illusion of 5 inches of snow is really snow on top of lasagna layers of sleet and snow. And if you think I'm complaining on that ... yeah as for the next few days ice usually forms on top of the sleet covered snow that's not melting because it's cold and cloudy and school is cancelled for a week and all across America people make fun of people in Raleigh that can't drive in the snow... because they are clueless what it's like when it snows here after rain and the hilly road immediately freezes into a slope that could be used for a bobsled race in the Winter Olympics.


Really those pictures did need a Soundtrack...
...it's a very steep hill that froze immediately!
After 3 minutes of snow.... 


So no I am not being a Debbie Downer on our Winter Weather this year but I did decide early on that the "models" and the "forecasts" for Winter 2020 were grossly off target and it's going to be a repeat of last year that featured no real snow. Okay, we had a drop in November way too early then nothing, nada, nothing the rest of the winter. I'm not going to go maniac over every snow flake on the 9th day in my phone App showing me "maybe some mixed wintry weather" when I know how this is going to go. Until I see the change happening......we are in a similar pattern as we had in the hurricane season. Wet and rainy along the Gulf of Mexico, Texas gets storms of various kinds... a low forms in the Gulf of Mexico and often crosses Florida and reforms off the Carolinas. Then said storm flirts with the coast of Carolinas sending illusions of snow often discounted as graupel which is really like sleet but for some reason we have to show how academically smart we are with meteorological terms and call it Graupel. See definition below from Google.


Graupel (/ˈɡraʊpəl/; German: [ˈɡʁaʊpl̩]) also called soft hail or snow pellets, is precipitation that forms when supercooled water droplets are collected and freeze on falling snowflakes, forming 2–5 mm (0.08–0.20 in) balls of rime. The term graupel is the German language word for sleet.

Yeah right.
I'm not going to play this game this year.
Either it snows or we get "graupel"
...or Spring comes early.
I've lived most of my life without snow.
I can make it through another Raleigh winter this way.
And if by chance snow surprises us... 
I'll be really excited!

If it snows when I'm in Seattle in February.
Oh well....
I'll be in Seattle ;)
I love Seattle.
Life will go on without me crying over missed snow.
(maybe it will snow in Seattle ..wink wink)

When I want to know the truth in NC
I go to 1 of the best local sources.


When Allan Huffman talks on snow I pay attention.
Even if he says a "flake" I smile.
You can take him to the bank.
He doesn't sensationalize.

Then again a few days earlier.
He pointed out the irony of snow forecasting.
The Great Raleigh Snow Storm of 2000
A forecast for "flurries" verified...
...an overachieving storm it was.
Totally shut down the city.
Way before my time here.


Okay I do read DaBuh every morning.
He's always got something to say :)


He's got great instincts ...
... and a way with words and music!

And  yes I have looked at the models.
I spend a lot of time on www.windy.com
Many other good sites but fun to play there.
Interactive, move around a bit.


Again look at that system in the Pacific.
Up close...staring at NC:





Yeah yeah... the Gulf of Mexico is busy...
in the Winter.
Pretty sure we see early season development.
As this trend continues weather wise.



Check out that system there right top pic.
Flow of moisture from ....
...yet our front is "moisture deprived"
Hmnnn

When I see snow in my forecast HERE...
...not on the 8th day of my phone App
Then I'll believe it!
(maybe)

The story of our time is weather related.
Kobe Bryant.
The helicopter he was traveling in crashed.
His beautiful 13 year old daughter on board.
All 9 souls on board died.



The moment I looked up in the Sushi restaurant with my daughter at the screen with Breaking News and saw how foggy it was during the search and rescue I thought immediately of the pictures of the fog from the night before that @icyclone posted on Twitter and I knew deep down inside somehow this was related to that fog. And after living close to a decade in the LA area I know how fast fog can move in ...especially along the coast. 

Unless you have lived there you really can't imagine ... well unless you have lived in London. One Saturday I was sitting in the living room where we were staying for the weekend and people had been setting up a huge buffet for lunch for after services at Chabad of Santa Monica in the backyard a few feet from the house. We did that in LA... ate outside never expecting rain. Suddenly despite the fact that it had been a sunny, beautiful LA day I noticed people racing to take apart the buffet table set up and bringing it inside to set up inside. I asked why and someone said nervously while looking outside as the blue sky disappeared "the fog" and I said "sooo??" as coming from Florida "fog" is kind of cool and rare and they added very nervously "the fog is MOVING IN...." and in the time it took to have that brief conversation I saw what looked like a cloud, suddenly in the backyard, obscuring the little building behind the house that was the Synagogue and definitely blocking out the view of even the table that minutes before had been set for a Queen.... being rearranged indoors. All I could think of is "that's fog? It's a massive cloud... that's not real" and I have to tell you we spent the whole day and night and next morning socked in by a cloud of fog that looked surreal in the glow of the streetlight outside the window ... the buildings across the street obscured from view... shadowy, impossible to make out what the signs on the building said. And I wondered...is that what it's like in London when they say it's "think like pea soup" and again the FOG itself had taken on a persona... a personality ... it wasn't just "fog" but something out of a horror movie; except being a weather person it was exciting for me as it was my first real experience with "THE FOG" in what's often Sunny California.

That FOG moved in fast this past Sunday in Calabasas. The pilot was said to be climbing above a "cloud bank" when he slammed into a mountain side killing all aboard including the man who was an Icon and a mentor to many who loved him. I always loved Calabasas as we'd drive around there often sometimes on our way down to Malibu as my in-laws lived in Northridge and we'd take long Sunday drives often when the weather was nice and we were in the mood. I always loved the way the shadows would fall as you drove through the hills of Calabasas a place now popular for the homes of movie stars and now remembered as the place where Kobe Bryant died. That's sad.

My brother in Greece mentioned it being foggy recently... the same day it had been foggy in Raleigh and my brother in Miami posted pics on Twitter today of the fog in Miami, but the fog in Miami is never as thick as it is when it "moves in fast" in California.


Amazing how fog has been such an issue there year.
In Miami... in Raleigh... in Calabasas.

So yeah that's it from me today.
I'll be more regular this week and next.
Shorter blogs.
Less catching up and random thoughts.

My daughter who graduated from NC State was here.
Fun doing fun things with her....
She's back in Miami.
Stopping every time she sees a dog to pet it.
Really... 
:)
(because I raised her right she asks the owner first!)
:)

Very sad story on Kobe and the other 8 people who died.

Sad for snow lovers in Raleigh this year.

But I'm enjoying the beautiful blue skies.
The cool air as if it's air conditioned inside !!
The chance that it could snow maybe a flake LOL.
And well weather is what it is...
... climate is long term.
Climatology will say there's a chance.

Only time will tell.

Inspirational Icons are good.
Choose wisely.
Hopefully one day you too
 will be an Icon to someone.

Live your life to the fullest.
Do good.
Be happy.
Enjoy the weather you have....
.... see the silver lining.
And careful what you wish for...

Besos BobbiStorm
@bobbistorm on Twitter and Instagram.
Twitter = mostly weather
Instagram = weather, make up, random life pictures..

Ps.......

 I'm going to leave you with this great Tweet by Cranky ... if you are going to bug him for a "sound track" note he will give you one ........but it might not be the one you wanted. For me it was a real blast from the past so I'm smiling.


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posted by BobbiStorm @ 8:20 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, January 07, 2020

PR Earthquake - Spring Like Severe Weather Outbreak in Winter in South - Winter 2020



https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/07/us/puerto-rico-earthquake.html


Puerto Rico just can't get a break.
Well the Earth is breaking...
...rocking and rolling today.
Yes, PR is earthquake country.
We hear about Hispaniola more...
...but you got mountains you have earthquakes.
Fault lines run through the Caribbean.
Hurricanes attack the Caribbean.
Jamaica has had earthquakes and hurricanes together.
You learn a lot from studying history and geology.


http://www.ucrgeode.com/intern-anthony-tallent/2018/3/5/caribbean-fault-mapping

Here's your general video below.
It began yesterday and continues on today.
Aftershocks continue today.
Hurricanes don't have aftershocks.
When they are gone... it's over.
And you clean up.
Earthquakes don't work that way.


It goes without saying they need help.
Charity and prayers.
www.redcross.org
Or give your favorite charity there you trust.

I've been back in Raleigh getting back into a routine, unpacking, cleaning up, doing laundry and trying to remember where I was before I left. For all the journals I keep I really should have one that says "After Traveling ... Get Back on Track Fast" as every wonderful trip means coming back to the every day routine and research I work on as well as every day routines. I have a trip to Seattle coming up but the date is not set just yet. Miami, Monsey ... am I really back in Raleigh? Yes, and to be honest I like being home in Raleigh these days. The air is cooler and it's easier to breathe yet today we are hovering between "nice ... feels cold" and "why does it feel so raw today?" and I know why it's because rain is moving in and the skies are gray and it's a North Carolina Winter Day when you feel if it's this cold it should snow but the cold front is dry this time so all you get is cold, winter rain.

It's been an odd and interesting winter but so far snow has had a problem finding it's way to the Mid Atlantic or the South while sliding along just North of NYC and attacking New England as to be honest Winter is supposed to do because that way we have small towns covered in snow that look like a Greeting Card promising a Winter Wonderland. When you live South of the Mason Dixie Line you got to be realistic about how much snow you are going to get in any given Winter but still it is NORTH Carolina so the chances are there ... somewhere... sometime...distantly down the road. I have a friend in North Dakota, I miss that friend... should I go visit her?  With every week that passes things change subtly and supposedly change is in the air...

clt_None_anim.gif (768×496)

To be honest.... the mountains get some snow.
But everyone else got rain.
Speaking of rain in the South.
The set up for the next cold front....
...and abundant tropical moisture.
Is creating a Spring Like Set up...
No it's not Spring... 
We haven't had winter yet.
But it's that sort of set up.
Progression of fronts....
...and a flow from the Gulf of Mexico.
Watch the next one down the road..

Being honest I am not 24/7 watching loops.
I watch... I do a model or a two.
I read a bit from people I respect.
Then I try not to obsess.
Not my neck of the woods... I don't care.
Being honest.. weather is locational.
Watching other people get snow is not fun.
Would @icyclone chase a thunderstorm?
Because he's bored and there's no Hurricanes to chase?
Nah... neither would I.
I love it all ...don't get me wrong.
But I want the weather ... I want snow.
I'm less a dreamer or watcher as much as doer.
And if I can't "do" weather today the way I want.
I'm probably doing something else.
I do have hobbies ya know...

As is the earthquake as it's in our Tropical World.
Wrong Earth Science but Mother Nature does her thing.
Luckily we don't have the fires they do in Australia.
Somewhere Mother Nature is always throwing..
a temper tantrum.

You can watch the forecast below.
The reliable forecast.
Short term vs long term.
Fronts are making it into Florida.
They are making it into North Carolina.
But for now we be getting rain not snow.

allfcsts_loop_ndfd.gif (799×559)

The middle of the country is getting RAIN.
Insert song "Rain on your wedding day"


That is a lot of rain.

Checking with Spaghetti Models
(which I always do every day)


Winter with it's snow is way up North.
But it's cold in North Carolina today.
Then it warms up to "why am I here?"
I stay here hoping for now.
No snow I should hit the road.
Myrtle Beach Hotels are sending me ads.
"Please come...we are open and cheap!"
Basically that's what they say... 

To be honest I'm tired of hype.
A lot of hype on the news lately.
A lot of hype in the weather.... 
When you have a real strong WINTER pattern.
You don't need hype do you?
It's there... in your face... happening.
Like "Oh my gosh" ;)
Wait a few days you'll see.
Today we have a thin sliver of a front.


I won't say what that system looks like to me.
Use your imagination.
But you see the real problem is the next one.
Down the road still.


Image above from Crown Weather.

You can subscribe to www.crownweather.com
He goes into great detail.
He's good!
That graphic is from yesterday's email.
Become a subscriber and you will get information.
Not hype... or symbols on Apps that come and go.
But the real deal... 

On Twitter.......


Cranky is also the real deal.
If you can understand his maps.
You are lucky because they are so good.
I can, I love them.
I love maps...as most of you know.

Everyone has their own needs.
Everyone likes a different style.
Good meteorological maps are always in style.


As for me I kind of feel like this today.
"That's the system now I'm outta here..."
Occurs to me that's a Mars symbol.
I told you .. I have other hobbies.


Also on Twitter...
I enjoy his videos.
Maybe I just like his voice.
Seriously... he knows weather...
...and astrology and I said I have other hobbies.
Historically storms do show up during the Solstice.
And often they show up during Eclipse times.
I don't ask why... I just watch and notice.

It's January far from Hurricane Season.
I'm into watching and noticing.
And enjoying good music...

I'll be back.
Just checking in... looking around.
Saying hello and wishing you all well.

There's nothing happening in the Tropics today.
Not my tropics.
Down the road winter comes back.
Cold air colliding with warm air.
Is always messy.

Happy 2020.
There's a Lunar Eclipse coming up.

Maybe I'll blog about it in a few days.
Full Wolf Moon Eclipse....
Yeah...

https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2020-january-10

Do some research...
...I'll be back soon enough.

Have an incredible day!

Sweet Tropical Dreams, 
BobbiStorm

@bobbistorm on Twitter and Instagram.


Ps... thinking of getting a blonde wig like that for Purim.
Hmnnn kind of curly ... hmnnn.
;)













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posted by BobbiStorm @ 9:20 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, December 03, 2019

December... Thanksgiving Over As Is the Hurricane Season of 2019. Traveling Back to the Carolinas Today...



Wondering if Mike makes a Winter Weather Tee Shirt?
Hmnnn.. may ask him.
My favorite place to go to know what's going on in the weather!

www.spaghettimodels.com

Snow and Winter Weather in the NE.
No hurricanes in the tropics.


Look at that beautiful world.
Note the big storm leaving the East Coast.
More moisture in the SW moving in...
Next storm system starting up.

I've missed most my weather friends this week.
But tried hard to live in the moment...
..with a super large family enjoying the moment.
Getting quality time when I could with who I could.
Blogging from the road today.

It's December.
I bought LED Chanukah stars in Target for my window.
Going to see if they work back in Raleigh ;)


The Hurricane Season is in the Rear View Mirror.
Well on our side of the world.

It's been a while I know. I spent the last week in sunny, South Florida hanging out with my kids, family, friends and taking in all my favorite places. Today we are continuing this trek back up the coast to more of my favorite places. A new favorite place showed up on the play list last night when we met my son, daughter-in-law and the adorable Olivia and Milo in St. Augustine dining by the harbor all lit up in twinkling lights at night. Beautiful. Writing this from Jacksonville, but by the time you read it we will have gotten back on the road Northbound.

I guess I missed all the hype about the Winter Storm of early December (E name on TWC?) and pretty sure it will be really remembered as the Thanksgiving Travel Storm Mess of 2019. If you were flying somewhere along the Northern rim of the country you may have been stuck in the airport somewhere, but driving in the Southeast the highways were blue, beautiful and sunny.


Thanksgiving Weekend snow may not happen often.
But really not that rare.

The truth is a Winter Storm that impacts the Northeast and Chicago messing up travel is not that rare a thing as if it was in Tampa Florida or even Atlanta... that would be huge news. I heard Cranky is missing on Twitter, hope he finds his way back to our neck of the woods. I've been offline most of this trip just enjoying life and living in the minute. The weather in Miami was beautiful, sometimes cool at night but not blazing hot during the day and the humidity was way down. My son is moving from his apartment that makes you feel like you are in Savannah with the fountain down below up town towards Aventura and the rest of the family.



So I had a long, espresso and said goodbye to my favorite breakfast spot this year when in Florida. New favorites are nice and will pop up this coming year I'm sure. We had a tropical Thanksgiving by my In Law's pool in the backyard where the frying turkey set off the yard's fire alarm system ... the bird was fine and the sprinklers quickly shut down. The house and adjacent Bird Farm (parrots) were fine, the ground just got a bit wet which was fine and the frying turkey barely noticed the fuss.



So what else happened this weekend?
Josh got to chase a cyclone!
Much to be thankful for there.



 DaBuh closed the 2019 Hurricane Season out.
Check that off the To Do List.
I'll blog on it once back in Raleigh.
The truth is it was all about Dorian.


Jim Williams wrote up an excellent report.
Note he was on the money totally this year.
All his top places he forecast would get hit...
...got hit so I'd listen to him carefully every year.



Link to article.
http://hurricanecity.com/blogs/2019/11/hurricane-season-predictions-summary/

Note in Florida when people ask experts.....
...they make sure Jim is there.


Visit his website and donate often.
It takes money to make the world go around.
And to keep websites going.

His city picks for being impacted are highlighted in yellow.
The yellow for the places that got hit.


Never seen anyone nail every city on their list.
He does deep analysis.
I've heard people say...
"well I don't like his system for picking cities...
My thought is "Really??" "It seems to work!"
He doesn't throw darts and get lucky.
Jim is analytical and a perfectionist.
This year he was as perfect as it gets!

My daughter in Miami helped a friend....
..adopt an adorable dog from the Bahamas.
One of the ones airlifted to Miami.
Everyone wants to adopt them until...
..they hear about their health problems.
From being in a Cat 5 Hurricane...
..and starving on the streets before being rescued.
I'll talk on that later this week.
Once home in Raleigh.


So I said goodbye to Miami.
Or as I think of it MYami.
And heading home for the Carolinas.
But Miami always MY home ;)





Some places just make great coffee.
Miami, Tampa, Savannah, Seattle.
And other places in between like Nola.


 I know this is all about the coffee.
I may get a new Nespresso machine.
A small one for the bedroom.


I won't lie I'll really miss the perfectly made Cuban Coffee and Lattes ... you only get in Miami.



Besos BobbiStorm
@bobbistorm on Twitter and Instagram.

Seems we are good when we have winter in all the right places, sunshine in Miami and storms with awesome cores Hurricane Man to chase ... For me I'm chasing really good coffee and an awesome pecan bun for lunch today!!


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posted by BobbiStorm @ 7:20 AM 0 comments

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Updated! NHC Ups Yellow Circle to 50% Orange Circle in the Atlantic......As the Coastal Storm Begins to Move Up the Coast.. Getting Ready to Lift North Along the Coast ...




Odds now up to 50% in the 5 day.
40% in the 2 day.
NHC really fast tracking this system.
When they like something it's apparent.


Has more "there there" tonight.
Also being sheared, not in the best environment.
Not closed off as shown by the image below.


But getting there.
Where's it going?
Models show it following the leader.
As I pointed out this morning.
This is a few days from now.
Models show various variations.




So yes the Carolina Panthers lost.
Our storm slowly began moving away.
The Yellow circle became an Orange Circle...
...as the NHC seems to really like it.

Sebastien is the next name on the list.



This loop shows when a system begins to spin.
It shows MANY things....
...but it's a great predictive tool.

Took a nice drive up into the country a bit.
The Falls River Recreation Area.
That means the dam...
...by the river where they made a lake.
Too cold up on the path by the lake.
Sat down by river shoots out from the dam.
Hasn't been much color this year.
And what color we had pretty much blew away...
...in the last two storms.



Pretty tho... always.
And on the way near the house...
Street near where I live.
Usually more color in mid November.
Lots of trees whose leaves have blown away.



***


Morning Visible.
Eye like center there.
Briefly there... but beautiful.
Gotta enjoy what you got when you got it!



Yeah there's a 30% chance according to NHC..
...of something to it's SE forming.
But we can talk on that tomorrow...
...if it's still there.
Who can ignore this beautiful spinner?


Look how picture perfect our no name storm is...
.... and Monday it's your storm up the coast.
Because what starts on the Carolina coast...
..doesn't stay here this time of year.
As we dance our way into Winter.


From the Capes of the Carolinas...
...to the tip of Long Island.

Wind advisories all the way up the coast.





Watch the sea foam on the beach...
...gosh I love that.
And the erosion doesn't show well on the video.
Beaches been eroded for a while.
Only getting worse.
Winter storms after tropical systems.
Barrier island beaches ...
...always rearrange with the storms.

Listening to meteorologists online and on air talk today makes my heart beat faster for football on a Sunday afternoon with a quasi storm stronger than many of our named tropical storms this past summer. Transference of energy.... handing off as the system waits for the strong winter storm to throw a long pass and for the coastal low to pick up yardage and go all the way up the East coast impacting other much loved beaches on the way.... the same way it played with our beaches down here in the Carolinas.


Online energy is wonderful.
Always funny stuff here from him.



Images, videos, discussion.


And as always detailed explanations.

"And tomorrow for New England"

Check that out... this thing will take off soon!

And always there's some cruise ship drama...




Truly Annapolis is beautiful.
I like New Bern better to be honest.
But well... food, beverages.. 
it's a vacation right.




Love it really.
Weather, earth, science, history.
Music, dancing......

A bit of weather history today here.

Good article in the Wall Street Journal on Project Storm Fury; leaves out a lot about it's earlier days and I could say much but will leave for another day. Love the use of the word "seriously" here as controlling the weather is the stuff dreams are made of ....    And nations do it on a small scale all the time be it rain for crops or no rain on opening day ceremonies at the Olympics. But controlling big hurricanes as romantically heroic as it sounds pales in comparison to the every day enhancing rainfall for crops to grow in their season. A good read on some history, sort of a primer and well worth your time.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/when-the-u-s-tried-to-control-hurricanes-11573880461

Going to leave you with a link to read.
If you want...when you want.
Or save it for another day.
May all your favorite teams win!
May you enjoy your favorite weather....
... and be surrounded with love, friends and life...

Besos BobbiStorm
@bobbistorm on Twitter and Instagram.
Follow me on Twitter.... for real time updates.
Follow my friends.... 
.... you won't find anyone like them.






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posted by BobbiStorm @ 5:28 AM 0 comments