The Weather Thread

[Thumper]

We've had snow stick here 3 times already, if only for a couple days. I must admit I follow weather on my phone even more than I appeared to here now that I'm working outside most days. We're late starting a two level deck, we've gone from hot, to muddy, to cold, to freezing. Not too much left to complete.

[geonuc]

So my wife went to Portland yesterday. She had intended on traveling with a friend but friend backed out, citing weather concerns. The northern Oregon Cascades were due to receive a good bit of snow. So I advised her to take the 4WD Pathfinder and go via the Columbia River route, which avoids all higher elevations but is a bit longer. All went well - until the Pathfinder started experiencing engine trouble after she got into Portland. I think it might be a fuel-related issue (filter, pump, etc) but whatever it is, she had to call AAA to get towed. She went to three places seeking someone to work on it either that day or today (Saturday). No dice. I think the tow truck driver was quite accommodating but then again we have a premium AAA account which includes a 100 mile tow.

So, it seems the other car (a FWD Corolla) is going to Portland anyway. I'll drive today to retrieve her and the road conditions seem a bit worse with lots of slick, frozen roads. Yay. And we'll have to do it again after the Pathfinder is repaired.

I don't much care for winter.

[SciFiFisher]

There seems to be a rule about cars breaking down when the weather is acting up. Even though we don't get extremely cold in the winter I can usually count on replacing a battery almost every year in one of our cars. They alternate. I think the Sonata has dibs even years and the Accent gets odd years.

[geonuc]

So the drive to Portland went well. The road was clear even with a lot of freezing temperatures and fog. We get freezing fog in Central Oregon, so I was worried about that. The Cascade passes, which would knock 30 minutes off the drive if passable, that day were essentially impassable to the Corolla, unless I wanted to put the chains on, which I don't.

But that's not the end of this saga. On Monday, the mechanics - who seem quite competent and one even familiar with this model Pathfinder (that guy said he was interested in buying it) - reported that the vehicle was running fine. They took it for several test drives, including a ten mile jaunt on the freeway. Nada. They did a check on likely suspects (fuel pump, filter, etc) but again, nada. That, of course, is the worst possible outcome, as anyone who has taken a car into the shop knows. There's a problem, but it refuses to surface when being diagnosed.

So yesterday, we piled into the Corolla and went to retrieve it. While quite cold (low to high 20's during the Central Oregon stretch), the roads were again clear but very foggy. Again, not so with the Cascade passes. At one point, we saw an incredible sunrise on Mt Hood with fog laying in the valleys between us and the mountain. We arrived at the shop, had a good conversation about what transpired and then drove about ten blocks to an Asian grocery so I could stock up on stuff unavailable in Bend. After that, we headed home. Except two blocks later, the problem cropped up. Lurching and struggling to rev. My wife was driving it, so we pulled over and switched cars. It acted up for me, too, so I limped back to the mechanic, barely making it as the problem got worse as I drove. I left the engine running so the mechanic could experience the problem, which he did. We drove around the block and he struggled to get the thing to go. Basically, the engine refused to rev above 2000, and was getting worse. After giving the mechanics a few hours to check stuff out and not yet finding the problem, we headed back to Bend, this time largely in the dark. Neither of us likes to drive in the dark.

So there we are, still. Us in Bend with one FWD vehicle (my Subaru BRZ, which is RWD, has been put away for the winter) and our 4WD Pathfinder on the other side of some very large, snowed-in mountains. Which is why this is in the weather thread. We need to get that vehicle back while the Corolla is still able to make the trip to Portland safely. The road to the Columbia River will ice over in places and I-84 from The Dalles (the town on the river) to Portland is notorious for icing to the point it gets closed.

[SciFiFisher]

So there we are, still. Us in Bend with one FWD vehicle (my Subaru BRZ, which is RWD, has been put away for the winter) and our 4WD Pathfinder on the other side of some very large, snowed-in mountains. Which is why this is in the weather thread. We need to get that vehicle back while the Corolla is still able to make the trip to Portland safely. The road to the Columbia River will ice over in places and I-84 from The Dalles (the town on the river) to Portland is notorious for icing to the point it gets closed.

If the Pathfinder has any serious electronics that control anything you might want to double check those. I had a Plymouth Voyager a number of years ago that did something similar. It was a cracked chip in the onboard computer module. It would run fine when you first started it up but as soon as it warmed up it would start doing what your Pathfinder is doing. The crack would widen when the engine warmed up and mess with the connections. They were unable to find it with the diagnostic equipment because there was no error code for "cracked chip". Every time they hooked up the machine they got a different error message or none at all.

[geonuc]

So there we are, still. Us in Bend with one FWD vehicle (my Subaru BRZ, which is RWD, has been put away for the winter) and our 4WD Pathfinder on the other side of some very large, snowed-in mountains. Which is why this is in the weather thread. We need to get that vehicle back while the Corolla is still able to make the trip to Portland safely. The road to the Columbia River will ice over in places and I-84 from The Dalles (the town on the river) to Portland is notorious for icing to the point it gets closed.

If the Pathfinder has any serious electronics that control anything you might want to double check those. I had a Plymouth Voyager a number of years ago that did something similar. It was a cracked chip in the onboard computer module. It would run fine when you first started it up but as soon as it warmed up it would start doing what your Pathfinder is doing. The crack would widen when the engine warmed up and mess with the connections. They were unable to find it with the diagnostic equipment because there was no error code for "cracked chip". Every time they hooked up the machine they got a different error message or none at all.

I have complete faith in the mechanics. They know what to check.

They did mention that the onboard computer was a suspect, just not a likely one. They initially thought one of the catalytic converters was plugging, but they ruled that out. Next likely suspect is the distributor.

[Thumper]

23 straight days of "above normal" temperatures. It was 70 here two days ago, in January. Mrs. T and I heard spring peepers yesterday!! High winds are dropping branches, limbs and even whole trees all over the place. Dandelions are blooming, there are still bugs flying around everywhere. It's a mess.

[Rommie]

It was similarly 70 this weekend and we took advantage w two long bike rides on Saturday and then Sunday.

I mean its nice but it astounds me that people can live through this stuff and not think the climate is changing when you're wandering about Boston in short sleeves in January.

[pumpkinpi]

It was similarly 70 this weekend and we took advantage w two long bike rides on Saturday and then Sunday.

I mean its nice but it astounds me that people can live through this stuff and not think the climate is changing when you're wandering about Boston in short sleeves in January.

Climate change is so extreme that it can snow in Washington DC at 70F!

[geonuc]

Climate change is so extreme that it can snow in Washington DC at 70F!

I saw that in the news.

[pumpkinpi]

Yesterday it was -1 when I woke up. It was in the teens and very frosty when we went tubing last night.

Right now it's raining. The high is going to be at or above freezing throughout the 10 day forecast.

Yes, I'm complaining about it being too warm in winter! This is leg-breaking weather. Snow packed streets and sidewalks followed by a thaw and refreeze turn them into sheets of ice. I'm so grouchy from not walking to work due to the icy conditions.

[Rommie]

Oof. Be careful!

Cold here. It's funny how these days I actually rather like the cold, because it's supposed to be cold in January dammit.

[Thumper]

Uber quick temp changes. It rained cats and dogs Saturday. Everything flooded. Temps near 60. Sunday morning it is 14 or so and I found an 8 inch craw dad frozen solid in the middle of the driveway...
Hopefully getting up to 40 today but not looking good at this point. I need to get on the roof and do a half assed spray rubber repair to temporarily quell two minor leaks until i can get a new roof on this spring...

[SciFiFisher]

Uber quick temp changes. It rained cats and dogs Saturday. Everything flooded. Temps near 60. Sunday morning it is 14 or so and I found an 8 inch craw dad frozen solid in the middle of the driveway...
Hopefully getting up to 40 today but not looking good at this point. I need to get on the roof and do a half assed spray rubber repair to temporarily quell two minor leaks until i can get a new roof on this spring...

Adventures with ladders while it is wet, slippery, or frozen. What could possibly go wrong?

[Thumper]

Indeed! I survived.

[Rommie]

SO warm out. Like 40s and sunny today, the first Monday of February, which is roughly what it's been the past few weeks. In BOSTON. We've had snow drops for weeks in the yard already too. This week the weather will turn crappy, but looks like it won't manage to get cold enough to do more than rain.

Perhaps it's because I know what the weather should be like here more than anywhere else I've lived in the last years, but this winter is really disturbing me. Enough to think about applying for jobs in the next few years in areas that will be least affected by climate change- it feels completely irresponsible if you're thinking of bringing any kids in the world to see winters like this and move them to a city expected to dramatically flood on a regular basis or similar. Am I completely nuts for thinking that way?

[SciFiFisher]

SO warm out. Like 40s and sunny today, the first Monday of February, which is roughly what it's been the past few weeks. In BOSTON. We've had snow drops for weeks in the yard already too. This week the weather will turn crappy, but looks like it won't manage to get cold enough to do more than rain.

Perhaps it's because I know what the weather should be like here more than anywhere else I've lived in the last years, but this winter is really disturbing me. Enough to think about applying for jobs in the next few years in areas that will be least affected by climate change- it feels completely irresponsible if you're thinking of bringing any kids in the world to see winters like this and move them to a city expected to dramatically flood on a regular basis or similar. Am I completely nuts for thinking that way?

Nope. Perfectly rational thinking.

[pumpkinpi]

SO warm out. Like 40s and sunny today, the first Monday of February, which is roughly what it's been the past few weeks. In BOSTON. We've had snow drops for weeks in the yard already too. This week the weather will turn crappy, but looks like it won't manage to get cold enough to do more than rain.

Perhaps it's because I know what the weather should be like here more than anywhere else I've lived in the last years, but this winter is really disturbing me. Enough to think about applying for jobs in the next few years in areas that will be least affected by climate change- it feels completely irresponsible if you're thinking of bringing any kids in the world to see winters like this and move them to a city expected to dramatically flood on a regular basis or similar. Am I completely nuts for thinking that way?

No, you're not. We're seriously considering investing in land somewhere in MN so our descendants have somewhere they can live sustainably, should things fall apart.

[Rommie]

SO warm out. Like 40s and sunny today, the first Monday of February, which is roughly what it's been the past few weeks. In BOSTON. We've had snow drops for weeks in the yard already too. This week the weather will turn crappy, but looks like it won't manage to get cold enough to do more than rain.

Perhaps it's because I know what the weather should be like here more than anywhere else I've lived in the last years, but this winter is really disturbing me. Enough to think about applying for jobs in the next few years in areas that will be least affected by climate change- it feels completely irresponsible if you're thinking of bringing any kids in the world to see winters like this and move them to a city expected to dramatically flood on a regular basis or similar. Am I completely nuts for thinking that way?

No, you're not. We're seriously considering investing in land somewhere in MN so our descendants have somewhere they can live sustainably, should things fall apart.

Yeah I saw MN is actually probably one of the most unscathed areas, relatively speaking. And Pittsburgh, upstate New York, and New England away from the coasts. (Though to be fair, if it comes as far as having to live off your own land, Lord help anyone trying to do that in New England even if the climate changes.) The funny thing is we were also discussing the Netherlands in this context, but I honestly think they're perhaps one of the best prepared for climate change despite living under sea level- which makes the entire thing really maddening in some ways.

Btw, the big lake in New Hampshire that's the family summer spot does a contest every year where you can place a prediction in February for when "ice out" will happen- aka, when the big tourist boat can go to all three of its ports ice-free. It's happened in March three times in the last decade (versus twice in 100+ years before that), the most recently being March 18 in 2016 being the earliest ever recorded. So now that the predicting is up, I chose March 16. It's barely frozen as is and frankly I could have chosen earlier.

[pumpkinpi]

SO warm out. Like 40s and sunny today, the first Monday of February, which is roughly what it's been the past few weeks. In BOSTON. We've had snow drops for weeks in the yard already too. This week the weather will turn crappy, but looks like it won't manage to get cold enough to do more than rain.

Perhaps it's because I know what the weather should be like here more than anywhere else I've lived in the last years, but this winter is really disturbing me. Enough to think about applying for jobs in the next few years in areas that will be least affected by climate change- it feels completely irresponsible if you're thinking of bringing any kids in the world to see winters like this and move them to a city expected to dramatically flood on a regular basis or similar. Am I completely nuts for thinking that way?

No, you're not. We're seriously considering investing in land somewhere in MN so our descendants have somewhere they can live sustainably, should things fall apart.

Yeah I saw MN is actually probably one of the most unscathed areas, relatively speaking. And Pittsburgh, upstate New York, and New England away from the coasts. (Though to be fair, if it comes as far as having to live off your own land, Lord help anyone trying to do that in New England even if the climate changes.) The funny thing is we were also discussing the Netherlands in this context, but I honestly think they're perhaps one of the best prepared for climate change despite living under sea level- which makes the entire thing really maddening in some ways.

Btw, the big lake in New Hampshire that's the family summer spot does a contest every year where you can place a prediction in February for when "ice out" will happen- aka, when the big tourist boat can go to all three of its ports ice-free. It's happened in March three times in the last decade (versus twice in 100+ years before that), the most recently being March 18 in 2016 being the earliest ever recorded. So now that the predicting is up, I chose March 16. It's barely frozen as is and frankly I could have chosen earlier.

That reminds me of the different ways to interpret "seasons."

It has a clear astronomical definition. You can't disagree with where the Sun crosses the celestial equator.

But then there's meteorologic seasons, which start June 1, September 1, December 1, and March 1.

MN has a similar way to interpret winter, ice-in to ice-out, and it's getting shorter.

I heard a while back that in Sweden, their "winter" begins after X weeks of a certain temperature, and in recent years winter hasn't come. (I never looked this up for details.)

I was talking with someone from Colombia, vising around the autumnal equinox. He asked me when fall begins. I was surprised that he didn't know the calendar date. But being almost on the equator, temperatures vary so little through the year, that a change on a calendar day really has no meaning. To them, the variation in weather depends on whether you drive an hour into the mountains or an hour to the coast.

[SciFiFisher]

In Eastern Washington, we have seasons for Tumbleweeds and Wind.

[pumpkinpi]

SO warm out. Like 40s and sunny today, the first Monday of February, which is roughly what it's been the past few weeks. In BOSTON. We've had snow drops for weeks in the yard already too. This week the weather will turn crappy, but looks like it won't manage to get cold enough to do more than rain.

Perhaps it's because I know what the weather should be like here more than anywhere else I've lived in the last years, but this winter is really disturbing me. Enough to think about applying for jobs in the next few years in areas that will be least affected by climate change- it feels completely irresponsible if you're thinking of bringing any kids in the world to see winters like this and move them to a city expected to dramatically flood on a regular basis or similar. Am I completely nuts for thinking that way?

No, you're not. We're seriously considering investing in land somewhere in MN so our descendants have somewhere they can live sustainably, should things fall apart.

Yeah I saw MN is actually probably one of the most unscathed areas, relatively speaking. And Pittsburgh, upstate New York, and New England away from the coasts. (Though to be fair, if it comes as far as having to live off your own land, Lord help anyone trying to do that in New England even if the climate changes.) The funny thing is we were also discussing the Netherlands in this context, but I honestly think they're perhaps one of the best prepared for climate change despite living under sea level- which makes the entire thing really maddening in some ways.

Btw, the big lake in New Hampshire that's the family summer spot does a contest every year where you can place a prediction in February for when "ice out" will happen- aka, when the big tourist boat can go to all three of its ports ice-free. It's happened in March three times in the last decade (versus twice in 100+ years before that), the most recently being March 18 in 2016 being the earliest ever recorded. So now that the predicting is up, I chose March 16. It's barely frozen as is and frankly I could have chosen earlier.

Looks like I should either head to northern MN, or head home to Michigan!
America After Climate Change, Mapped
https://www.citylab.com/environment/2019/12/green-new-deal-atlas-climate-change-mcharg-center-maps-model/603415/?utm_source=twb

[Rommie]

That page is a little odd for including earthquakes. Like obviously they are a thing, but they're still going to be a thing climate change or not.

[geonuc]

That page is a little odd for including earthquakes. Like obviously they are a thing, but they're still going to be a thing climate change or not.

The map shown on that page (the one with earthquakes) is just one of many developed for the project. It maps environmental risks.

[Rommie]

Ah ok, my bad!

Rain and snow and sleet today, emphasis on rain here unfortunately but snow up north. Good, it's friggin' February.