4-29 Weather Update

[jennys_mn]

I wasn't going to do an update for another day or so, but SW posted a piece down below that hopefully he will repost up here so it's easier to find.

Same old, same old.  6-10, 8-14 - still no changes.  My former neighbor in WI texted me a Merry Christmas a few minutes ago, and JC from WI has pretty much told it like it is there - and here.  Here in Cannon Falls, Weather Underground says 1 day of sun in the next 10, and for 2 days of the next 10 we should actually hit highs of 61!   TV weathermen are saying that we eclipsed last year's rain total, and we now stand at the 4th wettest April on record - of course, that was as of yesterday.  I think this year can make it into the #2 spot without too much difficulty.

I've spoken about the sun and it's activity since I've been on this site.  The amount of inactivity on our sun has had me concerned for some time.  We should be at solar max, lots of sunspots, high solar wind and density.  Instead, we are near the lowest solar wind ever - repeat - ever recorded.  This is significant.  I think it was over two years ago I come on here and started talking about the little ice age in Europe, and how the lack of sunspots corresponded with a drop in documented surface temps in the northern hemisphere.  At the time that I was talking about that on here, I hadn't seen any other research being published on the lack of solar activity vs temp, which is why I was bringing it up.  We should be HOT, HOT, HOT right now.  But our star's magnetic field has been weakening, and because of it, our solar radiation has been waning.  We could be at the dawn of a new solar minimum cycle, which is about every 70 years.  It apppears to me that when the sun finally does finally flip it's poles, and the magnetic turbulence from that subsides, we could be in for years with low output from the sun.  We are going to need the global warming to get through this phase of the sun.  When the sun once again cycles out of this phase, it could get very, very warm.  But that cold be 10 years from now - it could be 70 years from now.  Again - we don't know.

Right now, it's the northern tier that's the most problematic for what I discussed above.  I probably need to sit down and do some more research for myself.  As probably you all need to do on this issue, and see how the sun's output could effect you and your overall plans for your farming operation.

Right now, for the next two weeks, it's going to be cold.  We need this to change.  Soon.

Jen

[sw363535]

another wonderful day of extremes------

• Mostly sunny, with a high near 56. Very windy, with a north northwest wind 29 to 34 mph increasing to 36 to 41 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 60 mph.
• TonightMostly cloudy, with a low around 36. Very windy, with a north northwest wind 28 to 38 mph decreasing to 17 to 27 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 55 mph.

This will make it a solid week of this  I will gather a few pictures today.

We had a 12 truck,car,pickup/trailer pileup in the dirtstorm on highway 54.

http://www.leaderandtimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16453:no-fatalities-in-12...

Snowbirds ------ hope your not trying to fight this wind.

[ECIN]

Boy what a pretty day here in East Central Indiana !  Wind is starting to pick up -  Calling for heavy storms here after 3 or so .  Total rain fall for this week stands at an inch - with rain or chance thru Friday , one station says it will rain till next Monday .

And for you Jen , I seen a show the other day on the Solar Minumin and that was the cycle his guy said we were headed for , He said the winters will be more like you lived 300 miles North of where you live - I say , BS ! Next winter - I'm out of here till Mid June - then come home to plant my 22 day corn , then back to the South land !

BTW  Anybody been watching the Weather Channel at night ??  Some pretty cool radar work with Dr. Greg  And Jimmy C

[buffalocountyfur]

Snowed for3 hrs this morning got about two inches ground is white and roads were slick here in the hills of West central wi.

[Husker-J]

Snowed here, too.   The ground was warm enough there was no accumulation, but I have to wonder about the guys who have corn in the ground, if it will affect yields or not.   If it chills the top of the ground, the shoots will reverse, and go down instead of up.   Not a big deal, unless it stays cold, which it looks like it may, for a while.

[Doug N]

 What about this http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/show.html

4th warmest March ever.  Does this solar minimum only affect a certain part of the globe or????

[jennys_mn]

Hi Doug.  This is not Solar Minimum.  in our 14 -15 year sunspot cycle, we are supposed to be at solar maximum, as the sun is getting ready to flip it's poles.  The lead up to the pole flip is usually characterized by a large amount of sunspots on the sun, and a lot of solar activity.  This solar max is anything but spectacular.  When I spoke of the solar wind, it should be fairly fast right now, again, because of the sun approaching solar max.  But it's not.  It's not to say there are no spots on the sun right now, there are, but in far few quantity and with much less activity than would be expected.  

We could see the sun go quiet for the next 10 years after this solar max event.  We just have to see what happens.  Given the fact the globally temperatures are still warm is not surprising.  We just don't know enough of the grand experiment we are playing on Earth yet.

Jen

[Mike M2692830]

Jenny. I'll agree with you on these sun cycles etc. I still see weather patterns follow themselves according to the events of the calendar. Easter was late this year compared to what it can be. This is march weather we are experiencing. I believe we will skip April weather and dive right into late spring, early summer weather. According to the calendar we are entering the perfect planting window timeframe. According to Mother Nature, it's not time yet. Leaves on an oak tree aren't the size of a squirrels ear. I'm as anxious to get going as the next person....MikeM

[jennys_mn]

It rained here all day - no - I take that back.  It rained here 95% of the day, and snowed the other 5%.  It's 34 degrees, what a crappy day this has been.  As of 5 pm, we had moved into the 2nd wettest April on record, we need 3/4 of an inch for the record.  I think we can make it.

6-10 and 8-14 day forecast tonight - more of the same.  Cold and wet North, hot and still mainly dry in the dryest areas.  Pressure systems continue to drop out of Canada.

A week from now the jet stream is finally forcast to turn and allow warmer, dryer air from the Southwest into the Central US.  It looks like the far Northern tier of states is still going to have their weather dominated by the Canadian systems, but at least it's a bit of good news for most of the Central US to get a good go at planting again.  Still time for a mini vacation to Vegas guys.  I'll keep a watch on that jet stream - like I said, this change is still a week away, and a lot can happen.  But it is time to get out of this winter jet and into a more summertime model.

Jen