Ramblings From the Ragged Crumbling Edge Of The Reality-Based Community

Monday, August 18, 2008

...And Al Gore Is Still Fat... 

...the usual trend for thunderstorms in Central Oregon is to have them develop in late morning through early afternoon and then peter out when Prime Time looms. It's rather convenient, actually, from a TV viewing standpoint. Once in a great long while - like every two or three years - there may be some early morning thunderstorms that liven up that whole getting-out-of-bed thing and maybe a few lingering afternoon storms to finish off the day. The development of wave after wave of thunderstorms, on the third hand, that continue from the evening all through the night into the morning and all through that next day into the next evening is something that I don't recall ever seeing anywhere that I have lived in the Pac NW...until the last 24 hours...

All of this excitement, and the threatened wearing out of outlets because of the repeated unplugging/plugging of various sensitive or expensive electrical devices at all sorts of odd moments over the last 24 hours, has been an unusual and unpleasant experience for someone like me used to an otherwise comfortable, familiar ebb and flow of meteoroligic conditions in these parts. But Mother Nature or Gaia or whatever has more in store...and we don't even live in hurricane country. From the National Weather Service tonight:
...AN UNSEASONABLY STRONG WEATHER SYSTEM WILL MOVE OVER SOUTHWEST
WASHINGTON AND NORTHWEST OREGON LATE TUE THROUGH WED..
...
THIS STORM IS REMARKABLY SIMILAR TO WINTER TYPE SYSTEMS AND WILL
PRODUCE STRONG WINDS ALONG THE COAST. WIND GUSTS WILL BE
STRONGEST TUESDAY NIGHT. THEY WILL PROBABLY PEAK AROUND 50 MPH
NEAR COASTAL HEADLANDS...BUT COASTAL CITIES WILL SEE LESS STRONG
WINDS PEAKING AROUND 30 MPH. INLAND CONDITIONS WILL BE QUITE A BIT
LESS BREEZY...EXCEPT FOR HIGHEST ELEVATIONS OF THE CASCADES.

THE SYSTEM WILL ALSO PRODUCE RELATIVELY HEAVY PRECIPITATION
ESPECIALLY IN THE COAST RANGE...FOOTHILLS AND CASCADES. RAINFALL
TOTALS FOR THE STORM WILL RANGE FROM 1 TO 2 INCHES IN THE COASTAL
MOUNTAINS AND CASCADES...
...
THIS STORM WILL HAVE A FAIRLY RAPID ONSET AND PRODUCE BACK COUNTRY
CONDITIONS THAT WILL BE CHALLENGING AT BEST...WITH COOL
TEMPERATURES...WINDY CONDITIONS...COPIOUS RAIN AND EVEN HEAVY SNOW
AT THE VERY HIGHEST ELEVATIONS.

We are always cautioned, and rightfully so, to resist drawing conclusions about climate change based on individual events. I can do that. What the heck, I have a background of intense scientific training that leads me to understand that one can't rely on random observations to make an informed evaluation about climate change in the same way that a military career steeped in intense training in Naval Aviation would lead a presidential candidate to resist the temptation to claim that he understands the employment and deployment of ground troops in a foreign conflict. But, still...

But still, the last few days are getting to be just a bit ridiculous. Three days of brutal record-breaking high temperatures followed by a wild and way longer than necessary episode of occasionally severe thunderstorms followed by what is essentially a winter storm represent a situation that is "juuust a bit outside" for this part of the country that insists on incorporating the word "pacific" in its name. I blame Al Gore...
Posted by: Jack K. / 8:04 PM

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