Spring Is Still A Few Weeks Away
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Heavy snows in the Cascades have done wonders for the snow pack with much, much, more coming up in the next week or so. These trees are bending over with fresh snow as Mt. Hood peaks through them during a sun break. Fresh snow amounts below.NOWCAST - Sunny skies this morning were a welcome sight with frosty streets and patchy fog as well. Showers will increase later today as a band of clouds move inland. Expect more of the same tonight and Thursday. Could have hail, snow, and rain in the showers at any time and location. Even a thunderstorm.
FORECAST -Today: Mostly cloudy with showers and possible hail in the late afternoon and evening. Highs 45 to 50. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tonight: Showers likely. Lows around 30-35. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday: Showers and thunderstorms. Highs 45 to 50. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy with decreasing showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms in the evening. Lows 25-30 with possible icy streets and patchy fog. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
SEVEN DAY TREND - Showers and cool today and Thursday. Brief break Friday and then more rain and cool showers over the weekend with low snow levels. Same for Monday through Wednesday. Snow level could drop to 500 feet or lower.
OUTCAST - El Nino Over? Weather authorities down under say so. Click here.
One advantage of warmer weather are oil prices. Click here.
More gloom and doom -"There are ominous signs that the earth's weather patterns have begun to change dramatically and that these changes may portend a drastic decline in food production with serious political implications for just about every nation on earth. The drop in food output could begin quite soon, perhaps only ten years from now." - Newsweek, April 28, 1975
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
908 AM PST WED FEB 21 2007
...STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS REPORTED FOR THE MONDAY AND TUESDAY
WINTER STORM THAT MOVED THROUGH THE CASCADES...
A STRONG MOISTURE LADEN SYSTEM BROUGHT ROUGHLY 1 TO 2 FEET OF SNOW TO THE
OREGON AND WASHINGTON CASCADES WITH LOCALLY HEAVIER AMOUNTS TO SOME AREAS.
REPORTS FROM THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS GIVE STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL
AMOUNTS AS OF 900 AM WEDNESDAY:
LOCATION SNOWFALL AMOUNT (INCHES)
=========================================================
...OREGON...
BENNETT PASS............................... 32
TIMBERLINE................................. 29
BLUE BOX PASS.............................. 28
MOUNT HOOD MEADOWS......................... 27
TIMBERLINE LODGE........................... 21
GOVERNMENT CAMP............................ 19
SKIBOWL.................................... 19
WHITE RIVER................................ 19
HOODOO..................................... 18
TOMBSTONE SUMMIT........................... 18
...WASHINGTON...
SHEEP CANYON............................... 17
LONE PINE.................................. 16
SWIFT CREEK................................ 16
JUNE LAKE.................................. 15
SPENCER MEADOW............................. 15
SPIRIT LAKE................................ 14
SURPRISE LAKES............................. 14
COOPER SPUR................................ 14 (AS OF 7 AM TUESDAY)
SANTIAM PASS SUMMIT........................ 13
SANTIAM JUNCTION........................... 12
=========================================================
OFF TOPIC - Well, this is sort of on and off topic so bear with me. If you do a GOOGLE search for global warming you will find over 65,700,000 references. With YAHOO you'll find 70,300,000 references. Amazing! You will find everything from both sides of the issue. Items such as your diet could be contributing to global warming, click here.
Then there are those about Dr. Al Gore and his rants and waves about the issue. Take this from the DRUDGE REPORT, " The message is serious. So serious in fact, the DRUDGE REPORT has calculated that Vice President Al Gore is burning more than 439,500 pounds of fuel, or 65,600 gallons, at a cost of more than $131,000 on his 16,000 mile day trip, just to deliver the warning."
FOX NEWS HOST SEAN HANNITY has much more to say about that one. Click here.
Go ahead and click here just for the GOOGLE NEWS link and take a gander for yourself. Some of the entries are just hours old. It goes from the scary to the ridiculous.
Which brings me to my thoughts. The scary thing far more than global warming or climate change are the consequences of what government does (or doesn't do) to react to both sides of the issue. I mean, I worked for the FEDS for 35 years and I certainly know the bureaucracy and how once an issue gets going there is no stopping it. People get awards for making ridiculous decisions. And we have to live with them for years. It will NOT be the results of the climate change that will, economically bring this nation down, it will be the ridiculous things that governments do in reacting to a somewhat not so exact science of climate change. Do what we have to do to be environmentally friendly and responsible as stewards of the planet but don't go overboard.
Just look how the state government across the river is handling things. They are about to outlaw just about anything someone thinks is objectable, hazardous, or otherwise. It appears to me to be runaway government to the point of demise. I was born in the Beaver state and still love to travel there but I would never live there again.
This hot topic will not go away and will divide this nation in two. Politicians are already saying to those that deny the issue to lead, follow, or get out of the way. I say to elected officials to listen to both sides, and then take a "Middle of the Road" approach. We have already done tons of work in cleaning up our planet over the years and are continuing to improve them. Yes, there are more things that we can do and some economically and easy. Let's do them first. This global climate change is not a life or death matter that has to be solved in the next ten years as doom slayers will tell you. Global warming and cooling has been part of the planet's history since day one. Many factors contribute to the earth's temperatures change including the earth itself with or without man. Let's just have some common sense and think things through without over reacting and be civil about it. If it goes the way it appears it will go, the least worry is not that we will leave a disaster to our children and grandchildren, we won't be able to afford to have children to leave anything to. We as a country all need to be together on this if we are ever to remain the "United States of America."
MY Quote for the Day - "It is good for your muscles to twist and turn your neck from time to time, it also gives you a wider field of vision." - Pat Timm
-- posted by Pat Timm @ 9:45 AM,
