Monday January 23rd, 2017
The weather yesterday was interesting. We had a beautiful clear day with high winds. All day it blew from the south at mid twenties gusting into the 30’s. It died down some in the early evening. Then it got volatile, the wind would settle to 12-15 and suddenly gust up into the high 30’s. The prefrontal squall bands were sliding NE along the line as the line pressed South East. I watched it all play out using my ‘Storm’ app on my IPad.
There was a rather nasty cell that had been upgraded to ‘meso’ meaning it was showing rotation or becoming a meso-cyclone, potentially a tornado could form. There was a gap in the intense cells and we slipped through the gap. I’m fascinated with weather and storms and like to sit up and watch the power unfold. Lightning, not so much. There was a lot of lightning around us but only a few strikes within a mile or two of us.
This was an interesting weather event due to the double whammy of a Low and a cold front. Also there was a lot of moisture available to drive the event. The L is still moving up the east coast and will be a weather maker for some time to come.
ML was concerned that we hadn’t discussed our tornado plan. “What do we do”? Well we have a basement, sort of a basement, but not large enough to get into. “What about hanging on to the engine” she asked? I suddenly have an image of ML riding our Ford Lehman diesel like Kong from ‘Dr. Strangelove’. I guess you would ride an engine like that or like a mechanical bull? Both interesting images.
So, our tornado plan, while on the boat, ML will ride the engine and I will go to bed. Seems like a sound plan. ML, Woody, the rats and I floating away to Kansas riding 20 tons of fun…
It was pretty comfortable hanging on mooring 44 while all this was going on. The area of the river has a little fetch to the southwest and to the North northeast. The chop stayed below .5m or about 18 inches. We did get some solid rain but it only rained for 10 or 15 minutes. There is a little line building again today but nothing like last night.
We will likely stay here until the post frontal winds settle.
more later