Good Afternoon:
The weather is simply nice. There's a light breeze, and temperatures are in the mid-twenties (upper 70s F). The nice weather should continue throughout the week as low pressure over the Mediterranean combines with higher pressure over Africa to maintain a west (or northwesterly) wind.
Of course, we are moving closer to our rainy season. For this to happen, the monsoon over India needs to weaken and recede eastward, allowing temperatures aloft to fall. The falling temperatures will allow clouds to build in height, which is necessary for droplets to turn into rain drops large enough to reach the ground.
One place where there has been no problem making rain is Texas. The amounts that have fallen there in a day or two are about the same amounts we would normally receive here in the Jerusaelem area during our entire winter. There have been winter storms that bring about 100 mm or so of rain (and occasionally in fall there is even heavier rain in coastal areas), but this isn't close to the widespread amounts that are falling and will fall over there. Such heavy rain requires a good supply of moisture, which the Gulf of Mexico is amply providing. It was also warm enough to combine with favorable conditions aloft to create the category 4 hurricane ("Harvey") that devastated Rockport Texas (and now torments the state with heavy rain as a tropical storm).
Theses types of storm, and these types of heavy rain are what scientists fear will become more prevalent if the world continues to warm. The likelihood of such storms will depend on atmospheric conditions aloft, which could either change to favor or disfavor such storms. Hopefully, the global warming naysayers are correct, and elevated CO2 levels will not lead to much global warming. But, should we take the chance?
Barry Lynn
Monday, August 28, 2017
Monday, August 21, 2017
Weather It Is (Nice Weather, For Now)
Good Evening:
It's 23 C (low 70s F), with 77% humidity, and northwesterly breezes. As my son said: it's nice outside!
I didn't argue with him.
Unfortunately, low pressure will build from the south and winds will switch from the west to east, which means that the heat will return, especially at the end of week (and Shabbat). Temperatures should be quite hot in the mountain areas (mid 30s; low to mid 90s F) and reach 40 C (104 F) or above in the Dead Sea and Jordan Valleys. Down south temperatures will also reach above 40 C.
Along the coast, temperatures will be cooler than inland areas, but the humidity will be higher.
In summary, while Tuesday and Wednesday will still stay cool, the heat will rise significantly on Thursday and Friday, before fading early next week.
One person who seems to have also lost his cool (more than once) is the President of the United States (POTUS). I've been following what happened and it seems that POTUS spends his time either defending the indefensible or criticizing those who disagree with him. Moreover, he tweets incessantly, but he doesn't sing like a bird.
After watching POTUS's second press conference, I have to agree with him -- in part: the "alt-left" can also be violent (and it, and at least some of the regular "left" is antisemitic). Yet, it is interesting to note that various disparate groups (including mobsters) banded together to (literally) fight the Nazi parties that grew in the United States prior to WWII. When making decisions and in understanding history, context is everything. Mr. Trump's tweets are off-key, and so are his judgements.
Barry Lynn
It's 23 C (low 70s F), with 77% humidity, and northwesterly breezes. As my son said: it's nice outside!
I didn't argue with him.
Unfortunately, low pressure will build from the south and winds will switch from the west to east, which means that the heat will return, especially at the end of week (and Shabbat). Temperatures should be quite hot in the mountain areas (mid 30s; low to mid 90s F) and reach 40 C (104 F) or above in the Dead Sea and Jordan Valleys. Down south temperatures will also reach above 40 C.
Along the coast, temperatures will be cooler than inland areas, but the humidity will be higher.
In summary, while Tuesday and Wednesday will still stay cool, the heat will rise significantly on Thursday and Friday, before fading early next week.
One person who seems to have also lost his cool (more than once) is the President of the United States (POTUS). I've been following what happened and it seems that POTUS spends his time either defending the indefensible or criticizing those who disagree with him. Moreover, he tweets incessantly, but he doesn't sing like a bird.
After watching POTUS's second press conference, I have to agree with him -- in part: the "alt-left" can also be violent (and it, and at least some of the regular "left" is antisemitic). Yet, it is interesting to note that various disparate groups (including mobsters) banded together to (literally) fight the Nazi parties that grew in the United States prior to WWII. When making decisions and in understanding history, context is everything. Mr. Trump's tweets are off-key, and so are his judgements.
Barry Lynn
Thursday, August 17, 2017
Weather It Is (Hotter, But Then Cooler)
Good Evening:
The winds are switching to the southwest, and with the wind shift should come hotter (mid 30s C), more humid, and even dustier weather. The southwest winds are developing between high pressure over Africa and weak low pressure over the eastern Mediterranean.
However, after a hot Shabbat, low pressure over the Mediterranean should strengthen and the winds should shift back to the northwest. This will bring a few degrees of temperature relief, as well as clearing skies.
People are asking me if I've received a number of complaints about the weather. I can tell you that I have been asked that question far more often than having received actual complaints. Perhaps, I need to count some of those questions as complaints -- as not many people have the gumption to complain about the weather. After all, wouldn't you be a bit embarrassed to let anyone know that you think that your local weatherman (or women) can do something about the weather?
So, you ask the question, and I think: "good thing they don't know."
Barry Lynn
The winds are switching to the southwest, and with the wind shift should come hotter (mid 30s C), more humid, and even dustier weather. The southwest winds are developing between high pressure over Africa and weak low pressure over the eastern Mediterranean.
However, after a hot Shabbat, low pressure over the Mediterranean should strengthen and the winds should shift back to the northwest. This will bring a few degrees of temperature relief, as well as clearing skies.
People are asking me if I've received a number of complaints about the weather. I can tell you that I have been asked that question far more often than having received actual complaints. Perhaps, I need to count some of those questions as complaints -- as not many people have the gumption to complain about the weather. After all, wouldn't you be a bit embarrassed to let anyone know that you think that your local weatherman (or women) can do something about the weather?
So, you ask the question, and I think: "good thing they don't know."
Barry Lynn
Monday, August 14, 2017
Weather It Is (So Goes The Cool Weather)
Good Evening:
Folks are still complaining about the heat -- and I don't blame them. True, it has been a bit cooler but temperatures are still uncomfortably hot
To make things worse, high pressure will develop over Africa and the clockwise flow around it will combine with weak low pressure over the Mediterranean to bring back the heat again as the week moves towards its end (Shabbat). The heat will arrive on southwest winds, and it will probably turn dusty as well.
My wife, who is from Venus, is even complaining about the heat. She doesn't remember a time where the windows were closed so often, and the air conditioner worked so many daylight hours.
Even though I am from Mars -- and I look forward to winter cold (and hopefully snow) -- I grew up in the "it's not the heat, but the humidity" eastern United States -- so I able to tough it out (after all, I am a man).
Still, being from the cold of Mars never prepared me for marriage. As you all know, men and women first meet on the moon, where its neutral ground allows for a synthesis of bliss to overtake the young couple as they stride happily to the marriage canopy (the "Chupa").
But, they have to live somewhere, and when they do they soon realize that they are quite different, and it is usually the men who have the hardest time adjusting. For instance, did you know that the garbage is full? If it is (and if you didn't know), this means: "take it out." Of course, you'll never hear these words, but husbands being smarter than their animals do eventually learn.
There are plenty of other examples.
This evening the Wife said that we should meet at the Mall ("Canyon") for dinner with the kids. It wasn't too long ago when "The Canyon" meant the mall in Malcha, Jerusalem. But now, The Canyon means the mall in Gush Etzion (Just so you know, until our neighbors the Palestinians started knifing and running people over, the mall and adjacent big supermarkets were a paradigm of coexistence). Of course, I assumed that she meant the "original" mall, and had to settle for eating my sushi in the house.
So, yes, we have a mall here in Gush Etzion, as well as schools, farms and vineyards, two or three pools, soccer (and softball) fields, as well as a performance hall. Gush Etzion is not one big "settlement," but a place where many Israelis live in different cities -- just like they lived and still do within the old borders of Israel (before the Arab countries tried to destroy the State of Israel in 1967). There is also one more husband who has been reminded its better to ask than think for himself.
Barry Lynn
P.S Gush Etzion is located to the southwest of Jerusalem, and was populated by Jewish people prior to the first war (of 1948), when Israel won its independence).
Folks are still complaining about the heat -- and I don't blame them. True, it has been a bit cooler but temperatures are still uncomfortably hot
To make things worse, high pressure will develop over Africa and the clockwise flow around it will combine with weak low pressure over the Mediterranean to bring back the heat again as the week moves towards its end (Shabbat). The heat will arrive on southwest winds, and it will probably turn dusty as well.
My wife, who is from Venus, is even complaining about the heat. She doesn't remember a time where the windows were closed so often, and the air conditioner worked so many daylight hours.
Even though I am from Mars -- and I look forward to winter cold (and hopefully snow) -- I grew up in the "it's not the heat, but the humidity" eastern United States -- so I able to tough it out (after all, I am a man).
Still, being from the cold of Mars never prepared me for marriage. As you all know, men and women first meet on the moon, where its neutral ground allows for a synthesis of bliss to overtake the young couple as they stride happily to the marriage canopy (the "Chupa").
But, they have to live somewhere, and when they do they soon realize that they are quite different, and it is usually the men who have the hardest time adjusting. For instance, did you know that the garbage is full? If it is (and if you didn't know), this means: "take it out." Of course, you'll never hear these words, but husbands being smarter than their animals do eventually learn.
There are plenty of other examples.
This evening the Wife said that we should meet at the Mall ("Canyon") for dinner with the kids. It wasn't too long ago when "The Canyon" meant the mall in Malcha, Jerusalem. But now, The Canyon means the mall in Gush Etzion (Just so you know, until our neighbors the Palestinians started knifing and running people over, the mall and adjacent big supermarkets were a paradigm of coexistence). Of course, I assumed that she meant the "original" mall, and had to settle for eating my sushi in the house.
So, yes, we have a mall here in Gush Etzion, as well as schools, farms and vineyards, two or three pools, soccer (and softball) fields, as well as a performance hall. Gush Etzion is not one big "settlement," but a place where many Israelis live in different cities -- just like they lived and still do within the old borders of Israel (before the Arab countries tried to destroy the State of Israel in 1967). There is also one more husband who has been reminded its better to ask than think for himself.
Barry Lynn
P.S Gush Etzion is located to the southwest of Jerusalem, and was populated by Jewish people prior to the first war (of 1948), when Israel won its independence).
Friday, August 11, 2017
Weather It Is (Not The Dog Days)
Good Aftenoon:
Our Prime Minister may feel that these are indeed the "Dog Days of Summer," but weather wise most dogs will be happy with next week's weather. True, it will be on the hot side, but at least it should be in the low 30s, not mid 30s, and the nights will be cool, as winds blow gently around low pressure over the eastern Mediterranean. These are perfect sleeping days -- if you are a dog -- and even better sleeping nights.
It turns out that the phrase "Dog Days of Summer" refers to days during the period that Sirius, the Dog Star, rises at the same time as the sun. (See: https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/dog-days-of-summer-owes-its-namesake-to-the-stars-not-summer-heat/70002163). This often happens during the hottest days of summer (July 3rd to August 11). While I didn't know this, this was thought to be a bad omen, a time of fever and catastrophe. What's the best thing to do during a time like this? It's to lie low, which is exactly what dogs do (when they are not doing something else).
Fortunately for us (and the dogs), the weather this coming week will encourage rather than discourage activity, and will be a nice week for those taking vacations or just getting outside.
Enjoy, and Shabbat Shalom,
Barry Lynn
Our Prime Minister may feel that these are indeed the "Dog Days of Summer," but weather wise most dogs will be happy with next week's weather. True, it will be on the hot side, but at least it should be in the low 30s, not mid 30s, and the nights will be cool, as winds blow gently around low pressure over the eastern Mediterranean. These are perfect sleeping days -- if you are a dog -- and even better sleeping nights.
It turns out that the phrase "Dog Days of Summer" refers to days during the period that Sirius, the Dog Star, rises at the same time as the sun. (See: https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/dog-days-of-summer-owes-its-namesake-to-the-stars-not-summer-heat/70002163). This often happens during the hottest days of summer (July 3rd to August 11). While I didn't know this, this was thought to be a bad omen, a time of fever and catastrophe. What's the best thing to do during a time like this? It's to lie low, which is exactly what dogs do (when they are not doing something else).
Fortunately for us (and the dogs), the weather this coming week will encourage rather than discourage activity, and will be a nice week for those taking vacations or just getting outside.
Enjoy, and Shabbat Shalom,
Barry Lynn
Sunday, August 6, 2017
Weather It Is (Oh The Heat)
Good Afternoon:
It seems like the heat doesn't stop, and it is going to get worse.
Low pressure over the eastern Mediterranean will weaken while low pressure over the Arabian desert will strengthen. The result will be a shift in the winds from "somewhat" cooler westerly winds to more easterly winds, This means the air will become less humid, but it will also be hotter.
This is really bad for us for two reasons: i) it's dangerously hot, and ii) because of a relatively dry winter, the heat is creating a severe wildfire risk as we move into the fall (moreover, the government dropped their wildfire forecast system due to a lack of funds to upgrade it).
They say: if that if you can't stand the heat you should get out of the kitchen. My guess is that they were not speaking to men, who are never in the kitchen, and if they are, their stay would not be long. True, I do sneak in from time to time, but I am always careful to vacate (the kitchen) before the heat rises too much.
So, they must have been speaking to women. And, if they were, it must have been one woman speaking to another, probably so the men wouldn't hear.
Fortunately, these words were not said in vain. For instance, while our neck of the woods has been unusually hot, the eastern US temperatures are really on the cool side. So, women might want to find some relief in the kitchens of NY, for example. Of course, if you go to kitchens on the far west coast (especially Washington state), the kitchens are notoriously hot. So, you probably won't see too many women going there.
When I was a kid, we used to sleep with a house fan that would draw cool air in from the outdoors. Now, my parents house is air-conditioned, and only rarely are the windows open. The same can be said for those who live in the cooler climes of Israel, like Gush Etzion. It sounds and feels like global warming to me.
In fact, the naysayers admit that temperatures have warmed since the 1970s, but they point out that it is harder to show warming during about the past 10 years (on average -- world wide).
Perhaps, we will return to this subject later.
Have a good week,
Barry Lynn
It seems like the heat doesn't stop, and it is going to get worse.
Low pressure over the eastern Mediterranean will weaken while low pressure over the Arabian desert will strengthen. The result will be a shift in the winds from "somewhat" cooler westerly winds to more easterly winds, This means the air will become less humid, but it will also be hotter.
This is really bad for us for two reasons: i) it's dangerously hot, and ii) because of a relatively dry winter, the heat is creating a severe wildfire risk as we move into the fall (moreover, the government dropped their wildfire forecast system due to a lack of funds to upgrade it).
They say: if that if you can't stand the heat you should get out of the kitchen. My guess is that they were not speaking to men, who are never in the kitchen, and if they are, their stay would not be long. True, I do sneak in from time to time, but I am always careful to vacate (the kitchen) before the heat rises too much.
So, they must have been speaking to women. And, if they were, it must have been one woman speaking to another, probably so the men wouldn't hear.
Fortunately, these words were not said in vain. For instance, while our neck of the woods has been unusually hot, the eastern US temperatures are really on the cool side. So, women might want to find some relief in the kitchens of NY, for example. Of course, if you go to kitchens on the far west coast (especially Washington state), the kitchens are notoriously hot. So, you probably won't see too many women going there.
When I was a kid, we used to sleep with a house fan that would draw cool air in from the outdoors. Now, my parents house is air-conditioned, and only rarely are the windows open. The same can be said for those who live in the cooler climes of Israel, like Gush Etzion. It sounds and feels like global warming to me.
In fact, the naysayers admit that temperatures have warmed since the 1970s, but they point out that it is harder to show warming during about the past 10 years (on average -- world wide).
Perhaps, we will return to this subject later.
Have a good week,
Barry Lynn
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