Weather

 We have been lucky so far this winter. Only one really cold snap that resulted in snow for a day.  

The week has been bitterly cold, snow was forecast and it looks like the mountains got a good dusting.

on the way to the other city, cloudy mountains

near the other city, snow on the mountains

One of my high students told that her school had online classes one day because of the snow forecast.

We didn't get snow but freezing rain. 

The thing that gets me is the wind. It's not strong, not a gale but it is really cold. Looking out of the window today the sun was shining and I thought it was a good chance to get out, but the wind made me change my mind. We are sheltered by the mountains, I don't know if that is good or not. The wind doesn't feel so strong here, but I know that the mountains can become like a wind tunnel.

I was surprised at how the strong the wind was the other day.

city incinerator, wind was blowing the smoke

To see the smoke being blown horizontal was a sight.  It usually isn't that visible and goes straight up. Maybe the heavy cloud made it more visible.

February is coldest month, at least I always feel it is colder than the other winter months. On my weather app the forecast for next week is for minus temperatures and snow.  I hope that is the last of the really cold weather.  I need to get some of the land ready to plant. 

I've been watching the weather news from the UK. I feel so sorry for everybody caught in those crazy storms. 

I was watching the forecast for Storm Eowyn. The predicted hectopascal was 938hPa. That means very strong winds. When we get typhoons I always check the hPa, the lower the number the stronger the typhoon. We are in land so by the time we get hit the hPa is higher, so the storm isn't that strong.  A reading of 938hPa was very shocking. Also I was happy to see that people stayed home. One of my pet peeves with Japan is that people go out in these storms. I always think that by going out you are potentially putting others at risk.  Emergency services have to respond if you are injured while out, putting the personal at risk!

Also it seems that one storm passes in the UK and another is on it's heels! Stay safe, everyone!