RichC | September 18, 2017
Hurricane Maria is seeing rapid intensification and is now a Cat 5 with 160mph winds. Looks to be closing in the Leeward Islands slightly further south than Irma. The U.S. Virgin Islands are again in the hurricane’s path again, but this time Puerto Rico may not be spared — it very well could be a […]
RichC | September 11, 2017
By now those turning on the TV to watch updates on Hurricane Irma are tired of seeing news reporters heading out into 100+ mile per hours winds and pelting rain — enough already! Still the destruction and danger are sickening especially in the areas where building codes are not what they are in the US. […]
RichC | September 9, 2017
All eyes are on the weather as Hurricane Irma demonstrated her power destroying practically everything on several islands in Caribbean (below). The big storm skirted the northern coast of Cuba and weaken to a Category 3 hurricane. Most watchers expect the warm water of the Straits of Florida to strengthen the winds again as a […]
RichC | September 7, 2017
It is difficult not to be concerned after seeing the power of Hurricane Irma (was 185 mph, but currently 170 mph eyewall winds) and the devastation the powerful storm left behind on several of the Leeward Islands. I’ve been tracking these last few days both concerned for those in the path and for personal ties […]
RichC | September 6, 2017
The satellite definition of Hurricane Irma today is frightening as are the category 5 winds clocked at 185 mph. They are calling it “catastrophic.” Very dangerous storm; one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record. Weather Channel update Adding updated IRMA tracking on 9/6/2017
RichC | September 3, 2017
We’re tracking another hurricane – Hurricane Irma – as it continues to move toward the Caribbean. The islands likely to receive the most wind and rain are the Leeward Islands. If you are looking for a little geography lesson, the Caribbean Islands are split into two groups – Greater Antilles and Lesser Antilles. The southeastern […]
RichC | June 5, 2017
One of the more interesting photos making the social networking circles was that of a man mowing his lawn as a nasty looking tornado was churning in the background. According to the news, the man said "I was keeping my eye on it." That said, this is NOT the kind of guy you want to […]
RichC | May 19, 2017
It takes a bit of wind to blow a grill off the patio, but with the wild storm blasts rolling from the south and west the last couple of days, that is just what it did. (and I think the back wheels were locked!) I picked up the pieces last night (but not on the […]
RichC | March 20, 2017
It was dark for a panoramic iPhone5 photo, but while doing my "last bag" garbage run this morning, I couldn’t resist a photo of the sunrise while the lightning was cracking to the west. Within an hour it was pouring rain and became a dreary, damp day. On a social networking technology note, it is […]
RichC | February 25, 2017
Last night while posting about the shockingly mild February 2017 and “hinting” at the front rolling in, the change came. Nothing major, but definitely not 77 degree! After the sunrise, the gray sky move from west to east brought a late morning snow shower just to remind me that it is still winter — put […]
RichC | February 25, 2017
The weather in much of the midwest … and in particular Cincinnati … has been exceedingly mild this February 2017. The groundhog may have predicted a bit more winter, but he was way off this year. As a nasty looking weather front heads our way, the temperature Friday was downright balmy. I rolled down the […]
RichC | January 22, 2017
Really just a filler post since we were in snow country this weekend for my mother-in-laws funeral. The “more realistic than we care to admit” chart is just a bit of humor that will likely have you nodding your head no matter where you live. Winter weather reactions definitely differs depending where you are located.
RichC | October 30, 2016
What a great autumn weekend in Cincinnati. We had a gorgeous sky last night although the panorama photo mode on my "aging" iPhone 5s doesn’t do it justice. Saturday was spend enjoying the outdoors as besides mowing the backyard, I "chipped away" at my wood pile by splitting and ended up cutting a few […]
RichC | October 5, 2016
Perhaps I’m being a bit to self-focused in worrying about “just a sailboat” when millions of lives are going to be impacted by Hurricane Matthew? I think it is time for the final preparation … pray for safety for those in the path of this storm (and Encore). EDIT: A buddy of mine was asking […]
RichC | August 22, 2016
RichC | July 24, 2016
It is a hot one all over the Midwestern United States this weekend … and here in Cincinnati, we’re roasting with the best of them … although I’m doing a pretty good job of staying cool.
RichC | April 17, 2016
What a difference a week can make come April here in Cincinnati. Last Saturday we woke up to snow (backyard photo below) and this weekend after cutting grass Friday night has the grass green and tulips blooming yesterday morning. Instead of shoveling snow that means yardwork and time to think about spring cleanup. Also wanted […]
RichC | April 12, 2016
Did you know that "on this day" in 1934 in a small weather station (chained to the ground) atop of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire measured record setting winds speeds of 231 mph? Wow! That record held until Cyclone Olivia was recorded at 253 mph wind gusts on Barrow Island in Australia in 1996. I’m […]
RichC | February 25, 2016
With the early springtime weather we have been having this February, and a new roof towards the end of last year, we lost a few shingles. It isn’t really a surprise since asphalt shingle need some hot sunny days in order to flex into position and tack themselves to each other. The recent winds came […]
RichC | December 12, 2015
As I was getting the paper this morning … in a tee-shirt in December … I noticed one branch of our struggling Lilac was confused as to the season. Hard to believe we’re getting ready for Christmas when temperatures are in the 60s.
RichC | December 9, 2015
For the most part this is really all about testing the latest updates to the new Digital Ocean micro cloud server while attempting to run WordPress 4.4. I’m also using an alternate server for image hosting so that I can continue to post with the long in the tooth and no longer updated Microsoft LiveWriter […]
RichC | October 23, 2015
Hurricane Patricia is well above the category 5 level on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale with maximum winds of 185 MPH. It cannot be overstated how much danger this storm poses to communities on Mexico’s west coast, including Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo, and the numerous small towns between the two. At its current speed, it is not only […]
RichC | August 31, 2015
Archiving an educational post on lightning and boating. Although there may not be one perfect way to protect yourself or your boat when thunderstorms appear, putting the odds in your favor does make sense. According to Boat U.S. “The feature reports that in any one year the odds of your boat being struck by lightning […]
RichC | August 20, 2015
Those watching the Atlantic and Caribbean this time of year are keeping their eye on Tropical Storm Danny as it slowly spins towards the Leeward Islands. So far the hurricane season in the Atlantic has been gentle … but that’s not necessarily true for those in the Pacific. I’ll be keeping my eye on tropical […]
RichC | March 2, 2015
Just as it was in the French Revolution, I’m back and forth telling A Tale of Two Cities and “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” so to speak. I spent the weekend taking care of a condo rental issue in Delray Beach, Florida and of course was staying on […]
RichC | February 20, 2015
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RichC | February 16, 2015
On a personal update, my Dad is doing a better with a bit of supervision and improved eating and sleeping habits … thanks to my brother Ron and his wife Claire. The last couple weeks instead of living alone at home, they have moved him in with them temporarily (we’ll see?) in order to get […]
RichC | November 14, 2014
It’s official … the weather has turned cold in much of the country… Taylor in Williston, ND is below zero already; Katelyn and Drew in Minnesota are near the single digits (photo from Katelyn’s Juke) and here in Cincinnati I’m showing about about 19 degrees early Friday morning. I know it happens every year (2010), […]
RichC | November 10, 2014
One of the highlights for parents who have “some” technological prowess is that we can stay in touch with our children no matter where they are living and working. Between instant cellphone, emails and text messages with our kids, Taylor, Katelyn and Drew, we also enjoy sharing photos and Facetime calls even for small things. […]
RichC | October 10, 2014
Sort of a timely website find if you are an amateur meteorologist or just enjoy watching and learning about weather. Check out MeteoEarth.com or their MeteroEarth smartphone app for $2.99. (explainer video) There are some pretty powerful features and the real time software offers stunning visual views of weather happenings — like the current Typhoon […]
RichC | July 12, 2014
In planning our upcoming trip visiting the kids, a quick search of the weather indicated that we are in for a cooling spell which will feel good in mid-July IF it happens. I also ran across the National Weather Service predictions for a weak-to-moderate El Niño. According to the NOAA site, “typical El Niño impacts in […]
RichC | July 2, 2014
Arrived at the boat Tuesday evening after a long day of traveling … flight delays and rain squalls driving I-95 south from Orlando. All was well but wet as expected. Hopefully Tropical Storm Arthur will track a little faster and as expected taking the current 50 mph wind and rain with it. I’d like to […]
RichC | July 1, 2014
Packing list for this week: Repaired autopilot: ck Tool bag: ck Hurricane prep list: ck Clothes bag: ck Computer bag: ck Weather forecast – pack RAIN GEAR … Well that last one might not be going quite like I planned. So much for scheduling my trip for Encore’s hurricane prep for the first of July. […]
RichC | April 15, 2014
From weekend spring brush clearing to snow. It doesn’t look as if the 2013-1024 winter wants to leave? I was out feeding Tootsie this Tuesday morning in just a sweatshirt, and although it wasn’t necessarily springtime warm, it wasn’t really “wintery cold” either. The fresh overnight snow was wet enough for packing so it gave […]
RichC | March 22, 2014
With the improved weather (70 degrees in Cincinnati on Friday) and spring smell in the air, its feels like it is past due for some music on the blog. Here’s a mystery tune for the day, which of course from the 1970s, but this is one hit that I’m sure everyone has heard. The first […]
RichC | March 11, 2014
With today’s temperatures in the 70’s, I can help but start thinking about longer days and warmer evening. Ah … it will be nice to put this winter behind us. Tuesday afternoon is sunny and down right warm. Unfortunately the weatherman says not so fast Ke-mo sah-bee (remembering The Lone Ranger). Maybe it is spelled […]
RichC | February 15, 2014
OK … enough already! Winter continues to blast most of us in the east and has been particularly brutal for those in the SE generally immune to heavyt ice and snow. Here in Cincinnati we’ve had our share of cold weather and a lot more snow than usual … and it has even been […]
RichC | January 8, 2014
According to Ohio River watchers, the “formation of river ice is rare” and has happened in only 14 winters of the last 140 years of record keeping in Cincinnati. For some the recent cold temperatures has triggered memories from 1977 and 1978. Photos from the past and stories of the river freezing over due to […]
RichC | December 12, 2013
Winter arrived and autumn lasted only a week or two this year — at least that’s the way it seems to me. I’m generally slow to give up on warm weather, but this year the switch was literally overnight. Thankfully I took advantage of one nice weekend to close the pool (barely) … but the […]
RichC | December 10, 2013
And I thought my son Taylor’s stretch of below zero temperatures in North Dakota were cold? Brrr, Antarctica has been putting up some cold “Mars polar region” numbers of its own. Maybe we should be “pro” global warming and add some more CO2 to the atmosphere? Newly analysed Nasa satellite data from east Antarctica shows […]
RichC | November 17, 2013
My schedule had me driving back and forth from Mercy Anderson Hospital late this afternoon and evening. The drive south earlier was so-so, but the drive home at 6:30 was a little more tedious — mostly wind and rain although heard tornadoes were spotted earlier in Indiana? My mother-in-law (reason for hospital visit) is doing […]
RichC | May 20, 2013
I’m not looking forward to watching the news tonight … my thoughts and prayers go out to those in the path of these deadly storms. USAToday LINK
RichC | February 11, 2013
It’s nice sun filled and warm day in Cincinnati today … although I don’t think it is pool time just yet. Would you like to go swimming with these “fishies?” (Click for larger) Photo credit: Photographer unknown
RichC | October 30, 2012
RichC | October 29, 2012
An animation of satellite observations from Oct. 26-29, 2012 (below), shows Hurricane Sandy move along the U.S. East coast and into the Mid-Atlantic and northeastern U.S. Sandy had still not made landfall by the end of this animation. This visualization was created by the NASA GOES Project at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., […]
RichC | October 29, 2012
Hurricane Sandy is still hours away from coming ashore in the northeastern U.S. but the winds, waves, rains and surge are already making an impact. Officials and residents are taking no chances and predictions are triggering evacuation orders for hundreds of thousands of residents, the cancellation of more than 7,700 airline flights. Schools and mast […]
RichC | October 27, 2012
This past week offered up the last of Indian summer unless something in the forecast changes and Brenda and I have appreciated the warmer weather, beautiful sunsets (driving by VOA park above) and evenings to work on projects. Besides finishing the downspout and sump pump drain lines, I’ve also replaced and grouted the broken […]
RichC | October 24, 2012
It looks as if we at least have one more hurricane for the 2012 season. Sandy has reached the hurricane wind threshold and is moving north. The projected path has the weak side of the storm passing east of Florida but over Jamaica, Cuba and the Bahamas. The beach erosion churn and rough weather will […]
RichC | August 29, 2012
Hurricane Isaac s-l-o-w-l-y made its way ashore in Louisiana last night bringing 80mph winds and torrential rains. The category 1 storm may not have packed the punch associated with tight eye-walled hurricanes, but because it is moving at only 8mph, it dumps rain for a much longer period of time. Early reports are that a […]
RichC | August 27, 2012
I spent part of Sunday afternoon checking on tropical storm Isaac and watching some sailing (America’s Cup Preliminary races in San Francisco Bay). The sailing racing associated with America’s Cup has certainly changed in recent years and I’m not sure I’m happy with giving up the 12-meter monohulls this past decade? As for Isaac, […]
RichC | August 22, 2012
As expected, tropical storm Isaac has formed in the tropical Atlantic, about 500 miles east of Guadeloupe in the Lesser Antilles. The storm is expected to intensify into a hurricane Thursday or Friday in the Caribbean.
RichC | June 23, 2012
Since I’m hanging out at the boat this weekend getting Encore prepped for tropical weather/hurricane season, it is rather fitting that the chatter at the marina is about what is brewing in the Gulf of Mexico. A couple neighboring boat have added a couple extra dock lines and removed some canvas. I’ve taken down the […]
RichC | March 30, 2012
Click and be impressed …
RichC | March 3, 2012
Following up on yesterday’s Tech Friday weather watching post, I had no idea that we were in store for this much destruction; the front spawned over 80 tornadoes and impacted ten midwestern states. I’m sure the death toll by these strong storms without the advancements and communications available to those monitoring severe weather. It is […]
RichC | January 14, 2012
I’m thankful for the mild weather so far this year and it’s not realistic to think we’ll make it through winter without snow or cold weather. Still, waking up on Friday to 35 mph gusts and temps in the teens was a shock to the body as I haven’t adapted to winter yet, have you? […]
RichC | May 23, 2011
I worked my way home west to east in southwestern Ohio either pursuing or being pursued by the severe thunderstorms passing through Monday night. I had to clear a tree and branches in our lane before I could safely get my car into the garage (photo below). The wind was blowing ‘straight-lined’ so hard that […]
RichC | May 17, 2011
I’m trying to work through my checklist this afternoon on the boat since Brenda is off on her way driving her parent north for the summer. They will soon find out how well my son has been managing the house, feeding pets and knocking off the short chores list we have given him after his […]
RichC | May 9, 2011
With the amount of rain we have been having this spring, we’ve had constant grass growth without hardly a day of dry weather in order to mow. I finally had to cut the soggy backyard for fear of never being able to cut it without a brush hog. After making the decision to cut it, […]
RichC | March 31, 2011
Isn’t it about time for this long winter to end? It was a slippery day of driving and another couple of inches of snow while making my way around northeastern Ohio on Wednesday. About the only positive was an enjoyable “Two for $20” dinner with my daughter at Applebee’s. A couple of spring 2011 snow […]
RichC | March 10, 2011
With a front moving through bringing rain all day on Thursday, it was a good day to tackle some non-essential ‘interior’ boat projects. After replacing the autopilot a month ago and waiting to see if all was good, I finally replaced the ceiling access panels — not as easy of a task as it sounds. […]