Nothing like waking up and having to chip ice out of your sink so you can make coffee.
Well, Okay, maybe it isn't that cold out. Still, when you're used to eighty- to ninety-degree Fahrenheit nighttime temperatures, with humidity percentages in the mid to upper eighties, you have to admit that our low last night (as reported by Winjama Weather) was 55℉.
Without the luxury of central heating, or even anything other than a kitchen stove to heat your house, not to mention little to no insulation in the structure, and damn few winter clothes or even a blanket to choose from, 55℉ is going to be cold.
According to meticulous records maintained on one blog entry (http://www.winjama.net/2010/12/its-all-my-fault.html), our low-temperature record for Corozal happened on 27 December 2010, when it got all the way down to 51.6℉.
That's cold enough, that when you walk the doggies, you've got your long pants on (assuming you still own some), socks (which feel really weird), a toque (knit cap) pulled low over your ears, and a pair of knitted gloves on, and you're still cold. You can see your breath as you're walking, there's steam rising from the waters of the bay, and you can feel your breath condensing onto your mustache and beard. Did I mention that it was cold?
Thanks to Don Squire for reminding me in a FaceBook post this morning, that our coconut oil has frozen too. It's now about the consistency of marshmallow stuff that comes in a jar.
Showing posts with label Weather. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Weather. Show all posts
10 December, 2017
24 May, 2017
Just So You Know
You might think you have a humid day now and then, or you might not. Around 5:00 AM, it begins to get light enough on the veranda to see or temperature device (we got this from Mae and Craig when they moved back to the States.).
I thought at that time that we were having one of those 'humid' days. The temperature read 82℉, with the humidity at 83%. I grabbed my camera and took a photo of the screen. But I was wrong. I checked again at about 6:11 AM when I took the photo below. The temperature had stayed the same, but the humidity had jumped a point.
While we were having our morning cup of coffee on the veranda, Dianna and I had just talked about the lack of a breeze and that everything felt like glue. Well, not just 'glue,' but more properly 'Ga-loo!' As in, break out the machetes and cut the air, just to be able to breathe, much less to walk across the room.
This is heading into the time of the year (hurricane season) when we have these sort of figures as our norm each day. In fact, the temperature today is supposed to go up to 96℉. The humidity, later in the morning, will usually drop significantly, all the way down to the mid-seventies or so, making the temperature much more tolerable.
This is one of the big reasons that we have this:
I thought at that time that we were having one of those 'humid' days. The temperature read 82℉, with the humidity at 83%. I grabbed my camera and took a photo of the screen. But I was wrong. I checked again at about 6:11 AM when I took the photo below. The temperature had stayed the same, but the humidity had jumped a point.
While we were having our morning cup of coffee on the veranda, Dianna and I had just talked about the lack of a breeze and that everything felt like glue. Well, not just 'glue,' but more properly 'Ga-loo!' As in, break out the machetes and cut the air, just to be able to breathe, much less to walk across the room.
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| The Normal State of Affairs |
This is one of the big reasons that we have this:
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| Alternate Air-Conditioning |
26 June, 2011
Dang Technology
My weather station is infected with gremlins. For a while now, I've been trying to keep it on the straight and narrow - that is, providing good, reliable information.
Unfortunately, it seems to have other ideas. For example, the two items in particular that are being extremely obstinate are monthly total for rainfall and yesterday's high winds.
Rainfall for the month is listed as 198.35-inches. I know we get some rain here and, it is the rainy season... But, come on, sixteen and a half feet of rain? I don't think so.
And the high winds, yesterday's at 70.9 KTS (knots) or 81.59 MPH? or the wind of a couple of days ago 97 KTS or 111.63 MPH? I really don't think so.
So, I hope you'll bear with me. I am trying to track down the problem and correct it. I've been going through the data files the program creates, but apparently I have yet to fix the right file. I don't have a clue why these errors are appearing. They're not consistent - except in the tally.
For now, if a reading seems a bit weird, look at the readings on either side of it and if it seems like a spike, that might be what it is. Especially, if we've gotten nothing in the way of warnings, etc., from the National Hurricane Center, or Belize Weather Service.
I'll keep whacking away at the problem. Sooner or later I'll find the solution and get it fixed.
Keep your weather eye peeled.
Unfortunately, it seems to have other ideas. For example, the two items in particular that are being extremely obstinate are monthly total for rainfall and yesterday's high winds.
Rainfall for the month is listed as 198.35-inches. I know we get some rain here and, it is the rainy season... But, come on, sixteen and a half feet of rain? I don't think so.
And the high winds, yesterday's at 70.9 KTS (knots) or 81.59 MPH? or the wind of a couple of days ago 97 KTS or 111.63 MPH? I really don't think so.
So, I hope you'll bear with me. I am trying to track down the problem and correct it. I've been going through the data files the program creates, but apparently I have yet to fix the right file. I don't have a clue why these errors are appearing. They're not consistent - except in the tally.
For now, if a reading seems a bit weird, look at the readings on either side of it and if it seems like a spike, that might be what it is. Especially, if we've gotten nothing in the way of warnings, etc., from the National Hurricane Center, or Belize Weather Service.
I'll keep whacking away at the problem. Sooner or later I'll find the solution and get it fixed.
Keep your weather eye peeled.
08 June, 2011
Weather Web's Tentacles
Ever since my weather station went live (http://winjama.blogspot.com/2010/10/oldfartitis-moves-in-for-kill.html), I've always wondered how to connect with the Belize National Meteorological Service (http://www.hydromet.gov.bz/), so that some of the weather information my station works so hard to produce can be put to good use.
For a couple of days, I looked at their website and didn't see any way to let them know I had a station and was willing to share information. Finally, I thought, "Hmmm, why don't I write them and see if there's a way to share the data with them?" So, I did.
I emailed Mr Dennis Gonguez, Chief Meteorologist, and asked him that very question. I also gave him the technical information for my station, so they could find it's information on the Internet, and asked if they had plans in the future to utilize stations such as mine.
After wishing him good luck with the current hurricane season, I hit the send button.
I was pleasantly surprised when, the very next day, I got an answer from Mr. Gonguez thanking me for the information on my station. He told me they would use the data from it to supplement their other observations.
He also asked if I knew how to contact the other weather station up in Consejo Shores.
Finally, Mr. Gonguez provided a link for several other weather stations around Belize.
Apparently, they do fold in the data from all these stations into the weather product they produce for the whole country.
So, along with the Consejo Shores station and Winjama Weather Station... well, the coverage isn't fantastic, as far as amateur stations go, but it's far better than nothing.
Hey, it's nice to know that we're doing our bit to help with hurricane preparedness in Belize.
You can see the current and historical information for Winjama Weather by clicking on the Weather Underground link on the right column of this page. Enjoy.
For a couple of days, I looked at their website and didn't see any way to let them know I had a station and was willing to share information. Finally, I thought, "Hmmm, why don't I write them and see if there's a way to share the data with them?" So, I did.
I emailed Mr Dennis Gonguez, Chief Meteorologist, and asked him that very question. I also gave him the technical information for my station, so they could find it's information on the Internet, and asked if they had plans in the future to utilize stations such as mine.
After wishing him good luck with the current hurricane season, I hit the send button.
I was pleasantly surprised when, the very next day, I got an answer from Mr. Gonguez thanking me for the information on my station. He told me they would use the data from it to supplement their other observations.
He also asked if I knew how to contact the other weather station up in Consejo Shores.
Finally, Mr. Gonguez provided a link for several other weather stations around Belize.
- Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico
- Grand Caribe in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye
- Ladyville, BWB, Belize
- WishWilly, Calabash Bight, Roatan Island
Apparently, they do fold in the data from all these stations into the weather product they produce for the whole country.
So, along with the Consejo Shores station and Winjama Weather Station... well, the coverage isn't fantastic, as far as amateur stations go, but it's far better than nothing.
Hey, it's nice to know that we're doing our bit to help with hurricane preparedness in Belize.
You can see the current and historical information for Winjama Weather by clicking on the Weather Underground link on the right column of this page. Enjoy.
03 November, 2010
Whether Or Not There's Weather
It's taken me some time to get my new weather station up and running. Operator error, as usual. After I took the outside station down in preparation for Hurricane Richard, before I put it back up, I partially dismantled it trying to find out why it wasn't transmitting to the base unit in the house.
As luck would have it, as I said, operator error. I had installed one of the rechargeable batteries wrong, as you do. I thought I was being so careful. Ah well, at least I found the error and corrected it.
Anyway, now on the right-hand column you see a new item Winjama Weather. It uses the Weather Underground (http://www.wunderground.com) Website as the host for our weather reports which are generated by our very own weather station mounted atop a 7-foot pole on our guesthouse roof.
To get to our Weather Underground page you can click on the link at right or click on this URL: (http://www.wunderground.com/weatherstation/WXDailyHistory.asp?ID=ICOROZAL3). Now, you can keep as up-to-date as we do with the local weather. Ain't technology grand?
Screenshot of Our Weather Station Software
As luck would have it, as I said, operator error. I had installed one of the rechargeable batteries wrong, as you do. I thought I was being so careful. Ah well, at least I found the error and corrected it.
Anyway, now on the right-hand column you see a new item Winjama Weather. It uses the Weather Underground (http://www.wunderground.com) Website as the host for our weather reports which are generated by our very own weather station mounted atop a 7-foot pole on our guesthouse roof.
To get to our Weather Underground page you can click on the link at right or click on this URL: (http://www.wunderground.com/weatherstation/WXDailyHistory.asp?ID=ICOROZAL3). Now, you can keep as up-to-date as we do with the local weather. Ain't technology grand?
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