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All posts for the month January, 2007

I hate snow. I’m hoping that the weather stays just like it is. Please Mother Nature, don’t let it snow.

OK, before you all pound me with emails calling me a traitor hold off on them. I’m trying reverse psychology on Mother Nature to see if that will work seeing how nothing else has so far. I know it’s not nice to fool Mother Nature but I’ll have to take that chance. In reality I’m sitting around like the rest of you, make that some of you, waiting for this winter to begin.

I just read a couple of articles looking at our seasons weather with 2 different views. Sean Kirst’s article in the Post Standard today talks about how the nice/crappy weather makes it easier on certain people. Read the article here!

Hart Seely also has an article in the Post Standard but with a different look. Hart looks at the way it is effecting the Tug Hill Plateau and other areas that counts on the business from the snowmobilers. Read the article Here!

It will be snowing sometime soon. How do I know you might ask? Because this weekend I will be doing my stupid but normally effective snow dance which so far has worked about 90% of the time. I can’t give the exact time or place because this is a dance that the local, make that world media would just love to get on film. Ok maybe not the world media but I’m sure a neighbor would like to get it on film and post it on youtube.com to show what an idiot the Snowman really is. Enough said! Shine up the skis, tune up the sleds, the snow dance is coming this weekend. Have a Great weekend all!

Normally at the beginning of the season I spend hours trying to find websites or pages that are no longer where they use to be. NOAA is pretty good about moving pages around that have all the stats I use but after awhile searching or with the help of Daver from the forum who works for NOAA I am able to find them.

One of my favorite sites for updated stats from the past and present has always been http://mep1.phy.syr.edu/~rsholmes/snow.html which I believe was kept up by Rich Holmes who I believe is a professor at SU from what my research in the past has shown. Well this snow season the site is no where to be found and man do I miss it. That said I am on a quest to track Rich down and to see if he moved it some place else or if he gave up doing it all together. I’m hoping it was the first of the two, that it was just moved. If you look back the last couple of years you will see that I mentioned the site several times.

Most likely Rich has a great program that he ran that would compare all the data and list it on his site. Great comparisons such as the snowiest months, daily comparisons by seasons and so on. Anyways, I’ve found a couple of contacts for him so wish me luck on either finding out if he changed the location on the web or if he stopped keeping them, talking him into doing it again. The stats really kept things interesting here. More to come as the mystery of the missing website unfolds.

Maybe I better start paying attention to what ever it is that Al Gore has been talking about for the last several years. The skies are blue and the sun is shining. It wasn’t this nice all summer long for crying out loud and here it is January 3rd and the temperature is hovering close to 50 degrees outside. Blame it on El Nino, Global warming or whatever, this just isn’t right. How are we suppose to have our Indian summer or our January thaw when there isn’t anything to thaw out. The lakes haven’t even begun to freeze over yet. It’s so nice even the fish are wearing sun glasses.

OK, enough whining even though that’s what I do best. Time for my Golden Snowball winning city predictions and this season it’s a tough one for a couple of reasons. One of the advantages Syracuse has over Buffalo is that once the lake freezes over Buffalo’s lake effect snow diminishes. The colder air flowing over the lakes warmer waters produces the lake effect snow if I’m not mistaken. If I am mistaken then just bear with me while I try to bull my way through this seasons prediction. My guess is that the lake isn’t even close to freezing over yet which in turn will be giving Buffalo an extended snow season unless the temps really take a huge dive. Taking all that in to consideration I’m still going to go out on a limb.

My prediction for the 2006 – 2007 Golden Snowball Award is

Syracuse

I was leaning towards picking Buffalo but I don’t think they have a big enough lead at this point in the season to hold off Syracuse’s motivation and drive to win this contest. After getting a first hand look at the trophy, I’m here to tell all the other cities that Syracuse isn’t ready to give up the trophy yet without a fight. Hopefully a fun snowball fight 😉 Below are my city predictions in order.

1st Place – Syracuse
2nd Place – Buffalo
3rd Place – Binghamton
4th Place – Rochester
Dead Last – Albany (my most confident prediction go figure)

I’m still counting on the weather coming up from the gulf states which is one of the reasons I picked Binghamton over Rochester. If that doesn’t happen it will be a free for all for the trophy most likely between Buffalo, Syracuse and Rock City. Have a great day all!

May all of you and your families a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year.

For those of you who have been down on luck lately, may it change to only good luck for you.

For those of you that have lost a loved one recently, may the fond memories carry you through the new year and help you deal with your pain and loss.

For those of you struggling financially, May the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow be within reach for you.

For those of you who are depressed and can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, keep up hope. If you lose hope you lose everything. Don’t ever stop dreaming of what may be ahead for you. If you feel you have lost all hope then talk to someone. Pick up the phone and call a hot-line if you feel you can’t talk to family or friends. Just type in help hotline and your area or state and you will come up with many numbers of people that want to help.

For those of you with loved ones serving our country, May they be safe and come home soon.

For those of you serving our country, Thanks says it all and stay safe.

For those of you in an abusive relationship, Make this the year, better yet make today the day you seek help to end it. Read to see if this you http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/domestic-violence/WO00044 and call the number.

For the snowmobilers, skiers, sledders, plowers, skaters, snowboarders and whoever I missed, may the snow God shine upon you soon.

For my attempt at a mushy New Years greeting, May it never happen again.

Have a Safe and Happy 2007 All!