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Blowy Snowy Day
I really can't believe it's September tomorrow. But I have no frame of reference either. I guess at home you'll be watching the leaves become less green or recently-born animals becoming be less cute. You can feel it in the air, the crisper breeze, the extra layer you need to wear outside. In Australia and NZ the changes are different but it's change towards an equinox season nonetheless. I guess that's the only similarity I share – the change towards equinox, the hours of light and dark becoming more equal. That is something we're experiencing everywhere around the globe.
Today is a snowy, blowy day. I looked at the weather chart this morning and saw it was blowing 37 knots with an ambient temperature around -17C. Thirty-seven knots... hmm, I tried to remember: was the threshold for visiting the lab 30 or 40 knots? Minus seventeen?! That can't be right, it's toasty outside! What a change from the minus forties and clear skies we had last week.
Still, at least you could work outside in that weather. The first time I experienced weather like this it was exhilarating, it was phenomenal, it was an Incredible Storm. We found excuses to go outside just to know what it felt like, to say we'd been here and battled it. In contrast, no-one seemed very fussed at all this morning. Breakfast, cup of tea, melt-tank was a bit of a slog I imagine and off to work. The CASLab is out of bounds but we expected that yesterday and Steph set it up to run without us today so I'm not concerned. I went to the Simpson platform to work on some emails and make some chemical solutions. Digging snow for the Simpson melt-tank was a bit cold on the face but not as bad as I had expected it to be.
It's not like we aren't fussed or touched by this weather – I wore goggles today, pulled my bearpaws well over my sleeves and made sure to put my windy top hood up before going outside. Ness and I unwound and connected the line between the Laws platform and the other hand-lines so we can feel our way home from anywhere even if the visibility craps out completely. I mean, it was blowing 40 knots outside! When I got inside finally I was covered in snow and exhausted. Battling against that wind is a struggle but going home is bliss!
It's now reached 45 knots and -13C. The temperature is a bit deceptive though since at wind speeds like that you don't feel much warmth. The subjective temperature is -37.8C, much closer to what we're used to! Still, I didn't bother with my dead rabbit hat today: already had enough clobber on my head without the hassle of that! The building is shaking and wind howling, you can hear it everywhere. I can't weigh anything accurately in the wet chem lab cos the platform is shaking so much. The rocking chairs in the living room rock on their own and pictures start tilting. I have to head back to the Laws now and know it will take a good ten minutes to get properly togged up and I'll be fairly tired when I get there.
I don't really know why I'm writing this blog – I have nothing new and exciting to report. Just thought I'd say hello and talk about the weather. Some things are the same all the world over I guess.
Posted by Rhian at 21:45 EST
Comments
It's a beautiful clear day in Cambridge this morning - clear skies and long shadows (if you're up early enough). Makes a change from the downpours of rain we've been having lately. Even with a slight chill in the air it still only takes me about 10 seconds to get ready to leave the house - shoes on, turn the handle and I'm out! No hand lines required to get to work, but following the river helps ....
Posted by: Moray at 3:32 EST, September 01, 2004
I'll be hopping on my bike, heading off to work in a moment - that is, if the police don't arrest me because they are bike prejudice. Suddenly our police force has gone mad, cyclists who were arrested in the Critical Mass protest still haven't received their confiscated bikes back from the police. I need to ride to my client's studio which is teedering near the "restricted zone" and I hope I'm not mistaken for an activist, the helmet could give me away.
No heavy wind here today, and very sunny skies.
Posted by: Michelle at 9:32 EST, September 01, 2004
Temperature is beginning to climb here too, though we're heading into the plus 20s rather than the minus teens. I shed my gloves a week or so ago, packed away safely for another year. Gloves in Australia always makes me laugh - temperature relativity is a strange thing. Today I'm wearing a jacket but in London at these temperatures I would probably be thinking about donning a bikini.
Skies are clear over Sydney. Still no rain of substance (though we did have a couple of insane downpours last week reminded us what it sounds and smells like) and the drought continues to test the wit and will of farmers further inland. Whale migration has trickled to a stop and the Rosellas are stretching their wings for spring.
Roll on summer and lazy days on the beach...
Posted by: Span at 19:52 EST, September 02, 2004
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