Spring!

[Guinevere]

Or was it?

55 yesterday. Snow and graupel today. Plus a wind chill in the teens.

Yes, I love New England. Yes I love New England. Yes, I love New England.

http://archive.boston.com/news/weather/ ... video.html

[Sue U]

Never heard of graupel, and I was sure you just made that up, but:

Graupel: The wintry precipitation you’ve never heard of
By Don Lipman December 5, 2014



A layer of graupel on top of snow. Graupel is also sometimes referred to as “snow pellets.” (NOAA)

When you think of wintry precipitation, you probably think of snow first. Then sleet, and maybe freezing rain. But it’s likely that the word “graupel” doesn’t come to mind.

Graupel, which is a kind of hybrid frozen precipitation, is sometimes referred to as “snow pellets.” The National Weather Service defines graupel as small pellets of ice created when super-cooled water droplets coat, or rime, a snowflake.
A capped snowflake under a microscope, which shows rime on both ends. (U.S. Department of Agriculture) A capped snowflake under a microscope, which shows rime on both ends. (U.S. Department of Agriculture)

Graupel pellets are cloudy or white — not clear like sleet — and often are mistaken for small hail. The most critical necessity for the formation of graupel is extremely cold air at the cloud level. This creates the super-cooled water (liquid water that exists below the freezing point), which adheres to the snowflakes.

***

Source: WaPo.

[Guinevere]

Nope, I did not make it up. I got schooled on graupel today by one of my fave weather nerds on Twitter. I incorrectly called it sleet. My bad.

[Jarlaxle]

New England has 4 seasons, changing daily or more often. However, they are not the usual 4 seasons.

We have: too cold, too hot, too wet, and road construction. Currently, it is too cold, with the weekend likely to be too wet, and next week probably road construction.

[Gob]

55 yesterday.

Happy Birthday!!!

[RayThom]

55 yesterday.

Happy Birthday!!!

I thought she was talking about the temperature. I'm always slow on the uptake.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Guin.

[dales]

I remember being 55.....................I think.

[Guinevere]

55 yesterday.

Happy Birthday!!!

HEY. HEY!

I've been extremely gracious and open about turning 50, and its turned out to be a pretty damn good year (politics aside). But let's not push it, please.


And oh yeah, the wind chills are down to the freaking single digits......

[Gob]

Thanks for taking it as offered.

[oldr_n_wsr]

Graupel: The wintry precipitation you’ve never heard of

First time for me.
Thanks for the lesson.

And Happy Birthday Guin.
I remember turning 50. That's when my alcoholism switched into a higher gear.

[Guinevere]

I turned 50 last August. It is not my birthday. Ignore the nutters earlier in this thread who are just teasing me!

[oldr_n_wsr]

Sorry
Hope you are having a nice day anyway.

[RayThom]

... Ignore the nutters earlier in this thread who are just teasing me!

Nutters? Well, I never. Humph!

[dales]

I turned 50 last August. It is not my birthday. Ignore the nutters earlier in this thread who are just teasing me!

Hey, I resemble that!

[Gob]

Mea culpa
Kyrie eleison
Christe eleison

[rubato]

Definitely spring here. Crocuses long gone. King Alfred Daffodils just finishing. Holland sensation narcissus in full shout this week, I've cut a lot of them and brought them in for closer admiration. Freesias blasting out of pots and containers. "Broughshane" narcissus still in bud but a favorite when they do pop.



One Japanese maple is in full leaf, bright red to start and then it will moderate to green in a few weeks. The "Fireglow" is just in bud but the "Osaka-Zuki" is doing poorly. The prior two years it had a bad die-back and this might be the end for it. If so, I'll pull it out and put in another, digging the bed out more and amending as needed. Hoping for the best, as gardeners always do.


yrs,
rubato