October 2007
Blue Duck Weather
This is a somber, if not totally sober, edition of the Blue Duck Weather News Report. While a much needed cool down was happening in Arizona parts of the country were experiencing tragic weather consequences. The fine staff at Blue Duck Weather deliberated for many hours (over the peace pipe) whether to bring its fine audience news about the devastating fires in Southern California. The historical, social and political reasons for such intense fires are enormous. However the fires were intensified by the hot breath of the Santa Anna (devil) winds blowing from the East to the West at speeds of ninety miles per hour. Although these fires were caused by man (that is a loose term) weather played a huge role in the intensity and outcome. Weather played an enormous role in the amount of fuels feeding the fires. Blue Duck Weather News felt compelled and obligated to report to you the facts from our beady eyes and pointed beaks without interpretation or political slant. You can listen to the fucking talking heads on your favorite network "news" channel.
Leaving that brilliant editorial by your humble Editor in Chief let us concentrate on the weather in this Great Sate of Arizona and from around the country. Typically in Arizona October has the greatest decrease of temperature of any month. 2003 recorded the warmest October in Arizona history. There was no rainfall this October. Phoenix stands with 2.67 inches of rain and the beloved Land has 3.88 inches. (Mother Nature better get busy if we are to finish the year with our normal of seven inches.) Two nipple raising wind chills were recorded at the Land in October, the first since last winter.
The average temperature on the Land was 69.12 degrees. The averages on Antelope Hill and Talking Trees was 48.67 degrees.
The average humidity on the Land was 26.77 percent and the dew point was 31.61 degrees. Gone are the twenty point spread we saw during the summer and monsoon.
The average wind speed was 3.77 miles per hour. But on October 17th an eleven mile per hour wind made seventy seven degrees feel like a chilly seventy five degrees. On October 21st a six mile per hour wind made seventy three degrees feel like a frosty seventy one degrees.
10-1. Tornado in Iowa. Major cleanup under way.
10-3. The final two months of the Atlantic hurricane season could produce an above average of storms. Four more storms could form. Of the four two will become hurricanes with winds over 111 miles per hour.
Fifty percent of Americans say they're personally worried about global warming with it impacting all people of the world.
10-4. Vietnam typhoon evacuates four hundred thousand people.
10-8. According to the National Snow and Ice data center at the University of Colorado September sea ice was thirty nine percent below the long term average from 1979 to 2000. There may be a possible ice free Artic Ocean by 2030. Temperatures sixteen degrees above normal recorded in New York City and Philadelphia. Record heat in Chicago cancelled a Sunday marathon run. Forty six year old record of ninety one degrees tied in Nashville.
10-10. Hottest and driest growing season in Tennessee in one hundred years. USDA declares all ninety five counties drought disaster areas.
10-12. World wide surface humidity from 1973 to 1999 increased 2.2 percent. Tennessee river down fifty percent in capacity. S.E. part of state worst drought stricken in United Sates.
10-15. Twenty five degrees at the Grand Canyon. Georgia declares three month water supply if no rain comes. Heavy flooding in North Texas. One hundred (duck) flights cancelled.
10-16. West and Southeast drought will spread into mid Atlantic states. Blinding sand storm in California causes twelve car pile up killing two.
10-17. Officials in parched Georgia threaten to sue Army Corp of Engineers for draining reservoirs. Eleven tornadoes reported in SW Missouri.
10-18. Tornados in Florida and Arkansas. Georgia pool builders threatened by drought. High winds kill two in Missouri. Thirty people injured by winds knocking down canopies at October Fest. Seventy thousand without power. Dip in jet stream from West pushing South East tornado watches all the way to Memphis. Two hundred and fifty six reports of severe weather in Ohio River valley. Thirteen confirmed Tornados. 103 degree record in Phoenix in 2003.
10-19. Michigan tornado leaves six dead. A baby in Florida tossed twenty five feet by heavy winds, mobile homes blown apart. Georgia reports no water backup for worst drought in history. Fire weather-watch in Northern Arizona. Unusual October tornadoes reported in Mid West.
10-20. Prescott Valley has bidders in line for waste water. ( Hell, they can pop the top off of my septic tank and drink all they want.!) Georgia declares state of emergency and asks President for help. Fading Fall colors in New England blamed on climate change. Chicago boy struck by lightning while riding his bike, alive because he was grounded by the rubber tires. 103 degree record in Phoenix in 2003. Heavy snow predicted for mountains of Colorado.
10-21. Massive wildfire erupts in Malibu. One thousand acres consumed. Red flag warning posted for all of Arizona. Extremely rare that winds aren't predicted to stop after sunset. Twenty one degree low reported in Quemado, New Mexico. 103 record in Phoenix, 2003.
10-22. Interstate Eight into San Diego closed. Two hundred and sixty five thousand people evacuated due to fire. One hundred and sixty five thousand acres burned. State of emergency declared in LA County. Too many fires reported to do anything but assist in evacuation. Wind gusts up to seventy miles per hour. Three inches of rain for the year, normal is twelve inches. Humidity four percent. City wide flash flooding in New Orleans with ten inches of rain. Sixty mile per hour winds in Flagstaff.
10-23. Nine hundred and ten thousand people evacuated in Southern California. Four hundred thousand acres burned. More heavy rains in New Orleans. Still no frost in Minnesota and two weeks late.
10-24. Sixteen separate fires burning in Southern California. Eight hundred thousand acres burned, twelve hundred homes and one hundred businesses lost. Twenty thousand avocado trees lost. (Your fucking guacamole dip will cost as much as a barrel of oil come Super Bowl Sunday.) Arson suspected in some of the fires, downed power lines blamed for one.
10-26. Haze from California fires reaches Arizona as wind shifts from west to east.
10-28. Temperatures ten to fifteen degrees warmer than normal in Phoenix. New record of 97 degrees. Latest date this warm was in 1997. 2700 structures destroyed in California fires. Seven people killed.
10-29. Ninety five degrees new record in Phoenix. New record high low temperature of seventy degrees. Seven of the last eleven days have posted ninety degrees or above.
10-30. Atlanta Aquarium drains some exhibits to conserve water. Tropical storm Noel hits Cuba after killing twenty two people in the Caribbean. Florida hoping for much needed rain from this storm. Drought in Arizona into twelfth year. Tens of thousands flee from flooding in Southern Mexico. Forty acres burning south of Prescott. Noel storm warning along Florida coast. Religious leaders call for action on global warming.
There you have it faithful readers. An exhaustive account to a wild month of weather. Let's hope and ask our ''religious leaders" to pray for a more-mild November with a gentle soaking of rain on this parched planet. In the meantime remember the Blue Duck Weather News credo; Pioneers took bullets, settlers took land.
In a rush to jump out and check the daily weather I almost forgot the song of the month If You’re Traveling the North Country Fair by Bob Dylan
I look forward reporting next month's exciting edition of the Blue Duck Weather News.
Your faithful Editor in Chief,
MR Blueduck
