Blue Duck Weather News - March 2008

Spring is the time for chicks, (I mean chickens) and ducks. Mrs. Blueduck celebrated a birthday and what a fitting month to have a birthday indeed! The lovely Mrs. Blueduck has been waddling around in circles with me for years. Without her tireless patience (with me) this brilliant publication would not be possible. I owe all of my success and (in)sanity to her!

We also have fantastic news for you in this special edition. With the heavy snow pack in the north Lake Powell is expected to raise a whopping fifty feet by June. We will monitor this very closely with our eyes in the sky above the lake.

Not only does Blue Duck Weather News strive to keep you informed, but beginning with this edition, entertained. This fabulous journalistic masterpiece will also bring stories about wild animals and their behaviour. After all weather has a huge impact on animals while animals have no impact on weather. No, we will not be writing about domestic hairball puking, stinking shit on your chair cats or ass dragging runny butt throwing up dogs.

Beginning with this feature we will also report what the average temperature was at the beginning of the month and at the end of the month. With summer approaching you will have no excuse to say one day "When did it get so fucking hot, why the hell do I put up with this every year?" With our brilliant technology and up to the date reporting you will have plenty of advance notice to get ready for your misery. With that said, let's get right to the facts.

The average temperature at the beginning of March on The Land was 62.50 degrees. The average temperature at the end of the month was 64.50 degrees. Don't breath a sigh of relief, the month finished ten degrees below normal. The average temperature at seventy four hundred feet at Talking Trees and Antelope Hill was 29.50 degrees at the beginning of the month. By the end of the month is was 41 degrees.

The average humidity on the Land was 27.20 percent. The average dew point was 23.11 degrees. The average wind speed was 4.43 mph with five wind chill recordings for the month. Please note, March is not the windy month in Arizona, April is with an average wind speed of 7.50 mph.

March at The Land produced no rain and we stand at 1.36 inches for the year.

To see if the Large mud puddles are beginning to rise we took samplings of lake levels in January as compared to March. In January Lake Mead was forty seven percent full as compared to forty eight percent now. Powell actually dropped from forty five to forty four percent (the water better start flowing!.) Roosevelt Lake is at ninety five percent compared to January at sixty two percent. Pleasant is ninety two percent full as opposed to seventy one percent in January.

3-1. Planned Grand Canyon river surge below Lake Powell worries raft guides. Severe sand storms in China force people to be outside with scarves over their faces. ("The best cowboys have Chinese eyes.") Study shows bacteria common in snow found in France, the Yukon and Montana. Wind advisory for Yuma, Cochise and Graham County from eight a.m. to eight p.m. Snow in New England with wind gusts up to 45mph.

3-2. Drought and growth have West looking for new ways to build mammoth dams. Massive flooding in Hamburg, Germany. Red flag warnings for Maricopa, LaPaz and Yuma counties. In NW Pinal County winds gusts up to 45mph.

3-3. Sweden has warmest winter in one hundred years.

3-4. Ten inches of snow in St. Louis. Twister in Bowie, Tx. and two reported in Oaklahoma.

3-5. Man made flood unleashed below Lake Powel. Meant to scour beaches and improve habitat for fish. Forty one thousand cubic feet per second released! Three hundred thousand gallons of water per minute! Third time Canyon has been flooded since 1996. Eleven degree low at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

3-6. World's largest telescope in full operation on Mnt. Graham. At a cost of twenty million dollars it is more powerful than the Hubbell telescope. Two headed lizard hatches in North Carolina!

3-7. Feds offer solutions to rescue sea lion decline. Commercial fishing cited as main cause. Land developer sets land aside to protect eagles. Golfer accused of shooting twenty to thirty balls at a hawk, blinding it in one eye. Charges filed for animal cruelty. Snow showers above sixty five hundred feet in Az. Rain and snow in Boston and New York.

3-8. Dam gates prepare to close as Glen Canyon flood ends. A foot of snow in Ohio and Tn. Icy roads in West Virginia. Blizzards in Kentucky. Snow as far south as Alabama. Flood watches in Maine.

3-9. Mountain lion attacks boy near Seven Springs near the Verde River. Uncle shoots lion and boy has minor injuries. Lion tested and had rabies. Severe storms cancel thousands of duck flights in Midwest. Columbus, Ohio receives twenty inches of snow, Pittsburgh eight inches.

3-10. YOU READ IT FIRST HERE MONTHS AGO; National Weather Service announces that the official monsoon season will begin June 15th and end September 30th. Your fine staff will report the official beginning and end the scientific and precise way. We will not be reduced to simple thinking and the cya mentality of the media, and obviously now, the Weather Service. Strong winter storm in Great Britain. 80mph winds close ports along coast. Tornados reported in Texas.

3-11. National Weather Service reports that winter's above average snow and rain not '' a drop in the bucket" to affect the drought. It would take three consecutive years of above averape percipitation to get us out of the drought.

3-12. ''Valley of the Sun" ten degrees above normal.

3-13. Snowbowl to remain open through mid April with a base of eight feet. The Peaks have received nineteen feet of snow this winter season. Dolphins appear to guide stranded whales out to sea in New Zealand. Grand Canyon flood delivered football field size of sediment along beaches, critical to wildlife balance. Wind advisory issued for NE Az. with gusts up to 50mph. Snow advisory in Sierra Nevada.

3-14. Salmon collapse in Calfornia could lead to fishing ban. Scientists are perplexed as to the cause. Wind advisory for entire State of Az. Snow level expected to drop to four thousand feet.

3-16. Whiteout conditions in Flagstaff. Two killed and thirty injured in pileup on I-40. Freeway closed for twenty four hours. I-17 south of Flagstaff may close. Snow advisory until noon tomorrow.

3-17. I-40 reopened. One hundred and forty accidents, fifty injuries and two deaths. Driving too fast for the road conditions was the main cause. Valley temperatures ten degrees below normal and twenty degrees cooler than last week. Tornado causes damage in Atlanta. Broken glass a concern for people returning to work. Work begins to repair flood damage in Sabino Canyon from winter storms. Snow on ground in Kingman and Sedona.

3-18. Heavy flooding from Texas to Ohio. Bald Eagle being reinstated on endangered list per court order. Applies to northern Az. Two killed by flooding in Miss. Tornado warnings in Dallas. Evacuations in Houston with three hour flight delays. Storm converts to snow in New England. 5.5 inches of rain in twenty four hours in Springfield, Oho. Workers removing truckloads of contaminated mud and dismantling dam in Montana. (?)

3-19. Spring begins at 10:49 p.m. in Az. Ten inches of rain in Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. National Guard activated for rescues in Missourri. Floods block highways and cause hundreds to flee. WOUNDED DUCK CAPTURED IN LAKE IN TEMPE AND IS REHABILITATING! Tornado in Corpus Christi, Texas. New sea ice builds in Artic. (Happy Birthday to our duckling)

3-20. Skies clearing but waters rising in Midwest. Seventy Missourri counties declared disaster areas. Worst flooding since 1992. Twelve inches of rain in SW Missourri in two days. Florida boater collides with seventy five pound jumping stingray. Dies from massive face and head injuries, not barb. Sri Lanka heavy rains cause seven thousand evacuations. People waiting on rooftops waiting to be rescued. Ducks are doing fine. Thousand acre wildfire near Bisbee started by man pouring gasoline on a pile of dead tree limbs. Thirty seven homes threatened. One hundred and thirty people evacuated. Fire is ten percent contained. Snow cancels hundreds of flights in Chicago. Spring snow in W. Germany reaks havoc. SRP cuts releases into Salt River. Ten degrees above normal in the Valley. Pope proceeding over rain soaked Good Friday in Rome.

3-22. Highway 87 closed due to landslide in both directions twenty miles north of the Saguaro Lake turnoff. Brush fire in El Mirage in south valley. Bisbee fire almost fully contained. Charges being filed against man who started it. Missouri river expected to crest at 44', 24' above flood stage.

2-23. El Mirage fire stubborn; four percent humidity with a dewpoint of zero. Ten degrees above normal. Seventeen deaths from floods in Midwest. Flood warning remains in affect for fourteen states. Valley Park, Missouri hit hardest with two hundred homes flooded in one neighborhood. It is being called a "once in a generation flood''. We have not had a ninety degree day since November 8th, 2007.

3-24. Two hundred acre fire near El Mirage eighty five percent contained. Human caused. Record 96 degrees in Yuma. Highway 87 remains closed as landslide being cleared. This time last year we already had six days of ninety degrees or above. No nineties yet in the Valley.

3-26. Feds consider putting seals in Alaska on endangered list due to receding ice. Earliest date ever for one hundred degrees in the Valley was 1988.

3-27. 87 reopened after a week of cleaning and repairing the highway. Arkansas floods ruin wheat crops. Four tornados in Missouri and Oklahoma.

3-28. Numbers show that the Valley of the Sun has heated 2.5 degrees in five years. Pollution and heat island blames. Javelina expand more into northern part of Az. because of warmer desert climate.

3-29. Northern Rocky Mountain states allow hunting of gray wolf.

3-30. Cheetahs turn on trainer in Florida. Forty puncture wounds. 55mph winds in Payson, 38mph winds in Phx. Tornados from Dallas to ST. Louis.

3-31. Two campers in SE Az. attacked by rabid bobcat. Forecasters expect eight Atlantic hurricanes in upcoming season. Oregon researchers continue to investigate declining bee populations.

Well, there you have it my fine and faithful reading audience. We sincerely hope the inclusion of wildlife stories have added to your reading pleasure. As always your fine staff at Blue Duck Weather News are committed to you!

There are two quotes from the Mighty Broaduck this month. We don't know what he is sucking from the hollow reed in the lake. As long as he swims peacefully in circles the shotgun will remain hidden and out of view. "Whoever said money can't buy happiness never flew first class." Yea, he flies first class alright with his head in the clouds. The other quote will touch your hearts down to your webbed feet. "Follow your heart no matter how distorted others may think you are. If you hold true to your beliefs then happiness will always come from within." Sucking a reed my ass, he's smoking them.

The song of the month is inspired by the releases into the mighty Grand Canyon; "Singin' Call" by Stephen Stills.

Never forget, Pioneers took bullets, Settlers took land.

Your faithful Editor in Chief,

MR Blueduck

Please email ms duck with shirt sizes!

Blue Duck Weather News FEBRUARY 2008

Greetings Droogies! (I use that term very loosely. If you knew where it came from you would be certain of the demented Bastard I am.) With the weeds sprouting in the desert and the temperatures ten degrees warmer than the beginning of the month it appears winter is just about a gone dead train. This Beloved State of Arizona received much needed rain and snow this winter season. Flagstaff has received enough snow to be at one hundred and fifty percent above average. The Valley lakes are near capacity. However the big ones, Powell and Mead, are less than fifty percent full. Those are the two I have told you to keep your beady little eyes on. Until they come up we are a long way from being out of the drought. If they continue to decrease I can assure you there will be water wars for the surrounding states. (Read more about this in the latest and greatest Blue Duck Weather News!)

With the weeds comes the snot for us poor allergy sufferers. Add all the trees imported from idiots all around the world to this "desert" we will be in big trouble very shortly. Have you ever heard or seen a duck sneeze? It is an awful thing to witness. But with the weeds and the grass on the desert floor large amounts of vitamin A will nourish the productive systems of quail, dove and rabbits. These populations should thrive this Spring and Summer supplying food for the predators above them in the food chain. Do not include the idiotic human in this predation chain.

A "snow-melt advisory" was issued this month for Sabino Canyon at Tucson's Mt. Lemmon. It was issued for hikers in the area. In all of my squeeky years of weather observation I have never heard of this term. I suppose it is prudent to a bulging population of "nature lovers." Snow melt would also be a silent, deadly avalanche of flash flooding with no warning as in a day or two of heavy rain. But duck logic would tell me that if one were playing in the snow last week and hiking naked this week one could expect snow to be melting. Enough said, let's get right to the exciting weather events of February.

The average temperature on The Land was 52.56 degrees. At Talking Trees and Antelope Hill, 32.02 degrees.

The average humidity on The Land was 52.94 percent. The average dew point was 35.90 degrees. There was heavy fog on February 16th that did not burn off until noon. All ducks were grounded or swimming around in water aimlessly.

The average wind speed was 3.74 mph. There were four days wind chills were recorded.

The total rain fall for the month at The Land was .34 inches bringing the total yearly amount to 1.36 inches. There were five days of measurable rain with the last rainfall on 2-22.

2-1. Sierra Nevada, Great Lakes and the North East pounded with heavy snow. Tempe Town Lake closed for water releases down the Salt River. Indonesia rains flood and series of storms devastate Sidney, Australia.

2-2. Snow and rain in Midwewest and North East. Flooding blamed for ten deaths. Heavy rain in North Carolina.

2-3. Eight to twenty inches of snow forcasted for the high country in Az. Winter storm warning for much of state above five thousand feet.

2-4. I-17 closed at Sedona exit due to heavy snow. Chains required from Globe to New Mexico on Highway 60. Two skiers missing at Lake Tahoe. Snow level down to three thousand feet. China still inundated with snow. Some train travel there takes sixty hours. Passengers hurl themselves out of windows in frustration never to be seen again.

2-5. Areas in Alaska record temperatures of 50 degrees below zero. Grand Canyon records 14 degrees below zero. Two skiers found at Lake Tahoe. Built snow cave and melted ice in lunch bag to drink. Rationed Power bars. Learned survival skills on the Discovery Channel. ( Well, I will be Goddamned! You mean the tube may have some educational value?) Tornadoes in the South. Fear of flooding in Ohio. Power still out in Central China from snow as Chinese New Year gets underway.

2-6. 61.5 inches of snow in Flagstaff. The average is 54.6 inches. Rare winter twisters hit Tn., Ark.,and Ala. Fifty four killed with twelve in a Memphis grocery store.

2-7. Avalanches in Washington State strands motorists for thirty hours. South still cleaning up from worst twisters in twenty years. Baby found alive in debris. Dog survives a week in Montana after being carried away by an avalanche.

2-8. Bush quacks over Tn. and promises money for tornado victims. Second flood in five months submerges Ohio town. Snow buries villages in India.

2-9. Study shows that ethonal use could add to Green House gas, not reduce it. Avalanche concerns in North West as storm dumps snow. North Bend, Washington has received sixteen feet of snow in last twelve days! Wind chill at International Falls, Idaho records temperatures of forty degrees below zero. Twenty one below at Bismark.

2-10. Six hundred and fifty deaths due to severe cold in Afghanistan. (Freeze to death you Son of a Bitch, Osama.) Eight foot snow drifts in Kamas, Utah. One below in Chicago. Fourteen below at International Falls.

2-11. Massive brush fires in Florida. Four generations of same family killed in Southern storms.

2-12. Central Florida under tornado warning as storm destroys two condos. Winter storms filling up resevoirs in Arizona.

2-13. San Diego Scientists say with population growth Lake Mead could be dry in thirteen years. If the lake drops more than one hundred feet Nevada loses water rights. Az. snowpack at one hundred and fifty percent. (Note, Arizona snow melt runs south and does no good for Lake Mead. Remember this.) Reservoirs downstream from the Verde at one hundred percent full, downstream from the Salt, eighty percennt. Wind gusts for North and Eastern Az. could hit sixty mph by tomorrow. Four thousand foot snow level possible.

2-14. Seven inches of snow at the Snow Bowl today. Winter storm advisory posted until tomorrow. Grass fires in Oklahoma. Three brush fires in Texas. Twenty five counties have burn bans due to dry conditions. Mountains east of San Diego receiving snow.

2-15. I-8 east of San Diego closed for twelve hours due to snow and rain. Six inches of snow in Flagstaff. Winter storm warning in S.E. Az. above three thousand feet. Willow Springs fire south of Sonoita extinguished. Caused by high winds.

2-16. Tornado threat in south Texas. Mudslides in Brazil. Avalanche kills two in Alaska. MidWest struggles with more ice storms as the South deals with more tornados.

2-17. Snow shuts down Kansas City arport. Snow melt warning for southern Az. Pacific Ocean has many low pressure systems forming. Wll affect Az. later. Heavy snow in Athens, Greece. Longest closure ever at Kansas City Airport. Severe weather in Georgia and Florida.

2-18. Tornados in Georgia and Florida level two hundred and fifty homes. Snowpack in Az. melting rapidly. Roosevelt Lake eighty four percent full, total Verde system ninety one percent full. Last year it was at sixty six percent.

2-20. Snow level drops to seven thousand feet in northern Az. North Carolina wild fire destroys homes with low humidity and high winds.

2-21. Snow Bowl receives one foot of snow.

2-22. Heavy snow in New York and Boston. Snow in Az. above fifty five hundred feet. Torrential rain kills dozens in Indonesia and contaminated drinking water is feared. Venice canals running dry from lowering sea tides. (?) Developing countries discuss climate change in Brazil. (?).

2-23. Heavy snow in Philadelphia. Schools closed because of ice. Heavy rain in California. 1.97 inches of rain in Phoenix to date.

2-29. Temperatures in Phoenix ten degrees above normal.

In last month's fine edition of the Blue Duck Weather News we introduced a monthly quote by Sean Broaduck. He fiercley negotiated writer's royalties with me. Let me make it perfectly clear I have express permission to quote the Quack. For his endeavors he may be lucky to receive a T-shirt. (Mrs. Blue Duck is still checking into this fashion statement) This month's forgettable quote is as follows; "Time, the wrath of man. Some men need more of it. Some men run out of it. Some men are buying it. Some men are doing it. But we all cherish it with the ones we love."

The song of the month is "Green, Green Grass of Home." So many artists recorded this sad lament I have no idea who wrote it. The most memorable version is a live recording byJohnny Cash from either the Folsom Prison or San Quentin Prison.

As your fine Editor in Chief, I would like to profusely thank you for reading this riveting edition of the Blue Duck Weather News. I will now send this on to the lovely Mrs. Blue Duck to clean up and post in the absolutely fantastic Blue Duck blog. Please be sure to pass this fine weather report to your friends, uncles and enemies.

Remember always, Pioneers took bullets. Settlers took land. Until next month, happy quacking.

MR Blue Duck

Editor and Chief Quack

Duck Fan Info

Under each post it says 0 comments. If you click on comments you can tell Mr Blue Duck your impressions on his brilliant...said while smiling...posts! If you don't post, we won't have a clue how deeply this has touched your life! :o)

January 2008 Blue Duck Weather News

A new year, and as everything is changing, so does the weather. Like some people (and ducks) the weather is entirely unpredictable. It is for that very reason your brilliant Editor in Chief reports the weather after the fact.

This exciting issue of Blue Duck Weather News will be aptly titled the Blue Duck Express, just like the frigid air that moved in from Alaska and Canada to make us all appreciate the warmth of a shelter. Also in this exciting issue you will find an inspirational quote under the song of the month. This month's contributing freelance journalist is Sean Broaduck. The staff at Blue Duck Weather News are sure you will be inspired by his deep thinking. As always Blue Duck Weather is expanding its horizons and offering you the most intellectual stimulation available without a drug.

The average temperature at The Land was 49.22 degrees. The average at Talking Trees and Antelope Hill was 26.88 degrees.

The average humidity at The Land was 50.77 percent and the average dewpoint was 28.87 degrees. There were two fog mornings in January. There were four days in which the humidity was so high the sensitive weather recording instruments measured .01 inches of rain for four consecutive days. ( We will take every blessed drop of Nature Dew as percpitation.

The average wind speed was 2.31 m.p.h. There were four wind chills recorded.

In late January the Blue Duck Weather Team took to the remote hills below Young, Arizona in Northern Gila County. Your fine Editor in Chief was joined by Flyin' Ryan Duck. We exhaustively recorded weather data for five days. On Jaunuary 27th we recorded an ass soaking 1.54 inches of rain in twelve hours! The Land received .61 inches on that day. By nightfall we could hear the rain swollen washes far below our sequestered nest high on a ridge overlooking Roosevelt Lake. The Commanche moon observed the night before was obscurred by clouds and violent rain. The wind blew so hard Sunday night we feared our nests would blow deep into the canyons to be gulped up by the torrential waters running wickedly down the canyon. With that said, the total rain for The Land in January was 1.02 inches of rain. (Speaking as Blue Duck's wife...I am sure that the great Blue Duck and his handy ace, Flyin' Ryan not only measured weather, but may have had just a few beers during this experience!)

Below are the end of the month lake levels. Don't get too excited as you see Roosevelt and Pleasant rising. Until Mead and Powell show levels above sixty percent this fucking drought ain't over. Besides, as soon as the parched months of summer arrive, the millions of "average" water users will flush away the precious silt in our largest lakes; Lake Mead, 47 percent. Lake Powell, 45%. Roosevelt Lake 62%. Lake Pleasant, 71%.

1-1-08. Foot of snow in portions of Michigan by fast moving storms. Malibu winds topple trucks. High particulate advisory for Phx. CLIMATE CHANGE THREATENS THE LFESTYLE OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIANS. (What the f*$% does this mean, Get over it!.) Georgia resivoir rising with recent rains.(Good to see with what we observed in the Fall of last year.) First day above normal temps. in Phoenix in twenty four days. Fourteen degrees below zero in North Dakota. Heavy snow in TN.

1-2-08. Six inches of snow in Cleveland. Cold Artic air moving south. Florida citrus growers concerned as temps. drop into the mid twenties. Fort Lauderdelle records eighteen degrees. Body recovered from avalanche in Washington state. Two major brush fires in Florida. Arizona and California sues EPA over acceptable greenhouse gas emission levels. (wah, wah, wah.) Twelve below zero in Maine. Deep freeze in the Eastern U.S.

1-3-08. Louisianna strawberry fields threatened by freeze. Resident of S. Calfornia bracing for "worst storm ever" fearing mud slides from recent fires and lack of ground cover. "Flood Teams" deployed. Orlando brush fire shuts down portions of I-95. Wildfires in Australia burning out of control. Blizzard warnings for Northern Calfornia.

1-4-08. Lake Tahoe blizzard warnings. Up to ten feet of snow expected at levels above 6500 feet. Sixty to eighty mile per hour winds slam San Francisco. Nine hundred thousand people without power in Northern Calfornia. Extremely rare snow flurries at Daytona Beach. Six to twelve inches of snow above seven thousand feet in Az. Both ends of Australia scorched by fire with high winds and low humidity.

1-5-08. Levee in Nevada breaks, town flooded. Rescues in Northern Ca. Coastal flood warnings. I-80 in Southern Ca. closed. Some areas receive ten inches of rain.

1-6-08. Emergency supplies being sent to Californians. Heavy flooding and five hundred miles of power lines knocked down. Flooding and mudslides force evacuations in Southern Calfornia. Six snowmobilers lost in Southern Colorado. Ten to eighteen inches of snow predicted for Northern Az. above seven thousand feet.

1-7-08. Eleven feet of snow in Northern Ca. from weekend storms. Snowmobilers rscued in Southern Colo., survived on popcorn and bullion. Avalanche warnings issued for San Francisco Peaks in Northern Az. Two snowboarding groups rescued out of Snowbowl. Will be fined under the "Stupid Idiot Law." Snow and rockslides close U.S. 60 north of Globe. One foot of snow in Flagstaff. 1.10'' of rain in Cave Creek.

1-8-08. Washington, D.C. twenty degrees warmer than Phx. Thirty seven tornados from Arkansas to Wisconsin. Three killed. Two snowmobilers missing since last week rescued in New Mexico. Bush declares disaster in North Nevada from levee break. Flash flooding in S.E. Australia. Several communities declared disaster areas. Seventy thousand still without power in San Francisco. Another foot of snow in Northern Ca. The most tornado occurences in the South ever for January.

1-9-08. Missouri tornado carries cow for one mile and it survived.! (We have heard of pigs with wings and chicken with lips but never, ever the big fat bovine taking sail!) Fog and smoke from fires causes 65 car pileup in Fl. Floodwaters recede in Indiana where three killed. "QUADRILLION" dollar law suit filed because of levee breaks from Katrina. (Give me a break!.)

1-10-08. Rare tornado in Vancouver, Wash. Twelve hundred without power. As floodwaters recede in Indiana thousands of homes damaged. Ten tornados reported in Western Georgia and Alabama, almost nonexistent this time of year.

1-11-08. Rare snow in Baghdad, Iraqu. Major fires still burning out of control in Australia. Temperatures above one hundred degrees for third day reported there. As of this date 650 reports of severe weather in U.S. and 91 tornados. Winters in N.E. warming quickly with much less snowfall according to study.

1-12-08. Heavy snow warnings in Conn. and N.Y.

1-13-08. New England schools close as one foot of snow falls. Scientists believe Tsunami waves created the Mary Bay crater in Yellowstone.

1-15-08. Crews face wind, snow and falling trees in search for Montana avalanche victim. Hikers missing on Oregon's Mnt. Hood from Blizzard.

1-16-08. Search suspended for victims of Montana avalanche. Wind chills drive temperature to zero in Northern Az. Twenty one degrees below zero at Grand Canyon as the Artic Express moves in. Much needed rain falls in Georgia.

1-17-08. Freeze warning for the Valley of the Sun. Eleven degrees below zero in Flagstaff. Crippling snowstorm in Midwest leaves Iowa at forty below zero. (ooshy.)

1-18-08. Another freeze warning issued for the Valley of the Sun. Seventh freeze warning this winter. International Falls fifty below zero. Winter storm warnings from Miss. to Maryland.

1-19-08. Two inches of rare snow at Atlanta, Georgia. Duck flights cancelled. Rain and snow in S.C. Alabama snow just as rare. One degree below zero in Chcago.

1-20-08. Sub freezing weather chills the South after unusual snow. Severe storms in Florida. Sixty mile an hour winds in Tampa. Five inches of snow in Alabama. Snow falling in the Sierra Nevadas.

1-21-08. Forty below in Butte, Montana. Thirty below in Maine. (No wonder ducks fly south for the winter.) Ten deaths blamed from snow in China. Upstate New York declares state of emergency with three feet of snow. Iowa ice climbers use side of silo to perfect skills. Twelve degrees below zero in Denver. Snow from Michigan to Iowa.

1-22-08. Rare snow in SanFrancisco Bay area with lev els down to one thousand feet. Snow levels above two thousand feet expected to reach six inches. Three feet of black ice snow in upstate New York. One foot of snow closes schools in Michigan and Wisconsin. Snow banks from clearing ten feet high. Severe cold in Iran claiming deaths.

1-23-08. Fierce flooding in Australia. Twenty five hundred evacuated.

1-24-08. Winter storm and flash flood warnings in Ca.

1-27-08. 1.54 inches of rain recorded by yours truly at remote location below the rugged mountains of Young, Az.

1-29-08. Iowa weather advisory for wind and snow. Thirty below zero in areas. Navajo Nation north of Winslow, Az. declared state of emergency from flooding. Little Colorado River in Northern Az. rose twenty one feet above flood stage and three miles wide. Highway 180 closed from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon due to heavy snow. Flood warning issued for S.E. Az. Forty two degrees below zero in International Falls. Two tornados in Southern Illinois. Forty nine deaths in Central and Eastern China from snow.

1-30-08. Wind drops temperature in Chicago fifty degrees in two hours. Tornados in Illinois. Snow buries much of Mid West. High winds derail train in Ohio. Three snow boarders found in Flagstaff after seven hour search. China snow causes blackouts and train delays.

1-31-08. Illinois man freezes to death. Sixty car pileup in New York from snow and ice. Dramatic snow decline in West according to the Science Journal- more rain, less snow and rivers are drying up. China snow worst in decades. Atlantic hurricanes more frequent as water temps. rise.

Well, there you have it Droogies. January weather was as wild as December. Your fine staff will leave you with two songs for the month; "I'll Follow The Sun" and "Strawberry Fields Forever" by The BeatleDucks. And our inspirational quote for the month is a husband's lament. "They say silence is golden but isn't duct tape silver?"

Thank you for choosing Blue Duck Weather News as your only reliable source for behind the weather reporting.

Remember, Pioneers took bullets, Settlers took land.

Editor In Chief, MR Blue Duck.

(*** NOTE: There has been some interest in Blueduck weather T-shirts. This idea is still under advisment by the giant Quack himself!)

December 2007 Blue Duck Weather

Blue Duck Weather News


December 2007
What an active, violent weather month for Arizona and much of the Nation! As usual your fine staff at Blue Duck Weather News was working around the clock to bring you accurate, up to date weather facts.
Poor old Santa spent a frigid evening delivering gifts to all the little quacks around the world. He even placed hand warmers down his pants to keep his old sagging walnettos from turning into a couple of raisins. Santa even placed an electric nose warmer on Rudolph's nose to keep it shining bright. Santa misjudged the amount of heat and Rudolph's nose exploded. People around the world were perplexed as to why the milk placed for Santa wasn't even touched. The fact of the matter is Santa went straight for Dad's liquor stash to warm his old bones. When Santa pulled into the North Pole at sunrise his ears so cold he couldn't feel them (although he wasn't feeling any pain. He found plenty of whiskey stashes.) Enough of Santa his antics, let's get right to the news for there is plenty this month!
The average temperature on the Land was 48.50 degrees. On Talking Trees and Antelope Hill it was 28.88 degrees; an entire month of averages below freezing. The record low recorded for the month was five degrees. The Land experienced a low of twenty six degrees the morning after Christmas.
The average humidity on the Land was 58.98 percent. The average dew point was 32.95 degrees. On the morning of December 13th there was dense fog in much of the valley. The humidity that morning was 97 percent; the dew point was 38 degrees with the same temperature reading.
The average wind speed was a calm 1.70 mph. However there were four wind chills recorded for the month and Christmas day was blustery and chilly.
The Land received .88 inches of rain in December bringing the total to 5.64 inches for the year. Phoenix "officially” recorded 5.05 inches of rain, down 3.2 inches for normal rain fall in a year.
The lake levels did not change from last months' report. Reports said December rains would raise the levels, possible causing releases into the Salt and Verde Rivers. This did not happen. For now there is too much demand and too little rain to increase the lake levels. The fine staff at Blue Duck Weather new this was knee jerk reporting and scoffed at the claim.
12-01. Cave Creek washes flooded. Scottsdale and Pima Roads closed. There was a snow advisory for Greenlee and Graham Counties above 7000'. RV swept downstream n Black Canyon City as Aqua Fria River floods. Southern California was dealing with flooding and evacuations from mudslides. Last month's fires triggered the loose and unstable soil conditions. Storm plasters Mid West with snow. As much as three feet of snow predicted for portions of Colorado.
12-2. Ten inches of snow in Utah. Snow in Pennsylvania and New York. Big storms headed for Pacific North West. Strong storms in Gulf Coast. Hurricane force winds in Oregon. Four degrees in North Dakota and nine degrees at the Grand Canyon.
12-3. Last weekend's rain dumped six inches (!) at Seven Springs north of Carefree. Sedona reported 3.3 inches of rain. Rain and wind slam North West, knocking out power and flooding Seattle.
12-4. 120mph winds recorded in near Portland, Oregon. High water rescues performed by National Guard in rafts, mainly for stranded motorists. (Sound familiar?) Georgia lining up tankers and bottled water but still no long term plans. High particulate advisory issued for Phoenix. Fireplace burning banned. (Yes, by God that's the ticket! Why don't we just park five million vehicles for a day?) Snow level in Arizona expected to drop to five thousand feet by the weekend.
12-5. Interstate Five closed between Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington. Eight feet of water on portions of the highway because ten inches of rain fell in twenty four hours. Mud slides cut off logging in Washington towns in the west, Helicopter rescues pluck people off rooftops. Prolonged drought causes more Valley Fever cases in Arizona. Man chops down five thousand trees in Hendersonville, Nevada for "better view." He is being held without bond.
12-6. Southern California braces for mudslides as flood waters recede from Pacific North West. West Washington and Western Oregon declared State of Emergencies. Interstate Five still closed between Seattle and Portland. Boil water orders in affect. Largest Search and Rescue effort in ten years. Military brought in to search for skiers, hunters and campers missing. Red Cross sets up shelters. Snow advisory for North Rim of the Grand Canyon. AZ wind advisory issued. World Wildlife Federation declares global warming will destroy thirty percent of Amazon wildlife by 2030.
12-7. Three inches of rain forecast for Southern California. Mandatory mudslide evacuations ordered. Ten foot flood crest predicted for Aberdeen, Washington as flood waters move down stream. Interstate Five still closed. No Amtrak train service from Portland to Seattle. Six inches of snow at the Snowbowl. Showlow receiving five to seven inches of snow at elevations above seven thousand feet. Possible evacuations in Sedona due to rockslides. Oak Creek up to fifteen feet above normal. Denver receiving heavy snow. Forecasters change formula and predict an above normal hurricane season for'08. (?) Three inches of rain in Crown King. China blames global warming on the West.
12-8. Six inches of snow fell on San Francisco Peaks and ten inches at Sunrise. 1.01 inches of rain recorded at Sky Harbor International Airport.
12-9. Flash flood watches out for Gila and Yavapai Counties as well as Oak Creek. Winter storm warning out for White Mountains and Mogollon Rim. Snow levels may drop to four thousand feet. Gilbert Road closed at Salt River due to flooding. Five inches of new snow in Flagstaff. Snow in Hawaii!
12-10. Winter storm alert above six thousand feet. Predicting eight to ten inches of snow. Snow advisory in Maricopa County above five thousand feet. Twenty eight to thirty six inches of snow in Pinetop Lakeside. Missouri, Okalahoma and Illinois severely impacted by ice storm. Power lines and trees are snapped. FEMA supplying generators. Oklahoma declares State of Emergency.
12-11. Five hundred thousand people without power in Oklahoma. Weather alert issued in Arizona. Hail in Fountain Hills and west Phoenix. One foot of new snow predicted for Pinetop. Federal Court of Appeals still hearing arguments for piss snow to be made at the Snowbowl. Elevations above nine thousand feet could receive three feet of snow.
12-12. Six hundred thousand still without power in Oklahoma. Worst ice storm in history. Six hundred and fifty traffic accidents due to ice and downed trees on roadways. National Guard delivering generators for emergency shelters. Avalanche warning issued for San Francisco Peaks. Four to five feet of snow at upper elevations. Tucson bans sharing water with surrounding communities.
12-13. One foot of snow predicted for New England. Same storm that battered Arizona a week earlier. Thirty five deaths in it's wake. Snowbowl opens. Sunrise opens tomorrow.
12-14. One foot of snow per hour in Albany, New York. Same storm that affected Arizona weather earlier.( There is a saying amongst the weather community in the winter. '' If it snows in Flagstaff it will snow in Saint Louis later." You can take that to the bank.) Seventy inches of snow at Snowbowl. Red Cross sending aid to residents in Tonto Basin. Folks still stranded from earlier rain. Warmest lows in Phoenix on record. Freeze warning issued for Tucson, Maricopa and Chandler. Five men behind bars for setting fire in Malibu last month. Approaching storm could delay power restoration in Oklahoma.
12-15. Storm with one foot of snow predicted for Ohio Valley en route to New England. Flood watch in Kentucky. Tornado watches out for Georgia. Flagstaff reports eight degrees below zero.
12-17. Eighteen inches of snow in Syracuse, New York. Tens of thousands still have no power in Oklahoma and Kansas from ice storm last week. Seven inches of snow in Saint Louis, Missouri.
12-18. Several feet of snow expected in Sierra Nevada mountains in California. Heavy snow in Wisconsin. Dangerous flooding in Thailand, emergency crews on the way.
12-19. From Washington to California heavy snow closes Interstate 90 in portions of the highway. Winter storm warning in Sierra and Cascade mountains with forty mph winds and one-two feet of snow.
12-20. Possible tornados in Mississippi with major power outages.
12-21. Heavy snow in Chicago and Boston delays flights of thousands of ducks.
12-22. First official day of winter.
12-23. Heavy rain in New York and New Jersey. Snow and ice in Minnesota.
12-24. Snow in Salt Lake and Denver. One foot in Cascades, Washington.
12-25. White Christmas in Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming and Nebraska. High winds in Los Angeles. Power off to ten thousand with 94mph winds in the San Fernando valley. 75mph winds in Salt Lake with snow. Snow and ice delays in Minneapolis. Much needed rain falling in Georgia. Freeze warning issued in Phoenix.
HO, HO, HO!
12-26. Freeze warning issued for the Phoenix metro area. 26 degrees at the Land. Coldest since last January.
12-27. Five degree low in Quemado, New Mexico with a high of twenty three degrees. Eight inches of snow in Denver with flights cancelled.
12-28. Twenty eight inches of snow for the month in Boston. this time last year only one inch of snow. Approaching all time record. Six inches of snow in Wisconsin.
12-29. Snow for much of New York.
12-31. Portions of Interstate 70 in Colorado closed due to Avalanche threat. High winds and zero visibility. Utah avalanche leaves a man trapped east of Salt Lake City. Two thousand drivers stranded on sixty miles of I-70 west of Denver. Seventy mph winds in Long Beach and Malibu. Four days of rain saves Atlanta from driest year in history. Two hundred and sixty three weather records broken in United Sates this year. Twenty three of the last twenty four days in the Valley reported temperatures at of below normal. One year in the last ten years of rainfall in Arizona has had above normal rainfall. That was 2005.
As you can read, the fine staff at Blue Duck Weather has had an exhaustive month for weather reporting. We would like to thank you for your support of this fine news report. We are in our fledgling infancy quack stage of reporting. We promise to bring you mind blowing weather news for 2008.
This month's weather song is "If We Make It Through December" by Merle Haggard.
Remember. Pioneers took bullets, settlers took land.

Editor and Chief
Blue Duck

November 2007 Blue Weather

Blue Duck Weather

December 2, 2007

Ah, the weather that made the Arizona desert famous and ultimately ruined it is finally here. Snow Gizzards from around the world are coming in droves to worship the sun and warmth, the clear skys and starry nights (provided you are not in Phoenix or Tucson.)

The fine staff at Blue Duck Weather News would like to honor the true Snow lizards who camp in a sea of shiny metallica in parks from > Apache Junction to Gila Bend. Like subterannean aliens one can hear the drone of generators from miles away. Truly water conservationists, a plant or tree will not be seen in any of these fine parks, simply acres of white painted landscape stone. And here is to all of the Uncle Eddies in the desert who "secretly" pumps his sewage into some unsuspecting wash declaring his manhood and eminant domain with a vile, > twisted smile.

The average temperature for November was 61.84 degrees. The > average humidity was 31.26 percent. The average dewpoint was 28 > degrees. The average wind speed was 1.30 mph. The average temperature at Talking Trees and Antelope Hill was 40.28 degrees. November 23rd saw a low of 19 degrees. The next morning was 12 degrees. Turkeys that escaped Thanksgiving were found frozen in their tracks.

The land received a much needed .88 inches of rain on November 30th. The last recorded rainfall prior to that was one hundredth of an > inch on September 16th. All of the plants needed a much needed bath, let alone soaking, as dust on the leaves turned to muddy water before it hit the ground.

Lake Mead is at 46 percent capacity. Lake Powell is at 48 percent and Roosevelt Lake is at 46 percent. Let's continue to hose down those > driveways and sidewalks. Over water those lawns until they turn into > bogs. Perhaps next month we can record even lower lake levels!>>>> 11-1. Tennessee towns have run out of water and it has to be trucked in. Carribean death toll jumps to one hundred from Hurricane > Noel. The August fire in Prescott grows to fifty acres, containment > line established. Threat of more Santa Anna winds in Southern > California.

11-2. August fire grows to sixty acres. Hundreds of thousands of > Mexicans flee from flooded gulf coast as a result of Hurricane Noel.

11-3. Noel batters New England coast. Seventy mile per hour winds > and coastal flooding. Worst flooding in Mexico in fifty years. A > million people forced from homes. The August fire in Prescott grows to > two hundred acres and thirty percent contained. Snow predicted for > Northern Maine. "Climate change is one of history's security > challenges." (?)>>>> 11-4. August fire two hundred and seventy five acres and thirty > five percent contained. Fog causes one hundred car pile up in Southern > California. Thirty thousand people without power in Cape Cod from Noel. > Lake effect snow predicted for Great Lakes region. We broke a record > with ninety five degrees in 2001.

11-5. Mexican flood victims scramble for food and supplies. Twenty thousand stranded. August Fire is at four hundred and twenty acres and > forty five percent contained. Ninety three degrees a new record in > Phoenix today. Two hundred days this year with temperatures above > normal. Eghty six degree record in Safford, Ninety one degree record in > Tucson. Severe drought in Georgia makes it the largest exporter of > pecans in the world. Pecans thrive in dry conditons due to lack of > moisture related disease. Fog causes thirty car pile up in Oregon. > Twenty eight reports of hail and heavy weather in the eastern seaboard.

11-6. Ninety four degree record in Phoenix. Massive mudslide in > Mexico, sixty missing, eight hundred thousand homeless. Heavy snows in > Pennsylvania, thirteen thousand without power. New Orleans at sixty > three percent capacity or pre Katrina Hurricane.

11-7. Snow predicted for New England. August Fire almost contained > at six hundred and fifty acres. High pollution advisory for Phoenix > tomorrow. Ninety two degree record in Phoenix, sixty seven degree > record high low. Ninety degree record in Tucson.

11-12. Georgia Govenor hosts press conference with Religious > Leaders to pray for rain. (God must have been busy.) Eight inches of > rain hits Japan with severe flooding.

11-13. New Orleans Aqarium denied Fema help. (?). Only one third > of carbon dioxide releases in U.S. is offset by cleanup efforts. Ten > year old boy admits starting thirty eight thousand acre fire in > California last month by playing with matches. Ninety degree high in > Gila Bend. Normal high is seventy six degrees.

11-14. Georgia farmers accuse Atlanta of stealing water.

11-15. "Super" Typhoon hits Bangladesh, India. Tens of thousands > evacuate. Fire ban begins in some State parks tomorrow in Arizona. > Tornado in South East Kentucky delivering badly needed rain.

11-16. Bangladesh death toll at eleven hundred. Cold air pooling > over Alaska and Canada. Moving into Mid West by Thanksgiving.

11-17. New hope for drought stricken South. Georgia cuts flow to > lake which is home to endangered wildlife. (fuck the endangered. We > have toilets that need flushing, damnit!.) One hundred thousand people > in emergency shelters in Bangladesh. Winds recorded at one hundred and > fifty miles per hour. UN offers one million dollars in aid.

11-18. Twenty three hundred people dead from Bangladesh Typhoon. > UN sending Naval ships full of supplies. San Diego bracing for more > fires. Snow flurries in New York City. Rain hits Gulf coast. Snow > predicted wor Pennsylvania, Washington, Idaho and Montanna. Snow levels > down to twenty five hundred feet.

11-19. Santa Anna winds expected in Southern California later this > week. One million homeless from Typhoon in Bangladesh. Two inches of > snow falls in the Eastern U.S. Seventy degrees in Sedona and eighty > degrees in Winslow set new highs for this date.

11-20. Yam production in Georgia and North Carolina down due to > prolonged drought. (How timely of a report! Jack those yam prices up > just in time for the holidays.)>>>> 11-21. Snow levels at seven thousand feet in Eastern Arizona. > Expected to drop to six thousand feet by Friday with one to three > inches of snow expected.

11-22. Balmy weather draws thousands to Thanksgiving parade in New > York. New Mexico wildfire south of Albuqureque. One two two inches of > snow predicted for White Mountains.

11-23. Snow advisory for Graham, Greenlee and Cochise Counties > above six thousand feet. Three inches expected. Fifty thousand people > evacuated due to Typhoon in the Phillipines. Two green house gasses > record highest levels in 2005. Christmas trees will shed faster due to > dry Fall. Tonight's temperature will be lowest in seven months. Red > flag warning and wind advisory tomorrow in NW and SW Arizona. Eight > degree low for South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

11-24. Fierce wildfire north of L.A. Thirty five home destroyed. > Thousands evacuated in Malibu. Seventeen hundred fire fighters brought > in. Twenty two hundred acres consumed with no containment. Snow in El > Rancho, New Mexico with three feet recorded in northern New Mexico. > Freeze warning for Graham, Cochise and Santa Cruz Counties.

11-25. Fifty homes destroyed in Malibu fire. Five thousand acres > consumed, forty percent contained. Tornado warning in Lousianna. Snow > in Michigan. Rain in Northern Calfornia. Sixteen degree low in > Flagstaff.

11-26. Fifty dead as Typhoon hits N.E. Phillipines. Today's high > in Phoenix six degrees below normal.

11-27. US unscathed by hurricanes in '07 despite predictions. > Emergency planners worry about complacency. Snow level predicted for > seven thousand feet this weekend.

11-30. Two hour flight delays from Phoenix to Las Vegas due to > weather. Three inches of rain recorded in Carefree area. Storms > strongest in Central Phoenix. Flood advisory until eleven a.m. > tomorrow. Flooding at Scottsdale and Thunderbird roads. Snow levels at > nine thousand feet, dropping to sixty five hundred feet tomorrow > producing two to four inches of snow.

Thank you my faithful readers for drooling in awe ove this latest > incredible edition of The Blueduck Weather News. Remember Pioneers took > bullets, Settlers took land.

The song of the month is a gentle song of whimsical Autumn longing > entitled "Ramble On" by Led Zeppelin.

Editor in Chief

BlueDuck

October Weather News

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