workMount St. Helens in Washington State has been fairly active for almost two months now. Yesterday the plume was very obvious and views of the mountain were flashed in news stories across the US and all the way up to Canada The steam eruptions will be very visible now for the next few months as colder temperatures move in and the clouds rise high above the peaks. Often the clouds cover and obscure the view of mountain tops.
Currently magma is flowing at a very slow rate. On the website - linked below - there is a library of slideshows showing specific eruption events of interest. One in particular made of the Oct 27th - 28th camera shots - The enhanced version makes it possible to view the crater overnight - shows the glow - like a beacon at the top of the mountain, glowing brightly through the night!
They have some fabulous imagery on this site and it's a great service to all interested in the subject!
To access the Volcano Cam cut and paste or click ; http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/volcanocams/msh/
In the garden; things are in preparation for an Alberta Clipper en route from the west and carrying with it strong winds from a merged "James Bay Vortex" to drop temperatures drastically and to blow up a substantial snowfall picking up moisture off the Great Lakes - lake effect snow... This will be our first real winter storm for this winter season, hopefully the bit of ice we had a few days ago hae people prepared to drive sane! Snow storms really aren't a big deal in my focus - but driving in a snow storm is a whole different story - it is horrendous and exhausting! I hope my friends to the south and east ; re: New York state and New England states are ready 'cause they'll get it after us! Look out Mallman - fill the feeders for the critters and keep your shovel handy! Hope you've stocked up with hot chocolate - you'll be cudlding the mug!
Anyone in Buffalo knows - a storm like this can dump 12" of snow or more in 4 - 8 hours... I sympathise with anyone who'll be trying to travel through this for the holidays... Take care and be patient. Your friends and family will be happier to see you a bit later, if necessary, rather than having to visit you in hospital! As a youngster my family travelled the New York State thruway from Syracuse through Rochester to Buffalo and Niagara Falls each Thanksgiving, each Christmas, each Easter and the storms we encountered over the years were incredible. (Should call it; Lake Effect Snow Alley!) I don't know how my dad did it some days! Here's to all dads everywhere that help pull us all through the rough bits! I am so-o-o-o-o thankful!
Severe weather bulletin
ISSUED BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA
AT 11:55 AM EST WEDNESDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2005.
WATCHES/WARNINGS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN ONTARIO...
WIND WARNING FOR:
WATFORD - PINERY PARK - EASTERN LAMBTON COUNTY
LONDON - MIDDLESEX
GODERICH - BLUEWATER - SOUTHERN HURON COUNTY
WINGHAM - BLYTH - NORTHERN HURON COUNTY
CHATHAM-KENT - RONDEAU PARK
SARNIA - PETROLIA - WESTERN LAMBTON COUNTY
PICTON - SANDBANKS PARK.
VERY STRONG WINDS EXPECTED THURSDAY.
THIS IS A WARNING THAT DAMAGING WINDS ARE IMMINENT OR OCCURRING
IN THESE REGIONS. MONITOR WEATHER CONDITIONS..LISTEN FOR
UPDATED STATEMENTS.
WINTER STORM WARNING FOR:
MIDLAND - COLDWATER - ORR LAKE
ORILLIA - LAGOON CITY - WASHAGO
FENELON FALLS - BALSAM LAKE PARK - NORTHERN KAWARTHA LAKES
APSLEY - WOODVIEW - NORTHERN PETERBOROUGH COUNTY
BANCROFT - BON ECHO PARK
PARRY SOUND - MUSKOKA - HUNTSVILLE
HALIBURTON
WESTERN ALGONQUIN PARK - LAKE OF TWO RIVERS
BURK'S FALLS - BAYFIELD INLET.
A SIGNIFICANT AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WINTER STORM FOR
TONIGHT AND THURSDAY.
THIS IS A WARNING THAT DANGEROUS WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
IMMINENT OR OCCURRING IN THESE REGIONS. MONITOR WEATHER
CONDITIONS..LISTEN FOR UPDATED STATEMENTS.
SNOWSQUALL WARNING FOR:
WOODSTOCK - TILLSONBURG - OXFORD COUNTY
BRANTFORD - COUNTY OF BRANT
CALEDON
STRATFORD - MITCHELL - SOUTHERN PERTH COUNTY
LISTOWEL - MILVERTON - NORTHERN PERTH COUNTY
KITCHENER - CAMBRIDGE - REGION OF WATERLOO
GUELPH - ERIN - SOUTHERN WELLINGTON COUNTY
MOUNT FOREST - ARTHUR - NORTHERN WELLINGTON COUNTY
ORANGEVILLE - GRAND VALLEY - SOUTHERN DUFFERIN COUNTY
SHELBURNE - MANSFIELD - NORTHERN DUFFERIN COUNTY
INNISFIL - NEW TECUMSETH - ANGUS
STRATHROY - KOMOKA - WESTERN MIDDLESEX COUNTY
LONDON - PARKHILL - EASTERN MIDDLESEX COUNTY
GODERICH - BLUEWATER - SOUTHERN HURON COUNTY
WINGHAM - BLYTH - NORTHERN HURON COUNTY
WATFORD - PINERY PARK - EASTERN LAMBTON COUNTY
SAUGEEN SHORES - KINCARDINE - SOUTHERN BRUCE COUNTY
BRUCE PENINSULA - SAUBLE BEACH - TOBERMORY
HANOVER - DUNDALK - SOUTHERN GREY COUNTY
OWEN SOUND - BLUE MOUNTAINS - NORTHERN GREY COUNTY
BARRIE - COLLINGWOOD - HILLSDALE.
SNOWSQUALLS WITH DANGEROUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS FROM WHITEOUTS
LATER TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY.
==DISCUSSION==
AN ALBERTA CLIPPER NEAR THUNDER BAY LATE THIS MORNING CONTINUES TO
DEEPEN AND WILL INTENSIFY INTO A WINTER STORM AS IT RACES SOUTHEAST
TO REACH THE LAKE ONTARIO AREA TONIGHT THEN INTO UPSTATE NEW YORK
THURSDAY. THIS DEVELOPING STORM IS EXPECTED TO GENERATE A WIDESPREAD
HIGH IMPACT SNOW AND STRONG WIND EVENT ACROSS MUCH OF THE PROVINCE.
WEATHER RADAR AND SURFACE OBSERVARVArN2m)n 4u$AT A WALL OF SNOW
IN ADVANCE OF THIS STORM HAS REACHED THE WINDSOR-DETROIT AREA LATE
THIS MORNING. THE SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD EAST REACHING THE
GOLDEN HORSESHOE AREA BY EARLY THIS EVENING AND INTO EASTERN ONTARIO
TONIGHT. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL REACH 15 TO 20 CENTIMETRES OVER
REGIONS IN THE WINTER STORM WARNING AREAS NEAR AND EAST OF GEORGIAN
BAY BY THURSDAY ALONG WITH DRIFTING AND SOME BLOWING SNOW AS WINDS
PICK UP OUT OF THE WEST ON THURSDAY.
SNOWSQUALLS WILL ALSO DEVELOP OFF GEORGIAN BAY AND LAKE HURON LATE
TONIGHT AND THURSDAY WHICH WILL CREATE BANDS OF PARTICULARLY
DANGEROUS CONDITIONS WITH NEAR ZERO VISIBILITIES IN HEAVY SNOW
AND BLOWING SNOW WHICH WILL EXTEND WELL INLAND FROM THE LAKES.
CONDITIONS WILL SLOWLY IMPROVE BY FRIDAY ALTHOUGH SOME RESIDUAL SNOW
AND SNOWSQUALLS WILL CONTINUE.
STRONG WINDS OUT OF THE WEST AT 60 GUSTING TO 90 KM/H WILL COMPOUND
THE SITUATION ON THURSDAY IN SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO AND OVER PRINCE
EDWARD COUNTY. THESE WINDS WILL CREATE NEAR ZERO VISIBILITIES IN
WHITEOUT CONDITIONS IN THE HEAVIER FLURRIES AND SNOWSQUALLS..AND
WILL ALSO BE CAPABLE OF CAUSING SOME TREE DAMAGE AND BRINGING DOWN
POWER LINES.
THIS MAY BE A DANGEROUS STORM. TRAVEL CONDITIONS WILL QUICKLY
DETERIORATE BEGINNING LATER TODAY OVER WESTERN PARTS AND
ELSEWHERE TONIGHT AND WILL BECOME EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS DUE TO
WHITEOUT CONDITIONS FROM HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW. TEMPERATURES
WILL ALSO PLUNGE THURSDAY AS THE SNOWSQUALLS STRENGTHEN ADDING TO
THE DANGEROUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS WITH ICY AND SNOW COVERED ROADS IN
MANY AREAS.
Temperature: -3 C (27 F) Barometric Pressure: 100.1 and falling (no surprise!)
Humidity 63% Winds out of the Southwest at 13 km/hr
It was overcast earlier this morning. Now the sun is out and warming things up a bit... A reprieve of sorts before the "storm" comes! I've got my camera set up in the kitchen window waiting for the birds to come sit in our birch trees to help themselves to a tree full of seeds, munching in the warm sunshine... Fingers crossed, windows cleaned, patience... with time I'm sure they'll cooperate! Well hey if I don't catch a good shot of them before the storm I just bet they'll be fun to watch after the storm as they find their food under the snow! Either way it's still bound to be a great "kodak moment" ... time will tell!
Safe travels - happy thanksgiving - and all the best to you and yours!
