Thunderstorms

[Jackalope]

   Here in middle Tennessee, we've had an abundance of thunderstorms this summer, much more than normal.  Besides the frequency, I've noticed the storms have also been more intense.  We had one storm last week during the early morning hours, and the lightning was more or less continuous.  That particular storm set off our tornado alert device twice, with an indication of tornado risk, which is highly unusual for that device.  The only other times the tornado alert has activated, we actually had tornadoes in the vicinity, so I'm guessing we were lucky last week.

    Has anyone else noticed a higher frequency of storms this year?  I'm curious whether it is a local phenomena, or if it is more wide spread. 

[Sir John Honeybucket]

Beginning 6pm ish wide and FAST bands of thunderstorms swept across the western shores of the Chesapeake Bay, bringing high winds LOTS of lighning and very heavy rain. Not unusual and I've definately been in worse while out sailing, but did not particularly like it ;-)  I keep the HF antenna disconnected from the radio. when not in actual use.

-Sir John Honeybucket

[JohnyMac]

Up here rain has been non existent until the last couple of days.

The current rain events are not a general rain but a cow pissing on a flat rock type of rain. With the rain we get thunder & lightening. We always know when it is coming as W3OOF hides about 20-30 minutes before a cell arrives.

Now looking over the 16-years we have been at the redoubt, this has been the hottest summer with high humidity. The lack of rain and to an extent heat, is equal to 2014.

Looking at Fall/Winter 2014/15, records, we started to receive measurable snow mid Nov on through April 2015. Temps were a bit lower by a degree or two than normal too - What ever normal means. LOL. 

I will be interested to read what the Farmers Almanac predicts for this winter. MrsMac asked be to cut, slit and stack 7-cords of wood this year vs. the usual 6- cords I do.

[Sir John Honeybucket]

Fortunately, the rain has been close to twice per week here and the gardens are loving it in combination with the hot and humid weather.  Plus our largest raised bed I made using Hugelkulture and so while it drain well, it retains moinsutre in the rotting logs down in the lowesr level of soil (the former packed dirt I built the raised beds on. We use raised beds in that spot because it's the BEST sun area on our property, but it is regularly under ankle deep weater during our heavy rains: we needed the elevation and enhanced drainage.


- Sir John Honeybucket