2018 Weather around the world

[Daimona]

Happy new everyone!

How is the weather in your part of the belly dancing world?



In my part of the world we're preparing for the winter first storm of 2018 and expecting heavy winds and snow.

[Shanazel]

Hi, Daimona, and happy new year to you, too. December and early January were frigid but we've managed to creep above freezing the last couple of days. Of course, the wind chill drags temps right back down but the snow is melting and that's good. Need to get rid of the old stuff before the next storm.

Only 133 days to the quasi-official frost-free date for central Wyoming. Time to clean off the garden tools, hmm?

[Ariadne]

Happy New Year!

Our snow pack is substandard and the winter has passed to quickly. It's time to trim our trees and bushes (two weeks early) and we'll be living off of reservoir water for the next year unless there's an unexpected snowstorm that drops a load on our nearby mountains. Well I guess that is why we have the reservoirs for; it's a desert, water fluctuates wildly from year to year.

It has been sprinkling though so maybe there's hope.

... I wonder when I should start the indoor seeds for transplant...

[lilya]

Happy New Year!

Eastern Canada has been covered in snow these past few days, we (Western Prairies) got the snowfall warning for tonight. I can hear the wind howling, too - they make great partners, snow and freezing winds...

[Ariadne]

I was 24 hours too early. Last night the cold weather front moved in and now there is a weather advisory for much of the state. It's been raining nonstop here and is snowing in the mountains!

[Shanazel]

Most of December's snow has melted (or been worn away by the wind) just in time for a new snowfall tonight. I drove to Cheyenne and back yesterday with high wind warnings out for I-25: gusts of 60+ mph. Ho-hum. Just another day in Paradise.

[Ariadne]

It looks like we both might be getting more snow. There's a new advisory out.

"Increasing south winds ahead of a cold front could become locally strong in the southwestern valleys on Friday. This strong cold front will slowly cross the outlook area from north to south Friday through midday Saturday.

“Heavy snow will accompany the cold front with significant snow accumulation in the mountains, southwest Wyoming and the northern, western and central Utah valleys,” the alert states. “Even Utah’s Dixie may see some snow with this storm Saturday.”


Locally heavy snow showers will continue across the outlook area through Saturday night.


Persons planning travel anywhere in the outlook area Friday afternoon through early Sunday should be prepared for winter driving conditions in snow and allow for plenty of extra time to reach their destinations.


There is the potential for some additional snow across the northern outlook area Monday."

I think I'll wait until next week to prune my landscaping.

[Shanazel]

We're expecting a winter storm Friday. Wouldn't mind at all except I have two days of teaching scheduled for the weekend. Been nice to see the bare ground for a few days, though.

Where is Utah's Dixie? I assume it is usually warm there.

[Ariadne]

It's Washington County in the South-West corner of the state and the NE (high) Mojave Desert. It has the nickname of Utah's Dixie because the original settlers came here to grow cotton during the Civil War when it became scarce. The cotton mill they used back then is still around and is currently a plant (Starr) nursery.

So yes it's usually quite warm.

Hence why I identify my location as the NE Mojave Desert and not the Southern Rockies (though we are that too). People think of the Rockies or just Utah and they think Skiing etc. Here we have the Desert Tortoise and those Mojave Rattlers you used to study plus lots of sand. You can even see the north rim of the Grand Canyon from any hilltop.

A little bit of trivia, the outlaws that rode the Outlaw Trail would pass through here on their way to California so we used to have landmarks that could boast of having been visited frequently by the James Brothers and others like the Sundance Kid. One of the James Brothers even retired here and died of old age. Over time though the buildings have all been condemned and torn down with the exception of what used to be the whore house. At the moment I believe it's a restaurant that does reservation only Mystery Dinners.

I cried a little when Dick's Cafe died. It not only had seen outlaws it was a favorite place for the actors back when Hollywood would film those old black and white westerns out here. It had a log hitching post that the actors would ride up too, tie the horses up, then get lunch in between filming. Their signed autographs were displayed behind the bar.

[Shanazel]

I've been through Washington County a number of times; even spent the night there once. Should I ever have occasiona to go back through, I'll let you know and perhaps we can get together to discuss Mojave Greens and belly dance.