Shopsmith Forums

The world is changing too fast for some of us. When I went to school, water froze at 32 degrees F and lower. But, we didn't have digital thermometers to mess up the readings and computers and college trained meteorologists to misinterpret reality.
Today we get forecasts like this. 47 degrees with patchy frost. That wasn't possible 50 years ago.

It is not all that different here. Check out the forecasted temperatures for later this week.

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.ph ... SA37je1v3g

My temperatures are believable, but how can it be 47 degrees and have frost?

(Only in the crazy world of stupid government orgizations can that happen)

garys wrote:The world is changing too fast for some of us. When I went to school, water froze at 32 degrees F and lower. But, we didn't have digital thermometers to mess up the readings and computers and college trained meteorologists to misinterpret reality.
Today we get forecasts like this. 47 degrees with patchy frost. That wasn't possible 50 years ago.

Some things to consider:
- the low temperature they are giving is for a the whole region, and may be affected by the "micro climate" at specific points.
- it is possible for water to freeze at air temperatures above 32 F., if it is also loosing heat through radiation (ie. very clear night sky) the Persians used this phenomenon to make ice in the desert. http://www.fieldstudyoftheworld.com/per ... ce-desert/

I park my van facing north and when we get frost in the winter the windshield can have a heavy layer, the side windows often only a little, and the back windows often none at all.

Interesting(my first new thing of today)!

So patchy frost likely where patchy fog develops in patchy colder areas.

Day night temp swings in summer can be 100+ and 40's.

So winter swings can have low 30's at night? Makes sense.

Wonder how sloped your side and rear windows are.

JPG wrote:Interesting(my first new thing of today)!

So patchy frost likely where patchy fog develops in patchy colder areas.

Day night temp swings in summer can be 100+ and 40's.

So winter swings can have low 30's at night? Makes sense.

Wonder how sloped your side and rear windows are.

I have a Chev Express cargo van, side and rear windows perpendicular to the ground, windshield sloped. .

Re patchy frost, I am sure there are many factors that affect the micro climate, Is that land shaded during the day (lower ground temp.), is it at the bottom of a slope (cold air drains down), also structures like bridges get frost more easily (little latent heat, cool from top and bottom),

Also too the forecasted highs and lows are for the local NWS observation locations. Those are most often the airports in the region although there may be others. If you are not at the location of the forecast you will likely see different temperatures. The lows here at my house out here in the country are sometimes 5­° to 8° lower than the forecasted low and I have seen frost on the grass when the low was in the upper 30's.

Amazing how a June bug crawling out in May can precipitate a discussion of weather forecasts.

I don't know how many of you had survival training courtesy of our uncle sam but it was interesting that while in mountains terrain you were to seek shelter about half way up the mountain. Temperature wise that is the best place to be.

Ed

OK, a few years ago, (1982?) I spent a summer at
camp Hunter Liggett, Days were in the 80-90 degree
range. Nights, well, that is a different story. 20s
to 30s.

I was one of the few (stupid or smart) ones to bring
my field jacket!

Was a memorable Army Reserve summer camp!

steve