Morning Cup Of Coffee And Weather

This is perhaps less useful in the lower 48 where enough radar sites blanket the map, but helps see the "whats coming in a day, from over the mtns"...

(The red smudged image is the later "predicted" composite from GRAT on Weather Channel)

 

Here's another useful item I found on Weather Underground- current jet stream:
Jet Stream | Wind Maps | Weather Underground

Showing the polar jet merging with the subtropical jet like the youtuber Ryan mentioned.

Not a meteorologist here, but recall someone saying the jetstream tends to wrap around the lows.

 

So, if you were to take the NWS National Forecast map here:
National Maps - NOAA's National Weather Service

And freestyle a guess at jetstream...
To come up with WUs jet stream map...

Here's how WU creates their jet stream map:
"A color-filled contour map of the wind speed where the atmospheric pressure is 300 hPa. Arrows showing the direction the wind is blowing at that level are overlaid. A pressure of 300 hPa corresponds to an altitude of approximately 8000 - 10000 meters above ground--the altitude where the jet stream is typically found. The data shown is the 6-hour forecast from the AVN computer model, which is run twice daily at 00 and 12 GMT by the National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP). The jet stream images are updated twice per day, at approximately noon and midnight EST."

 

More jet stream:just for geeking out over coffee; Costco Kuerig in my cup...
NWS JetStream - The Jet Stream

 

Yup. He does routine forecasts. But its more about the 'why' than the 'what'.

When things 'get hot' like they did in the western suburbs of Chicago, he will do continuous life reporting. He has 'live spotters', which I hope are trained and area working in conjunction with RACES already, and as long as the RACES is primary reporting for his spotters. Undercutting RACES is not cool. Its those services that feed data to the NWS which feeds the warnings, watches, and ultimately the sirens. Much wider audience that a youtube channel

I use whatever I can get my hands on --- myradar app -- which probably is getting its data from IBM as well...I don't know about that.

 

Glad everyone is safe….that was a powerful front! Went from windows open to furnace and fireplace in just a couple hours….

 

I hate the per-year nonsense. It's a common trend right now, and is making me rethink most of the software I use. Open source is looking better every time I look.

VMware has moved to a per-year model which is closing 10 times what it cost previously. Don't pay? Your software stops running. Which is MASSIVE in large enterprises. It de-inceitivzes companies to continue improving the product to encourage me paying for upgrades, which I don't have a problem with.

But I will look into the free version...

 

we had high winds and two inches of snow. Right now it’s -4F. Sunday it will be in the 60’s.

 

I assume photoshop --- have you looked at "Gimp"? I am told its very good. I can't quite wrap my head around it --- Paint is more my speed

Now, 3d drawing -- I use Autodesk Fusion 360. Strangely I can work in that space, its probably more physical and less artistic. It too is a full subscription model, but they allow for non-commercial use for free, and that's what I'm doing. When they want money, I'll find something else. Though, to be honest, I'm not sure what else there is available.

My next PC will likely be a Linux machine of some kind. I've used Linux for decades now....its really very capable.

-4. not that bad here were at 34. ~7o sunday/monday. Then things cool off, of course when I have time to get outside :\

 

I can understand a weatherman getting the forecast wrong but not the past weather. They often get it wrong here.

 

You just need the weather rock !!

If the rock is wet, it's raining.
If the rock is swinging, the wind is blowing.
If the rock casts a shadow, the sun is shining.
If the rock does not cast a shadow and is not wet, the sky is cloudy.
If the rock is difficult to see, it is foggy.
If the rock is white, it is snowing.
If the rock is coated with ice, there is a frost.
If the ice is thick, it's a heavy frost.
If the rock is bouncing, there is an earthquake.
If the rock is under water, there is a flood.
If the rock is warm, it is sunny.
If the rock is missing, there was a tornado.
If the rock is wet and swinging violently, there is a hurricane.
If the rock can be felt but not seen, it is night time.
If the rock has white splats on it, watch out for birds!!

 

In the same boat now. My 20 year old version of Photoshop is fast becoming incompatible with my OS upgrades to my 2012 Mac (the last upgradable and repairable iteration), so I am looking at a newer, better, way-cheaper, easier-to-use, non-subscription-based photo-editing software. "Affinity Photo" may be the answer. But I am waiting on getting my new 2024 Apple system fully up and running before I give it a test run.

The list of apps and programs, overall, that are a one-time purchase with convenient and inexpensive updates, is growing smaller each day. When you start needing subscriptions just to keep your car, and car software running, you know that we as a consumer society have crossed the Rubicon, and that we as individuals are just mere insignificant specks in the consumer-corporate landscape. I'll stop far short of calling it a Vast Global Conspiracy. But it sure feels like it.

 

You mean like Volvo was trying to do? I don't think they succeeded...that was in 22 or 23 I think. Then again, you couldn't pay me enough to get into a 'modern' European car. Having owned a BMW, I can't afford the $700 "oil changes" and that was in 2007. The Mercedes was even worse. I like my Toyota, and even more so my '98 Jeep.

I'm in the apple universe too -- but with Apples persistent and continuingly nasty stance toward right to repair, I don' know if I want to play in their sandbox any more. I mean, lets face it when a laptop hinge replacement requires specialized software that they do not make available to repair shops...no thanks.

I will likely stick with their phones becuase there are things they do better than others...but even that is arguable.

Right now, homekit is the only thing that is absolutely holding onto me. I use it for a number of automation tasks which are more critical when I leave the house such as light automation and ability to monitor cameras without opening up firewall holes, which I am not willing to do.

For hardware, I am really infatuated with Framework laptops (Framework Laptop 16 pre-orders are now open). They are the ONLY repairable laptop I know of. The even include the schematics and the screwdriver you need to disassemble it. Actually, you can get the laptop in a kit form, and save a few bucks doing it.

When you get inside, they even include extra screws in case you drop on. What a concept! More expensive -- a little. But theoretically, it's upgradeable so when a faster CPU comes out, you can simply swap the board. Unlike Apple wich comes with storage (hard drive) and Memory (RAM) on the board, soldered in and not replaceable. BTW, that solid state hard drive --- they don't last forever, when it dies...back to the apple store.

I dunno. World be crazy.

 

That sounds like retiree weather rock -- Which I hear is nice if you can afford one

 

That's why I stuck with the 2012 for so long. In fact I have 3 of them, acting as backups and a stand-alone music server. Apple's trade-in value for them? $4. To me: priceless.

However, time does march on. And my iPhone 14 Pro, which is now my defacto travel camera, needs to play in the same sandbox as the computer and the monitor. Hence the (reluctant) computer upgrades. However, I am keeping the 2024 Mini as bare-bones and inexpensive as possible (because it is essentially non-repairable) and putting all the money into 3rd party externals, which are repairable, redundant, and replaceable. I can't beat the Apple Ecosystem. But I can hinder it somewhat from completely controlling me.