November 16, 2017 Evening

Good evening! Mostly cloudy and 45 degrees in Delmar, NY. Breezy, 16 mph breeze from the west. The skies will clear tomorrow around 2 am. A fairly mild evening, although honestly I think it still feels a bit damp and that breeze can make it a bit chilly. But it’s a break on the heating system, especially because it’s going to be colder tomorrow with the wind. 

Worked a bit late tonight on my various communications plans for work, because somebody has been procrastinating and it’s due before Thanksgiving weekend. I think it will get done, and I won’t stay late Friday night but maybe one more day next week. I have more research to do. The later local bus is quite fast, and I don’t miss the rush hour traffic on the express bus, even if I’m not driving. 

Tonight will have a slight chance of showers before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low of 33 degrees at 5am. Two degrees above normal. Breezy, with a northwest wind 16 to 23 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. In 2016, we had mostly clear skies. It got down to 34 degrees. The record low of 7 occurred back in 1972.

Tonight will have a Waning Crescent Moon with 2% illuminated. The moon will rise tomorrow at 5:42 am. The New Moon will be tomorrow with partly cloudy skies. The Cold Moon is on Sunday, December 3rd. The sun will rise at 6:49 am with the first light at 6:19 am, which is one minute and 14 seconds later than yesterday. Tonight will have 14 hours and 19 minutes of darkness, an increase of 2 minutes and 5 seconds over last night.

Tomorrow will be sunny, with a high of 40 degrees at 1pm. Four degrees below normal. Breezy, with a northwest wind 15 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. That wind will make it feel bitterly cold even with the sun. A year ago, we had cloudy skies with some clearing in the afternoon. The high last year was 56 degrees. The record high of 73 was set in 1928. 2.8 inches of snow fell back in 1992.

Not a particularly nice weekend on tap. Saturday, rain likely, mainly after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 47. Light southeast wind becoming south 8 to 13 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. Sunday, showers, mainly before 7am. High near 47. Windy. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. Typical average high for the weekend is 47 degrees. It sounds like the weather men don’t really know what to expect for rain for Sunday. But at least we will be snow free for now.  I am definitely fine with staying in town this weekend. 

In four weeks on December 14 the sun will be setting at 4:22 pm, which is 8 minutes and 35 seconds earlier then tonight. In 2016 on that day, we had snow, mist, mostly sunny skies and temperatures between 33 and 19 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 36 and 22 degrees. The record high of 63 degrees was set back in 1901.

Looking ahead, Thanksgiving is in 1 week. Christmas in six and a half weeks I believe but I’m not that good at math. I promise myself that I will add some 2018 holidays to my countdown clock sooner than later.

I’ve started to listen to Christmas music, because it’s fun to break up the seasons. I keep the Christmas music on my phone year around but normally skip past that music in the summer months. I’m not a big fan of the holiday season, I don’t really decorate or do anything special except go out to folks house for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. It’s fun though to decorate a Christmas tree in the backcountry with lights after the first snow, but then again I use Christmas lights year around when camping.

Well, I am almost home. Have a good evening. 

After Tokyo Commuter Train Leaves 20 Seconds Early, Company Apologizes

After Tokyo Commuter Train Leaves 20 Seconds Early, Company Apologizes

"Passengers on a morning train on the Tokyo region's Tsukuba Express line might not have noticed anything was amiss Tuesday. But when their train left Minami-Nagareyama station, it did so 20 seconds ahead of schedule β€” and when the company noticed, it issued an apology to customers."

"The train was traveling northbound on the line that connects Tokyo's Akihabara station with Tsukuba to the northeast β€” a trip that takes less than an hour. After passengers had boarded, the crew didn't check the time, resulting in the slightly early departure "around" 9:44 a.m., the company said."

November 16, 2017 8 AM Update

Forty four degrees as we head into the nine o’clock hour. The rain has slowed to only a few drops here and there. Made it down to the express bus in plenty of time. Another big large articulated bus this morning, and while they are big and different from the regular 40 foot Gillig buses, they have a shitty ride compared to air suspension of the regular buses. Articulated buses have to have a hard suspension as the trailer contains the engine which pushes the tractor. They are backwards to semi trucks and use air pressure chambers to keep the front tractor from jack knifing on heavy acceleration. The cut air pressure on turns so these massive buses can make the tight turns. That said, I think there may be something broken on this bus, making it ride particularly rough.

Late autumn continues with the early sunset. The sun will set at 4:31 pm with dusk around 5:01 pm, which is 51 seconds earlier than yesterday. At sunset, look for partly cloudy conditions and 47 degrees. There will be a west-northwest breeze at 13 mph. Today will have 9 hours and 41 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 5 seconds over yesterday. I guess it doesn’t matter, expect to stay late at work for a while today.

Tonight will have a slight chance of rain showers, mixing with snow after midnight, then gradually ending. Mostly cloudy, with a low of 32 degrees at 6am. One degree above normal. Breezy, with a northwest wind 14 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. In 2016, we had mostly clear skies. It got down to 34 degrees. The record low of 7 occurred back in 1972.

As previously noted, next Thursday is Thanksgiving when the sun will be setting at 4:26 pm with dusk at 4:57 pm. On that day in 2016, we had mostly cloudy skies and temperatures between 37 and 27 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 45 degrees. We hit a record high of 72 back in 1931. I haveΒ Black Friday off that week,Β so I am hoping to take a long weekend assuming snow and cold weather is not forecasted.

The weekend forecast continues to look crappy for opening day of Southern Zone Regular Season, but that’s fine I’m not participating in the deer hunt this year. Rabbits, squirrels and small game, sure. But I’ll let the deer hunters get out of the woods first so I can have it all to myself.Β Probably camp and hunt sometime in December, deer season in the Northern Zone ends on December 3rd.Β If there is no snow, I may still make a December trip to the North Country. But otherwise, it will probably be Route 8 in the Adirondacks.

This weekend IΒ want to work on my LED driver and getting the hardware put together for mounting the solar panel on my truck cap this weekend. First I have to go to the car wash to make sure it will fit. I think I should be fine but I want to confirm how many inches I have. I do have the track plates I need now, I just got to get the bolts, aluminum bar and drill out the plate.Β  I found an algorithm to convert color temperature to RGB, which means I can use that to control the lights rather then adjusting hue. I would probably set the remote control channel up button to set the color warmer (lower color temperature) and the channel down button to make the color bluer (warmer color temperature).

November 16, 2017 7 AM Update

Morning folks! Happy Thursday. Next Thursday is Thanksgiving. Dark and dreary with light rain and the mercury is let’s say around forty degrees in Delmar. There is a south breeze at 9 mph. I didn’t get that soaked going down to the store to buy the most essential thing with breakfast, good delicious moo juice, aka MILK! I drink like two gallons of milk each week, and I hadn’t had a chance to get some and all I had was an empty jug of milk in my refrigerator which made me kind of sad. After milk and coffee, with waffles with fresh fruit, I’m happier.

Today will have continued light rain, mainly before 10am, then a chance of showers after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high of 51 degrees at 1pm. Three degrees above normal. South wind 8 to 13 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. A year ago, we had cloudy skies with some clearing in the afternoon. The high last year was 55 degrees. The record high of 71 was set in 2006. 3.4 inches of snow fell back in 2002. I remember that day when I was a student at Hudson Valley Community College. The roads weren’t that bad, but they were a bit sloppy but mostly wet. First snowstorm of the autumn season that year.
There is always more to say but I have to get in the shower. Good morning! Express bus will be here before you know it it.