Winter

Good Morning! Happy Friday.

If you look at the calendar, today is February 28th, the last day of the most depressing and awful month of the year. One thing about the seasons is they always come back around on the calendar. A month from now will be March 28th, and a month from there will be April 28th – when the landscape should be greening up and things will definitely be tilting their way towards spring, especially in the city.

Down Cole Hill Road

Another bright and sunny and supposedly cold day out there. Not like I ever spend much time outdoors when it’s this cold out – as I am one who gets out the bus stop only seconds before the warm pre-heated bus comes past my house. The bus takes me almost directly from my house to work in about 20 minutes – it’s actually faster then driving a car downtown by time you factor in parking – even in the garage near where I work.

When you look at the weather, you see the weather is almost 50 degrees colder today than it was a year ago, when we had one of several warmer winters. This year, we’ve moved into a more typical pattern, a bit a colder one. Weather cycles are incredibly complicated things that man doesn’t fully understand – consisting of solar activity cycles, pressure differentials, and the increased amount of energy we are releasing into the air in the form of carbon dioxide.

Another bright but cold winter day. But at least this morning, I caught the express bus downtown, and did not trip on my way down to the bus stop.

Cold Weather Continues in March

 

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It looks like we will have more cold weather going forward this week, far below what is to be expected for the end of February and March.

Snow on Wednesday, Cold Weather Predicted Through April

"The cold weather pattern is coming back into the northern Plains, Great Lakes and Northeast. Cold will even get into the South, but it will do so in shots and not sustained cold weather. It would appear that the cold will last well into March and perhaps into early April before a break in the cold occurs. While we will have some spits of warm weather, the cold will be king through that time."

Rising and setting times for the Sun – February and March 2013

Sunset from Camp

The days are rapidly getting longer, with later sunsets at these table show.

February 2014

Length of day Solar noon
Date Sunrise Sunset This day Difference Time Altitude Distance
(million mi)
Feb 1, 2014 7:09 AM 5:09 PM 9h 59m 07s + 2m 21s 12:09 PM 30.4Β° 91.607
Feb 2, 2014 7:08 AM 5:10 PM 10h 01m 31s + 2m 23s 12:09 PM 30.7Β° 91.621
Feb 3, 2014 7:07 AM 5:11 PM 10h 03m 56s + 2m 25s 12:09 PM 31.0Β° 91.634
Feb 4, 2014 7:06 AM 5:13 PM 10h 06m 22s + 2m 26s 12:09 PM 31.3Β° 91.648
Feb 5, 2014 7:05 AM 5:14 PM 10h 08m 51s + 2m 28s 12:09 PM 31.6Β° 91.662
Feb 6, 2014 7:04 AM 5:15 PM 10h 11m 21s + 2m 29s 12:09 PM 31.9Β° 91.676
Feb 7, 2014 7:03 AM 5:16 PM 10h 13m 52s + 2m 31s 12:09 PM 32.2Β° 91.691
Feb 8, 2014 7:01 AM 5:18 PM 10h 16m 25s + 2m 32s 12:09 PM 32.5Β° 91.706
Feb 9, 2014 7:00 AM 5:19 PM 10h 18m 59s + 2m 34s 12:09 PM 32.8Β° 91.722
Feb 10, 2014 6:59 AM 5:20 PM 10h 21m 35s + 2m 35s 12:09 PM 33.1Β° 91.738
Feb 11, 2014 6:58 AM 5:22 PM 10h 24m 12s + 2m 36s 12:09 PM 33.5Β° 91.754
Feb 12, 2014 6:56 AM 5:23 PM 10h 26m 49s + 2m 37s 12:09 PM 33.8Β° 91.771
Feb 13, 2014 6:55 AM 5:24 PM 10h 29m 29s + 2m 39s 12:09 PM 34.1Β° 91.788
Feb 14, 2014 6:53 AM 5:26 PM 10h 32m 09s + 2m 40s 12:09 PM 34.5Β° 91.806
Feb 15, 2014 6:52 AM 5:27 PM 10h 34m 50s + 2m 41s 12:09 PM 34.8Β° 91.825
Feb 16, 2014 6:51 AM 5:28 PM 10h 37m 33s + 2m 42s 12:09 PM 35.2Β° 91.843
Feb 17, 2014 6:49 AM 5:30 PM 10h 40m 16s + 2m 43s 12:09 PM 35.5Β° 91.863
Feb 18, 2014 6:48 AM 5:31 PM 10h 43m 00s + 2m 44s 12:09 PM 35.9Β° 91.882
Feb 19, 2014 6:46 AM 5:32 PM 10h 45m 45s + 2m 44s 12:09 PM 36.2Β° 91.902
Feb 20, 2014 6:45 AM 5:33 PM 10h 48m 31s + 2m 45s 12:09 PM 36.6Β° 91.923
Feb 21, 2014 6:43 AM 5:35 PM 10h 51m 17s + 2m 46s 12:09 PM 36.9Β° 91.944
Feb 22, 2014 6:42 AM 5:36 PM 10h 54m 04s + 2m 47s 12:09 PM 37.3Β° 91.965
Feb 23, 2014 6:40 AM 5:37 PM 10h 56m 52s + 2m 47s 12:08 PM 37.7Β° 91.986
Feb 24, 2014 6:39 AM 5:38 PM 10h 59m 41s + 2m 48s 12:08 PM 38.0Β° 92.008
Feb 25, 2014 6:37 AM 5:40 PM 11h 02m 30s + 2m 49s 12:08 PM 38.4Β° 92.030
Feb 26, 2014 6:36 AM 5:41 PM 11h 05m 20s + 2m 49s 12:08 PM 38.8Β° 92.052
Feb 27, 2014 6:34 AM 5:42 PM 11h 08m 10s + 2m 50s 12:08 PM 39.2Β° 92.074
Feb 28, 2014 6:32 AM 5:43 PM 11h 11m 01s + 2m 50s 12:08 PM 39.5Β° 92.096

March 2014

Length of day Solar noon
Date Sunrise Sunset This day Difference Time Altitude Distance
(million mi)
Mar 1, 2014 6:31 AM 5:45 PM 11h 13m 52s + 2m 51s 12:07 PM 39.9Β° 92.119
Mar 2, 2014 6:29 AM 5:46 PM 11h 16m 44s + 2m 51s 12:07 PM 40.3Β° 92.142
Mar 3, 2014 6:28 AM 5:47 PM 11h 19m 36s + 2m 52s 12:07 PM 40.7Β° 92.164
Mar 4, 2014 6:26 AM 5:48 PM 11h 22m 28s + 2m 52s 12:07 PM 41.1Β° 92.187
Mar 5, 2014 6:24 AM 5:50 PM 11h 25m 21s + 2m 52s 12:07 PM 41.5Β° 92.210
Mar 6, 2014 6:23 AM 5:51 PM 11h 28m 14s + 2m 53s 12:06 PM 41.8Β° 92.233
Mar 7, 2014 6:21 AM 5:52 PM 11h 31m 07s + 2m 53s 12:06 PM 42.2Β° 92.256
Mar 8, 2014 6:19 AM 5:53 PM 11h 34m 01s + 2m 53s 12:06 PM 42.6Β° 92.280
Note: hours shift because clocks change forward 1 hour
Mar 9, 2014 7:18 AM 6:54 PM 11h 36m 55s + 2m 53s 1:06 PM 43.0Β° 92.304
Mar 10, 2014 7:16 AM 6:56 PM 11h 39m 49s + 2m 53s 1:05 PM 43.4Β° 92.327
Mar 11, 2014 7:14 AM 6:57 PM 11h 42m 43s + 2m 54s 1:05 PM 43.8Β° 92.351
Mar 12, 2014 7:12 AM 6:58 PM 11h 45m 37s + 2m 54s 1:05 PM 44.2Β° 92.376
Mar 13, 2014 7:11 AM 6:59 PM 11h 48m 31s + 2m 54s 1:05 PM 44.6Β° 92.400
Mar 14, 2014 7:09 AM 7:00 PM 11h 51m 26s + 2m 54s 1:04 PM 45.0Β° 92.425
Mar 15, 2014 7:07 AM 7:02 PM 11h 54m 20s + 2m 54s 1:04 PM 45.4Β° 92.450
Mar 16, 2014 7:05 AM 7:03 PM 11h 57m 15s + 2m 54s 1:04 PM 45.8Β° 92.476
Mar 17, 2014 7:04 AM 7:04 PM 12h 00m 10s + 2m 54s 1:03 PM 46.2Β° 92.501
Mar 18, 2014 7:02 AM 7:05 PM 12h 03m 04s + 2m 54s 1:03 PM 46.6Β° 92.527
Mar 19, 2014 7:00 AM 7:06 PM 12h 05m 59s + 2m 54s 1:03 PM 47.0Β° 92.554
Mar 20, 2014 6:58 AM 7:07 PM 12h 08m 54s + 2m 54s 1:03 PM 47.3Β° 92.580
Mar 21, 2014 6:57 AM 7:09 PM 12h 11m 48s + 2m 54s 1:02 PM 47.7Β° 92.606
Mar 22, 2014 6:55 AM 7:10 PM 12h 14m 43s + 2m 54s 1:02 PM 48.1Β° 92.633
Mar 23, 2014 6:53 AM 7:11 PM 12h 17m 38s + 2m 54s 1:02 PM 48.5Β° 92.660
Mar 24, 2014 6:51 AM 7:12 PM 12h 20m 32s + 2m 54s 1:01 PM 48.9Β° 92.687
Mar 25, 2014 6:50 AM 7:13 PM 12h 23m 26s + 2m 54s 1:01 PM 49.3Β° 92.714
Mar 26, 2014 6:48 AM 7:14 PM 12h 26m 21s + 2m 54s 1:01 PM 49.7Β° 92.741
Mar 27, 2014 6:46 AM 7:15 PM 12h 29m 15s + 2m 54s 1:00 PM 50.1Β° 92.768
Mar 28, 2014 6:44 AM 7:17 PM 12h 32m 09s + 2m 53s 1:00 PM 50.5Β° 92.795
Mar 29, 2014 6:43 AM 7:18 PM 12h 35m 02s + 2m 53s 1:00 PM 50.9Β° 92.821
Mar 30, 2014 6:41 AM 7:19 PM 12h 37m 56s + 2m 53s 1:00 PM 51.3Β° 92.848
Mar 31, 2014 6:39 AM 7:20 PM 12h 40m 49s + 2m 53s 12:59 PM 51.7Β° 92.875

 

To be sure, the days are getting longer, and will speed up the increase in daylight until the first day of calender spring in March.

Storm Didn’t Break Any Records

1653676_851763521504607_467829938_nAccording to the Albany NWS and Upstate Weather:

The 14.4 inches measured at the Albany International Airport falls just short of the Top 10 Greatest February snowstorm list, although 16 inches was measured at the National Weather Service office on the University at Albany – SUNY campus.

It brings the seasonal total at Albany International Airport to 62.4 inches, which is now over our average seasonal total of 59.1 inches. (Image via NWS)

 

The Valentine's Day 2014 snow storm didn't break any records for February weather.