Not a lot happening here if late. Sue and the doglets are housebound on account of the sub zero temperatures and snow that just will not go away, the doglets are going a little stir crazy I might add. Sue says lucky she has her work, as one can only watch so many classic movies in a day can't one!
I hear in the news that even Portugal is standing gobsmacked by sub zero conditions.
Wikipedia had this to say on the conditions of the day...ours was of the third variety.
"Whiteout (weather)
Whiteout is a weather condition in which visibility and contrast are severely reduced by snow and diffuse lighting from overcast clouds.
There are three different forms of a whiteout:
1. In blizzard conditions, the windblown snow in the air may make it too difficult to see very far.
2. In snowfall conditions, the volume of snow falling may obscure objects reducing visibility.
3. In clear air conditions, when there is no snow falling, diffuse lighting from overcast cloud may cause all surface definition to disappear.
It becomes impossible to tell how far away the snowy surface is. In polar regions this optical illusion can make whole snow-covered mountains invisible against the background white cloud, and the horizon cannot be identified, slopes cannot be judged for steepness, and snow surfaces cannot be seen. This effect is exacerbated by a smooth surface of fresh snow. It is only when a contrasting object is placed on a snowy surface that the surface can be detected.
In less extreme cases, it may suffice to break the snow surface by throwing a snowball ahead. This form is also known as flat light or sector whiteout.
Whiteout conditions pose threats to mountain climbers, skiers, aviation, and mobile ground traffic. Motorists, especially those on large high speed routes are also at risk. There have been many major multiple-vehicle collisions associated with whiteout conditions.
See also
Air New Zealand Flight 901, an air accident on Mount Erebus, Antarctica caused in part by whiteout conditions.
Climbing incidents on Mount Hood: all recent incidents have been caused by whiteouts."
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3 comments:
We see, from our newspaper, that it has been -14 for the last two days. i'll bet it looks beautiful as it also says it has been sunny. We had 34 yesterday and 26-29 durin the last week. Tomorrow we are due for a change.
That last comment was from us in Greystone.
McTavish of Greystone says he knows what a whiteout is - although I think he means a white lie!
It all sounds very dramatic and something we don't experience in NZ unless one is mountain climbing generally above 2,500m.
Lovely pictires - it is as though we are there but still warm.
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