Doggone Wind!

[AcWxRadar]

Well, it rained here all night. Received 2.5" rain total (not a big amount but we didn't need that much at this time). When the rain stopped, the wind blew up ferociuosly! I almost expected a tornado to pop up. The wind was very odd. It came out of the east when the storm was moving towards the north-east and it was extremely strong for about 15-25 minutes. It wasn't gusting, it was full force straight-line winds non stop. I estimate that the wind speed was 60+ mph. We've already had 45-55 mph winds here earlier this spring and this was MUCH stronger. I looked at the clouds and I have never seen clouds move that fast ever before. I have seen fast moving clouds, but never like this. It was quite eerie to say the least (kinda fascinating at the same time, so I went out on the porch to get a better look).

Just minutes afterwards, it was dead calm! Not even a whisp of air! So it was really, really bizzare.

Well, I lost my satellite signal because of this wind. Everything is sopping wet, so I'll wait until it dries out before I make any official repairs. I was fortunate enough to be able to regain the signal with software adjustments (I lied to my receiver and told it that my longitude was further west than reality). I found that it moved my dish azimuth 0.9 to 1.0 degrees to the west (roughly). It may have moved more than the azimuth axis, but that was the most affected axis. For now, I am back in business with TV.

Sure glad that it did not accelerate into something worse. It had me really questioning it for a little while. I haven't ever seen such a quick change in the wind direction and speed and then just suddenly stop at absolute nothing. It's "Spooky" you know?

RADAR

 

[Apprentice]

Got to love the midwest. When it stops suddenly like that it always makes me wonder.

Chuck

 

[Phottoman]

Did you look at your local weather maps to see if maybe you had a small disturbance that included an "eye" in that storm? That was what it sounded like from your description. Just a thought.

Photto

 

[Tron]

I was thinking the same thing as Phottoman... What you describe is exactly what happens when the eye of a hurricane passes directly overhead. The sun even comes out, and everyone thinks its over. It's not. A few moments later, the wind suddenly whips back up, but this time from the opposite direction.

 

[turbosat]

Might've been the thunderstorm that the Storm tracker guys were on last night, I didn't get in on following them early enough to tell exactly where they were, but I had a dvd recorder goining ( I fell asleep!) Later on when I played it back, it was a big storm-you could see it spinning when the dvd was on Fast forward, creepy! They had some small hail too that gave them a fright lol.

 

[rv1pop]

Glad it was not worse. I think I know the sound and the feeling.

 

[AcWxRadar]

Got to love the midwest. When it stops suddenly like that it always makes me wonder.

Chuck

Did you look at your local weather maps to see if maybe you had a small disturbance that included an "eye" in that storm? That was what it sounded like from your description. Just a thought.

Photto

I was thinking the same thing as Phottoman... What you describe is exactly what happens when the eye of a hurricane passes directly overhead. The sun even comes out, and everyone thinks its over. It's not. A few moments later, the wind suddenly whips back up, but this time from the opposite direction.

Might've been the thunderstorm that the Storm tracker guys were on last night, I didn't get in on following them early enough to tell exactly where they were, but I had a dvd recorder goining ( I fell asleep!) Later on when I played it back, it was a big storm-you could see it spinning when the dvd was on Fast forward, creepy! They had some small hail too that gave them a fright lol.

Glad it was not worse. I think I know the sound and the feeling.

It was unusual to say the least. Since my internet is also via sat, I lost that too for a while, but after the rain ceased it came back. That dish has a smaller profile and is protected by my garage/house so it wasn't affected by the wind, just the rain. I did dial up the NWS for the nearest reporting station to see what they had to say, but they only report once every 20 minutes and they are far enough away (12 miles) and they are more sheltered than I that they did not experience the same thing. It doesn't seem far, but due to the topograghy and the rivers here, it makes a big difference in which way the storm tracks. If they put up a RADAR image of the storm during the time I was getting hammered, I missed it. I was too busy looking at the clouds! He he.

RADAR

 

[rv1pop]

There is a way to get the radar image for a specific time from your area but it is quite involved. I have forgotten how, but I saw the instructions on Jeff Masters Blog and forum on wunderground about 2 years ago. Do not know if you can search it --- or if someone would answer a question. They are not as friendly as this forum.