Weather

​​​​​​Running my weather station and media server on a Mini PC. Beelink's Mini PC and those like it are the future.

A few months ago, I purchased the Beelink U59 Pro Mini PC with only a few reviews available at the time. Despite being a longtime Windows and Linux PC I've been skeptical of the mini PC market  in general and have avoided making a purchase in the past. So much skepticism that my first introduction to this small form factor was last year's purchase of an Apple Mac Mini M1 despite not being a huge fan of the macOS operating system. Luckily, this Beelink Mini PC has convinced me that "small is better" for Windows and Linux as well.

With temperatures in the 50s, our dog Jasmine wanted to hit the bike path.

She's had enough of winter, the pandemic, and possibly humans.

Skunk Creek in the background is still pretty much frozen over due to the cold temperatures we have had the past several weeks.

From a pleasant Wednesday here in Sioux Falls with a high temperature of 51 to a day of Winter Weather Advisories with temperatures in the 20s, it can be a frustrating time for any motorcycle rider. Today, both of our Can-Am Spyders sit in the cold garage as I prepare the EGO snow blower to do battle with the snow. The batteries are fully charged and I'll be out in the elements once the snow stops falling. The fact that I won't be riding the Spyders for awhile just makes the snow sitting on my driveway look deeper than it should be. 

By Saturday morning, I'm trading in my motorcycle helmet for a stocking cap any my motorcycle for a snow blower that goes goes from 0 to 3 MPH in 10 seconds.

Since 2008, I've been collecting weather observations in my backyard with a Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Wireless Weather Station. Beyond routine maintenance and an occasional replacement or addition of parts, the weather station has been rock solid.

With today's winter storm bringing 6 to 10 inches of snow across the area, I decided to start snow blowing before the snow even ended. I'll do cleanup Saturday morning.

Below is just a quick video from the security camera of snow blowing with my EGO Single-Stage Snowblower.

Well we made it to December, but it won't be long before Sioux Falls other parts of the upper plains get hit with it's first Winter Storm. Here in Sioux Falls, the current forecast is calling around 9 inches of snow during the day Friday. Snow amounts in a forecast are subject to change as the actual event arrives but overall our local National Weather Service office does a great job in forecasting these winter storms. The above graphic and the below description is from the NWS Weather Story that was posted on their page late Thursday afternoon, December 9, 2021.

As some of you already know, I ride a Can-Am Spyder which is a motorcycle that is a inverse trike (two wheels in front, one wheel in back). Unfortunately, I live in South Dakota where the climate around here isn't too favorable for riding from November through March. By this time of year it's not too uncommon to see snow on the roads or temperatures well below freezing.

The normal high temperature for Sioux Falls this time of year is 37 deg F. But yesterday was a different story as afternoon temperatures on December 1, 2021 reached to a high of 61 deg F. I took advantage of these warmer temperatures by riding my Spyder at the end of my workday through downtown Sioux Falls and Falls Park as sunset approached.

As I write this blog entry, I just completed shoveling a couple inches of snow from my driveway. The streets and the lawns are covered with a new fresh layer of white snow from our latest winter storm. Earlier last week, knowing that new snow and colder temperatures were fast approaching, I decided to take my Can-Am Spyder for a spin on Inauguration Day, January 20, 2021. The trip was short with only 18 miles for the round trip to and from work but I was all smiles the entire time I rode my three-wheeler.

So my 15 minutes of fame for 2021 has already happened. I was interviewed by Dakota News Now at the end of 2020 which aired on KSFY and KDLT the first day of this year.

My son asked me why the local news was doing the interview. The short answer, I'm getting old.

Being a former meteorologist, I have a number of coffee cups related to weather themes. Today's mug comes to us via the 2000 biographical disaster drama film, The Perfect Storm. The film presents the story of the Andrea Gail, a commercial fishing vessel that was lost at sea with all hands after being caught in the Perfect Storm of 1991.

The film stars George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, John Hawkes, William Fichtner, Michael Ironside, John C. Reilly, Diane Lane, Karen Allen and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. The film was released by Warner Bros. and grossed $328 million worldwide.