Pictures, the Flu and more
May 2nd, 2009 at 11:19 pm by Bill Steffen under Bill's Blog, Weather
Click on the 2nd and 3rd pictures to see full screen and here for the first picture. It’s the first week of May and the sun is high in the sky now. It’s the time of year when the days are long, the sun rises in the ENE and sets in the WNW. When you click on the pictures you can see the “convective” cumulus clouds that form over the land areas as the sun heats the ground and the air just above the ground. These rising currents cool and condense their moisture to form the clouds. However, look at the large clear areas over Lake Superior, Lake Erie, and he east half and eastern shore of Lake Michigan. The wind across the great lakes was west today. The rising currents don’t occur over the cooler water of the lakes, where skies remain clear. Note on the Superior picture there is still snow on the ground in the middle of the northern part of the Keweenaw Peninsula. Also note the clouds that formed just downwind from the Keweenaw Peninsula, as relatively warm air off the Peninsula is lifted in a zone of surface convergence (WSW winds to the south and west wind to the north of the convergence zone). Now…about the flu…“Swine” Flu leads the newscasts. Let’s put it in perspective. The Centers for Disease Control, reports that influenza (the “regular” flu) infects between 15 and 60 million Americans each year (5% to 20% of the population), hospitalizes about 200,000, and kills about 36,000. That comes out to over 800 hospitalizations and over 250 deaths PER DAY during flu season. Worldwide deaths from “regular” flu are between 250,000 to 500,000 a year.
This round of Swine flu has been diagnosed in eighteen countries, with 19 fatalities in Mexico as I write this Saturday night. The toll is almost sure to rise, but will it reach the level of even a normal, single day of the regular flu? I hope not. In the last SARS virus “epidemic” in 2003, there were around 8,000 deaths worldwide but none in the US. It’s a credit to our health system. Relatively speaking, a death toll of 19, or even 100 is a drop in the bucket compared to the estimated 140,000+ who perished in Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar one year ago. Many of you probably don’t remember that deadly storm. Heart disease and cancer are by far the leading causes of death in the U.S with more than half a million each. While we should be concerned (and feel for the people here in West Michigan who have gone thru this episode of swine flu) and continue good health habits, remember that the volume, intensity, visuals and “focus” of news stories can leave a different impression than the actual numbers.
Got more time to read…OK. Saturday I went shopping for about 3 hours, hitting two grocery stores, a drug store (got a couple of things for the WOOD Christmas in May campaign), and then over to Fruit Basket Flowerland to make an indirect contribution to the Rick Vuyst retirement fund. I save coupons and stock up on sales. I check the flyers from the newspaper before I go to the store, consult my wife and take reusable shopping bags. I got weed and feed and a new nozzle for the hose. So I’m telling everyone to hold off planting anything frost sensitive…but I just can’t walk past the tomatoes…happens every spring. So…this evening I planted a dozen tomatoes in various pots so I can move them indoors if I have to, and I bet I’ll have to…even being up on a hill. There’s still too much cold air in Canada. Anyway, three more nice days to enjoy with sunshine, pleasant temperatures and a chance to dry things out. Happy Sunday everyone.
mmmmmmmmmm tomatoes. I want so badly to plant my annuals but I am going to hold off until the 3rd week of May. Most are in pots so I can move them if I need to.
I love reusable bags. Not only because they are not plastic but because they hold so much more, dont rip and are well, reusable. LOL.
Initially, I was a little worried about the Swine flu but as days went by my worries are gone.
You really worried about it? Seriously Sarah? Way to buy into that media hype!
LOL I was for a short period. But not worried enough to go buy HAZMAT suits or become a hermit who bathes in Purell. Just enough to keep my eye on the news stories, do some research and move on. Keep in mind I have 3 very young children and the flu for any child can be much more dangerous than in adults.
I dont “buy in” to media hype. I take it with a huge grain of salt and do my own research on nearly everything. I researched a new TV for over 6 months. LOL
ya i have to agree that the media made it bigger the it is.
Happy Sunday to you Bill and good for you planting those maters! You could be slicing them by 4th of July with the head start on the growing season! My garden is still under flood water on the Grand but there will be lots of fish emulsion when it drys out. Hope the rain later this week is minimal…….can’t take anymore floods this season!
Cool pic of a microburst in Dallas that brought down the Cowboys practice field.
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-253425?ref=feeds%2Foncnn
Here is the vid of the facility falling from the storm, crazy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAz-rUmIINo
Happy Sunday to you Bill, hope the planting goes well.
I found this today messaged to me.
Everybody knows about the Fujita Scale which measures the power of tornadoes. But nobody really knows what all those types of twisters do to COWS. So here is the MOOJITA Scale…
M0 Tornado – Cows in an open field are spun around parallel to the wind flow and become mildly annoyed.
M1 Tornado – Cows are tipped over and can’t get up.
M2 Tornado – Cows begin rolling with the wind.
M3 Tornado – Cows tumble and bounce.
M4 Tornado – Cows are AIRBORN.
M5 Tornado – S T E A K ! ! !
i like the M5
Cute…
I’m shooting for the M5, I’ll keep the grill on high for raining steaks. yummy. Reminds me of the movie Twister, we have cow’s.
For pets or food….I want to know where I can find organic hormone free feed cow meat. I am steering clear of all that junk they add in and HFCS.
What a wonderful entry! I am a pediatrician who has answered lots and lots of phone calls this weekend about swine flu. It is so important to keep perspective. Your blog is appreciated. Thank you.
Louisana is really being hit hard this morning. Multiple T-storm and tornado warnings right now. Nice bow echo moving through…
http://www.wunderground.com/radar/radblast.asp?ID=POE
thanks Bill for the gardening tips. i guess we can count on our weatherman!
keep up the good work.
Just wanted to let you know that I enjoy reading your blog. Thank you
p miller
planted all my flower seeds this week….can’t wait for them to mature…apple trees are starting to leaf and blossom, looks like a health start for my garden.
Driving around this week made me think of the farmers….lots of flooded fields (blueberry fields north of Holland are mostly under water)….could be a very difficult and late start for planting crops around the area, especially those with clay fields.
Nice satellite pix! I love the cumulus clouds, my fave. type of cloud are those that are surface based convective!
I haven’t bought into the swine flu media hype. I just wash my hands regularly like I always have done, take my vitamin c, eat healthy, exercise, etc etc. I walked into the corner store the other day and bought 2 Pickled Pork Sausages, and the swine flu was on tv and a girl from Mexico was standing next to me when I did it. Oh man her look was priceless LOL
I haven’t been to Flowerland in about 3 years Bill, last time was to buy Gladiola bulbs. I got one of each of 20 kinds. I LOVE that place! If I had a good load of cash I could do some good business there. I won’t be planting anything too frost sensitive this year though. Mainly transplanting some flowers.
Got all some of my plants for my garden already. Just waiting a week or 2 before I make a spot in my yard for them. This is the first year I am doing a garden and I am really excited! I love fresh veggies and herbs. Next year we are going to get fruit trees to add to the mix.
Bill do you think we will get any severe weather this year??
We are going to plant some tomatoes in the upside down planter. I hope they do OK. Sure has been cool.
I’ve wanted to try that Topsey Turvey but not sure it will work well. Let us know how it works.
As a big big gardner, I don’t see how it benefits the tomato plant very well being upside down. The campaign about letting the nutrients run downward to the plant is exactly the reason I think it’s a bad idea. How can the soil/roots hold on to any nutrients without gravity making it run out of the roots. The roots are not at the crown where the water is draining to. The whole thing seems weird to me. Let us know if you try it and what you think. Plus, if the tomatoes/leaves that are growing on the stem are wet all the time from water draining from the bag, then they are for sure likely to get disease/etc. The first rule I learned as a master gardner is when watering plants, you try hard not to get the leaves/flowers wet, only crown.
Let us know.
The derecho down south today has been holding together for several hours now. It does appear to be diminishing in Georgia, but I would think there are still some hefty winds down there.
When I was a kid we had several 100 foot-long rows of strawberry plants. We always saved our newspapers because we knew we would likely have to cover the plants against frost until after the May full moon.
Its a not too bad 50° here now! It was a real nice day today a bit on the cool side early in the day but was nice around 4PM.
Its still too early to plant tomato plants outside. As a good rule of thumb is when the Oak leaves are about the size of a mouse ear then its generally OK to plant tomato plants (still keep a eye on the weather and a covering handy) This year I would wait untill around May 20th to plant them.
SlimJim
Bill, why is WOOD TV continuing to refer to the H1N1 virus as the “swine flu” in the headlines on this website? The CDC is telling everyone to stop labeling it the swine flu to keep people from thinking this is something you can get from pork. You guys aren’t helping much.
Steve,
Did Richard Keen have any input on this one?
The swine flu may have been a bit over hyped but it never hurts to be aware.
My youngest daughters school has been closed due to one confirmed case of H1N1 virus. I am a bit worried because she is complaining of a sore throat and headache. We spent our day in Battle Creek with ton’s of people in a school cafeteria. I have good microbial hand soap and I have sprayed anything fingers touch. I hope I get any germs before they get us.
A friend of mine saved this image loop of the Derecho!!
http://icons-pe.wunderground.com/data/wximagenew/s/synthman19872003/1996.gif
It lasted a LONG time.
Wow…That was pretty impressive.
While the ‘Swine Flu’ may be very real, the hype given to it has put people into a paranoia stage. The media must be having slow news days lately since it devotes too much time to it. Schools shouldn’t be closing because one student was sick and more than likely it wasn’t the Swine Flu.
Fruitbasket has Hummzinger Hummingbird feeders, they are supposed to keep the ants and bees away and rain water shouldn’t be getting into it either. Waiting for the hummingbirds. We’ve started tomato plants in the house as usual, waiting to put those outside in June.
will my pansies be safe?