Postcard from Chiberia

 

 Chiberia

 

January 20----

On this day in 1985, Chicago recorded  its coldest temperature on record---

NWS Chicago on X: "Today is the 40th anniversary of Chicago recording its coldest temp ever on record. This record low of -27°F was set on January 20, 1985, and was also accompanied by the lowest wind chill on record -57°F. Today’s low is forecast to be -2°F with wind chills around -20°F #ILwx #IN https://t.co/tIEjYcGYed" / X

It was not that cold today, but it was still subzero, and even more subzero on Tuesday.

Greetings from Chiberia!  Chiberia of the frozen pipes and cars that won't start, waiting at the bus stop in 20-below.  

Why is Chicago called Chiberia?  It's a combination of Chicago and Siberia.

According to Wikipedia--"Chiberia"  was coined by Richard Castro, at the National Weather Service, during a cold wave  in 2014... The National Weather Service  used the hashtag "#Chiberia  during its reporting on the cold wave. The nickname continues to be used during cold weather events."

 Yes, it does get brutally cold here, and mid-January is historically the coldest time. What's different this year is not much snow to go with the extreme cold.

Meanwhile, snowplows are getting ready in Houston for Winter Storm Enzo...

Happy New Year

 Happy New Year!  We are still new to the new year, and new beginnings.  We had two new moons in December 2024, and on January 3, 2025, the crescent moon and Venus were beautiful in the clear night sky.  

We welcome the first babies of the new year. the first marriages.  We hope for better things in 2025.  

But already, shootings and  truck explosions,  and still wars and plagues.  

We face the challenges of the first big winter storm---snow, blizzard conditions, ice and power outages in Missouri, Iowa, Indiana and Ohio, and southern and central Illinois. Further north,  along Lake Michigan, there is ice and lake-effect snow. 

Today is January 6, and  there are still some holiday lights for Epiphany--also known as Three Kings Day.  Sadly, there are already some Christmas trees in the alleys.

Today is January 6--- and 4 years ago, it was Insurrection Day, a  violent attempt to overthrow an  election. Donald Trump was dancing. We will  not forget that dark day.  But democracy prevailed! 

And today, Vice-President Kamala Harris,  Madame  President of the Senate, certified the Electoral College results.  Donald Trump will be the next President of the United States.  

This  is how it's done--a peaceful transfer of power. Flags will be flying half-staff for President Carter on January 20, Inauguration Day. 

 Here's to  better days in 2025.

 

Black Moon tonight!

 On December 30, there will be a new moon, the second new moon in December.  This is called a black moon.

 We call the second full moon in a month a blue moon.  And like blue moons, black moons don't happen very often--about every 32 months.

You can read  more about Black Moons here  at  Space.com.

There is nothing occult about black moons. It's a coincidence of our calendars and the cycles of the moon. but it's still a marvelous  thing.  And if you want to interpret the black moon as an energy shift, a new beginning, and a new year, that's also a good thing. 

We need the positive energy as we begin the New Year. 

Happy Black Moon, and all the best in 2025! 

December Solstice

 

December is here--Counting the days on the Advent calendars.  Some people put up  holiday lights and decorations over the weekend, when the highs on Sunday reached the mid-50's. There was much leaf-raking and leaf-blowing, too. The  trees are almost bare now.

Winter is here. Meteorlogical winter began on December 1. What we call meteorological winter begins at the December solstice on December 21.  Ideally, with some snow for Christmas.

But for those who use the really old calendar, the Celtic or pagan calendar, it's been winter since the first of November, and the December solstice marks the point of midwinter.  After the solstice, we gain a little more daylight each day. 

Sunday marked the earliest sunset of the year in Chicago, around 4:21 p.m.  Monday’s sunset will be roughly one second later. Not much, but it's a start!

You can read more about the December solstice from EarthSky, here.

 

Winter preview

Gray November sky--that hazy shade of winter. November is ending, and the ground is covered with fallen leaves. 

Most of the Halloween decorations are put away,  but there are still a few pumpkins on front porches. The election is past, but there are still some Harris-Walz signs.

It's Thanksgiving weekend, and there is much to be thankful for. Thank you for reading my blog posts! 

 I'm thankful for so many things----Friends, family, community. A roof over my head.  Running water, black sweaters.  Vaccines and bamboo rakes. 

The National Weather Service, and local weather reports, too.  

Yes, winter is coming. Sunset at 4:20 today. The streetlights are on as I write this, and there are already some holiday lights.  We've had some snow already--real snow, heavy and wet, about 3 or 4 inches here.

 It was mostly melted by the next day, but people shoveled it anyway.

This weekend, it's really cold!  Wind chills in the teens and even single digits. There's some snow in Carbondale, but not like Pennsylvania and New York!

November 30  is the last official day of the Atlantic Hurricane season. We will certainly remember Helene and Milton this year. 

December 1 marks the start of Meteorological Winter. The Winter Solstice will occur on December 21.

Yes, winter is coming...this may be the darkest part of the year, but lighter days are coming after the Solstice. And on the bare branches of the trees, buds of next spring's leaves...

November Now

 

 

November now, after the rain,  a rain of leaves. Clouds, then sun, then clouds again.

After the time change, it's dark at 5 pm.  The nights are long, but the quarter moon is beautiful. 

 

We've had a preview of winter winds,  not quite the gales of November that sank the Edmund Fitzgerald on November 10, 1975. 

Today is Veterans Day in the USA. We honor those who fought for our freedoms, in a world still filled with plagues and wars. Let us remember them.

Tomorrow, it will be a week since Election Day.  There were lines for early voting, and I wondered if there would be lines at the polling places. We cheered each other on. We voted. We waited. Now, we are facing a different and uncertain future.  What will January bring?

 

Yes, winter is coming. There is snow already in Colorado and New Mexico.  No snow here, yet, and no snow in the immediate forecast, but we're talking about it.  Yes, we are getting ready.

 

What will a La Nina winter bring? Will it be colder, and more snow than last year?

 

But for now, people are making plans for Thanksgiving .The Halloween decorations are still up, and leaves swirl around the Harris-Walz signs.