tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post5213016760495257688..comments2024-03-18T17:39:59.285-07:00Comments on Cliff Mass Weather Blog: Virgin Pacific FrontCliff Mass Weather Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13948649423540350788noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-72447252324648112302011-10-01T20:52:27.254-07:002011-10-01T20:52:27.254-07:00I remember that COAST flight like it was yesterday...I remember that COAST flight like it was yesterday. CDR Phil was in the left seat & I was in the right. It was night, inky dark and we were heading for that front down low at 500 feet. It showed up as a line of solid red with some purple in it, right across our flightpath, sort of like a line daring to be crossed. And of course we were going to cross it - that's what we were there for. About a minute from impact Phil and I looked at each other and I knew what he was thinking: "We're gonna grab a tiger's tail"... and it was a dinosaur's tail! Down first, then one huge shake up... very sharp, very hard and all I could think of is that we were only 500 ft off that dark cold water... We wrestled Miss Piggy through, got into calmer air, then dusted ourselves off, and the whole crew said "NOOOOOO, we aren't doing that again.." The cockpit G meter said +5 & -2Gs for the penetration...Big Wavehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12818648672772663106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-20232428812006054562011-09-30T08:36:44.024-07:002011-09-30T08:36:44.024-07:00Cliff, that these fronts form along the jets seems...Cliff, that these fronts form along the jets seems somewhat straight forward. What is less comprehensible to me is why sometimes "cyclones" form. <br /><br />Are the mechanisms necessary to such formation understood, or somewhat understood? Regardless of whether or not they are explained could you discuss, when you have a moment, perhaps in terms of the formation of well recognized examples of such storms, why and when these mid latitude cyclones form?<br /><br />ThanksJohn McBridehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09503331313775640577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-64108526941614841862011-09-30T01:27:17.394-07:002011-09-30T01:27:17.394-07:00Speaking of fronts... I snapped this picture last ...Speaking of fronts... I snapped this picture last Saturday while sailing. This was just before the weak front was moved into the Puget Sound area. Cliff - I thought you might like this cloud. It is a Mother of a Mammatus maker! She was spinning off little clusters of Mammato-Cumulous right overhead. Not the first thing a sailor wants to see but she was harmless. http://www.kanady.com/weather/MammatusMother.jpgTom Kanadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12403461726253766485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-67039302923700140482011-09-30T00:47:11.986-07:002011-09-30T00:47:11.986-07:00The new radar continues to "wow" me with...The new radar continues to "wow" me with what we can observe and thereby learn. It seems like the best use of $9 million US Govt (OUR) dollars that I've heard of in a long time!! <br /><br />I'm also thrilled that someone saw your dog. I hope she's home soon. :-)JewelyaZhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09434569437851248356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-34248962517776454382011-09-29T20:16:07.310-07:002011-09-29T20:16:07.310-07:00The visible satellite picture shows the "Sequ...The visible satellite picture shows the "Sequim hole" very well. Yes it is real.Mike DeMarcohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09400442143371833282noreply@blogger.com