tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post497257612753168282..comments2024-03-28T03:08:44.068-07:00Comments on Cliff Mass Weather Blog: The Revolutionary Weather ObserversCliff Mass Weather Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13948649423540350788noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-54938308873614248572021-03-16T10:45:18.011-07:002021-03-16T10:45:18.011-07:00Much as there are ways to intelligently assimilate...Much as there are ways to intelligently assimilate paleo-records and proxy data into our understanding of past climate numerics (tree rings, ice cores, etc) there are ways to intelligently assimilate naval records as well (they aren't necessarily any more or less accurate than the measurements Benjamin Franklin or any of the other founding fathers made given the equipment and weather knowledge at the time) - far more than anecdotal... but perhaps skewed towards qualitative in some instance. With that said, there are certainly anomalies directly related to the measurement (and not representative of the climate) that will emerge and need to be explored - case in point - the WWII warm anomaly (which you can explore on your own but *is* potentially related to how SST measurements are made on a ship and not necessarily reflective of the climate.pnwbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08467858304695414068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-70276758648111214032021-03-10T17:16:04.989-08:002021-03-10T17:16:04.989-08:00Yes, "political correctness" has gone to...Yes, "political correctness" has gone too far... but I think not quite that far...Anselhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13835758313287462921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-71502746989841726252021-03-10T00:35:57.557-08:002021-03-10T00:35:57.557-08:00As for historic naval records - journals: Yikes! ...As for historic naval records - journals: Yikes! Unless the weather observations were made from fixed positions, long-term, I can't see their having more than anecdotal value where it comes to CLIMATE. Ships move with, or into, winds, and positions were approximate at the best of times. Then there's the pesky matter of calibration (and I know the Royal Navy worked hard to calibrate clocks and other instruments, but "oh-my"!) There IS a RANGE of normal within any climate, and a ship's records would be about the last place I'd look. I think these are extremely valid concerns. Even today, way too much emphasis is placed on scanty accounts like warming, cooling, and "worst ever" when a person's frame of reference (data points) are scant.GlacierBakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14691372693124586046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-83272953068876446172021-03-09T13:40:53.879-08:002021-03-09T13:40:53.879-08:00I believe you are referring to the Old Weather Pro...I believe you are referring to the Old Weather Project (https://www.oldweather.org/) which is a fascinating exploration in to naval recordspnwbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08467858304695414068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-79875294574639769272021-03-09T13:13:39.918-08:002021-03-09T13:13:39.918-08:00Washington spent his last day riding his fenceline...Washington spent his last day riding his fenceline in the rain/snow. His clothing around his neck became soaked. When he finally arrived home he had the sniffles.<br />The doctor did the rest.Ellenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03419768614952847537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-75909743060800707712021-03-09T13:10:21.050-08:002021-03-09T13:10:21.050-08:00Yeah, but since they were all a bunch of white guy...Yeah, but since they were all a bunch of white guys immersed in the sins of the evil Patriarchy, let's cancel them! On a more serious note, growing up in the Midwest during the 70's it's been amazing to witness the advances made in forecasting. Tornado prediction is just one example - the number of deaths have been declining rapidly, having even incremental improvements in terms of warnings being issued a minute or two earlier than in previous years has saved countless lives. Eric Blairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09376653214948517679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-60460652400129417242021-03-09T12:46:37.893-08:002021-03-09T12:46:37.893-08:00A bit off-topic, but you can see from the photo of...A bit off-topic, but you can see from the photo of Jefferson's log what an art handwriting was back then. My chicken-scratching is an embarrassment by comparison.Dave Taflinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08545578359373493428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-17915073648394767822021-03-09T10:58:04.935-08:002021-03-09T10:58:04.935-08:00The Old Farmer's Almanac is my favorite source...The Old Farmer's Almanac is my favorite source for weather information.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-7336161146928759942021-03-09T07:40:03.026-08:002021-03-09T07:40:03.026-08:00"There is magic in this world - it's in t..."There is magic in this world - it's in the water! We're all weather observers." (I give Dr. Church credit for this. He made climatology interesting.) Let's all improve our observations, and only use cell phones that auto-report pressure. Dr. Mass, we know you've been working on this idea. Improved weather warnings have to be the least we can expect.Aviatorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13318962228050066280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-61227859976771048312021-03-09T07:05:44.318-08:002021-03-09T07:05:44.318-08:00Not terribly surprising that Washington's fina...Not terribly surprising that Washington's final observation was within 24 hours of his death. He very likely died due to the medical quackery of the day. He came down with an illness and his "doctors" decided they could help by bloodletting--to the tune of five pints of his blood! That's probably about half the total amount of blood in his body.seussnelsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01057990148265860357noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-56670655643348011662021-03-09T06:55:11.317-08:002021-03-09T06:55:11.317-08:00Nice read Cliff. The founders, Washington, Madiso...Nice read Cliff. The founders, Washington, Madison, and Jefferson in particular, we farmers before (and after) being revolutionaries. Using historical data on when first and last freeze allowed them to time plantings and plan accordingly. As any good gardener knows, a garden journal is worth its weight in beets.....or something like that.Patschwaphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11890171653653245595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-66725420913698421102021-03-08T09:05:47.531-08:002021-03-08T09:05:47.531-08:00Insightful comment.Insightful comment.Ellenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03419768614952847537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-1987444382250639232021-03-08T07:49:42.245-08:002021-03-08T07:49:42.245-08:00They had no computers, internet, satellites, or an...They had no computers, internet, satellites, or any other high-end technology. Yet, they were far more sophisticated than we are today. In fact, one only need look back 1 generation to find such people.<br /><br />Today's self-loathing "intellectuals" have no future.John K.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03575682658318674003noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-49559770155631082142021-03-07T20:58:05.262-08:002021-03-07T20:58:05.262-08:00Love this. IMHO, clear-eyed weather observation is...Love this. IMHO, clear-eyed weather observation is a simple practice that more people should engage in, they'd have a better grip on reality. "What is, is." It's an ancient and timeless skill. There are armies of programmers and modelers who (alas) may not have a clue what's actually going on beyond their cubicles.<br /><br />All too often nowadays I see "synthesized" data being palmed-off to 'fill data gaps without tangible evidence. That trend should concern all honest scientists. 'Rambling!<br /><br />Thanks again for sharing these actual historic hbservations that make perfect sense! Charming, to put it mildly.GlacierBakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14691372693124586046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-91713515837705382772021-03-07T19:52:22.048-08:002021-03-07T19:52:22.048-08:00The Founding Fathers lived in an age of Enlightenm...The Founding Fathers lived in an age of Enlightenment. <br /><br />We are not. BAMCIShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05285865892838328830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-7392600319057552002021-03-07T17:58:02.776-08:002021-03-07T17:58:02.776-08:00Back then leadership was based on merit and compet...Back then leadership was based on merit and competence and today, unfortunately, it is based on political connections and the ability to sell outrage.Travishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13850696681993371735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-6564354511133280682021-03-07T17:21:38.736-08:002021-03-07T17:21:38.736-08:00"If only we had more leaders like this today...."If only we had more leaders like this today....." Thank you Cliff for reminding us of what intelligent, successful, and liberally educated achievers our American ancestors were. Instead of "canceling" them, we should be celebrating them and the heritage passed down from them to us. We are truly fortunate to be their descendants.John K.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03575682658318674003noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-72547441115383405452021-03-07T17:05:44.484-08:002021-03-07T17:05:44.484-08:00Cliff, have you learned nothing? Making positive c...Cliff, have you learned nothing? Making positive comments about the White Supremacist Framers will further your cancellation in ways heretofore unimagined. Brace yourself for a midnight knock on the door from the Ministry of Approved Compliments. I shall miss your blog. Cliff, nice knowing you.Old Geezer Climberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13280146830691919669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-9092118608919364942021-03-07T16:33:42.378-08:002021-03-07T16:33:42.378-08:00I heard somewhere that NOAA is using weather recor...I heard somewhere that NOAA is using weather recordings from old Royal Navy journals to document global warming. All these sailors habitually recorded weather at various longitude & latitude coordinates with a reasonable amount of accuracy over the last 300-400 years. amyspannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00520970845655855502noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-12182551198391443442021-03-07T14:55:39.371-08:002021-03-07T14:55:39.371-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.John K.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03575682658318674003noreply@blogger.com