Expected frost delays

As all of you know cold weather has moved in and and is sticking around.

 Just a heads up to all:

EXPECT FROST DELAYS 

Tuesday November 18th
&
Wednesday November 19th

Tuesday low is forecasted for 28 degrees. Possible frost delays up to 9:00 or later.

Wednesday low is forecasted for 31 degrees. Possible frost delays up to 8:00 or later.

Of course depending on which local station you prefer or the weather channel; all of them seem to forecast a little different. Let's hope it stays above freezing and only minor delay may take place.

Thanks for your understanding.

Willy Plowman

Golf Course Superintendent

Why it's warm in Alaska but frigid in most of the U.S. right now

The cold front that is sweeping across the entire eastern half of the U.S., from Colorado to Virginia, is no ordinary weather boundary.Instead, it's a front on steroids, bringing with it a near-instantaneous switch from summer temperatures to winter, complete with howling winds, heavy snow and even dust storms. And the cold air the front is ushering in shows no signs of leaving anytime soon. 
Arctic invasion: Unusual cold air sweeping into the U.S. is here to stay. Thanks to an unusually contorted jet stream, the weather map looks as though the Arctic has picked up and temporarily relocated to the lower 48 states, leaving the actual Arctic unusually mild. Based on computer model projections, the Arctic may be a long houseguest, as the pattern is projected to last for at least a week and a half, and likely longer than that. The weather pattern is leading to a classic episode of what climate scientists have labeled the "warm Arctic, cold continents" pattern, something that has been seen with increasing frequency in recent years. Studies have tied this particular pattern in part to rapid Arctic climate change as a result of manmade global warming, although this is still a subject of debate within the mainstream climate science community.

Right now, the jet stream, which is a highway of air at about 30,000 feet that steers storm systems and separates air masses, is contorted like a boa constrictor. The North Pacific jet stream is being redirected northward, up and over Alaska, thanks to a strong ridge of high pressure parked over the western U.S. The jet stream then nosedives like a roller coaster, from northwest to southeast across northern Canada and deep into the southern U.S., thereby allowing pure polar air to surge southward, into the U.S. from Canada.
The effects of this weather pattern have already been astounding.
The cold front dividing the Arctic air to the north and the mild air to the south has been slicing across the continental U.S., dropping temperatures by at least 30 degrees Fahrenheit in just 30 minutes in some places. In Denver, Colorado, Monday began with mild conditions and a temperature of 64 degrees Fahrenheit. By mid-afternoon, it was snowing with a temperature in the 20s (Fahrenheit).In some places, including southeastern Colorado and the Texas Panhandle, the cold front was accompanied by a large dust storm, also known as a haboob.

The cold front is slated to reach the East Coast by Wednesday night, marking the early arrival of winter in the big cities of Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and New York City.

Weather pattern has turned upside down

The jet stream pattern has effectively reversed typical seasonal norms at this point, with Alaska seeing considerably milder conditions than many parts of the lower 48 states.

Consider this: As of 10:30 a.m. ET, it was already warmer in Barrow, Alaska, where the sun had not yet inched above the horizon, than it was in Denver, Colorado. (The average high for early November in Barrow is 8 degrees Fahrenheit.) More than a foot of snow fell in Michigan on Monday and Tuesday, but Anchorage, Alaska, experienced slick roadways from rain showers. Some towns in Alaska and northwest Canada are setting warm temperature records, while cold records are threatened in the continental U.S. For example, in Kotzebue, Alaska, which is in the far northwest part of the state, a record high minimum temperature was recorded on Nov. 10, when the temperature failed to fall below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. This beat the old record of 28 degrees Fahrenheit, which was set in 1997, according to the National Weather Service.

On Monday and Tuesday, more than a foot of snow fell in parts of the Dakotas, eastward to Minnesota and Wisconsin. Yet in Anchorage, Alaska, forecasters warned of slick roadways due to rain showers.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS) forecast office in Fairbanks, Alaska, temperatures there are expected to be as much as 14 degrees Fahrenheit above average by Wednesday, which would set a record high. Temperatures in the upper levels of the atmosphere, at about 18,000 feet, are extremely warm for Alaska at this time of year, forecasters said in an online discussion. The NWS says the temperatures "are near normals for July... not November."

On Tuesday, the forecast high temperature in Fairbanks is 33 degrees Fahrenheit, which is just five degrees below the record for the date, the NWS said. Compare this to the forecast high temperature in Kansas City, Missouri, on Tuesday, which is just 16 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures across parts of the Central states on Tuesday will average between 20 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit above average, while Alaska, northwest Canada, and parts of the central Arctic experience the opposite temperature anomalies.

The chain of events leading to this cold wave can be traced in part back to Super Typhoon Nuri, which enhanced the North Pacific jet stream as the storm spun out sea east of Japan. During the weekend, Nuri was given a second chance at life, this time as one of the strongest (non-tropical) storms ever observed in the Bering Sea.
The counterclockwise circulation around this storm pumped a lot of mild air over Alaska and northwest Canada, and strengthened an area of high pressure in this region. The strong area of high pressure is effectively blocking incoming weather systems and forcing them to go up and around it, like a detour along a highway. This ridge, meteorologists say, is helping to displace extremely cold air from the Arctic to the south, into the U.S.
Such a "blocked" weather pattern fits into a hypothesis that holds that as the Arctic warms disproportionally fast compared to lower latitudes, the jet stream is more prone to high amplitude waves, and blocking patterns like the one taking place now. Such patterns often lead to extreme weather events, from heat waves to cold snaps. The hypothesis is supported by several studies, but the physical mechanism linking Arctic warming and the loss of sea ice there with the jet stream, which exists high in the atmosphere, has not yet been clearly identified.

Super typhoon and the polar vortex: Why it's about to get so cold in much of the country

Brace yourselves; winter is coming. "Polar vortex" may have been the weather catchphrase of last winter, but it's coming back and it's bringing snow and freezing temperatures along with it.
While it might be easy to look north and blame Canada for sending the polar vortex down into the United States, the real cause behind it is happening thousands of miles to the west. The remnants of Super Typhoon Nuri has made their way from the western Pacific Ocean east of the Philippines, up to the Bering Sea between Alaska and Russia. The storm is expected to bring sting winds and huge waves to the area and may become one of the largest storms to hit Alaska since the 1970s, according to AccuWeather.com.



A Bering Sea super storm may not seem like it would impact temperatures in Chicago and Minneapolis, but a storm of that size has the ability to push the jet stream out of position, forcing arctic air that normally sits much farther north down into the U.S. And that is exactly what's expected to happen this weekend.

The cold weather is expected to impact as many as 200 million people as it sweeps across the U.S.

By next week, temperatures in the Plains states could drop 40 degrees or more and freezing air, wind and snow will make their way into the Midwest. The worst of the cold will be felt from Fargo and Minneapolis to Chicago and St. Louis, according to AccuWeather.

The cold will stretch all the way south into Texas and east along the Atlantic Seaboard and may last into the middle of the month.

Perhaps it's time to consider a trip out to California. As the rest of the country shivers under the parkas, the West Coast is expected to remain warm and dry.









Understanding Frost Delays

The following was presented by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.

As winter starts to give way to spring-like temperatures, the desire to hit the golf course intensifies. It also signals a change in golf course management activities that can affect one's game and the conditions found on the course.
In many regions of the country, golfers occasionally face frost delays in the spring, thus pushing back starting tee times. When frost is present golf course superintendents delay play until the frost has melted. This is done to prevent damage that affects the quality of the playing surface and could potentially be very expensive to repair.
Frost is basically frozen dew that has crystallized on the grass, making it hard and brittle. A grass blade is actually 90 percent water, therefore it also freezes. Because of the short mowing height (sometimes as low as 1/8 inch) and fragile nature of the turf, putting greens are most affected by frost. Walking on frost-covered greens causes the plant to break and cell walls to rupture, thereby losing its ability to function normally. When the membrane is broken, much like an egg, it cannot be put back together.
Golfers who ignore frost delays will not see immediate damage. The proof generally comes 48-72 hours later as the plant leaves turn brown and die. The result is a thinning of the putting surface and a weakening of the plant. The greens in turn become more susceptible to disease and weeds. While it may not appear to be much of an issue if a foursome begins play early on frost-covered greens, consider the number of footprints that may occur on any given hole by one person is approximately 60. Multiply that by 18 holes with an average of 200 rounds per day and the result is 216,000 footprints on greens in a day or 6,480,000 in a month.
As golf enthusiasts superintendents do not like to delay play, but they are more concerned about turf damage and the quality if conditions for the golfer. Frost also creates a hardship on a golf facility's staff as all course preparations are put to a halt until thawing occurs. Golf carts can cause considerable damage, therefore personnel cannot maneuver around the course to mow, change cup positions, collect range balls, etc.
One technique employed to reduce possible frost damage is to raise the cutting height of mowers to create a heartier surface. It may also be possible to reroute play to holes where the frost melts more quickly. But regardless of these methods, the best medicine is for all to understand the hows and whys of the delay and in turn gain a greater appreciation for the golf course. It would also be wise to give the course a phone call before heading out to play to see if tee times have been pushed back due to frost.