Conditions at 7:23 AM: 15.4C, Rain, Wind: SSE 34 gust 43 km/h

17 September 2010

Yesterday was a nice day here with afternoon temps in the lower 20Cs and lots of sun.The wind was a little brisk but it wasn’t a chilling wind.Clouds began moving into the area in the evening and overnight it began to rain.Heavy rain is expected for today.Clearing is expected this evening and then we should be having a stretch of warm and dry weather lasting into next week.

 

The  forecast for our area issued by Environment Canada :

(Normals: Max 18C / Min 8C)

Today

Rain at times heavy ending late this afternoon then cloudy. Risk of thundershowers. Amount 30 to 40 mm. Wind south 30 km/h gusting to 50 becoming southwest 20 gusting to 40 near noon then becoming north 20. High 17.

 

Tonight

Clearing late this evening. Fog patches late this evening. Wind north 20 km/h becoming light this evening. Low 8.

 

Saturday

Sunny. High 18.

 

Sunday

A mix of sun and cloud. Low 11. High 20.

 

 

Today’s Weather Trivia:

17 September 1927: 1927: A violent gale swept across Manitoba's Lake Winnipeg at Grand and Victoria beaches. Five-metre breaker waves crashed on shore, heavy rains washed out railway tracks in 12 places, and cottagers were stranded. The waves undermined several small docks, and a breakwater was submerged under a metre of water. A special train was dispatched to Grand Beach to start repair work on the inundated roadbed.

  – Excerpt from 'The Canadian Weather Trivia Calendar' by David Phillips. © Environment Canada

 

 

Sky Events:

• International Space Station (visible sighting):

There are no visible sightings tonight.

 

 

• An object coming into view is a comet named Hartley 2. Currently in the constellation Andromeda, it is approaching magnitude 7, easily seen in binoculars. The October issue of the magazine Sky and Telescope has a detailed sky map with the path of Hartley 2 clearly delineated from August through October. October 1st will find the comet passing just below the brightest (southernmost) star in the "W" asterism of Cassiopeia. Eight days later, it will be gliding just below the previously mentioned double star cluster in Perseus. This small comet used to be quite far out in the Solar System and not visible from Earth, but two recent, sequential close encounters with the giant planet Jupiter moved it much closer to the Sun. As a result, Hartley 2 now approaches quite close to the Earth, about 11 million miles at closest approach on October 20th. At that time it will be about magnitude 5, moving rapidly just below the brilliant star Capella in the constellation Auriga. While not nearly as large or spectacular as Comet Hale-Bopp, it should be fascinating to observe this new visitor as it crosses our evening skies.

 

 

 

 

• AURORA (‘Northern Lights’) WATCH: Auroral activity will be low.