Scarlet Pimpernel

I'm actually not quite sure what to root for, for anywhere along the path. It seems pretty set right now that if you're in the northeast US, it is looking like the best chances for clear. But from western NY into TX along the path, it gets dicey. Do we hope for that southwestern trough to slow down enough so that the southwest flow of moisture doesn't get to TX and points northeast until after it's over? Or at least not enough to ruin things. And what about that shortwave that's now coming into the upper midwest, that could adversely affect things in IN/OH/PA/western NY? That sort of seems to have gotten stronger and pushed the ridging in the Ohio Valley and east down a bit from what I saw. I kind of hope that shortwave ends up being farther northwest (and/or weaker?) to allow the ridge to stay intact enough at least into Monday evening.

Well, I'm casting my lot at my brother and sister-in-law's place in the Cleveland area, south of town. Not much choice. Going up there Saturday and returning on Tuesday. I contemplated trying a "secondary" location within an hour or so drive of Cleveland if it looked like it might be clearer the day before, but now just think it won't be worth it. You'd probably have to go a fair bit more to find much different (better?) sky conditions anyhow. Not to mention, I don't care to deal with the mass of crazy traffic and even crazier crowds anywhere along the path, in a place I don't know or don't know exactly where to park and station myself. Just don't have the time, finances, or desire to have backup and backup-of-backup plans, honestly. My hope is that it's reasonably clear enough at least in parts of the sky to see it, or maybe some high but see-through thin clouds...just not thick, socked-in clouds and/or rain. That's really all I expect in that area to be honest. If it's good enough, we'll be able to watch it right from their yard, on the deck! Can't get much easier than that. And, worst case as I said before, if it's crap with complete overcast, at least I can have a fun couple days' visit!

Certainly agree about UCONN...they're playing like they're on a mission. But I doubt they'll blow out Illinois, that should be quite a game I think, though UCONN will probably still win. As a Purdue grad, I just hope the Boilermakers can actually at least make it to the Final Four. Too many disappointments by them when they've had really good teams, it's about time they get that far, if not to the Finals. But I'm wary and would not be surprised if they don't make it past this weekend.

Yup, I hear you! I hope you have a great time in Ohio, regardless of how the weather is for the eclipse! But hopefully that will cooperate as well! I grew up in northeast Ohio, which is why I'm familiar with how early April can be. It's not always crap, but it's not typically the best time of year for good weather (hell, the Indians/Guardians have had games SNOWED OUT before!!!). All I can do is cross my fingers that at least a few hours Monday afternoon will be nice enough.

I'll be visiting my brother and sister-in-law in the Cleveland area for the eclipse. My expectations there are not the greatest, as I'm all too familiar with the fact that northeast Ohio plus early April typically equals crappy weather. Not much you can do about it and I'm not in a position to have various disparate locations to go to if needed, on very short notice. However, if by chance it looks cloudy where my brother is but somewhere within say 50 miles is likely to be clear, we may well just drive early on the 8th and set up to watch there. But even that would have to be spur-of-the-moment. My hope is that it's at least reasonably clear for the event. I certainly don't expect completely clear, blue skies with not a wisp of clouds. Not in April in Ohio. As long as it's decently visible in that time frame through the duration of the eclipse I guess. Worst case scenario, I figure, is that we're socked in with crap and it's just a fun couple of days' visit all the same.

Yup, mine is today, though I'll stick to red velvet cake myself! Oh, and @vastateofmind, happy birthday to you as a fellow March 25th-er!!!

There's always my undergrad alma mater, Purdue! They seem to perpetually choke or otherwise flub the tournament even when they have a high seeding. And...they suffered upset losses TWICE on my birthday, in seasons they were anticipated to go pretty far. First was 1988, they had the Midwest #1 seed, a very solid team and widely expected to get to the Final Four. They lost on Friday, March 25, 1988 to #4 seed Kansas State (whom they actually beat handily in a regular season game) in the Sweet 16. I was at Purdue at that time, a group of us was watching the game that evening just stunned in disappointment. They lost AGAIN on Friday, March 25, 2022 as a #3 seed to the #15 seed St. Peter's in another Sweet 16 round. Then of course last year they shared the dubious distinction of being the second #1 seed to lose to a #16 (Virginia being the first to do so a few years before). At least THAT wasn't on my birthday! And, at least this year they cannot lose on that day since March 25 is a Monday and there won't be any tourney games on that day!! This year I fully expect them to not get past the Sweet 16, or if they're lucky maybe they'll get to the Elite 8. But we'll see. I also am from Cleveland, so I am very familiar with sports agony! LOL!!!!

Hahaha! I would have never thought that post by @Deck Pic would be a RR bat signal, but there ya go! But I guess it's like anything else, it's in the eye of the beholder what one sees! There's a Tom Lehrer song called "Smut", and one line goes "When correctly viewed...everything ls lewd!"

Meh...DCA will only measure 17.8"!!

Ours is the eclipse after the eclipse, dontcha know!!

Wait...I thought one is supposed to sacrifice and give something up for Lent. Not engage in further "sin"!!! As for tequila, not normally a fan of it straight-up, generally prefer it in something like a margarita. Though I've had a couple several years ago that were remarkably smooth. Personally, I prefer a fine single malt Scotch. Straight-up, not on the rocks. <ScottishBastardVoice>Aye, Laddie! Get yerself a REAL drink, a nice dram, will ya!</ScottishBastardVoice>

Expecting the Nats to have a bad season??

OK Kyrie, we have absolute definitive proof that the earth CANNOT be flat. Proven by none other than our feline friends millennia ago!

Also, that's for...November! Can't be overly concerned about whether or not something can "work" in that pattern that early in the season. And it's like 8 months away, what's the point in hashing out details at this point?

Very true...probably still enough left behind for his agents to "take care of!"

Even though @WxWatcher007 is in retirement, I heard the Reaper still has his agents standing by the phones now to assist those in dire need...

Yeah, I think after the epic-looking pattern disappeared about a week ago, we definitely needed the Beethoven with the tear! That pretty well crushed everything.

LOL!!!! OK, c'mon now...I love Beethoven and he's still my favorite composer. Unfortunately, I was unable to find an image or a gif with him doing an eyeroll!! So I settled for the Austrian dude...but don't diss his music TOO much! (ETA: I await a lecture from @Maestrobjwa on the merits of Beethoven vs. Mozart and his harpsichord using ass!)

The Panic Room is still going?? Even when things are already done? C'mon!!!

Mozart says...to that 46 day ensemble control snow map:

Good points here, Bob. I'll say that despite wanting to be optimistic about the highly favorable "holy grail" looks that showed up for mid-February to mid-March is that once things got a bit more into range, there really were no storms popping up. I know one cannot take those silly snow maps at face value, but typically when we see an approaching good pattern, crazy stuff starts to appear on the horizon in the ops and ensembles. That happened maybe a couple of times, I think, but it was basically "blah" looking and even kind of warm. That's the other thing, I didn't see a consistent "trend" or whatever toward colder, at least near the surface. Despite some good 850-mb cold looks. I was thinking to myself several times how nice 850 looked but shook my head at the BL temps.

PSU...I totally agree with what you say here. It's sad...pathetic...aggravating...that warming has become a political football (hot potato, as it were??). For F's sake, you cannot argue the data, humanity's influence in the past century or whatever, etc. I don't care what one's views are, this is just simply the reality. One's political views honestly shouldn't matter for something like this. But sadly, this is the bullshit reality we live in, and one feels helpless to do much about it when those in power and who have influence on policy, sit there and piss into the wind. Whatever. Sorry if I got too political there, but it's more than that. Fact is, all too many people can be so damned selfish and have no concern or care for how their decisions or policies may affect the world around them. Apologies...done with that rant.

You could call it the Shohei Ohtani of amazing weather forecast calls!

Well, I'm not totally giving up on the winter but I'm definitely of the @Bob Chill Zen attitude right now. If we get something that looks fun, I'll check it out and great!! If not, don't much care at this point. And I don't think we're done, to be honest, but we'll see. With that, I'll post a couple of photos I got today. One is a tiny icicle I saw in a tree, gave it a silvery black and white look which I thought was cool. And a snowdrop flower, they are always one of the first to come up even before actual spring.