Light freezing fog, hot fudge sauce and weather folk lore

Good morning Augusta

This morning we have generally cloudy skies and a high of 38ºF. Winds are from the SW at 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight we’ll have partly cloudy skies and a low of 24ºF. Winds will be from the W at 5 to 10 mph.

The readings from my weather instruments in the North field are:

Humidity is 97%, the dew point is 31ºF, outside it’s -0.4ºC and 31.7ºF.

The wind direction is South Southeast between 0.0 MPH and  1.1 MPH, generating a wind chill of 31.7ºF.

The Barometric pressure is 29.92 / HPA 1012.8 and steady with a weather graphic indicating clouds.

The UV rating is 0.0 out of 16, Sunrise is at 7:02 a.m. Sunset is 3:59 P.M. Moon rise is at 1:39 p.m., Moon set is 12:10 p.m. and the moon phase is in it’s first quarter.   

The RAW METAR reading from the airport in Augusta, Maine is:

No reading is available today

Visibility is 2.0 miles / 4.0 Kilometers with light freezing fog out there.

 We didn’t receive any new snowfall over the past 24 hours here.Below is another Farmer’s almanac article and my wife’s personal recipe on how to make hot fudge sauce.

First, the Farmer’s Almanac article:

Before there were weather apps for your smartphone, or the National Weather Service, people looked to the signs of nature to prepare for what’s to come.

A wonderful friend of Ray Geiger’s, Cleveland weather guru, Dick Goddard, put together a laundry list of these “signs” of nature that can predict a harsh winter ahead. We featured these in the 1978 Farmers’ Almanac, and it is still relevant today.

Here are the 20 Signs of A Hard Winter:

1.      Thicker than normal corn husks

2.      Woodpeckers sharing a tree

3.      Early arrival of the Snowy owl

4.      Early departure of geese and ducks

5.      Early migration of the Monarch butterfly

6.      Thick hair on the nape (back) of the cow’s neck

7.      Heavy and numerous fogs during August

8.      Raccoons with thick tails and bright bands

9.      Mice eating ravenously into the home

10.  Early arrival of crickets on the hearth

11.  Spiders spinning larger than usual webs and entering the house in great numbers

12.  Pigs gathering sticks

13.  Insects marching in a line rather than meandering

14.  Early seclusion of bees within the hive

15.  Unusual abundance of acorns

16.  Muskrats burrowing holes high on the river bank

17.  “See how high the hornet’s nest, ‘twill tell how high the snow will rest”

18.  Narrow orange band in the middle of the Woollybear caterpillar warns of heavy snow; fat and fuzzy caterpillars presage bitter cold

19.  The squirrel gathers nuts early to fortify against a hard winter

20.  Frequent halos or rings around the Sun or Moon forecast numerous snow falls.

What are you seeing in your backyard?

 

And Hot Fudge Sauce:

HOT FUDGE SAUCE Recipe:

½ cup heavy cream

3 tblsp. butter, cut into small pieces

1 sq. unsweetened chocolate

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

Pinch of salt

½ cup strained unsweetened cocoa powder

Place cream, butter, and unsweetened chocolate in a heavy 1-quart saucepan over moderate heat.  Stir until butter and chocolate are melted and the cream just comes to a low boil.  Add both sugars and stir for a few minutes until the sugars are dissolved.  (Test: taste it until you don’t feel any granules on your tongue.)

Reduce the heat.  Add the salt and cocoa and stir briskly with a small wire whisk until smooth.  Remove from the heat.

This should be thick, but if it’s too thick, stir in a very little bit of hot water.erve immediately, refrigerate to store, reheat a few seconds at a time in the microwave.