One big fat, pain in the butt snowstorm!

Good Morning Augusta

We’re under a Winter Weather Warning until 7 this evening, so stay home!

This morning we have snowing with gusty winds leading to blizzard conditions at times. High will reach 26ºF. Winds will be from the NNW at 25 to 35 mph. Chance of snow 100%. 5 to 8 inches of snow expected. Winds could occasionally gust over 50 mph.

Tonight we’ll have lingering evening flurries or snow showers. Windy and overcast early followed by clear skies late. Low will drop to 16ºF. Winds from the NNW at 20 to 30 mph.

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

Humidity is 94%, the dew point is -6.818ºF, outside it’s ºC and 19.8ºF.

The wind direction is North Northwest between 16.5 MPH and 11.4 MPH, generating a wind chill of -3.1ºF.

The Barometric pressure is 29.50 / HPA 998.0 and falling with a weather graphic indicating snow.

There is no UV rating owing to the storm, Sunrise is at 6:41 a.m. Sunset is 5:05 P.M. Moon rise is at 8:09 p.m., Moon set is 8:04 a.m. and the moon phase is waning gibbous.   

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

SPECI KAUG 131204Z AUTO 36018G24KT 1/2SM FZFG VV011 M08/M10 A2945 RMK AO2 T10781100 PWINO FZRANO $

Visibility is 0.5 miles / 0.8 Kilometers with clouds above this heavy snowfall somewhere.

We’ve received a lot of snow, and it’s drifting so badly that it’s hard to say how much has fallen, but I can tell you it’s going to give my snowblower a real workout. 

Space Weather for this morning is:

Today’s Solar flux is 78, the solar wind speed is 325 Kilometers per second and the chance of a solar storm is 1%.

Yesterday I posted a recipe for a pie with lemon in it.  How about a pineapple cake for a change?

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Serves 12

2 tbsp. margarine

2 tbsp. firmly packed brown sugar

4 slices water-packed canned pineapple, drained

2 maraschino cherries, cut in half

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

1½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

5 tbsp. stick margarine, softened

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ cup low-fat (1%) milk

·         Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

·         In an 8x8-inch baking pan, over low heat, melt 2 tbsp. margarine. 

·         Remove from heat and stir in 2 tbsp. brown sugar.  Place 4 pineapple slices on the sugar mixture, centering the slices closely in the center of the pan so all the pieces are touching.  Place a cherry half in the center of each pineapple slice.

·         In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 ¼ cup flour, 1½ tsp. baking powder, and ½ tsp. salt.

·         In another medium bowl, with an electric mixer at medium speed, beat the 5 tbsp. margarine and ¼ cup sugar until blended, about 1 minute.  Add the egg and 1 tsp. vanilla and continue beating until smooth, about 30 second.  The batter will be thin.

·         Add the flour mixture to the batter in thirds, alternating with ½ cup milk, blending until smooth, 2 minutes.  Spoon the batter on top of the pineapple mixture and spread evenly.

·         Bake until gold brown, about 25-35 minutes.  Unmold by sliding a thin knife around the cake, pressing against the pan.  Invert onto a cake plate.  Serve warm.

Exchanges:  1 carbohydrate, 1½ fat

Calories:  148; fat:  7 g; cholesterol:  18 mg; sodium:  231 mg; carbohydrate:  18 g; fiber:  0 g; protein:  2 g