HOUSTON – Hello and welcome to the final extreme weather blog for the month of February! Where has the time gone? We’ve covered so many intense storms, including last week when we discussed Cyclone Gabrielle that devastated New Zealand and whipping winds across the States. This week, we’re talking about a record breaking Tropical Cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere and the first-ever blizzard warning issued by the National Weather Service San Diego.
Tropical Cyclone Freddy:
Frank blogged about Tropical Cyclone Freddy on Wednesday, but I wanted to talk about it too because of the significance of the storm. According to the World Meteorological Organization, Freddy is one of the longest-lasting systems to ever exist in the Southern Hemisphere. It first formed on Feb. 6, off the coast of Indonesia before traveling west for over two weeks spanning the entire Indian Ocean. It hit Madagascar on Tuesday evening, bringing heavy rainfall to an area that already had saturated soils from an abnormally soggy wet period. Freddy sadly has been responsible for killing several folks, and it’s not done yet with impacts expected in Mozambique.
I had to include this video taken from the International Space Station. This shows Tropical Cyclone Freddy’s mature nature. From the video you can see the well-defined eyewall and even the blue of the Indian Ocean within the eye.
Southern California blizzard:
Yes, you read that title correctly, we’re talking about a SoCal blizzard. This isn’t just unusual, this is unheard of! A blizzard warning is in place for the San Bernardino County mountains Friday. This was the first blizzard warning ever issued by the National Weather Service San Diego. A blizzard warning is issued when there is heavy snow falling or blowing, reducing visibility to less than a quarter mile for at least three hours AND sustained winds of at least 35 mph.
In the case of California, an intense storm has been producing winds over 60 mph, and with one to three feet of snow in the mountain forecast travel will be extremely treacherous. Near zero visibility is expected, which means snow chains will not help drivers. The video below is from when the snow began in San Diego County.
Something Good:
Back in November, we told you about two orphaned cougar cubs that were found alone in Washington State. These fuzzy cubs were relocated to the Houston Zoo, and in December they had the important task of guarding the graduation rings for University of Houston. Well, this last week our two little friends finally made their public debut in a temporary habitat at the zoo! Once they are comfortable and a bit bigger, they will be moved into the zoo’s cougar habitat.
Stay safe always,
Caroline