#2521 "Singleton Sunrise Morning Cloud"

This deformation zone reminded me of Tom Thomson's "Morning Cloud". The weather situation was very different though. 

In Tom's case, the rain storm was exiting his campsite and he was painting looking toward the sunrise that was hidden behind the cloud. In my situation, the much needed rain storm was on its way and I had the sun on my back. 

Southern Ontario had been in a drought situation for several weeks. Everything was dry and the approaching rain was welcomed. The front lit bands of deformation zone cloud were curled by the anticyclonic companion winds of the warm conveyor belt. This storm was approaching from the southwest so the cyclonic companion with all of the rain would still eventually sweep across the district with its allotment of liquid. The Coriolis Hand, your right hand in the Northern Hemisphere, makes the comprehension of weather that much easier. I explained the use of the Coriolis Hand again in "Dancing with the Weather". 

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#2520 "May Arctic Sea Smoke Sunrise"

It was a chilly morning and heat was leaving my pool at 6 am. The northwest breeze was light but had a cool bite to it. The overnight low temperature was just plus 2 Celsius again. Arctic sea smoke was leaving the lake and taking a lot of heat energy from where I swim with it. The large area of heavy rain had moved east of Singleton and we unfortunately did not get a drop of it. 

Sea smoke is also called frost smoke or steam fog. I also saw some steam devils. These weak whirlwinds draw vapour inward into the vortex. These vortices were all cyclonic as far as I could tell which was consistent with my Coriolis hand approach to operational meteorology. The fog formed when the light overnight breeze of cold air mixed with the shallow layer of saturated warm air immediately above the warmer water. The warm air is cooled lower than the dew point and can no longer hold as much water vapour. The condensation of the vapour releases heat energy which helps to fuel the upward convection along with the heating from the relative warm water surface below. 

Cold air advection with those northerly winds also created vortices in the top of the stratus. Friction adjacent to the land will slow the surface wind but aloft the wind is unchanged. The resulting wind shear creates curls tumbling along that boundary like a pencil rolling along a desk. The swirls I painted in the top of the stratus reveal that wind shear. These wind shears are typically invisible but they are always present. 

I had started my season of swimming as I normally do on May 15th. The water was warming up nicely every day. This last day of May was an exception. There was even some frost on the roof. For this and much more art, click on Pixels. Thank you. 

#2519 "Nighthawk Sunset"

There should be dozens of these beautiful, insect eating marvels gracing the evening sky ... grazing on a feast of bugs. I had only seen a single nighthawk the last two evenings before recording this sunset painting. On previous years at Singleton, there would be maybe a dozen or two nighthawks feeding. I am saddened but when there is one, I guess that there is still hope. When will humans learn? I did some research and happily discovered that some Canadians are trying to make a difference. 

A new 2021 study by University of Alberta biologists has created a comprehensive picture of the 10,000-kilometre migratory route of common nighthawks using GPS data. The study is the first step in analyzing where and why the birds’ population numbers are declining.“Like many migratory bird species, common nighthawks are declining, but the rate of those declines varies across North America,” said Elly Knight, lead author and PhD student in the Department of Biological Sciences. “Figuring out what causes those declines can be difficult and complicated for migratory species like the nighthawk because they occupy so many different places during the year.” 

Common nighthawks breed in North America but migrate in the fall up to 10,000 kilometres south to the Amazon and Cerrado biomes of South America. The birds make numerous stops along their journey, and GPS tracking allows biologists to understand where and when they’re spending their time outside of their breeding areas.

The common nighthawk is one of the most widely distributed birds in the Western Hemisphere, but also one of the most poorly understood due to its nocturnal nature. It is not a hawk at all, but a member of the "nightjar" family which is a group of nocturnal birds that "hawk" to catch and eat flying insects. It is well disguised during the day by plumage that camouflages with the ground or tree branch it roosts on. At dusk, it uses long wings, huge eyes and a giant mouth to pursue and capture its prey. I built shelters to try to encourage these birds to nest at Singleton. 

As I came in from watching this sunset sky, a bat buzzed my head. I smiled. We have bat houses up at Singleton just like at Watershed Farm on the Oak Ridges Moraine. It was good to see some bats again. 

As for the weather, the southwesterly upper winds and gravity waves shaped the large patch of altostratus. Pulses of energy occur in regular wavelengths and enhance the cloud along the deformation zone. 

If you should Google "Nighthawk", you are more likely to see the 1942 painting by Edward Hopper - not he one with Elvis and crew. For this and much more art, click on Pixels. Thank you. 

#2518 "Sunset Weather Story"

I needed to consult the water vapour imagery to really understand this sunset story. The upper cold low was still west of Chicago. 

The attached graphic shows that Singleton was under the anticyclonic companion of the warm conveyor belt. The southerly winds at cloud level were generating nice gravity waves in the associated altocumulus. The altostratus layer was south of the deformation zone and reaching for Singleton but that was as far north as the cloud would make it. The nimbostratus and much needed rain would remain even further south of Lake Ontario. Meanwhile, the cirrus of the warm conveyor belt was well to the north and catching the last rays of the setting sun. 

The anticyclonic curvature in the Langmuir streaks as viewed on the satellite imagery, confirmed that the col of the pattern was to the west - actually over Manitoulin Island. The western edge of the warm conveyor belt was also sculpted by a double-cyclonic deformation zone chain (Warming-Winds-Chains). 

With this background information, the gravity waves and curvature of the Langmuir streaks proved that Singleton was under the anticyclonic companion of the warm conveyor belt. The low level cold conveyor belt would keep our overnight temperatures low - dropping to plus 2 Celsius which was pretty chilly indeed for late May. The probability of rain at Singleton would depend on the track of the cold low which would determine the northward extent of the cyclonic companion and the weather. The cold low was at the latitude of Chicago and headed more southeastward due to the upper trough pattern over the eastern half of the continent. 

It would not rain at Singleton but areas south of the Great Lakes would get a lot. The end result was that it did not rain a drop at Singleton, consistent with the weather story told by the clouds. 

It was an interesting weather story and made for great bedtime reading. For this and much more art, click on Pixels. Thank you

#2517 "Subtle Singleton Sunset"

The sunset sky is always special even if it might look like just another cloudy night. There were some streets of turbulent stratocumulus embedded in the very chilly northwesterly winds behind the cold front. Virga extended from the bottom of the stronger elements of cumulus clouds. 

Meanwhile, strands of high cirrus also stretched across the sky. These cirrus fingers were stretched along the deformation zone associated with a cold low and weather system over South Dakota. The spacing of those streaks suggested Langmuir processes. I needed the satellite imagery to untangle why the cirrus was there in what should have been a clear and cold ridge.

The subtle weather clues in the sunset sky belied the large area of very significant weather that was creating the inconspicuous hints. There was a lot of rain to the west and in a drought situation, the weather looked promising - at least at a glance. The large upper low was at the same latitude as Singleton but where would it go? The long wave trough was over eastern North America while the strong upper ridge was parked over the west coast - forced by the topography of the Rockies. The impacts of the climate change weakening jet stream were being felt and that upper low would fall into the trough. That much needed rain was likely to pass just south of Singleton. 

I locked these images into my mind's eye so I could put them into oils. The weather is always interesting. This view is from 6:45 pm Thursday May 27th, 2021. 

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#2516 "Singleton Dry Cold Front Sunset"

The Singleton sunsets are almost always inspirational. 

A cold front had just swept across the lake. There was none of the much needed rainfall with this event. 

The bands of cirrus were all at different levels and thus oriented a bit different from each other according to the winds at each height. The embedded gravity waves were everywhere perpendicular to the southwesterly winds aloft.. The highest cirrus clouds were still catching the last bit of the direct beam of light from the sun. At lower elevations the refracted light was increasingly red as Rayleigh scattering removed the shorter wavelength blues from the beam. The sky was a study in meteorology and colour. I had just written about the shapes of those deformation zones which comprised the hard northern cloud edges in "Warming Winds and Deformation Zones". 

The blustery northwesterly surface winds had sculpted Langmuir streaks in the surface of the lake. The areas of the lake sheltered from the northwest winds were calm and better reflectors of the lighter hues of the sky. The waves and rippled surfaces were darker. The rough and choppy waves were not as good at reflecting and were more likely to reflected some of the dark and distant shores. The smooth seconds of each Langmuir streak reflected the lighter colours of the sky while the rough stripes were darker. 

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#2514 "Spring Singleton Dandies"

We encourage dandelions (taraxacum officinale) at Singleton. Well, we certainly do not discourage them. These little flowers certainly do not require any help to get around. Someone counted an average of 15 thousand seeds being produced by a single dandelion plant. There are usually 150-200 seeds per flower and up to 10 flowers per plant. The airborne parachutes of dandelion seeds can and do go for many miles. Dandelions are likely the most successful plants that exist. They are masters of survival worldwide and have spread from their humble European origins to every continent and from the Arctic to the tropics. If you mow dandelions, they adapt by growing on shorter stalks. We try to work with nature at Singleton and these yellow flowers provide the first spring sustenance to many creatures. 

Dandelions were well known to ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. The Chinese have used dandelions in traditional medicine for over a thousand years. Every part of the dandelion is useful: root, leaves, flower. It can be used for food, medicine and dye for coloring. Dandelion can be used in the production of wine and root beer. The root of dandelion can be used as a substitute for coffee. Dandelion is used in folk medicine to treat infections and liver disorders. Tea made of dandelion act as diuretic. Apparently they make a great salad as well. 

I set up my easel just outside the garage door looking easterly at 10 am on Friday May 21st, 2021. Some unknown yellow flowers did a "painting bomb" of my plein air effort. I paint what I see. I checked that I was using the phrase correctly. Apparently "photobomb" can be either a verb or a noun. The verb is described as to "spoil a photograph by unexpectedly appearing in the camera's field of view as the picture is taken, typically as a prank or practical joke." I do not get out much. The smaller yellow flowers where in my field of view and I liked how they added a burst of colour contrast to the green. The yellow flower was the common bird's foot trefoil. 

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#2513 "Yellow March Sunset"

I try to enjoy every sunset. It is a quiet time when one can reflect on the events of the day and maybe plan where your feet might lead tomorrow. The striking yellow of the setting sun is what caught my eye and encouraged me to record this particular Thursday, March 4th, 2021, in oils. Every sunset presents opportunities and challenges. The colours are fleeting and the camera does not do them justice. Perhaps the oils and the memory of those precious moments can. 

COVID quarantine has encouraged painting the subjects that arrive on our doorstep. That explains the long series of paintings that focus on the weather and the skies of Singleton. 

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#2512 "Winter Storm Sunset 2020"

The Langmuir streets of the high level cirrus revealed the flow of the warm conveyor belt that was fuelling the approaching winter storm. The altostratus was already in the dark twilight and looked ominous as it foretold of the snow that was on the way. The patchy altocumulus ahead of the deformation zone blended with the cirrus suggested that the anticyclonic companion of the warm conveyor belt was aimed at Singleton Lake. The heavier precipitation would fall further to the north. I could not include the cold easterly inflow wind in the painting but tried to make the painting feel like the cold February Day it was on the eve of Ground Hog Celebrations. Darkness was only minutes away on that winter's night. 

Patches of open water in the fast flow of Jim Day Rapids, reflected the sky colours. The snow and ice looked as cold as they were. 

My goal was to have fun and capture another aspect of the weather. You can forecast this weather with one hand tied behind your back. Make certain that it is your left hand is bound which allows your Northern Hemisphere Coriolis Hand to diagnosis the meaning of the various cloud shapes and circulations. 

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#2511 "Singleton Convection Inflow"

The southerly inflow to the line of convection was also the extension of the Lake Ontario lake breeze. This is a common situation for Singleton. The weak cumulus towers were tilted toward the north in the southerly lake breeze. Those winds were strong enough to stir up some white caps on the lake. 

The west to east line of showers and thunderstorms will remain just to the north. The onshore areas off Lake Ontario to the south were clear and I always referred to that as the "lake shadow" as that is how it looked on the satellite imagery. I meant the phrase to be humourous as though the lake could actually cast a shadow over the higher land.

The lifted condensation levels of the clouds were identical across the lake breeze convergence line. One air mass covered the region. The large thunderstorm anvil was overhead. The rain showers remained just to the north but did contribute much needed liquid to the watershed. That water would flow through Jim Day Rapids in about five days. 

The mid afternoon crepuscular rays also caught my eye and led me to this painting of weather. 

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#2510 "Singleton Asperitas"

I witnessed these clouds one Tuesday afternoon in early May. It was not windy at the surface but the cloud shapes belied the wind shear and strong winds above the warm frontal inversion. I have witnessed similar formations many times before but I now discover that these beauties have been given a name "asperitas". I thought that I had better paint them as well. Here is that story. 

Apparently, asperitas is a cloud formation first popularized and proposed as a type of cloud in 2009 by Gavin Pretor-Pinney of the Cloud Appreciation Society. Asperitas was added to the International Cloud Atlas as a supplementary feature in March 2017 and it is the first cloud formation added since cirrus intortus in 1951 - before I was even born! 

Asperitas requires a stable layer in the atmosphere and wind shear. It helps if the winds are also strong. The wavelength of the cloud pattern varies directly with the wind speed. A stable layer is when the air actually warms with height which is inverted from the typical atmospheric temperature profile where the air cools with height. This leads to the stable layer being called an "inversion" by meteorologists since the atmospheric profile is inverted from the norm. The greatest stability is created with warm air aloft over a cold surface layer. The waters of the Great Lakes are cold in May after a winter of cooling and snow and ice. Warm air approaching from the Gulf of Mexico also provides moisture for the clouds. The required stable layer is also a warm frontal inversion in this situation. The warm air is referred to as a warm conveyor belt and I have written about that conceptual model many times. The tortured and twisted clouds are actually within the warm conveyor belt and we are looking at the bottom of the warm frontal surface. 

A warming wind creates characteristic wind shear that encourages cyclonic swirls. These cyclonic swirls encourage updrafts and what goes up must also come down. Backward-S shaped deformation zones link these cyclonic swirls. The moisture is spun in this wind shear like yarn. The stable layer of the inversion gets shook like a thermal blanket on the clothes line in a strong wind. The clouds react in the interesting variations of shapes, colours and tones which make asperitas so darn exciting. Rain was on the way. 

On that May day, Jim Montanus posted a picture of the asperitas over Lake Ontario in a FaceBook post to the 1000 Islands River Rats Now and Then Group (21.9K members). "Crazy clouds over Lake Ontario! I have never seen anything like it. Looks like they have tentacles - like an octopus. What would you call them?" The image prompted 322 shares and 207 comments including one from me. I had just written about the interesting science responsible for creating the cloud patterns. 

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#2509 "May Rain, May Not"

The goslings were hatching out. We had at least three families of six goslings each. One year by early August, we had a hundred geese enjoying our waterfront. I love nature but the Canada geese were taking over and I could not pick up all of the poop that was virtually everywhere. I would put on gloves and spend some time filling up buckets with goose poop before it found its way into the water... 

Over the years, we experimented with plastic coyote decoys, broadcasting predator sounds over the outside speakers and even tasking the grand kids with chasing these geese on sight. The Canada geese were smart enough to display destain for our feeble, human efforts. I wanted to work with the nature of the Canada geese but they did not wish to play along. That changed in 2019 when we purchased strands of flags like the kind you see around car dealerships that are designed to excite you into buying a car. 

The flags are always moving with the breeze and apparently, the geese are unable to get a good day and good night sleep. I also installed them at goose level so they either have to duck (so to speak) low under them, or jump and fly over them. The geese do not like to do either. The geese prefer to just eat the clover and of course poop. My goal was to train the geese to eat and fertilize the clover on one side of the flagged barrier. That amount of land tallied almost three acres of perfect clover fodder. My side of the flag boundary was the marble ridge and the swimming area. The grand kids were tasked with helping the geese learn the rules. Geese are smart and I think that we are on excellent terms again. They respect the flags more than people. 

On this May morning, I wanted to stand out in full view of the geese and goslings so that they would remember our flag arrangements of the previous years. I decided to paint en plein air on the marble ridge. Showers were threatening in the light northerly flow. The west basin of Singleton Lake was rippled by the drainage wind down Lyndhurst River and that explains the broad white band of the water on the horizon which was reflecting the clouds and bright sky. The east basin was calm and provided a more mirror like reflection of the far shore of Singleton. I was just finishing up when a heavier shower came by. It was a beautiful day as we needed the rain. 

The title came to me as I painted. I was not watching the radar and I was uncertain whether the showers would rain me out during my May plein air outing. I thought it was punny.

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