What the heck is a bomb cyclone? I've never heard of that. This is what the weather forecasters have been predicting all week and it's suppose to hit us by the weekend. Here is a definition of what a Bomb Cyclone is:
Bomb Cyclone definition
A bomb cyclone is a type of midlatitude storm characterized by its rapid intensification, where the central pressure drops by at least 24 millibars in 24 hours. This phenomenon, known as explosive cyclogenesis, typically occurs when cold air meets warm ocean waters, leading to intense weather phenomena such as heavy snow, strong winds, and heavy precipitation. Bomb cyclones are most commonly observed during the winter months and can produce significant impacts on communities due to their intensity and speed of development.
The golf courses were all shut down at the beginning of the week. People were stocking up on groceries in the event of this major winter storm. The temperatures throughout the week were in the minus's to start ie. -5c, -1c but nicely warmed up to 7c or even 9c. Not bad if the wind wasn't blowing. Ralph and I took advantage of our 7 day ticket to Brookgreen Gardens. We went 3 times this week and enjoyed the nature and wildlife that was there. Admittedly with the colder weather the animals were more interested in keeping warm than being out and about. Key highlights from this week at Brookgreen included us seeing a Cottonmouth Viper (yikes) moving in the grasses, observing the Wolves getting very friendly and ultimately deciding to mate (the zoo is extremely happy about this) and also enjoying the Gray Fox and other animals and birds.
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| Cottonmouth Viper just off the pathway |
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| Access to the den |
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| Mated Red Wolf pair - always by each others side |
We also spent time each of those 3 days at Huntington Beach although it was very quiet. We were lucky to spot a Virginia Rail and Clapper Rail (we thought it was a King Rail) along the straight road along with a Piliated Woodpecker. That was pretty cool. We are learning to walk slowly, listen to sounds and stop and observe. Amazing what is all around you if you take the time to look. Teresa and Lawrence also pointed out to us that the Waxwings were outside of the Visitor Center in the trees and there sure were many of them to see and enjoy. What is amazing to me is that one day there are hundreds and the next day nothing. They fly in huge groups all over the park looking for berries which they love to gobble down. Its quite fun to watch.
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| Cedar Waxwing |
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| Cedar Waxwing |
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| Clapper Rail |
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| Clapper Rail |
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| Takeoff |
On Friday we could really see that the weather was changing. The wind was blowing quite hard making the ocean very rough. There was a boat out in the water doing some kind of marine measurements. You could tell how rough it was when they turned around to head back in. I don't think my stomach could have tolerated all the ups and downs with the waves.
Gradually the temperatures started to really drop and by Saturday evening the snow started. I'm not sure how many inches we got but it snowed all night long. Throughout the day we kept getting emergency weather reports which came on our phones and across the tv. Everyone took heed of the warnings and stayed in for the most part along Ocean Blvd.
It certainly was cold and slippery when I was out walking in the evening. Salt was just thrown out of the lobby door haphazardly. I can understand that they aren't prepared for this type of weather. I didn't stay out long but wanted to capture the essence of the storm. Overnight the temperatures were going to be cold and the real feel even colder. I hope it doesn't decide to stay long.
The early morning sunrise was interesting to see with the beautiful clouds along the horizon. Even though it was cold, the snow was already disappearing from the beach. Because of the temperature it was "light snow" and blew away like sand throughout the day. Hopefully it will be all gone by Monday as we have two golf rounds booked in the upcoming week.
As a result of the cold temperatures, one of the sprinkler heads somewhere near the roof froze and burst resulting in water pouring down through the stairway between the Cayman Tower and the Dominican Tower. John shared that he had heard that some of the condos on the 21st floor received water damage and we also noticed on our floor that the water was coming in under the stairway and into our hall (we are on the 7th floor). Yikes that's a lot of water and mess to clean up.
I missed seeing the rising of the snow moon during the evening on Sunday. I took this photo around 8:30. I had initially taken one on my cell phone and noticed the beautiful starburst that the moon was creating so I pulled out my good camera to took this one. I love the reflection on the water and the star effect. It's a nice way to end our wintery week. I wonder what the next week will bring??
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