Spring sets in and Cumulus appear (photos)

The weather is getting warmer and it seems, that high temperatures will continue next week, too. The temperatures might be high as +25oC in some areas!
The warm atmosphere has made Cumulus able to grow up to Cumulus congestus. You'll see some pictures of Cumulus clouds I took on Thursday. We went a school trip to the ski centre Elatochori, where the snow was melting, however it was enough for skiing.
We were transfered by cable cars up to 1500-1700m, where the temperature was around +5-6oC... I took there my first pictures of Cumulus clouds being developed over mountains.




Cumulus congestus were growing during the afternoon.
                                   
 


Light and clouds were playing together =P!


While leaving, I took those picture from the bus. The sun-rays were getting even more spectacular!

Optical phenomena (photos)

Beautiful clouds decorated the sky last week over Thessaloniki, which were the reason of the impressive optical phenomena that appeared not only during daylight, but also at night!
I think it must be those clouds, called nacreous, which appear in winter and may form even higher than Cirrus and their altitude is around 15-25km (stratosphere). However, I have some doubts, if they really were nacreous clouds, because they mainly appear in higher latitudes, such as Scandinavia...
Maybe you can understand, whether it's nacreous or not, by looking at the following photos.

  

Beautiful colors appeared on the clouds, which were close to the sun.
 

Their appearance were combined with the formation of some lenticularis clouds. Unfortunately, those nacreous clouds disappeared before sunset. That was a pity, because they can make a sunset really majestic. Only some lenticularis were still forming, as night was setting in... 


The same night a corona was surrounding the moon.

That day (18/2) the min temperature was -4oC and the max +4oC. At the height of 500hPa the temperature was around -40oC and maybe this is the reason, that such clouds appeared.

Three days later, the weather was more like spring, than winter. It was warm and some Cirrus appeared at night. Luckily, I suddenly noticed a huge halo around the moon (full moon). It was really exciting, first time I see this phenomenon at night, so I tried to capture it.
 


The halo is not clearly seen, but it isn't that difficult to see it, after editing the photo.
 


Next day a corona surrounding the moon appeared again!

Such optical phenomena are always beautiful and if you are interested, you can find some info and beautiful photos I found here!
Nacreous clouds
http://www.atoptics.co.uk/highsky/nacr1.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_stratospheric_cloud
http://www.cloudappreciationsociety.org/gallery/index.php?x=browse&category=23&pagenum=1
Corona
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corona_(meteorology)
http://www.cloudappreciationsociety.org/gallery/index.php?x=browse&category=33&pagenum=1
Halo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/22%C2%B0_halo
http://www.cloudappreciationsociety.org/gallery/index.php?x=browse&category=32&pagenum=1

UPDATE 1/3/08: After searching for some more info in the Internet, I found out that those clouds on the photos are not nacreous.

"The worst storm of the decade", said journalists... (photos)

I'm not sure, if that's so true, but I don't remember what happened 10 years ago either... However, it was for sure a severe storm, although most of journalists always exaggerate, when it has to do with weather... They were advising all day people not to leave their homes, because it's very dangerous! Snowing in South Greece is not a rare phenomenon, but it's rediculous to keep people at home just of 25-50cm snow, especially when children love snow...
Yes, the amount of snow was 20-50cm and the snowfalls continue. So, many areas will possible experience up to 100cm of snow till tomorrow! Even in the centre of Athens some cms of snow covered the streets and up to 15-25cms of snow covered areas around the city! The schools tomorrow will be closed and many villages are already excluded without electricity!
According to a meteorologist 3 things made this severe storm. Firstly, a front coming from North, then a a cold air mass and finally the winds. Maybe the front was the reason for some thunders, that were heard during the snowfalls yesterday night in Athens! Thunders and snowfall is a seldom combination! A record was also set today. The temperature was -13oC at a height of 850hPa over Athens and -40oC at 500hPa!
Now, how was the weather in North Greece? Sunny!! Few clouds around and a severe North wind made the real feel of temperature much colder!! The min today was -2,5oC and the max +3oC and not 0oC as they said on TV. However, the temperature is below 0oC again and will be lower tomorrow.
The weather will get warmer quickly again by Wednesday!

You can watch some videos I found on the Internet showing the snowfalls in Athens!


American tourists surprised with snow in Athens!

Snow also in Crete!!!


And some photos taken by members of the Greek weather list "HellasWeather".
Athens

Maria Kavadia



Vangelis Tsakirakis

Stratis Vougioukas

Dimitris Kabolis

PetrosV

And Theva


Achilleas Katsaros



PS. I heard a meteorologist on TV today, that all these severe snowfalls, happened due to a phenomenon called "Lake-effect snow", something that happens commonly in North America.
More info about the lake-effect snow;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_effect_snow

Extreme cold on the way! (photos)

It's already snowing in many areas in South and East Greece and the snow amount in some areas is increasing. However, the precipitation will be almost non-existent again in North Greece, because of the reason I mention last time...
Suddenly, a strong wind appeared yesterday evening and made the temperature fall. Despite the 7oC, my hands were red and hurt, cause the real feel was much colder (North wind) and some Cirrus and Altocumulus clouds appeared.
The wind now has calmed down and the temperature is still above 0oC in Thessaloniki, contrary to many other locations, where it's much colder and it's snowing. The sky is covered with clouds, although the sun is occasionally seen. The darkest clouds are some kilometres South of here, towards Halkidiki, where it has been snowing since early morning. Just some kilometres South of here! Hopefully, some snow will be experienced also in Thessaloniki later today, but not anything exciting...
The min today was +2oC and the max +5oC some hours ago. The temperature has started falling again and it will continue falling till tomorrow, when it will be really cold as it never has been for many years. The temperature up to 850hPa will be -12oC for Thessaloniki and -4oC for Athens!

Some locations, where it's snowing right now
Athens, Ioannina, Scopelos, Tripoli, Karditsa, Agrinio, Halkida, Halkidiki, etc...
You can watch live snowfall in Athens here;
http://nifada.com/webcam/panorama_large.htm

PS. I captured a nacreous cloud yesterday, those beautiful clouds that always get so many colours, when they are near the sun. However, this one was a little far away from the sun. Many lenticularis appeared that day, too.

Last week and next week

After so many days of rainless and dry weather, some rain and snow appeared in Greece, but not in North.
The only noteworthy, that happened in Northern Greece during last week was-for second time this winter-the severe winds coming from north, that were as strong as 110km/h (9-11Beaufort) and caused many accidents and made the harbours close. When such strong North winds appear in Northern Greece, no precipitation will be seen.
Contrary to the rest of South and Central Greece, where these cold winds firstly pass over the warm Aegean Sea, then become humid because of the temperature difference and finally make clouds and heavy rainfalls over these areas.
The same thing happend Tuesday night and Wednesday, when the weather in Northern Greece was sunny and windy, whereas it was snowing in Athens and in many other areas in South Greece with low altitude.
However, this didn't last more than 2-3 days and the weather is boring again all over Greece. Sunny, humid, dizzy, some few Ac clouds, warm durind daylight and cold during night...
The weather is said to change next weekend, so let us hope...