Weather of no interest

Since I arrived in Greece after my Christmas holidays in South Norway, nothing interesting happened as regards weather. Cloudy weather, fogs in the mornings, warm temperatures, that lasted many days, due to a High pressure.
That's the reason, that the blog was not updated, since there wasn't anything to write...
Only yesterday the weather changed with some drizzles and strong wind. Some snow appeared above 300m on the mountains, around the city, as a result of a temperature-fall.
However, the temperature will rise again and the weather is already sunny. But a new cold air mass will affect Greece next week and some precipitation is possible.
Although winter has not ended, the weather till now hasn't been that rainy/snowy in Greece...

New year starts with snowstorms in Norway (photos)

So, I'm back in Greece now, but I left Norway with great memories. After so many years I saw much snow cover everything, but I was so unlucky, that the most snow fell the day I left. The total snow amount was around 50-70cm! However, I was in Norway during the snowfall that gave 15-20cm of snow and lots of photos will you see.
The first day of the new year started with cloudy weather in Arendal and some interesting wavy formations on the Altocumulus' base.
 


The clouds were getting even darker and lower till the winter's first snowflakes started falling from the sky! Because of the last week's frozen weather and the low temperatures (-11oC), the ground was still cold, so the snow was covering the ground immediately at 17:10.


The dry snowflakes were getting larger and by the end of this snowfall around 2-5cm was the total snow amount, so nothing to worry about... The temperature during the snowfall was -0,6oC...+0,1oC.
 
 

 

Next morning the snow started melting, because the temperature was a bit above 0oC and the max around +2oC. The wasn't any precipitation, but for one moment small hails started falling making noise.
 
Fortunately, it started getting colder after sunset and few snowflakes also appeared later at 19:00. However, later in the evening the temperature was falling lower and it was finally undulating (?) around +/-0oC, so got the snowfalls really severe combined with really strong winds coming from East! The snow wasn't covering the ground yet, because of +0,1oC and the wet streets. However, suddenly around 21:00 a really strong snow shower reduced the visibility and in some seconds only everything was covered of small hard snowflakes, which hit me on my face. Not many centimetres at first, but this snowstorm made the start.
 
    

The snowfalls' intensity was constant and some severe snow showers continued to appear whole night. The snowflakes were getting larger, too. 
  

Next day, everything was beautiful and white and the snow amount was for sure over 5cm. The temperature was -1oC during the day so there was no fear if the snow would have melt. Actually, the max temperature was +0,2oC at 01:45. But it's worth to mention, that I was freezing much more than my first day in Norway, when the temperature was -10oC, due to the severe winds. 


But something that made sense was that it was snowing while the sky was blue between the clouds. The Stratocumulus clouds looked like these I see in March, so I thought that there must have been instability in the atmosphere. Perhaps, that's why there were so many severe showers. 

 

Later at noon I had a walk in Arendal center... 

  

...and during the afternoon snowstorms appeared again and it was really harsh to walk against the wind. 


This is the protestant church "Trefoldighets kirken" in Arendal center during a snowshower/snowstorm. 


So after these snow showers (on/off weather) the total snow amount was around 10-15cm.

Unfortunately, the next day (or even better next night) I had to leave Norway and return back to Greece.
It wasn't snowing during Friday, but it was still windy.
But, after what I saw and what I heard the snow amount on Saturday reached 50-80cm!!! Of course! The best must happen, when I'm not there! I was very unlucky with that, but I'm not disappointed, because last time I saw 10cm of snow was some years ago and the snow in Norway has already melted now.

Cold weather and rime just before Christmas in Norway (photos)

After many years of not going to Norway during winter, my wish to return came true! I will stay in Arendal, Aust Agder till 4 January 2008 and I hope I am going to see some snow...although I don't think so... It has already snowed in Thessaloniki, whereas in South Norway they are still waiting!

I arrived on Friday night in Kristiansand, Vest Agder, where the temperature was really low. But it had already been cold in South Norway during last week with temperatures being around -11oC...-4oC during the day! So, while driving to Arendal (~65km East of Kristiansand) the max temperature I met was -3oC and the min -11,5oC*, while some fog-clouds were appearing in the sky!
But low temperature was not the only interesting during last week, when I was not in Norway. The weather was also dizzy and dense fog had been covering many areas in South Norway for many hours everyday. So, thick rime was formed and covered all surfaces, just as everything looks like after a snowfall! My grandmother described to me, the way the sun was shining through the fog one day, something that made the tiny ice crystals glow and she said that it was like watching small diamonds falling down from the sky! I’m almost sure that an optical phenomenon like parhelia must have been seen. Something else that was formed because of the really low temperatures was thick ice on the sea surface!
When I finally arrived in Arendal, the temperature was as low as -7,5oC and the sky was clear. Here are some photos I took showing the rime, just after my arrival!
Everything was frost.


The little neighborhood, where I stay every time I come to Norway 

A frozen tree

In the garden
 

The ground, covered of rime


A new, white day has just started. Everything looks like it had been snowing!

The island Tromøy to the right and the bridge, Tromøybrua can also be seen

In Arendal centre the sea is frozen and some birds are just walking on the ice  
 
Rime seen on the grass 

 

White houses and trees

The small island, Hisøy...

...and Tromøy
 

Some icicles back of some trees


Beautiful rime formations

The sea covered by ice with Tromøy in the background
 
 
Really fascinating forest on Tromøy

Another close-up rime formation

Everything is white


But the things got worse during Saturday. When it was getting darker, instead of getting colder the temperature continued to rise and finally reached +0,3 at midnight with some fog covering the area! So...all these fascinating landscapes are gone now and the ice has melt...
The temperature finally reached +2,7oC Sunday 05:55 and when I woke up at ~11:00 the sun had just risen up and I noticed that the temperature had fallen to ~1oC...I supposed, that the temperature felt because the sky was cloudless now... However, even during afternoon, when the sun was shining the temperature was still falling above 0oC, something that made everything wet, frost and the streets quite dangerous. The temperature stopped at -3,4oC at 22.50 and frost-smokes (as they say in Norway) appeared over many areas, because of the cold surfaces.
PHOTO

Christmas day for Norway is 24/12 and Monday's min was -3,1oC at 00:30, but the temperature soon started to rise again till the max was marked at 17:40 with 5oC. Christmas was windy with some drizzles. Nothing interesting...

So, Tuesday 25/12 had also some strange temperature changes. At midnight the temperature was +3,3oC, but a temperature drop was followed till 05:55 with -1oC. So, began a temperature-rise...again and I noticed, that it started raining at 09:35 with the temperature at +0,2oC!
It was snowing last Saturday in Thessaloniki with +3oC and it's raining in Norway with just +0,2oC!?*
And finally, the max of the day was +5,2oC at 21:30…

Wednesday started with cloudy weather and +4,1oC at midnight. So, the min followed at 04:50, which was +0,4oC, but the temperature after that didn’t rise that much, maybe because of the clear sky and the temperature was around +1oC the whole afternoon. But the temperature began to irritate me again by rising to +4,7oC at 23:10, while the sky was getting mostly cloudy and this was also the max of the day…

And I thought the max temperature is during daylight…
**Well, I can refer some differences I noticed between the weather in Norway and Greece.
Although the temperature in Norway were really low and even -11oC, I can't say, that I was freezing. I felt those -11oC in Norway like -1oC in Greece! When it's cold in Greece, it's awful cold, even when the temperature is not under 0oC! I feel my hands, my ears hurt and my nose really cold, which always gets red and when it's windy it's much worse! The wind is just getting through your clothes, something that didn't happen in Norway. I could easily keep myself warm only by wearing a coat!

Something else I noticed in Norway is the combination between the temperature and the snowfalls. Last Saturday Thessaloniki, Greece was experiencing severe snowfalls with temperatures during night and day above 0oC! The min was +0,7oC and the max +3,4oC! The snow didn't cover the ground, but it was snowing! It started raining only in South Thessaloniki, when the temperature was as high as +4oC and the humidity as high as 97%, whereas it was snowing at the same time in north Thessaloniki with +2oC! It has snowed in Greece many times, while the temperature was above 0oC!
However, I have noticed that it hardly snows in Norway even if the temperature is 0oC or even just below 0oC... For example, on Tuesday morning the temperature was +0,2oC and I was surprised to see, that it was raining! I remember when I was younger, the same thing happening....
I can't explain why this is happening, but I suppose it has to do with the temperature in higher altitudes.... But logically, the temperature should be lower in Norway and not in Greece, right?


Well, I hope I didn't was tiring for you to read all this.

I will write again, if............I see any snow, or anything else interesting....

I wish you happy holidays and a happy new year!

Snowy Greek landscapes (photos)

And after the snowfalls on Saturday afternoon, I decided in the evening to stay at my grandparents' house for the weekend. The live in Diavata, Nea Ionia, a Northern part of Thessaloniki. The sky was clear and only some clouds appeared during night of Sunday. And suddenly, I opened my eyes at 7:30 and was so lucky to notice, that a beautiful sunrise was going to follow, as the temperature was as low as -2oC!
  

After all those snowfalls, I wanted so much to go to "my village" (as we say here in Greece), Petroto. Petroto is a small village North of Thessaloniki, in the countryside, where the temperature is lower and I thought, that the snow wouldn't have melt. And I was right. The snow was still covering trees and mountains, but it started melting there, too, as the temperature was higher than 0oC...

 
 
I suppose, that the snow amount had been around 6-7cm, but some of it had already melted. The clouds started covering the sky, but because of the Cirrostratus-clouds the sun could be seen through them.

And so, at ~02.30 Monday, it startes snowing again back in Diavata! The temperature was around 1oC, so cars and parks were being covered by the snow.

However, it wasn't snowing in all areas of Thessaloniki. For example, in Kalamaria it was raining mixed with some wet snowflakes with 3oC and 97% humidity! It continued to snow in the morning, but the temperature was rising and it finally stopped at noon...