Archives for November 10, 2008

From today”s 16:30 UTC SWODY:\r\n\r\n…A RELATIVELY\r\n WARM/MOIST BOUNDARY LAYER IS SPREADING NWD FROM S INTO CENTRAL\r\n TX…W OF A RESIDUAL BAROCLINIC ZONE FROM ROUGHLY CLL TO PSX. \r\n WIDESPREAD CLOUDS WILL TEND TO SLOW SURFACE HEATING…THOUGH CLOUD\r\n BREAKS AND BOUNDARY LAYER DEWPOINTS INCREASING INTO THE MID-UPPER\r\n 60S WILL SUPPORT MLCAPE VALUES OF 750-1500 J/KG BY MID-LATE\r\n AFTERNOON FROM S INTO CENTRAL TX. \r\n \r\n SURFACE-BASED THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED BY EARLY-MID\r\n AFTERNOON ACROSS CENTRAL TX…AND CONVECTION SHOULD PERSIST AND MOVE\r\n EWD INTO TONIGHT IN ADVANCE OF A SECOND MID-UPPER SPEED MAX THAT\r\n WILL ROTATE EWD TO CENTRAL TX FROM NRN MEXICO. THE COMBINATION OF A\r\n MOIST BOUNDARY LAYER…WEAK-MODERATE INSTABILITY…AND RELATIVELY\r\n STRONG LOW-LEVEL/DEEP LAYER SHEAR WILL BE SUPPORTIVE OF SUPERCELLS\r\n AND A FEW TORNADOES WITHIN THE LARGER AREA OF CONVECTION. \r\n OTHERWISE…AT LEAST ISOLATED LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS CAN ALSO\r\n BE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS.\r\n\r\nA quick look at GR3 doesn”t indicate anything significant in Texas–yet. The only supercell I see in the nation right now, at 3 p.m. EST, has its hook located around four miles west of Burkburnett, Oklahoma. I”m sure that”s just the opening act. The main show will get underway shortly.\r\n\r\nBut the thought of that leaves me cold, and in a most literal way. Here in Caledonia, Michigan, the temps are in the forties beneath a sombre gray November sky.\r\n\r\nSiiiigghhh!!!\r\n\r\nTo those of you who are chasing down there in central Texas–best of luck and be safe. Wish I was with you.

Here is a status report on my jazz improv e-book. Lessons one and two are now written. I plan to offer lesson one for free. It lays the groundwork for practicing the material in the ensuing lessons. Lesson two comes with a bonus table of jazz chords and alternative symbols.\r\n\r\nThis week I”ll at least get a start on lesson three. \r\n\r\nThe ebook will take a while to complete. Stay tuned for further updates. If you”re interested in learning how to translate the raw material of scales and chords into improvised solos on your musical instrument, these lessons will give you an organized, thoughtfully conceived approach.