Running Earth Day, Planting Forecast, fun with Summer

 

Yesterday Summer and I got our run in just before the rain rolled in.  It's been a damp night and morning so far and it is going to stay that way... More on that in a little bit.

 

Had a fantastic final run with the Columbus Westside Running Club on Saturday. Going to miss these peeps. This was the final group run before the Cap City Half next week. Then the group is officially taking a little bit of a break besides the few of us doing more races coming up, but this does give me the opportunity for more time in the woods on trails before the Mohican trail marathon.

We did our monthly bike/running trail cleanup today as well after the group run. Pretty solid Saturday morning.

Rain steady most of the day today, especially early. The rain breaks up some later in the day and becomes scattered. Scattered rain will stick around tonight and the first part of Wednesday. Rain will generally be light and temps remaining cool today, tonight, and Wednesday. More sun on Thursday as high pressure builds. Clouds return Friday with some scattered rain possible as a cold front swings through later in the day. Decreasing clouds for the weekend with warming temps thanks to all the sunshine

Feel free to click the image above, but this is the GFS forecast for surface temperatures the next 16 days.

This is what I am going with for our next 10 days.  Still staying below normal through the end of the month, but we warm up more next week.  

I have had a LOT of questions about planting the garden or plants outside... We will warm up next week, but frost is still possible this spring. As far as a hard freeze... none on the horizon, but can't rule it out.

So I give planting outside a yellow light for hardy plants, but you may want to hold off on tender plants. Planting in pots is a great way to get a jump start on a juicy tomato, that way they are mobile. Keep sheets ready to cover plants or be ready bring them inside, if needed. Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Fishing with Summer, up & down temps and up for a while now...

Last Thursday and Friday were great, weren't they?!?! We hit 78 on Thursday and 82 on Friday.  I took Summer hiking and fishing.

The only fish we caught was the rubber one that was tied to the end of her line so she could practice reeling in the big ones.  Nothing was biting, but we did have a fun time enjoying the warmest days of the year so far.

I also mowed the grass for the first time this year. Some spots I barely cut anything and other spots were super thick and lush.  This next mow should be more consistent. 

Then winter weather returned.  We had a few days this week with some light snow and flurries. 

But yesterday we waved goodbye to winter.  I think there is a 95% chance we are done with the snow for the rest of the season.  SO LONG!!!

We warmed up quickly yesterday and cleared out and we went from snow in the morning to sun in the afternoon.  It was a great day for a run. 

Mostly sunny & mild today, but we do have a chilly start, so you will need the jacket early then you may not need that this afternoon with plenty of sun. Tonight we will be mostly clear and chilly with patchy frost. A few high clouds will move in for Saturday and Sunday, so partly cloudy with temps near 60 both days. These clouds will be part of a Low Pressure system tracking across the Southern United States over the weekend and then graze us with rain early next week. We warm up more Monday and some rain may sneak in here by the evening. More rain likely Tuesday and Wednesday with mild temps and highs in the 60s. Rain holds off though until late Monday or Tuesday, so a great weekend on the way! Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Took a mini-cation to see my sister, warm then more snow?!?!

Had a great few days in Florida visiting my sister who is working at Animal Kingdom with Disney's College Program. 

My parents have an annual pass since they knew Amanda would be working down there, so Dawn and I only went into the parks one day, but we made the most of it. We made sure to see the talking Mickey because he will be going away soon.

So yea... Summer went into the parks each day with my parents and you KNOW she was acting like an angel for them.  I think she talked them into getting her ice cream every single night.

Cheesing for the camera...

Dawn and I spent time together for some fun dates around the resorts and spent a lot of time by the pool.  I ran a little more than 20 miles down there and it was a shock to running in the heat and humidity again... in due time for us here in Ohio. 

I took an extra day off to get laundry done and Summer and I started planting our cold weather crops in the garden.  Peas and lettuce seeds are planted, but we have to wait a little more before the rest.  Carrots and onions will be next followed by the tomatoes and peppers in a month. 

I was told to leave and not come back until it warms up... well... I'm BACK! The next few days will be the warmest of 2018 so far! There is a catch... our winds will be very brisk in the afternoon and a Wind Advisory issued with our southwest winds 15-30 mph with gusts 45+. A little early morning rain today is passing by through Northern Ohio; otherwise partly cloudy, warm, & windy today with highs in the lower 70s. Tonight a mix of clear skies and clouds with overnight lows in the mid 50s and breezy. Winds pick back up tomorrow with partly cloudy skies and temps warming into the mid 70s. Rain returns Saturday with scattered showers and a few storms, while remaining warm. It looks dry, warm & windy for tonight's Columbus Clippers Home Opener tonight, but be sure to pack rain gear for the Ohio State Spring Game on Saturday. More showers and storms Sunday as a cold front sweeps through the area. This will usher in colder air for next week. The overnight forecast models are trending our temperatures colder, so a few tweaks to our extended forecast to adjust our temperatures colder for early next week and changing the icon to rain/snow on Monday with some early morning wintry mix showers then warming to some rain showers during the daylight hours then back to wintry mix and light snow/flurries Monday evening. We slowly start warming back up by the middle of next week. Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

MORNING! More snow on the way?!?!?!

I've been powering through the week and hopefully you have as well!  What would we do without caffeine?!?!

Easter was a lot of fun. Summer was lucky because the Easter Bunny made two stops.  LOTS of candy, but finding the eggs was almost more fun than eating the candy.

Since I was out of town, I met up with some random trail runners at Hinckley Reservation.  We crossed a bunch of streams, ran through the mud, but the views were fantastic.

This photo is a little blurry because I took it while we were running, but some awesome rock formations along the trail.

But, yes, a little muddy.  That was my first distance on a trail at least a half marathon.  It felt great and the thing I like about trails is that it isn't all about finishing under a certain time.  It is about safely navigating the what the trail gives you and enjoying the sights and sounds.  Good training for my trail marathon in June.

BTW, what the heck is up with all of our snow in April?!?!  I am done. Done! Let's jump into at least slightly warmer temps! 

Flooding still an issue for many spots around the area from the 2-4" of rain we picked up on Tuesday. 

Grab the coat! Temps are below freezing this morning and wind chills have been dipping into the teens at times. Early sun today, but more clouds by the afternoon with temps climbing into the upper 40s. A few light rain/snow showers this evening will mainly stay north. Chilly tonight and mostly cloudy and the clouds stick around most of the day Friday with a few peeks of sun and temps warming near 50. Rain showers return later Friday and as temps fall Friday night we transition over to snow showers. Snow showers continue overnight and move south. Central Ohio could have a light accumulation and Southern Ohio could see a couple inches or more by daybreak. Snow should be moving out early Saturday then clouds clearing. Changing the icon from a wintry mix to snow showers.

As of writing this, Thursday morning at 8AM, the National Weather Service has a Winter Storm Watch for far Southern Ohio for Saturday morning. Increasing sun during the day on Saturday and more sun Sunday with highs in the 40s. Clouds return later Sunday with some snow showers possible Sunday night into early Monday morning. Temps warm up Monday with a wintry mix possible as we warm up. More wintry mix possible Tuesday, but that is looking lighter. Much warmer temps on the way in a week and a half!  Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Spending time with Summer, Let Me Run, sunshine returning soon!

Finally our temps are warm enough to start taking Summer on my runs again.  Lots of stroller time ahead for the two of us.  We had a great run at Griggs this week. 

It has been hard dodging the rain all week, but thankfully it took enough of a break Tuesday for me to run with the Let Me Run Columbus boys at Wickliffe.  Some of you may be aware of Girls On The Run and this program is the same for boys.  I am the grand marshal for their 5k in early May, so it was great to run with them before the big run.  It was fun talking with some of them on the run because we ran 2.2 miles and some of the kids were excited to run the farthest distance of their lives.  

Fog was an issue early this morning, but it has been breaking up...

Thanks to more rain moving in.  

A foggy, wet day ahead... again. Today the fog is more dense and could cause some problems on the roads. Rain showers will pick up in coverage and intensity today with a few rumbles, mainly for Southern Ohio. A few showers will linger tonight as colder air races in and winds pick up. A few sprinkles and flurries are possible early Friday then clouds slowly clearing with some sun later in the day. Friday evening looks great for any Passover & Good Friday festivities. Increasing clouds Saturday with late afternoon/evening rain showers. The rain will race through pretty early Sunday morning and it is looking like most of the precip will be rain and only a slight possibility of a wintry mix early Sunday morning since most of the moisture will move out before our temps bottom out in the mid 30s for Easter morning. Mostly to partly cloudy on Easter Sunday and looking to stay dry Monday. More rain returns Tuesday. Our temps will warm up Tuesday, however, if we see steady rain then it will limit our temps, but some breaks in the rain will allow a surge of warm air and right now we are going to go with a high of 62. Drier and cooler air returns Wednesday. Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Running, camping in with Summer, plumbing, AP Awards

 Last week was an interesting week... Some snow, some sun, but chilly all week long.

At least we had some weekend sun. Had a great run around Columbus.

I got called into work last weekend and I was supposed to camp with Summer.  So I made it up to her this weekend and put our our tents in the living room and watched some NCAA March Madness before hitting the hay for the night.  She loves it and I am so happy to inspire her to enjoy the outdoors.  

Unfortunately I didn't get a lot of outdoor time this weekend... The valve for the shower/tub went out after 22 years.  I had to replace it.  Not sure why there is an electrical line running right behind it, but who knows... Lots of little odd things that probably shouldn't pass code. 

Anyway, I got it fixed and we are back up and running!  I had to get a little creative though. 

The new unit is more shallow than the old bulky one so I had to notch out the 2x4 to bring the valve closer to the wall.  Worked perfectly!  Got the new unit installed and running!  By the way... I ponied up to get Sharkbite fittings.  They get costly, but man was it nice.  Twice I had to take apart the unit for unforeseen hurdles (like the 2x4).  I was able to take apart the pipes and fix issues before the final assembly.  I also drooped the electrical wire in case there are ever any issues it will drop in this area instead of running down the wire to an outlet.

I was not able to attend the Ohio Associated Press awards, but it was a nice distraction getting texts and tweets about winning Best Weathercast!  I wasn't quite expecting that, but that's pretty awesome news when dealing with the plumbing project.

A chilly start to your workweek, but lots of early sun followed by more clouds through the day with mild temps and breezy winds. A few showers possible in Western Ohio later today, but Central Ohio should dodge the rain until tonight. Rain showers move in overnight and a few rumbles of thunder are possible early Tuesday. On and off rain Tuesday and Wednesday, but more on than off. The rain breaks up a little more Thursday and Friday, but the chance of rain is still there. Rain fall totals for the week look to be generally 1"-2", but isolated pockets may see more. At least temperatures will be warming up some this week. Today we top out in the mid 50s then upper 50s tomorrow and lower 60s Wednesday and Thursday. Rain looks to take a little bit of a break for the start of next weekend on Saturday, but cooler. More rain looks to return next Sunday. Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

A rare Sunday post!

Phil Kelly got the stomach bug and I filled in yesterday and today on the weekend morning show.  And who would complain when you get to work with these lovely ladies! 

We are not done with winter just yet. We had a tiny bit of snow earlier this week and yesterday, but the little bit of snow is nice because it melts so quickly.

We are just barely under the season average for snow for the season... but we are not done yet.

Friday I did a dramatic reading of the Wizard of Oz at Easton Town Center.  They have an adorable Wizard of Oz play area for kids.  Summer had a lot of fun and it was hard to get her to leave for her nap.

Not a lot of running for me this week.  I was sick earlier this week so took a day off. Then Thursday my MCL sprain really flared up so I pulled the plug halfway through my speedwork.  I am taking the weekend off and trying to get back out this week if I feel fully recovered.  No need to exaggerate an injury  I did make something I had been wanting to do for a while.  I found an Etsy vendor that makes custom dog tags so I made this tag with the back having contact information.  Since I don't run with my phone normally or any ID, I wanted to make sure I was a little covered in case anything would happen.  I braided it out of paracord just in case I need about 8 feet of rope.

Sunday looks to be the pick day on the extended forecast, so get out there and enjoy the afternoon! Mostly sunny today and cold early, but warming into the lower 50s. Tonight a few clouds start moving in and increasing clouds for Monday with highs back in the 50s with winds picking up. Rain will sneak into Southern Ohio late Monday evening and leave early Tuesday morning with this round of precip mainly overnight and to the south. The sun will try to break out a little during the day Tuesday then another round of rain late Tuesday and that will transition over to some snow Tuesday night into early Wednesday. The current projected track of this system is to our south so the heaviest of the precip will stay mainly south of I-70. Some early rain/snow on Wednesday then sunshine returning by Thursday. Still early to talk about specific snowfall totals because the timing of the switch over from rain to snow is still about 72 hours out and the track is still bouncing around a little on the forecast models. That being said, parts of the area will see no snow and other areas could have pockets of a few inches of snow or more, so stay tuned. Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael