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The Rubber Band Cloud Theory
By
Peter Glen
Over the millennia's, mankind accumulated information
about the weather, but most of the know-how isn't passed onto the next
generation, and forgotten. I remember, my grandfather could tell the
weather accurately without the use of any weather service of magic. I
truly wish I could go back and benefit from his wisdom.
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Many days, we look at the clouds, and marvel at their beauty. We
(traditionally) associate the cloud's shapes with earthly objects
and animals. But what else can the clouds tell us?
Well, the clouds may tell us pretty much everything about the
weather. The direction of the wind, the air pressure, the layout of the
weather fronts, rain content.
Let's start with the air pressure. Some days the clouds
lay low. That is when the air pressure is low. Low pressure systems are
moisture rich, prone to rain. Low pressure clouds are usually darker
because of the water content they carry.
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High clouds are associated with high air pressure.
High air pressure systems are usually sunny and dry. The clouds are
brighter colored.
The direction of the wind. The wind shapes the clouds in
unexpected ways. Imagine a rubber band tensioned between two points,
and
push the rubber band slightly with one finger, perpendicular to the
rubber
band's alignment. Much like the figure below.
Clouds assume similar alignment. Perpendicular to the
wind's force, bent a little towards the direction of the wind. On the
picture below, one can observe the rubber band alignment of the clouds.
The wind is blowing from the lower left of the picture towards the
upper right.
With the Rubber Band Cloud Theory, one
can establish the wind direction with a single glance. But it can do
more. When we are standing on the boundary of a frontal system, we can
distinguish the fronts by the rubber band effect they produce. We can
anticipate the front movement by observing which rubber band bends with
more intensity.
Much as clouds are subject to the rubber band theory, whole weather
systems are subject to it too. Looking at a countrywide weather
report, notice the frontal systems are bending, exactly as a rubber
band
would bend.
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The absence of a rubber band formation is just as
telling. If the cloud alignment has no distinguishable rubber band, it
means the
cloud system we observe is on the intersecting point of weather
systems.
Where the opposing wind forces cancel each other out. Much like the eye
of
the hurricane is always quiet. The opposing wind forces nullify each
other.
This gives a whole new meaning to the 'quiet before the storm'. What
nature
really presents us is 'The neutral zone of multiple systems'
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The picture to the left is taken in South Florida, looking towards the
Mexican gulf. Notice, how the lining of the clouds are parallel to the
ocean.
In South Florida, on an average day, the weather system is
balanced by two wind forces: the ocean breeze, and the prevailing wind
of the area. Hence the rubber band of the area is almost always
parallel with the coast. This has interesting implications for
navigation. Namely, when driving around, a single look at the sky will
establish the coastline. How easy.
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Looking at the above picture again, the rubber band is
distinctively parallel to the beach. Also, the lining of the clouds is
parallel to the ocean waves. Same rubber band theory, different media.
Good old H2O.
Practical usage. While every weather system is different,
here are some observations the rubber band theory allowed us in
South
Florida.
Southern wind always brings warmth here. Northern wind
cools us down. So when the rubber band bends to the north (aka southern
wind)
it is going to be warm. When the rubber band bends to the south
(northern
wind) it is going to be cold.
The rubber band is almost always parallel to the ocean
here. A notable exception we encountered, when there was a hurricane
nearby. The rubber band aligned itself 'wrong'. The feeder band of the
hurricane established a pattern that was contrary to the usual. Could
this be influencial on how animals sense that extreme bad weather is
coming?
E-White
Paper 2002, by Peter Glen
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