Every Friday, FreightWaves takes a look at the past week or so in social media, highlighting images in trucking, transportation and weather. This week features heavy mountain snow in Hawaii, a descending airplane battling crosswinds and two late-season Southern tornadoes.
Trouble in paradise
Earlier this week, a strong storm dumped an estimated 6 to 10 inches of snow in the summits of the Big Island. This isn’t unusual, as many mountains in the Aloha State remain snowcapped most of the year. What people may think was more unusual was the blizzard warning issued by the National Weather Service, anticipating 100-mph wind gusts. But, according to the Iowa Environmental Mesonet, the NWS posts an average of one blizzard warning in Hawaii every two years. In fact, gusts peaked at 105 mph.
The storm also drowned Honolulu with rainfall of 7.92 inches Monday, a new Dec. 6 record. The NWS also said it was also the wettest December day on record for Honolulu, surpassing the previous single-day December record of 7.89 inches on Dec. 12, 1987. Three-day rain totals, Sunday through Tuesday, ranged from 10 to nearly 15 inches in many places, leading to major floods.
It takes a steady hand
An Aerolineas Argentinas pilot had a bit of trouble landing his Airbus A340 the other day. Strong winds made for a shaky approach to the Ushuaia Airport in far southern Argentina.
According to airport observations, peak gusts exceeded 50 mph during the late-morning hours Tuesday. But the pilot seemed to make it to the ground with ease while at least one nervous person shot the landing on Twitter.
December destruction
Two late-season tornadoes tore through northern Kentucky before dawn Monday morning. They touched down in the Frankfort area, flipping mobile homes, snapping trees and damaging barns. The NWS rated each an EF-1 on the Fujita scale, with estimated maximum winds of 90 to 95 mph.
The NWS reported two injuries related to one of the storms but no deaths from either one. Spring is the primary severe weather season in the South, with a secondary season in early and mid-autumn. However, Monday’s tornadoes were a reminder that they can happen any time of year.
Beauty shot
This week’s beauty shot features a 360-degree rainbow seen from a plane somewhere over the United Kingdom. Though it’s pretty difficult to see one, 360-degree rainbows aren’t rare. In its total form, a rainbow truly never ends. From the ground, it’s nearly impossible to see the full, colorful circle of refracted light. Flying above them gives us the advantage of a full view.
Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Nick Austin.
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