Weather It Is (Do Things Ever Change?)

Good Afternoon:

If you ask the residents of the central and eastern United States, they will tell you "yes, things do change."  In fact, temperatures dropped by more than 50 F in just several hours, reminiscent of other great (but not very frequent) flash freezes.

As reported by the NY Times, "It began with the polar vortex, an elliptical-shaped pattern of frigid winds blowing west to east and centered on the North Pole... In the last week, though, a kink developed in the vortex’s winds, delivering arctic air to the Plains and the Midwest, forcing warmer air out of the way."
 http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/07/nyregion/in-new-york-temperatures-fall-far-fast.html?hp

Perhaps, a similar kink in the polar vortex that (somewhat more frequently) leads to our unusually cold and snowy weather.

Yet, as time moves along into 2014, we see future rain chances fade away, as temperatures slowly oscillate from one system to another, but never too much, and without too much impact.

In fact, the next system that will impact our area is a "Classic-Red Sea Trough" seen on our weather maps (below) to affect the southern Arava (and vicinity) tomorrow. This is more reminiscent of spring.  The rain associated with this system may lead to flooding on the routes (paved or otherwise) into Eilat.

Still, we should not give up hope.  While it may not be true that a Butterfly flapping its winds literally affects the weather in Kansas (or Efrat), titanic shifts in the rules of human behaviour were just found in the Rimon of Efrat.  Could this be the impetus for further changes, but in the physical realm (of weather)?

There is a hard and fast rule that a long line at the Post Office (above) means a short line at the Pharmacy (below; and vice-versa).  Yet, today I was first in line at the Pharmacy and then first in line at the Post-Office.  I had so much time on my hands that I almost stopped to speak and tell  a neighbour -- but upon reflection, thought "better" of it.

Barry Lynn
P.S: Actually, he was on the phone.