Cary Mock
@cj-mock.bsky.social
Professor, University of South Carolina, Dept of Geography. Hurricanes, Historical and Extreme Weather Events, Climatology, Meteorology. U Oregon PhD, U Utah MS, UC Davis BS
Current Southern California storm, not quite a Southeast Gale.
November 15, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Current Southern California storm, not quite a Southeast Gale.
Seeing recent buzz on the Aurora Borealis, reminded me of a September 1-2, 1859 event I have seen in S Carolina diaries and newspapers. Here a sample.
November 13, 2025 at 7:36 AM
Seeing recent buzz on the Aurora Borealis, reminded me of a September 1-2, 1859 event I have seen in S Carolina diaries and newspapers. Here a sample.
I think for archive research purposes I'll stick with Pixel 9 for now and not spend the money for 10. I would like a little better resolution but that will probably come with the next improvement.
November 8, 2025 at 4:32 PM
I think for archive research purposes I'll stick with Pixel 9 for now and not spend the money for 10. I would like a little better resolution but that will probably come with the next improvement.
On this date, Nov. 6, in 1954, Typhoon Pamela impacted Hong Kong and Macau as a Cat 1 typhoon. In my records, just 1 of 2 that have done so in the month of November. I got a British log at Hong Kong with a wind observation of 14 of the Extended Beaufort Scale (81-90 knots)
November 6, 2025 at 4:07 PM
On this date, Nov. 6, in 1954, Typhoon Pamela impacted Hong Kong and Macau as a Cat 1 typhoon. In my records, just 1 of 2 that have done so in the month of November. I got a British log at Hong Kong with a wind observation of 14 of the Extended Beaufort Scale (81-90 knots)
Typhoon Kalmaegi now a category 4 typhoon headed for Vietnam.
November 6, 2025 at 1:21 AM
Typhoon Kalmaegi now a category 4 typhoon headed for Vietnam.
Models have shifted in the long run for TD32 to the east of Hong Kong. So Hong Kong and probably Taiwan are longshots. For Hong Kong, I have a number of premodern November tropical cyclones. 1900 and 1954, I believe were full-fledged typhoons.
November 5, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Models have shifted in the long run for TD32 to the east of Hong Kong. So Hong Kong and probably Taiwan are longshots. For Hong Kong, I have a number of premodern November tropical cyclones. 1900 and 1954, I believe were full-fledged typhoons.
Made a plot of the short Yuma, AZ record that I recently keyed in a spreadsheet. Some obvious occasional quirky things, but mostly seems like a good record.
November 4, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Made a plot of the short Yuma, AZ record that I recently keyed in a spreadsheet. Some obvious occasional quirky things, but mostly seems like a good record.
A newspaper instrumental record from Statesburg, SC (Sumter County). Shows during the "Cyclone" around Halloween had cold temperatures down to 49 F. No way that can be tropical.
October 31, 2025 at 9:28 AM
A newspaper instrumental record from Statesburg, SC (Sumter County). Shows during the "Cyclone" around Halloween had cold temperatures down to 49 F. No way that can be tropical.
This an 1881 ship log in the S China Sea that mentioned birds in the eye of a typhoon
October 29, 2025 at 6:10 PM
This an 1881 ship log in the S China Sea that mentioned birds in the eye of a typhoon
Randy Cerveny mentioned to me about birds observed in Hurricane Melissa. I recall seeing in some old ship logs of birds in the eye of a hurricane/typhoon, but can't find any offhand. I did see that I have this account of the early Sept. 1841 typhoon near Taiwan.
October 27, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Randy Cerveny mentioned to me about birds observed in Hurricane Melissa. I recall seeing in some old ship logs of birds in the eye of a hurricane/typhoon, but can't find any offhand. I did see that I have this account of the early Sept. 1841 typhoon near Taiwan.
Thistlewood a bit brief some days and a bit tough to read.
October 27, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Thistlewood a bit brief some days and a bit tough to read.
Was looking at the diary of Thomas Thistlewood for hurricane descriptions, who kept diaries at Jamaica for much of the mid-later 1700s. Descriptions depict him as a ruthless slave owner, the contrast of Reverend Alexander Glennie of S Carolina. Both kept great weather diaries for > 35 years though.
October 27, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Was looking at the diary of Thomas Thistlewood for hurricane descriptions, who kept diaries at Jamaica for much of the mid-later 1700s. Descriptions depict him as a ruthless slave owner, the contrast of Reverend Alexander Glennie of S Carolina. Both kept great weather diaries for > 35 years though.
This from Kerry Emmanuel's book "Divine Wind" on the track of the October 1780 Savannah-la-Mar Hurricane that killed 3000+ people at Jamaica. Similar track as Melissa. May have been a Category 4. This was a different hurricane than the Great Hurricane that killed 20,000 people in the Caribbean.
October 27, 2025 at 1:29 PM
This from Kerry Emmanuel's book "Divine Wind" on the track of the October 1780 Savannah-la-Mar Hurricane that killed 3000+ people at Jamaica. Similar track as Melissa. May have been a Category 4. This was a different hurricane than the Great Hurricane that killed 20,000 people in the Caribbean.
From William Reid's Law of Storms that shows a British log in Jamaica during a hurricane on October 3rd. 1780.
October 27, 2025 at 12:50 PM
From William Reid's Law of Storms that shows a British log in Jamaica during a hurricane on October 3rd. 1780.
No Category 5 hurricanes for Jamaica that I know of, but a very slow moving hurricane with a bunch of rain, hit Jamaica in October 1815.
October 25, 2025 at 10:42 AM
No Category 5 hurricanes for Jamaica that I know of, but a very slow moving hurricane with a bunch of rain, hit Jamaica in October 1815.
Potential legendary hurricane for Jamaica. I talked with Mike Chenoweth in this a while ago. He knows a lot more about the historical Jamaica hurricanes than anybody. Modern record as I always say is just too short, even though some people shoot down the older stuff.
October 25, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Potential legendary hurricane for Jamaica. I talked with Mike Chenoweth in this a while ago. He knows a lot more about the historical Jamaica hurricanes than anybody. Modern record as I always say is just too short, even though some people shoot down the older stuff.
I mentioned the Cuba-Hatteras Hurricane of late October 1837 a short time ago, here is my take on it. A major hurricane in Cuba. Melissa likely won't [but I did not say definitely not] duplicate it nor go as far west, as this was a very unusual late season hurricane.
October 22, 2025 at 2:11 PM
I mentioned the Cuba-Hatteras Hurricane of late October 1837 a short time ago, here is my take on it. A major hurricane in Cuba. Melissa likely won't [but I did not say definitely not] duplicate it nor go as far west, as this was a very unusual late season hurricane.
Peter Skene Ogden and James Douglas correspondence on weather and snow in western Washington in January 1847.
October 22, 2025 at 10:02 AM
Peter Skene Ogden and James Douglas correspondence on weather and snow in western Washington in January 1847.
Melissa very likely to be a strong hurricane eventually. Long-term -- most likely will not affect the USA East Coast, but it's hard to forecast that far in advance. A few Euro model left outliers bear some similarity to the Cuba-Hatteras hurricane of Oct. 26-29, 1837.
October 22, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Melissa very likely to be a strong hurricane eventually. Long-term -- most likely will not affect the USA East Coast, but it's hard to forecast that far in advance. A few Euro model left outliers bear some similarity to the Cuba-Hatteras hurricane of Oct. 26-29, 1837.
Blurb from the diary of Marcelius Bixby, near Placerville, California in 1852. Looks like big rain on snow event.
October 11, 2025 at 11:39 AM
Blurb from the diary of Marcelius Bixby, near Placerville, California in 1852. Looks like big rain on snow event.
The Reanalysis simulates the big early October 1849 Nor'easter off the Northeast USA. It was not tropical or a hurricane.
October 10, 2025 at 4:15 AM
The Reanalysis simulates the big early October 1849 Nor'easter off the Northeast USA. It was not tropical or a hurricane.
Karen Kupperman mentioned in one of her articles on a great New England drought in 1645. Tree rings suggest It was a huge National scale drought.
October 7, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Karen Kupperman mentioned in one of her articles on a great New England drought in 1645. Tree rings suggest It was a huge National scale drought.
Although brief and probably questionable, this newspaper clipping does indicate two real severe New England droughts centered in Connecticut, confirmed by some tree ring maps.
October 7, 2025 at 4:57 AM
Although brief and probably questionable, this newspaper clipping does indicate two real severe New England droughts centered in Connecticut, confirmed by some tree ring maps.
It is good that Typhoon Halong will very likely remain well east of Japan.
October 6, 2025 at 9:55 AM
It is good that Typhoon Halong will very likely remain well east of Japan.
A North Carolina tornado (not hurricane ) in 1826.
October 4, 2025 at 12:29 PM
A North Carolina tornado (not hurricane ) in 1826.