Crazy Weather and Delayed Flights

Yesterday marked the final day during which we could have flown to a site.  But, as things have been going recently, the flights were cancelled due poor weather.  So, we're busy tying things up here in McMurdo - putting equipment in storage, returning equipment, and preparing equipment for next year.

Earlier, flights were being cancelled due to poor weather at our destinations, but the recent cancellations have been due to poor weather here in McMurdo.   This means that flights to Christchurch for people returning home have also been cancelled.  We are now two days behind on flights, even with flights being made on a Sunday (not usually done), so I'm not certain whether I will make it off the continent on Tuesday as planned.

For a couple of days, the weather was just not good enough for flying, but perfectly fine for daily life and work.  But, for the past two days, the weather was actually quite rotten.  Before I tell you about it, first, I want to explain the weather rating system that is used here in Antarctica.

Severe Weather Condition I

• Winds greater than 55 knots sustained for one minute, or
• Visibility less than 100 feet sustained for one minute, or
• Wind chill greater than -100°F sustained for one minute.
• Severe weather is in progress. All personnel must remain in buildings or the nearest shelter.

Severe Weather Condition II

• Winds 48 to 55 knots sustained for one minute, or
• Visibility less than ¼ mile, but greater than or equal to 100 feet sustained for one minute, or
• Wind chill -75°F to -100°F sustained for one minute.
• Restricted pedestrian traffic only between buildings is allowed. Vehicular travel is only allowed in radio equipped, enclosed vehicles, and check out with the Firehouse is required.

Weather Condition III

• Winds less than 48 knots, and
• Visibility greater than or equal to ¼ mile, and
• Wind chill temperature warmer than -75°F.
• Unrestricted travel and activity are allowed.

So, Condition III weather is the standard, and although it includes weather that is definitely unpleasant, there are no special restrictions on what is allowed.  During both last season and this season, I had never seen weather worse than Condition III, although I'd heard of some camps in weather-prone areas having Condition II in the summer.  But, two days ago, Condition II was declared for Pegasus - our runway few miles away - and for the road to it.  Yesterday, Pegasus was declared to be under Condition I weather, and McMurdo was put under Condition II, with the expectation that the bad weather would continue to move into town and we would soon be under Condition I.



Erica and I were busy grinding down the heads of 300 bolts so that they would fit where they needed to go to build some solar panels.  A tedious task, but it was made less tedious by the really cool sparks.  Kind of like playing with sparklers for a few hours, except for the risk of burning yourself on hot bolts.  We branded the wooden table in several locations by leaving bolts there fresh off the grinder.  While we were working, the manager of the science lab came in to the workshop.  She was making the rounds to tell everyone we were under Condition II and that the Condition I weather appeared to be heading from Pegasus into town.  She said everyone needed to make plans for where they wanted to stuck be during Condition I weather, and if that wasn't the science lab, then we should leave soon.




We realized that a number of the people we worked with had gone outside to where cargo was stored to work on putting equipment into storage for the winter.  We hoped they had had the sense to come inside when the weather got bad, but when we checked for them, they were nowhere to be seen.  So, we sent someone to fetch them with the promise everyone would check in on their return.  Maybe overkill - but none of us had ever seen Condition I before!  Well, everyone returned safely, and Erica and I stepped outside briefly to take some photos and then returned to spending the rest of the afternoon grinding bolts.  Condition I was never officially declared in McMurdo, although there was plenty of anecdotal evidence that the required conditions may have been achieved.

Today the weather is back to normal and flights to Christchurch are taking off again.  It remains to be seen whether I will make it back home as scheduled or if I will be delayed by a few days, but at least things are moving again.  For now, we still have evidence of the storm around.  There are drifts of snow, knee-high in a few places.  That may not seem like much for many areas, but it is actually quite a bit for McMurdo in the summer.  There was also a metal door ripped from its hinges as evidence of the wind.  I'll end today's post with pictures of this and a few others of the inclement weather.

Me, demonstrating the wind in Condition II.

The NSF Chalet in Condition II.  There is a building to the left of it and a mountain/hill behind it that you can't see.  The mountain/hill is shown in good weather in the picture on the right.

Taken later in the evening when McMurdo returned to Condition III, but
Pegasus (on the ice across the sound, but closer than the mountain in the
distance) was still under Condition I.  You can see the white of all the
blowing snow near Pegasus and the surf generated in McMurdo Sound
even under windy Condition III weather.

A door ripped off its hinges overnight in the wind.  This was actually after McMurdo returned to Condition III weather!