Solar energy available in northern climates.

[Wolvenar]

Where I live is basically frozen hell for more of the year than not it seems, but that's changing fast given climate change.

Recently the solar power is hardly enough to keep up with the minimal loads.
I have had to move to grid power a few times recently to keep things alive.

This seems mostly due to the short days, as the output from my panels tend to peak at pretty much the same as it always did, which seems odd to me.

This leads me to a question.
Something I have noticed given the recent couple of years having an odd lack of snow.
I wonder if any others this far north have noticed, or am I just daft.

The sun spectrum seems really odd, shifted way high, not much red.
I get that this is probably what is supposed to happen when the angle of the sun makes light travel through so much of the atmosphere.
I suppose I normally didn't notice as much because the white snow cover would kind of distract from being able to tell.

Or at least that is the conclusion I have come up with.
Everything seems to just look wrong to me lately outside this late in the year, the last couple years

Am I just getting old and forgetful, is this really the lack of snow, or is this something odd and new?

[ghurd]

You are daft... We know that.   

Where are you, about?

NE OH, down wind of the Great Lakes (pronounced "Snow Belt"), had only one afternoon with some spitting snow while above freezing.  None at night (that I know of) and the temps were plenty low enough for snow.

We also had more than normal for sunshine since the hurricane.  A lot more.  That's acording to memory instead of sensors and computer logging.

I can recall Trick or Treating in snow, and maybe 4~6" on Easter.
My uncle says when he was younger once it actually considerably snowed you could be fairly sure there was going to be snow on the ground until spring, and he recalls a covered hollow stump with ice in it in June!

Runs in cycles here.  Last couple big cycles I recall knowing of are about 44-50, and again in the late 70s.
Maybe we are due?
Throw some white stuff on the ground and it reflects the light (as in heat).  Makes sense getting a foot early in the year would make a snowier year?

(google Snowball Earth)

For you guys not in the states; The Great Lakes?  The Great Lake are about twice the size of England.  Being down wind of that much hot or frozen water also means our seasons are delayed.  And that much 'steam' coming off that much surface area into cold air means LOTS of snow.

I am not suprised by the lack of snow so far this year.
I am very suprised by the lack of cloud cover.  Overly 'sunny' here for this time of year.

"Am I just getting old and forgetful?"
Noop.
You and me (and Tom) had to walk up hill both ways 2 skule in ate inchus of snoe!
I missed a lot of days.
Thats Y I can't speel.
G-

[bj]

Weather here is odd.  Last year we had a brown winter.  It snowed, but melted over a few days.  About a foot so far
this year, but only about 3 inches left, so we'll see.
Whether or not it is just a cycle,  I don't know for sure.
Wind averages have dropped a lot over the last 8 years.  That I am logging, and have the data.
Time will tell.

[Wolvenar]

BJ does the sunlight / illumination there look odd to you recently?

[bj]

short answer-----no, but I haven't seen the sun in a while.   Don't have panels in the light of day yet,  (coming slowly) so I
can't give exact data.
Can say the last clear sky, (two weeks?) color was more orange.   Thought at the time it was an inversion, which changes
spectrum a bit.  They are frequent this time of year.
So, I guess that was a long way of saying I'm no help.

[bj]

  Had a bit of sun today Wolv.  Late in the day, (16:20) so low in the sky, and a bit hazy.
  A bit orange again, but considering the conditions, not noteworthy.  Again, no help,
just letting you know I didn't forget.