Before and after

After my last post, I figured I would dig up an old picture of the bike before I cleaned her up...

That is all...

The snow has come and gone... same for the moped.

I had a lot of fun with this bike.  It came to me in pieces and after a lot of headache the last week... I found out the pipe was clogged... so I threw on a header and BAM!  Torque monster!  

Here she is just before leaving the garage.  All purdy and such.  Very productive last few days at the garage for sure.  Feels good selling a bike and getting more room in the garage. 

Already started work on the next one.  The green one will be stock with a Boss pipe.  Simple and fun.  Rewired it today and all I gotta do is mount the motor and then tune and then sell it!  (Saving my money up for a Puch Monza)

It got a little chilly at the garage today and the rain just made the air damp and not a great day to work on the bikes when it is only about 35° outside.  Well we have fallen below freezing and the roads are icing up and lots of accidents... so careful, especially on the bridges.

The good news is that the sunshine returns tomorrow.  And with that... warmer temps.  Actually this workweek will be the longest stretch of 60° weather we have had in almost 6 months.  So enjoy it!  We will be dry Monday, but a few hit or miss very light rain showers are possible Tuesday.  Then we get wet late Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday with the chance of thunderstorms later in the week.  It was kinda nice hearing some thunder the other night.  I enjoy a nice thunderstorm, but would prefer them to stay below severe criteria.  Anyway, have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Tracking snow for today

Good Saturday morning everyone. Tracking a system moving in from the west. Temperatures (mainly North of I-70) will be the deciding factor for snow. Northern Ohio could pick up a few inches of snow.  Roads will get a little slick later from the rain and snow. Just wanted to give you a heads up. Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Spotty snow today

Not expecting a lot of snow, but some heavy cells will be hit or miss this afternoon. The latest RPM model only shows an average of a dusting. Just be prepared for a few white-out cells this afternoon if you are traveling.

Cold again tomorrow then back into the 50's and even the upper 60's by early next week. Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Snow for us... Hurricane for East Coast???

Plenty of sun for Monday here in Central Ohio.  Light snow moves in Monday night and Tuesday.  It will be pretty light, but could make for slick conditions through the day Tuesday.  We are still chilly Wednesday then bounce back into the 50's heading toward the weekend.

One thing we will NOT have to deal with is hurricane-strength winds like the East Coast.  The winds will be VERY strong and likely affecting flights to and from the East Coast... so connecting flights here in Columbus may be affected during the middle of the week.

Hope you all have a great week!  I am back to reporting Monday thru Wednesday.  So hitting the streets!  Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Spring snow & bombogenesis next week

First off... not a lot of snow is expected for Central Ohio Tuesday morning, but as you can see above, we are looking at around an inch.  Less in some spots, a little more in some spots.  Not a "lot" but enough to cause some nasty roads for the morning commute.

Weather nerds are keeping a close eye on the potential for an epic storm off the east coast by Tuesday night and Wednesday.  When a storm drops 24 millibars or more within a 24 hour time-span then it is called a "bomb" or termed bombogenesis.  According to the latest Euro, the storm will drop over 40 millibars in 18 hours.  That is CRAZY!  Not to mention dropping a LOT of snow across the far eastern portions of New England along the coast.  Cape Cod will be a place I would NOT want to be.  Even though it will not occur here in the Midwest... it could affect flights coming from the East Coast... so keep that in mind for any traveling next week. 

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Ohio State Severe Weather Symposium Wrap-up... and snow on the way?

This year's symposium was one of my favorite yet.  (And that is not because I presented)  The morning session about snow squalls and what the NWS is doing with ODOT to alert motorists was VERY informative and the teamwork between NWS and ODOT should help save lives and money.  Bill Kelly and I presented just before lunch.  My wife said I didn't smile enough, but everyone seemed to enjoy my light-hearted comments from time to time.  We recapped the June 12, 2013 storms and showed what goes into wall-to-wall coverage.  

The afternoon discussion was focused on the Moore tornado.  Damon Lane from KOCO did a presentation on their coverage.  It was CHILLING to see the coverage before the tornado touched down.  I saw the pictures and the radar images, but not at the same time.  The hook echo was VERY well defined before the funnel started to come down.  It was almost ghostly watching coverage as the funnel was just starting to form. 

As far as Ohio weather... nothing severe... as a matter of fact, the first week of spring may contain some snow.  The newest models are ramping up bit on the snow for Tuesday.  Right now the accumulations look to be rather light, but I will keep a close eye on things and keep you posted.  Other than the light snow Tuesday morning a pretty cold week ahead.  Warmer temperatures return by the end of the workweek, along with some rain.  Back to Good Day Columbus!  (And I will be back tonight as well... working a double)  Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Snow for Southern Ohio tonight

Unless you live within about 30 minutes of the Ohio River, your commute Monday will be just fine... But there will be some light accumulations of snow for far Southern Ohio overnight tonight.

I am really looking forward to the temperatures on the way.  We warm back into the mid 40's for St. Patrick's Day tomorrow and then the mid to upper 50's by Tuesday.  Dry both days with sun on the way.

There will be some early morning rain Wednesday and maybe a flurry or two late Wednesday into Thursday.  Our temperatures remain mild, then a big warm surge Friday followed by rain Friday night into early Saturday.  So a couple rounds of nuisance weather for the week ahead... but at least all of the temperatures are warmer than what we dealt with today... Two thumbs up for that!  Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

The models giveth, the models taketh away

What snow the models showed yesterday for Columbus is gone today. The system went back to its southern track. Southern Ohio could see a couple inches of snow Sunday PM, but other than that... No "major" weather on tap for the near future.

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Big snow Sunday night?

So there was a big storm moving by South of Ohio a few days ago on the models, for the upcoming Sunday PM into Monday. Well the shifted North a bit and now the models are starting to show a pretty decent snow for Columbus. Will keep a close eye on it.

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

e50 rebuild time lapse, Snowy day, Warm temps coming

So while trying to soak in all possible seconds of the warm weather, I did a rebuild on one of the e50 motors for a white Puch Maxi I am selling.  Since I was working the afternoons and evenings, I had to do this yesterday morning.  Anyway, I recorded a time lapse of the motor rebuild.  Two hours of work down to 15 seconds of video.  I got the motor done, but not the rest of the bike... so I went back last night after work.

I got to the garage around midnight last night, I finished the wiring and cables. 

Other than fuel, she is ready to fire!  I will then need to tune the carb and double check the wiring then... sold!

The weather today was crazy for parts of Ohio, like Cleveland pictured above.  But for Columbus it was not too bad.  The ground was too warm and wet for any light snow to stick this afternoon.  A light dusting is out there this evening for the metro area, but not nearly as much sticking as the models were showing.  I am glad I did NOT bite the bullet on the 4-6" that the GFS and Euro was throwing out for us.  Cold tonight with wind chills dropping to around -5°.  Only highs in the upper 20's for Thursday then back to mid 50's by Friday.  A few light rain showers Friday evening, then mostly dry weekend.  There will be a weak front Sunday, but little to no moisture for Ohio to work with.  Then we warm up slowly next week again after a cool dip on Sunday. 

So sit tight for now... back to near 60 by next Wednesday... have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

From near 70 to snow in 18 hours

MAN!  What a fantastic day!  I am rebuilding a bike for a customer, and I had intended spending yesterday and today at the garage doing that, but I was called in to work.  So I had to take advantage of the morning.  A few other local guys showed up as well and there were a total of two motors rebuilt today, lots of laughs, and one bike that is 80% finished.  (I am going tonight after work)

So yea... It has been about three months since we have been this warm.  If we would have gotten one more degree warmer it would have been five months since we have been this warm.

And then winter returns tomorrow.  We will see rain move in between 3-5AM tonight and then transition over to snow during the late morning.

The snow will be done before the evening commute tomorrow and above is what I am thinking for the snowfall totals.  Northern Ohio will see the most snow.   Then we are COLD for Thursday and stay below freezing all day.  We bounce back to low 50's for highs on Friday with some evening rain.  Then slowly cool off a little the rest of the weekend.  I just want today to last forever.... Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

A contest to my liking... Good luck!

There is a local motorcycle shop that is having a fun, warm-weathered contest. I have been to the store, out in Hilliard, a few times and actually bought my new helmet there a few weeks ago. Good luck!

Post by Classic Cycle Parts.

I know we have talked about snow... but...

I forgot to include this in my last entry... and THIS is why I said get out and enjoy tomorrow!  Winter will be returning soon!  Gotta love Ohio weather.  It will feel like the mid 60's one day, then about 36 hours later feel like -5° to -10°.

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Back in the weather center...

Enjoy the rest of your Monday and Tuesday with the tease of spring.  I am filling in for Bill Kelly tonight.  Clouds increase later Tuesday along with the unseasonably warm temperatures.  All models staying dry all day Tuesday.  I went with 62 for the high... with the cloud cover it may be harder to punch much higher, but with a high of 61 today, I am half tempted to go up to 65, but sticking to my guns for now.

Early Wednesday morning we are still expecting a strong cold front to bring a wintry mix.

Rain looks to move in around 1-4AM Wednesday.  RPM (the very top image in this entry) and NAM have most of the system out of here before we cool off for much snow.  GFS and Euro are much more aggressive with the cool down and switch us to snow by 8-10AM.  Right now I am leaning toward the RPM and NAM.  The last few systems, RPM has nailed the snow forecast 24 hours out and right now it is keeping us too warm.  I attached my thoughts on how much snow we can expect.  It will likely come down to a game-time call on how cold the temperatures get and how much moisture is left behind the system.

The models are staying steady with two rounds of light rain/snow mix later in the week/weekend.  The GFS and Euro agree on Friday evening and overnight into early Saturday for round 1.

The second round is Sunday night into Monday.  GFS is more late Sunday and Euro is more early Monday with the timing.   Both will be on the threshold of the rain/snow mix as well.  And so the battle to get to spring continues...  Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Tracking Wednesday's snow

Monday and Tuesday will be a tease ahead of the snow on Wednesday.  We will push 60 to start the week, but then the strong cold front arrives Wednesday.  Rain will start between midnight Tuesday night and 4AM Wednesday.  Our temperatures call very quickly and we start seeing snow in the Northwestern portions of Ohio between 5AM and 9AM, (all of this is according to the latest forecast models... and for once they are in very good agreement).  Most of the moisture pulls out by noon on Wednesday and the big question is how far south will the below freezing temperatures make it before the precip is gone.  Southern Ohio may have little to no time below freezing so it may stay mostly rain.

I really like the RPM snowfall map by Wednesday at noon, above.  I think far Northern Ohio will see the majority of the snow with this and the transition stage... is once again... over Central Ohio.  Go figure right?  I will keep you posted, but the RPM has been VERY accurate this winter and feel pretty confident in give you numbers three days out, but there will still likely be some tweaking needed.  Enjoy the start of the week and have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Still tracking snow for week ahead

Spend the morning at the Ohio swimming Junior Olympics at Ohio State.  Some of those kids are AMAZINGLY fast.  We were watching our nephew swim in three events.  He has three more tomorrow so he is spending the weekend with Dawn and me.

So yea, still keeping an eye on the possibility for snow later this week, but still a ways out.  Right now it is looking like a few inches are possible for a decent amount of Ohio.  We will get to that...

A few light rain/snow showers this evening.  Roads will become a little wet at times and possibly icy by daybreak Sunday with temps falling into the mid twenties.  More sun for Sunday and a little cooler with highs in the mid 40`s.  Warmth returns Monday and Tuesday with highs pushing into the upper 50`s.

A strong cold front Wednesday will bring the chance for a wintry mix.  Currently it looks to start as rain Wednesday morning and then transition over to a wintry mix later in the day.  Stay tuned to the forecast as it gets closer and the forecast is fine-tuned even more. Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Enjoying OUR day off... Snow next week?

I start off with a sad note... I sold my truck yesterday morning.  I bought it back when I started dating my wife, so it was pretty sad to see it go, but on to a future down the road.  

On a much happier note... BOY it has been beautiful the last two days.  I know Buckeye was loving the sun on the patio this morning.

I also broke out my moped yesterday and rode it for a quick lunch at Buckeye Donuts.  They have the BEST gyros around.  I particularly love the Philly gyro.

It was also the first time in over six months that Dawn and I had the same day off.  I always work weekends and she always works during the week.  But her boss was out of town so we had a day off together.  We went to the driving range with a couple of friends.

Then we went up to Mad River Mountain to go snow tubing.

And let's just say... it was a blast.  (Notice Dawn in the back looking backward... she didn't like looking down the hill)  Then we finished off the night with a hockey game and then a quick outing to Wings and Rings.  Fantastic, jam-packed day.  I wish we had more time off together, but we make the best of what we do have.

Speaking of the weather... the weekend will be "mild" for Ohio.  There is a weak cold front that may trigger a shower Saturday... basically a few sprinkles or flurries, but nothing too heavy.  Sunday will give way to more sunshine with highs in the 40's each day.  We bounce right back into the 50's for Monday and Tuesday (which means I will be building and selling a moped for a customer) then things get interesting next Wednesday.

A strong cold front will plow through the area and drop our temperatures.  The models are hinting at the potential of snow on the back side of the system.  Personally... I am not biting the bullet just yet with significant snow.  We just saw what happened last week.  With temperatures in the 50's the days before, It will be a little harder to cool off the lower part of the atmosphere as fast as what the models are showing.  I think we could have some light snow, but a "significant" snow is not as likely at this point.  I will keep you posted, but c'mon Mother Nature... we are done.  Let's move on to Spring!!! 

Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

So much has happened...

I almost have one of my mopeds ready to sell.  Just need to rewire it and tune the carb.  Should be a fun little bike with a speed kit on it.

My truck is fading into the sun... Not that it is falling apart... nope, Dawn has been pushing for a new car since we may be trying to start a family soon.  So I have been getting my truck ready to sell...

One thing expediting the process is that I bought a new car... well... not completely new.  I got a 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport with 4500 miles.  About as close to new as you can get.  I really like it.  It is a step down in size from my truck, but almost anything would be.  Plus it sips gas compared to my truck.  Now I just need to get a tow platform for my moped. ;)

Dawn and I went to a wine and canvas class last night.  We had a lot of fun.

I like how hers turned out, especially the water.  They look much better from a distance, LOL.

 

As for the weather...  We are finally starting to get into some "mild" temps.  I think we will get into the low 50's for Friday, then a weak cold front Saturday will cool us off again... then make the climb back into the 50's next week... BUT I am keeping an eye on a BIG drop in temps by next Thursday.  It could also mean some snow returning.  It will need to be watched closely.  Until then, only a few sprinkles Saturday and a fairly dry next several days.  Enjoy and have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

VIDEO UPDATE - 2:30 update on the snow

Most of the snow is done for areas North of I-70.  2-3" for those areas.

Another round of snow will come through for areas along I-70 and Southern Ohio between 5PM and 8PM.  Then a break for a short time then more snow overnight for far Southern Ohio.

Looking at about 1-3" additional inches for counties just south of I-70 and 2-4+" for far Southern Ohio.

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Ice and snow here

The snow and ice has rolled in to Central Ohio. The models are still going with 2-5" for most of Ohio. (As mentioned in my last entry)  There will be some moderate snow South of I-70 this afternoon. As a matter of fact, by the afternoon almost all the snow will stay South of I-70.

Just thought I would leave an early morning update for ya. Travel safe today and watch out for the drifting snow Monday. Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael