h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

New high temperature record yesterday. Today's minimum forecast is already way off because it was still 78 at 1.00 am.

Yesterday 91/70 (20% chance of rain) (actual: 95/73, no rain)
Today 80/70 (60% chance of rain)
Friday 72/60 (30% chance of rain)
Saturday 75/59 (60% chance of rain)
Sunday 80/61 (20% chance of rain)
Monday 64/48
Tuesday 66/45 (10% chance of rain)
Wednesday 68/47

Yesterday's departure from the daily average: +17°
Average max/min for this time of the year: 78/57
Record high temperature for today: 98 (1963)
Record low temperature for today: 32 (1914)

Yesterday 80/70 (60% chance of rain) (actual: 93/66, 0.19" rain)
Today 72/60 (30% chance of rain)
Saturday 76/59 (60% chance of rain)
Sunday 82/65 (20% chance of rain)
Monday 61/44
Tuesday 63/43
Wednesday 67/46 (10% chance of rain)
Thursday 75/48 (10% chance of rain)

Yesterday's departure from the daily average: +12°
Average max/min for this time of the year: 79/57
Record high temperature for today: 94 (1963)
Record low temperature for today: 34 (1938)

Once again we're in a bullseye for severe weather this afternoon and in the early hours of Sunday.

Yesterday 72/60 (30% chance of rain) (actual: 75/63, no rain)
Today 76/59 (60% chance of rain)
Sunday 84/65 (20% chance of rain)
Monday 64/47
Tuesday 66/46 (10% chance of rain)
Wednesday 65/44 (10% chance of rain)
Thursday 75/45 (10% chance of rain)
Friday 75/45 (10% chance of rain)

Yesterday's departure from the daily average: +1°
Average max/min for this time of the year: 79/57
Record high temperature for today: 95 (1925)
Record low temperature for today: 35 (1900)

Well, guess what. No overnight storms, despite all the dire warnings.

Guess what else. They're arriving soon, just about the time I leave for work, and there are tornado warnings in the vicinity

Yesterday 76/59 (60% chance of rain) (actual: 76/61, 0.02" rain)
Today 84/65 (20% chance of rain)
Monday 64/47
Tuesday 66/46
Wednesday 65/44
Thursday 75/45
Friday 77/57
Saturday 77/60

Yesterday's departure from the daily average: +1°
Average max/min for this time of the year: 79/58
Record high temperature for today: 93 (1925)
Record low temperature for today: 36 (1940, 1900)

And although there was rain while I was making my way to work, it was never enough for me to open the umbrella, and by the time I arrived the sun was starting to break through the clouds. Not long afterwards there was a clear blue sky. Not long after that it got very breezy. Gusts in low 30s mph.

Yesterday 84/65 (20% chance of rain) (actual: 87/61, 0.03" rain)
Today 64/47
Tuesday 69/47
Wednesday 67/46
Thursday 75/49 (10% chance of rain)
Friday 75/59 (20% chance of rain)
Saturday 79/59 (20% chance of rain)
Sunday 81/61 (30% chance of rain)

Yesterday's departure from the daily average: +6°
Average max/min for this time of the year: 79/58
Record high temperature for today: 98 (1982)
Record low temperature for today: 33 (1940)

I'm modifying my wind chimes because of all the high winds recently. (Or it's just because I'm home constantly so I hear them more now.)
I have these wonderful, tuned chimes I bought at the Texas Renaissance Festival, three sets over the years. They have a pure sound with plenty of sustain. But when the tubes bang into each other, it's rather dissonant. So, I tested a theory yesterday and placed O-rings on the bottom of 5 of the 6 tubes of my alto set. (I didn't have any O-rings handy large enough for the tenor and base sets.) It worked and did not dampen the sustain of the tones.

I'll be ordering more O-rings for the larger ones soon. I'll also discuss this with the vendor next time I see them.

I think silicone O-rings may survive the elements better than the nitrile ones I'm currently testing.

I think I'd go with silicone too. I haven't had my chimes up for a few years now. I bought them in London, early 90s, and the twine that holds the whatever-it-is-you-call-the-thing-that-hangs-down-and-catches-the-wind-so-that-the-disc-that-hits-the-chimes-and-makes-them-ring-hits-the-chimes eventually rotted away three or four years ago. I must do something about that.

Yesterday 64/47 (actual: 64/45, no rain)
Today 69/47
Wednesday 69/43
Thursday 77/47 (10% chance of rain)
Friday 78/59 (20% chance of rain)
Saturday 76/57 (30% chance of rain)
Sunday 84/62 (20% chance of rain)
Monday 85/60

Yesterday's departure from the daily average: -14°
Average max/min for this time of the year: 80/58
Record high temperature for today: 94 (1961)
Record low temperature for today: 38 (1980)

Hmmm... I was confident it was called a "flag". But, to be sure, I just pulled up a couple of wind chime retail sites and looked at their parts listings. One called it a "windsail". My supplier, http://www.musicofspheres.com/ calls it a "windcatcher".

I knew there had to be a name (at least one) for it

Yesterday 69/47 (actual: 66/46)
Today 69/43
Thursday 79/48 (10% chance of rain)
Friday 73/63 (20% chance of rain)
Saturday 77/58 (30% chance of rain)
Sunday 85/64 (20% chance of rain)
Monday 86/61 (10% chance of rain)
Tuesday 88/62 (10% chance of rain)

Yesterday's departure from the daily average: -13°
Average max/min for this time of the year: 80/58
Record high temperature for today: 94 (1924)
Record low temperature for today: 37 (1928)

Yesterday 69/43 (actual: 70/43)
Today 79/48 (10% chance of rain)
Friday 73/61 (30% chance of rain)
Saturday 67/54 (50% chance of rain)
Sunday 84/61 (20% chance of rain)
Monday 82/59 (10% chance of rain)
Tuesday 85/60 (20% chance of rain)
Wednesday 86/67 (20% chance of rain)

Yesterday's departure from the daily average: -12°
Average max/min for this time of the year: 80/59
Record high temperature for today: 95 (2006, 1920)
Record low temperature for today: 36 (1926)

Yesterday 79/48 (10% chance of rain) (actual: 79/48, no rain)
Today 73/61 (30% chance of rain)
Saturday 66/53 (60% chance of rain)
Sunday 85/63 (30% chance of rain)
Monday 83/57 (10% chance of rain)
Tuesday 85/61 (10% chance of rain)
Wednesday 87/65 (30% chance of rain)
Thursday 85/64 (10% chance of rain)

Yesterday's departure from the daily average: -4°
Average max/min for this time of the year: 80/59
Record high temperature for today: 99 (2006)
Record low temperature for today: 37 (1926)

Yesterday 73/61 (30% chance of rain) (actual: 74/56, 0.03" rain)
Today 66/53 (60% chance of rain)
Sunday 89/59 (30% chance of rain)
Monday 85/57 (10% chance of rain)
Tuesday 87/60 (10% chance of rain)
Wednesday 85/68 (40% chance of rain)
Thursday 87/65 (10% chance of rain)
Friday 90/60 (10% chance of rain)

Yesterday's departure from the daily average: -5°
Average max/min for this time of the year: 80/59
Record high temperature for today: 98 (2006, 1925)
Record low temperature for today: 36 (1901)

Yesterday 66/53 (60% chance of rain) (actual: 63/55, trace of rain)
Today 89/59 (30% chance of rain)
Monday 85/57
Tuesday 87/60
Wednesday 85/68 (40% chance of rain)
Thursday 87/65
Friday 90/60
Saturday 90/66 (20% chance of rain)

Yesterday's departure from the daily average: -11°
Average max/min for this time of the year: 81/60
Record high temperature for today: 98 (1951)
Record low temperature for today: 35 (1901)

We didn't break the high temperature record yesterday, but bloody hell. Mist, drizzle and chilly (for Texas) temperatures in the morning then 94° in the afternoon, eight hours later

Yesterday 89/59 (30% chance of rain) (actual: 94/60, 0.02" rain)
Today 85/57
Tuesday 86/64 (20% chance of rain)
Wednesday 84/67 (50% chance of rain)
Thursday 85/61
Friday 93/63
Saturday 81/62 (10% chance of rain)
Sunday 82/56

Yesterday's departure from the daily average: +7°
Average max/min for this time of the year: 81/60
Record high temperature for today: 97 (1925)
Record low temperature for today: 39 (1924)

Yesterday 85/57 (actual: 87/61)
Today 86/64 (20% chance of rain)
Wednesday 82/67 (60% chance of rain)
Thursday 86/62
Friday 93/63
Saturday 81/60 (10% chance of rain)
Sunday 83/55 (10% chance of rain)
Monday 85/58 (10% chance of rain)

Yesterday's departure from the daily average: +4°
Average max/min for this time of the year: 81/60
Record high temperature for today: 95 (1925)
Record low temperature for today: 43 (1953, 1907)

We have a chance of severe weather this afternoon. Strong storms and hail mostly.

Yesterday 86/64 (20% chance of rain) (actual: 87/67)
Today 82/67 (60% chance of rain)
Thursday 88/63
Friday 94/63
Saturday 81/60 (10% chance of rain)
Sunday 83/56
Monday 88/59 (10% chance of rain)
Tuesday 90/69 (20% chance of rain)

Yesterday's departure from the daily average: +7°
Average max/min for this time of the year: 81/60
Record high temperature for today: 94 (2009, 2011)
Record low temperature for today: 40 (1931)

I never even heard a rumble of thunder

The high temperature forecast for tomorrow is 95 and the record is 96. Based on recent experience I'd say we're looking at breaking the record by a couple of degrees.

Yesterday 82/67 (60% chance of rain) (actual: 81/71, 0.12" rain)
Today 88/63
Friday 95/64
Saturday 82/60 (10% chance of rain)
Sunday 86/57
Monday 88/61 (10% chance of rain)
Tuesday 92/70 (20% chance of rain)
Wednesday 87/69 (20% chance of rain)

Yesterday's departure from the daily average: +5°
Average max/min for this time of the year: 82/61
Record high temperature for today: 98 (2000)
Record low temperature for today: 44 (1927)

Yesterday 88/63 (actual: 90/59)
Today 95/64
Saturday 82/61 (10% chance of rain)
Sunday 85/57
Monday 87/61 (10% chance of rain)
Tuesday 91/70 (20% chance of rain)
Wednesday 87/69 (20% chance of rain)
Thursday 88/63 (10% chance of rain)

Yesterday's departure from the daily average: +4°
Average max/min for this time of the year: 82/61
Record high temperature for today: 96 (2003)
Record low temperature for today: 44 (1928)

Sometimes I'm too prophetic for my own good. Broke the record by a couple of degrees.

Yesterday 95/64 (actual: 98/61)
Today 82/61 (10% chance of rain)
Sunday 86/56
Monday 87/60 (10% chance of rain)
Tuesday 90/70 (20% chance of rain)
Wednesday 90/71 (20% chance of rain)
Thursday 90/63
Friday 93/64 (10% chance of rain)

Yesterday's departure from the daily average: +9°
Average max/min for this time of the year: 82/61
Record high temperature for today: 95 (1996)
Record low temperature for today: 42 (1910)

Yesterday 82/61 (10% chance of rain) (actual: 81/60)
Today 86/56
Monday 87/60
Tuesday 90/70 (20% chance of rain)
Wednesday 90/71 (20% chance of rain)
Thursday 90/63
Friday 93/64
Saturday 93/69

Yesterday's departure from the daily average: -1°
Average max/min for this time of the year: 82/62
Record high temperature for today: 97 (1988)
Record low temperature for today: 45 (1926)