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Wreckhouse Winds
Fri Nov 12, 2004
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Wreckhouse Winds, wreaking down on The Weather Notebook.
In the Canadian Province of Newfoundland, when forecasts warn of Wreckhouse winds, drivers on the Trans-Canada Highway had better take notice. Hi, I’m Bryan Yeaton, and this is The Weather Notebook.
Wreckhouse winds arise when strong southeasterly gales blow along the south coast of Newfoundland between Cape Ray and St. Andrew's. Channelled between the Long Range Mountains, north of Port aux Basques, the downslope winds west of the range often increase to hurricane speeds as they stream through the valleys and gulches of the Codroy Valley, below Table Mountain.
The full severity of these winds became apparent only after the Newfoundland Railway was built through the region. During a January 1900 storm, winds shoved an unsuspecting passenger train completely off the tracks. Though no lives were lost, all the mail and baggage were. This incident spawned the name, Wreckhouse.
Unable to reroute the rail line, the rail company hired a local trapper and farmer, Lockie MacDougall, in the 1930s to watch for the fierce winds. If Wreckhouse winds were blowing, he informed the nearby rail office to halt trains before they reach the Codroy Valley. On one occasion, the conductor ignored Lockie’s advice, and twenty-two railcars were blown off the tracks.
Lockie continued at his post until his death in 1965, delaying hundreds of trains because of treacherous conditions. Eventually he became a folk hero, known as “the human wind gauge.”
Today, the railway runs no more. Instead, the Trans-Canada Highway covers much of Newfoundland’s west coast, including the Wreckhouse area. Lockie has been replace by an automated anemometer. Each winter, drivers must delay their trip due to the winds or face the consequences of being blow off the roads.
Thanks to our contributing writer, meteorologist Keith Heidorn. The Weather Notebook is a program of the Mount Washington Observatory, online at www.mountwashington.org. We receive funding from Subaru of America.
Today's Links
Wreckhouse Winds, Part 1
http://home.thezone.net/~bwhiffen/articles/WreckhouseOne.htm
Wreckhouse Winds, Part 2
http://home.thezone.net/ebwhiffen/articles/WreckhouseTwo.htm
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