Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Not ready for some football
I've been a bad son and brother recently. I've been chuckling over the all the snow my family in the Upper Midwest has been seeing in the past couple of months while I keep seeing rain where I am (though I do want it to snow...).
Well, another snow storm hit Minnesota over the weekend. Some areas saw as much as two feet of snow. Along with blizzard like conditions, it wasn't a good time.
That includes for the football team that plays indoors. Why? Here's why. I'm sure you've seen the video already, but man! The Vikings wanted to play outdoors on Monday at the stadium where the University of Minnesota plays, but a) the New York Giants (their opponent) didn't bring cold weather gear. Which they would need because the wind chills will be below zero. In fact, the temps might be below zero.
Well, another snow storm hit Minnesota over the weekend. Some areas saw as much as two feet of snow. Along with blizzard like conditions, it wasn't a good time.
That includes for the football team that plays indoors. Why? Here's why. I'm sure you've seen the video already, but man! The Vikings wanted to play outdoors on Monday at the stadium where the University of Minnesota plays, but a) the New York Giants (their opponent) didn't bring cold weather gear. Which they would need because the wind chills will be below zero. In fact, the temps might be below zero.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Edmund Fitzgerald
I haven't been posting much, but thought this deserved a mention. CNN.com has a really interesting article on the Edmund Fitzgerald, which sunk in Lake Superior in the 70s due to a strong storm that tore through the region.
To this day, because of this event, ships will wait in port for a storm to pass rather than set out to wherever their going. Just goes to show how much the weather can affect everyday life.
To this day, because of this event, ships will wait in port for a storm to pass rather than set out to wherever their going. Just goes to show how much the weather can affect everyday life.
Friday, October 8, 2010
I love science
I really do. It's fun, interesting, and it makes you think about the world around you. Take, for instance, this article (drawing on a new study published in Nature).
In the study, the researchers used data from a new satellite (active since around 2003), to study the affect on solar radiation on Earth's atmosphere. The sun is just now starting to come out of a minimum. During that time, the solar radiation across the entire spectrum was low, as expected. However, the researchers found that the UV radiation was actually lower than expected, while energy in the form of visible light was higher than expected. This is sort of contrary to what is expected, and will definitely lead to more research into the matter.
For instance it will be interesting to see what happens as the sun ramps up an expected maximum in solar radiation in the next couple of years (the sun has a well-documented 11-year cycle in radiation output). Will the visible radiation decrease as the UV radiation increase? If so, that will cause some thinking to be done across a number of science fields, including astronomy and climate science.
The smart people over at RealClimate are already pondering this and that. Naturally, there's a big wait-and-see component. As Gavin Schmidt points out, there is some movement to the data that implies there might be a minor flaw in the data due to satellite instability in orbit. From RealClimate:
"While it does seem clear that the overall trend [of visible light data] from 2003 to 2009 is an increase, closer inspection suggests that this anti-phase behaviour only lasts for the first few years, and that subsequently the trends are much closer to expectation. It is conceivable, for instance, that there was some undetected or unexpected instrument drift in the first few years. The proof of the pudding will come in the next couple of years. If the SIM data show a decrease while the TSI increases towards the solar maximum, then the Haigh et al results will be more plausible. If instead, the SIM data increase, that would imply there is an unidentified problem with the instrument."
Check out the RealClimate article for the image refenced in the above quote.
That's the fun of science. You get a data set and you need to figure out what it's telling you. Thinking is good for your brain. There might be a study about that somewhere...
In the study, the researchers used data from a new satellite (active since around 2003), to study the affect on solar radiation on Earth's atmosphere. The sun is just now starting to come out of a minimum. During that time, the solar radiation across the entire spectrum was low, as expected. However, the researchers found that the UV radiation was actually lower than expected, while energy in the form of visible light was higher than expected. This is sort of contrary to what is expected, and will definitely lead to more research into the matter.
For instance it will be interesting to see what happens as the sun ramps up an expected maximum in solar radiation in the next couple of years (the sun has a well-documented 11-year cycle in radiation output). Will the visible radiation decrease as the UV radiation increase? If so, that will cause some thinking to be done across a number of science fields, including astronomy and climate science.
The smart people over at RealClimate are already pondering this and that. Naturally, there's a big wait-and-see component. As Gavin Schmidt points out, there is some movement to the data that implies there might be a minor flaw in the data due to satellite instability in orbit. From RealClimate:
"While it does seem clear that the overall trend [of visible light data] from 2003 to 2009 is an increase, closer inspection suggests that this anti-phase behaviour only lasts for the first few years, and that subsequently the trends are much closer to expectation. It is conceivable, for instance, that there was some undetected or unexpected instrument drift in the first few years. The proof of the pudding will come in the next couple of years. If the SIM data show a decrease while the TSI increases towards the solar maximum, then the Haigh et al results will be more plausible. If instead, the SIM data increase, that would imply there is an unidentified problem with the instrument."
Check out the RealClimate article for the image refenced in the above quote.
That's the fun of science. You get a data set and you need to figure out what it's telling you. Thinking is good for your brain. There might be a study about that somewhere...
Thursday, October 7, 2010
They might need a new name
Not that it's funny, but the natural phenomona that give Glacier National Park it's name is disappearing. I think we all know the cause, if even certain head-in-the-sand types don't want to speak its name.
It's more than just the glaciers disappearing that is the issue here though. The glaciers are a source of water that is necessary for the wildlife in the region. Heck, us humans require water too, and the western U.S. isn't exactly flowing with rivers like the easter half is. With the glaciers disappearing, people and animals will be affected.
It's more than just the glaciers disappearing that is the issue here though. The glaciers are a source of water that is necessary for the wildlife in the region. Heck, us humans require water too, and the western U.S. isn't exactly flowing with rivers like the easter half is. With the glaciers disappearing, people and animals will be affected.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Flooding in the Midwest
As a native Midwesterner, this is something of a concern for me. With storms that have dumped nearly a foot of rain in a short period, rivers across parts of Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin have overtopped. As the floodwater moves south, areas of Iowa will be under the gun next.
No rain is in the forecast for a while though, so hopefully will see a recession of the flood waters there soon.
No rain is in the forecast for a while though, so hopefully will see a recession of the flood waters there soon.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Why to stay inside during lightning storms
I need to be struck by lightning like I need another hole in my... wait, what?
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Earl from space
It's all Earl all the time here this week. This time it's not some practical or boring like a forecast. It's a pretty picture of Hurricane Earl from space.
More Earl
Hurricane Earl is still out there.
The forecast track for Hurricane Earl will bring it on the closest approach to tri-state Friday evening. The current position is south of the Outer Banks of North Carolina and east of northern Florida. It will continue to track north-northwest, turning north and then northeast as it moves up the coast. The hurricane is expected to remain out to see as it passes by North Carolina, but it will be close enough that they will be affected by hurricane force winds and heavy rain late this evening and overnight. Earl will continue to move up the coast and will affect much of the Tri-State with heavy rain and gusty winds. The areas that will be most affected by the system will be Long Island, eastern Connecticut and coastal areas where strong storm surges and pounding waves are expected. The rain will begin for the northeastern U.S. Friday morning for parts of New Jersey and in the afternoon and evening for other parts of the region. Strong gusty winds up to 50 mph will be possible, with the strongest winds affecting eastern parts of the region. The storm will pass quickly up to the Cape Cod area, which will be affected by hurricane force winds Friday night and early Saturday morning. The system will move away quickly, leaving Saturday mostly sunny, though still windy.
The forecast track for Hurricane Earl will bring it on the closest approach to tri-state Friday evening. The current position is south of the Outer Banks of North Carolina and east of northern Florida. It will continue to track north-northwest, turning north and then northeast as it moves up the coast. The hurricane is expected to remain out to see as it passes by North Carolina, but it will be close enough that they will be affected by hurricane force winds and heavy rain late this evening and overnight. Earl will continue to move up the coast and will affect much of the Tri-State with heavy rain and gusty winds. The areas that will be most affected by the system will be Long Island, eastern Connecticut and coastal areas where strong storm surges and pounding waves are expected. The rain will begin for the northeastern U.S. Friday morning for parts of New Jersey and in the afternoon and evening for other parts of the region. Strong gusty winds up to 50 mph will be possible, with the strongest winds affecting eastern parts of the region. The storm will pass quickly up to the Cape Cod area, which will be affected by hurricane force winds Friday night and early Saturday morning. The system will move away quickly, leaving Saturday mostly sunny, though still windy.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
More Earl
Hurricane Earl brought lots of wind and rain to the parts of the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The storm's track will take it up the U.S coast. While it is forecasted to remain offshore, some uncertainty is still in the track. Parts of the Outer Banks of North Carolina will want to keep an eye on this in the next couple of days, as well as parts fo the northeastern U.S.
Monday, August 30, 2010
It's Name is Earl
Oh, come on! I won't be the last to use that pun. I'm probably not even the first.
Anyway, I'm sure that you've heard that Hurricane Earl is being a little worrisome for the northeastern U.S. Well, I'll definitely be watching the system, both here and especially at my website. It's not time to buy bottled water yet.
Anyway, I'm sure that you've heard that Hurricane Earl is being a little worrisome for the northeastern U.S. Well, I'll definitely be watching the system, both here and especially at my website. It's not time to buy bottled water yet.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Climate science for smartasses
I might be in the minority, but I firmly believe that understanding of a complex science like climatology and climate change in general is best told with plenty of snark.
H/T to mt.
H/T to mt.
Waterspout
Check it.
Waterspouts can be thought of as weak, water-based tornados, though that isn't technically true in every case. They usually don't pack much of a punch, with winds that barely reach F0 status on the Fujita scale. Some, if they are in supercells, can be stronger, but these are more rare.
Waterspouts can be thought of as weak, water-based tornados, though that isn't technically true in every case. They usually don't pack much of a punch, with winds that barely reach F0 status on the Fujita scale. Some, if they are in supercells, can be stronger, but these are more rare.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Hopefully that's covered by insurance
From the annals of awesome headlines: "Sinkhole swallows SUV as storms slam Wisconsin.
Not to be outdone, south Florida is getting hit by a storm of the non-LeBron variety in the form of (weak) Tropical Storm Bonnie. After it's through with Florida, the oil spill in the Gulf and New Orleans are next in line. Like enough bad things aren't happening there right now.
Not to be outdone, south Florida is getting hit by a storm of the non-LeBron variety in the form of (weak) Tropical Storm Bonnie. After it's through with Florida, the oil spill in the Gulf and New Orleans are next in line. Like enough bad things aren't happening there right now.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Vacation's all I ever wanted?
Tired of Grand Canyon? Do you think the Black Hills are dull? Is the beach too sandy? Then try a little storm chasing. That is sure to exciting. Unless it doesn't, you know, storm.
Not that it'll stop anybody
Well, the so-called "Climategate" "scandal" is over. Not that there was anything to it to begin with.
Not that it'll stop the usual suspects from doing what they do so well.
It's strange really, when you think about it. The east coast is in the midsts of a record-breaking heat wave and there's not much chatter about global cooling. But the east coast gets hit with a couple of blizzards and it's obviously because of global cooling. Funny how that happens.
Of course, it must be said that what happens in the eastern third of the U.S. one week in July is not the harbringer of global warming doom, just like the a snowstorm in Buffalo in January does not mean climate scientists are a bunch of liars. That's because weather is different from climate. Duh.
As for climate... dude, it's warming. Actual experts say so. Who are you going to believe? Peer-reviewed scientists or people who get their money from oil companies?
Not that it'll stop the usual suspects from doing what they do so well.
It's strange really, when you think about it. The east coast is in the midsts of a record-breaking heat wave and there's not much chatter about global cooling. But the east coast gets hit with a couple of blizzards and it's obviously because of global cooling. Funny how that happens.
Of course, it must be said that what happens in the eastern third of the U.S. one week in July is not the harbringer of global warming doom, just like the a snowstorm in Buffalo in January does not mean climate scientists are a bunch of liars. That's because weather is different from climate. Duh.
As for climate... dude, it's warming. Actual experts say so. Who are you going to believe? Peer-reviewed scientists or people who get their money from oil companies?
Inside the beast
Discovery Channel's Storm Chasers can be an addicting show, in part because of the force of nature and in part because the people in it are crazy. How crazy? Try this crazy. I might be a meteorologist, but I'm not big on, you know, sitting in a car while a tornado passes by overhead.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Heat wave of the century!
Not really. It was an ongoing joke when I lived and worked in the Midwest that every time a snowstorm hit the East Coast, that storm was the Storm of the Century! for that particular year. Big media types tend to live on the east coast, and of course it's happening to them, so therefore...
Well, there is one heck of a heat wave expected for the northeast this week, with temps in the low 100s possible. That might seem like nothing to someone in the desert Southwest, but with dew points in the low 70s as well, that means some pretty high heat indexes. The rest of the week doesn't look quite as hot, but it'll still be hot and humid, with highs in the 90s in many places.
If you're living or visiting the northeast, make sure to drink lots of water and find someplace cool to spend some time. Heat like this is a dangerous thing, and I would hate to have your face melt off like that dude of Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Well, there is one heck of a heat wave expected for the northeast this week, with temps in the low 100s possible. That might seem like nothing to someone in the desert Southwest, but with dew points in the low 70s as well, that means some pretty high heat indexes. The rest of the week doesn't look quite as hot, but it'll still be hot and humid, with highs in the 90s in many places.
If you're living or visiting the northeast, make sure to drink lots of water and find someplace cool to spend some time. Heat like this is a dangerous thing, and I would hate to have your face melt off like that dude of Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Friday, June 11, 2010
(Middle) Earth
Elves and Sprites really exist!
Pilots have long reported interesting energy phenomona high up in the atmosphere. Called elves and sprites, these are lightning-related events officially dubbed with the relatively boring name transient luminous events. They occur in the vicinity of thunderstorms and often occur well above the storm. These have proven difficult to photograph in part because they never last very long and in part because of inaccessability. There have been photos of them in the past, of course, but nothing like in a study conducted in Europe.
They used high-speed cameras to capture the genesis and formation of the phenomona. The hope is that study of the imagery will yield a better understanding of what causes the features and a better understanding of the electrical give-and-take present in the atmosphere, particalarly in thunderstorms.
Eat your heart out, Legolas!
Pilots have long reported interesting energy phenomona high up in the atmosphere. Called elves and sprites, these are lightning-related events officially dubbed with the relatively boring name transient luminous events. They occur in the vicinity of thunderstorms and often occur well above the storm. These have proven difficult to photograph in part because they never last very long and in part because of inaccessability. There have been photos of them in the past, of course, but nothing like in a study conducted in Europe.
They used high-speed cameras to capture the genesis and formation of the phenomona. The hope is that study of the imagery will yield a better understanding of what causes the features and a better understanding of the electrical give-and-take present in the atmosphere, particalarly in thunderstorms.
Eat your heart out, Legolas!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Eyjafjallajokull
You might not be able to pronounce "Eyjafjallajokull" but if you're in Europe, you're feeling the effects. Travel is shut down thanks to an ash cloud spreading over parts of western Europe. And by "shut down," I mean air space is closed. Don't know why flying in volcanic ash is a bad thing? Read this. Harrowing doesn't begin to describe that.
On the global warming front, volcanic eruptions have, in the past, dropped global temps for a limited time, as seen with Mt. Pinatubo in 1991. It'll be some time before we'll even be able to deduce if Eyjafjallajokull has any affect though. That's the thing with climate. It always takes time.
On the global warming front, volcanic eruptions have, in the past, dropped global temps for a limited time, as seen with Mt. Pinatubo in 1991. It'll be some time before we'll even be able to deduce if Eyjafjallajokull has any affect though. That's the thing with climate. It always takes time.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Chance of rain
That's one of my very favorite smart-ass'd things to say when it's pouring outside. A frontal system is stuck along the eastern U.S. coast, bring violent weather to parts of the southeastern U.S. Not to be outdone, the same system could bring 3-6 inches of rain to parts of the northeastern states by Wednesday morning. I'm guessing this is going to count as "out like a lion."
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
New meaning to "chance for rain"
At least nine people have died from storm-related injuries from torrential rains that fell over the weekend, a lot of them from falling trees. As for why the trees fell, gusts were reported up to 70 mph in some places. Add in the soaked soil from inches of rain that fell and you will find places where the otherwise solid ground is loose. The roots aren't held in place as well. Get a big gust of wind and it increases the chances for a tree toppling.
The rain should be ending today though. The winds have diminished too. And thankfully, the rest of the week looks dry.
The rain should be ending today though. The winds have diminished too. And thankfully, the rest of the week looks dry.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Active weather
Well, apparently forecasters are expecting active weather this spring. Not only in terms of severe weather, but also hurricanes. Of course, hurricane season is difficult to forecast in general, so that forecast I'll take with a grain of salt. Too many factors go into the generation of hurricanes, let alone the longevity and path.
That said, baseball-sized hail in Arkansas is a sign that the severe weather season is under way.
That said, baseball-sized hail in Arkansas is a sign that the severe weather season is under way.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Essential reading on Climate Change
There is a lovely blog post out there called How to Talk to a Climate Skeptic, which even after almost two years is quite relevant. Which is a little scary if you think about. Blog posts should have the shelf life of a fruit fly. Skeptics really need to get some better arguments.
Anyway, with the recent so-called "Climate-gate" there is a new mad rush to spew the same old arguments again, only this time using stolen emails in an attempt to bolster these arguments. It's made its rounds in with the usual suspects, as Deep Climate meticulously documents.
Well, mt found an article from the Orange County (CA) Register, and completely, thorough dismantles it. It's not even fair, really. He takes every conflated or false claim being relentless evoked by climate sketpics and shows that, as his post title says, "they got nothin'". Take a little time this lovely weekend and read up.
Anyway, with the recent so-called "Climate-gate" there is a new mad rush to spew the same old arguments again, only this time using stolen emails in an attempt to bolster these arguments. It's made its rounds in with the usual suspects, as Deep Climate meticulously documents.
Well, mt found an article from the Orange County (CA) Register, and completely, thorough dismantles it. It's not even fair, really. He takes every conflated or false claim being relentless evoked by climate sketpics and shows that, as his post title says, "they got nothin'". Take a little time this lovely weekend and read up.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Future posting
Gah. I haven't posted in a while. Judging by the lack of comments, I might be writing to myself. Well, we'll just have to keep at it.
Speaking of weather, my wife and I just went on vacation to Paris. It was all very Paris-y and everything, and also very wet. It rained every day, which kinda sucked. Then I saw the storm we missed by a day and stopped complaining.
Speaking of weather, my wife and I just went on vacation to Paris. It was all very Paris-y and everything, and also very wet. It rained every day, which kinda sucked. Then I saw the storm we missed by a day and stopped complaining.
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