Friday, July 31, 2009

Seeing Anything Unusual?

Carol in Florida left a great comment on the blog yesterday.

She has observed a few oddities with the trees and plants in west-central Florida over the recent days -- she says the native Florida elm is beginning to drop leaves already-- about 2 months early (usually late September) and the native choke cherry trees are also dropping their leaves about 6 weeks too early. She has also noticed that some of the native wildflowers are beginning to bloom, and they too, are about 4-6 weeks early.

So have you seen any "environmental" signs around your neck of the woods that we could be facing an early fall and potentially a long, cold winter?

I am curious to hear from all parts of the country.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Wild Mid-Summer Weather

Nothing like waking up to lower 50s with fog and drizzle in late July along Colorado's Front Range.

We may crack 70 degrees today.

I just feel like parts of the country are going to see both an early fall and a long, snowy winter. (from Colorado and the central Rockies up into the Great Lakes and northeast)

I could be wrong and have no official data -- just a gut feeling.

I guess I had better get my snowblower fixed since it hasn't worked in a while.

For our friends up in Seattle, it is back to near 100 degrees today after Wednesday's new all-time high of 103 degrees!

Other new all-time record highs include 104 at Olympia, 105 at the weather forecast office in Seattle, and 108 degrees at Vancouver, WA.

My friend in Seattle said it was the most miserable sleeping weather she has ever experience, barely able to get the house to cool down to 80 degrees with no air conditioner.

We need to pick back up with Wisconsin climate info.

We've talked about temperatures, now let's chat about precipitation.

For such a large state with a lot of variation landscape, things are pretty uniform with average annual precipitation ranging from 28 to 34 inches pretty much statewide.

The higher totals are found with the higher elevations of western uplands and northern highlands.

The lower totals are found in the Wisconsin central plain and near Lake Superior.

The wettest month at Wisconsin's three major reporting stations (Green Bay, Madison, Milwaukee) is August and the driest months are January and February.

Here are some fun precipitation extremes...

  • Greatest daily total 11.72 in. Mellen, Ashland County, June 24, 1946
  • Greatest monthly total 18.33 in. Port Washington, Ozaukee County, June 1996
  • Greatest calendar year 62.07 in. Embarass, Waupaca County, 1884
  • Least calendar year 12.00 in. Plum Island, Door County, 1937
  • Greatest annual average 36.91 in. Lake Geneva, Walworth County 30-year average (1961-90)
  • Wednesday, July 29, 2009

    Record Heat Grips WA, OR

    The normally pleasant Pacific Northweset is sweltering under dangerous heat today
    as highs range from 95 to 105 from Seattle to Portland.

    For many locations, Tuesday was the warmest July 28 in over 10 years.

    Click here to see new record highs set yesterday across Oregon, including 106 degrees at the Portland Airport.

    The highest temperature ever recorded in Seattle is 100 degrees and honestly that could be tied or even broken today. It will be a close call!

    Tuesday, July 28, 2009

    Warm Side of Wisconsin

    In the last blog we talked about the extreme cold that is often felt across Wisconsin. In this blog, let's talk heat.

    It can get very hot and muggy at times across the Badger State, especially over the southern counties.

    90 degree temperatures are experienced statewide during the warm season, with an average of 2 to 4 days topping 90 in the northern counties to just over a dozen days each year along the Illinois border.

    Temperatures topping 100 degrees aren't as common as 90s, but they can happen and sometimes in a big way.

    The highest temperature ever observed in Wisconsin was 114 degrees back on July 13, 1936 in Wisconsin Dells (approx. 900 feet) -- that is just a little northwest of Madison in the south-central part of the state.

    Temperatures obviously play a huge role in the agricultural industry of Wisconsin.

    Although known for dairy, Wisconsin also is a top producer for corn. Cranberries, snap peas, potatoes, oats, and carrots are other crops grown there.

    The growing season ranges from about 80 days in the northeast and north-central lowlands to just under 200 days in the Milwaukee area.

    The season lasts about 140 to 150 days in the southwest portion of the state and along the east-central coastline of Lake Michigan.

    The last freeze of the cold season ranges from early May along Lake Michigan and the southern counties to early June in the north.

    The first freeze of the cold season comes as early as late August and the first days of September in the north and the lowlands to as late as mid-October in the south.

    Sometimes the northern and central Wisconsin lowlands can even see a night or two with temperatures below freezing in July!

    Friday, July 24, 2009

    Drizzle Causes Emergency

    Did you see the article about less than 0.01 inches of rain and 10 mph winds causing trouble in Iquique, Chile?

    Click here to read more about one of the driest places on Earth.

    I just got back off a work trip to western Colorado.

    In the next blog, we'll pick back up with more on the climate of Wisconsin.

    Tuesday, July 21, 2009

    Active And Unusual Weather

    Wow what an evening in the Denver metro area. A cold front slipped into the region Monday evening and fired up a nasty line of storms that raked the entire metro between 10 pm and midnight.

    On the west side of the city along the foothills, a supercell formed and spawned an apparent tornado (or even a few) as it moved southeast along the foothills from Wheat Ridge and Arvada to Castle Rock.

    Very rare both for the intensity, the time of day and for the location.

    I drove home from my part-time job just after 11pm and found my neighborhood on the southeast side of the metro hammered with heavy rain. Water was flowing down the streets like a torrent.

    The lightning was incredible.

    I cannot wait for daylight and all the storm assessments to get published!

    On a different note...

    I ran across a great article from the National Weather Service office in Las Vegas tonight.

    It apparently hit 128 degrees this past Saturday in Death Valley, CA.

    In the public information statement they give some awesome statistics on how often this happens and the most statistical days for it to occur.

    The statement follows...

    THE HIGH TEMPERATURE TODAY...SATURDAY JULY 18 2009...REACHED 128
    DEGREES AT THE OFFICIAL WEATHER STATION AT FURNACE CREEK IN DEATH
    VALLEY CALIFORNIA LOCATED AT 194 FEET BELOW SEA LEVEL.

    JUST HOW UNUSUAL IS 128 FOR A HIGH TEMPERATURE IN DEATH VALLEY? THE
    NORMAL HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR JULY 18TH IS 115 DEGREES. LOOKING BACK
    AT WEATHER RECORDS FOR DEATH VALLEY WHICH DATE BACK TO JUNE 8 1911
    THE HIGH TEMPERATURE HAS ONLY REACHED 128 DEGREES OR BETTER IN DEATH
    VALLEY ON 20 INSTANCES. THE MOST RECENT TIME IT WAS AS HOT OR HOTTER
    THAN TODAY WAS ON JULY 6 2007 WHEN IT REACHED 129 DEGREES.

    STATISTICALLY JULY 18TH HAS SEEN THE THERMOMETER REACH 128 DEGREES
    OR BETTER MORE THAN ANY OTHER CALENDAR DATE IN DEATH VALLEY. A HIGH
    OF 128 DEGREES WAS RECORDED ON JULY 18 1998...JULY 18 2005 AS WELL
    AS JULY 18 2009. IT HAS REACHED 129 DEGREES ON JULY 18 1922 AND JULY
    18 1960.

    AS FAR AS SOME OTHER STATISTICS ON HIGH TEMPERATURES IN DEATH VALLEY
    A HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 129 DEGREES OR BETTER HAS ONLY OCCURRED 10
    TIMES SINCE RECORDS STARTED. AS FOR THE 3 HIGHEST READINGS WHICH ARE
    130 DEGREES OR ABOVE...ALL OCCURRED IN JULY 1913. THE ALL-TIME
    RECORD HIGH IN DEATH VALLEY IS 134 DEGREES SET ON JULY 10 1913.

    WE EXTEND OUR APPRECIATION TO THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE FOR TAKING
    WEATHER OBSERVATIONS IN DEATH VALLEY AND SOME OF THE ABOVE
    INFORMATION.

    Monday, July 20, 2009

    Back To The Climate Series

    Well we've talked about the climates of Tennessee, Vermont, Washington and Missouri in some detail over the past few weeks.

    Let's keep going now with the climate of Wisconsin.

    The Badger State can see a wide range of weather from north to south, with heavy influences off of the western Great Lakes. (Michigan and Superior)

    The winters can be long, cold and snowy -- and the summers can be hot and humid.

    The average annual temperature ranges from about 39 or 40 degrees in the northern counties to around 50 degrees over the south.

    When you think of extreme temperatures and states that have them...you'd probably lump Wisconsin in there, especially on the cold side of things.

    During more than half of all the winters, you can typically expect a few temperatures of minus 40 degrees to show up, especially across northern Wisconsin.

    And temperatures in the minus 30s show up just about every winter in northern Wisconsin.

    The coldest Wisconsin temperature on record is -55°F in the town of Couderay. It was a pretty recent record too, set back on Feb. 2 and Feb. 4 of 1996.

    Couderay is located north of Eau Claire, in northwestern Wisconsin, and is at an elevation of about 1,300 feet.

    In the next blog we will talk about the warm side of Wisconsin temperatures.

    The most recent poll about when we will see the first named storm of the 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season closed with 39 votes, and the results follow...

    Before 7/15 -- 2%
    Between 7/16 and 7/25 -- 33%
    Between 7/26 and 8/10 -- 43%
    After 8/10 -- 17%

    Thursday, July 16, 2009

    Weather Trends

    The crazy summer weather continues depending on where you live.

    It may be cool and wet or hot and dry. And those in the middle have a little of both.

    Things have finally dried out just a touch here in Colorado and the Denver area, but the temperatures are still nice with mostly 80s.

    The latest info from the climate prediction center is forecasting above normal temperatures along the western slope of the Rockies July 18-19 and again around the 23-25.

    This includes the states of Utah and Idaho.

    Heavy rains are possible along the Gulf Coast over the coming weekend, especially in the Florida panhandle.

    There are a few really dry pockets that having increasing drought threats, including portions of California, northwest Nevada, northwest Montana, southeast New Mexico, southern Texas, and east-central Minnesota into central and northern Wisconsin.

    The long-term trend over the next 14 days is calling for above normal precipitation along the entire eastern seaboard, and across the southern Rockies as the annual summer monsoon fires up.

    Drier than normal conditions are forecasted for the west coast and along the US/Canada line.

    Monday, July 13, 2009

    Interesting Weather Patterns

    What an interesting spring and early summer it has been -- here in Denver we have only had 4 days top 90 degrees.

    Usually by now we should have seen about 10 to 12 or thereabouts.

    Of those 4 days, 3 have been in the last week and a half.

    I have to admit it is a nice break. Last July, we had 22 days top 90 degrees. It was a hot and dry one.

    In addition to being cool, it has also been wet. Since January 1, Denver has officially recorded 11.62 inches of moisture, with a little over 6 inches of that total falling since June 1.

    It is so green along the Front Range and in the foothills. The water has delayed the start of our annual fire season, which has been great.

    But if you travel about 150 miles southeast to Lamar, Colorado -- it is a different story. They are on the edge of the hot bubble of dry air over the southern plains. Afternoon highs have been in the 90s and 100s in recent days.

    It has been downright miserable across the Sooner State with locations in northwest Oklahoma having seen highs topping 105 degrees for several days.

    Other persistent weather patterns have kept the northeast US wonder where is summer? It has been so cool and wet across much of the New England area for weeks now.

    It has also been extremely cool in and around the Great Lakes.

    A friend of mine in Connecticut called the other day to tell me she finally saw the sun!

    So with the sun finally peaking and temperatures warming a little across New England, things getting a little warmer and drier around Denver, and temperatures finally climbing well into the 100s around Phoenix (after several days in June where it didn't hit 100)...could things be getting back to normal?

    It has also been a very quiet hurricane season in the Atlantic basin with really no organized weather systems to track.

    At the end of June there was a tropical wave near Cancun that for a brief time looked like it might organize, but it didn't.

    If I didn't have to work 2 jobs and could have just one dream job, it'd be to sit down and comb through tons of data for the United States and do comparisons to average as well as trying to forecast trends.

    However, all I have time to do is a quick little recap and pose some interesting thoughts to ponder.

    I had someone ask me yesterday about my thoughts for the winter in Denver this upcoming season. I really didn't have an answer.

    I finally said cold and wet. Maybe a gut instinct that could come true, maybe it was just a wish since I love the cold season weather.

    One thing I know for sure is I had no hard evidence for my answer.

    Friday, July 10, 2009

    El Nino Arrives

    Here is a link to an article talking about the arrival of El Nino. It is expected to last into early 2010.

    Click here to read.

    Have a great weekend!

    Thursday, July 9, 2009

    Vermont's Climate Continued -- Precipitation

    Precipitation in Vermont varies from region to region. Most precipitation is created due to fronts that cross the region, although the North Atlantic Ocean does have an influence on the area, especially in southeast Vermont.

    Freezing rain occasionally occurs, sometimes more than once per winter in certain regions.

    Snow is a frequent visitor to the state during the cold season. Annual totals vary alot and over short distances due to the terrain of Vermont.

    Locations along the Connecticut River and the western region see anywhere from 55 to 65 inches a year. Totals can go alot higher as you gain elevation.

    Several snow events with totals of 5 inches or more are common in Vermont, so residents should keep a shovel handy during the winter.

    Blizzards can slow travel in Vermont with totals measured in feet. On February 25, 1969, a storm dropped 33 inches of snow at St. Johnsbury.

    During the warm season, afternoon thunderstorms can drop heavy rain, with intensities that can wash out roads or cause mud slides.

    Storms can sometimes turn severe and even produce tornadoes, but they aren't common.

    Tuesday, July 7, 2009

    Back To Vermont's Climate

    It has been a few weeks but here is some more on Vermont's climate.

    Temperatures vary across Vermont according to elevation.

    Vermont has a temperature extreme record that spans 155°F. The coldest temperature on record is -50°F at Bloomfield (elevation 915 feet). It was achieved on December 30, 1933.

    The hottest temperature ever measured in Vermont was 105°F at Vernon (elevation 310 feet) back on July 4, 1911.

    Summer temperatures are pretty uniform across the state of Vermont. Summer highs average 75-85 during the warmest days with lows in the 50s to lower 60s. However, some 90 degree days can be expected, especially in southern Vermont.

    Winter temperatures can be all over the map in Vermont. Largely due to the terrain. Many locations experience sub-zero days on a regular basis.

    Two of the coldest months of the year are January and February. In Burlington, the average high is about 27-29 and the average lows are around 10 degrees during both months.

    July is the warmest month on average in Burlington, followed by August.

    Monday, July 6, 2009

    Middle America's Climate Zones

    Well I am back from my road trip from Denver to Little Rock.

    I am happy to report that I saw a slight decrease in gas prices over the last week AND that the rest areas and state visitor center's were full of happy summer travelers.

    My mom's 50th birthday party went off without a hitch and my grandma is slowly but surely recovering from her hip replacement.

    All is well down in Arkansas.

    It is awesome how green the drive across eastern Colorado, western Oklahoma and much of Kansas still is for this time of the year.

    Evidence of all the rain we've been getting this spring and early summer.

    I am sure that will change in a hurry this week. Here in the southeast burbs of Denver this morning it is quite breezy and we are finally going to hit the 90s this week. Mid to upper 90s in fact.

    The heat and the wind will zap the moisture out of the vegetation in just a matter of days -- turning the beautiful green into the typical summer brown.

    We've been fortunate it has lasted this long!

    Though I haven't been into the mountains lately, a friend of mine went over the weekend and said the wildflowers are spectacular, the most he has ever seen -- and he is a Colorado native so that is saying a lot!

    In addition to all the green, I had a great time observing the weather and the changes to the landscape as you cross the different climate zones.

    As I drove out of eastern Colorado and across the panhandle of Oklahoma, I noticed the temperature slowly rise.

    Once I reached Woodward, OK -- changes really began between there and Oklahoma City. The car thermometer rose from the lower and middle 80s to just shy of 100 degrees.

    And the humidity went way up too.

    It was about at this point that I started noticing the landscape change from the rolling plains with just a few small to middle size trees and dry river and creek beds just west of Oklahoma City -- into a lush series rolling hills completely covered with thick, tall beautiful trees, containing large lakes and flowing streams on the east side of the metro area.

    This all happens within about 50 to 100 miles on either side of Oklahoma City. It is a pretty drastic change over such a relatively short distance.

    On my way home I took a more northerly route across the top of Oklahoma, and noticed the same identical change between Tulsa and Perry, along the Cimarron Turnpike.

    From there I turned north and made my way up to Salina, Kansas for an overnight stay. I was greeted by a good ole overnight complex of thunderstorms in Salina.

    Before going to bed about 11 pm I saw a batch of storms in eastern Colorado. I wondered if they'd hold together and come across Kansas during the overnight hours.

    Sure enough, about 4 am, I awoke to gusty winds, lightning, large claps of thunder and heavy rain.

    The next day I made the 350 miles journey west along I-70 to my home in southeast metro Denver.

    I arrived to a heavy afternoon thundershower. It was good to be home.

    Ok with that I need to get to work.

    Someone recently asked about the polls I used to post. I have posted one today about the current Atlantic Hurricane Season.

    As you have been seeing and hearing on the news it is off to a slow start, which isn't necessarily a bad thing for those who live in harm's way.

    So when do you think we will see the first named storm? Post your guess in the poll.

    Wednesday, July 1, 2009

    Still Catching Up

    Hello all...

    I know I promised to get some more detailed, more frequent blogs posted once I got to Arkansas.

    I am leaving today to start back to Colorado and didn't get that accomplished. With my grandma having just had her hip replacement last month, there was a lot my mom needed help with around her house since she is currently doing her household chores and my grandma's.

    I had a great article left on the blog comment about how new laws are going into effect across Colorado that will allow for rainwater to be caught and used for purposes like irrigation.

    Previously, it was illegal to do so.

    Click here to read more.

    I promise once I get back into Denver I will get the rest of Vermont's climate info posted and then we'll start a new state.

    Thanks for your patience!