Odie's Obit
Friday was Odie's viewing and Saturday was her funeral. Wow it was really tough to process that she has departed this world.
I have known Odie since about 2002 when I joined CoCoRaHS and started doing student work with the Colorado Climate Center.
One thing I loved about her was she was very passionate about students. In my educational career, I met all kinds of people. Some that you had to earn your way into their life, and others that met you once and immediately connected -- there to help you with whatever it was you needed, with a very positive attitude.
Odie definitely fell into the immediate connection category.
Later after I graduated with my degree and worked at Channel 7 as the weather producer, I cannot tell you how many times she helped me find weather data for something I was working on.
I was fortunate that I got to visit her two times since the middle of July. Each trip to the climate center we got to visit for about 30 minutes.
On my last trip, near the beginning of August, I told Odie she looked like she was losing weight. In her sweet but slightly sarcastic way, she chuckled and said what are your eyes not working?
I laughed back and said no you are losing weight, I can really see it in your face.
Little did I and anybody know, that was probably outward signs of the cancer her body was fighting.
Odie had been tired and having pain in her legs from what people at the funeral told me. She went for tests to see what was wrong on Aug. 21 and was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer that was spreading to other parts of her body on Aug. 22.
And just after midnight on the 25th, she passed away suddenly and very unexpectedly.
One of her dear friends spoke at the funeral. She said as hard as it is to think she is gone, the reality she would have faced over the weeks to come with extensive surgery and chemo, the outcome likely would have been the same.
Although no one wants her gone, at least she didn't suffer this way.
I think that was very brave of Odie's friend to say -- and I completely agree.
Please say extra prayers and send warm thoughts to all her friends, family and her husband, Jim.
Also keep your thoughts going Nolan's way too. Next week will be hard for him, returning to the office where he and Odie worked side by side for 30 years.
I am not sure if he is ready for a ton of emails and phone calls. Besides the emotional aspect of returning to work on Tuesday, it will also be back to business with dozens of phone calls and probably hundreds of emails to return.
If you want to reach out, you might consider a thinking of you card. Here is the address to the climate center.
Nolan Doesken
Colorado Climate Center
Department of Atmospheric Science
1371 General Delivery
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1371
Nolan and the climate center are surrounded by a lot of people willing to pitch in and do anything it takes to get through this tough time.
Tropics Talk
It looks like Hurricane Gustav will make landfall in SE Louisiana on Monday as a strong, major hurricane.
Tropical Storm Hannah, currently being impacted by Gustav, is expected to gain strength and parallel the east Florida coast once Gustav moves inland and weakens into a rain producing low pressure.
The SE states (Geogria, N. and S. Carolina) could see impacts from a landfalling Hannah later this week.
There are yet 2 additional disturbances in the far east Atlantic, and they could become the "I" and "J" storms sometime this week.
The hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin peaks around Sept. 10 so this level of activity isn't really all that unusual for this time of year.
CoCoRaHS
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Fay Helps S.E. Drought
It isn't over by a long stretch, but it looks like Fay did put a dent into the exceptional drought conditions over the Smoky Mountains.
There was also a vast improvement over Alabama, portions of Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Check out the maps below from 8/26 and 8/19.
Longer blogs will return over the weekend. My schedule has been a little hectic since Wednesday.
There was also a vast improvement over Alabama, portions of Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Check out the maps below from 8/26 and 8/19.
Longer blogs will return over the weekend. My schedule has been a little hectic since Wednesday.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
The Cup Runeth Over For Some
Look at the US Drought Monitor data from last Tuesday -- in particular, the bullseye over the Smoky Mountains.
I will post the new data once it updates, reflecting moisture from Fay.
The footprint of rainfall from Fay as the remnants push northeast over the mid-Atlantic is amazing.
The drought stricken area is really loving all this moisture.
Look at Tuesday's CoCoRaHS map, then look at this drought map above.
On Tuesday, western N. Carolina saw the bullseye of precipitation. The observer near Taylorsville said the rain fell so hard it was like a hydro-blaster hitting the roof!
An observer near Weaverville said it was the most rain ever recorded since being a CoCoRaHS volunteer.
I know that day will rank right up there with other memorable moments, such as a first date!! SERIOUSLY!! It is exciting stuff!
A Kannapolis observer said flooded roads and more rain coming -- a real CoCoRaHS day!
Tomorrow's maps will reflect more rain for the region, but the heavy rain core should shift up into Virginia.
WATCHING THE TROPICS
Tropical Storm Gustav should once again achieve hurricane status today and could grow rapidly once it hits the straits between Jamaica and Cuba.
Forecasts take it into the Gulf of Mexico as a major hurricane and aim it somewhere between Houston and Mobile.
We all really need to keep an eye on this one!
Today's Lesson
Yesterday we talked about latent heat. It is important because it is a source for atmospheric energy.
To recap, energy leaves water through evaporation and is "hidden" or trapped in water vapor molecules.
These molecules get swept away by winds and become airborne in the atmosphere.
As the water vapor rises to high altitudes where the air is colder, the vapor changes into liquid and ice cloud particles.
During these processes, a ton of heat energy is released into the environment, serving as the fuel for the weather we see here on the ground. (i.e. hurricanes, thunderstorms, etc.)
Now you see the importance of the condensation-transportation-evaporation mechanism for the relocation of heat energy.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Will Fay Be Drought Buster?
Check out the CoCoRaHS national map today. It couldn't be prettier!
Widespread rain fell across the eastern half of Tennessee, northern Georgia and Alabama, and the western Carolinas.
This is the drought-stricken area that although has seen some rain in recent weeks -- has not been blessed with anything widespread and significant for quite some time.
The moisture is all thanks to the remnants of Fay, still lingering over the deep south.
All eyes are now turning the Gustav -- a rapidly growing hurricane in the Caribbean.
The forecast track is being influenced by a weather feature over the Atlantic. As this moves east, high pressure building over the Bahamas is expected to ultimately steer the storm further west than previously expected.
Gustav will likely make it into the Gulf of Mexico but where, when and on what path remains to be seen.
This is definitely one to keep your eye on over the next few days.
Today's Lesson
We talked in an earlier blog about water vapor (which is a gas) and how it changes into two states -- liquid (rain) or solids (ice).
When it changes state, or phases, heat energy is requierd.
This heat energy is called latent heat.
To understand this concept, let's pretend we are looking at a water drop under a microscope.
On the surface of the water drop, molecules are constantly escaping. This is called evaporation.
The molecules that are escaping are the ones that are most energetic, or the fastest moving molecules.
As they leave, the average motion of the molecules left behind in the water drop decrease.
Since temperature is a measure of average molecular motion, the slower motion of the water drop's molecules suggest a lower water temperature -- although the actual temperature of the drop may or may not change even though evaporation is happening.
What this tells us is that evaporation is a cooling process.
Remember we learned that energy is neither created nor destroyed.
So the energy that left the water drop we were looking at under the microscope can be thought of as being carried away and "locked up" in the newly formed water vapor molecule.
This energy is now stored, or hidden, because the temperature of the the water drop changing from liquid to vapor is still the same.
The heat energy will reappear as sensible heat (heat we can feel and measure) when the vapor condenses back into liquid water -- this teaches us that condensation is therefore a warming process.
Condensation is the opposite of evaporation.
So here are some new terms for you.
The heat energy released when water vapor condenses to form liquid droplets is called latent heat of condensation.
And the heat energy used to change liquid into water vapor is called latent heat of evaporation.
Widespread rain fell across the eastern half of Tennessee, northern Georgia and Alabama, and the western Carolinas.
This is the drought-stricken area that although has seen some rain in recent weeks -- has not been blessed with anything widespread and significant for quite some time.
The moisture is all thanks to the remnants of Fay, still lingering over the deep south.
All eyes are now turning the Gustav -- a rapidly growing hurricane in the Caribbean.
The forecast track is being influenced by a weather feature over the Atlantic. As this moves east, high pressure building over the Bahamas is expected to ultimately steer the storm further west than previously expected.
Gustav will likely make it into the Gulf of Mexico but where, when and on what path remains to be seen.
This is definitely one to keep your eye on over the next few days.
Today's Lesson
We talked in an earlier blog about water vapor (which is a gas) and how it changes into two states -- liquid (rain) or solids (ice).
When it changes state, or phases, heat energy is requierd.
This heat energy is called latent heat.
To understand this concept, let's pretend we are looking at a water drop under a microscope.
On the surface of the water drop, molecules are constantly escaping. This is called evaporation.
The molecules that are escaping are the ones that are most energetic, or the fastest moving molecules.
As they leave, the average motion of the molecules left behind in the water drop decrease.
Since temperature is a measure of average molecular motion, the slower motion of the water drop's molecules suggest a lower water temperature -- although the actual temperature of the drop may or may not change even though evaporation is happening.
What this tells us is that evaporation is a cooling process.
Remember we learned that energy is neither created nor destroyed.
So the energy that left the water drop we were looking at under the microscope can be thought of as being carried away and "locked up" in the newly formed water vapor molecule.
This energy is now stored, or hidden, because the temperature of the the water drop changing from liquid to vapor is still the same.
The heat energy will reappear as sensible heat (heat we can feel and measure) when the vapor condenses back into liquid water -- this teaches us that condensation is therefore a warming process.
Condensation is the opposite of evaporation.
So here are some new terms for you.
The heat energy released when water vapor condenses to form liquid droplets is called latent heat of condensation.
And the heat energy used to change liquid into water vapor is called latent heat of evaporation.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Fay Rains To Date
Sorry for not posting over the weekend -- something caused my allergies to flare up and I was miserable! My left eye was nearly swollen shut.
Much better today!
A blog viewer asked me about the specific heat of water from the last blog entry -- wondering if that applies to all forms of water. (i.e. solid, liquid and gas)
The answer is no, it only applies to the liquid form of water. Specific heat capacity is about 50% less for frozen water (ice) and it is slightly less for water as a gas (steam) at constant pressure.
Specific Heat of Substances given in Calories per Gram times °C.
Water (pure liquid state) -- 1.00
Wet Mud -- 0.60
Ice (0°C) -- 0.50
Steam -- 0.48
Sandy Clay -- 0.33
Dry Air (at sea level) -- 0.24
Quartz Sand and Granite -- 0.19
I wanted to share some rain totals from Fay -- compiled from various sources by the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center.
...LOUISIANA...
BATON ROUGE 2.80
BOOTHVILLE 1.92
NEW ORLEANS (MSY) 1.46
SALT POINT 1.31
SLIDELL 1.15
NEW IBERIA 1.07
LAFAYETTE 0.76
...MISSISSIPPI...
STARKVILLE 5.3 S 2.88
NATCHEZ/HARDY 2.72
COLUMBUS AFB 2.47
MERIDIAN/KEY FIELD 2.45
TUPELO 2.20
MERIDIAN NAS/MCCAIN 1.96
JACKSON 1.94
VICKSBURG 1.75
MCCOMB/LEWIS FIELD 1.85
GREENWOOD 1.10
HATTIESBURG 1.01
PASCAGOULA 0.79
BILOXI 0.23
GULFPORT 0.17
...ALABAMA...
CAMDEN 1.0 NNE 6.55
EUFAULA 1.0 SSE 6.26
WETUMPKA 5.0 SE 6.14
TROY 5.65
OZARK 5.42
DOTHAN 4.38
AUBURN 4.05
MONTGOMERY 3.58
BIRMINGHAM 3.31
ANNISTON 2.84
TUSCALOOSA 2.31
EVERGREEN 1.81
MOBILE 1.41
...GEORGIA...
THOMASVILLE 2.8 E 17.43
COOLIDGE 3.2 SSW 12.03
MOULTRIE 6.2 SW 9.45
VALDOSTA 8.31
LAKE PARK 2.8 W 7.11
ALBANY 4.64
COLUMBUS 4.29
ALMA 4.24
SAVANNAH 3.16
BRUNSWICK 2.88
MACON 2.26
PEACHTREE CITY 1.48
...SOUTH CAROLINA...
BEAUFORT 5.84
MEGGETT 1.8 W 4.97
FOLLY BEACH 2.5 SW 3.96
CHARLESTON 2.72
...FLORIDA...
MELBOURNE BEACH 25.28
COCOA BEACH 24.38
CAPE CANAVERAL 22.83
DELTONA 22.69
SATELLITE BEACH 22.40
PALM SHORES 1.4 W 21.44
PALM BAY 1.0 NE 21.00
ORANGE CITY 19.81
HILLIARD 5.4 NW 19.70
SANFORD 15.70
TALLAHASSEE (TLH) 11.93
FORT PIERCE 11.58
JACKSONVILLE 11.70
VERO BEACH 11.34
CROSS CITY 9.97
DAYTONA BEACH 8.82
WEST PALM BEACH 7.32
ORLANDO 7.26
FORT MYERS 6.85
MARATHON 6.80
MIAMI 6.19
KEY WEST 3.35
Much better today!
A blog viewer asked me about the specific heat of water from the last blog entry -- wondering if that applies to all forms of water. (i.e. solid, liquid and gas)
The answer is no, it only applies to the liquid form of water. Specific heat capacity is about 50% less for frozen water (ice) and it is slightly less for water as a gas (steam) at constant pressure.
Specific Heat of Substances given in Calories per Gram times °C.
Water (pure liquid state) -- 1.00
Wet Mud -- 0.60
Ice (0°C) -- 0.50
Steam -- 0.48
Sandy Clay -- 0.33
Dry Air (at sea level) -- 0.24
Quartz Sand and Granite -- 0.19
I wanted to share some rain totals from Fay -- compiled from various sources by the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center.
...LOUISIANA...
BATON ROUGE 2.80
BOOTHVILLE 1.92
NEW ORLEANS (MSY) 1.46
SALT POINT 1.31
SLIDELL 1.15
NEW IBERIA 1.07
LAFAYETTE 0.76
...MISSISSIPPI...
STARKVILLE 5.3 S 2.88
NATCHEZ/HARDY 2.72
COLUMBUS AFB 2.47
MERIDIAN/KEY FIELD 2.45
TUPELO 2.20
MERIDIAN NAS/MCCAIN 1.96
JACKSON 1.94
VICKSBURG 1.75
MCCOMB/LEWIS FIELD 1.85
GREENWOOD 1.10
HATTIESBURG 1.01
PASCAGOULA 0.79
BILOXI 0.23
GULFPORT 0.17
...ALABAMA...
CAMDEN 1.0 NNE 6.55
EUFAULA 1.0 SSE 6.26
WETUMPKA 5.0 SE 6.14
TROY 5.65
OZARK 5.42
DOTHAN 4.38
AUBURN 4.05
MONTGOMERY 3.58
BIRMINGHAM 3.31
ANNISTON 2.84
TUSCALOOSA 2.31
EVERGREEN 1.81
MOBILE 1.41
...GEORGIA...
THOMASVILLE 2.8 E 17.43
COOLIDGE 3.2 SSW 12.03
MOULTRIE 6.2 SW 9.45
VALDOSTA 8.31
LAKE PARK 2.8 W 7.11
ALBANY 4.64
COLUMBUS 4.29
ALMA 4.24
SAVANNAH 3.16
BRUNSWICK 2.88
MACON 2.26
PEACHTREE CITY 1.48
...SOUTH CAROLINA...
BEAUFORT 5.84
MEGGETT 1.8 W 4.97
FOLLY BEACH 2.5 SW 3.96
CHARLESTON 2.72
...FLORIDA...
MELBOURNE BEACH 25.28
COCOA BEACH 24.38
CAPE CANAVERAL 22.83
DELTONA 22.69
SATELLITE BEACH 22.40
PALM SHORES 1.4 W 21.44
PALM BAY 1.0 NE 21.00
ORANGE CITY 19.81
HILLIARD 5.4 NW 19.70
SANFORD 15.70
TALLAHASSEE (TLH) 11.93
FORT PIERCE 11.58
JACKSONVILLE 11.70
VERO BEACH 11.34
CROSS CITY 9.97
DAYTONA BEACH 8.82
WEST PALM BEACH 7.32
ORLANDO 7.26
FORT MYERS 6.85
MARATHON 6.80
MIAMI 6.19
KEY WEST 3.35
Friday, August 22, 2008
Fay Bringing Historical Rain Totals
I tell you, I look at the CoCoRaHS maps each day across Florida and just can't believe what I am seeing!
Click on Florida for today and then look at Volusia County. The view lets you see surrounding counties too.
There are a half-dozen reports between 6.50-11.50 inches and that was as of 6:30am MDT this morning.
Fay is slowly drifting west and may go back over water as it parallels the panhandle over the next 48 hours.
Depending on the exact track, it could make 1 or 2 more landfalls as it follows the panhandle's irregularly shaped coastline.
Elsewhere, most of the country is quiet and seasonal.
Today's Lesson
In weather class, we learn about heat capacity and specific heat.
The heat capacity of a substance is the ratio of the amount of heat energy needed to make a corresponding temperature rise.
The heat capacity of a substance per unit mass is called specific heat.
In other words, specific heat is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance by 1° celsius.
If we heated 1 gram of pure liquid water on a stove, it would take about 1 calorie* of heat to raise the temperature by 1° celsius.
*a calorie is a measure of heat
So therefore, pure water sets the standard for measuring specific heat.
Soil would only need 0.2 calories of heat, so it has a specific heat that is 1/5 less than water.
What this means is that water heats and cools slowly. It has an enormous capacity for storing energy than most other substances.
Why is this important to weather? Because 3/4 of our planet is covered by water.
Click on Florida for today and then look at Volusia County. The view lets you see surrounding counties too.
There are a half-dozen reports between 6.50-11.50 inches and that was as of 6:30am MDT this morning.
Fay is slowly drifting west and may go back over water as it parallels the panhandle over the next 48 hours.
Depending on the exact track, it could make 1 or 2 more landfalls as it follows the panhandle's irregularly shaped coastline.
Elsewhere, most of the country is quiet and seasonal.
Today's Lesson
In weather class, we learn about heat capacity and specific heat.
The heat capacity of a substance is the ratio of the amount of heat energy needed to make a corresponding temperature rise.
The heat capacity of a substance per unit mass is called specific heat.
In other words, specific heat is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance by 1° celsius.
If we heated 1 gram of pure liquid water on a stove, it would take about 1 calorie* of heat to raise the temperature by 1° celsius.
*a calorie is a measure of heat
So therefore, pure water sets the standard for measuring specific heat.
Soil would only need 0.2 calories of heat, so it has a specific heat that is 1/5 less than water.
What this means is that water heats and cools slowly. It has an enormous capacity for storing energy than most other substances.
Why is this important to weather? Because 3/4 of our planet is covered by water.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Boomerang Fay Super Soaker
The circulation around Tropical Storm Fay brought a pipeline of moisture into central Florida off the Atlantic on Tuesday.
Martin County saw a widespread 6-10 inches of rain with 10-15 inches north of there in Brevard County.
One observer in Brevard County saw just under 15 inches of rain! Can't even imagine that -- simply amazing!
More rain is in store as the system slowly shifts to the north and west with time.
Heavy rain also fell around the Oklahoma City metro area on Tuesday with 3" of rain around the suburb of Norman. The rain did cause some flooding there.
Today's Lesson
Have you ever heard of Absolute Zero? This is the lowest temperature possible where there would be no thermal motion from atoms and molecules. (-273°C or -459°F)
At absolute zero we begin a temperature scale called the Kelvin Scale, named after Lord Kelvin, a famous British Scientist.
Since it begins at absolute zero, it contains no negative numbers and makes math calculations easy, therefore it is popular in the science community.
Two other temperature scales are used, the ones most people know, and they are the Fahrenheit and Celsius scales.
The Fahrenheit scale was developed in the 1700s by G. Daniel Fahrenheit, who assigned the number 32 for the point at which water freezes, and 212 for when it boils.
Celsius was later introduced with the number 0 assigned to when water freezes and 100 for when pure water boils at sea level.
Here are some math formulas to convert between these scales.
°C = (5/9)*(°F-32)
K = °C + 273
Martin County saw a widespread 6-10 inches of rain with 10-15 inches north of there in Brevard County.
One observer in Brevard County saw just under 15 inches of rain! Can't even imagine that -- simply amazing!
More rain is in store as the system slowly shifts to the north and west with time.
Heavy rain also fell around the Oklahoma City metro area on Tuesday with 3" of rain around the suburb of Norman. The rain did cause some flooding there.
Today's Lesson
Have you ever heard of Absolute Zero? This is the lowest temperature possible where there would be no thermal motion from atoms and molecules. (-273°C or -459°F)
At absolute zero we begin a temperature scale called the Kelvin Scale, named after Lord Kelvin, a famous British Scientist.
Since it begins at absolute zero, it contains no negative numbers and makes math calculations easy, therefore it is popular in the science community.
Two other temperature scales are used, the ones most people know, and they are the Fahrenheit and Celsius scales.
The Fahrenheit scale was developed in the 1700s by G. Daniel Fahrenheit, who assigned the number 32 for the point at which water freezes, and 212 for when it boils.
Celsius was later introduced with the number 0 assigned to when water freezes and 100 for when pure water boils at sea level.
Here are some math formulas to convert between these scales.
°C = (5/9)*(°F-32)
K = °C + 273
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Fay Will Hopefully Bring Drought Relief
Tropical Storm Fay is inland and did do some damage.
There have been a few tornadoes with some cars overturned in Stuart, FL. (Martin County)
The storm will slowly drift north and plaque northern Florida, southern Georgia and portions of Alabama over the next 5 days.
Fay may actually move into the Atlantic side of Florida (near Orlando) and make a second landfall between Daytona and Jacksonville sometime of Thursday. Or even on the Georgia coast.
There isn't really any major weather feature to steer the storm so the actual track remains very undefined at this time.
It isn't all bad news however -- remember this part of the world really needs the rainfall, especially Georgia and Alabama and vicinity.
So Fay could be a blessing but could also be an unwanted pest if she lingers for several days.
Just keep up with all the latest forecasts if you live or need to travel to this region over the next few days.
Did you see the Florida map today on CoCoRaHS? Wow a lot of rain, with over 8 inches from one observer near Sun Valley in Palm Beach County. (north of Ft. Lauderdale/Miami area)
Another observer in the same county had 7.64 inches.
Amazing to me! I am sure I experienced that at some point during my 19 years in Arkansas, but after living in the high deserts of Colorado for so long now -- when I think of 8 inches of rain if it fell here, I see widespread destruction.
Denver's annual precipitation (including rain and melted snow) is just a little over 15 inches.
Today's Weather Lesson
Ok it's been a few days since our last lesson when we talked about energy, both potential and kinetic.
There is a law you learn in science about energy that states energy is neither created nor destroyed. It merely changes from one form to another.
Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy (or speed) of all the atoms and molecules in the atmosphere, where higher temperatures mean faster average speeds and colder temperatures mean slower speeds.
The warmer the air, the further apart the molecules are, so it is less dense and rises.
The colder the air, the closer the molecules are, so it is more dense and sinks.
Temperature tells you how hot or cold something is relative to a set standard value.
Another type of energy we hear about it called heat. This is the energy being transferred from one object to another due to a temperature difference between the two objects.
Once heat is transferred, it is stored as internal energy.
In the atmosphere, heat is transferred by conduction, convection and radiation.
Tomorrow we'll discuss temperature scales and some important types of heat to weather. (latent heat and specific heat)
There have been a few tornadoes with some cars overturned in Stuart, FL. (Martin County)
The storm will slowly drift north and plaque northern Florida, southern Georgia and portions of Alabama over the next 5 days.
Fay may actually move into the Atlantic side of Florida (near Orlando) and make a second landfall between Daytona and Jacksonville sometime of Thursday. Or even on the Georgia coast.
There isn't really any major weather feature to steer the storm so the actual track remains very undefined at this time.
It isn't all bad news however -- remember this part of the world really needs the rainfall, especially Georgia and Alabama and vicinity.
So Fay could be a blessing but could also be an unwanted pest if she lingers for several days.
Just keep up with all the latest forecasts if you live or need to travel to this region over the next few days.
Did you see the Florida map today on CoCoRaHS? Wow a lot of rain, with over 8 inches from one observer near Sun Valley in Palm Beach County. (north of Ft. Lauderdale/Miami area)
Another observer in the same county had 7.64 inches.
Amazing to me! I am sure I experienced that at some point during my 19 years in Arkansas, but after living in the high deserts of Colorado for so long now -- when I think of 8 inches of rain if it fell here, I see widespread destruction.
Denver's annual precipitation (including rain and melted snow) is just a little over 15 inches.
Today's Weather Lesson
Ok it's been a few days since our last lesson when we talked about energy, both potential and kinetic.
There is a law you learn in science about energy that states energy is neither created nor destroyed. It merely changes from one form to another.
Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy (or speed) of all the atoms and molecules in the atmosphere, where higher temperatures mean faster average speeds and colder temperatures mean slower speeds.
The warmer the air, the further apart the molecules are, so it is less dense and rises.
The colder the air, the closer the molecules are, so it is more dense and sinks.
Temperature tells you how hot or cold something is relative to a set standard value.
Another type of energy we hear about it called heat. This is the energy being transferred from one object to another due to a temperature difference between the two objects.
Once heat is transferred, it is stored as internal energy.
In the atmosphere, heat is transferred by conduction, convection and radiation.
Tomorrow we'll discuss temperature scales and some important types of heat to weather. (latent heat and specific heat)
Monday, August 18, 2008
Tropical Storm Fay
Well Fay has survived her journey over the island nations of the Caribbean, and is on a beeline for Florida.
It will impact the entire state with rain and wind over the next 48 hours, but the brunt will likely be felt along the southwest coast between Ft. Myers and Tampa.
Fay could become a minimal hurricane (cat. 1 or 2) which to those who live in hurricane territory, isn't feared like a major hurricane, but a cat 1 or 2 can still do some serious damage from both wind and water.
So for all the CoCoRaHS observers in the Sunshine State -- the rest of us are sending you our best thoughts and will be anxiously awaiting to see your reports.
Attention Florida observers: Please leave detailed comments! Not only are they interesting to all of us, BUT they provide invaluable information to officials who recap the storm in detail.
But remember safety first!! Don't endanger your life to report to CoCoRaHS!
It will impact the entire state with rain and wind over the next 48 hours, but the brunt will likely be felt along the southwest coast between Ft. Myers and Tampa.
Fay could become a minimal hurricane (cat. 1 or 2) which to those who live in hurricane territory, isn't feared like a major hurricane, but a cat 1 or 2 can still do some serious damage from both wind and water.
So for all the CoCoRaHS observers in the Sunshine State -- the rest of us are sending you our best thoughts and will be anxiously awaiting to see your reports.
Attention Florida observers: Please leave detailed comments! Not only are they interesting to all of us, BUT they provide invaluable information to officials who recap the storm in detail.
But remember safety first!! Don't endanger your life to report to CoCoRaHS!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Fay Forms, Potentially Florida Bound
Attention all CoCoRaHSians in Florida and along the eastern and central Gulf Coast --- keep your eye on Fay.
The disturbance that has been on the radar scope these past few days finally formed into an organized system, becoming the 6th named storm of the Atlantic Hurricane Season.
There are several wildcards in the forecast, including how Fay interacts with the higher terrain of Cuba, the subtropical high pressure over the western Atlantic and an approaching trough of low pressure.
Current model output has Fay moving west-northwest, then taking a turn north, moving over the Florida keys and paralleling the western coast of Florida, making landfall in the central Panhandle sometime during the middle of this coming week.
If that path comes true, it would give Fay the chance to really become a strong hurricane with the center staying over water, but the storm being close enough to really give the west coast of Florida a wallop.
One thing is for certain, it is pretty likely that Fay will impact the Gulf Coast states somewhere -- but exactly where, when and how strong are still a tough call.
If you live in these areas, have family there, or are traveling there over the next few days, keep a close eye on the forecast.
You can visit the National Hurricane Center's Web site for all the latest information.
Just click here.
The disturbance that has been on the radar scope these past few days finally formed into an organized system, becoming the 6th named storm of the Atlantic Hurricane Season.
There are several wildcards in the forecast, including how Fay interacts with the higher terrain of Cuba, the subtropical high pressure over the western Atlantic and an approaching trough of low pressure.
Current model output has Fay moving west-northwest, then taking a turn north, moving over the Florida keys and paralleling the western coast of Florida, making landfall in the central Panhandle sometime during the middle of this coming week.
If that path comes true, it would give Fay the chance to really become a strong hurricane with the center staying over water, but the storm being close enough to really give the west coast of Florida a wallop.
One thing is for certain, it is pretty likely that Fay will impact the Gulf Coast states somewhere -- but exactly where, when and how strong are still a tough call.
If you live in these areas, have family there, or are traveling there over the next few days, keep a close eye on the forecast.
You can visit the National Hurricane Center's Web site for all the latest information.
Just click here.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Overnight Thunderstorms
Well good morning from socked in Denver -- it's a balmy 50 degrees with heavy mist/fog.
Once I moved to Colorado I really began to miss the overnight thunderstorms I was used to in the east. We just don't see that too often here -- in fact -- I can count on my left hand how many times I have seen it here over the past 8 years.
Well last night was an exception, in fact, it was one of the best shows I have seen yet.
I woke up about 3:51 am thinking is that thunder? Then I saw the lightning once I focused my eyes and said yes it was. It grew more intense and a bolt hit somewhere very close to me shortly there after.
The thunder rattled my windows!!!
Me and my basset hound (Samson) just snuggled down in the center of the bed looking out the window.
I have been on vacation this week and landscaping my backyard -- I went to check my gauge at 7 am and thankfully the work I have done so far survived it's first thunderstorm!
Elsewhere, the CoCoRaHS national map is a busy one today with pockets of moderate to heavy rain recorded over the past 24 hours across eastern Colorado, SW Kansas, central Oklahoma, north-central Texas, much of Missouri and Indiana as well as central Florida.
It's hot in the CoCoRaHS state of Oregon with triple digit heat again in downtown Portland. They had a record high on Thursday of 101° -- it was 102° at the Portland airport.
Medford was 108°! It was even 100° in Eugene.
The tropics are heating up with that area of disturbed weather still around Puerto Rico -- it could become the next tropical system over the weekend.
We are nearing the peak of the Atlantic Hurricane Season so according to climatology things should get active over the next few weeks.
Today's Lesson
We'll talk more about energy today.
Any moving substance has energy of motion, or kinetic energy.
Mathematically, this is KE = 1/2*mv² -- in text that would be kinetic energy equals one half times mass times velocity squared.
So the faster something moves, the more kinetic energy it will have -- so a strong wind has more kinetic energy than a light breeze.
Since the amount of kinetic energy also involves the objects mass, a volume of air and a volume of water moving at the same speed will have different amounts of kinetic energy.
Which one will be highest?
The water -- because it has a greater mass.
So how does this relate to weather?
The atoms and molecules that comprise all matter have kinetic energy due to motion. This form of kinetic energy is often called heat energy.
One of the most important forms of heat energy related to weather and climate is the energy we receive from the sun -- radiant energy.
Once I moved to Colorado I really began to miss the overnight thunderstorms I was used to in the east. We just don't see that too often here -- in fact -- I can count on my left hand how many times I have seen it here over the past 8 years.
Well last night was an exception, in fact, it was one of the best shows I have seen yet.
I woke up about 3:51 am thinking is that thunder? Then I saw the lightning once I focused my eyes and said yes it was. It grew more intense and a bolt hit somewhere very close to me shortly there after.
The thunder rattled my windows!!!
Me and my basset hound (Samson) just snuggled down in the center of the bed looking out the window.
I have been on vacation this week and landscaping my backyard -- I went to check my gauge at 7 am and thankfully the work I have done so far survived it's first thunderstorm!
Elsewhere, the CoCoRaHS national map is a busy one today with pockets of moderate to heavy rain recorded over the past 24 hours across eastern Colorado, SW Kansas, central Oklahoma, north-central Texas, much of Missouri and Indiana as well as central Florida.
It's hot in the CoCoRaHS state of Oregon with triple digit heat again in downtown Portland. They had a record high on Thursday of 101° -- it was 102° at the Portland airport.
Medford was 108°! It was even 100° in Eugene.
The tropics are heating up with that area of disturbed weather still around Puerto Rico -- it could become the next tropical system over the weekend.
We are nearing the peak of the Atlantic Hurricane Season so according to climatology things should get active over the next few weeks.
Today's Lesson
We'll talk more about energy today.
Any moving substance has energy of motion, or kinetic energy.
Mathematically, this is KE = 1/2*mv² -- in text that would be kinetic energy equals one half times mass times velocity squared.
So the faster something moves, the more kinetic energy it will have -- so a strong wind has more kinetic energy than a light breeze.
Since the amount of kinetic energy also involves the objects mass, a volume of air and a volume of water moving at the same speed will have different amounts of kinetic energy.
Which one will be highest?
The water -- because it has a greater mass.
So how does this relate to weather?
The atoms and molecules that comprise all matter have kinetic energy due to motion. This form of kinetic energy is often called heat energy.
One of the most important forms of heat energy related to weather and climate is the energy we receive from the sun -- radiant energy.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Somethin's A Brewin' In The Tropics
We may be dealing with the next tropical system in the Atlantic Basin over the next few days.
If so, it will be Tropical Storm Fay.
There is a large area of disturbed weather just east of Puerto Rico moving west. Regardless of if it organizes, it will bring heavy rain and wind to the island and surrounding locations, such as Hispaniola, over the next few days.
Hurricane hunters are flying through the storm today and we should know more later in the day.
Meanwhile, there was a second day of rain over much of the southeast. This time the heavy rain fell in a band from Mobile, Ala. and extending across southern Georgia and the Carolinas.
There was also a pocket of good rain over the lower Great Lakes, in and around Chicago, as well as over Kansas and Nebraska.
Elsewhere it was dry for the most part.
Today's Lesson
We are ready to dive into energy, temperature and heat.
Energy is the ability or capacity to do work on some form of matter. Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space.
If matter is either pushed, pulled or lifted over some distance, then work has been done.
The total amount of energy stored in any object determines how much work that object is capable of performing.
This is called potential energy because it represents the potential to do work.
It can be represented by a math equation.
PE = m x g x h
In words, that would be potential energy equals the object's mass (m), times the acceleration of gravity (g), times the objects height above the ground (h).
To relate this to weather, if you have a parcel of air at the surface and then one up in the air -- the one above the surface has more potential energy because it can sink and warm through a greater depth of the atmosphere than the parcel of air already at ground level.
I know this might be boring to some, or hard to understand. Others may love it.
Bare with me, I am just setting the stage so we can get into the fun things that pertain to weather, like convection and thermals.
If so, it will be Tropical Storm Fay.
There is a large area of disturbed weather just east of Puerto Rico moving west. Regardless of if it organizes, it will bring heavy rain and wind to the island and surrounding locations, such as Hispaniola, over the next few days.
Hurricane hunters are flying through the storm today and we should know more later in the day.
Meanwhile, there was a second day of rain over much of the southeast. This time the heavy rain fell in a band from Mobile, Ala. and extending across southern Georgia and the Carolinas.
There was also a pocket of good rain over the lower Great Lakes, in and around Chicago, as well as over Kansas and Nebraska.
Elsewhere it was dry for the most part.
Today's Lesson
We are ready to dive into energy, temperature and heat.
Energy is the ability or capacity to do work on some form of matter. Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space.
If matter is either pushed, pulled or lifted over some distance, then work has been done.
The total amount of energy stored in any object determines how much work that object is capable of performing.
This is called potential energy because it represents the potential to do work.
It can be represented by a math equation.
PE = m x g x h
In words, that would be potential energy equals the object's mass (m), times the acceleration of gravity (g), times the objects height above the ground (h).
To relate this to weather, if you have a parcel of air at the surface and then one up in the air -- the one above the surface has more potential energy because it can sink and warm through a greater depth of the atmosphere than the parcel of air already at ground level.
I know this might be boring to some, or hard to understand. Others may love it.
Bare with me, I am just setting the stage so we can get into the fun things that pertain to weather, like convection and thermals.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Unusual Storm System
A large area of low pressure has brought some very beneficial rain to states in the southeast, along with some cool air for this time of year.
It is unusual because this type of storm system is more common in the winter months.
Typically in the south cold fronts and areas of low pressure just don't happen in the summer. About the only hope for precipitaton is from a land-falling tropical system or your every day garden variety pop-up showers and thunderstorms that result from daytime heating and all the abundant moisture in the air.
I think just about every CoCoRaHS station in Alabama and Georgia reported rain on Tuesday.
This area really needed that type of widespread rainfall so I am glad that Mother Nature threw them a curve ball.
Speaking of curve balls, we have one coming down the east side of the Rockies this weekend.
Our highs here in Denver will struggle to reach 70 degrees on Friday and Saturday. Lows should be in the upper 40s and lower 50s.
Our mountains will see a rain/snow mix above the treeline -- which is approximately 11,000 feet.
Fall will be here before you know it -- see make the most of these late summer days.
Today's Lesson
If you love weather, then you want to live in the middle latitudes -- between about 30 and 50° N -- which happens to be where the United States is located.
It is in this region where most of the exciting weather is found as cold air moves down from the Arctic and warm air moves up from the Equator.
Big areas of low pressure (also called middle latitude cyclonic storms) sweep across the country along with a front and make for exciting times.
A front is an area where there is a sharp change in temperature, humidity and wind direction.
Every state in the union can boast an example -- but I think one of the better examples is Missouri -- since there is a major city on each side of the state.
If you were to look at a weather report and Kansas City was 75 degrees with a 38 degree dewpoint, and St. Louis was 90 degrees with a 65 degree dewpoint -- you could easily tell there was a cold front sitting somewhere in between.
On one side it is hot and muggy (St. Louis) and on the backside is is cooler and drier (Kansas City).
You can also tell alot about the weather by observing the wind direction.
Wind is the horizontal movement of air. And the wind direction is the direction from which the wind is blowing, not the direction it is blowing toward.
Southerly winds typically transport warm, moist air while northerly winds are often dry and cooler.
Easterly winds usually mean unsettled weather ahead while westerly winds are often associated with tranquil weather.
But this is all relative on where you live and the topography around you.
It is unusual because this type of storm system is more common in the winter months.
Typically in the south cold fronts and areas of low pressure just don't happen in the summer. About the only hope for precipitaton is from a land-falling tropical system or your every day garden variety pop-up showers and thunderstorms that result from daytime heating and all the abundant moisture in the air.
I think just about every CoCoRaHS station in Alabama and Georgia reported rain on Tuesday.
This area really needed that type of widespread rainfall so I am glad that Mother Nature threw them a curve ball.
Speaking of curve balls, we have one coming down the east side of the Rockies this weekend.
Our highs here in Denver will struggle to reach 70 degrees on Friday and Saturday. Lows should be in the upper 40s and lower 50s.
Our mountains will see a rain/snow mix above the treeline -- which is approximately 11,000 feet.
Fall will be here before you know it -- see make the most of these late summer days.
Today's Lesson
If you love weather, then you want to live in the middle latitudes -- between about 30 and 50° N -- which happens to be where the United States is located.
It is in this region where most of the exciting weather is found as cold air moves down from the Arctic and warm air moves up from the Equator.
Big areas of low pressure (also called middle latitude cyclonic storms) sweep across the country along with a front and make for exciting times.
A front is an area where there is a sharp change in temperature, humidity and wind direction.
Every state in the union can boast an example -- but I think one of the better examples is Missouri -- since there is a major city on each side of the state.
If you were to look at a weather report and Kansas City was 75 degrees with a 38 degree dewpoint, and St. Louis was 90 degrees with a 65 degree dewpoint -- you could easily tell there was a cold front sitting somewhere in between.
On one side it is hot and muggy (St. Louis) and on the backside is is cooler and drier (Kansas City).
You can also tell alot about the weather by observing the wind direction.
Wind is the horizontal movement of air. And the wind direction is the direction from which the wind is blowing, not the direction it is blowing toward.
Southerly winds typically transport warm, moist air while northerly winds are often dry and cooler.
Easterly winds usually mean unsettled weather ahead while westerly winds are often associated with tranquil weather.
But this is all relative on where you live and the topography around you.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Weather & Climate
Weather and climate are sometimes used incorrectly in the non-meteorology world.
Think of weather as a current snapshot of conditions at a particular time and place. It is always changing and is comprised of elements such as...
air temperature
air pressure
humidity
clouds
precipitation
visibility
wind
When you measure and observe these weather elements over an interval of time (i.e. years) you obtain the weather average or "climate" for a particular location.
Climate also includes the extremes of weather (i.e. record highs, lows, rainfall, etc.)
Think of weather as a current snapshot of conditions at a particular time and place. It is always changing and is comprised of elements such as...
air temperature
air pressure
humidity
clouds
precipitation
visibility
wind
When you measure and observe these weather elements over an interval of time (i.e. years) you obtain the weather average or "climate" for a particular location.
Climate also includes the extremes of weather (i.e. record highs, lows, rainfall, etc.)
Monday, August 11, 2008
More About The Atmosphere
Up to this point our blog weather lessons have covered the atmosphere in the vertical. We talked about the 4 sections -- troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere and the thermosphere.
It can also be divided into two sectons based on composition.
The homosphere is from the ground to the lower part of the thermosphere. This lower, well-mixed region of our atmosphere. It is mostly 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen.
Above that is the heterosphere, where gases seperate. Oxygen and nitrogen tend to settle at the bottom while other lighter weight gases float to the top, such as hydrogen and helium.
You may have heard a term called the ionosphere at some point in your life while taking a science class.
This is not really a layer -- it's just an electrified region within the upper atmosphere where large concentrations of ions and free electrons exist.
The ionosphere plays an important role in radio communications.
OK that's it for the atmosphere -- it is time to get into weather and climate!!!
We'll do that tomorrow!
It can also be divided into two sectons based on composition.
The homosphere is from the ground to the lower part of the thermosphere. This lower, well-mixed region of our atmosphere. It is mostly 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen.
Above that is the heterosphere, where gases seperate. Oxygen and nitrogen tend to settle at the bottom while other lighter weight gases float to the top, such as hydrogen and helium.
You may have heard a term called the ionosphere at some point in your life while taking a science class.
This is not really a layer -- it's just an electrified region within the upper atmosphere where large concentrations of ions and free electrons exist.
The ionosphere plays an important role in radio communications.
OK that's it for the atmosphere -- it is time to get into weather and climate!!!
We'll do that tomorrow!
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