Weather Chat

NASA Tweetup with Astronaut Ron Garan

2012-02-15T20:05:00.001-05:00

Signed photograph of Astronaut Ron Garan.

Yesterday, my boyfriend Rex and I went to a special Valentine's Day edition of NASA Tweetup. This was our second tweetup. Our first tweetup was back in October 2011. The link to my blog entry on that adventure can be found here. We saw two astronauts, Sandy Magnus and Chris Ferguson from STS-135, the last space shuttle mission at NASA.

I found out I had been selected for the Ron Garan @Astro_Ron tweetup in Washington, DC on January 30th. I was delighted because only 150 people were randomly selected for this event and the last tweetup I had gone too, I had been on the waitlist. I replied with my response (heck yeah I was going...I didn't write that hehe) and was set for the February 14th tweetup.

From the NASA site, "Garan spent 164 days in space during the Expedition 27 and Expedition 28 missions to the International Space Station. He and his crewmates launched April 4, 2011, and returned to Earth on Sept. 15, 2011. Aboard the station, the crew worked on a variety of microgravity experiments and hosted two space shuttle missions, including the last shuttle to visit the station. Garan also participated in the last space-shuttle-based spacewalk during the STS-135 mission." Garan also took pictures of his time in space and shared them on his Twitter account and on his blog Fragile Oasis blog.

There were many people at the event. Some of the farthest came from Arizona and California. There was a large show of hands, for first time attendees and it was nice seeing a big addition to the NASA tweetup family. A full list of the attendees can be found here. Thank you to everyone who contributes towards putting the wiki together :-)

At the tweetup we introduced ourselves by our twitter handle and expressed our gratitude towards Stephanie Schierholz @schierholz, who stated that this was her last tweetup for NASA and was her last official event as an employee of NASA. She has moved on to Raytheon. Garan was very personable and had a great sense of humor. He answered many of the audience's questions. One of my favorites was about Underseas Laboratories. Garan explained about his life and space and mentioned events like viewing lightning storms, auroras, and watching falling meteorites, as some of his favorite moments in space. He also likes seeing the lights on Earth. He discussed the idea of energy from the moon and how it is greater because it doesn't go through the atmosphere, nor is it hindered by weather. He talked what he missed on Earth while at the International Space Station (ISS) and his told of a time when space junk was headed toward the ISS and that he and his other crewmates had practiced for moments like that. Thankful the space junk did not hit the ISS. Garan stated that the smell of space, is burnt metal and that space exploration is learning about life on Earth from an outside view. "Nothing is impossible," he said.

A sequel to the ISS Blues was shown at the event and displayed Garan playing his guitar and other crewmates. The first ISS Blues was shown back in September 2011. According to Garan, "You gotta have fun, or else you'll go crazy." A timelapse of the ISS flyover Earth was shown as well. It was absolutely breathtaking seeing the lights on Earth and the aurora. I drooled at the aurora. The event ended with a special presentation for Stephanie, honoring her for all the work she's done helping to put NASA in a more social media environment. I'd like to thank NASA, Stephanie, Astronaut Ron Garan and the everyone else involved in the production of this tweetup. It is a great way to connect with NASA and I hope to attend many more in the future. It's also a wonderful way to meet new people. Shout out to my NASA Tweetup family :-) Here are some pictures from the event:

My boyfriend Rex and I with our badges.

So cute.

The stage.

Astronaut Ron Garan.

Stephanie receiving her gift from NASA.

Here is a picture Stephanie tweeted of her gift.

Some goodies we got from NASA:

Headshots of Astronaut Ron Garan. This includes the signed photograph featured at the top of the blog post.

:-)

A pin of the ISS and of the Expedition 28 mission.

Our badges.

For more information about Ron Garan, check out this link.

"We are all riding on a spaceship, we call Earth," - Ron Garan.

Cirrus Clouds

2012-02-07T19:04:00.000-05:00

I saw some sweet cirrus clouds on my way back from visiting my some of my family members, in North Carolina recently.

Here's the picture:

Love it!

92nd Annual American Meteorological Society Conference

2012-01-28T18:09:00.002-05:00

Recently I attended the 92nd Annual American Meteorological Society Conference in New Orleans, LA this year with some of my classmates and faculty from Howard University. I did not present, however I am working on research on the economic value of air quality forecasting, which I may be presenting at a conference in Florida, later this year.

The conference was nice and the talks were very intriguing. I helped out at the Weatherfest last Saturday, giving demonstrations on crushing cans. My group at Howard University (the Graduate Student Association for Atmospheric Sciences) GSAAS also hosted a reception called "The Colour of Weather: Breaking Barriers, Destroying Stereotypes," that Sunday. I went attended mostly the talks on public health, policy and air quality. Vulnerability and Resistance were key words in many of the talks and were further discussed at the Women's and Minority luncheon. I could not forget about Hurricane Katrina which struck the city of New Orleans in 2005. While I was there, severe weather spawned tornadoes in parts of Texas and brought rain to parts to Louisiana.

I'd never to New Orleans previous to this conference and felt the city's spirit. I walked a little through the French Quarter and I admired the atmosphere there. The atmosphere of Bourbon Street reminded me when I went to Las Vegas. Very alive. I would definitely like to go back to New Orleans and visit the city with my boyfriend, for a more leisure experience. I really enjoyed the weather. It was pretty much in the low to mid 70s for most of the time I was there.

Here are a some pictures from my trip to New Orleans:

Outside the Convection Center

Me by a house made from scrap.

Picture of a sunset I caught from my hotel room.

At the WeatherFest.

Being silly.

The panel at the Women and Minorities Luncheon.

Never forget.

View in the French Quarter.

View of the Mississippi.

With some of the students and faculty of the Howard University Program of Atmospheric Sciences (HUPAS).

With AMS President Elect, Dr. James Marshall Shepard.

The mask that I got in New Orleans.

DC Snow Event January 9th

2012-01-10T13:50:00.000-05:00

Yesterday a low pressure system brought an overachieved snowfall event here in the DC metro region.

Here are the totals from the National Weather Service of the storm and here is a link to the snowfall totals in the exact locations.

The storm brought over 1" in some areas. In Adelphi, MD the snow was about 0.5". This was nothing compared to the over 10' of snow that parts of Alaska received recently. I took this screen shot of the radar of the storm yesterday, as well as the weather map:

You can see the low pressure system and the stationary front associated with the storm. High pressure was to the North. The article by the Capital Weather Gang, gives a great explanation of why the forecast was not up to par. Many of the computer models did not agree and some where showing that there was not enough cold air or moisture to produce such an event. When the snow did start falling, the end result was more than an inch in some areas. You can also see the area around Texas which brought flash flooding to Houston.

I found the snow event a delightful treat, it was my birthday yesterday. The event is also the first snowfall of the 2012 season for DC. It was just enough for a coating and looked really nice coming down and covering the grass. There were a few slick spots on the roads however. Hopefully this won't be the last snowfall event for the season or anything like Snowmageddon, back in February last year. Oh yeah or like that DC snow hole which is clearly shown after a snowfall event back on December 26, 2010:

Yeah that's real.

Me enjoying the bit of snow :-)

I also recorded a video posted on TwitVid. Search @weathersavvy1.

Amazing Photo by Photographer Angela Pan

2012-01-07T10:20:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I saw an amazing picture posted on Capital Weather Gang's (@capitalweather) Facebook wall about the sunrise that morning. There were many gorgeous photos, but one really caught my eye by it's magnificence. That photo was by photography Angela Pan (@abpanphoto). It is the most beautiful picture of a sunrise I have ever seen in my life.

The picture was taken at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC. Here is a link to her posting on the photo. It is available for purchase on her website, A B. Pan Photography. Many of her other photos are great as well. Good job Angela, you captured so much in this photo, words don't do it justice!

Happy New Year/Quadrantids

2012-01-05T12:52:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Hope that you've had a great start to the new year and that this year brings you good news and joy. Can you believe it's already 2012? The time is going by fast.

Recently an amazing meteor shower occurred this year. It was the Quadrantid Meteor Shower. Here's a great article from Tariq Malik, SPACE.com Managing Editor, summarizing the event:

Spectacular Photos: 1st Meteor Shower of 2012 Amazes Skywatchers

A dazzling display of "shooting stars" kicked off the 2012 skywatching season early Wednesday (Jan. 4), thrilling amateur astronomers around the world with views of the Quadrantid meteor shower.

Usually one of the most dependable meteor displays of the year, the Quadrantid meteor shower peaked at about 2:30 a.m. EST (0730 GMT) in a brief, but eye-catching, light show. Quadrantid meteors are the leftover crumbs of a shattered comet that broke apart centuries ago, NASA scientists say.

To mark the meteor shower, SPACE.com invited readers to send in their photos of the event, and you answered in spades. From light-polluted cities to remote islands, skywatchers reported spotting some dazzling views of Quadrantid meteors.

Veterinary surgeon Roberto Porto photographed the meteor shower from the island of Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands. The view, he said, was stupendous.

On Tenerife, the Quadrantids display peaked close to sunrise (local time), "so the peak was [awash in] twilight," Porto told SPACE.com in an email. "Also, the weather predictions were for high clouds this night, [but] we managed to capture a couple of genuine meteors."

Tenerife is a volcanic island and home to Tiede, the highest mountain in Spain. Porto's photos show Quadrantid meteors streaking over Tiede and other peaks, with dark rock formations setting the scene.

According to the skywatching website Spaceweather.com and the International Meteor Organization, this year's Quadrantid display peaked at about 80 meteors an hour.

This reporter spotted three meteors within a 20-minute period of observing from West Orange, N.J., before the frigid winter night forced a retreat back inside. In Florida, skywatcher Richard Hay was more resilient.

"My wife and I ventured out into the frigid 26-degree Florida night this morning to catch the shower with our own eyes and were rewarded with about 20 or so bright Quadrantids over a 90-minute period," Hay wrote in a blog post.

In Ozark, Arkansas, skywatcher Brian Emfinger reported seeing several meteors that — while not especially bright — were still impressive. "I caught one nice Quadrantid Earthgrazer that shot across much of the sky, but it wasn't super-bright," Emfinger told SPACE.com in an email. "It did leave a trail that was visible for about 15 minutes." Earthgrazers are meteors that occur low on the horizon, and can sometimes light up in dazzling fireball displays.

Unlike some of the more well-known annual meteor showers, such as the Perseid and Geminid displays late in the year, the Quadrantid meteor shower's peak lasts only a few hours. The Quadrantids and Geminids originate from the asteroid 2003 EH1, which astronomers suspect was once part of a larger comet that broke into pieces several hundred years ago.

The small space rocks that become Quadrantid meteors hit the atmosphere at speeds of about 90,000 mph and burn up about 50 miles above the Earth, creating dazzling fireballs.

The Quadrantid meteor shower is named for the constellation Quadrans Murals (or Mural Quadrant, which was an early astronomy tool for observing stars), a pattern first observed in 1795 by the French astronomer Jerome Lalande. The Quadrans Murals is located between the better-known constellations of Bootes the Hersdman and Draco the Dragon.

Editor's note: If you snapped an amazing photo the Quadrantid meteor shower or any other skywatching sight and would like to share it with SPACE.com, contact managing editor Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com.

This picture is was taken by Scott Gauer of Danvill, PA on January 4, 2012. See the meteor streak to the top right side of the picture. So pretty!

The next chance to view a meteor shower will be in April with the Lyrids shower. According the Skyscapers INC, which gives a full list of the upcoming meteor showers, "The swift and bright Lyrid meteors disintegrate after hitting our atmosphere at a moderate speed of 29.8 miles per second. They often produce luminous trains of dust that can be observed for several seconds." The frequency of this meteor shower will be moderate.

Happy skywatching!

Taking A Dive Into Eco-Emi (Demember Box)

2011-12-20T15:28:00.002-05:00

I recently heard about a membership program where for $15 a month, you get five to ten Eco-friendly, organic, vegetarian or vegan samples sent straight to your door step. The name is this program is Eco-Emi. The mission is introducing people to a greener lifestyle. Reading why Eco-Emi was founded is all inspiring and looking at the previous months' products, I was excited to try. I signed up towards the end of November and received my first box, the second week in December.

Here are some pictures of the December Box:

The packaging. The box was so cute.

The package comes with a card, with information about the products inside.

Coupons.

Opening the box.

The goodies!

These socks are by Maggies Functional Organics.

The laundry detergent is by Greenology Products, while the vitamin super chews are by Genesis Today.

The lip balm is by Zambeezi, the Whispering Pine candle is by Wyk Candles and the botanical lip gloss is by Lauren Brooke cosmetiques.

The Raw Cacao bliss is by Artisana, the organic candy cane by The Natural Candy Store and the Jojoba and ginseng exfoliating face cleanser and blood orange and vanilla body wash, by John Masters Organics. The face cleanser and body wash were featured by Hip Apotheca.

When I first opened the priority mail package, the smell of pine filled my nose. The super chews and the cacao bliss were really good. The tangerine lip balm smells great as well as the botanical lip gloss is really smooth. I'm looking forward to trying the other products. I was very pleased with the products in this box and I'm happy about my subscription to this service. I'm really interested in buying more of the products featured. Thank you so much Eco-Emi and the products featured. I'm looking forward to the upcoming months :-)

Rare Kelvin-Helmholtz Clouds Over Alabama

2011-12-17T20:53:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, Alabama Meteorologist James Spann (@spann) tweeted this beautiful picture of Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds at the Alabama Air National Guard facility at the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. The clouds also known as "wave clouds" are defined by the Cloud Appreciation Society as, "the result of shearing winds up at cloud level. A particular type of turbulence can develop in a layer of Cirrus cloud, which happens to form below an inversion* between air currents of differing speeds and/or directions. Sea waves break as their bases are slowed down upon reaching shallow water and their crests surge ahead. Cloud waves break in the same way: when their crests are pushed ahead of their troughs by the difference in air currents." The occurrence of this kind of cloud formation is rare. They are more frequently seen in San Francisco.

Here is a link to more pictures of this rare occurrence.

Here's a link to his post on Twitter.

The Forecast Calls For Apples?

2011-12-16T09:45:00.000-05:00

Mmm delicious. Saw this interesting story on Yahoo today.

From Eric Pfeiffer, The Slideshow (A Yahoo News Blog).

Unexplained shower of apples falls from sky over town

More than 100 apples mysteriously rained down upon a small British town on Monday night. The still-unexplained apple shower left 20 yards of city streets and car windshields covered in the cascading fruit just after the daily rush hour.

The news immediately brought up comparisons to biblical tales of raining frogs and whether such reported freaks of nature actually occurred. In this instance, no one has officially confirmed when, how or if the apple storm truly took place as described.
However, Jim Dale, senior meteorologist from the British Weather Services, told the London Telegraph: "The weather we have at the moment is very volatile and we probably have more to come. Essentially these events are caused when a vortex of air, kind of like a mini tornado, lifts things off the ground rising up into the atmosphere until the air around it causes them to fall to earth again."

Dr Lisa Jardine-Wright, a physicist at the Cavendish Laboratory, based at Cambridge University, told the BBC, "Cars and houses have been swept up by tornadoes, so apples are well within the realms of possibility. A tornado which has swept through an orchard will be strong enough to 'suck up' small objects like a vacuum [cleaner]. These small objects would then be deposited back to earth as 'rain' when the whirlwind loses its energy."

Nevertheless, witnesses report that the weather in Coundon in Coventry was reported to be stable and calm at the time of the alleged apple shower. Coventry residents have offered several competing explanations for the event, including a passing plane, roving teenage pranksters--and, yes, witches.
But regardless of the ultimate explanation, the apple storm is no stranger other confirmed, highly unusual forms of precipitation. The BBC offers a roster of pertinent examples:

Frog falls were recorded in Llanddewi, Powys, in 1996 and two years later in Croydon, south London. In 2000, hundreds of dead silver sprats fell out of the sky during a rainstorm in the seaside resort of Great Yarmouth.
There have also been maggot downpours--in Acapulco in 1967 and during a yachting event at the 1976 Olympic Games.

On the sliding scale of inconveniences, an apple storm seems more palatable than maggots. Though, depending on the state of the apples, it's possible that some areas could have experienced both brands of offbeat precipitation at once.

source

Here's a link to other things that have strangely fallen out of the sky.

source

GOES-15 1st Full Disk Images of Earth

2011-12-06T17:45:00.001-05:00

From NOAA:

" GOES-15 took its first operational full disk images at 1800z on December 6, 2011. These three images show some of the imagery acquired, including the native gray-scale infrared, colorized infrared, colorized infrared water vapor, and visible imagery. The orange areas of the colorized water vapor image show areas with low moisture. The dry air associated with the Santa Ana winds in California are clearly visible. GOES-15's water vapor channel has major improvements over its predecessor on GOES-11 (the previous GOES-West)."

The images:

Absolutely stunning!

GOES (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites) -15 took the place of GOES-11 which was launched in May 2000. GOES-11 was only planned for 5 years but tracked weather and severe storms along the the Pacific region and the U.S. West Coast, for 12 years. GOES-11 is in the process of being deactivated and now GOES-15, a more advanced satellite, is fixed in this region. GOES-13 tracks the East Coast. GOES-12 tracks South America and GOES-14 is a ready backup or replacement. GOES satellites can also track oceanographic changes, space weather, forest fires and other hazards.

GOES-R is the next generation of satellites to be launched starting in 2015, by NOAA. More frequent images and clearer atmospheric observations is expected by this next generation of satellites.

For more information on GOES, check out this link.

October Wonderland

2011-10-30T12:03:00.001-04:00

Parts of the Northeast are waking up to a winter wonderland more than a brisk, fall day. Yesterday a rare October Nor'easter struck, causing power outages to over 2 million people. Much snow fell in the Northern states, breaking records in New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and others. Many Mid-Atlantic states don't see their first snowfall until about next month or so! A state of emergency has been called in New Jersey and New York. The event has been rendered historic and by Twitter #snoctober and #snowtober.

Here is a map from NOAA, showing the total snowfall amounts:

Here is a statement summarizing the snowfall totals and the event.

The event was caused by an offshore low pressure system and cold air. The low pumped moisture from the ocean, in which the ocean temperature is considerably warmer than air temperature over land. There were periods of rain, sleet and snow with this storm. Moisture was also pumped from a low pressure to the South.

Here in Adelphi, MD the start of the day was mostly rain. I saw on a few social network sites my friends in Northern New Jersey and New York were posting pictures of the snow that had already fallen in their area. It changed over to sleet around 1:30 PM. I took this video of the sleet with my cell phone (you might have to rotate the video).

I thought I saw a few snow flurries after the sleet. Then there was nothing but wind. The sun started to break through a bit. Then around 2:20 PM, it really started to snow, and it snowed hard. Here is a video I took of the snow. That car to the right is my car by the way :-)

In total, by me the snow accumulation was nonexistent. The snow looked pretty coming down though.

Here is a picture of the snow from my friend and former classmate Darren Milliron. He lives in Netcong, NJ. Check out his blog here.

Happy Halloween?

Northern Lights Illuminate Southern Skies

2011-10-26T16:02:00.000-04:00

Last night for some lucky people in the South, the Northern Lights dazzled across the dark sky. (Sorry that's a bit of my poetry language coming out). I unfortunately did not see this beautiful phenomenon :-( The Northern Lights are one of my favorite phenomena. Hopefully one day I'll get to see them in person, whether it's here in the DC metro area or...Maine :-)

Here is an article by Seth Borenstein from the Associated Press, explaining the event:

"Northern lights take unusual trip down south"

WASHINGTON—A baffling solar storm pulled colorful northern lights unusually far south, surprising space weather experts and treating skywatchers to a rare and spectacular treat.

A storm-chasing photographer captured the strange sky show in Arkansas Monday night. People in Kentucky and Georgia reported their sightings to local television stations. A special automated NASA camera that takes a picture of the sky every minute in Huntsville, Ala., captured 20 minutes of the vibrant red and green aurora borealis.

In Arkansas, Brian Emfinger called the view "extremely vivid, the most vivid I have ever seen. There was just 15 to 20 minutes where it really went crazy."

Emfinger, a storm chaser, captured the vibrant nighttime images on camera in Ozark, Ark.

He called it "a much bigger deal" than a tornado" because he sees dozens of those every year. This is only the second northern lights in a decade that he has seen this far south.

"They are very rare events," said NASA scientist Bill Cooke, who found the aurora photos in the Alabama camera's archive and posted them on the Marshall Space Flight Center's blog. "We don't see them this far south that often."

Officials at the federal Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colo., said they were surprised at the southern reach. The center monitors solar storms, which trigger auroras.

Space weather forecast chief Bob Rutledge said given the size of the solar storm, the lights probably shouldn't have been visible south of Iowa. The storm was only considered "moderate" sized, he said.

He called the storm unusual, its effects reaching Earth eight hours faster than forecast. But that timing made it just about perfect for U.S. viewing, he said.

"The peak of the intensity happened when it was dark or becoming dark over the U.S., coupled with the clear skies. We did have significant aurora sightings," Rutledge said. "The timing was good on this."

In Huntsville, the aurora lasted from 8:25 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. CDT, Cooke said. In Arkansas, Emfinger went out shortly after sunset after getting a space weather alert. He saw auroras that lasted until after 11 p.m.

An aurora begins with a storm shooting a magnetic solar wind from the sun. The wind slams into Earth's magnetic field, compressing it. That excites electrons of oxygen and nitrogen. When those excited electrons calm down, they emit red and green colors, Rutledge said.

Often solar storms can cause damage satellites and power grids. This one didn't, Rutledge said."

This picture by @WxJax shows the Northern Lights in Laurel, VA.

Here is a picture from Madison, WI from DakotaLapse.com:

This was the view in Alabama:

This time lapse video of the aurora in Michigan by Lakefxnet is amazing!!!:

Ok I'm done drooling, hehe.

Inside A Tornado On I-95 in VA

2011-10-14T14:44:00.000-04:00

Last night storms spawned some possible tornadoes in parts of the Mid-Atlantic. Here is one video of a motorist on I-95 in Virginia, when a tornado struck. Note: There is heavy language in this video.

The video is from Youtube user TeamInsaneRCRacing.

NASA Tweetup STS-135 in Washington, DC

2011-10-14T09:06:00.002-04:00

          Yesterday, I got the chance to see astronauts Christopher Fergusgon @Astro_Ferg and Sandy Magnus @Astro_Sandy at the NASA Tweetup STS-135 event in Washington, DC. If you are wondering what a Tweetup is, according to NASA a tweetup is "...An informal meeting of people who use the social messaging medium Twitter. NASA Tweetups provide @NASA followers with the opportunity to go behind-the-scenes at NASA facilities and events and speak with scientists, engineers, astronauts and managers. NASA Tweetups range from two hours to two days in length and include a "meet and greet" session to allow participants to mingle with fellow Tweeps and the people behind NASA's Twitter feeds." People that follow @NASATweetup also are provided the opportunity to attend and the account features the latest information about NASATweeup events. The first NASATweetup was On January 21, 2009 at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
         I saw that NASA was having a tweetup at their headquarters in Washington, DC through my @weathersavvy1 account and I registered during the September 29th to September 30th period. I saw that 150 participants would be selected at random and I crossed my fingers. On October 4th I received an email from Social Media Manager and Public Affairs Specialist at NASA, Stephanie Schierholz @schierholz, that I was not selected and I was on the waiting list. I crossed my fingers again and on October 6th, I received the confirmation that I had been selected!
   The event started at 4:00 pm EST, and was an hour long. At the event highlights of the STS-135 mission and the space program were discussed. STS-135 had actually started out as a rescue mission, delivering 9,400 pounds of spare parts and 2, 677 pounds of food. This is to help operations at the space station for the next year. The mission also brought back 5,7000 pounds of material from the station that was not needed. STS-135 was the final shuttle flight and also the 135th space shuttle to go into outer space. 25 states where represented at the event with the farthest United States attendees, coming from California. Attendees also came from Canada and Germany. The event was also broadcasted live on the NASA website.
      I wrote about STS-135 back in July when the space shuttle successfully landed on July 21, 2011. Here is that blog entry. I would have never thought, that some three months after writing that entry, I'd be seeing two of the astronauts aboard the space craft in person, and getting my picture with Sandy Magnus. Here is that picture:

I also got her signature :-)

The event was amazing and I really want to thank everyone who made this event possible. It is a great way to connect with the NASA and people that share common interests. Our world is definitely changing and like Astronaut Sandy Magnus said, "It's about learning." It was my first NASA Tweetup and I will assure, it definitely won't be my last :-)

Here are more pictures from the event:

Me in front of the NASA building

Astronauts Christopher Ferguson and Sandy Magnus.

The program.

List of the participants.

The NASA swag bag.

The commemorative pin, it contains metal flown aboard a space shuttle!

For more information about the STS-135 mission, check out this link.

Thanks again everyone involved, for this amazing opportunity and thank you to my boyfriend, Rex for taking some of the photos.

Mount Tambora Ready to Explode Again

2011-09-21T13:27:00.002-04:00

source

From Jesus Diaz, Gizomodo

The Deadliest Volcano In the Planet Is Ready to Explode Again

The last time the deadliest volcano in the planet exploded it was 1815. It killed more than 71,000 people on the spot and it was responsible for a volcanic winter that caused the worst worldwide famine of the 19th century.Now it may explode again.

Its name is Mount Tambora and it's located in the island of Sumbawa, Indonesia. And while it wasn't the most powerful volcano explosion in history, it's the one that caused more direct and indirect deaths. When it happened in April 1815, Sumbawa was obliterated. The caldera collapsed then, following some months of heavy activity. Most of the island's population was killed and its vegetation was reduced to ashes. Some trees were uprooted and pushed into the sea along with ash, creating three-mile-long rafts. And tsunamis generated by the explosion affected islands nearby. But its destructive power wasn't just limited to that area. It affected the entire world. The volcano's ash rose into a column that reached 140,000 feet (43 kilometers) high, right into the stratosphere. The heaviest particles eventually went down, but a stratospheric sulfate aerosol veil remained for years, dimming the sunlight everywhere. This disrupted the entire global climate in a big way, which started a chain of events that killed millions through the Northern Hemisphere.

Deadly volcanic winter

The next year there was no summer and temperatures went down an average of 0.5 degrees Celsius. It doesn't seem like a lot but the suspended sulfur released by the volcano caused agricultural crops to fail and livestock to die everywhere. The United States experienced extreme frosts and heavy snow well into July, ruining everything in the fields. The same happened elsewhere, causing a worldwide famine. This famine helped to spread a new strain of cholera in Asia and a typhus epidemic in southeast Europe and the eastern Mediterranean. It wasn't fun at all.

Experts are now saying that Mount Tambora is ready to erupt again. A steady stream of earthquakes are shaking the island, from less than five a month in April to more than 200 now. Columns of ash are already venting as high as 4,600 feet. The authorities have already established a 2-mile danger perimeter and its inhabitants are fleeing under government orders. But most of the people know the story from 1815 and don't need any orders to start running. In fact, people outside of the danger zone are also fleeing out of pure fear. Nobody knows for sure if Mount Tambora would explode with the same intensity as it did in 1815 and nobody knows when it would explode. But we know it is awakening, and that's not good at all.

source

Did They Listen?

2011-09-08T19:31:00.000-04:00

I posted a blog entry yesterday around this time, stating the frustration I had over television stations like CNN and The Weather Channel posting pictures and videos of people driving their vehicles through flooded waters. I tweeted my entry to the Weather Channel and not too long after I tweeted them the blog entry, I saw that they tweet message relating to people driving through flood waters. The tweets are shown below:

Did they listen? The tweet could be purely coincidence but the tweet was a link to meteorologist Tim Ballisty's article The Power of Water. The article can be found here. In the article, Ballisty writes about facts associated with flowing water. The facts pertain to what flowing water can do to a person, a car and a house. I took a screenshot of one of the images featured in the article:

Underneath the picture Ballisty writes,"Wesee it all the time: people misjudge the force of water and drive rightinto flowing floodwaters. Some are rescued by first-responders; othersperish." Then why Weather Channel do you show images of people driving through the waters without any type of safety tip or statement such as this?

I commented on the article stating the article is very educational, which it is. With all this rain and flooding it is more of a time to educate, not just show the extent of what nature can do and the situations that can make matters worse.

I also noticed that the Capital Weather Gang, addressed the issue on their blog, of people basically ignoring "Turn Around, Don't Drown."Here is the link. If we are going to report what's going on, we need to get on the same page. Educate! Don't devastate the campaign of "Turn Around, Don't Drown."

Turn Around Don't Drown: The Lost Campaign

2011-09-07T19:14:00.000-04:00

In wake of the Hurricane Irene and the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee dumping rain along the East coast, I have seen numerous pictures and videos of people driving through the flooded waters, on major television stations like CNN or The Weather Channel. Does anyone remember the "Turn Around, Don't Drown" campaign? By showing viewers vehicles driving through the waters, some may be under the impression that their vehicle can make it. In fact, more than half of flood related deaths occur from vehicles caught in the flood waters and floods are the number one cause of weather related deaths in the United States.

A road may look like it is passable but the actual depth of the water is not always certain from behind the wheel. It's frustrating to see channels such as CNN or the Weather Channel show these kinds of images from I-Reporters without stating the safety behind the images they choose to display.

I follow The Weather Channel on Twitter and recently saw this tweet:

The first picture that pops up when you click on the tweet is of a truck driving through flooded waters. Yes this image shows the extent of flooding from that viewer's perspective but so does a clear street with no cars driving through it. That would be the more safe approach and would not make it seem as though the "Turn Around, Don't Drown," campaign has been lost. Maybe a picture like would be better to get the point across:

One thing that is very certain is that flash floods can quickly occur and even though a driver may make it through one stretch of road, a flash flood could have occurred on another stretch and their vehicle might get stuck on that one.

So next when you post a picture or a video from a viewer showing the extent of what's going on in their area, follow it up with a safety tip or so. We report the weather to help save lives not just show the extent of what nature can do.

For more information on the "Turn Around, Don't Drown" campaign, lease visit this link.

Evolution Of Hurricane Irene In 10 Seconds

2011-08-25T15:40:00.005-04:00

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Want to see the formation of Hurricane Irene in 10 seconds? Well, the NOAA Environmental Visualization Laboratory website, features time-lapse imagery of Hurricane Irene's evolution from tropical wave to Category 3 storm. The images were taken using GOES-East satellite and starts from August 19th and ends with 1754z August 25. The animation has been recently updated. Check it out here.

5.9 Earthquake Shakes Parts Of Mid-Atlantic

2011-08-23T14:16:00.008-04:00

A 5.9 Earthquake has struck outside of Washington DC today. It's epicenter was 4 miles south southeast of Louisa, Virginia. I was sitting in my apartment building in Adelphi, MD and felt the building shaking. At first I thought maybe someone on the floor below me dropped something really heavy but I realized that the building was shaking for more than a few seconds. After the earthquake was done I took to the social media outlet Twitter to confirm some of my suspicious. Sure enough, Twitter became flooded with news of the earthquake.

My friends in NYC and Virginia were tweeting about feeling the earthquake too. Below is a map from CNN of the epicenter:

Here is a map of people reporting what they felt:

Update here

The quake was felt from North Carolina to Rhode Island. If you felt the earthquake and would like to report what you felt, follow the link here. This is the 25th earthquake Virginia has received since it officially became a state. This is also the strongest in VA since 1897 according the the USGS.

Update 3:38 PM EST
The magnitude of the earthquake has been dropped to 5.8.

Weather Of The Outer Banks

2011-08-22T12:10:00.006-04:00

Here are a few photos I took of some of the clouds and sunsets, when I was in the Outer Banks, NC (I was in Rodanthe.) The weather was amazing. There were a few thunderstorms while I was there and it was absolutely gorgeous to watch them over the ocean or on the deck of the beach house.

The stars were spectacular and I saw the Milky Way for the first time one night. I've never seen as many stars as I did that night. I wish I could have gotten a picture of the stars and the lightning. My camera unfortunately died and I forgot my charger. I took some of the pics with my cell phone, hehe. Enjoy!

Thunderstorms over the ocean.

The Cape Hatteras Weather Bureau/Lighthouse

2011-08-22T11:22:00.009-04:00

Recently I went on a trip with some of my friends to the Outer Banks, NC. We stopped at the Cape Hatteras Weather Bureau. According to the National Park Service, the Cape Hatteras Weather Bureau was, "The first U.S. Weather Bureau Station managed by the Army Signal Services on Hatteras Island, established at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Keepers' Quarters in 1874, moved to the Hatteras Life-Saving Station on December 1, 1880, and later transferred to a Hatteras Village private residence, known as Styron’s Building, on October 1, 1883." It is such a cute building and very welcoming.

We visited the lighthouse as well.

The light keepers' houses.

View from the top.

For more information about the Cape Hatteras Weather Bureau check out this link. For more information about the Lighthouse click here :-)

First Hurricane Of The Season!

2011-08-22T10:38:00.006-04:00

The Atlantic Hurricane Season has it's first hurricane of the season!!! Hurricane Irene is currently a category 1 hurricane, 25 mi W of San Juan, Puerto Rico and about 125 mi E of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. It is moving WNW at 14 mph and has maximum sustained winds of 80 mph with gusts as high has 90. Below is the projected path of the storm:

source

So far this season, there have been nine storms with currently Irene being the strongest. This season is also the first season since record taking of hurricanes began in 1851, that the first eight storms did not attain hurricane strength. There is still more of the season and not officially over until November 30. The tropics are brewing. Currently there is a large area of low pressure off the coast of Africa. There is a 10% chance that this area of pressure will develop into a tropical cyclone. Is this you Jose?

Updated track of Irene:

source

Weatherman Rapping While BASE Jumping

2011-07-28T19:22:00.005-04:00

Not sure if you've seen this. KMVT Morning Meteorologist Nick Kosir is rapping the weather forecast while BASE jumping. He's rapping to Chris Brown's song, "Look At Me Now."

Interesting way to share the weather report :-)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Experiment/100th Post

2011-07-22T15:07:00.000-04:00

This is my 100th post! Time to celebrate with some chocolate chip cookies! :-)

I saw this video from Accuweather.com, about baking chocolate chip cookies in a car in the excessive heat. I thought it would be the perfect post and seems like the cookies turned out pretty good. In the video the temperature outside was 99 but the temperature inside the car reached to 180.

At 2PM in DC, it was 102 today, with a heat index of 119 and a dew point at 77. DC may tie or even surpass the record of 103 by the end of the day. Newark, NJ reached an all-time high since records began, of 108 today.

Try to stay cool!

Space Shuttle Atlantis' Landing Marks End Of NASA's 30-Year Space Program

2011-07-21T07:28:00.006-04:00

It's the end of a 30-year era. Space Shuttle Atlantis has safely landed at 5:58 a.m. EDT at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Space Shuttle's flight lasted 12 days, 18 hours, 28 minutes and 55 seconds.

To read more about the historic occurrence, check out this link. They have a bittersweet video of Space Shuttle Atlantis' landing, which the picture below is a screenshot of.

Heat Wave Continues To Sweep Across U.S.

2011-07-19T16:53:00.007-04:00

It's only going to get hotter, with temperatures nearing 102, to round out the work week. DC reached it's 11th day above 95+ for 2011 today, which is past the average for a typical year. There were 27 days over 95+ last year. Much of the U.S. is feeling the heat as well as a heat wave is sweeps across from the Plains to the Northeast. NOAA has a good visual representation of the heatwave which started July 13. The animation uses high temperatures predicted from NOAA's high resolution North American Model (NAM). Here is a screenshot of the heatwave from today:

Here is the link to the animation.

If you can try to reduce your time being outside. If you are going outside, remember to drink plenty of water and do not leave children or pets inside your car.

2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season Update

2011-07-17T20:38:00.005-04:00

So far it has been pretty mum for the 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season. There have been 2 named storms since the season started on June 1. The first named storm was Tropical Storm Arlene, which lasted from June 29 to July 1. The storm made landfall by Cabo Rojo, Mexico with sustained winds of 65 mph. It dissipated over the mountains of Eastern Mexico on July 1. Confirmed were sadly 25 fatalities.

As of today the second has it's second named storm, Tropical Storm Bret. It's about 100 miles off the Northwest coast of Great Abaco Island with sustained winds at 35 mph. Here is the current forecast for the storm's path:

Source

Tropical Storm Bret is not expected to make any landfall in the U.S. There is still much more of the season remaining. The season is not officially over until November 30. For more information about the current tropical storm and hurricane season, visit this link.

Space Weather Revisited

2011-07-17T19:00:00.009-04:00

I'm a meteorologist and currently I'm researching some of the chemical aspects behind air quality. I know that sounds very vague but more well be developing over the summer and much into my next school year. I'm really fascinated by weather that occurs within the Troposphere and in the Stratosphere. Tornadoes, hurricanes, thunderstorms, they amongst many other weather occurrences are spectacular phenomenons. They however, can be very deadly and finding out ways to better educate the public on them is something I like to do too.

I also am really fascinated by the weather that occurs in Thermosphere, Ionosphere and beyond. A good example of this, is the Aurora Borealis. This phenomena is actually one of my favorite weather phenomenons, though you may be thinking that's not a tornado or weather we are more likely to see everyday. You may even be thinking the Aurora Borealis, is not even weather. Although it is not within the planetary atmosphere of the Earth, the Troposphere and Stratosphere, the Aurora is due to a change in the atmosphere. This is much like the weather we see closer to Earth. Our weather changes due to changes in the atmosphere and other atmospheric processes.

The term for weather like the Aurora Borealis is called Space Weather and currently Space Weather is a very growing field. I have been to a few conferences including the 33rd Annual National Weather Association conference in Louisville, KY, the 90th Annual American Meteorological Society conference in Atlanta, Georgia, and the 91st Annual American Meteorological Society conference in Seattle, Washington, and at all of those conferences, there have been presentations on Space Weather.

I saw a picture on a CNN News Blog and was motivated to write this entry. Here's the picture below:

source

The picture is of the Southern Lights taken by a member of the Space Shuttle Atlantis. Atlantis recently launched on July 8, and marked the final mission of NASA's 30 year Space Shuttle Program. Isn't it spectacular?

The Aurora Borealis is a very well known space weather phenomenon, in what may sound reminiscent of my July 20, 2009, a few others include solar flares, meteor showers and solar flares and I'll add a new one coronal holes.

As mentioned in the post, only one ground phenomenon that can propagate into outer space and that is a lightning. What is created is called a blue jet. Here is a picture from Wikipedia showing this phenomenon in more detail:

According to Wikipedia, blue jets can reach to "the lowest levels of the ionosphere 25 miles (40 km) to 50 miles (80 km) above the Earth."

So if you see on my blog, postings about hurricanes, or solar flares, I'm just posting about weather near and far :-)

To learn more about Space Weather visit this link.

Bonus!

Now this is much more astronomy, but here's a picture I posted to my Flickr, of the full moon taken by my friend Drew, on July 16. It was with my Casio Exilm EX-277. I was really surprised at how well, he got this shot of the moon. It is a tad blurry, though. Haha.

Storms On Saturn

2011-07-10T17:42:00.004-04:00

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I'm sure you're heard about the Red Eye on Jupiter, a gathering of magnificent storms, now Saturn has it's own unique gathering.

A recent article by Carolyn Porco talks about this phenomena:

Tempest-from-hell seen on Saturn
"Imagine being caught in a thunderstorm as wide as the Earth with discharges of lightning 10,000 times more powerful than normal, flashing 10 times per second at its peak.

Now imagine that this storm is still unfolding, eight months later.

One of the most violent weather events in the Solar System began to erupt on Saturn last December and is still enthralling astronomers, the British journal Nature reported on Wednesday.

Two studies draw on observations by professional and amateur astronomers using a broad range of gear, from relatively small ground-based telescopes to NASA's magnificent scoutcraft, Cassini.

Saturn, like Jupiter, is no stranger to convective storms.

It too is a "gas giant," or planet comprising layers of thick, roiling gases rather than a rock, like Earth, Mars, Venus and Mercury.

The difference, though, is that jovian mega-storms tend to erupt unexpectedly, but the lord of the rings gives birth to a monster almost periodically.

It occurs on average once every Saturnian year -- nearly 29.5 Earth years -- and appears to be linked to the summer solstice, when the planet's orbit brings it a bit closer to the Sun and its atmosphere warms a little.

The event is known as the "Great White Spot" (a counterpart to the swirling "Great Red Spot" on Jupiter) because of the mass of brilliant white storm clouds that erupt in the upper atmosphere.

The show is so big that it can be visible by telescopes from distant Earth. Five have been observed in the last 130 years. The last occurred in 1990.

But the current Great White Spot is proving to be a dazzling spectacle, revealed by an unprecedented array of observational power at hand.

Events began at 2105 GMT on December 5, when ground-based telescopes detected a "barely visible white point" on a normally unblemished and hazy part of Saturn's northern hemisphere, at around latitude 35 degrees north.

At the same time, Cassini turned its "ears" towards the target, listening in to radio emissions from the storm via an onboard plasma-wave instrument.

These signals are the telltales of lightning. Lightning cannot be seen visually on Saturn at night because of interference from sunlight scattered from the planet's ring system, which comprises billions of shiny particles.

Within a few weeks, the point had ballooned into a storm system that was some 10,000 kilometers (6,000 miles) across, roughly comparable with the diameter of the Earth, and after two months the clouds had almost encircled the entire planet.

Analysis of the data suggests that the "spot" is in fact a cluster of super-storms, produced by upwelling of heat, moisture and ammonia from water clouds from lower down in the Saturnian atmosphere, where the pressure is high.

As this mix rises into a cooler atmospheric layer called the tropopause, bright, white clouds of ammonia start to spread horizontally into a tail, sculpted by eastward jets of wind.

Astronomers are especially intrigued by the current Great White Spot.

The observational history of this phenomenon is sketchy. But evidence suggests the present spot is exceptionally intense and rather premature, for it was still spring on Saturn when the storm brewed."

Hot, Then Slight Cool Down

2011-07-10T17:12:00.003-04:00

Area Forecast-Washington DC
(July 11- 17)

I'll just do a summary of the forecast for this week :-) We're still looking at a hot week in the DC area for this upcoming week. High pressure will remain offshore into Monday as we can expect mostly sunny skies and highs in the lower 90s for Monday. A weak cold front will move through the region on Tuesday bringing a slight chance of showers, Tuesday into Wednesday. The high for Tuesday looks to be around 98. We'll be getting some slight relief on Wednesday as that cold front moves through and we can expect a high of 90. We can expect partly sunny skies for the rest of the week as a large upper ridge builds east from the Great Lakes region into the weekend. Highs will be in the mid to upper 80s.

source

Warm Week Ahead

2011-07-03T18:48:00.007-04:00

Hope you are staying cool because it will be warm this upcoming week. For tonight we can expect showers and thunderstorms that are ahead of a cold front moving through the region. That cold front will stall in Virginia. Independence Day looks to be a great day for a BBQ as it will be in the lower 90s with partly sunny skies. If you are planning on viewing fireworks Monday night, the forecast looks to be in your favor, as we can expect partly cloudy skies and a low of 71. High pressure will build in the region by Tuesday as we expect partly sunny skies and a high in the upper 80s into Wednesday. Mid-week the stalled front will move towards the north, as a warm front, and we can expect temperatures in the lower 90s as we enter into the weekend. We may see isolated storms and thunderstorms on Friday, associated with the front.

Happy Fourth of July!!!!

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New Layout/Summer definitely here

2011-06-26T18:06:00.005-04:00

So you may have noticed a few things changes to my blog recently. I changed the background and template using Blogger's template editor. I also changed the format for presenting the forecasts. Drumroll please. Hehe. Here it is...

I created my own 7 day layout for forecasting! This way I can be more accurate with my forecasts. I developed the layout using Microsoft PowerPoint. I found the icons on a site called WebResourcesDepot. Let me know what you think :-)

Summary:

Summer is definitely here, we felt the heat in the DC area today. That heat will continue into the beginning of the work week, cooling down slightly mid-week and returning as we head into the weekend. A few upper level disturbances will move into the area Monday and Tuesday, with a cold front moving in by Tuesday night. That will attribute to isolated showers Monday into Tuesday and the slightly cooler temperatures into Thursday. High pressure will return to the area by the end of the week, along with the heat. Stay cool!

source: NOAA

Running From Cantore

2011-06-25T18:05:00.005-04:00

I saw this commercial on the Weather Channel and really liked it. Jim Cantore is known for going to where the bad weather is. What about about when he goes on a vacation?

Hmmm I remember when Jim Cantore was at the 33rd Annual National Weather Association Conference in Louisville, KY, we did have some showers...

Cantore even stopped by to look at a poster a fellow classmate and I were presenting on media at the Undergraduate school I attended:

For some reason, I'm reminded of host Rod Sterling from the Twilight Zone. I know if I ever saw Sterling, I'd know something was about to go down.

Beautiful Sunset

2011-06-20T19:38:00.005-04:00

Just wanted to share a picture of a sunset, I took a few days ago when I was in Capitol Heights, MD, that really caught my eye. Recently I posted the picture to my Flickr account, which can be found here. ( I'll be posting more pictures on the Flickr account, so stay tuned for that). I just thought the scene was beautiful and the colors of the sky were gorgeous. Gotta love Rayleigh Scattering :-) Here is the picture of the sunset below:

If you have any pictures of sunsets, sunrises, or weather photos in general, I'd really like to feature them on the blog. Send them to weathersavvy1@gmail.com.

Solar Flare Disrupting Earth?

2011-06-08T11:01:00.003-04:00

Here's an article I saw on Yahoo about the most recent solar flare on June 7. What could this mean for us here on Earth? Read below:

Article by Kerry Sherdian

"WASHINGTON (AFP) – An unusual solar flare observed by a NASA space observatory on Tuesday could cause some disruptions to satellite communications and power on Earth over the next day or so, officials said.

The potent blast from the Sun unleashed a firestorm of radiation on a level not witnessed since 2006, and will likely lead to moderate geomagnetic storm activity by Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

"This one was rather dramatic," said Bill Murtagh, program coordinator at the NWS's Space Weather Prediction Center, describing the M-2 (medium-sized) solar flare that peaked at 1:41 am Eastern time in the United States, or 0541 GMT.

"We saw the initial flare occurring and it wasn't that big but then the eruption associated with it -- we got energy particle radiation flowing in and we got a big coronal mass injection," he said.

"You can see all the materials blasting up from the Sun so it is quite fantastic to look at."

NASA's solar dynamics observatory, which launched last year and provided the high-definition pictures and video of the event, described it as "visually spectacular," but noted that since the eruption was not pointed directly at Earth, the effects were expected to remain "fairly small."

"The large cloud of particles mushroomed up and fell back down looking as if it covered an area of almost half the solar surface," said a NASA statement.

Murtagh said space weather analysts were watching closely to see whether the event would cause any collision of magnetic fields between the Sun and Earth, some 93 million miles (150 million kilometers) apart.

"Part of our job here is to monitor and determine whether it is Earth-directed because essentially that material that is blasting out is gas with magnetic field combined," he told AFP.

"In a day or so from now we are expecting some of that material to impact us here on Earth and create a geomagnetic storm," he said.

"We don't expect it to be any kind of a real severe one but it could be kind of a moderate level storm."

The Space Weather Prediction Center said the event is "expected to cause G1 (minor) to G2 (moderate) levels of geomagnetic storm activity tomorrow, June 8, beginning around 1800 GMT."

Any geomagnetic storm activity will likely be over within 12-24 hours.

"The Solar Radiation Storm includes a significant contribution of high energy protons, the first such occurrence of an event of that type since December 2006," the NWS said.

As many as 12 satellites and spacecraft are monitoring the heliosphere, and one instrument in particular on board NASA's lunar reconnaissance orbiter is measuring radiation and its effects.

"Certainly over the (two-year) lifetime of the mission this is the most significant event," said Harlan Spence, principal investigator for the cosmic ray telescope for the effects of radiation, or CRaTER.

"This is really exciting because ironically when we were developing the mission initially we thought we would be launching closer to a solar maximum when these big solar particle events typically occur," Spence told AFP.

"Instead we launched into a historic solar minimum that took a long, long time to wake up," he said.

"This is interesting and significant because it shows the Sun is returning to its more typical active state."

The resulting geomagnetic storm could cause some disruption in power grids, satellites that operate global positioning systems and other devices, and may lead to some rerouting of flights over the polar regions, Murtagh said.

"Generally it is not going to cause any big problems, it will just have to be managed," he said.

"If you fly from the United States to Asia, flying over the North Pole, there are well over a dozen flights every day," he added.

"During these big radiation storms some of these airlines will reroute the flights away from the polar regions for safety reasons to make sure they can maintain communications.

"People operating satellites would keep an eye on this, too, because geomagnetic storming can interfere with satellites in various ways whether it is the satellite itself or the signal coming down from the receiver."

The aurora borealis (Northern Lights) and aurora australis (Southern Lights) will also likely be visible in the late hours of June 8 or 9, NASA said."

Source

Atlantic Hurricane Season 2011 is here!

2011-06-01T15:28:00.006-04:00

It has begun. Atlantic Hurricane Season has officially started and already there are two disturbances brewing in the Atlantic. There is an area of weak low pressure, just to the north of Panama. This area of low pressure may develop into a tropical depression within the next couple of days as the wind shear weakens. The second is a cluster of thunderstorms off the northeastern coast of Florida, which is moving westward into the state. This system will mostly likely not develop into a tropical depression but will bring heavy rain and gusty winds to parts of northern Florida later today.

Below are the list of names for the 2011 Atlantic storms:

Arlene	Bret	Cindy	Don	Emily	Franklin
Gert	Harvey	Irene	Jose	Katia	Lee
Maria	Nate	Ophelia	Philippe	Rina	Sean
Tammy	Vince	Whitney

Earlier this year, NOAA released their predictions of the 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season. In the report, NOAA is predicting a more active season, as well as more US landfalls. The average number of tropical storms for a season is 10. NOAA is predicting 12 to 18. For hurricanes the average is 6 and NOAA is predicting 6 to 10. In regards to major hurricanes, the average is 2 while NOAA this year is predicting 3 to 6. Accuweather.com also reported their predictions, stating 15 tropical storms, 8 hurricanes and 4 major hurricanes.

Last year was historic with 19 named storms, 12 hurricanes and 5 major hurricanes. 2010 predictions were 11-16 named storms, 6-8 hurricanes and 3-5 major hurricanes. The season ranked as the third most active on record, though little of these storms impacted the United States coastline.

Here is a season forecast from Accuweather.com:

You can see that Texas, Mexico and parts of South America are predicted to have hurricanes, early in the season, while areas in the southern United States and towards the New England region will be seeing hurricanes mid to late in the season.

My prediction, I agree that this season be active and that there will be more US landfalls.

For more info on the 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season, check here.

Oh and the Atlantic Hurricane Season ends on November 30. This is the same day as the end of the Eastern Pacific Hurricane Season, which started May 15.

Waterspout off Australia

2011-06-01T13:59:00.003-04:00

I was browsing the web and saw this amazing video of a waterspout near the coastal suburb of Terrigal, on Australia's New South Wales coast. Simply put waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water. I've always wanted to see one in real life. This video was filmed by a television station helicopter and the spout is magnificent. Like tornadoes on land they can be very dangerous however, especially to boaters.

Here is the video:

To learn more about waterspouts, check this link.

Source: Youtube

Viewing Colerain/Nature Signs

2011-05-31T17:13:00.009-04:00

This past weekend I went to Ahoskie, North Carolina to visit some of my family members. Back in April, North Carolina was hit with a major storm system which resulted in 62 tornadoes within the state. The storms were considered the deadliest storms in two decades to hit the state of North Carolina. One area in which an EF3 tornado touched down, was near where my family members live. This area was Colerain, NC. The tornado claimed 12 lives in Colerain and the damage from the storm was immense in this town and in others. Below are a couple of photos I took as I passed through Colerain. Much of the damage has been cleared, but you can still see the some of the devastation:

This is what was left of a house.

Damage on another house.

Just look at the tree line.

More damage from the tornado.

I was in awe looking at the sight around Colerain. Knowing what to do in case of a tornado is very important and in my last post, I outlined a few tips from which I found online. Being aware of when a tornado is coming is important as well and if a computer, cell phone or radio are not present, some tell-tale signs to watch for are, a greenish-black color in the sky, heavy rain or hail that is followed by a fast, intense wind shift or by dead calm winds, or rotating dust or debris on the ground under a cloud base (this may be an indicator that a funnel is still inside the cloud). Also listen for a loud and continuous rumble, one which does not go away like that of thunder. Tornadoes have been said to sound like a train or jet. If it is night, look for bright, white or blue green flashes that are at ground level and are small. This is in opposition from lightning strikes or flashes, in which the small flashes may indicate that strong winds are snapping power lines and that a tornado is present.

Stay safe!

Tornado Safety and Preparedness

2011-05-25T12:38:00.006-04:00

Many tornadoes have struck the US this Spring and some of those tornadoes have been very powerful. Just one month ago, a tornado outbreak hit the US and is classified to be the worst since the Super Outbreak in 1974. Recently an EF-5 struck Joplin, MO, resulting in over 150 deaths and is classified as the eighth deadliest tornado in US history. Currently there is threat for tornadoes in the Mississippi and lower Ohio valley, a threat which is shifting east. With this recent severe weather and tornadic activity, it is good to be prepared for such an occurrence like that of a tornado. Even though tornadoes may not be common in your area, tornadoes can occur in any state.

Tornado Terminology

Tornado Watch: Tornadoes are possible in your area. Remain alert for approaching storms.
Tornado Warning: A tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. If a tornado warning is issued for your area and the sky becomes threatening, move to your pre-designated place of safety.
Severe Thunderstorm Watch: Severe thunderstorms are possible in your area.
Severe Thunderstorm Warning: Severe thunderstorms are occurring.

KLTV 7 in Texas has a good list of tips of what you can do during a tornado:

In or near buildings:

• Seek shelter in an interior room on the lowest floor of a home, office or other building. Shelter in a windowless area: a stairwell, bathroom, hallway or storage closet.

• Avoid any area with a wide, unsupported roof such as an auditorium, gymnasium, cafeteria or theater. Avoid areas with windows or large amounts of glass.

• At school, follow the drill and go to a designated shelter area, usually interior hallways on the lowest floor.

• At the shopping center, go to the interior rooms and halls on the lowest floor. Do not leave the shopping center to get in your vehicle.

• If you are in a mobile home, get out immediately and take shelter in a nearby sturdy building.

• If you are in open country, take cover on low ground, preferably lying flat in a ditch or ravine.

In your vehicle:

• If the tornado appears to stay in the same place, but is growing larger, it is headed toward you. Take shelter AWAY from the vehicle. Take shelter inside a nearby sturdy building or lie flat in a ditch or ravine.

• Avoid highway overpasses. Parking or taking shelter under a bridge or overpass is extremely dangerous due to flying debris and the possibility the structure may collapse.

• Parking beneath an overpass on traffic lanes creates a deadly hazard for others, who may plow into your vehicle at full highway speeds in poor visibility. This can trap people in the storm's path or block emergency transport.

• If you are trapped in your vehicle, keep your seat belt on and lean down as low as possible, away from windshield and windows.

From the Redcross, what you can do after the tornado:

Continue listening to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio for updated information and instructions.

If you are away from home, return only when authorities say it is safe to do so.

Wear long pants, a longsleeved shirt and sturdy shoes when examining your walls, doors, staircases and windows for damage

Watch out for fallen power lines or broken gas lines and report them to the utility company immediately.

Stay out of damaged buildings.

Use batterypowered flashlights when examining buildings—do NOT use candles.

If you smell gas or hear a blowing or hissing noise, open a window and get everyone out of the building quickly and call the gas company or fire department.

Take pictures of damage, both of the building and its contents, for insurance claims.

Use the telephone only for emergency calls.

Keep all of your animals under your direct control.

Clean up spilled medications, bleaches, gasoline or other flammable liquids that could become a fire hazard.

Check for injuries. If you are trained, provide first aid to persons in need until emergency responders arrive.

Ready.gov provides great information on preparing for a tornado and for more information on tornadoes check out this link.

Stay safe!

Grímsvötn Volcanic Eruption in Iceland

2011-05-24T11:38:00.007-04:00

Iceland's Grímsvötn Volcano erupted May 21, 2011, and the ash has currently delayed almost a thousand flights and could cancel more than 500. This is the strongest eruption in 100 years and the ash cloud is 10 times larger than the previous eruption of this volcano, in 2004.

According to Wikipedia, "On 23 May, the eruption was releasing about 2000 tons of ash per second, totaling 120 million tons in the first 48 hours. The 2011 eruption of Grímsvötn thus qualified as 4 (VEI4) on the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI), releasing more ash in the first 48 hours than Eyjafjallajökull released during its entire 2010 eruption."

The Eyjafjallajökull Volcanic Eruption occurred in 2010 with a series of eruptions starting from March 20, 2010 to May 23, 2010. Activity was monitored after May 23 and the volcano was considered to be dormant after activity stopped for three months. Air travel was significantly affected by the eruption, which was of much greater magnitude than the most recent eruption.

A spectacular video of the Grímsvötn eruption can be found here. In the video you can see the electrical storms that are sometimes produced by the eruptions. Below is a satellite image of the eruption. You can see the ash column in the center and the ash more to the south. The image is from the MODIS instrument on NASA's Terra satellite.

source

For more information about Grímsvötn and Eyjafjallajökull, as well as other volcano around the world, check out this link.

Sundog!

2011-05-23T08:22:00.006-04:00

I was in at the Mall in DC this past weekend, and saw a sundog! I was watching the sky (like all meteorologists right? LOL) and spotted the beautiful ice rainbow.

Sundogs are also known as parhelion or parhelia (plural) in scientific terms. They are very common and are formed by the refraction of sunlight by hexagonal ice crystals and form part of a halo, around the sun. This is what a full sundog looks like:

Notice the location of the sun. Sundogs appear when the sun is low and near the horizon. The sunlight which passes through the ice crystals, is bent at a 22 degree angle before our eyes see it. The result is of this bending of light is a sundog. The orientation of the ice crystal results in the formation of a sundog as well and they can be observed when the flat faces of the ice crystal are horizontal. This orientation is what sets a sundog apart from a halo. In the occurrence of a halo, the orientation of the ice crystals is random.

Here is a picture of the sundog I saw:

Pretty isn't it?

For more information on sundogs, visit here. They show a good representation of the 22 degree at which the light is bent.

For giggles :-)

Warm And Humid With Mix Of Showers

2011-05-23T08:01:00.003-04:00

DC Area Forecast
(May 23-29)

We'll be seeing hot and humid temperatures this week as a high pressure system remains off shore. For today we can expect mostly cloudy skies and a high near 86, with showers likely after 4 pm. For tonight we can expect chance of showers between 9 pm and midnight, with mostly skies cloudy that will gradually become partly cloudy. The low should be near 66. For Tuesday into Friday we can expect a chance of thunderstorms due to a series of upper level disturbances, moving through the region. Highs will be in the mid to upper 80s and lows will be in the mid to upper 60s, for the week. Tuesday and Wednesday look to be at a greater chance for thunderstorms. Thursday into Friday we can expect partly cloudy skies and a slight chance, as a frontal boundary near the Mason Dixon Line becomes stationary. Expect a slight chance for showers for the weekend as well, as we'll see partly sunny skies and a high near 88 for Saturday and mostly cloudy skies and a high near 82 for Sunday.

Source: NOAA

*This is the last forecast, before the new format I'll be revealing next week.*

New Changes

2011-05-23T07:54:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone,

I'm in the process of reviewing my blog and have decided to revamp it. This in order to prove better forecasts. I realize that with posting the weekly forecast on Monday or Sunday of that week is not sufficient for the rest of the week, as the forecast may change. The new layout will be revealed sometime next week. I hope you continue to enjoy the information posted on my blog. Thanks so much for the support!

-Tasha

Showers The Majority Of The Week

2011-05-15T16:20:00.006-04:00

DC Area Forecast
(May 16 to 22)

Congrats recent college graduates! Hope your graduation ceremonies were sunny or at least partly sunny. So what does this week ahead look for the DC area? Well you might want to bring your umbrellas this week because there is a possibility for showers and thunderstorms the majority of this week, thanks to a stationary upper level low in the Mid-Atlantic. We might see a clear from the showers Saturday into Sunday, as the low lifts from the region and high pressure moves in. For Monday through Wednesday, expect mostly cloudy skies and isolated thunderstorms in parts of the area. Thursday into Friday, expect mostly cloudy skies and showers. Saturday expect a slight chance of showers and Sunday looks to our relief from the rain, with mostly sunny skies in the forecast. Daytime temperatures for the week will be in the low to mid 70s throughout the week, with nighttime temperatures reaching into the upper 50s to low 60s.

Sunny Start To The Week Ahead

2011-05-08T13:39:00.006-04:00

DC Area Forecast
(May 9-15)

Hey everyone! Happy Mother's Day! Hope you are enjoying this partly sunny Sunday.

The forecast looks wonderful start of the week ahead. For Monday we can expect sunny skies and a high near 75 as a high pressure system in Eastern Canada expands Southward over the Mid-Atlantic region. This will persist into the mid-week. For Monday night we can expect mostly clear skies with a low around 51 and winds from the north at 7 to 9 mph. Tuesday and Wednesday we can expect to see more of the same during the day, with sunny skies and a high in the mid 70s. For Tuesday night we can expect a low near 50 and mostly clear skies. Wednesday night looks to be in the mid 50s with mostly cloudy skies. A low pressure system will move into the region by Thursday as we can expect mostly cloudy skies and a high near 76. Thursday night there is a slight chance of thunderstorms, with mostly cloudy skies and a low near 56. That low pressure system will bring moisture to the region Friday into Sunday as we can expect a chance of showers for the weekend and highs into reaching into the mid 60s by Sunday. We'll be back into the lower 70s by the start of next the following week though.

source

April 25-28 Tornado Outbreak/La Nina link?

2011-04-28T15:02:00.012-04:00

Just two weeks ago the United States was struck by a tornado outbreak which was named the deadliest tornado outbreak since the Super Tuesday outbreak in 2008. Now the United States has been struck by another system that is currently ongoing, and has surpassed the previous April 14 -17 tornado outbreak as the deadliest since the Super Tuesday outbreak. It is also the worst the United States has had since the Super Outbreak in 1974. Currently there have been 273 deaths from the storm and many of those deaths occurred in Alabama, where and tornado struck Tuscaloosa. Footage from witnesses have captured the intensity of storm. This amazing footage of the tornado was recorded by Christoper England of Crimson Tide Productions at the University of Alabama:

The magnitude of the storm is incredible. Many experts are calling this tornado outbreak "historic" as the average amount of tornadoes in April is 133 and this storm along produced more than 260. Some are even saying that "Tornado Alley" may have shifted south. So what could be causing these tornado outbreaks? Well many experts are looking at the current La Nina oscillation which may play a role in the weather we have been receiving. Normally during a La Nina "the jet stream tends to move north through the Pacific Northwest and Great Lakes, keeping cold air on the northern side while the southern side tends to have warm, humid air. Cold fronts that would dry out the atmosphere on the south side are blocked, which means wet storms there." source

The result can develop tornadoes. As with the current outbreak, a cold front was met with warm, moist air in the south and a strong upper level jet, and lead in the development of the tornadoes.

The 1974 outbreak occurred during a La Nina year. Another La Nina year was 1999 when the Oklahoma tornado outbreak occurred. The duration of the event was May 3-6 and 140 tornadoes were confirmed. La Nina pattern we are in is currently weakening, so does this mean the intensity and the frequency of the tornadoes will subside? Looking at a chart by NOAA, on the number of tornadoes in April from 1950 to 2010, we can see an increase in the frequency of tornadoes in the past four years. This chart also provides a big picture of the events and looking at the decadal averages we can see an increase in the number of tornadoes in the pass decade. Not every year included in the chart was a La Nina year however and though the number of tornadoes may be increasing, the effect by a La Nina pattern is not as clear.

Below is a map of the storm reports for April 27, 2011. It is has since been updated.

This is the activity chart for yesterday.

Here is the radar:

All images are from NOAA.

Summery Then Back To Spring

2011-04-24T16:29:00.004-04:00

DC Area Forecast
(April 25-May 1)

What a warm and sunny Easter Sunday this is. There is a severe thunderstorm watch in effect for our area until 9 PM however, so don't forget those umbrellas if you're heading out later this evening.

For Monday we'll see the warm trend continue as we can expect partly sunny skies and a high near 88. We also see some slightly breezy conditions, with south wind between 6 to 12 mph. Monday night expect partly cloudy skies with a slight chance for showers in the early morning hours. Expect a low near 65 and south wind around 8 mph. A warm front will move into the region by Tuesday, leaving the region in a warm, moist airmass by Wednesday. For Tuesday we can expect a high near 83 with mostly sunny skies and southerly wind at 10 to 15 mph. Tuesday night expect mostly cloudy skies and a low near 64. We can expect mostly cloudy skies and a high near 84 for Wednesday. Wednesday night looks to be mostly cloudy with a slight chance of thunderstorms and a low around 63. A strong cold front will move through the region on Thursday, bringing temperatures back down to more Spring-like. Don't forget your umbrellas or rain boots because we can expect showers and thunderstorms for Thursday and a high near 72. There is a chance of thunderstorms Thursday night, as we can expect mostly cloudy skies with a low around 50. For Friday into Sunday we can expect drier conditions with highs in the low 70s and partly sunny skies. Expect nighttime temperatures in the upper 40s to low 50s.

source

That Green Film

2011-04-23T16:29:00.009-04:00

You've probably seen it by now. That film on your car making it appear greenish. Or one which is creeping on your front porch. It's pollen season and pollen is very present in the air. I suffer from seasonal allergies and I know if you do too, the sneezing and watery eyes can be quite common during medium to high pollen level days.

Unfortunately for readers within the DC metro area, the pollen outlook looks to be on the rise. The temperatures reaching into lower 80s for the start of this week, and the low dewpoint, has an influence on the dispersal of pollen. What this means is that the allergy level for the start of next week is high and allergy suffers can be looking at an increase in allergy symptoms. These symptoms may als0 become more severe as the warmer temperatures and low dewpoint progress.

To learn more about the pollen level in your area check out Pollen.com. The site has great information such as the various types of allergies and a history of allergy levels in your area.

Just a little comic relief from all the sneezing:

Image Credit

41 Years Later...Still Going Strong

2011-04-22T11:36:00.010-04:00

Yay, another Earth Day post!!! :-)

It's wonderful to see how Earth Day has grown to become a magnificent event over the past 41 years. Below is the first part in a thirteen part CBS Special News Report about Earth Week (April 16 to 22), anchored by Walter Cronkite in 1970.

Over 500 million people all over the world take part in various Earth Day events now and even some web have gone green for this day. Just take a look at some of these sites:

Wherever you are and whatever you're doing to raise awareness and to help make this planet a better place for all Earth's inhabitants, keep it up! Earth is a beautiful planet. Let's keep it that way! Make everyday Earth Day :-)

Arsenic Removal in Noakhali

2011-04-22T10:59:00.005-04:00

Happy Earth Day everyone!!!

Just wanted to share with you, a documentary created by my friend Hamshi Karunarajah, author of Climate Surprise, and her research group at the Asian University for Women, in Chittagong, Bangladesh. The documentary focuses on using Chinese Brake Ferns as an eco-friendly implement to the remove arsenic from ground water in Noakhali. Check it out:

Seattle Visit

2011-04-20T12:21:00.014-04:00

Earlier this year, I boarded a plane to Seattle, Washington. It was for the 91st Annual American Meteorological Society Conference. I had a great time at the conference and in Seattle and I just wanted to share some pictures I took while I was there. The Cascade Range is so gorgeous!!!

View of Mount Rainier from the plane

Lenticular clouds and Mount Rainier

Some of the Casacade Mountains

Me atop the Space Needle

Mount Rainier with Lenticular Clouds

View of the Bay

Flying over dense fog

Mount Rainier and valley fog

This isn't really weather related, but I thought it was something cool that I saw, while I was there.

It's Life-Size Chess!

Earth Day 2011/BP Oil Spill

2011-04-20T09:41:00.009-04:00

April 22nd is Earth Day 2011 and it is quickly approaching. On this day many celebrations and events take place around the world, in order to help the environment and raise awareness about topics such as power consumption, recycling and conversation. Planet Earth is the only planet we have and we should help to make the world a better place, not for ourselves but for other inhabitants.

One year ago today was the worst oil spills in U.S. history. This was the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (also known as the BP Oil Spill) occurred in the Gulf of Mexico near the Mississippi River Delta. Eleven people lost their lives in a wellhead blowout which caused the spill and hundreds of wildlife were affected. This picture from Yahoo Images, shows a dead fish floating atop a pool of oil.

Image Credit

Though difficult to look at, this image shows some of the impact of the disaster on wildlife. About 4,900,000 barrels of crude oil leaked over a 2,500 to 68,000 square mile radius and though the spill date ended on July 15, 2010, the well wasn't officially sealed until September 19. I remember watching CNN and seeing commentators and images of the oil rig and the coast line covered in oil on the main screen. This was followed by a live picture of the well still leaking oil, towards the bottom of the screen. I also remember breathing a small sigh of relief when the well was officially sealed. The clean up lasted for months. If you'd like to read about the incident, Wikipedia has a good article on it. Check it out here.

The environmental impact is still ongoing and according to Wikipedia, " In January 2011, an oil spill commissioner reported that tar balls continue to wash up, oil sheen trails are seen in the wake of fishing boats, wetlands marsh grass remains fouled and dying, and that crude oil lies offshore in deep water and in fine silts and sands onshore. A research team found oil on the bottom of the seafloor in late February 2011 that did not seem to be degrading. NOAA declared "an unusual mortality event," ongoing since last February 2011, after a spike in the number of dead dolphins washing up in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida."

This Earth Day let us not forget the disaster of the BP Oil Spill as well as other disasters that had effects had on the inhabitants of this planet. Let us find better ways to manage these incidents, as unfortunately they will occur. RestoreTheGulf.gov is a wonderful site towards providing information about the restoration in the Gulf and EarthDay.org is a great site looking at the Earth Day events occurring in your local area and around the globe. We should continue to reuse, reduce and recycle, and find ways of better sustainability. A little love can go a long way, especially when thinking of not only for ourselves, but our for future dependents, and other inhabitants (such as animals and trees), that exist in this world with us.

Seasonable Temps and Showers

2011-04-17T21:41:00.004-04:00

Area Forecast
Washington, DC
(April 18- April 24)

April's transition is getting a bit smoother this week as a high pressure system remains to our south. For Monday we can expect partly sunny skies and a high near 70. Winds will be from the south at 8 to 10 mph. Monday night we can expect expect increasing clouds and a low near 53 as the high moves off the coast. Winds will be from the south at 11 to 14 mph. A low pressure system develops near the region for Tuesday as we can expect a slight chance of showers in the afternoon and a high near 73. Tuesday night there is a slight chance for showers and thunderstorms with a low near 57. That low pressure system moves in for Wednesday as we can expect showers mainly after 2 pm and a high near 80. There's a slight chance for showers Wednesday night as we can expect mostly clouds skies and a high near 55. Thursday we can expect partly sunny skies as that low pressure system moves north and high pressure moves towards the region. Expect a high near 63. Thursday night we can expect a low near 46 and partly cloudy skies. For Friday we can expect partly cloudy skies and a high near 64 as that high moves into the region. Friday night looks to be partly cloud with a low near 47. Saturday a low pressure system from our west moves in. Expect a chance of showers with mostly cloudy skies and a high near 69 and expect partly cloudy skies and a chance of showers for Saturday night. Low near 57. That low will remain in the region for Sunday as we can expect mostly cloudy skies and a chance of showers with a high near 70. Sunday night looks to bring a chance of showers with mostly cloudy skies and a low near 55.

source: NOAA

Tohoku Earthquake/The Storms Came A Rumbling

2011-04-17T16:39:00.011-04:00

Well hello everyone, what a long time it's been since I've last posted. It's almost been a year! So much has happened during that time. I graduated from Kean University and now I'm attending Howard University pursing a Ph.D.

So much weather has occurred as well. More recently back on March 11, 2011, the Tohoku earthquake which was a devastating 9.0 earthquake. It struck off the coast of Japan and triggered a major tsunami which caused a tremendous loss of life. There were over 1021 recorded aftershocks, in with more than 63 of them were over 6.0. On the one month anniversary of the disaster, a 7.0 earthquake struck off the coast of Japan and tsunami warnings were issued, but later cancelled as the threat diminished. The Fukushima I Nuclear power plant has recently been rated level 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale. Level 7 is the highest level on the scale and the only other disaster to reach this level was the Chernobyl disaster back in April of 1986. A nine-month plan has been set to move the plant into a more stable state. More information about the plan can be read here.

Yesterday we received some intense storms here in Maryland. These storms were part of severe weather pattern which caused an outbreak of tornadoes in the Southern states, over the last two days. So far 55 tornadoes were confirmed and there were over 243 tornadoes initially reported. The maximum recorded tornado was an EF3 and 40 people have lost their life. No other outbreak in the United States, before this occurrence resulted in this number of fatalities since the Super Tuesday tornado outbreak. This event occurred February 5–6, 2008 and killed 57 people.

Of the reported tornadoes, the National Weather Service is estimating it would take a few days to confirm these cases. Why you might ask? Well much of the damage may have been caused by straight-line winds and not from a tornado. With many thunderstorms there will be wind gusts, and distinguishing what type of weather phenomena occurred can be tricky. Especially for insurance claims.

Straight line winds can reach up to speeds of 130 mph which is around the same as an EF2 tornado and are caused by downbursts or outflows from the thunderstorm. The debris pattern from straight line winds, spreads out in one direction. Tornadoes are categorized as rotating columns of air caused by unstable air, lifting and moisture in the low to mid levels of the atmosphere (in summary). The debris pattern from tornadoes spreads out in different directions and is often rotational. The debris field for straight line winds can cover miles as the debris field for tornadoes tends to be more narrow, though some fields have gone out for miles.

Below is a radar image of the system I obtained from RAP Weather. The time is 2023 UTC or 4:23 PM EST (to get eastern standard time, 5 hours is subtracted from the UTC time).

The line of storms are very well defined. Here is the base reflectivity image taken from the WSR-88D Radar that I obtained from NOAA. It is of the storms for the Baltimore MD/Washington DC area. The time is 7:19 PM EST or 2313 UTC.

Notice the strong band of storms west of Washington, DC? These storms later moved further North towards Westminster.

I felt really compelled to start this blog up again. The wait is over. I'll be updating more with weather events and happenings. If you have Twitter follow me @Weathersavvy1. Stay tuned!

Protection Of The Planet Is Protection Of Our Future

2010-04-20T18:23:00.004-04:00

This Thursday, April 22 will mark the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, which was founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson to help raise awareness about the Earth and its safety. Earth Day started when 20 million people participated in environmental activities across the United States and since then, the day has grown to be celebrated across the globe in over 184 countries. Help to make a difference in the world by volunteering in your community. More information can be found here: http://www.earthday.org/.

Back to Average Temps/Showers

2010-04-19T19:10:00.004-04:00

Area Forecast
Union NJ
(April 20-April 25)

It hasn't been feeling like it did two weeks ago when the temperatures here in Union reached into the upper 80s. The temperatures we're feeling now are more near the average for this time of the year, though the winds coming from the northwest make it feel much cooler. For Tuesday we can expect sunny skies and a high near 71. Winds will be out of the northwest at 3 to 9 mph. We can expect mostly clear skies and a low near 46 for Tuesday night. There is a slight chance of rain on Wednesday as a cold front from the northwest moves into the region. Expect a high near 69 and partly cloudy skies. Winds will be calm for the morning and then will become slightly breezy at 7 to 10 mph and from the south, later into the day. There is another chance for showers Wednesday night, mainly before midnight, as we expect a low around 47. That cold front will move out Thursday afternoon as we can expect a slight chance of showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High will be near 68. Weak high pressure will build Thursday night as we can expect a low near 42. Friday looks to be dry with partly sunny skies and a high near 61. That high will move off the Atlantic Coast for Friday night as we can expect partly cloudy skies and a low near 44. The weekend looks to be rainy as a low pressure system crosses into the region. expect a chance for showers and high temperatures in the lower 60s for both days.

Earth Hour 2010

2010-03-26T15:44:00.003-04:00

On March 27 at 8:30 pm (local time), millions of people all over the world will be turning off their lights for one hour, in a stand against climate change. Earth hour started om March 31 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million people turned off their lights at 7:30 for one hour. Since then Earth hour has grown to more than 100 countries around the globe and over 40 million people participating. Major landmarks such as the Pyramids of Gaza in Cairo, Egypt, Big Ben in London, England and Empire State Building in New York, participate in the event as well by turning off their lights. For more information check out http://www.earthhour.org/Homepage.aspx?intro=no. Together we can make a difference!

Cooler Temps and Showers

2010-03-23T10:25:00.003-04:00

Area Forecast- Union, NJ
(March 23 to March 28)

This weather this past weekend was a great start to Spring, but with Spring also comes showers and the thunderstorm last night was the first for the area this season and the temperatures this week will be much cooler than last week. For today we can expect a high near 59 and chance for rain in the afternoon as a low pressure system passes over the region. Wind will be slightly breezy from the southwest at 7 mph. For tonight we can expect a chance of rain before 3 am and low near 40. The wind will increase for tonight as the low pressure system passes through creating a strong pressure gradient. Winds will be from the west at 13 to 20 mph. The pressure gradient remains strong as we can expect breezy conditions for Wednesday with west winds at 17 to 23 mph. We can also expect mostly sunny skies and a high near 60. Wednesday night will be mostly clear with a low around 38 and west wind at 10 to 14 mph. For Thursday we can expect mostly sunny skies and a high near 58. A cold front will be moving into the region for Thursday night as we can expect a chance of rain after midnight and a low around 38. The cold front will pass through the region by Friday as we can expect a chance for showers before noon and a high in the mid 40s. Yup that's right I said 40s. Friday night looks to be clear with a low at 29. High pressure will build in the region for Saturday into Sunday as we can expect mostly sunny skies and a high near 48 for Saturday. Temperatures will rebound for Sunday as we can expect sunny skies and a high of 54.

source: NOAA

1.26 Milliseconds Shorter

2010-03-16T16:27:00.007-04:00

I should have posted this article sooner, it talks about the 8.8 earthquake in Chile possibly slowing down the earth's rotation and therefore slowing the day by 1.26 milliseconds. Though 1.26 milliseconds may not seem like much, it is significant and amazing that an earthquake can slow down the rotation of the earth and put it off its axis. Here is the article:

SPACE.com Staff

SPACE.com Space.com Staff

space.com – Tue Mar 2, 10:00 am ET

The massive 8.8 earthquake that struck Chile may have changed the entire Earth's rotation and shortened the length of days on our planet, a NASA scientist said Monday.

The quake, the seventh strongest earthquake in recorded history, hit Chile Saturday and should have shortened the length of an Earth day by 1.26 milliseconds, according to research scientist Richard Gross at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

"Perhaps more impressive is how much the quake shifted Earth's axis," NASA officials said in a Monday update.

The computer model used by Gross and his colleagues to determine the effects of the Chile earthquake effect also found that it should have moved Earth's figure axis by about 3 inches (8 cm or 27 milliarcseconds).

The Earth's figure axis is not the same as its north-south axis, which it spins around once every day at a speed of about 1,000 mph (1,604 kph).

The figure axis is the axis around which the Earth's mass is balanced. It is offset from the Earth's north-south axis by about 33 feet (10 meters).

Strong earthquakes have altered Earth's days and its axis in the past. The 9.1 Sumatran earthquake in 2004, which set off a deadly tsunami, should have shortened Earth's days by 6.8 microseconds and shifted its axis by about 2.76 inches (7 cm, or 2.32 milliarcseconds).

One Earth day is about 24 hours long. Over the course of a year, the length of a day normally changes gradually by one millisecond. It increases in the winter, when the Earth rotates more slowly, and decreases in the summer, Gross has said in the past.

The Chile earthquake was much smaller than the Sumatran temblor, but its effects on the Earth are larger because of its location. Its epicenter was located in the Earth's mid-latitudes rather than near the equator like the Sumatran event.

The fault responsible for the 2010 Chile quake also slices through Earth at a steeper angle than the Sumatran quake's fault, NASA scientists said.

"This makes the Chile fault more effective in moving Earth's mass vertically and hence more effective in shifting Earth's figure axis," NASA officials said.

Gross said his findings are based on early data available on the Chile earthquake. As more information about its characteristics are revealed, his prediction of its effects will likely change.

The Chile earthquake has killed more than 700 people and caused widespread devastation in the South American country.

Several major telescopes in Chile's Atacama Desert have escaped damage, according to the European Southern Observatory managing them.

A salt-measuring NASA satellite instrument destined to be installed on an Argentinean satellite was also undamaged in the earthquake, JPL officials said.

The Aquarius instrument was in the city of Bariloche, Argentina, where it is being installed in the Satelite de Aplicaciones Cientificas (SAC-D) satellite. The satellite integration facility is about 365 miles (588 km) from the Chile quake's epicenter.

The Aquarius instrument is designed to provide monthly global maps of the ocean's salt concentration in order to track current circulation and its role in climate change.

source

Feeling Like Spring/ Flood Safety Awareness

2010-03-16T15:40:00.005-04:00

Area Forecast- Union NJ
March 17 to March 21

We are definitely drying out from the low pressure this past weekend, which brought strong winds and heavy rain to many parts of the area. Atlantic City reported gusts of up to 65 mph on Saturday and almost 6 inches of rain was reported at New Vernon in Morris County. Downed trees, large branches and downed power lines were reported in some areas, as well as flooding and power outages. This week looks to be dry and and a nice transition to Spring as high pressure from our west moves into the region for St. Patrick's Day. We can expect sunny skies and a high near 63. For Thursday we can expect sunny skies and a high near 65. Thursday night a backdoor cold front will be moving into the region as we can expect partly cloudy skies and a high near 42. That cold front will move to the north as a warm front approaches the area on Friday. We can expect mostly sunny skies and a high near 63. High pressure off the coast will move into the region Friday night as we can expect mostly sunny skies and a high near 64 for Saturday (the official start of Spring). Low for Saturday night around 41. For Sunday we can expect partly sunny skies and a high near 60. A cold front approaches slowly from the west as we can expect a slight chance of showers for Sunday night, low around 42.

As I mentioned earlier, flooding was reported in some areas as a result with this past storm. March 15 through the 19th is National Flood Awareness Week. The goal of this week is to educate the public about the dangers of flooding, how they occur, and how to stay safe from this phenomenon. Floods are the number one natural disaster in the United States, and many of flood-related deaths occur in vehicles. It is important to toward around if there is flooded water in front of you, if you are driving or walking. In fact six inches of water is enough to float a car and it can be swept away in 18 to 24 inches of water. More information can be found here. Stay safe!

Sun and Showers

2010-03-09T10:18:00.005-05:00

March 9 to 14

(Area Forecast-Union, NJ)

Spring is getting closer and the weather yesterday with sunny skies and high temperatures in the lower 60s, definitely is a nice change to snow we'd been recieving the previous weeks. Today will be a repeat of yesterday with sunny skies and a high near 60. High pressure will remain in the area for Wednesday as we can expect partly sunny skies and a high near 54. Winds will be calm at 5 mph. That high will be moving northeast on Thursday as a low pressure from our west moves into the region as we can expect a slight chance of rain after 9 am and a high near 54. By Thursday night the low is more in our area and as we can expect showers after 7 pm. The low will remain in our region Friday through Sunday as we can expect a period of rain throughout the rest of the week and temperatures in the lower 50s.

source: NOAA

Warmer Temps and March snow

2010-03-01T23:14:00.004-05:00

(Area Forecast-Union, NJ)
March 2 to March 7

It's March! February went out like a lion (Union, NJ got 12 inches from the snowstorm, a.k.a. "snowicane" that occurred February 25 to the 26) and looks like March will be coming in like a lamb, at least for this week. For Tuesday we can expect mostly cloudy skies and slightly warmer temperatures with the high reaching into the mid 40s. A deep low pressure system of the coast of Cape Cod, will be tracking eastward Tuesday night as we can expect a chance of snow and rain. Though the snow is still on the ground at Kean, last year around this time there was snow on the ground from a system that came through on March 2. I shot a video of the storm which can be found here. From that system a year ago, 5.3 inches of snow accumulated, no accumulation is expected for tomorrow night from this low pressure system. Another low pressure system from the Gulf of Mexico will move northward for Wednesday as we can expect a chance of rain and snow throughout the day and a high near 42. No accumulation is expected with this system as well. That low will then move off to the south east as high pressure from the west moves into the region for Thursday into the rest of the week. We can expect mostly cloudy skies for Thursday and a high near 40. For Friday temperatures will be slightly warmer with a high near 45 and mostly sunny skies. Looks to be a nice weekend for Saturday and Sunday as we can expect temperatures in the upper 40s and partly sunny skies for both days. Spring is almost here (March 20th) and don't forget to turn your clocks ahead one hour, daylight's savings time is March 14th.

Earthquake Could It Happen Here?

2010-03-01T22:23:00.003-05:00

On February 27th, an 8.8 magnitude occurred off the coast of the Maule Region of Chile causing much devastation and loss of life to the region. Tsunami warnings where issued for 53 countries in the Pacific Basin and the earthquake, which lasted only three minutes, was said to be 500 times greater than the earthquake that struck Haiti back in January and over 90 aftershocks where felt after the earthquake. Just a day earlier, a 7.0 magnitude occurred off the coast of the Ryukyu Islands in Japan. No damage was reported nor was there a threat for a tsunami. With the recent major earthquakes I just wanted to share an article I wrote that was printed in my school's newsletter, The Cougar's Byte, on February 2nd. The article is addressing the possibility of an earthquake such as the one the stuck Haiti, occurring at Kean University, my school which is located in Union, NJ (Northern, NJ). Though the possible of earthquake of that magnitude or a magnitude of the earthquakes that recently occurred is very unlikely, earthquakes occurring near the area are possible. In fact, on February 21st, a 2.6 magnitude earthquake rattled several areas of Somerset County, which is located in Northern, NJ and west of Union County. Though you may not live in an area where earthquakes are likely to occur, it is still good to know the procedures in case you or someone you know is in an earthquake. Knowing can save lives.

Here is the article printed February 2nd:

With the recent earthquake that struck Haiti on Tuesday, January 12, 2010, some students and faculty members at Kean University may wonder if such an event could ever occur on or around campus. The truth is that although an earthquake of the same magnitude which struck Haiti is not as likely to occur, the event of an earthquake happening near this region is possible. Earthquakes occur every day in different regions of the world. These earthquakes are monitored by the U.S. Geological Survey, or USGS, and although most of the magnitudes of these earthquakes are lower than 3.0 and cause little or no damage to the area, some such as the 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti, are very significant and can cause great loss and structural damage.

So what really classifies as an earthquake? When the surface of the Earth rolls, shakes, or a sudden shock is felt, the movement is identified as an earthquake. Though some may include the shaking felt when the train at Union Station moves past on the tracks to be considered as some form of an earthquake, the actual "quake" in earthquake is normally caused by the movement of the tectonic plates or fault lines, shifting or breaking, below the surface of the earth or underground trembling caused by volcanic forces. There are 20 tectonic plates around the world and everyday these plates move slowly past one another. As they move, force is placed on the plates and when this force becomes too great, the crust breaks and the stress is released in a trembling in the form of waves underneath the ground and can be felt for the region where or around where the break occurred. Faults, such as the Enriquillo-Plaintain Garden Fault System that caused the earthquake in Haiti, are fractures that can be as small as millimeters or as large as kilometers in length and the fractures are between two types of rock or blocks. When the movement between the faults is quick, the resulting release of stress causes earthquakes to occur. A well known fault system in New Jersey is the Ramapo Fault, which is also seen as a threat to New York.

The Ramapo Fault is located much further north of the Kean University area and there are no fault lines around Kean University. Recently, three cases of seismic activity occurred in Morris County along the Ramapo Fault, in the first three weeks of February last year. These quakes were however, minimal and measured less than 3.0 on the Richter Scale causing little to no damage.

In knowing about the occurrence of earthquakes, safety is important. It is best to have a plan of action as well as an emergency safety kit, in case of an earthquake. If it happens while indoors, go under a sturdy piece of furniture. Do not go outside until shaking stops. If it happens outside, find a spot away from power lines, trees or buildings, drop to the ground, and take cover. If driving, slow down and stop on the side of the road, avoiding bridges, overpasses, and large signs, and remain in the car. After the quake, expect aftershocks, also check for injuries and damage; and if there is no electricity, unplug major appliances to prevent possible damage when the electricity returns. For more information and safety tips about earthquakes, visit the U.S. Geological Survey website at http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/.

Link here

El Nino 2009-2010/ Snow Cover

2010-02-26T18:56:00.014-05:00

It has definitely been a very snowy winter this season, and the Nor'Easter today has broken some records in some parts of the Northern Atlantic States (i.e. 114-Year Old Snowfall Record Broken For NYC Central Park.) Why so much snow? The El Nino pattern that we've been in since December 2009 has much to do with the recent occurrences of the white stuff. Typically in an El Nino pattern, more warm areas are found in Southern Canada as cold snowy weather can be found in the east and south east. Forecasters predicted that the El Nino would strengthen as the winter progressed and an indicator of this has been the colder temperatures found in parts of Florida and the south east. El Ninos usually occur every four to five years, in fact the last occurring from December 2006 to February 2007. Below is a visual representation of the El Nino weather phenomenon as well as the La Nina weather phenomenon:

All this snow has covered much of the Northern Hemisphere and according the the NOAA's National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center (NOHSRC), 52.4% of North America is covered by snow or ice. It's not nearly as close as the analysis a month ago, in which 69.7% of North America was covered. This analysis shows that there has been much snow melt, but with much of the snow melting there has been flooding in some areas. Is it just me or does the map from a month ago look very reminiscent to the map at the end of the Day After Tomorrow? Hmmm....

February 26, 2010

January 31, 2010

More Snow Our Way?

2010-02-20T11:22:00.000-05:00

(Area Forecast- February 21- February 27)
Union, NJ

I know some of us may be tired of the snow, but looks like we may be seeing snow showers later week, for Monday night into Tuesday morning. For Sunday we can expect sunny skies and a high near 47 as a high pressure system from our west will move into the region. It will be slightly windy with west winds at 11 to 16 mph with wind gusts up to 26 mph. That high pressure will be moving to the east and a low pressure system from our west will move into the region Monday night. We can expect a chance for rain shower showers after 3 pm, and a high near 46 for Monday. Rain and snow is expected for Monday night as it will be cloudy with a low around 31. Not much is expected with this system with new precipitation amounts near a quarter to an inch possible. As that low moves to the north, a secondary low from the south will bring us a rain/snow mix for Tuesday as we can expect snow before 9 am, then rain and then a change back over to snow, between 9 am to noon. High expected near 37. For Tuesday night that low will move off the coast as we can expect a slight chance of rain and a low around 33. The low will linger over New England for Wednesday through Saturday as we can expect mostly cloudy skies for Wednesday into Thursday and temperatures in the upper 30s. Chance of snow showers is possible for Wednesday into Thursday morning. Temperatures will dip into the lower 30s Friday into Saturday as we can expect mostly cloudy and chance of snow showers for both days as well. Looks like we'll be drying out for Sunday as we can expect sunny skies and a high near 40.

Snow Snow Go Away

2010-02-17T12:08:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone!

I am still here, I have taken a LONG hiatus, by not updating this site since Dec 19th of last year. The wait is over, I am back and ready to update you with more information about weather phenomena and other Earth Science related topics. Weather is my passion and I'm sorry I have not been on here to update this site. I've been working hard towards graduating, it's coming this Summer!

So what about all this snow? Well with yesterday's clipper system and the perfect set up for a major snow storm the previous two weeks, I know many people along the Northeast are wishing they lived some place warmer. I myself and growing tired of the snow. It seems like it's been a while since parts of South Jersey received significant amounts of snow and in the DC area and some parts of Maryland and Pennsylvania, received record amounts of snow. This winter has definitely been a snowy one and it's not over yet. No I'm not going by the groundhog's prediction, (doesn't he always see his shadow), I'm going by the official start of Spring and that isn't until March 20th. Even then there is still, though unlikely chance of snow. Snow snow go away and bring some warmer temperatures. Though in many areas around the region, melting of the snow brought on by the increasing daytime temperatures, may result in flooding for the area, which in some cases creates more of a problem than the snow itself. Stay tuned for a later update on the weather for this week. It feels great to be back!

Winter Wonderland!!!!

2009-12-19T17:45:00.006-05:00

Here are some pictures from today's snow storm around 3:15 in the afternoon. Enjoy!

My House

The Front Steps

My car

Can you find it?

The backyard

It's beautiful!

Winter Wonderland!

Blizzard of 2009

2009-12-19T12:33:00.005-05:00

I'm home (Moorestown, NJ) for the winter break from my school and with 2 more days until the official start of winter, the snow and the wind from storm that we have gotten today, really is a blast of winter. As of 11:45 am the total amount for Moorestown was 4.5 inches, but this storm is not over yet. The Weather Channel is calling this storm the Blizzard of 2009 and I can see that because of the snow and the high winds at 17 to 25 mph. The cams from the different areas that they are showing like the White Housed in Washington, DC and Philadelphia, PA, are also unrecognizable because of the whiteout conditions from the blowing snow. Around the area the totals from the storm vary in Mount Holly, NJ the total at 9:45 am was 2.3 inches and in Burlington,NJ the total was 1 inch at 7:46 am. Atlantic City,NJ at 7:00 am had 2.6 inches and Philadelphia, PA had 2.0 inches at 7:00 am. These are just the totals from earlier today and more is expected from the storm. The forecasters are saying that the rate at which the snow is falling is 1 to 2 inches an hour and are predicting the storm to be over by 6:00 am tomorrow.

Travel has been halted by the storm and I saw the Philadelphia International Airport is reporting 6 hours delays today and many cancellations. If you do not have to be on the road, do not go on the road. Stay indoors if you can, with the high snow totals the car may get stuck. This storm is historic in some areas. In Baltimore, MD they are reporting up to 15 inches of snow and in Washington, DC the totals are near 20 inches of snow. It may be more once the storm is officially over. For my area we've probably received much more accumulation since 11:45 this morning and 8 to 10 more inches is predicted to accumulate by the end of the day. Below is a map from the Weather Channel, showing predicted precipitation accumulations.

This is a surface map valid 12:42 PM Eastern Standard Time, from the Weather Channel. See how the low pressure is off to the coast. Further North of this map is a high pressure system which is blocking this low pressure system and the cold air from the high pressure system is feeding in with the moisture of the low pressure system and the result is the snow! The winds are strong because the isobars between the high pressure system and the low pressure system is tightly packed and the tighter the isobars are between the gradient of high pressure to low pressure, the stronger the winds are.

Stay tuned to your local weather channel or news report for more updates on the storm. I'll post some pictures from around my area of later tonight. Be safe!

Snowfall Totals and Rain Ahead

2009-12-08T10:17:00.004-05:00

What a storm it was last week and tonight we'll be getting precipitation too, just not in the form of snow. Atlantic City did receive some snow on Saturday, NOAA measured 0.3 inches at the Atlantic City airport. Moving further northward from Atlantic City, Mount Holly National Weather Sation measured near 0.8 inches while Delran, NJ recieved 0.7 inches. I live in Moorestown, NJ for the time when I am not in school in Union, NJ and when I got back to Moorestown Sunday night, most of the 0.7 inches of snow had already melted, due to the partly sunny skies and the slightly warmer temperature near 43. There was some snow accumulation on my car. The total for Philadelphia Airport was a trace while the total for National Park in Gloucester County was a trace as well. Further North in Morris County, Marcella recieved 6.1 inches while Raldolph recieved 4.5 inches. Parts of Delware, New York and Pennsylvania recieved snow as well. If you wish to view more snowfall totals of last weeks storm, visit: http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/phi/ and then click the icon at the top entitled "Public Info."

(Area Forecast, Union NJ- December 8 to December 13)

Tonight we'll be seeing much precipitation in the form of rain, so don't forget your unbrellas as a strengthening low pressure system from our west moves into the region. Except a low around 35 for tonight. That low pressure system will remain in our area for Wednesday as we can expect showers throughout the day and a high near 44. A warm front will be passing through the region Wednesday afternoon into Wednesday night as we can expect lows for Wednesday around 37. Thursday looks to be breezy with winds out of the west at 15 to 25 mps. Gust may reach up to 37 mph. Expect mostly cloudy sky conditions and a high near 40 for Thursday as well. High pressure will move into the area for Friday into Saturday as we can expect mostly sunny skies and a high near 37. Sunday looks to be another chance for some rain as a coastal low will move into the region. Expect a slight chance of showers and a high near 38.

A Ripple In the Clouds

2009-12-05T12:36:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to share a few pictures I took of the clouds yesterday from my work window. Please disregard the reflection of the lights on the window. These clouds were absolutely amazing!

It's coming!

2009-12-05T12:11:00.004-05:00

I'm in Southern New Jersey in Moorestown, for today. In a few hours I will be going to Atlantic City for the weekend. Just wanted to post an update on the current conditions of this wintry mix that's bring some joy to many people along the East Coast and which has also brought Houston, TX it's earlier snowfall in history. Currently in Moorestown it is 38 degrees, with light rain. The system is moving up the coast and by tonight we should be seeing some snow! NOAA is stating that the chance for snow tonight is 100% and the area could be receiving up to 3 inches. For Northern New Jersey, around the Union area, the possibly for snow is high as well and the region could be receiving close to 1 inch of snow. Below is the current radar from Accuweather of the system:

We can see that to the north and north west, the snow is currently falling and for our region the temperatures are continuing to fall and the rain will be changing over to snow tonight. Stay safe!

Near Record Temp/Snow this weekend?

2009-12-03T14:03:00.005-05:00

I'm sure you felt the warmth as you stepped outside earlier this morning and last night temperatures in our region were above normal as well. I'm sure so might be wondering is it December or Spring? Well, we almost reached a record here for our region this morning. The temperature was 67 recorded at 6:51 am and looking at the history for the Newark region, the temperature today reached rather close to the record set back in 1998 which was 70 degrees. The average for this time of the year is 40. Today's high was 27 degrees above normal though, and I must say, the temperature felt rather nice. The cold front from our west moved into the region this afternoon, dropping the temps down to 63, which is much cooler than this morning but still considerably away from the average for this time of year. It is also quite breezy outside as the front moves through. Currently the wind is from the west at 16 mph and gusts up to 22 mph. So will we be getting any closer to the average temperature for the month of December?

There is a chance for snow on Saturday night, as a low pressure system from off the coast moves into the area. The models (The GFS and the NAM) have shown this low off the coast with high pressure to the North which is an ideal set-up for snow. The temperatures will also be ideal for snow to occur in the region. NOAA is expecting temperatures to drop down to 29 degrees Saturday night. The chance for the region getting snow on Saturday is 30% according to NOAA and down in South Jersey is 50%. Let's our fingers crossed for a snowflake or two, for many areas of the state, Saturday night could be our first snow of the season!

Back to Average Temps

2009-11-29T10:43:00.004-05:00

Hey everyone, hope you had a great weekend and enjoyed your Thanksgiving day and Black Friday if you went out and shopped. Once again I have been lagging behind in updating the blog, many assignments with school. I'm sure you've been feeling the cooler temperatures these past few days. For this week it will be getting a bit milder.

(Area Forecast-Union, NJ)
November 29- December 6

We are feeling the effects of a high pressure system which is located towards our south today. We can expect sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 50s for this afternoon. A cold front will move through the region Monday as we can expect showers before 2 pm and a temperature of 54 and breezy conditions with west winds at 8 to 14 mph. Wind gust may reach as high as 23 mph, for Monday. High pressure will then be in our area for Tuesday into Wednesday as we can expect partly sunny skies and a high near 50 for both days. A low pressure system will be moving in Wednesday night into Thursday as we can expect a chance for showers Wednesday night and into Thursday. Don't forget those umbrellas! Thursday will also be slightly cooler with a high temperature near 47 for the afternoon. The weekend looks to be pleasant as high pressure moves into the region. Expect mostly cloudy skies and a high near 46 for Saturday and sunny sky conditions and a high near 45 for Sunday. Be safe!

Getting cooler...

2009-11-02T22:03:00.003-05:00

(Forecast 11-2 to 11-8)
Union, NJ

Hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable Halloween. Maybe some of you were dancing to Thriller by Michael Jackson, I know I was :-) Though it rained in the Jersey area, I must stay that the night was quite warm for this time of the year. The that rain we got was from a cold front that passed through the region and unfortunately we'll be feeling the effects this week. For Tuesday we can expect mostly sunny skies and a high near 58 as high pressure from the west moves into the region.. Tuesday night will be chilly, as we can expect a low in the mid 30s. For Wednesday we can expect mostly sunny skies and a high of 43. There's a chance of showers throughout the day, for Thursday so you may want to bring your umbrella with you on the way to work or school. The high is expected to be around 49 for Thursday and the low for Thursday night is expected to be 35. Another cold front will come through the region Friday as we can expect a high of 49 with sunny skies. For the weekend the temperature will rebound slightly with high temperatures expected to reach into the mid 50s and mostly sunny sky conditions for both days.

Be safe!

Below-Average Temps Ahead

2009-10-11T16:33:00.001-04:00

(October 12- October 18)
Valid for Union, NJ

Colder air from Canada, will be coming to our region this week, so you may want to bring a jacket with you if you can. For Monday (Columbus Day), we can expect partly sunny skies and a high in the mid 50s. Winds will be from the north at 5 to 8 mph, and then will shift to the south as a low pressure system from our south. For the evening we can expect a low around 48 and a slight chance of showers after 1 am. Don't forget your umbrellas Tuesday because there is a slight chance of showers before 3 pm. Expect a high of 62 and slightly breezy conditions from the northwest at 8 to 11 mph, with winds increasing to 17 to 20 mph after 3 pm. A cold front will pass through the region Tuesday night, as it will be chilly with a low around 40. A high pressure system will move into the region Wednesday, as we can expect mostly sunny skies and a high near 55. For Thursday we can expect a chance for showers and a high near 50 and for Thursday night we can expect showers and a low near 42 as a low pressure system moves in from the South. For Friday expect a chance for rain and a high near 54. The weekend looks to be pleasant, due to a high pressure system from the northwest, with a high in the mid 50s for Saturday and for Sunday we'll be seeing a slight warm-up with mostly sunny skies and a high near 58.

Be safe and have an enjoyable holiday!

Feeling Extra-Topical?

2009-10-08T10:18:00.003-04:00

Hurricane forecast for England, in October? That's right! Tropical Storm Grace just blow right by the United States and ended up near the United Kingdom a few days ago. Unusual, I'd say so! The storm developed off the coast of Azores, in late September as an extra-tropical area of low pressure. By October 4, the storm had formed and at 11:00 AST that day it was named Grace, by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) due to it's relatively deep convection and eye-like feature. Convection continued to persist due to low wind shear, even though the storm was already in waters not normally warm enough for a tropical storm to develop. Due to the intense jet stream, the tropical storm blew on a northeastern track over the Atlantic, rather than the more common southly track over the northwestern Atlantic. The storm intensified slightly as it moved over the waters and then began to decrease as it moved closer to the land surface, the next day. It's max winds where reported to peak at about 70 mph, for about one-minute. On October 6, Tropical Storm Grace dissipated over England, after bringing minor rainfall and high winds to Wales, Ireland and Capel Curig, United Kingdom.

According to the Hurricane Specialist's Unit (2009), "Operationally, Grace was not classified a tropical storm until it reached latitude 41.2°N; this marked the second northernmost formation of a tropical storm in the Atlantic on record, only Tropical Storm Alberto of 1988 had formed farther north." It also "...marked the farthest northeast a tropical cyclone formed in the Atlantic basin, surpassing that of Hurricane Vince in 2005."

Unfortunately these reports were proven to be incorrect after a post-storm analysis by the NHC, finding that "Grace had become a tropical storm 12 hours earlier than initially stated, becoming tropical at latitude 38.3°N." - source here.

Regardless if Tropical Storm Grace, was extra-tropical or just tropical, I'm sure it surprised a lot of weather forecasters!

Track of Hurricane Grace (courtesy of weather underground)

Definition of Extratropical- "Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth (outside the tropics) having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and horizontal gradients in temperature and dew point otherwise known as "baroclinic zones." source

Degeneration and Cooler Temps

2009-09-28T21:12:00.005-04:00

The Atlantic is quiet once more. On September 26, Tropical Depression Eight decided to take a turn towards the cooler waters of the northwestern coast of Africa. There the tropical depression would degenerated back into a tropical wave. There's still a good two more months until the Atlantic season is over, the final date for the season is November 30th. Let's at least see Grace! The Pacific hurricane season, has been very active producing 16 named stores, in which 6 of those named storms became hurricane and 3 of those hurricanes were major (category 3 or higher). Like the Atlantic season hurricane, the last day for the Pacific season in November 30th and currently no storms are active.

Forecast (September 29 to October 4)
Union, NJ

Don't forget your sweaters, tomorrow because Fall is here! The trees are already starting to turn and with the cold front that came through earlier this evening, the temperatures for this week will be slightly cooler. For Tuesday, expect a high of 70 with partly cloudy skies and a slight chance of showers after 3 pm. For Tuesday night, expect temperatures around 50 degrees and chance for some sprinkles around 9 pm. On Wednesday, we'll be feeling some milder temperatures with a high around 64. A strong storm system will be slowly drifting Northeast from the great lakes into New England Wednesday night as we can expect a slight chance of showers throughout the day. A weak high pressure system will build in the region by Thursday as we can expect sunny skies, and a high near 63. That high will move offshore by the evening as we can expect partly cloudy skies and lows around 43. For Friday we warm up a little as a warm front approaches from our south. Expect a high around 68 with mostly sunny skies. That warm front will move into the tri-state region by Saturday as we can expect a high near 70 and mostly cloudy skies. Expect a slight chance of showers Saturday night as a cold front, following behind the warm front, moves into the region. Expect a high of 50 for Sunday with a chance of showers throughout the day. Stay safe everyone!!!

Foodweather...I like it

2009-09-25T21:18:00.002-04:00

Imagine if you woke up one morning and you looked outside the window and instead of it raining or snowing just water droplets and frozen water droplets, it rained orange juice or snowed ice cream. That's the part of the plot behind one of my favorite books that I loved to read as a child, Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs. Now I would always read this book before I went to bed when I was younger and when I heard that Hollywood, would be making this book into a movie, I must say that I was worried at first. As a 22-year-old college senior, I have seen my share of childhood favorites which have been turned into more commercialized Hollywood disasters. I feared that the wonderment and innocence of the text would be glamorized by flashing lights. Oh but I had nothing to fear. This movie sent me on whirlwind of emotions as it was amusing, thoughtful and heartfelt. Though some of the underlining themes may be a little too much for children to understand today, the nature of the film was much like that of the book that I read when I was younger.

Though the storyline is a bit different than that of the book, the characters in either are ones to love. From the grandfather who told the kids a story in the paperback, to the police officer who helped save the town in the movie, the individuals always seemed to remind me of someone I could relate to. The main characters in the movie may inspire the kiddies to become scientists, inventors and even a meteorologist as well That's what the whole story is based on and even more amazing is the concept of foodweather! It's a cute movie and I'm sure the whole family will love it. This weather girl approves!

Hurricane Talk, Flooding and a Return

2009-09-25T19:54:00.004-04:00

Gosh it's been over a month since I've posted an entry on here, so long that it is technically Fall . I unexpectedly took a break from posting entries and there's been a lot going on with the weather and the environment. The 2009 Atlantic Hurricane season is still active until November 30 and the actual peak for this season has come and passed. Since I last posted an entry there have been two named storms. Erika and Fred. Erika became a tropical storm on September 1 after forming northeast of the Leeward Islands. The storm gained a greater potential as it moved across the Atlantic, strengthening to 60 mph. The next day however, the storm decreased in intensity and and was downgraded to a tropical depression the following day. Six days later, on September 7, a tropical wave of the coast of Cape Verde, formed what would later become Tropical Storm Fred, by the end of the day. The tropical storm quickly gained strength and became a category 1 hurricane in the early morning of September 8. The storm continued to gain intensity throughout the evening, becoming a category 2 hurricane, six hours after first becoming a category 1 hurricane. Fred made history not once but twice. The first is because of its location. The storm is the strongest storm to ever be recorded, to be captured so far south and east in the Atlantic by satellite imagery. Hurricane Fred is also one of only three hurricanes which were east of 35°W where it gained intensity to a category 3 hurricane. Due to vertical wind shear, the storm weakened to a remnant low on September 12. It remained a remnant low until September 20 (Two days before the first day of Fall) when it dissipated near Bermuda. As a remnant low Fred caused some havoc in the southeast, and produced widespread heavy rainfall. As a result, Fred caused historic flooding in Georgia, with a reported 20 inches falling near Atlanta, Georgia and caused over $250 million dollars in damages.

The Atlantic is currently brewing another storm as well. Tropical Depression Eight formed earlier today from a tropical wave off the coast of Cape Verde. The minimum central pressure is 1008 mb and it is moving northwest at 14 mph, with winds at 35 mph. Below is the five day forecast cone for the storm:

If this storm is named, the next name in on the storm names list is Grace. Now I know it's a far stretch but this years list also provides the name Kate, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we get at least five more named storms so I can bug my best friend Kate, by possibly this season's storm with her name :-)

I'm back and I will definitely be posting more entries. Check back and stay safe!

2009 Atlantic Season Update

2009-08-21T16:22:00.002-04:00

Tropical Storm Ana has dissipated and as well as Tropical Storm Claudette which formed quickly off the shore of Tallahassee, Florida. Claudette was interesting because of quickness in which it formed. The storm was formed on August 16, out of a tropical wave and an upper-level low system. The winds had reached 50 mph by that afternoon and the storm made landfall on Santa Rosa Island, Florida. By August 17, the storm had weaken and dissipated over Georgia, the following day.

Currently Bill is active in the Atlantic Basin. Tropical Storm Bill had been upgraded to Hurricane Bill on August 17 after satellite imagery captured what to be an eye forming and the intensity of the storm increased. Bill intensified into a major hurricane (Category 3) on August and was upgraded to a category 4 hurricane on August 19. Since then the storm has weaken to a Category 2 and the path of the hurricane looks to "hug" the North Eastern Coast and just miss Bermuda. The storm may intensify again once it passes by Bermuda and tracks towards Canada. The storm is moving northwest at 18 mph with winds at 115 mph. Current watches and warnings are for Bermuda. Below is Hurricane Bill's projected path:

***Hurricane Bill passing by the coast will result in an increase in coastal danger. For the New Jersey Coast this weekend (Saturday August 21, 2009 to Sunday August 22, 2009), forecasters are predicting waves to reach close to 8 to 11 ft and rip currents will be stronger. If you are planning to go to the shore this weekend be advised of these dangers and check with your local weather forecaster before you head out into the water. Stay safe!***

Storm Regeration and Progression of Bill

2009-08-15T17:49:00.000-04:00

We finally have our first tropic storm of the Atlantic Hurricane season, as well as another tropical storm behind it, Bill. Tropical Depression Two degenerated into a system of low pressure, over the Atlantic ocean on August 13. The remnants of this storm regenerated over the central Atlantic earlier today and finally has become the first tropical storm of the season, Ana!

Currently Tropical Storm Ana is 40 mph and is headed west at 17 mph. Below is the projected path of this storm:

A tropical storm watch is in effect for the Netherland Antilles. Check out this public advisory for more information.

Behind Tropical Storm Ana is Tropical Storm Bill has winds at 40 mph and is moving west at 16 mph. The storm formed southwest of the Cape Verde islands earlier today and strengthened to a tropical storm around 5 this evening. Below is the 5-day predication cone for Bill:

For the latest forecast and advisory for Tropical Storm Bill, check out this link.
Both storms are predicted to strengthen within the next 24 hours. Finally Ana has formed in the Atlantic basin and not just Ana, but Bill as well!

source: National Hurricane Center

Something's A Brewing

2009-08-12T00:24:00.000-04:00

After about a month and a few days we finally have a storm that may become a hurricane! Tropical depression two formed off the coast of Cape Verde, earlier this morning. Could this storm be the beginning of Ana? The season started prematurely with tropical depression one which formed on May 28 and became an extratropical storm the following day. Since then the Atlantic Coast has been relatively quiet, when compared to the Pacific Coast which has had nearly eight named storms by now. Currently Maka is active in the Pacific Coast. The inactivity for the Atlantic Coast is not that uncommon, in fact 2009 is the second consective year to not have a storm form in June. No storms formed in July as well and that is very remincient of the 2000 season, when no storms formed in the month of July as well. Will this depression become tropical storm Ana? It looks to be very much so, as this storm is become more organized. The waters of the Atlantic are warm which is proving moisture for the storm, and will give it strength. Below is the 5-day prediction cone of the depression. Something's definitely a brewing.

Source: NOAA

Lightning Will Reach Out and Touch You

2009-07-27T20:21:00.000-04:00

Those are the words of Mike Utley, a lightning strike survivor. On Sunday, severe storms, swept through Union, NJ and the surrounding area, and unfortunately as reported by myfoxny.com, four men in Newark, NJ were struck and one of those men has died. It was reported that the men were struck a little after 6 pm behind 250 Mount Vernon Place which is an apartment complex. They were trying to seek shelter from the heavy rain and were under a tree when they were struck. At first one man was reported to have suffered critical injuries while the other three suffered non-life threatening burns, but today it has been updated that one man has died as a result from their injuries. The four men were cousins. My condolences to the family of the lightning strike victim.

Thunderstorms are very dangerous and when caught outside in one, options for shelter might not be readily available. One of the worse places for shelter is under a tree. Lightning will reach out and touch you and it will most likely strike the tallest most isolated object. If you ever find yourself outside in a thunderstorm, go inside a building or your car or truck if you can. Make sure the windows are completely shut. If not, avoid water, the high ground and open spaces. Also avoid all metal objects including electric wires, fences, machinery, motors, power tools, etc.

Unsafe places included:

-Underneath canopies
-Small picnic or rain shelters
-Trees.

If you are outside and lightning is striking nearby, you should:
Crotch down by putting your feet together and placing your hands over ears to minimize hearing damage from thunder. If you are with other people, stand apart and avoid proximity (a minimum of 15 ft.) to other people. Lightning travels through the ground.

If outdoor activities are in progress, suspend the activities and find shelter. Wait at least 30 minutes from the last observed flash of lightning or sound of thunder. If someone is injured, call 911 immediately and apply First Aid procedures if possible. Heed thunderstorm watches and warnings and take to heart these safety tips, so you can stay safe in a thunderstorm.

Article here.
Lightning Safely tips here.

Rainy Week Ahead/Texas Drought

2009-07-27T18:00:00.000-04:00

The forecast is valid for Union, NJ and the surrounding area

(July 27 to August 2)

Don't forget to bring your umbrella because all this week there looks to be a chance of rain every day this week. For today we can expect a high of 86 with chance showers throughout the day due to a cold front dissipating across the region. The temperature won't drop for Tuesday as we can expect a slight chance for thunderstorms and a high in the upper 80s. For Wednesday into Friday a series of troughs will develop over the region and we can a chance of thunderstorms and highs near 87 on Wednesday and Thursday and a a chance for some scattered thunderstorms on Friday. Expect a high near 86. For the weekend, the slight chance for thunderstorms remains, as deep moisture builds over the region. Expect a high in the mid 80s for Saturday and Sunday.

The rain will definitely be keeping the grass green and nourish those blossoming flowers, which is a great contrast to what is going on towards our south. Texas and other states are in need of rain, in fact parts of Texas are in a drought and Recently I went to George Washington University, in Washington, D.C., for a scholarship program at my university, and the grass there looked so dry. Looking at the forecast for DC, it looks like they'll be getting a good chance for rain this week, as they can expect a chance for thunderstorms each day. The same goes for Jasper, Texas, as they can expect a slight chance of rain this week, though it probably won't be enough to get the state out of an extreme drought situation.

For more information on the Texas Drought, check out the U.S. Drought Monitor at: http://drought.unl.edu/DM/Monitor.html

New Zealand moving closer to Australia?

2009-07-22T22:42:00.000-04:00

I was browsing Yahoo earlier today, when an article about a powerful earthquake in New Zealand caught my eye. The earthquake which occurred last Thursday, measured 7.8 on the Richter scale, actually pushed the South Island of New Zealand closer to Australia. According to the article, the movement is measured to be 30 cm closer to the continent of Australia and that the quake was so powerful that it changed the shape of the South Island of New Zealand. The two land masses are separated by the Tasman Sea which is merely 2250 km wide. This recent earthquake is the strongest New Zealand has had in almost 78 years and the biggest display of force that the world has seen so far this year. The article goes on to state, that scientists eventually believe that the island will settle back into place, though this reverse motion may take up to hundreds of years. This quake was usual because its epicentre. Quakes are known to New Zealand because it lays along the meeting point of the Pacific and Australian continential plates, the recent quake however, struck along the right boundary of the Australian and Pacific plates. The damage of this quake was slight considering the high magnitude of 7.8, as only slight damages to building were reported in the southwest Fiordland region of the South Island.

Check out the Yahoo article here for more information on this earthquake as well as the Australian report of this event found here.

It's Eclipsic

2009-07-21T23:01:00.000-04:00

OK so I don't know if eclipsic is a word but what I do know is that I'm referring to the longest duration of a total solar eclipse in the 21st century, which is set to occur tomorrow, in central and northeastern India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, and the Ryukyu Islands. A partial solar eclipse is set to occur in Southeast Asia, Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Central Pacific Ocean area and its islands. An eclipse of any sort won't be happening here in America though :-(

It's been almost a year sense the last total solar eclipse which captured in Nunavut, northern Greenland, central Russia, western Mongolia, and western China on August 1, 2008. The most recent solar eclipse was an annular eclipse early this year, on January 26, 2009. That eclipse was seen in southeast Sumatra, Jakarta and Borneo. So what actually is the cause of a solar eclipse? Well a solar eclipse is the result of when a new moon passes between the sun and the Earth. By doing this the sun appears to be totally or partially covered, which is amazing considering the size difference of the two masses. In earlier times when solar eclipses were not as well known, the event could be seen as very ominous and scary. For a few seconds to a few moments, the sun is literately blocked out during a total eclipse and the sky is dark. For 6 minutes and 39 seconds the area in the path of the total solar eclipse on July 22, 2009 will be dark. The next time for a duration near the time of this historic event, won't be until June 13, 2132.

Eclipses are a truly remarkable natural phenomenon and are one of the many displays of nature's beauty and magnificence. Though most of these events, when they do actually occur, are not contiguous across the globe, when they do happen, it is best to view it firsthand. The last time I remember seeing a solar eclipse in America (and I'm 22) is on Christmas Day in 2000. I remember my father purchasing special "Solar eclipse Christmas 2000" glasses, so that our eyes would be shielded from the sun's rays. It was a special time that I got to share with my family that day and even more special because of the rarity of such an event. I'm happy I got to view the eclipse and although it was partial, the next predicted date for a solar eclipse occurring on Christmas Day isn't until 2307!

Fear not, that year is only for a predicted solar eclipse occurring on Christmas Day. Many solar eclipses will happen before that year, with a estimated 224 solar eclipses estimated for 2001 to 2100 AD. Though many will not be visible for the United States, mark this down on your calendar...the next time a solar eclipse will be visible for the US is May 20, 2012. It won't be a total eclipse but an annular eclipse (this is when the new moon is completely aligned with the sun and covers the center of the sun). The next time for a total eclipse won't be until July 11, 2010 and that will be visible southern Chile and Argentina and southeastern Polynesia. I might book a flight to Polynesia to see that one...