A weather phenomenon known as a Pineapple Express soaked California yesterday with heavy rainfall and snow in the mountains. Listen to this report to learn about the Pineapple Express. You will hear one of the meterologists from the NWS Weather Forecast Office in Los Angeles tell us what a Pineapple Express is. I am less familiar with the Pineapple Express so I learned something.
There was some flooding and debris flows along with white conditions in the mountains. I don't know if there were any debris flows on or near any burn scars.
Direct link to video report from CBS Los Angeles
Here are some videos showing some of the effects of yesterday's pineapple express:
Direct link to video report from CBS Los Angeles
Direct link to video report from CBS Los Angeles
And two newspaper articles
From the Washington Post on February 18, 2019 article with video report
Los Angeles Times, February 18, 2019
CAL FIRE (CDF) S2T Tanker 71 working Sawtooth Complex Fire (2006)
Sawtooth Complex Fire (Sept. 2006), San Bernardino County CA. Photo Credit: U.S. Forest Service
Showing posts with label weather - other US. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weather - other US. Show all posts
Friday, February 15, 2019
Friday, January 18, 2019
CA rains: follow-up on January 18th
I am not in a position to provide a detailed follow-up to the post I wrote on January 16th where I wrote about rains continuing on burn scars in California with various Flash Flood Watches being issued by some of the Weather Forecast Office in California. I do know that there was significant rainfall in California as you can see from the map from the NWS California Nevada River Forecast Center (CNRFC) that they posted on their Facebook Page on January 18th.
Here is a map that I obtained from the CNRFC on January 18th. The orange circles indicate River gages that are at monitor stage.
What is monitoring stage? Here is an example of data as of January 18th at 8:13 AM PST from a gage on the Sacramento River at Ord Ferry just southwest of Chico, CA. The gage is located in the Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge in Butte County, California, go to the link in preceding sentence and scroll down to see a map.
The dotted orange link in the above graphic is the bottom of the monitor stage. The data is revised several times a day so what you see if you go the url will be different from what is displayed above.
I do know from reading storm reports from the NWS San Diego whose storm report may be found here ,and the NWS Hanford CA (their storm report is on this website) that there were several reports of flash flooding and debris flows. I do not if there was any property damage from these flash floods and debris flows. I know from the CBS station in Los Angeles that residents in and near the Holy burn scar in the Lake Elsinore area of Riverside County were under evacuation orders on January 17th, go here to read the article. Mandatory evacuation were downgraded to voluntary orders yesterday. I believe that the voluntary evacuation orders were lifted later on January 17th.
Here is a map that I obtained from the CNRFC on January 18th. The orange circles indicate River gages that are at monitor stage.
 |
| Obtained at 12:08 PM PST on January 18, 2019 from https://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/ |
 |
| Obtained on January 18, 2019 at 12:34 PM PST from https://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=ORFC1 |
The dotted orange link in the above graphic is the bottom of the monitor stage. The data is revised several times a day so what you see if you go the url will be different from what is displayed above.
I do know from reading storm reports from the NWS San Diego whose storm report may be found here ,and the NWS Hanford CA (their storm report is on this website) that there were several reports of flash flooding and debris flows. I do not if there was any property damage from these flash floods and debris flows. I know from the CBS station in Los Angeles that residents in and near the Holy burn scar in the Lake Elsinore area of Riverside County were under evacuation orders on January 17th, go here to read the article. Mandatory evacuation were downgraded to voluntary orders yesterday. I believe that the voluntary evacuation orders were lifted later on January 17th.
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
Rains continue over burn scars in California (January 16-17)
Fortunately, predicted high hourly rainfall rates during the January 15th rain event over the burn scars in Santa Barbara County did not materialize. Santa Barbara County emergency officials had issued evacuation orders for January 15th for residents below the Thomas, and the Wittier/Sherpa burn scars. These evacuation orders were lifted at 6 PM on the 15th because the storm moved on quicker than forecast with lower rainfall rates. While I understand the inconvenience of these evacuations, debris flows are nothing to mess around with. Safety is paramount. I am glad that these evacuation orders were in place for the safety of the residents. See this article from the San Luis Obispo Tribune for more information.
Southern and Central California will see more rain this afternoon, January 16th, into Thursday January 17th. Note revised on January 17th at 2:30 PM to include NWS Sacramento CA
See this graphic from NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard:
And this graphic from the NWS Hanford CA:
Here is a graphic from the NWS Sacramento CA:
And finally, this graphic from the NWS San Diego CA:
Flash Flood Watches (be prepared!) issued by some of the California NWS Weather Forecast Offices on January 16th for portions of their forecast areas that include burn scars:
The National Weather Service has a good page on flood safety, information about flood advisories, watches and warnings may be found here. I wrote a longer article on NWS Advisories, Watches and Warnings with a Focus on Fire Weather with a discussion on post-fire debris flows and Flash Flood Warnings.
Southern and Central California will see more rain this afternoon, January 16th, into Thursday January 17th. Note revised on January 17th at 2:30 PM to include NWS Sacramento CA
See this graphic from NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard:
 |
| Obtained on January 16, 2019 from https://www.weather.gov/lox/ |
And this graphic from the NWS Hanford CA:
 |
| Obtained on January 16, 2018 from https://www.weather.gov/hnx/ |
Here is a graphic from the NWS Sacramento CA:
 |
| Obtained on January 17, 2019 from NWS Sacramento CA FB page: here |
And finally, this graphic from the NWS San Diego CA:
 |
| obtained on January 16, 2019 from https://www.weather.gov/sgx/ |
Flash Flood Watches (be prepared!) issued by some of the California NWS Weather Forecast Offices on January 16th for portions of their forecast areas that include burn scars:
- Flash Flood Watch issued by NWS Hanford for the Ferguson, Railroad and Pier burn scars.
- Flash Flood Watch issued by NWS Sacramento for the Carr, Delta, and Mirtz burn scars
- Flash Flood Watch issued by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard for the Woolsey, Hill. South, and Stone burn scars.
- Flash Flood Watch issued by NWS San Diego for the Holy Fire burn scar.
The National Weather Service has a good page on flood safety, information about flood advisories, watches and warnings may be found here. I wrote a longer article on NWS Advisories, Watches and Warnings with a Focus on Fire Weather with a discussion on post-fire debris flows and Flash Flood Warnings.
Monday, March 05, 2018
March 2nd Nor'easter
Many of you no doubt know about the nasty nor'easter that hit the east coast of the United States from Virginia to Maine last Friday, March 2nd. Tens of thousands of folk are still without power as I write this. I am still here. I do sometimes pause and post about notable weather events that impact my corner of the world. No, this time, I do not have no photos of utility workers that are working around the clock to restore power. I decided that best thing that I can do for those working to clean up tree debris and restore power is to stay out of the way. Moreover, I saw enough of those wonderful utility workers after Super Storm Sandy to last me a while, many were working within walking distance of my house.
I want to thank the staff of my National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office at Philadelphia, Mt. Holly for the great work they did in giving us the best information that they could to keep us informed of the nasty storm so that we may be as safe as we can. In addition, I want to thank the staff at the following National Weather Service Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) for their forecasts: State College Pennsylvania, Gray/Portland Maine, Burlington Vermont, Boston/Taunton Massachusetts, Albany New York, Binghamton New York, New York, NY (Upton), Baltimore/Washington, and Wakefield, Virginia. Some WFO's were not as severely impacted as others, but I believe that all I named here were keeping an eye on the nor'easter. There are two National Weather Service River Forecast Centers that keep an eye on their rivers and harbors that cover the region that I just mentioned, the Northeast River Forecast Center and the Midatlantic River Forecast Center. The River Forecast Centers work with each of the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Offices in their regions. All of these WFOs and River Forecast Centers were involved in forecasting the March 2-3 Nor'easter. I hope that I included all Weather Forecast Offices and River Forecast Centers that were involved with this Nor'easter.. Thanks all of my friends at the National Weather Service for working hard in sometimes difficult circumstances to be sure that your residents have the best possible weather information (that often changes as the hours go by) so that we may as safe as possible.
I think that the best video that I can share is one that some of you may have seen on CNN (on March 3rd, I believe) of a plane that was not able to land at Reagan National Airport in Arlington Virginia on March 2nd in the strong winds, starting at about 25 seconds into the March 3rd video report.
Direct link to CNN video on youtube
Here is the last Public Information Statement from the NWS Weather Forecast Office at Philadelphia/Mt. Holly for the March 2nd Nor'easter, you may or may not be interested in the snow fall totals. But you might be interested in the peak wind gusts listed after the snowfall reports. I copied this from their website which is why the background colors are not consistent. The yellow highlighting is mine.
I want to thank the staff of my National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office at Philadelphia, Mt. Holly for the great work they did in giving us the best information that they could to keep us informed of the nasty storm so that we may be as safe as we can. In addition, I want to thank the staff at the following National Weather Service Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) for their forecasts: State College Pennsylvania, Gray/Portland Maine, Burlington Vermont, Boston/Taunton Massachusetts, Albany New York, Binghamton New York, New York, NY (Upton), Baltimore/Washington, and Wakefield, Virginia. Some WFO's were not as severely impacted as others, but I believe that all I named here were keeping an eye on the nor'easter. There are two National Weather Service River Forecast Centers that keep an eye on their rivers and harbors that cover the region that I just mentioned, the Northeast River Forecast Center and the Midatlantic River Forecast Center. The River Forecast Centers work with each of the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Offices in their regions. All of these WFOs and River Forecast Centers were involved in forecasting the March 2-3 Nor'easter. I hope that I included all Weather Forecast Offices and River Forecast Centers that were involved with this Nor'easter.. Thanks all of my friends at the National Weather Service for working hard in sometimes difficult circumstances to be sure that your residents have the best possible weather information (that often changes as the hours go by) so that we may as safe as possible.
I think that the best video that I can share is one that some of you may have seen on CNN (on March 3rd, I believe) of a plane that was not able to land at Reagan National Airport in Arlington Virginia on March 2nd in the strong winds, starting at about 25 seconds into the March 3rd video report.
Direct link to CNN video on youtube
Here is the last Public Information Statement from the NWS Weather Forecast Office at Philadelphia/Mt. Holly for the March 2nd Nor'easter, you may or may not be interested in the snow fall totals. But you might be interested in the peak wind gusts listed after the snowfall reports. I copied this from their website which is why the background colors are not consistent. The yellow highlighting is mine.
000 NOUS41 KPHI 031800 PNSPHI DEZ001>004-MDZ008-012-015-019-020-NJZ001-007>010-012>027-PAZ054-055- 060>062-067>071-040600- Public Information Statement Spotter Reports National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ 100 PM EST Sat Mar 03 2018 The following are unofficial observations taken during the past 53 hours for the storm that has been affecting our region. Appreciation is extended to highway departments, cooperative observers, Skywarn spotters and media for these reports. This summary also is available on our home page at weather.gov/phi
********************STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL********************
LOCATION STORM TOTAL TIME/DATE COMMENTS
SNOWFALL OF
/INCHES/ MEASUREMENT
DELAWARE
...New Castle County...
Talley Brook 1.3 810 PM 3/02 DEOS
Greenville 0.8 800 AM 3/03 DEOS
Claymont 0.6 812 PM 3/02 DEOS
New Castle County Ai 0.1 700 PM 3/02 ASOS
Hockessin T 800 AM 3/03 DEOS
Prices Corner T 800 AM 3/03 DEOS
NEW JERSEY
...Atlantic County...
Hammonton 3.2 745 PM 3/02 Co-Op Observer
Estell Manor 2.9 800 AM 3/03 Co-Op Observer
1 WNW Hammonton 2.5 800 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
3 SE Folsom 2.0 800 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
4 SW Egg Harbor City 1.4 750 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
Atlantic City Intl A 0.8 1205 AM 3/03 ASOS
...Burlington County...
2 SSE Medford Twp 1.5 800 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
Tabernacle 1.4 800 AM 3/03 Social Media
Marlton 1.2 500 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
1 SSW Moorestown Twp 1.1 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
Mount Laurel 1.1 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
2 SE Southampton Twp 1.0 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
Moorestown 1.0 827 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
5 WNW Tabernacle Twp 0.8 830 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
Cinnaminson Twp. 0.7 800 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
Maple Shade 0.5 505 PM 3/02 Public
Mount Holly WFO 0.5 700 PM 3/02 NWS Office
2 E Burlington 0.2 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
...Camden County...
4 W Winslow Twp. 2.5 730 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
Cherry Hill 2.0 845 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
4 SW Somerdale 1.3 700 AM 3/03 Co-Op Observer
Mount Ephraim 1.0 725 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
...Cape May County...
1 NNW Woodbine 0.5 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
...Cumberland County...
Newport 1.3 600 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
...Gloucester County...
South Harrison Twp 3.5 815 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
4 WSW Turnersville 3.2 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
Mantua 3.0 454 AM 3/03 Storm total.
West Deptford 2.5 630 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
1 WNW Turnersville 2.5 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
East Greenwich Twp. 2.0 800 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
2 SE Monroe Twp. 1.0 800 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
...Hunterdon County...
2 NE Byram 4.5 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
Frenchtown 3.5 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
3 ESE Alpha 3.1 630 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
2 SSE Annandale 2.0 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
Lebanon 1.8 730 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
3 E Flemington 1.0 826 AM 3/03 Co-Op Observer
Readington 0.5 350 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
...Mercer County...
2 NW Hopewell Twp. 0.5 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
3 NNW Trenton 0.2 1159 PM 3/02 CoCoRaHS
Ewing 0.2 340 PM 3/02 Meteorologist
Hamilton Twp 0.1 500 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
...Middlesex County...
3 NE South Brunswick 0.5 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
...Monmouth County...
Clarksburg 3.3 930 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
Howell 2.8 825 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
Colts Neck 2.6 745 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
1 E Colts Neck Twp 2.6 800 PM 3/02 CoCoRaHS
3 W Howell Twp 2.5 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
9 NE Lakehurst 2.0 701 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
Freehold 2.0 800 AM 3/03 Co-Op Observer
9 SSW Long Branch 1.3 705 PM 3/02 CoCoRaHS
5 SW Long Branch 0.6 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
1 SW Long Branch 0.4 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
...Morris County...
Green Pond 11.8 400 AM 3/03 Trained Spotter
Randolph Twp 11.3 730 PM 3/02 Social Media
Jefferson Twp 10.6 1045 PM 3/02 CoCoRaHS
Lake Hopatcong 10.0 640 PM 3/02 Amateur Radio
Mount Arlington 9.0 830 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
Schooleys Mountain 9.0 315 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
Mine Hill Twp. ENE 8.2 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
Marcella 8.0 1030 PM 3/02 Elevation 820 feet.
3 S Green Pond 8.0 800 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
2 SW Randolph Twp 8.0 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
Mine Hill Twp. 8.0 800 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
Rockaway 6.0 700 AM 3/03 Public
7 ESE Stanhope 6.0 615 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
4 W Washington Twp. 5.8 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
Roxbury Twp. 5.8 800 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
Chester Twp ENE 5.5 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
2 E Randolph Twp. 5.0 800 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
2 E Randolph Twp 5.0 1000 AM 3/03 Social Media
Denville 4.3 1030 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
Ledgewood 2.0 442 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
2 W Mendham 1.9 845 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
2 ESE Denville Twp 1.9 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
3 NNW New Providence 1.0 1000 PM 3/02 CoCoRaHS
5 W Fairfield 0.5 800 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
...Ocean County...
3 SSE Berkeley Twp. 2.0 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
Lakehurst 1.0 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
Point Pleasant Beach 0.3 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
2 NNE Brick Twp. 0.2 900 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
...Somerset County...
1 NNE Peapack And Gl 4.0 800 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
3 ESE Bedminster Twp 1.0 600 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
2 ENE Franklin Twp. 0.5 800 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
4 ENE Franklin Twp 0.4 800 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
4 SE Hillsborough Tw 0.3 800 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
3 NE Franklin Twp. 0.3 600 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
...Sussex County...
Branchville 16.5 1030 PM 3/02 Elevation 1200 FT
Montague 15.8 211 AM 3/03 Trained Spotter
Highland Lakes 14.0 800 PM 3/02 Elevation 1400 FT
High Point 13.5 235 PM 3/02 Elevation 1500 FT
Vernon Twp 11.0 530 PM 3/02 Barry Lakes
3 SE Hardyston Twp 8.2 800 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
3 N Wantage 8.0 410 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
Stockholm 7.0 237 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
Vernon Valley 5.5 530 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
1 NNE Sussex 2.3 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
...Warren County...
Oxford 6.0 415 PM 3/02 Social Media
Allamuchy 6.0 748 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
Hackettstown 5.5 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
4 NE Hope 3.5 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
Stewartsville 3.1 800 AM 3/03 Social Media
2 E Alpha 3.1 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
Bridge 2.7 700 AM 3/03 Co-Op Observer
Riegelsville 2.0 700 AM 3/03 Co-Op Observer
PENNSYLVANIA
...Berks County...
Huffs Church 2.1 400 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
2 WNW New Morgan 0.5 800 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
2 ESE Fleetwood 0.2 806 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
...Bucks County...
2 NW Perkasie 6.1 926 AM 3/03 Co-Op Observer
Chalfont 5.5 800 PM 3/02 Social Media
Furlong 2.7 600 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
Penndel 1.0 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
Trevose 1.0 600 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
1 E Oakford 1.0 1200 AM 3/03 Co-Op Observer
3 NNE Langhorne 0.7 630 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
...Carbon County...
Albrightsville 5.5 1220 PM 3/02 Social Media
Jim Thorpe 2.0 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
...Chester County...
Berwyn 7.0 520 PM 3/02 Social Media
Downingtown 4.6 700 PM 3/02 Social Media
East Nantmeal 3.3 630 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
Devault 2.5 816 PM 3/02 DEOS
West Chester 2.5 817 PM 3/02 DEOS
Warwick 2.3 800 AM 3/03 DEOS
Chester Springs 1.6 800 AM 3/03 DEOS
Glenmoore 1.2 700 AM 3/03 Co-Op Observer
Pughtown 0.6 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
3 SW Chads Ford 0.5 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
...Delaware County...
Wayne 9.5 700 AM 3/03 Social Media
Villanova 9.0 1200 AM 3/03 Social Media
Newtown Square 7.0 700 PM 3/02 Social Media
Media 6.0 700 PM 3/02 Social Media
Thornton 5.6 625 PM 3/02 Social Media
Lansdowne 4.4 825 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
Springfield 4.3 800 PM 3/02 Social Media
Broomall 3.2 350 PM 3/02 Social Media
Chadds Ford 2.2 645 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
...Lehigh County...
Fogelsville 6.0 1200 AM 3/03 Social Media
Salisbury Twp 4.1 700 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
2 S Emmaus 4.0 430 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
S Allentown 4.0 620 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
Lehigh Valley Intl A 3.7 700 PM 3/02 ASOS
Allentown 2.5 212 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
1 ESE Neffs 0.7 800 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
...Monroe County...
Coolbaugh Twp 23.6 800 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
Tobyhanna 20.0 510 PM 3/02 Broadcast Media
Mount Pocono 17.0 1000 AM 3/03 Trained Spotter
Blakeslee 15.0 200 AM 3/03 Social Media
Pocono Summit 12.0 939 AM 3/03 Trained Spotter
1 NE Bossardsville 7.1 930 PM 3/02 Social Media
Bartonsville 7.0 715 PM 3/02 Social Media
1 N Rossland 4.4 706 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
...Montgomery County...
Bryn Mawr 9.5 740 AM 3/03 Social Media
Plymouth Meeting 9.0 1200 AM 3/03 Social Media
North Wales 8.0 830 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
Wyndmoor 7.0 1000 AM 3/03 Social Media
3 SW Lansdale 6.7 900 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
Lansdale 5.5 645 PM 3/02 Social Media
8 ESE Schwenksville 5.0 800 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
Green Lane 4.5 800 AM 3/03 Social Media
Graterford 4.4 730 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
Wynnewood 4.3 430 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
3 ESE Skippack 3.5 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
Site 2 3.5 700 AM 3/03 Co-Op Observer
Wyncote 3.0 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
2 WSW Schwenksville 2.8 800 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
1 WSW North Wales 2.5 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
King of Prussia 2.3 800 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
Tylersport 1.5 1000 AM 3/03 Social Media
Gilbertsville 1.3 730 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
1 W Conshohocken 1.0 700 AM 3/03 Co-Op Observer
...Northampton County...
Hellertown 6.0 400 PM 3/02 Social Media
Bethlehem 5.6 330 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
Cherry Hill 5.5 1020 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
Easton 4.3 700 PM 3/02 Social Media
Martins Creek 3.2 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
...Philadelphia County...
Philadelphia 3.0 200 AM 3/03 Northeast Philadelphia
Pencoyd 2.5 330 PM 3/02 6ABC Studios
Fox Chase 2.2 800 AM 3/03 Social Media
Rockledge SE 2.2 730 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
Franklin Institute 2.0 930 AM 3/03 Co-Op Observer
5 NE Philadelphia 2.0 700 AM 3/03 CoCoRaHS
Somerton 2.0 415 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
Philadelphia Intl Ai 1.5 700 PM 3/02 ASOS
***********************PEAK WIND GUST***********************
LOCATION MAX WIND TIME/DATE COMMENTS
GUST OF
MPH MEASUREMENT
DELAWARE
...ANZ455...
1 SE Dewey Beach 62 1126 AM 3/02 54 knots.
...ANZ470...
NDBC Buoy 44009 69 700 PM 3/02 60 knots.
...Kent County...
Dover 62 349 PM 3/02 AWOS
...New Castle County...
Wilmington New Castl 58 254 PM 3/02 ASOS
Middletown 58 421 PM 3/02 CWOP
Blackbird 52 509 PM 3/02 RAWS
Townsend 46 510 PM 3/02 DEOS
...Sussex County...
Lewes 66 749 AM 3/02 ROUTE 1
Lewes NOS 66 848 PM 3/02 NOS-NWLON
Dewey Beach 62 1151 AM 3/02 WXFLOW
Greenwood 54 316 PM 3/02 CWOP
Sussex County Airpor 49 1203 PM 3/02 ASOS
Redden 49 208 PM 3/02 RAWS
Georgetown 47 135 PM 3/02 DEOS
Milton 46 1235 PM 3/02 CWOP
Seaford 46 310 PM 3/02 DEOS
MARYLAND
...Cecil County...
Fair Hill 63 306 PM 3/02 Mesonet
North East 56 405 PM 3/02 DEOS
Chesapeake City NOS 51 354 PM 3/02 NOS-PORTS
...Queen Anne``s County...
Bay Bridge Airport 47 655 AM 3/02 AWOS
...Queen Annes County...
Grasonville 64 417 PM 3/02 CWOP
Stevensville 52 155 PM 3/02 AWOS
...Talbot County...
2 E Oxford 54 551 PM 3/02 CWOP
Easton/newnam Field 48 1250 PM 3/02 AWOS
Easton Newman Airpor 46 750 AM 3/02 AWOS
NEW JERSEY
...ANZ431...
Brandywine Shoal NOS 74 830 PM 3/02 64 knots.
Cape May NOS Buoy 68 1148 AM 3/02 59 knots.
...Atlantic County...
Atlantic City Intern 61 123 PM 3/02 ASOS
...Burlington County...
McGuire AFB 51 500 PM 3/02 AWOS
Moorestown 46 915 PM 3/02 NJWXNET
...Camden County...
Pennsauken 56 345 PM 3/02 NJWXNET
...Cape May County...
Dennisville 71 248 PM 3/02 Shingles off home.
Cape May 71 418 PM 3/02 WXFLOW
Cape May NOS 68 1148 AM 3/02 NOS-NWLON
North Wildwood 57 1052 AM 3/02 WeatherFlow
West Cape May 57 455 PM 3/02 NJWXNET
Ocean City 55 829 PM 3/02 NONFEDAWOS
Cape May Point 54 100 PM 3/02 CWOP
Woodbine 51 1230 PM 3/02 NJWXNET
Cape May County Airp 51 203 PM 3/02 AWOS
Sea Isle City 50 600 PM 3/02 CWOP
Dennis Twp. 47 1100 AM 3/02 NJWXNET
...Cumberland County...
Fortesque 60 1205 PM 3/02 NJWXNET
Newport 54 200 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
Millville Municipal 54 404 PM 3/02 ASOS
Upper Deerfield 46 600 PM 3/02 NJWXNET
...Gloucester County...
Washington Twp 65 255 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
Piney Hollow 59 1024 PM 3/02 NJ-MESONET
West Deptford 46 330 PM 3/02 NJWXNET
...Hunterdon County...
Lebanon 71 600 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
Readington 53 620 PM 3/02 NONFEDAWOS
Clinton 50 1249 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
White House Station 46 440 PM 3/02 NONFEDAWOS
...Mercer County...
Lawrenceville 62 500 PM 3/02 Social Media
Mercer County Airpor 54 420 PM 3/02 ASOS
Mercerville 49 529 PM 3/02 CWOP
Hopewell Twp. 48 520 PM 3/02 NJWXNET
...Middlesex County...
South Plainfield 65 500 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
Perth Amboy 55 226 PM 3/02 WXFLOW
...Monmouth County...
Keyport 54 600 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
Sea Girt 53 805 PM 3/02 NJWXNET
Port Monmouth 53 259 PM 3/02 CWOP
Monmouth 47 634 PM 3/02 WXFLOW
North Middletown 46 235 PM 3/02 CWOP
Sandy Hook 46 845 PM 3/02 WXFLOW
Allaire Airport 46 351 PM 3/02 AWOS
...Morris County...
Morristown 49 1145 AM 3/02 AWOS
...Ocean County...
Harvey Cedars 62 635 PM 3/02 NJWXNET
Tuckerton 59 543 PM 3/02 WXFLOW
Seaside Heights 58 725 PM 3/02 NJWXNET
Rutgers 58 247 PM 3/02 WXFLOW
Mantoloking 55 751 PM 3/02 WXFLOW
Trixies 53 828 PM 3/02 WXFLOW
Barnegat Inlet 52 500 PM 3/02 USGS
Waretown 51 830 PM 3/02 CWOP
...Somerset County...
Somerset Airport 49 631 PM 3/02 ASOS
...Sussex County...
High Point Monument 48 1125 AM 3/02 NJWXNET
PENNSYLVANIA
...Berks County...
Fleetwood 59 321 PM 3/02 CWOP
Reading Regional Air 58 238 PM 3/02 ASOS
Lenhartsville 54 239 PM 3/02 CWOP
...Bucks County...
Perkasie 51 237 PM 3/02 NONFEDAWOS
Nockamixon 49 323 PM 3/02 WXFLOW
Yardley 48 332 PM 3/02 CWOP
Newton 48 455 PM 3/02 CWOP
Doylestown Airport 47 158 PM 3/02 ASOS
...Chester County...
West Grove 60 305 PM 3/02 DEOS
Coatesville 53 355 PM 3/02 AWOS
Marsh Creek 52 651 PM 3/02 WXFLOW
4 NW Ladenberg 50 1245 PM 3/02 CWOP
...Delaware County...
Newtown Square E 56 721 PM 3/02 CWOP
...Lehigh County...
Lehigh Valley Intl A 60 520 PM 3/02 ASOS
Queen City 51 635 PM 3/02 AWOS
4 SE Claussville 46 155 PM 3/02 CWOP
...Monroe County...
Pocono Mountains Mun 60 130 PM 3/02 ASOS
Pocono Pines 48 540 PM 3/02 CWOP
...Montgomery County...
Pottstown Limerick A 46 512 PM 3/02 ASOS
...Northampton County...
Bushkill Center 60 1152 AM 3/02 Trained Spotter
Cherry Hill 58 800 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
Beersville 50 115 PM 3/02 Trained Spotter
Danielsville 47 213 PM 3/02 CWOP
...Philadelphia County...
Northeast Philadelph 62 313 PM 3/02 ASOS
Philadelphia Intl Ai 59 1024 PM 3/02 ASOS
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Long way to go before drought over in California
With the rain and snow fall that occurred in California last week (January 4 - 8, 2016), I was wondering how these events impacted California's water supply.
I did not have to long to wait for an answer. Among the National Weather Service websites that I monitor is the California-Nevada River Forecast Center (NWSCNRFC). The NWSCNRFC has a facebook and a twitter page. I was away from my computer for about 24 hours. Just last night I saw that the NWSCNRFC had posted a two-part video reporting on the impact of the recent rain and snow on California's water supply. I will share these videos at the end of this article (uploaded on January 10, 2015).
Before you watch the videos, I want to point out to you that these video reports from the NWSCNRFC are only good for the period from January 10 - 15, 2016. Specifically, you will see at the beginning of each video that the NWSCNRFC says that the videos should not be used after January 15, 2016.
I share these videos with you because of what I learned from these videos. That is, I expect that many of you, especially those of you who are living in the United States, are aware of the prolonged drought that has affected California and environs. While inconveniencing many, I am sure that many Californians welcomed last weeks rain and snowfall. As welcome as these precipitation events may have been, even if the whole State sees above normal rainfall this year, California has a long way to go before the drought can be declared over.
As you will see when you watch the videos (they are short), you will hear Alan Haynes of the NWSCNRFC say that northern California needs two years of above average precipitation and souther California needs three years of above average precipitation before the drought could be declared over.
Direct link to video from NWSCNRFC (part 1)
Direct link to video from NWSCNRFC (part 2)
I did not have to long to wait for an answer. Among the National Weather Service websites that I monitor is the California-Nevada River Forecast Center (NWSCNRFC). The NWSCNRFC has a facebook and a twitter page. I was away from my computer for about 24 hours. Just last night I saw that the NWSCNRFC had posted a two-part video reporting on the impact of the recent rain and snow on California's water supply. I will share these videos at the end of this article (uploaded on January 10, 2015).
Before you watch the videos, I want to point out to you that these video reports from the NWSCNRFC are only good for the period from January 10 - 15, 2016. Specifically, you will see at the beginning of each video that the NWSCNRFC says that the videos should not be used after January 15, 2016.
I share these videos with you because of what I learned from these videos. That is, I expect that many of you, especially those of you who are living in the United States, are aware of the prolonged drought that has affected California and environs. While inconveniencing many, I am sure that many Californians welcomed last weeks rain and snowfall. As welcome as these precipitation events may have been, even if the whole State sees above normal rainfall this year, California has a long way to go before the drought can be declared over.
As you will see when you watch the videos (they are short), you will hear Alan Haynes of the NWSCNRFC say that northern California needs two years of above average precipitation and souther California needs three years of above average precipitation before the drought could be declared over.
Direct link to video from NWSCNRFC (part 1)
Direct link to video from NWSCNRFC (part 2)
Monday, January 11, 2016
An intro to El Nino
Some of you may recall that I wrote about snow in California on January 6th where I referenced El Nino. It was not until after I made that January 6th post that I found a very nice video updaing El Niño for the winter 2016 (December 18, 2015) from the NWS San Diego who has a nice Youtube Channel. If things had been different, I would have shared that video on El Niño before I wrote about the snowfalls in California on January 6th.
I like this video because Alex Tardy of the NWS NWS San Diego does a very nice job explaining what El Niño in simple language and good graphics. Of course, being from San Diego, he is focusing on El Niño's effects on the San Diego area. However, he does discuss what El Niño might mean for other areas in the U.S.
I understand that the forecasts mentioned in this video are still current for the week of January 11th. If you are arriving here later then the forecast portion of the video will likely be different but the science of El Niño should still be timely.
If you are interested in how El Niño might be affecting your region in the United States, go to the U.S. National Weather Service and look for your local forecast office.
Direct link to video
I like this video because Alex Tardy of the NWS NWS San Diego does a very nice job explaining what El Niño in simple language and good graphics. Of course, being from San Diego, he is focusing on El Niño's effects on the San Diego area. However, he does discuss what El Niño might mean for other areas in the U.S.
I understand that the forecasts mentioned in this video are still current for the week of January 11th. If you are arriving here later then the forecast portion of the video will likely be different but the science of El Niño should still be timely.
If you are interested in how El Niño might be affecting your region in the United States, go to the U.S. National Weather Service and look for your local forecast office.
Direct link to video
Wednesday, January 06, 2016
snow in California (January 6th)
I have been interested in the ongoing drought in California and elsewhere out west in part because of the impacts on wildland fires. However, I am interested in weather and I have good friends and family in California.
I expect that most i not all of you reading this blog have heard or read stories on the current El Ninõ event and the potential for a wet winter in California. A day or so ago, I saw that California was going to a see two or three precipitation events this week. I know that California depends on a good snow pack in the mountains for their water needs. I was wondering what today's snowfall forecast (January 6th) is. I decided to focus on the San Joaquin Valley/Hanford California region because I believe that is where Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite National Park are located (see my posts on the Rim Fire). I went to the website of the US National Weather Service San Joaquin/Hanford California, and seeing that they have a twitter site that is easy to work with and link to, I found the following snowfall forecast dated January 6, 2015 at 5:32 AM:
So it seems that the mountains are forecast to get a good dose of snowfall today. Ok, I was wondering what the current snow depth is in San Joaquin mountains. I went to the US National Weather Service California Nevada River Forecast Center, where you will see a nice interactive mapping package on their home page. I am interested in the current snow depth and took a couple of screen shots of the snow depth in the San Joaquin Mountains and surrounding areas. The data is known as point data (depth in inches) and may be a little hard to read. But you will get an idea of the current snow depth (as of January 6, 2016 at 7:45 AM PST). The mapping layers available to you are updated frequently so what you will see will be different from what I am sharing below. I was happy to see some very decent snow depth totals (as of January 6, 2016, 7:45 AM PST). For the second image, I zoomed in to focus on Stanistlaus and Yosemite.
Finally, I wondered how the current snow depth data in the California mountains compares with a year ago, and for that I again used the mapping package from the US National Weather Service California Nevada River Forecast Center, this time looking at National Gridded Data, NOHRSC Snow Depth. I downloaded the snow depth for January 6, 2016 and for January 6, 2015. The colors are similar and you must note the scale on the side of each map. The scale for January 6, 2015 runs up to 79 inches, and it doesn't look like any of the mapped data reaches 79 inches. Moving on to the second map for January 6, 2016 note the scale runs up to 787 inches. Quite a difference, don't you agree? I am glad to see that the California mountains have seen a significant increase in the depth of the snowpack so far this winter. Let's pray this continues.
Now the maps are nice. I wanted a little more information to share, perhaps something quantitative. And I was not disappointed as I found this December 25th tweet from the NWS CNRFC where they say that the Sierra snowpack on December 25, 2015 was 110 percent of average while one year prior (December 25, 2014), the Sierra snowpack was 55 percent of average.
I expect that most i not all of you reading this blog have heard or read stories on the current El Ninõ event and the potential for a wet winter in California. A day or so ago, I saw that California was going to a see two or three precipitation events this week. I know that California depends on a good snow pack in the mountains for their water needs. I was wondering what today's snowfall forecast (January 6th) is. I decided to focus on the San Joaquin Valley/Hanford California region because I believe that is where Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite National Park are located (see my posts on the Rim Fire). I went to the website of the US National Weather Service San Joaquin/Hanford California, and seeing that they have a twitter site that is easy to work with and link to, I found the following snowfall forecast dated January 6, 2015 at 5:32 AM:
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| obtained on January 6, 2016 from
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So it seems that the mountains are forecast to get a good dose of snowfall today. Ok, I was wondering what the current snow depth is in San Joaquin mountains. I went to the US National Weather Service California Nevada River Forecast Center, where you will see a nice interactive mapping package on their home page. I am interested in the current snow depth and took a couple of screen shots of the snow depth in the San Joaquin Mountains and surrounding areas. The data is known as point data (depth in inches) and may be a little hard to read. But you will get an idea of the current snow depth (as of January 6, 2016 at 7:45 AM PST). The mapping layers available to you are updated frequently so what you will see will be different from what I am sharing below. I was happy to see some very decent snow depth totals (as of January 6, 2016, 7:45 AM PST). For the second image, I zoomed in to focus on Stanistlaus and Yosemite.
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| Snow Depth on January 6, 2016, 7:45 AM PST obtained on January 6, 2016 from http://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/ |
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| Snow Depth from NOHRSC on January 6, 2015 obtained on January 6, 2016 from http://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/ |
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| Snow Depth from NOHRSC on January 6, 2016 obtained on January 6, 2016 from http://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/ |
Now the maps are nice. I wanted a little more information to share, perhaps something quantitative. And I was not disappointed as I found this December 25th tweet from the NWS CNRFC where they say that the Sierra snowpack on December 25, 2015 was 110 percent of average while one year prior (December 25, 2014), the Sierra snowpack was 55 percent of average.
Difference in #Sierra snowpack now (~110% avg) vs 1 yr ago (55% avg)! Thanks cold Dec storms. #drought #cawx #nvwx pic.twitter.com/trHgWWqwxg
— NWS CNRFC (@NWSCNRFC) December 25, 2015
I certainly hope that the prospects for a snowy and rainy California winter from the El Ninõ continue as forecast. However, I also understand that California will need more than one wet winter to come out of the drought.
Stay safe. Heed advisories from your National Weather Service office. Turn around, don't drown.
Friday, November 20, 2015
Civilian meteorologists receive purple heart 73 years later
I am taking a time out from writing about the Burned Area Emergency Response for the 2015 Soda Fire to honor four civilian meteorologists who gave their lives in service to their country during World War II. Four meteorologists were serving as volunteers on the Muskeget, a U.S. Coast Guard ship that was patrolling the Atlantic during the Battle of the Atlantic in September 1942. The meteorologists were collecting and transmitting weather observations to aid American ships in the North Atlantic. The Muskeget was on its way to southern Greenland when a German U-Boat struck and sank the Muskeget. There were 121 men on board the Muskeget including the four meteorologists. While those in the military who were on board the Muskeget received Purple Heart, the civilian meteorologists did not. There were provisions to award Purple Hearts to civilians but this slipped through the cracks. It was through the efforts of a Purple Heart historian, Robert Pendleton to bring the oversight to light making the award of these four Purple Hearts possible.
Lester S. Fodor (27), weather observer from Cleveland, Ohio
Luthor H. Brady (27), assistant weather observer from Atlanta, Georgia
George F. Kubach (24), assistant weather observer from Sandusky, Ohio
Edward Weber (24), junior weather observer from Brooklyn, New York
May you rest in peace.
Here is a direct link transcript of the report (with audio version) from NPR
I first read about the four meteorologists in a November 18th Washington Post article.
Lester S. Fodor (27), weather observer from Cleveland, Ohio
Luthor H. Brady (27), assistant weather observer from Atlanta, Georgia
George F. Kubach (24), assistant weather observer from Sandusky, Ohio
Edward Weber (24), junior weather observer from Brooklyn, New York
May you rest in peace.
Here is a direct link transcript of the report (with audio version) from NPR
I first read about the four meteorologists in a November 18th Washington Post article.
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
California droughts - quick update
The ongoing drought in California has been on my mind since my trip to San Diego before Thanksgiving, see the reflections that I wrote on December 1, 2014. And of course, the drought in California and elsewhere has implications for wildfire danger. I continue to follow the California drought and will be writing more on the California drought from time to time. I'd like to share a few resources with you concerning the drought.
The California Nevada River Forecast Center has a drought information page with lots of information about the drought, both nationally as well as focusing on California and Nevada. Near the top of the page you will see the latest U.S. Drought Monitor Map. The one below is dated February 3 2015 (released on February 5)
The California River Forecast Center has a presence on both Facebook and Twitter.
The California Department of Water Resources has a drought information page, also chock full of information on the drought including information about California's Water Year 2014 (October 1, 2013 to Septenmber 30, 2014) reporting on below normal snowpack from last winter and below normal rainfall.
I know that California has seen some more rainfall since the rains that came last December (go here and here for more information on one of the December rain storms in California). I also understand that the snowpack in the mountains of California is again below normal, see a January 30th article by Matt Weiser of the Sacromento Bee here.
I do know that there were more rains in areas of California a few days ago. I am in the process of finding more information to share with you on those rains, so stay tuned.
The California Nevada River Forecast Center has a drought information page with lots of information about the drought, both nationally as well as focusing on California and Nevada. Near the top of the page you will see the latest U.S. Drought Monitor Map. The one below is dated February 3 2015 (released on February 5)
The California River Forecast Center has a presence on both Facebook and Twitter.
The California Department of Water Resources has a drought information page, also chock full of information on the drought including information about California's Water Year 2014 (October 1, 2013 to Septenmber 30, 2014) reporting on below normal snowpack from last winter and below normal rainfall.
I know that California has seen some more rainfall since the rains that came last December (go here and here for more information on one of the December rain storms in California). I also understand that the snowpack in the mountains of California is again below normal, see a January 30th article by Matt Weiser of the Sacromento Bee here.
I do know that there were more rains in areas of California a few days ago. I am in the process of finding more information to share with you on those rains, so stay tuned.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Images of the Blizzard that hit southern New England and Long Island
The recent snow storm of Jan 26-7 left me with about 3.5 inches, not complaining. But some of the slop froze on the side of my driveway so I had to work to get it off. Thanks to the sun and some calcium chloride got rid of the last of the snow a couple of hours ago. In time for perhaps more snow later this weekend. Anyway, I did spend about 3 hours working on chipping ice off my driveway so I'm a little tired.
But I do sometimes post about weather events and I thought that some of you might be interested in a couple of satellite images of the storm. These two images are both taken from the Suomi NPP Satellite (National Polar-orbiting Partnership). Pretty cool images, don't you think?
Finally, a short video of the cloud cover from the Blizzard. The video shows some color images captured by Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) East and West. The images were taken from January 25th to 27th.
direct link to video from NOAA Satellites
But I do sometimes post about weather events and I thought that some of you might be interested in a couple of satellite images of the storm. These two images are both taken from the Suomi NPP Satellite (National Polar-orbiting Partnership). Pretty cool images, don't you think?
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| from
from Suomi NPP, extent of snowfall from 1/26-7 blizzard, taken 1/28/15 @ 1:50 PM
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| from NOAA Satellite Twitter Feed
Suomi NPP captures Blizzard near peak intensity, 1/27/15 @ 1:45 AM EST
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Finally, a short video of the cloud cover from the Blizzard. The video shows some color images captured by Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) East and West. The images were taken from January 25th to 27th.
direct link to video from NOAA Satellites
Monday, January 26, 2015
What I’ve been doing - weather
I thought I’d write a little about some of things that I’ve been thinking about and doing the last four to five weeks.
As a non-pilot aviation enthusiast, I have also gotten more and more interested in meteorology. So, I have been doing some reading and spending some time with a couple of sources on the internet. Not quite sure where this lead in terms of blog articles.
What I can offer is that I learn a lot by following my local National Weather Service Office, NWS Philadelphia/Mt Holly, and reading their various products including but not limited to their forecast discussion (for an example go here. I read the discussion and check out highlighted terms I don’t know in their glossary by clicking on the highlighted term. If you aren’t familiar with these forecast discussions, they can be a little daunting at first. It took me several months of reading them, coupled with reading a couple of meteorology books to get a very basic understanding of what they are talking about. I also follow NWS Mt Holly on their Facebook site where I have learned a great deal. Most other NWS offices have a presence on Facebook so check out yours if you haven’t already done so, they are publicly available but you have to have a Facebook account to make a comment.
One other resource that I use a lot is the National Weather Service’s Jetstream - Online School for Weather. The JetStream is great and easy to understand, at least I think it is easy to understand. Another site that I’ve spent some time with is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Education Resources Page (the NWS is under NOAA).
On the more technical end, with many of the modules being designed for meteorologists and related professionals is Comet MetEd. It is free but you have to register. There are oddles of modules to choose from which you can take online or download and read on your computer. I should warn you that many of these modules are on the technical side and there are some that I have read through where I have to skim over the parts that I don’t understand. Fortunately, where I have had to do so, I have been able to get something out of the modules. There is an exam at the end of each module, I’ve only taken a couple of exams in the more basic modules.
Edited on January 27, 2015 to add:
When I wrote this article yesterday, I was intending to write more reflections on my interest in meteorology. Instead, I have decided to not write anything further on my interest in meteology, at least not in the forseeable future.
But I do want to conclude by sharing two books focusing on Weather on the United States, both by Jack Williams:
The Weather Book: an Easy-to-Understand Guide to the USA's Weather, second edition (1997), by Jack Williams.
The AMS Weather Book: The Ultimate Guide to America's Weather (2009), by Jack Williams, co-published by the American Meteorology Society.
Finally, I have a "meteorology text book", Meteorology Today, ninth edition (2009) by C. Donald Ahrens. These types of text books, with an online component that I did not purchase, are often revisied every three years. The latest edition is Meteorology Today, twelfth edition (2019) by C. Donald Ahrens and Robert Henson. This book is a lot more expensive new copies can range from $125 to $175.
As a non-pilot aviation enthusiast, I have also gotten more and more interested in meteorology. So, I have been doing some reading and spending some time with a couple of sources on the internet. Not quite sure where this lead in terms of blog articles.
What I can offer is that I learn a lot by following my local National Weather Service Office, NWS Philadelphia/Mt Holly, and reading their various products including but not limited to their forecast discussion (for an example go here. I read the discussion and check out highlighted terms I don’t know in their glossary by clicking on the highlighted term. If you aren’t familiar with these forecast discussions, they can be a little daunting at first. It took me several months of reading them, coupled with reading a couple of meteorology books to get a very basic understanding of what they are talking about. I also follow NWS Mt Holly on their Facebook site where I have learned a great deal. Most other NWS offices have a presence on Facebook so check out yours if you haven’t already done so, they are publicly available but you have to have a Facebook account to make a comment.
One other resource that I use a lot is the National Weather Service’s Jetstream - Online School for Weather. The JetStream is great and easy to understand, at least I think it is easy to understand. Another site that I’ve spent some time with is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Education Resources Page (the NWS is under NOAA).
On the more technical end, with many of the modules being designed for meteorologists and related professionals is Comet MetEd. It is free but you have to register. There are oddles of modules to choose from which you can take online or download and read on your computer. I should warn you that many of these modules are on the technical side and there are some that I have read through where I have to skim over the parts that I don’t understand. Fortunately, where I have had to do so, I have been able to get something out of the modules. There is an exam at the end of each module, I’ve only taken a couple of exams in the more basic modules.
Edited on January 27, 2015 to add:
When I wrote this article yesterday, I was intending to write more reflections on my interest in meteorology. Instead, I have decided to not write anything further on my interest in meteology, at least not in the forseeable future.
But I do want to conclude by sharing two books focusing on Weather on the United States, both by Jack Williams:
The Weather Book: an Easy-to-Understand Guide to the USA's Weather, second edition (1997), by Jack Williams.
The AMS Weather Book: The Ultimate Guide to America's Weather (2009), by Jack Williams, co-published by the American Meteorology Society.
Finally, I have a "meteorology text book", Meteorology Today, ninth edition (2009) by C. Donald Ahrens. These types of text books, with an online component that I did not purchase, are often revisied every three years. The latest edition is Meteorology Today, twelfth edition (2019) by C. Donald Ahrens and Robert Henson. This book is a lot more expensive new copies can range from $125 to $175.
Friday, December 05, 2014
Southern California rains: update on 12/5/14
I believe that this will be the final update that I will be making on the rains that California experienced this week (December 2 through 4). I have the Facebook Page for the San Diego office of the US National Weather Service bookmarked. When I went there this morning, I saw a nice graphic that they had posted mapping rainfall totals (3-day observed rainfall ending 12/4/14 at 5 PMPST) for portions of Southern California (go here to see the rainfall graphic). Here are some of these rainfall totals:
San Diego: 2.53 inches
Ramona: 1.3 inches
Riverside: 2.46 inches
Los Angeles: 1.32 inches
Chino: 2.82 inches
Palomar Mountain: 3.55 inches
I was also curious about mudslides. I found this report from MyFoxLA (with video) on December 4th about mud slide conditions in the LA area: An area of the Pacific Coast Highway north of Malibu (Ventura County) reopened on Thursday, 40 people in Riverside County were rescued after being stranded by flash flooding and seven homes on Gilman Springs Rd in San Jacinto CA (north of Hemet) were evacuated due to the risk of another mud slide.
Here is a report from early in the day on December 4 from MSN on the storms effect on the State of California.
Finally I close with two articles from the LA Times:
San Diego: 2.53 inches
Ramona: 1.3 inches
Riverside: 2.46 inches
Los Angeles: 1.32 inches
Chino: 2.82 inches
Palomar Mountain: 3.55 inches
I was also curious about mudslides. I found this report from MyFoxLA (with video) on December 4th about mud slide conditions in the LA area: An area of the Pacific Coast Highway north of Malibu (Ventura County) reopened on Thursday, 40 people in Riverside County were rescued after being stranded by flash flooding and seven homes on Gilman Springs Rd in San Jacinto CA (north of Hemet) were evacuated due to the risk of another mud slide.
Here is a report from early in the day on December 4 from MSN on the storms effect on the State of California.
Finally I close with two articles from the LA Times:
Wednesday, December 03, 2014
Rain in Southern California, a double edged sword?
It started to rain in Southern California on the night of December 1st. Any rain in drought stricken Southern California is a good thing. But with the benefits of the rain to a very dry area comes the down side. The other edge of the sword. With these rain storms comes mud slides, and areas that are especially at risk include the hillsides of areas recently burned by wildfires. Denuded of trees because of a fire, the hills become unstable in the rain resulting in mud flows. The US National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard spoke of this risk in a weather story posted on their Facebook page on December 3, 2014:
“There will be some instability across portions of Los Angeles County later this afternoon and evening into the overnight hours. A flash flood watch remains in effect for the Los Angeles County burn areas through early Thursday morning. Although showers will be mostly moderate to locally heavy at times. With the possibility of local higher hourly rainfall rates and given the expected rainfall amounts in the foothills and mountains, there will be the potential for flash flooding in and around the recent burn areas is a concern through early Thursday morning. Residents close to the recent burn areas (including the Springs, Colby, Powerhouse and Williams burn areas) should be prepared for mud and debris flows.”
Some of you may recall:
The Powerhouse Fire that burned 30,274 acres in the Angeles National Forest in June of 2013.
The Springs Fire that burned 24,251 acres in May of 2013 in Ventura County.
Colby Fire that burned 1,952 acres in the Angeles National Forest in January of 2014.
In Ventura County, residents in areas throated by mud slides were evacuated, see this story from KPBS (12/2/14)
According to this report from CBS News on December 2nd evacuations were planned in Silverado in Orange County because of expected mud slides and a weak rain system on November 30th caused a mud slide that blocked a portion of the Pacific Coast Highway near Malibu.
I found this story from CBS Los Angeles (12/3/14) about the effects of the 2-day rainfall.
Moving further south, here is a report on the rain storm from CBS8 in San Diego.
“There will be some instability across portions of Los Angeles County later this afternoon and evening into the overnight hours. A flash flood watch remains in effect for the Los Angeles County burn areas through early Thursday morning. Although showers will be mostly moderate to locally heavy at times. With the possibility of local higher hourly rainfall rates and given the expected rainfall amounts in the foothills and mountains, there will be the potential for flash flooding in and around the recent burn areas is a concern through early Thursday morning. Residents close to the recent burn areas (including the Springs, Colby, Powerhouse and Williams burn areas) should be prepared for mud and debris flows.”
Some of you may recall:
The Powerhouse Fire that burned 30,274 acres in the Angeles National Forest in June of 2013.
The Springs Fire that burned 24,251 acres in May of 2013 in Ventura County.
Colby Fire that burned 1,952 acres in the Angeles National Forest in January of 2014.
In Ventura County, residents in areas throated by mud slides were evacuated, see this story from KPBS (12/2/14)
According to this report from CBS News on December 2nd evacuations were planned in Silverado in Orange County because of expected mud slides and a weak rain system on November 30th caused a mud slide that blocked a portion of the Pacific Coast Highway near Malibu.
I found this story from CBS Los Angeles (12/3/14) about the effects of the 2-day rainfall.
Moving further south, here is a report on the rain storm from CBS8 in San Diego.
Monday, December 01, 2014
Reflections: Drought affecting Southern CA (including Mt. Wilson)
I was in southern California for the week of November 17th when I began my series on Mt. Wilson. As fate would have it, there were about 48 hours of Red Flag Warnings for areas east of where I was staying north of San Diego. If memory serves, the Red Flag Warnings included the Angeles National Forest where Mt. Wilson is located.
Before going to southern California I was aware of the severe drought that according to my my meteorologist friends in souther California has been ongoing for three years. As fate would have it, there is a rain storm expected this week in Southern California, and several of these storms will be needed to alleviate the drought in Southern California. I wonder what will happen if there is another year of extreme to exceptional drought?
As I write this, Southern California ranges from severe to exceptional drought depending on the exact location. I believe but am not certain that Mt. Wilson lies in an area that is in an exceptional drought (the most severe drought category). For information on the current status of droughts in the U.S. go to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
As you can guess while I was in San Diego County, I was very much aware of the drought and the fire danger. I did my best to use as little water as possible, but admit that some of my bad and wasteful water habits were a little hard to dispel. But I got better as the week wore on. I thought of my friends at the Mt. Wilson Observatory, wondering how they were making out. I suspect that everyone in southern California is in the same boat, more or less, as my friends at the Mount Wilson Observatory — too little water and serious water conservation efforts are under way.
I was and am scared for all of Southern California and all the other dry wildfire prone areas out west. I think that I am more scared now that I recently spent a week in Southern California. Whether or not there are active Red Flag Warnings, it won’t take that much for a wildfire to start that could, depending on winds and other factors, threaten Mount Wilson Observatory, Palomar Observatory and other residences, schools, research centers and businesses in Southern California. I also know that CAL FIRE and their sister wildland firefighting agencies (on the ground and in the air) are good at what they do. Stay safe everyone.
I am hoping for a wet winter in drought affected areas out west.
Before going to southern California I was aware of the severe drought that according to my my meteorologist friends in souther California has been ongoing for three years. As fate would have it, there is a rain storm expected this week in Southern California, and several of these storms will be needed to alleviate the drought in Southern California. I wonder what will happen if there is another year of extreme to exceptional drought?
As I write this, Southern California ranges from severe to exceptional drought depending on the exact location. I believe but am not certain that Mt. Wilson lies in an area that is in an exceptional drought (the most severe drought category). For information on the current status of droughts in the U.S. go to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
As you can guess while I was in San Diego County, I was very much aware of the drought and the fire danger. I did my best to use as little water as possible, but admit that some of my bad and wasteful water habits were a little hard to dispel. But I got better as the week wore on. I thought of my friends at the Mt. Wilson Observatory, wondering how they were making out. I suspect that everyone in southern California is in the same boat, more or less, as my friends at the Mount Wilson Observatory — too little water and serious water conservation efforts are under way.
I was and am scared for all of Southern California and all the other dry wildfire prone areas out west. I think that I am more scared now that I recently spent a week in Southern California. Whether or not there are active Red Flag Warnings, it won’t take that much for a wildfire to start that could, depending on winds and other factors, threaten Mount Wilson Observatory, Palomar Observatory and other residences, schools, research centers and businesses in Southern California. I also know that CAL FIRE and their sister wildland firefighting agencies (on the ground and in the air) are good at what they do. Stay safe everyone.
I am hoping for a wet winter in drought affected areas out west.
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