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Category Archives: National Weather
Yet another reason the Weather Channel shouldn’t name winter storms
Last year the Weather Channel unilaterally decided to start naming winter storms, a decision met with ridicule and concern from weather professionals. Now, with a storm TWC calls ‘Janus’, we very graphically can see another reason why the naming of these storms may not be a good idea.
The list the Weather Channel created for winter storms during the 2013 – 2014 season range contains everything from Latin words and Roman governors to mythological figures.
The channel is calling the current storm pounding the Northeast ‘Janus.’ Janus comes from Roman mythology and was considered the god of beginnings and transitions.
Setting aside the fact the naming of winter storms is ridiculous and only serves to confuse people in potentially dangerous situation, the display of the name during broadcasts has brought further ridicule.
Many graphics showing the word ‘Janus’ on TWC were partially obscured by their on air personalities and even their own imagery. The end result has been the appearance of the name without the ‘J’.
See the screenshot top right and below.
Related stories from Examiner.com:
- Weather Channel goes dark on DirecTV, other weather networks ready to jump in
- Weather Channel says manmade climate change a factor in dispute with DirecTV
- Weather Channel names first two winter storms, weather community mocks network
Historical Super Bowl temperatures, conditions and weather extremes
Super Bowl XLVIII will be the first NFL championship game played outdoors at a cold-weather location. Looking back at the history of previous sites for the event, much milder weather than what will likely be seen at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey this year has been the rule.
Over the past 47 Super Bowl’s, the average on-field temperature at kickoff has been 66.5 degrees. The contests that have been played at northern latitudes have previously been in domed stadiums helping to keep that average up. That is a luxury the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks won’t enjoy.
It is highly likely that this year’s Super Bowl between the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks will be the coldest on record and possibly the first to have snow fall on the field.
How would that compare to weather extremes experienced during other NFL championship games? Find out in the story on Examiner.com
Weather Geek Stuff offers wide array of gear for the weather enthusiast on your shopping list
Not everyone gets excited about blizzards, tornadoes, hurricanes and other types of extreme weather but many folks out there are passionate about Mother Nature. Weather Geek Stuff is an online shop just for those whose hearts race with the thrill of severe weather and they are offering special deals through the holiday season.
Weather Geek Stuff is an online store that provides a host of clothing items and novelties just for weather buffs. From the store’s custom ‘Weather Geek’ and ‘Weather Diva’ logoed merchandise to items imprinted with amusing weather warnings signs as well as Skywarn storm spotter logos, there is something there sure to please any weather lover.
Weather Geek Stuff’s merchandise was shown on the Weather Channel as a recommended gift so you know the quality is good. Stu Ostro, Weather Channel’s Senior Director of Weather Communications even sports a ‘Weather Geek’ t-shirt on his Facebook page and Twitter profile.
Kids and dogs aren’t left out of the weather fun either. There is a wide variety of clothing items sized just right for the little ones from babies to bigger kids. Canine companions as well can get shirts and bowls emblazoned with a weather-related logo.
The selection goes far beyond clothing too. Water bottles, clocks, mugs, bags and other novelties are part of the store’s offerings. For the tech types, cases for iPhones and iPads are available. New products this season include laptop skins, clipboards and throw blankets.
Support ThorntonWeather .com
Weather Geek Stuff is owned and operated by the same folks that run ThorntonWeather.com. We provide ThorntonWeather.com as a no-cost service to the community and use the minimal amount of money made from Weather Geek Stuff to support the costs of running this website and the associated equipment. So remember, if you have a weather buff on your shopping list, by buying from Weather Geek Stuff you are supporting ThorntonWeather.com! You can also donate directly to fund the site here.
Remembering 9/11: NASA imagery of fateful day serves as a reminder
Twelve years ago today the United States of America was forever changed when war was brought to our own shores for the first time since Pearl Harbor. The imagery of that day still burns vividly in our memories and one from NASA shows the devastation of that day as seen from 200 miles above.
On that fateful day, crewmembers of the Expedition Three crew of the International Space Station were circling the globe.
Commander Frank L. Culbertson, Soyuz Commander Vladimir Dezhurov and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin surely felt helpless as they passed over Ground Zero and could clearly see the plume of smoke emanating from the spot where so many people lost their lives.
The image they captured on that day was stunning – see below. While the World Trade Center was so far below, the devastation was so clear.
Our patriotism pulled us through those trying times and it shouldn’t take another attack to galvanize us in solidarity.
Today let us stand together to remember the victims of that horrible day.
Let us stand together and pay tribute to the lives of the thousands of men and women that have carried the battle forth since then and paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Let us stand together and honor the hundreds of thousands who wear our nation’s uniforms protecting us.
Let us never forget so that we and our children will never experience another day like 9/11.
NEVER FORGET!
Internet resources for wildfire information and education
As wildfires burn across much on the western United States late this summer, the Internet can be a wealth of information for residents that are affected by these blazes or for anyone else. Resources are available for everything from the latest news updates, finding out where the fires are right down to the street level, to safety and education.
This list is by no means all inclusive – if you have a wildfire related link we are missing, please post a comment and let us know and we will update our list!
Updated 6/21/2013
- National Level Agencies
- Fire Mapping
- Weather
- Wildfire Imagery
- Wildfire Education & Information
- Wildfire Assistance
- State Agencies
- InciWeb – Incident Information
- National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC)
- National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC)
- Latest situation report (PDF) – Updated daily
- National Fire News – Updated daily
- Wildland Fire Statistics
- Historical Statistics
- National Park Service – Fire & Aviation Management
- U.S. Bureau of Land Management – Fire & Aviation
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service – Fire Management
- U.S. Forest Service (USFS) – Fire and Aviation Management
- USFS Geographic Coordination Centers
- USFS MODIS Active Fire Mapping Program
- NOAA Hazard Mapping System Fire and Smoke Product
- NOAA Satellite Fire Detections
- NOAA SSD Fire Detection Program – Fire and smoke maps
- USFS Active Fire Mapping Program
- USGS GeoMAC – Mapping
- USGS Active Fire Perimeter Map (Google Map)
- USGS Natural Hazards Support System
- National Weather Service
- NOAA Storm Prediction Center Fire Weather
- Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center Outlooks
- MODIS Rapid Response System
- NASA Earth Observatory
- NOAA Environmental Visualization Laboratory (EVL)
- NOAA Satellite Services Division
Wildfire Education & Information
- Firewise – Information for homeowners and public policy makers about responsible planning
- Google search – Wildfire & forest fire education
- Google News search – Forest fires & wildfires
- Healthy Forests and Rangelands – Info about National Fire Plan (NFP), Healthy Forests Initiative (HFI), and related initiatives
- U.S. Fire Administration
- Smokey Bear
- USFS Fire Education
- Wildfire Today Blog
- Alabama Forestry Commission
- Alaska Division of Forestry
- Arkansas Forestry Commission
- California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection
- Colorado State Forest Service
- Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
- Delaware Department of Agriculture
- Florida Division of Forestry
- Georgia Forestry Commission
- Hawaii Division of Forestry & Wildlife
- Idaho Department of Lands
- Illinois Divison of Forest Resources
- Indiana Division of Forestry
- Iowa DNR Forestry
- Kansas Forest Service
- Kansas Forest Service
- Kentucky Division of Forestry
- Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry
- Maine Forest Service
- Maryland Forest Service
- Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation – Forestry
- Minnesota Division of Forestry
- Mississippi Forestry Commission
- Missouri Department of Conservation – Forestry
- Montana DNRC Forestry Division
- Nebraska Forest Service
- Nebraska Forestry Service
- Nevada Division of Forestry
- New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands
- New Mexico State Forestry
- New York Division of Environmental Conservation – Forests
- North Carolina Division of Forest Resources
- North Dakota Forest Service
- Ohio Division of Forestry
- Oklahoma Forestry Services
- Oregon Department of Forestry
- Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
- Rhode Island Division of Forest Environment
- South Carolina Forestry Commission
- South Dakota Resource Conservation & Forestry
- South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression Division
- Tennessee Division of Forestry
- Texas Forest Service
- Utah Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands
- Vermont Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation
- Virginia Department of Forestry
- Washington State Department of Natural Resources
- West Virginia Division of Forestry
- Wisconsin Division of Forestry
- Wyoming State Forestry Division
First images from new Landsat satellite capture northern Colorado Front Range
For four decades Landsat satellites have beamed back amazing pictures of the Earth from their perch far above the planet’s surface. The latest craft in the series was launched last month and among the first images it captured were pictures of the area around Fort Collins and the Galena Fire burn scar.
The Landsat Data Continuity Mission took to space on February 11 to continue the joint program between NASA and the USGS. This latest spacecraft has some of the highest resolution imagery devices of any Earth-observing satellite and will allow the agencies to monitor the natural and human processes taking place on the planet.
This week NASA released some of the first images from the new craft including its ‘Image of the Day’ from the Earth Observatory program on Thursday. The photos capture the northern Colorado Front Range in natural color and one showing wavelengths of light not seen by the human eye. The city of Fort Collins is clearly seen as is the Galena Fire burn scar west of Horsetooth Reservoir.
Below the images are further explanation from NASA.
From NASA:
On March 18, 2013, the newly launched Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) began to send back images of Earth from both of its instruments—the Operational Land Imager (OLI) and the Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS). This view of Fort Collins, Colorado, is among the satellite’s first images.
The images above are close-up views from the OLI sensor at its maximum resolution of 15 meters per pixel. The top image displays natural color, while the second image blends shortwave infrared, near-infrared, and green wavelengths (LDCM bands 7, 5, 3). The close-ups were cropped from larger Landsat scenes (downloadable beneath each web image) that show where the Great Plains meet the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in Wyoming and Colorado.
“The first OLI and TIRS images look great right out of the box,” said Jim Irons, LDCM project scientist. “I have waited a long time to view the first LDCM images and I could not be more impressed with their appearance.”
Made with reflected red, green, and blue light, the top image shows Fort Collins as the human eye would see it. The city is a gray grid surrounded by the curving roads and brown yards of residential neighborhoods. White clouds cast black shadows on the ground below. Land freshly burned in the Galena fire is charcoal black—just slightly darker than the dark green coniferous forest to its west.
The second image shows Fort Collins in wavelengths of light not usually visible to people. Plants are green, city areas are purple, snow is pale blue, and bare earth is tan-pink. This combination of visible and infrared light reveals features of the landscape not otherwise visible. For example, irrigated parks, yards, and golf courses are bright green in this image, but brown in natural color. The Galena Fire burn scar is dark red and easy to distinguish from its surroundings.
The Landsat Data Continuity Mission was launched on February 11, 2013, to continue the four-decade-long Landsat record of Earth’s landscapes. LDCM represents an evolutionary advancement in technology from previous Landsat sensors, collecting more data daily and with greater fidelity. The imagers also include two new bands to improve the view of clouds and near-shore waters.
LDCM’s normal operations are scheduled to begin in late May 2013, after the instruments have been calibrated and the spacecraft has been fully checked out. At that time, NASA will hand over control of the satellite to the U.S. Geological Survey, and the satellite will be renamed Landsat 8.
Read more about LDCM and its imagery in the NASA story: A Closer Look at LDCM’s First Scene.
NASA Image of the Day captures powerful Nor’easter set to slam northeastern U.S.
Two powerful winter storms are set to collide over the northeastern United States today in what could be a record-breaking weather event. Many locations including Boston and New York City will see blizzard conditions in what some are calling a potentially historic event.
Parts of New England will be measuring snow in feet when this storm is finished and it is possible many locations will see their biggest snows on record. NASA satellites captured an amazing image this morning of the region as the storms begin to arrive – see below.
NASA says, “The satellite image, captured at 9:01 a.m. EST, shows clouds associated with the western frontal system stretching from Canada through the Ohio and Tennessee valleys, into the Gulf of Mexico. The comma-shaped low pressure system located over the Atlantic, east of Virginia, is forecast to merge with the front and create a powerful nor’easter. The National Weather Service expects the merged storm to move northeast and drop between two to three feet of snow in parts of New England.”
Related:
America comes together to celebrate National Weatherperson’s Day
Today, February 5th, we celebrate one of our nation’s most important holidays – National Weatherperson’s Day. In what is truly a very revered occasion, we take time out to honor those men and women who bring joy to schoolchildren when they announce a snow day, are the bearers of bad news when severe weather is about to strike and are prognosticators second only to Jimmy the Greek in their ability to read a crystal ball. Read more about this auspicious occasion on Examiner.com.
Weather and Inauguration Day: Mother Nature can play a role in the swearing in
President Barack Obama will be sworn in for his second term today and while the weather looks to cooperate for the ceremony on the steps of the Capitol, that hasn’t always been the case. Mother Nature has impacted previous Inauguration Days and most famously led to the death of a president. Read the rest of this story on Examiner.com
