Whirlwinds can take many forms from powerful, destructive tornadoes to more common but less damaging dust devils and gustnadoes. All are formed by a vertical rotating column of air and when this occurs over snow it can become a…
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Space station astronauts capture image of fiery reentry of Progress supply ship
From their perch 250 miles above the Earth, astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) capture some amazing imagery. The latest from them is of a Progress supply craft as it burns up in the atmosphere upon reentry.
NASA explains:
Have you ever wondered how the astronauts and cosmonauts onboard the International Space Station (ISS) take out the trash? Several times a year, robotic spacecraft carrying a variety of items—including food, water, fuel, oxygen, medical supplies, replacement parts, and research materials—are launched from Earth to dock with the ISS. These spacecraft are built and launched by ISS international partners in Russia, Japan, and the Europe. After the cargo has been transferred to the ISS, the spacecraft is refilled with refuse, and then undocked and de-orbited—essentially using the Earth’s atmosphere as an incinerator for both the spent spacecraft and the refuse.
This astronaut photograph highlights the reentry plasma trail of one such spacecraft, the ISS Progress 42P supply vehicle (Russian designation M-10M). The Progress is based on the Soyuz design, and can fly autonomously or under remote control from the space station. Progress 42P docked at the ISS on April 29, 2011, and was undocked and de-orbited on October 29, 2011. Astronauts on the ISS took a time-lapse sequence of the event; the image above is part of that sequence.
The ISS was located over the southern Pacific Ocean when this image was taken. Light from the rising sun illuminates the curvature of the Earth limb (horizon line) at image top, but does not completely overwhelm the airglow visible at image top left. Airglow is the emission of light by atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere when they are excited by ultraviolet radiation.
Weather Channel’s Mike Bettes takes risk-taking storm chasers to task
Getting the latest and most dramatic storm footage has become a popular way for many storm chasers to fuel their hobby and many have turned it into a lucrative business. The actions by some in the chaser community and the risks they take have once again come under scrutiny, this time by the Weather Channel’s Mike Bettes.
Andy Gabrielson, a prolific storm chaser, was involved in a rollover accident last week while chasing a tornado in Oklahoma. Video of the crash was captured by his own dash cam and video cameras of other chasers who assisted him afterwards.
Mike Bettes opined in an ‘Open Mike’ segment last week, “The one thing I always hear from professional chasers is how safety is their number one concern and warning the public is their number one priority. Me? I can B.S. on that one. When you’re getting hit by debris and you’re flipping your car while pursuing a tornado, you’re not very concerned about your safety or anyone else’s.”
As storm chasing has become a more popular hobby, fears are rising that it is only a matter of time before someone gets killed in pursuit of a storm.
Time lapse video from International Space Station gives stunning views of Earth
From a perch nearly 250 miles above the Earth’s surface, the International Space Station and resident astronauts are afforded an amazing view of the planet. New imagery compiled into a series of time lapse video sequences shows…
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Hurricane-force winds hit Colorado’s high country, foothills
Fed by a strong jet streak roaring above the Colorado Rocky Mountains, a mountain wave setup over the western half of the state yesterday. Strong winds were the result and were combined with heavy snow in the central and northern mountains.
The incredibly strong winds that would be the equivalent of a Category 3 hurricane ripped through Colorado’s high country in the past 24 hours. Many locations reported gusts in excess of 100mph downing power lines and trees and creating hazardous driving conditions.
The top wind gust reported by the National Weather Service was 115mph south of Frisco in Summit County.
Berthoud Pass saw a 113mph gust at the Mines Peak Summit (12,500 feet) with sustained winds to 86mph. After sending that reading, the station’s anemometer (wind sensor) broke.
Other locations recording gusts near 100mph included Loveland Pass at 100mph and Kenosha Pass recorded 101mph. Berthoud in Larimer County saw 99mph and the National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesa lab in Boulder recorded 90mph.
Here in Thornton we thankfully didn’t see winds nearly that fast however ours were notable. We recorded a 38mph gust Saturday afternoon and a 47mph gust shortly after midnight Sunday morning.
High winds like these, while quite strong, are not entirely unusual. Dangers from these powerful winds include power outages, flying debris, collapsed structures and the potential to overturn vehicles. Learn more in our story, Winter weather preparedness: The threat of high winds in Colorado.
Below is a water vapor satellite showing the mountain waves as the moved across the southern part of Colorado.
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November 13 to November 19 – This Week in Denver Weather History
Wind and snow are two hallmarks of Denver’s November weather and we see an abundance of those events in our look back at this week in Denver weather history. Damaging wind makes numerous appearances as does wintry weather.
From the National Weather Service:
11-14
In 1970…heavy snowfall totaled 7.2 inches at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 22 mph on the 12th and 14th. Most of the snow… 4.2 inches…fell on the 12th.
12-13
In 1961…heavy snowfall totaled 5.6 inches at Stapleton Airport. East-northeast winds gusted to only 20 mph.
12-15
In 1909…light snowfall totaled 6.7 inches in downtown Denver over the 4 days. This was the first measurable snowfall of the season. Northeast winds were sustained to 15 mph on the 12th.
13
In 1951…northwest wind gusts to 50 mph were recorded at Stapleton Airport.
In 1983…winds gusted to around 60 mph in and near the foothills. There were scattered power outages and a few broken windows across metro Denver. The strong winds did 10 thousand dollars in damage to awnings at the Brown Palace Hotel in downtown Denver. West winds gusted to 46 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
13-14
In 1925…heavy post-frontal snowfall totaled 6.4 inches overnight in downtown Denver. Northwest winds were sustained to 27 mph with gusts to 29 mph on the 13th.
In 1974…northwest winds gusted to 52 mph at Stapleton International Airport…warming the temperature to 60 degrees shortly after midnight on the 13th. A cold front cooled temperatures into the 20’s by late morning and produced snowfall of 3.7 inches. The low temperature dipped to 14 degrees on the 14th.
In 1993…an upper level low pressure system combined with a weak but moist upslope flow to produce heavy snow across metro Denver. Snowfall amounts averaged 6 to 8 inches with up to 16 inches in the foothills at the Eldora Ski Area. Snowfall totaled 6.0 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to only 20 mph on the 14th. Most of the snow fell on the 14th.
In 1994…heavy snow developed rapidly along the Front Range urban corridor with the heaviest snow over northwest metro Denver. Sixteen to 18 inches of snow fell in Boulder… Lafayette…and Louisville. This was the second heavy snowfall over northwest metro Denver in 10 days. Eleven to 14 inches of snow were measured from Longmont southward into Aurora. Snowfall totaled 12.1 inches at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 29 mph on the 13th. Most of the snow…9.0 inches…fell on the 14th.
In 1997…heavy snow fell overnight in portions of Jefferson and Boulder counties. About 5.5 inches of snow were reported in Boulder…while 4 inches were measured 12 miles southwest of Morrison and 6 miles southwest of Golden. Snowfall totaled only 1.8 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. Northeast winds gusted to 26 mph at Denver International Airport.
14
In 1874…west winds blew at gale speeds from midnight until mid afternoon when the winds abated. The maximum sustained velocity was 48 mph.
In 1928…strong winds caused 3 hundred to 5 hundred dollars damage in Boulder. Wind gusts to 70 mph were recorded at Valmont just east of Boulder.
In 2006…an upper level jet stream combined with a high surface pressure gradient behind a cold front to produce strong winds across metro Denver. A wind gust to 66 mph was recorded in Longmont. North winds were sustained to 38 mph with gusts to 52 mph at Denver International Airport where winds were strong and gusty most of the day.
Continue reading November 13 to November 19 – This Week in Denver Weather History
Are you on Google+? Add ThorntonWeather.com to your circles
Weather is a constant topic here in Colorado thanks to the widely varying conditions we can experience – from snow and Arctic cold to tornadoes and scorching heat. ThorntonWeather.com already works to keep you informed with not only our website but also our Facebook page and via Twitter.
Now we have added a new way to get the latest Thornton weather news and information: Google+.
When Google+ was launched this past summer, it was strictly for individuals and that probably limited its growth. This week they finally launched pages for businesses and organizations and ThorntonWeather.com is happy to join.
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‘Epic’ Bering Sea storm hits Alaska; coastal areas battle storm surge, winds
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First nationwide test of Emergency Alert System set for noon Wednesday
The beeping emanating from our televisions and radios followed by announcements about severe weather are not unusual in Colorado. Today however the Federal Emergency Management Agency with be conducting the first nationwide test of the Emergency…
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