A proposed 30% cut in the National Weather Service's budget could lead to greater loss of life. (Examiner.com)
The National Weather Service is the nation’s frontline of defense against many forms of threats from Mother Nature. As the sole agency responsible for issuing weather related warnings and alerts, a proposed massive cut in the budget for the service could have dire consequences.
Colorado’s weather is as varied as any state in the union. Our true four seasons allow us to witness the entire gamut of weather from scorching hot summers to winters buried in feet of snow to springtime severe weather with damaging and deadly tornadoes. Knowing what is going on with the weather is critical in allowing us to protect ours and families’ lives.
Budget cuts being proposed in Washington DC could severely decrease the accuracy and frequency of weather related information we receive. A massive cut of $126 million to the National Weather Service’s budget is being proposed – a full 30% cut in funding for a service that provides information that saves lives every day.
When you view a detailed forecast on ThorntonWeather.com that is specifically for Thornton, you are viewing data provided by the National Weather Service. Our radar imagery, weather radio, the watches and warnings that we post – all originate from the National Weather Service.
A building's facade lies in the street after the earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand. Click the image to view a slideshow. (TwitPic / bebe33)
Christchurch, New Zealand was struck by a powerful magnitude 6.3 earthquake on Tuesday that wreaked havoc across the nation’s second largest city. Buildings were reduced to rubble and people buried alive in what is being called the ‘darkest day’ in the New Zealand history.
In September the area was struck by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake and recovery efforts from that quake were still underway when the new quake struck. Buildings that were already weakened by last year’s quake, then the initial quake today struggled to hold up with the ongoing aftershocks.
Prime Minister John Key said, “It is just a scene of utter devastation. We may well be witnessing New Zealand’s darkest day.”
Despite having been proven wrong in the past, at a symposium in Aspen this weekend Al Gore once again tried to tie recent severe weather to global warming.
Former Vice President Al Gore spoke at the “Forests at Risk: Climate Change and the Future of the American West” symposium in Aspen this weekend issuing a dire warning about global warming. Gore told the crowd, “It’s unprecedented and we really have to face up to it.”
The Nobel Laureate and author of the book and movie “An Inconvenient Truth” warned that the pine beetle infestation striking Colorado forests was caused by manmade climate change. “If you love the forest and you care about what’s happening to them, the No. 1 connection that’s happening to them is warmer temperatures,” Gore told the compliant crowd.
Utilizing a slideshow to demonstrate his point, Gore said, “The linkage these scientists have referred to over and over again with global warming is something some people resist but it’s a fact.”
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Gore’s attempts to draw parallels between weather and climate change have gotten him into trouble in the past. He was forced to pull images from his popular presentation two years ago that showed an increase in natural disasters when it was found it could not be proven. NASA’s top climate scientist Dr. James Hansen has rebuked Gore saying he needed to be more “careful” in his claims.
The claims that Gore made at the symposium have been refuted in the past but he remains undeterred. Get more details on what the former VP said as well as counter arguments on the Denver Weather Examiner.
The redesigned Weather Underground website is a great source for weather information. (WeatherUnderground.com)
Certainly for truly local, Thornton weather, ThorntonWeather.com is the place to go. However you sometimes want a bigger picture or details on the weather for a different location and for that, a newly revamped Weather Underground website is the place to go.
We here at ThorntonWeather.com are big fans of the Weather Underground. The site has always provided much greater depth and detail with more features than local media outlets and even more than the ‘big names’ like the Weather Channel.
Further, Weather Underground brings in the data from thousands of personal weather stations (PWS) like ThorntonWeather.com’s and uses those to provide local conditions to visitors – not airports miles away. In return, Weather Underground allows PWS owners to use their data freely, something which we do on ThorntonWeather.com and truly appreciate the reciprocity.
Where does ThorntonWeather.com use Weather Underground data?
On June 3, 1981, Thornton was the site of the most destructive tornado in the history of the Denver metro area. Storm spotter training gives you the education you need to keep you and your family safe. (City of Thornton archives)
Severe weather is a fact of life in Colorado – from blizzards to tornadoes we can and do see it all. Each year the weather is responsible for claiming lives in our state and across the nation and the threat is very real. Storm spotter training allows you to learn how to protect yourself and your family while providing a public service.
Education is key to knowing how to protect you and your family. Whether you want to be an official storm spotter or maybe just want to learn more about severe weather, storm spotter training can provide you an incredible opportunity to learn.
The storm spotter program is a nationwide program with more than 280,000 trained spotters. These volunteers report weather hazards to their local National Weather Service office providing vital information when severe strikes. Data from spotters include severe wind, rain, snow measurements, thunderstorms and hail and of course tornadoes.
Storm spotters are part of the ranks of citizens who form the Nation’s first line of defense against severe weather. There can be no finer reward than to know that their efforts have given communities the precious gift of time–seconds and minutes that can help save lives.
By completing one of these training classes you can become an official storm spotter. When severe weather strikes, you can report it by calling a special toll free number or submit your report via the National Weather Service’s website.
February 20 to February 26 - This Week in Denver Weather History
This past week we have enjoyed spring-like weather and it is easy to forget we are still very much in winter. Looking back at this week in Denver weather history we see that bitter cold and heavy snow are the alternatives that we can and have seen in our past.
From the National Weather Service:
18-20
In 1913…post-frontal snowfall totaled 6.9 inches in downtown Denver over the 3 days. Most of the snow fell on the 19th. Northeast winds were sustained to 21 mph with a measured extreme velocity to 24 mph on the 18th.
In 1924…light snowfall totaled 4.6 inches over the 3 days. This was the only measurable snowfall of the month. High temperatures plunged from 45 degrees on the 18th to 17 degrees on the 20th. Low temperatures dipped from 31 degrees on the 18th to only 8 degrees on the 20th. Northeast winds were sustained to 24 mph on the 19th.
In 1953…a major blizzard dumped 10.6 inches of snowfall at Stapleton Airport. Strong north winds at sustained speeds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts as high as 44 mph frequently reduced visibilities to 1/4 mile in blowing snow during the day of the 19th. The strong winds caused much drifting snow…making accurate snowfall measurements almost impossible. Precipitation from the storm totaled 1.13 inches. The 1.01 inches of precipitation on the 19th was the greatest calendar day and 24 hour precipitation ever recorded in the city during the month of February.
In 1987…large amounts of new snow fell in the Front Range foothills. The foothills received 10 to 20 inches of new snow with 4 to 8 inches on the adjacent plains. On the 19th…flight delays occurred at Stapleton International Airport where snowfall totaled 4.2 inches and east winds gusted to only 18 mph on the 19th. Schools were closed in the foothills above Boulder.
19-20
In 1924…4.6 inches of snow fell in downtown Denver. This was the only measurable snow of the month. Northeast winds were sustained to 24 mph on the 19th.
In 1937…post-frontal heavy snowfall totaled 8.4 inches over downtown Denver. Most of the snow…6.6 inches…fell on the 20th when north winds were sustained to 16 mph with gusts to 18 mph. The temperature dipped to a low of 9 degrees on the 20th.
In 1939…post-frontal snowfall totaled 5.4 inches in the city. The snow covered streets and highways with a coating of ice as the temperature fell from 36 degrees at 2:00 pm on the 19th to a low of 4 degrees at 3:00 am on the 20th. Many motorists were marooned for several hours. Northeast winds were sustained to 24 mph on the 19th.
19-21
In 1971…heavy snowfall totaled 9.0 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to only 16 mph. Most of the snow occurred on the 19th and 20th. The 24 hour snowfall of 8.2 inches was the greatest in February since 1953.
Did you know there is no such holiday as "Presidents Day?" The holiday is technically titled "Washington's Birthday" per Section 6103 (a) of Title 5 of the United States Code.
The holiday began with an Act of Congress in 1880 and was for government offices in Washington DC. It was expanded in 1885 to include all federal offices and was celebrated on George Washington’s actual birthday of February 22.
Then, in 1971 the Uniform Monday Holiday Act shifted the celebration to the third Monday of each February so now the date can range anywhere from the 15th to the 21st. An early draft of that act would have renamed the holiday to Presidents Day but it failed in a Congressional committee in 1968.
So there you have it. When someone says something about Monday’s holiday being Presidents Day, you can correct them and tell them there is no such holiday.
Q. Why did the National Weather Service (NWS) change its weather forecast references from Presidents Day to Washington’s Birthday in 2011?
A. Weather forecast references were changed because the holiday is officially designated as “Washington’s Birthday” in Section 6103 (a) of Title 5 of the United States Code, which is the law that specifies holidays for Federal employees. Although other institutions such as state and local governments and private businesses may use other names, it is NWS policy to refer to holidays by the names designated in the law.
Q. Wasn’t the holiday changed to Presidents Day when it was established by Congress to be observed on the third Monday in February?
A. No. The effort to rename the holiday Presidents Day, intended to honor the birthdays of both Washington and Lincoln, failed in Congressional committee. The bill, which was then signed into law on June 28, 1968, specified that the Federal holiday would retain the name Washington’s Birthday. The Uniform Monday Holiday Act of January 1, 1971, established its observance on the third Monday in February.
Q. What changes did the NWS implement to make this change?
A. The NWS changed the software on all its Internet web pages and at all local Weather Forecast Offices so that forecasts which include Washington’s Birthday will show the officially designated name for the holiday this year and into the future.
February 13 to February 19 - This Week in Denver Weather History
High winds and wintry weather highlight our look back at this week in Denver weather history. Among the notable events is Denver’s longest continuous period of snow cover – 61 days – that occurred just four years ago.
From the National Weather Service:
10-13
In 1905…an extremely cold arctic air mass moved over the city behind a cold front on the 10th and persisted through the morning of the 13th. North winds were sustained to 25 mph behind the front on the 10th dropping the temperature to a low of 2 degrees below zero…which was also the high reading on the 11th. Light snowfall totaled 3.0 inches overnight of the 10th into the 11th. The low temperature plunged to 19 degrees below zero on the 11th. Records were set on the 12th and 13th. The high temperature of only zero degrees on the 12th was a record low maximum for the date. The low readings of 21 degrees below zero on the 12th and 14 degrees below zero on the 13th were record minimum temperatures for those dates.
11-13
In 1903…west to northwest Chinook winds gusting to 34 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 50 degrees on the 11th… Before temperatures rapidly plunged to a low of 14 degrees behind a cold front. Light snow fell through the 13th and totaled 4.2 inches in the city…while temperatures ranged from a high of 14 degrees on the 12th to a low of 5 degrees below zero on the 13th.
12-13
In 1915…heavy snowfall totaled 7.0 inches over downtown Denver. Northwest winds were sustained to 24 mph on the 13th.
In 1951…heavy snowfall totaled 8.1 inches at Stapleton Airport where northeast winds gusted to 28 mph on the 12th.
In 1968…snowfall totaled 5.6 inches at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 26 mph. Snow fell all day on the 12th and into the morning hours of the 13th.
In 1997…heavy snow fell in the foothills southwest of Denver. Conifer…Evergreen…Morrison…and north turkey creek received 6 to 8 inches of new snow overnight. Only 0.2 inch of snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. North-northeast winds gusted to 23 mph at Denver International Airport on the 13th.
13
In 1886…northwest winds were sustained to 40 mph during the early morning hours…but winds were strong and gusty all day.
February 10, 2011 - Satellite image of Colorado and surrounding states showing the extensive snow cover. Click the image for a larger version. (NASA)
The recent snowstorm covered not only Thornton but the vast majority of Colorado in a blanket of white. The latest satellite imagery from NASA shows the extent of the snow stretching across the state from border to border.
The satellite image, taken by NASA’s Aqua satellite on February 10th, shows the impressive snowfall received by the entire region. Not only is Colorado covered but the neighboring states of Wyoming, Nebraska and Kansas are covered in snow as well.
Denver tied a 78 year old record temperature for February 8th.
We of course knew it was cold yesterday but now we know exactly how cold. At Denver International Airport the high temperature yesterday only climbed to 8 degrees. This ties the record low maximum for the date last set in 1933.
Highlighting that is the fact that the “high” temperature occurred soon after midnight at 12:28am. It was all downhill from there throughout the day as cold air settled in. Daytime highs in Denver were only around 6 degrees.
Here in Thornton we virtually matched the official Denver high as we climbed to 8.3 degrees. That occurred right at midnight.
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