National Weather

Opryland Hotel in Nashville flooded by 10 feet of water

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The inside of the Opryland Hotel is flooded on Monday, May 3, 2010. See video of the flooding inside the hotel below. (The Tennessean)
The inside of the Opryland Hotel is flooded on Monday, May 3, 2010. See video of the flooding inside the hotel below. (The Tennessean)

With its 1,500 guests evacuated, managers and employees of the Opryland Hotel in Nashville spent Monday watching the water inside the historic hotel rise to 10 feet above floor level. Images taken in the hotel and of the surrounding area show a facility likely to face major repairs once the floodwaters recede.

As the Cumberland River rose hotel officials initially evacuated guests to a ballroom on Sunday. Once the seriousness of the situation became apparent, all 1,500 were sent to other area hotels and many to a local high school.

Video shot by the Tennessean Monday morning shows the hotel’s courtyard under water. Chairs and other debris are floating in the water while tables in water not quite as deep still have their table clothes and silverware on them.

Other famous Music City attractions have been impacted including the Country Music Hall of Fame which has water in a mechanical room and Schermerhorn Symphony Center whose basement is flooded with several feet of water.

Sports facilities in the city have been impacted by the flooding as well. LP Field, home of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans now has its entire field surface under water. Users on Twitter are reported that Bridgestone Arena where the NHL’s Nashville Predator’s play has flooding.

The city of Nashville received a record-setting two day rainfall Saturday and Sunday. 13.53 inches of rain was recorded between the two days, more than double the previous record.

Emergency officials expected the Cumberland crest Monday.

Natural Disasters

Satellites from NOAA and NASA capture images of Gulf of Mexico oil spill

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Satellites operated by NASA and NOAA are now training their 'eyes' on the growing oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico. (NOAA) See images of the expanding oil as seen from space in the slideshow below.
Satellites operated by NASA and NOAA are now training their 'eyes' on the growing oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico. (NOAA) See images of the expanding oil as seen from space in the slideshow below.

From their perch hundreds of miles in the air satellites provide an invaluable view of our Earth, most often associated with weather and disasters. With the explosion of BP’s Deepwater Horizon well and the subsequent oil spill, these space faring tools are now tasked with monitoring the oil as it hits the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Satellites from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA began tracking the oil slick soon after the April 20th rig explosion. Since then, they have watched from above as the slick approaches Louisiana and the Mississippi Delta threatening an ecological disaster greater than the Exxon Valdez.

In 2005, NASA and NOAA satellites focused on Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans. Today, once again, they focus on the same area but for a different kind of disaster.

The satellite imagery provided by the services is crucial to government agencies planning their response to the spill and its clean up. The satellite imagery can provide near real time position information of the slick as it approaches the Gulf Coast ensuring resources are deployed as necessary.

As the slick continues to threaten the Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida coasts in the immediate future, the satellites will continue to train their eyes in the sky on the area.

A change in wind patterns now threatens to shift the oil to the southwest toward the Florida Keys. While unlikely, if it does so and the oil enters the Gulf Stream, there is a threat the oil could impact the United States East Coast.

From the day after the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig until today, government satellites have captured images of the oil slick as it expands.

Weather History

May 2 to May 8 – This week in Denver weather history

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May 2 to May 8 - This week in Denver weather history
May 2 to May 8 - This week in Denver weather history

As we enter the month of May, our weather history calendar is as eventful as ever however we start to see a transition with fewer snow events and more typical spring events.  Of note are many events that caused flooding, severe winds, tornadoes, and lightning.

29-2

In 1954…a major storm dumped 10.1 inches of snowfall at Stapleton Airport.  Most of the snow…7.5 inches…fell on the 29th and 30th.  The maximum snow depth on the ground was 5 inches on the 30th due to melting.  No strong winds accompanied the storm.

1-2

In 1903…post-frontal rain changed to light snow overnight… But totaled only 2.0 inches.  This was the last snow of the season.  Northeast winds were sustained to 45 mph with gusts to 48 mph on the 1st.

1-5

In 1898…snowfall totaled 15.5 inches in downtown Denver. Most of the snow…6.2 inches…fell on the 3rd.  Most of the snow melted as it fell.  The greatest snow depth on the ground was only 2.5 inches on the 3rd at 8:00 pm. This was the only snowfall during the month.  Northeast winds were sustained to 22 mph on the 1st.

2  

In 1874…strong winds upset two railroad passenger coaches near Georgetown.  The baggage was retrieved and placed in a heavy…large wagon.  The passengers then seated themselves on top of the baggage.  Another strong gust of wind upset the wagon.  The driver’s shoulder was dislocated…and a passenger’s leg was badly injured. In Denver…northwest winds increased and blew in gusts and heavy winds were observed on the ridge tops.  On the Kansas Pacific R.R. east of Denver…the wind was so strong that it blew the train back several lengths…which caused the train to be about 7 hours late arriving in the city.
 
In 1901…south winds were sustained to 50 mph with gusts to 60 mph from an apparent thunderstorm with hail.
 
In 1944…snowfall of 8.3 inches was accompanied by a thunderstorm.  This was the last snowfall of the season and the only snow of the month.  Northwest winds were sustained to 25 mph.
 
In 1955…southwest winds at speeds of 37 mph with gusts as high as 58 mph caused some blowing dust at Stapleton Airport.
 
In 1983…1 inch diameter hail fell a few miles south of Bennett.
 
In 1984…3/4 inch diameter hail fell in Northglenn.
 
In 1988…I-70 east of Denver was closed for the second straight day…this time due to snow and blowing snow producing up to 2 foot drifts.  While only 2 to 4 inches of snow fell across metro Denver…Strasburg…just east of Denver…received a foot of snow.  North winds peaked to 51 mph at Stapleton International Airport where snowfall totaled only 1.3 inches.
 
In 1995…lightning struck a house in Westminster sparking an attic fire.

2-3

In 1979…heavy rain changed to snow on the 2nd.  Snowfall totaled 3.9 inches at Stapleton International Airport… Where northwest winds gusted to 26 mph.  The greatest depth of snow on the ground was only 1 inch at midday on the 2nd due to melting.  Total precipitation for the 2 days was 1.65 inches.

Continue reading May 2 to May 8 – This week in Denver weather history →

Local News, Thornton Weather, Weather Education

City of Thornton raises severe weather awareness with new brochure

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The City of Thornton has created a new flyer for residents with basic severe weather information. (City of Thornton)
The City of Thornton has created a new flyer for residents with basic severe weather information. (City of Thornton)

Severe weather season is quickly going to arrive in Colorado – we have already seen signs of it in recent weeks.  Helping to bring attention to the dangers severe weather presents, the City of Thornton has created a new flyer with some tips for residents.

Available on the city’s website, the flyer covers the basics of tornado, thunderstorm and lightning safety.  It is a good, brief look at the highlights of keeping you and your family safe when severe weather strikes.

Click here to download and view the brochure (PDF). 

For more in depth information on severe weather and safety, check out the links at the bottom of this story for our Severe Weather 101 series.

It is important to note that neither the City of Thornton or Adams County provide any sort of weather / civil alert system for residents.  Certainly for Thornton this is somewhat ironic considering the city is where the worst tornado to ever strike the metro area occurred. 

We discussed the issue with Thornton officials last year and will be approaching them again in the coming weeks to see if anything has changed since then.  Certainly after last year’s nasty summer weather, residents are on edge.

In the meantime, we cannot stress enough that city residents should have their own NOAA Weather Radio in their homes and businesses.  For more information about these crucial pieces of safety equipment, click here.

ThorntonWeather.com Severe Weather 101 Education Series

Colorado Weather, Natural Disasters

Colorado researchers join VORTEX2 tornado project

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This tornado in Goshen County, Wyoming in 2009 was intercepted by VORTEX2 teams and is considered the “most intensely examined tornado in history.” (NOAA) Watch video of the twister and see more photos at the complete story on Examiner.com. (NOAA)
This tornado in Goshen County, Wyoming in 2009 was intercepted by VORTEX2 teams and is considered the “most intensely examined tornado in history.” (NOAA) Watch video of the twister and see more photos at the complete story on Examiner.com. (NOAA)

For the second year in a row, a team of over 100 scientists and dozens of vehicles will take to Tornado Alley in an attempt to study one of Mother Nature’s most destructive phenomena. Like last year, Colorado researchers will be helping with the project.

Among the Colorado-based participants are University of Colorado students and researchers. They join others from 11 other universities from across the nation including the University of Oklahoma, Penn State University, and the University of Massachusetts.

Perhaps most well known, Dr. Josh Wurman of the Center for Severe Weather Research (CSWR) in Boulder will be a key contributor. Watchers of the Discovery Channel’s Storm Chasers series know Wurman well as the operator of a Doppler On Wheels (DOW) radar truck and coordinator of the TV series’ storm chases.

Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment 2 (VORTEX2) is simply the largest, most extensive in-field tornado study in history. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the VORTEX2 team will prowl the Great Plains hunting their elusive prey from May 1st to June 15th.

Once again, a veritable armada of scientific equipment will be deployed. Ten mobile radar units, dozens of vehicles, over 70 other instruments and even an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) will cover thousands of miles on the Great Plains.

There's more to this story on Examiner.com!For the rest of this story including photos of all the equipment and amazing video of the tornado in Wyoming that the team intercepted last year, visit the Denver Weather Examiner.

Climatology

May’s weather preview – Four seasons in one month

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Thornton's May weather previewColorado natives and those that have lived here long enough know that Denver and Colorado weather changes considerably throughout the year. The month of May almost seems to pack four seasons of weather conditions into 31 days. You name it, it can happen.

This being the latter half of spring, May does mean warm temperatures. Temperatures in the 80’s are common and reaching into the 90’s is not unheard of. The normal highs start out at 65 on the first but by the end of the month that climbs to 76. The record high for the month was recorded on May 26, 1942 of 95 degrees.

The temperatures aren’t always mild in May and the weather conditions can certainly get wild.  Get all the details in our complete May weather preview.

National Weather

Severe weather outbreak turns deadly, 10 killed in Mississippi

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Storm Prediction Center reports for Saturday, April 24, 2010
Storm Prediction Center reports for Saturday, April 24, 2010. Click on the image for a slideshow of the damage.

Severe weather across the South on Saturday turned deadly as tornadoes ripped through the region. Mississippi was hardest hit as one twister in Yazoo County killed 10 people and officials fear more could lie buried under the rubble.

Yazoo County was ground zero for the worst of the devastation where officials estimate 100 homes were destroyed. Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour described the scene as “utter obliteration.”

Images of the scene were heart wrenching and show homes reduced to nothing but scattered lumber. A church was destroyed, cars tossed about like toys and trees snapped like twigs and left without foliage.

Widespread power outages were reported as power lines were downed by the intense fury of the storms.  Officials said thousands remained without power as of Sunday morning.

The human toll was staggering and covered three Mississippi counties. Five people were killed in Choctaw County, four in Yazoo County and one in Holmes County. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency reported that two children were among the dead including a three month old baby.

Get the rest of this story including photos of the destruction from the Natural Disasters Examiner.

Weather History

April 25 to May 1 – This week in Denver weather history

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April 25 to May 1 – This week in Denver weather history
April 25 to May 1 – This week in Denver weather history

Snow continues to be a big part of the weather we can expect this time of year as we peer back in the Denver weather history books.  However, we also see more and more occurrences of spring severe weather including hail, damaging winds, dangerous lightning and even a tornado.

23-25

In 1935…heavy wet snow fell across metro Denver.  The storm started as rain on the 23rd and changed to snow early on the morning of the 24th.  There was continuous precipitation for a period of 48 hours.  Snowfall totaled 19.0 inches over the city and 20.0 inches at Denver municipal airport.  However… Due to warm temperatures in the 30’s…much of the snow melted as it fell and did not seriously disrupt traffic. The greatest snow accumulation on the ground downtown was 12 inches…but it quickly melted.  The highest sustained wind speed recorded during the storm was 28 mph from the north on the 23rd.  The storm contained 3.16 inches of moisture.

24-25

In 1890…rain changed to snow and totaled 7.0 inches in downtown Denver.
 
In 1931…heavy snowfall totaled 9.3 inches over downtown Denver.  Winds were light during the storm.
 
In 1996…the second wind storm in less than a week developed east of the continental divide and spread over metro Denver.  High winds gusted from 60 to 90 mph.  Several power lines and poles were downed.  Some of the stronger wind gusts included:  91 mph atop Squaw Mountain west of Denver…90 mph atop Table Mesa near Boulder…85 mph in Golden Gate Canyon…and 82 mph at Wondervu.  Northwest winds gusted to 41 mph at Denver International Airport on the 25th.

24-26

In 1924…post-frontal rain changed to snow…which became heavy and totaled 10.2 inches over downtown Denver.  The greatest amount of snow on the ground was 6.0 inches on the 25th due to melting.  North winds were sustained to 38 mph with gusts to 42 mph on the 24th.

25

In 1902…northeast winds were sustained to 42 mph with gusts to 48 mph.
 
In 1908…north winds were sustained to 40 mph behind an apparent cold front.  Snowfall was 0.5 inch.
 
In 1928…rain changed to snow…which became heavy and totaled 7.4 inches in downtown Denver.  Due to melting…the maximum snow depth on the ground was 4.0 inches at 6:00 pm.  This was the last snow of the season.  Southeast winds were sustained to 19 mph with gusts to 20 mph.
 
In 1976…a south wind gust to 54 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.  The high winds toppled a 70-foot high cottonwood tree onto the rear of house and a neighboring residence in central Denver.
 
In 1989…lightning caused heavy damage to a radio transmitter in Parker…knocking a Denver area radio station off the air for 3 hours.
 
In 1994…weather spotters reported dime-size hail at the intersection of U.S. Highway 287 and C470 in Jefferson County.  Marble-size hail covered the ground near Golden to a depth of 1 inch.  Pea-size hail was reported covering the ground to a depth of 3 inches in Arvada.

Continue reading April 25 to May 1 – This week in Denver weather history →

Climate Change

NASA releases photo album of the Earth on anniversary of Earth Day

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In honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, NASA has released a collection of images of our globe as seen from space. Check out the complete set in the slideshow below.
In honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, NASA has released a collection of images of our globe as seen from space. Check out the complete set in the slideshow below.

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the first Earth Day, an event designed to bring awareness to environmental and climate concerns. In celebration of the event, NASA’s Goddard Institute of Space Studies has released a ‘best of’ collection of images of the Earth.

Manned and robotic spaceflight has allowed us to see the planet as was never possible. Images of our “blue marble” have become commonplace and it is hard to believe it was only 50 years ago that the first images of Earth taken in space were shown on television.

Satellites, space stations, Space Shuttles, robotic probes and more have beamed back images of the globe from orbit, the moon and even Mars.

In their most common form, these images are used to help analyze and predict the weather and are even routinely included in our daily weather forecasts.  From monitoring the effects of climate change and the recent eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano amaze us today much as they did in 1960.

Below is a collection of images released today by NASA in honor of Earth Day 2010.

In pictures - NASA releases collection of Earth Day photos

Severe Weather, Thornton Weather

Breaking weather situation – Tornado watches and warnings posted

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Live Thornton, Colorado weather image.
Live Thornton, Colorado weather image.

 Update, 5:15pm – The Tornado Watch for Adams County has been discontinued.  

We did see a number of tornadoes reported in Colorado so far today, mostly in the southeastern part of the start.  

In northeastern Colorado, two tornadoes were reported. One was reported at 3:28pm 9 miles southwest of Deer Trail in Elbert County. The second at 3:38pm two miles north of Leader in Adams County.

A very, very wet weather pattern will continue through Saturday and the chance for severe weather remains.  Be sure to stay tuned to ThorntonWeather.com! 

Update, 4:30pm: The Tornado Watch for Denver, Boulder, Broomfield and Jefferson Counties has been dropped. However, they remain in effect until 8:00pm for Adams, Arapahoe, Morgan, Washington, Weld, Elbert and Lincoln Counties. 

Two tornadoes have been reported so far. The first was at 3:28pm nine miles southwest of Deer Trail. The second was 10 minutes later at 3:38pm two miles west of Leader. No damage reports at this time. 

Original story, 3:30pm: Yesterday brought our first Severe Thunderstorm Warning of the season and today the situation gets more serious with Tornado Watches and Warnings being posted.  The severe weather threat looks to continue through the afternoon.  

A Tornado Watch has been issued for much of the Front Range including all of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson, Morgan, and Weld Counties.  This watch includes the entire Denver metro area including Thornton.   

Remember that a Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for the development of severe thunderstorms producing tornadoes in and close to the watch area.   

Showers and thunderstorms are expected to continue to develop across the Front Range this afternoon and evening.  These are expected to include heavy rain, strong winds, hail and possibly hail.  Residents need to take immediate precautions to protect themselves.  

Remember, Thornton and Adams County do NOT have any type of weather warning system for residents – no sirens, text alerts, etc.  You should have your own NOAA weather radio or stay tuned to local media (and ThorntonWeather.com of course) for all the latest when severe weather strikes.  

Weather, natural disasters & climate news and information.