Colorado Weather, National Weather, Natural Disasters

The weather and the spread of the swine flu – Will it help or hurt?

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In the United States, the winter is generally considered ‘flu season’ and is when we see it most widespread.  With the threat of a potential swine flu epidemic, analysts are trying to determine if the weather will play any factor in the spread of the virus.

The flu is spread through contact with an infected person or pig, typically through coughing or sneezing.  In the winter, when most people in temperate regions like the United States are spending time indoors in closed environments and in close quarters with those that are infected, it is thought that the flu can be transmitted easier.  The water droplets containing the virus are slower to evaporate in cooler weather thus remaining airborne for longer periods of time and increasing chances of others becoming infected.

Outbreaks can and do occur in the tropics however research indicates they occur with less frequency in places that do not have the seasonality that other areas do.  Limited laboratory and health data from regions like Africa and Latin America have made it more difficult to track the spread of viruses and thus learn from it.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Monday that it hoped drier and warmer weather would help stifle the effects of the swine flu.  The organization is asking health authorities to work with weather services to assess the role of weather and the climate in the outbreak as this is an aspect that is not fully known.  WMO spokeswoman Gaelle Sevenier said , “The transmission patterns of this particular influenza and its possible seasonality are as yet not adequately understood and are the subject of ongoing investigations.”

Get the rest of the details on this story and how that family summer vacation could help spread the virus on Examiner.com.

For all the details, read the rest of this story on our Denver Weather Examiner page. Examiner.com - Get inside Denver weather 
Climate Change

Climate change hearing on Capitol Hill highlights politics and hypocrisy

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Former Vice President Al Gore, right, and former Virginia Sen. John Warner testify on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, April 24, 2009, before the House Energy and Environment subcommittee. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Former Vice President Al Gore, right, and former Virginia Sen. John Warner testify on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, April 24, 2009, before the House Energy and Environment subcommittee.

As legislators in Washington D.C. debated a climate change bill that would levy new taxes on businesses and potentially cost consumers, political theatre was in full view Friday at the House of Representatives.  The House Energy and Commerce Committee held hearings all last week on the legislation, culminating with the appearance of former Vice President Al Gore and former Speaker of the House and potential 2012 presidential candidate Newt Gingrich.

Democrats who support the measure and the ‘cap and trade tax’ it would bring, brought forth the self-appointed head of the global warming movement Al Gore.  Mr. Gore of course was full of his usual dire predictions of the Earth’s pending doom from carbon dioxide accumulation in the atmosphere unless immediate action is taken.  He likened those who doubted the theory to those who don’t believe man landed on the moon saying, “There are people who still believe that the moon landing was staged on a movie lot in Arizona.”

Perhaps Mr. Gore wasn’t aware but even some of those that have been to the moon and walked on its surface don’t believe all the hype about global warming.  It was just recently that a real moonwalker announced his doubts about the theory as well.  Dr. Harrison Schmitt, an Apollo 17 astronaut, moonwalker, and PhD holding geologist said, “Contrary to categorical statements by many politicians and unfortunately some scientists, including some colleagues of mine, the science of climate change and its causes is not settled – at least not to this geologist.”

There is much more to this story – including battles between the committee and Newt Gingrich when he appeared.  Learn more about how politics have taken over the debate on manmade climate change in the full story on Examiner.com.

For all the details, read the rest of this story on our Denver Weather Examiner page. Examiner.com - Get inside Denver weather
Colorado Weather, Severe Weather

Colorado Severe Weather Awareness Week highlights weather dangers in the state

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Last year's Windsor tornado highlighted just how dangerous weather in Colorado can be. Are you and your family prepared?
Last year's Windsor tornado highlighted just how dangerous weather in Colorado can be. Are you and your family prepared?

As is customary, the governor has declared this week Severe Weather Awareness Week.  This is an opportunity for the public to get reacquanted with the dangers severe weather presents in Colorado. 

Tornadoes, lightning, hail, severe wind and flooding are very real hazards that Coloradoans face every year during severe weather season.  It is important that you know what to do to protect you and your family. 

In conjunction with the National Weather Service, Examiner.com will be publishing our Severe Weather 101 series.  Each day this week a weather hazard will be discussed in depth and we will outline protective measures you can take to keep yourself and your family safe.  Please be sure to check back every day to read these important message.

From the National Weather Service: 

Thunderstorm hazards around the corner…are you prepared?

Severe thunderstorm season will be soon upon us.  Do you know how to stay safe around tornadoes, flash floods, lightning, hail, and damaging winds?  This is the week to learn.  This week, April 19th to 25th, is Colorado severe weather awareness week.   This is the time to learn more about severe weather in Colorado, develop severe weather preparedness plans, and test vital communications.

Can we learn lessons from the past severe weather events?  Just last year on may 22nd an EF3 tornado raced north through Weld and Larimer counties resulting in one fatality.  Several injuries and destroyed or heavily damaged hundreds of homes.  Two years ago, on March 28, 2007 the town of Holly was heavily damaged by another EF3 tornado that resulted in two fatalities.  Twelve years ago on July 28, 1997 a devastating flash flood occurred in Fort Collins resulting in 5 fatalities and millions of dollars in damage.

Each year for the past 20 years there have been an average of 50 tornadoes in Colorado, 3 people killed by lightning and another 15 injured by lightning.  

The National Weather Service offices which cover Colorado will issue a series of public information statements during the week covering the following topics:

  • Monday…Watches and warnings
  • Tuesday… Tornadoes and tornado safety
  • Wednesday…Flash floods and flash flood safety
  • Thursday…Downburst wind and hail
  • Friday…Lightning and lightning safety
  • Saturday…A review of the week

A time to test your warning reception and communications systems is planned.  Each national weather service office serving Colorado will send test tornado warnings on Tuesday April 21 between the hours of 8 am MDT and 11 am MDT.  These test warnings will be sent to the emergency alert system, the internet, NOAA weather radio and law enforcement communications systems. 

Safety information, watches, warnings, forecasts, past weather and much more information is available at your local National Weather Service web sites:

     www.weather.gov/denver      NWS Denver web site
     www.weather.gov/pueblo      NWS Pueblo web site
     www.weather.gov/goodland    NWS Goodland web site
     www.weather.gov/gjt         NWS Grand Junction web site


Natural Disasters, Severe Weather

Largest in-field tornado study ever set to launch in May

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The VORTEX2 tornado research project will be the largest in-field study of tornadoes ever.
The VORTEX2 tornado research project will be the largest in-field study of tornadoes ever.

The single largest and most ambitious field study to increase our understanding of tornadoes is set to kick off next month.  The Verification of Origin of Rotation in Tornadoes EXperiment2 (VORTEX2 or V2) will feature more than 50 scientists utilizing 40 vehicles, 10 mobile radar units and an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).

The study which will run from May 10 to June 13 will become the largest mobile in-field laboratory ever assembled to study tornadoes.  In a statement Louis Wicker, research meteorologist with NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory and V2 co-principal investigator said, “Data collected from V2 will help researchers understand how tornadoes form and how the large-scale environment of thunderstorms is related to tornado formation.”

The VORTEX2 tornado research project will be the largest in-field study of tornadoes ever.
The VORTEX2 tornado research project will be the largest in-field study of tornadoes ever.

Operations will be controlled at the National Weather Center in Norman, Oklahoma while the mobile units chase tornadoes across Tornado Alley and the central Great Plains.  The target area for the study ranges from southern South Dakota through Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle.  Eastern Colorado, home of many tornadoes, is included in the study.

This unprecedented gathering of scientists and technology hold incredible promise for the research that will be gathered.  The original VORTEX program which happened from 1994 to 1995 documented the entire life cycle of a tornado from start to finish, the first time that had ever been done.   That research greatly enhanced our understanding of twisters and led to much improved tornado warnings that help to save lives today.

VORTEX2 seeks to build on that research and the research that has taken place since.  According to the project website it will seek to answer such important questions as:  How do tornadoes form? What exactly causes the wind to spin into a concentrated funnel? How can we tell exactly when a tornado will form and when it will die, or how long it will last? Why do some thunderstorms produce tornadoes and others do not? What is the structure of tornadoes? What is the relationship of tornadic winds to damage?

An important finding from the original VORTEX experiment was that the factors responsible for causing tornadoes happen on smaller time and space scales than scientists had thought.  New advances will allow for a more detailed sampling of a storm’s wind, temperature and moisture environment and lead to a better understanding of why tornadoes form – and how they can be more accurately predicted.
– Stephan Nelson, NSF program director for physical and dynamic meteorology.

VORTEX2 features scientists and students from the United States, Canada and Australia in collaboration with government agencies, private industry and educational institutions.  Many luminaries within the storm chasing and severe weather research community will participate including Dr. Josh Wurman of the Discovery Channel’s Storm Chasers TV show.  Some of the notable participating organizations include Center for Severe Weather Research, Rasmussen Systems, NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory, OU/NOAA Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies, NSF-sponsored National Centers for Atmospheric Research, Penn State University, University of Oklahoma, Texas Tech University, Lyndon State College, University of Colorado, Purdue University, North Carolina State University, University of Illinois, University of Massachusetts, University of Nebraska, Environment Canada, and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.

For more information:

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Thornton Weather

Winter-like storm brings more than 3 inches of precipitation to Thornton

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As we begin to dry out from an incredibly wet April storm, we can take a look at some of the numbers from the three day event.  Being on the warmer east side of the Denver area, Thornton did not receive a tremendous amount of snow as temperatures here simply remained too warm.  What we did get though was rain – and LOTS of it. 

ThorntonWeather.com measured 3.06 inches of precipitation – the most we have recorded for a single weather event since we went operational in October 2006.  Friday was the wettest of the three days with 1.86 inches recorded – not a single day record for ThorntonWeather.com but still a great amount for our arid climate.  The steady and more or less constant rain brought much needed moisture and helps to make up for what has been a dry snow season thus far. 

Denver did officially set a record for Friday when 1.16 inches of precipitation was recorded at Denver International Airport – the most ever on April 17th.  The old record was 1.00 inch set in 1920. 

While we remain well behind normal on snow for the season, for the calendar year thus far, the storm put Denver ahead of the curve on precipitation.  Normally by this date we would have had 3.36 inches of precipitation.  Since January 1 Denver has now recorded 3.61 inches, 0.25 inch above normal, so that is definitely good news. 

As we mentioned, Thornton did not receive a lot of snow from this event.  We recorded 3.1 inches total as the rain / snow mix we saw at many times resulted in what snow did fall being compacted by rain immediately thereafter.  Other areas of the Front Range however, those primarily west and south, were a touch colder and received a great deal of snow.  A quick look at a few of the snow totals from the event:

  • Pinecliffe – 52 inches
  • Rollinsville – 51 inches
  • Nederland – 37 inches
  • Blackhawk – 36 inches
  • Evergreen – 29 inches
  • Cherry Creek Dam – 15.3 inches
  • Parker – 14 inches
  • Highlands Ranch – 13.4 inches
  • Boulder – 10 inches
  • Broomfield – 9.3 inches
  • Arvada – 8.8 inches
  • Denver, Stapleton – 3.3 inches
  • ThorntonWeather.com – 3.1 inches
  • Denver International Airport – 2.6 inches (Denver’s official site)

All of that moisture and a coming week of temperatures in the 70’s are sure to truly start greening up the landscape.  It won’t be long now for sure and you will be mowing the lawn!

National Weather

2009 tornado season deadly but below average thus far

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Thus far the 2009 tornado season has been quiet compared to years past. (AP Photo)
Thus far the 2009 tornado season has been quiet compared to years past.

The severe weather season has started in earnest now and last week’s deaths of five people from tornadoes highlight the danger this time of year brings.  Thus far however, 2009 is below the three year average not only in the total number of tornadoes reported but also in the number of tornado related deaths.

In terms of the number of tornado reports, through yesterday there have been 303 preliminary reports in 2009.  Over the last three years the United States has averaged 391 per year through April 13th.  That means that 2009 is thus far 23% below average.

Tornado Reports by Year
Through April 13th
2009
2008
2007
2006
3yr Avg
303
494
286
392
391

 It is important to note that all of those counts are based on preliminary tornado reports.  The actual number of tornadoes that occurred typically is reduced by about 15 percent as duplicate reports are eliminated.  Nevertheless, this does show 2009 is running well below average. 

In terms of fatalities caused by twisters, there have been 14 thus far this year.  This too is below the three year average of 54 per year through April 13th.  That is a large 75% reduction which is notable and something certainly to be thankful for.

Tornado Fatalities by Year
Through April 13th
2009
2008
2007
2006
3yr Avg
14
70
52
50
57

 It is important to note that while this year shows promise for being a less deadly and less destructive tornado season, the season is far from over.  May and June are typically the most active months of the season and one large outbreak could radically change these numbers.

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Tornado Reports for 2009

National Weather, Severe Weather

Wildfires and tornadoes claim lives across the nation

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A tornado rips through Murfreesboro, TN where a mother and child lost their lives in the twister.
A tornado rips through Murfreesboro, TN where a mother and child lost their lives in the twister.

The end of the week saw severe weather claim the lives of seven people across the nation on Thursday and Friday.

Mena, Arkansas Tornado Claims Three Lives

Daylight Friday in the western Arkansas town of Mena brought a devastating sight after a tornado tore through the town killing three people and injuring at least 24.  Reports are that hundreds of homes and businesses have been destroyed in the town of 5,000.

Tornado sirens blared yesterday evening in the town warning of the coming danger.  At about 8:30pm local time the twister struck.  Two women and one man lost their lives in the storm.  One victim died in a collapsed house, another in a front yard and the third in a Masonic Lodge. 

Click here for more details in our story on Examiner.com.

Wildfires in Texas and Oklahoma Wildfires Claim Two Lives, Injure Dozens

Wind-driven wildfires in Texas And Oklahoma proved deadly Thursday afternoon as a Texas couple was killed in the blazes and dozens more injured.  The fires in western and central Oklahoma injured at least 34 people and burned over 100 homes.  In Texas, a former television reporter and his wife were killed.

High winds, low humidity and an abundance of dry fuels sparked the wildfires and made for prime conditions for them to quickly burn out of control.  In Oklahoma the fires started along I-35 and forced its closure for a time although it is now open.  Entire towns were evacuated including Healdton, Sparks, Velma, Wellston and Midwest City.  

Click here for more details in our story on Examiner.com.

Mother and child killed by tornado in Murfreesboro, Tennessee

A mother and her three month old baby were killed in Murfreesboro, Tennessee today when a tornado went through the central part of the state Friday.  The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency reports that 30 were also injured by the twister as a line of storms stretching from Alabama, across Tennessee and into Kentucky wreaked havoc.  The deadly twister comes on the heels of one that killed three people in Arkansas Thursday.

The mother and child whose lives were lost were taken to Middle Tennessee Medical center but were dead when they arrived.  The city of 105,000 saw roofs ripped from homes and trees downed as the twister struck the northern and western parts of the city. 

Click here for more details in our story on Examiner.com.

Climate Change

Obama science advisor advocates climate engineering

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John Holdren as director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy is President Obama's science advisor.
John Holdren as director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy is President Obama's science advisor.

In an interview with the Associated Press, John Holdren, President Obama’s newly confirmed science advisor, discussed the possibility of ‘climate engineering’ to battle global warming.  The radical and somewhat controversial technology would require an extraordinary intervention by man in an attempt to purposely influence the climate.

Mr. Holdren feels however the dangers of climate change could leave Earth with little choice.  He is quoted as saying, “It’s got to be looked at.  We don’t have the luxury of taking any approach off the table.”

Climate engineering, or geoengineering, could theoretically be accomplished a number of ways.  Most currently studied techniques revolve around attempts to counteract greenhouse gases, specifically carbon dioxide, which is believe to be responsible for global warming.  Technology to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere called ‘air scrubbing’ is one alternative the administration is supposedly considering.  Another extreme option would be to purposely inject pollution into the atmosphere to reflect the sun’s rays. 

Prior to his nomination, Holdren was a physicist and professor at Harvard.  He has long sounded the alarm of manmade climate change saying global warming is like being “in a car with bad brakes driving toward a cliff in the fog.” 

For all the details, read the rest of this story on our Denver Weather Examiner page. Examiner.com - Get inside Denver weather
Climate Change

New government brochure promotes ‘climate literacy’

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A new brochure aims to provide clarity and literacy on the issue of climate change.
A new brochure aims to provide clarity and literacy on the issue of climate change.

With the constant din of conflicting information on manmade climate change, some coming from within these very pages, it may be difficult for the layman to understand climate change and what it potentially means for the Earth.  A collaborative project from a number of United States government agencies seeks to offer some clarity to the subject in a new brochure titled “Climate Literacy: The Essential Principles of Climate Sciences“.

  • To download the brochure, see our links at the bottom of this article.

According to the U.S. Climate Change Science Program, the guide “presents important information for individuals and communities to understand Earth’s climate, impacts of climate change, and approaches for adapting and mitigating change.”   The document is wonderfully laid out and colorfully illustrated with photos and begins by outlining the basic principles many have come to believe in terms of man’s impact on the climate. 

Human activities—burning fossil fuels and deforesting large areas of land, for instance—have had a profound influence on Earth’s climate.
– Climate Literacy: The Essential Principles of Climate Sciences

According to the document, the ‘essential principles of climate science’ are: 

  • The Sun is the primary source of energy for Earth’s climate system.
  • Climate is regulated by complex interactions among components of the Earth system.
  • Life on Earth depends on, is shaped by, and affects climate.
  • Climate varies over space and time through both natural and man-made processes.
  • Our understanding of the climate system is improved through observations, theoretical studies, and modeling.
  • Human activities are impacting the climate system.
  • Climate change will have consequences for the Earth system and human lives.

Great detail is spent on each of those issues.  Tom Karl, director of the National Climatic Data Center said, “There is so much misinformation about climate.  We want to provide an easily readable document to help everyone make the most informed decisions. Having one product endorsed by the nation’s top federal science agencies, as well as leading science centers and associations, makes this document an essential resource.”

Scientific observations and climate model results indicate that human activities are now the primary cause of most of the ongoing increase in Earth’s globally averaged surface temperature.
– Climate Literacy: The Essential Principles of Climate Sciences

As one might expect from the above quote, the document doesn’t lend any credence to or even mention any dissenting opinions about manmade climate change like we have documented previously.  The agencies represented obviously agree that the ‘science is settled’.  However, it is not overly preachy nor does it use over the top language like some climate change advocates are known to do.  The brochure can be a handy reference for everyone on all sides of the issue and help to lend a reasonable voice to the debate.

The new guide was spearheaded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration with contributions from the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, Interior, State, Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Science Foundation, Smithsonian Institution, U.S. Agency for International Development and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. 

For more info: 

National Weather

Washington D.C. prepares to celebrate the National Cherry Blossom Festival

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The Washington Monument is framed by blossoming cherry trees this week. View our slideshow below. (Photo: Jim Schuyler)
The Washington Monument is framed by blossoming cherry trees this week. View our slideshow below. (Photo: Jim Schuyler)

At about this time of year an extraordinarily beautiful event takes place when the cherry trees that line the Tidal Basin in our nation’s capitol blossom.  For those that haven’t seen it first hand, the blossoms coupled with the sights and monuments is incredible.

The entire blossom event lasts for a relatively short two week period during which bright pink blossoms cover the trees.  Wednesday, the trees reached their peak bloom period for this year and this coming weekend the event will be highlighted with the annual parade and street festival – all part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. 

The history of how the cherry trees came to the capitol goes back nearly 100 years.  According to the National Park Service: 

The plantings of cherry trees originated in 1912 as a gift of friendship to the People of the United States from the People of Japan. In Japan, the flowering cherry tree, or “Sakura,” is an exalted flowering plant. The beauty of the cherry blossom is a potent symbol equated with the evanescence of human life and epitomizes the transformation of Japanese culture throughout the ages.

As we wait for our own trees to blossom here in Colorado, take a look at this incredible slideshow of images taken just the other day of Washington D.C.’s trees.  Thank you to Jim Schuyler for sharing the photos as well as to Justin Berk, the Baltimore Weather Examiner for passing them on to us.

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