Winter, Racing, and Spotting

March has arrived.  The old saying is that March arrives like a lion and leaves like a lamb.  Judging by how this month is starting, we may be in good shape should the saying hold true.  Around 2/3 of the US mainland has some sort of winter weather box affecting it.  From Washington state to Washington DC winter is dominating the scene.  Record cold, snow and ice are still ravaging the country.

The west coast is at least getting a respite from it's drought.  Much needed major rains fell up and down the coast.  So much so that flooding has become a concern.  It isn't enough by itself to end the long drought, but it is a good start.  Certainly we all would like to see the drought out there end.

Last week NASCAR kicked off its season with the Daytona 500.  Weather played a huge role in the race delaying it for hours.  The weather there should be a wake up call (another one) for outdoor event operators.  They had 150,000 plus people out in the open with no shelter and a tornado warning heading dangerously close to the track.  Reports from the track through social networks like twitter described chaotic scenes of people running about looking for any kind of safety, and not finding it.  This was within a couple of miles of being one of the greatest natural  disasters we have ever had in this country.  Outdoor event organizers need to take weather seriously and have plans in place to execute should the need arise.  One of these days, it will happen.






This time of year, many counties in places that experience tornadoes (which is most) have their severe weather and storm spotter training courses.  These are usually about 3 hours long and give you a simple overview of what to look for and where to look for it when it comes to severe weather types and a quick overview of cloud structures that will help you identify possible tornadoes.  Find your local National Weather Service web page for times and locations in your area.  Severe weather spotters are invaluable in getting the ground truth of what a storm is doing that radar alone cannot do.  This can be life saving work while also allowing one to indulge in a passion for nature and storms.  




Storm Spotters are a little different than chasers.  Spotters often work with local emergency management agencies and are assigned locations from which they will report conditions back to the central office.  Their assignment is to protect their community from their post.  Chasers also do spotting and reporting, but they are generally independent of local government.  They could be media, researchers,     or general enthusiasts.  The main goal of all of these should be the same, the safety of the public at large.

Another Wild Week

I had talked about a pattern change last week and the pattern did indeed change and the Northwest was opened up to a series of storms that brought much needed rains to the region.  Maybe it was too much of a good thing.  Snows in Seattle stopped traffic, and rains in California brought flooding.  They will need a continuance of this pattern to get out of their long tern drought though, and especially in the southwest, that pattern will have to include them.  The drought there is leaving people fighting over water rights and asking the federal government to put the lives of people ahead of the lives of fish.  That is how bad it has gotten there.


The southern plains came out of its deep freeze and got to enjoy some spring type weather, and at least in the northern plains and great lakes, there has been some lessening of the bitter arctic air.  Snow systems still are hitting the area with shots of moderate snows and the piles continue to grow higher.  Chicago is over 5 feet of snow for the season and more is surely on the way.


The east was once again pummeled by a major storm that dumped up to two feet of snow and ice storms that caused power outages to hundreds of thousands.  Cities were once again left as parking lots as transportation became impossible.  At least folks in the southeast rebounded quickly back to warmer weather, but cold stays holding on in the northeast.


The coming week holds promise of a warmup in many areas struggling with cold and snow.  Rapidly melting snow on frozen ground though is a recipe for flooding, and that is certainly a concern.  Also with the warmer weather, the mid Mississippi valley could see a severe storm outbreak later in the week.  Certainly the ingredients are present and even 5 days out, the Storms Prediction Center has put out a notice on this possibility.


The longer range outlook going beyond next week is starting to look like a return to the pattern that we have had most of the winter with cold air returning to the eastern half of the country and warm and dry in the west.  This would mean more cold and snow in areas which want nothing more than for spring to arrive.


This I believe was in Charlotte NC during last weeks winter storm.  Traffic nightmares.


IN upstate NY, it was hard to find ones vehicles.



Even Buses in Virginia were snowed in.


Snow and palm trees you don't often see together, but there it was in South Carolina.

Pattern change coming?

Another brutal winter week has ended.  Winter storms, cold, and drought continue to plague the nation.  However, there does seem to be a glimmer of hope; a light at the end of the long dark tunnel.    A pattern change in our weather is beginning to take shape.  




Most of the winter, we have had a large High pressure on the west coast that was blocking weather systems from coming in.  They had to ride over the top into Canada and plunge back down into the US, bringing with it, bitter arctic air into the eastern 2/3 of the country.  This amplified weather pattern allowed winter to even invade the deep south this year.  Relief is on its way.


A weather pattern known as the pineapple express, because it brings a moisture stream from the Hawaiian Islands to the west coast, is taking shape.  From Seattle to San Francisco we are seeing the moisture pump in.  This is breaking down the high pressure and allowing more storms in and flattening out the weather pattern for the rest of the country.  For the eastern 2/3 of the country, it will mean a return to more normal type temperatures.


It is too early to tell if we will get a flip flop, meaning the east gets a warm high and the west gets cold, but many in the Midwest and east might get at least a temporary shot of some nice weather. 

This year, Spring will also mean flooding.  There is a lot of water stored up in the heavy snows.  Expect it and be prepared for it; especially if you live in flood prone areas. 



During the week there was a significant ice storm that left hundreds of thousands without power in Pennsylvania and Maryland.  Other areas to the south and west of there were affected as well.



Folks in the west are still dealing with drought.  At least some relief will be coming for the Northwest and central west, but the southwest will remain dry.



Other parts of the country, this might be the best way to get around.




We could still have it worse.  This is a video from Slovenia, which was devastated by a ridiculous ice storm.

A Nation In Gridlock

It was quite the week in weather for the last week of January!  The week began with another arctic blast into the upper Midwest and great lakes that pushed its way down into the deep south.  Small clipper systems with high winds plagued the Midwest too creating blizzard like conditions That had everything closed down and thousands of people stuck in snow.  Another system swept the south early in the week creating disastrous traffic conditions in major metropolitan areas.  Entire cities like Atlanta and Birmingham were in entire gridlock.  People were stranded intheir cars, students in school busses all having to spend over 24 hours stuck with no way to get out.  The west remained dry and water restrictions were being put in place with admonitions to not even flush the toilet every time.  The week ends with a pattern change that looks to bring a series of large snowstorms across the plains and into the great lakes that could have people digging out 2 feet of snow.

This winter being so harsh in so many places is putting a strain on resources.  Many communities are running low on salt and are having to limit their salting to major roadways, leaving side streets and rural roads untreated.  States like Illinois and Missouri have had to make declarations because of a shortage of propane which is leaving many people without heat in the brutal arctic air.  Manpower of government services are stretched thin.  Police, fire, and ambulance services have more than they can handle with the many many accidents.  Plow drivers are getting little rest as the snow piles up and blows around faster than they can keep up with.


In this time of hardship we do see many good things that people do for one another.  In Atlanta, chik-fil-a went around giving away food to stranded motorists.  Local residents took people in, or set up free coffee stands.  A friend of mine who was stranded was taken in by an apartment complex that had community areas so people could stay warm as they waited up to 48 hours to get home.  There were even reports of a baby being born amid the chaos of stranded motorists.  Even when the elements are at their worst, many people moved to their best.

true southern hospitality chick-fil-a hands free food to drivers stranded in winter storm


Winter winds whipped up big drifts and kept plows busy early in the week in the Great Lakes.   Here is a plow clearing the way:

Gridlock in the south from a rare snowfall:




And a little video of the conditions I faced.  Sorry I swore at the tailgater.  =/



I would sure like to be able to get some warmer weather to report on.

A Broken Record 1/25/13

No I am not talking about the record breaking temperatures, or the record breaking snows or drought.  What I am talking about is how repetitive and consistent this weather pattern we have been in is.  For weeks on end this same pattern has persisted across the US.  It is like the needle is stuck and won’t budge, just repeating the same lines over and over again. 

For the younger folks who don’t know what a broken record that I am referring to is:

This next week again is Forecasting more of the same.  Extreme cold and snows in areas that already have had them, extreme drought in places where it has already been ridiculously dry.  Those of us on the cold side would like a little relief.  Can we swap sides for just a short while?  More record cold will be spilling into the Midwest and Great lakes with snow and high winds.  Temps will be below zero for several days.  Even places in the south are feeling it too.  Freeze warnings way down in Florida and a winter storm in Houston?

In a week or so we will have Ground Hog day, and supposedly the ground hog will tell us if this will continue 6 more weeks or if spring will come.  There is some weather truth behind the ol’ groundhog.  If He sees his shadow means 6 more weeks of winter.  What is really happening is that you have high pressure and clear skies in winter it usually means colder air.  If he does not see his shadow, spring will be early.  This usually coincides with warmer weather, which at this time of year is generally cloudy or foggy weather.  Plus, In the warmer weather there might be food to eat exposed which would keep Mr. Groundhog outside.

In Spokane WA they have been stuck in the same temperature range for days on end with foggy conditions.  Foggy conditions in freezing temperatures creates a buildup of ice where the moisture has come in contact with something.  Here is a good example from a regional weather blogger, Inland Northwest Weather Blog.

There are serious weather concerns about this years Super bowl as well.  Ticket prices have been plummeting as it seems no one wants to sit in the cold and snow.  the NFL has even considered moving the game day if bad weather is expected, but there is a serious backlash against that by fans who have spent thousands of dollars on tickets, hotels, rental cars, tickets, and the like.

And finally, this picture from an online friend who is snowmobiling in the UP of Michigan.  Here they were at the tip of the UP looking at Lake Superior in the snow.

The Forgotten West 1/19/14

Most of the weather attention this year has been focused east of the Rocky Mountains with the bitter arctic outbreaks and the big snows that have many places already passed their seasonal averages in only ½ the winter.  This week starts no different with another snow system whipping down out of Canada bringing a swath of 6 inch snows from the high plains through the western lake and into the Ohio valley.  That will be followed by yet another arctic outbreak pushing temperatures down below zero again. 


Meanwhile, in the west, severe drought conditions have set in.  It has gotten so bad that California declared a state of emergency due to the dry conditions.  Experts are predicting a very dangerous fire season as tinder is bone dry and could be ignited by the slightest spark.  This was the case in Southern California where some homeless men started a camp fire in the strong Santa Ana winds that sparked a fairly large wild fire that caused thousands to be evacuated and did damage some structures.


There does not seem to be anything soon that would spark a pattern change.  To relieve the drought conditions, it would take a lot of rain over quite a long time.  Remember two years ago, much of the plains states were also in severe drought.  That has been turned around.  I’m sure some areas would be glad to ship some of their excess snow to the west coast


This Wildfire picture taken by a friend of my sister in S Cal 1/16/14.  This was the fire started by homeless men camping.



Here is an interesting shot from Rio De Jeneiro, Brazil of the famous Jesus statue being struck by lightning during the last week. 

Snow on the 18th caused this serious accident near Lafayette IN






A little interesting News came out of China this last week.  Scientists have observed ball lightning in nature for the first time.  Ball lightning is very rare and little is actually known about it.  St. Elmo's Fire is a common layman term for it.

Scientists observe ball lightning

And we will close with this picture of Folsom Lake in California.  It is about 25 miles NE of Sacramento.  Notice how far the docks are from the water?  Yeah, the water is supposed to be at the docks.