I love these dispatches from the National Weather Service. (via Fark)
Here, we broke 70 degrees today.
Wow - crazy weather over southern Wisconsin for January 6th & 7th!
If you think the weather can’t make up its mind, you’re correct. We seem to have a little bit of everything going on. Let’s try to summarize the recent crazy weather, and make some sense out of it. Get ready, get set, go.....
1. The Milwaukee/Sullivan NWS office issued 3 different Severe Thunderstorm Warnings for 4 counties during the morning hours of January 7th due to the likelihood of penny-size hail stones. This is crazy - in the past 14 years, this office never had a reason to issue a Severe Thunderstorm Warning in the month of January. Winter storm warnings and blizzard warnings - yes, but not Severe Thunderstorm Warnings. Several severe weather spotters reported hailstones up to 1/2 inch in diameter, and an amateur radio operator measured hailstones up to penny size about 4 miles west-southwest of the Capitol Square in Madison at 10:30 A.M. The last time we experienced severe weather in a winter month was February, 1999, when storms in southern Wisconsin produced hail up to golf-ball size and wind gusts to 70 mph. Crazy.
2. Many streams and rivers in southern Wisconsin are running at near-bankfull or bankfull stage, and some have exceeded flood stage. Some rivers are forecast to exceed flood stage. Normally, river flooding is a spring-time event due to snow melt and heavy rains, or perhaps a summer event due to very heavy thunderstorm rains. But in January? Crazy. We’ve experienced a noteworthy warm up the past couple days along with some rain, which caused the 15 to 33 inches of snow that fell in December, 2007 to melt. The Fox River at New Munster in western Kenosha County is forecast to crest at 13.2 feet around the noon hour on Thursday, January 10th. Crazy.
3. We have areas of dense fog this morning which continues a period of several days of dense fog. The worst of the dense fog occurred on January 6th. There was a group of multiple-vehicle accidents (about 100 vehicles) on Interstate 90/39 about 2:25 P. M. just south of the interchange with State Highway 12/18, in which there were two fatalities and around 50 injuries that required medical treatment Dense fog was a factor and had reduced visibilities to 25 to 100 yards in that area. Crazy.
4. Temperatures over southeastern Wisconsin rose to the upper 50s to lower 60s in the early afternoon hours of January 7th, with dewpoints in the mid to upper 50s, while southwest winds gusted to 25 to 30 mph. This is spring-time weather - more typical of April. Milwaukee’s temperature reached 63 degrees, smashing the old record of 47 for January 7th set back in 2003. Madison reached 50, which broke their old January 7th record set back in 2003. Milwaukee tied their old record high for January 6th of 52 set back in 1933. Crazy.
Here, we broke 70 degrees today.
Dumb reason to object to seeing "An Inconvenient Truth". . .
"No you will not teach or show that propagandist Al Gore video to my child, blaming our nation -- the greatest nation ever to exist on this planet -- for global warming," the ironically named Frosty Hardiman wrote in an e-mail to the Federal Way School Board, when he learned his daughter's science class was screening the film. According to the Washington Post, the 43-year-old computer consultant is an evangelical Christian who says he believes that a warming planet is "one of the signs" of Jesus Christ's imminent return for Judgment Day.
Think of it as Heaven's Gate in slow motion.
"No you will not teach or show that propagandist Al Gore video to my child, blaming our nation -- the greatest nation ever to exist on this planet -- for global warming," the ironically named Frosty Hardiman wrote in an e-mail to the Federal Way School Board, when he learned his daughter's science class was screening the film. According to the Washington Post, the 43-year-old computer consultant is an evangelical Christian who says he believes that a warming planet is "one of the signs" of Jesus Christ's imminent return for Judgment Day.
Think of it as Heaven's Gate in slow motion.
By JOHN HEILPRIN
The Associated Press
Thursday, June 22, 2006; 6:00 PM
WASHINGTON -- The Earth is running a slight fever from greenhouse gases, after enjoying relatively stable temperatures for 2,000 years. The National Academy of Sciences, after reconstructing global average surface temperatures for the past two millennia, said Thursday the data are "additional supporting evidence ... that human activities are responsible for much of the recent warming."</blockquote>
But, but....
aren't fevers simply a part of life? I think I see a new commercial from the CEI!
Little girls complains of not feeling well. Mommy feels her head, notes she is a bit warm. But instead of sending her to bed to lie down, or getting medicine or calling a doctor, she simply tells her daughter that the fever is simply "life".
Gregg Easterbrook has now switched sides. Damn, the CEI commercials aren't working!
The Competitive Enterprise Institute may have managed something extraordinary -- It appears that the internet is in unanimous agreement that the "We Call it Life" campaign sucks. (Though I should be careful... Technorati still sucks at indexing the internet, or staying online, but an IceRocket search seems to confirm the internet sentiment.)
In fact, I've only found two jottings that can't be deemed negative: both PR posts. One on National Review and one from the libertarian Reason Magazine's blog that was for some reason reposted to a MySpace account.
These ads were released to counter Al Gore's documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. Again, this is an interesting retreat by climate change skeptics, as until now they could simply counter by simple mockery and accusations of scare-mongering (i.e. South Park with their recent episode "ManBearPig"). Now they're switching tack -- engaging the fact... well, spinning the facts, and trying to present a false dilemma, built on hyperbole. "Outlaw carbon dioxide -- which you and every animal creature produces -- and society will be sent back into the dark ages." I.E. the skeptics themselves have been reduced to scare-mongering. This may as well be a vindication of "Ozone Al".
One thing I find remarkable is how bad these ads are. The overwrought narration over stock footage (including a particularly poor choice of images... that of a very hazy sky with a factory visible in the foreground). Of course, there was not much one could do to salvage the questionable premise of presenting CO2 as something more noble than a waste product. Imagine trying to present crap as something wonderful. I can't imagine anyone previewing these ads thinking "This will convince people that exhaled breath/factory smog is good" or "Time Magazine is part of a conspiracy to scare you about climate change", as opposed to "Is this a SNL/Mad Magazine/The Daily Show parody?"
In fact, I've only found two jottings that can't be deemed negative: both PR posts. One on National Review and one from the libertarian Reason Magazine's blog that was for some reason reposted to a MySpace account.
These ads were released to counter Al Gore's documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. Again, this is an interesting retreat by climate change skeptics, as until now they could simply counter by simple mockery and accusations of scare-mongering (i.e. South Park with their recent episode "ManBearPig"). Now they're switching tack -- engaging the fact... well, spinning the facts, and trying to present a false dilemma, built on hyperbole. "Outlaw carbon dioxide -- which you and every animal creature produces -- and society will be sent back into the dark ages." I.E. the skeptics themselves have been reduced to scare-mongering. This may as well be a vindication of "Ozone Al".
One thing I find remarkable is how bad these ads are. The overwrought narration over stock footage (including a particularly poor choice of images... that of a very hazy sky with a factory visible in the foreground). Of course, there was not much one could do to salvage the questionable premise of presenting CO2 as something more noble than a waste product. Imagine trying to present crap as something wonderful. I can't imagine anyone previewing these ads thinking "This will convince people that exhaled breath/factory smog is good" or "Time Magazine is part of a conspiracy to scare you about climate change", as opposed to "Is this a SNL/Mad Magazine/The Daily Show parody?"
This is almost funny in that these ad play more like an Onion parody* than an actual piece of propaganda from the energy industries in trying to convince people that pollution is good. "Carbon Dioxide -- its produced by people, animals, the ocean, the earth, and oh yeah a few factories here and there, lets not think about that now... but it's life. It lets you move and fly and if them crazy environmentalists outlaw it, we'll instantly be thrust back into the stone age! It's not pollution, it's progress!"
(That's only a slight exaggeration of their ad called Energy.)
Their other ad goes about misrepresenting climate science. "It's snowing slightly in a small section of Greenland, so why are they scaring you with all of these reports of glacial melts occurring everywhere else in the world. Crazy environmentalists have infultrated the media and want to send you all back to the stone age!"
This developments actually makes me feel good about the state of climate-change debate. These ads are just like the lobbying done by the tobacco industry just as popular opinion was turning against them as people found out they lied and lied repeatedly about how addictive and deadly smoking is, and that they've known this for almost forever. And the tobacco industry's efforts were far more slick and professional than the exercises in absurdity that the "Competitive Enterprise Institute" has produced.
Hot air! It powers Congress.
*If someone has a link to something from the Onion about someone producing pollution is good ads, please leave me a note!
On the 2005 hurricane season:
ALTHOUGH THE ATMOSPHERE SEEMS TO WANT TO DEVELOP TROPICAL STORMS AD NAUSEAM...THE CALENDAR WILL SHORTLY PUT AN END TO THE USE OF THE GREEK ALPHABET TO NAME THEM.
FORECASTER FRANKLIN
The National Hurricane Center has been a good sport this year. Given developments in this tropical season that frequently defied explanation, they shouldered through it.
Now today, when they thought they could take a nice break, pick up some champagne for the huge New Years bash they through at the offices in Miami, here comes -- should we even tempt fate by declaring this the last tropical storm of the season? Yes, on December 30th, 2005, Tropical Storm Zeta has formed in the Atlantic Ocean.
A storm forming this late is not unheard of; Hurricane Alice formed on December 30th 1954, though it wasn't named until Janury 1st. Because it wasn't named until January, it took the first name of the 1955 season. Making this bit of trivia even funnier is this was back when the Hurricane Center used the same list from year to year, so the late naming and subsequent revision to her date of origin means there were two hurricanes named Alice that year. Had they discovered that second storm earlier, she'd have been named Irene.
Now today, when they thought they could take a nice break, pick up some champagne for the huge New Years bash they through at the offices in Miami, here comes -- should we even tempt fate by declaring this the last tropical storm of the season? Yes, on December 30th, 2005, Tropical Storm Zeta has formed in the Atlantic Ocean.
A storm forming this late is not unheard of; Hurricane Alice formed on December 30th 1954, though it wasn't named until Janury 1st. Because it wasn't named until January, it took the first name of the 1955 season. Making this bit of trivia even funnier is this was back when the Hurricane Center used the same list from year to year, so the late naming and subsequent revision to her date of origin means there were two hurricanes named Alice that year. Had they discovered that second storm earlier, she'd have been named Irene.
I got a one word email from a friend who hates snow: "Satisfied?"
This is my response.
It makes a cool effect at night, where it looks like very bright stars in a digital camera picture.
This is my response.
It makes a cool effect at night, where it looks like very bright stars in a digital camera picture.
As we here in the Washington DC area prepare for the possibility of snow this weekend, about 1,700 miles east of here there is a hurricane. Today is December 3rd, btw. Meterological winter began two days ago. The solstice is 18 days away. The hurricane season was supposed to end on the 1st. However, there is a Hurricane Epsilon in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
Even the weather people at NOAA's Hurricane Center are getting tired of this...
PS: This guy's saying there's a two in five chance that another tropical storm forms in the Carribean in mid month.
Even the weather people at NOAA's Hurricane Center are getting tired of this...
THE OFFICIAL FORECAST TRACK WAS
ONLY SHIFTED SLIGHTLY SOUTHWARD AND IS ALONG THE EXTREME NORTHERN
EDGE OF THE GUIDANCE ENVELOPE AND CLOSE TO THE UKMET... ECMWF...
AND CANADIAN SOLUTIONS... WHICH HAVE BEEN THE STEADIEST MODELS.
HOPEFULLY THE SOUTHWARD TRACK AFTER 72 HOURS THAT THE GFS...GFS
ENSEMBLE... NOGAPS... AND GFDN MODELS ARE FORECASTING WILL NOT
MATERIALIZE SO THE 2005 ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON CAN FINALLY END.
PS: This guy's saying there's a two in five chance that another tropical storm forms in the Carribean in mid month.
The NWS once again shows its superior writing skills when it comes to inducing panic and fear...though given how some people are loathe to leave hurricane country even when mega-storms are approaching, I can see why they're screaming...Hurricane Camille destroyed an apartment building that was built to double as an air-raid shelter!
National Weather Service
Mirror from the College of DuPage
PS: Remember this dryly written warning back in December 2003? In contrast to the above, it was a joke, though effective because it was written in a dispassion that generally typifies the NWS.
HURRICANE KATRINA
A MOST POWERFUL HURRICANE WITH UNPRECEDENTED
STRENGTH...RIVALING THE INTENSITY OF HURRICANE CAMILLE OF 1969.
MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS...PERHAPS LONGER. AT
LEAST ONE HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL
FAILURE. ALL GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL...LEAVING THOSE HOMES SEVERELY
DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.
THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL.
PARTIAL TO COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED. ALL WOOD
FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED. CONCRETE
BLOCK LOW RISE APARTMENTS WILL SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE...INCLUDING SOME
WALL AND ROOF FAILURE.
HIGH RISE OFFICE AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL SWAY DANGEROUSLY...A
FEW TO THE POINT OF TOTAL COLLAPSE. ALL WINDOWS WILL BLOW OUT.
AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL BE WIDESPREAD...AND MAY INCLUDE HEAVY ITEMS SUCH
AS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND EVEN LIGHT VEHICLES. SPORT UTILITY
VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS WILL BE MOVED. THE BLOWN DEBRIS WILL CREATE
ADDITIONAL DESTRUCTION. PERSONS...PETS...AND LIVESTOCK EXPOSED TO THE
WINDS WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH IF STRUCK.
POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS...AS MOST POWER POLES WILL BE DOWN
AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED. WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING
INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF NATIVE TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. ONLY
THE HEARTIEST WILL REMAIN STANDING...BUT BE TOTALLY DEFOLIATED. FEW
CROPS WILL REMAIN. LIVESTOCK LEFT EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL BE
KILLED.
AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR
HURRICANE FORCE...OR FREQUENT GUSTS AT OR ABOVE HURRICANE FORCE...ARE
CERTAIN WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS.
ONCE TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ONSET...DO NOT VENTURE
OUTSIDE!
LAZ038-040-050-056>070-282100-
ASSUMPTION-LIVINGSTON-LOWER JEFFERSON-LOWER LAFOURCHE-
LOWER PLAQUEMINES-LOWER ST. BERNARD-LOWER TERREBONNE-ORLEANS-
ST. CHARLES-ST. JAMES-ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST-ST. TAMMANY-TANGIPAHOA-
UPPER JEFFERSON-UPPER LAFOURCHE-UPPER PLAQUEMINES-UPPER ST. BERNARD-
UPPER TERREBONNE-
1011 AM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005
National Weather Service
Mirror from the College of DuPage
PS: Remember this dryly written warning back in December 2003? In contrast to the above, it was a joke, though effective because it was written in a dispassion that generally typifies the NWS.
Since Wednesday, the coasts of Louisiana and Texas has been under a Tropical Storm warning. The storm responsible for this new warning — Ivan. Yes, the Ivan that hit and made landfall on the coast of Alabama last Thursday. The same Ivan that is more than likely responsible for the loss of power here at SterlingManor for 30 hours (despite the fact that power failed 8 or so hours after the weather had cleared). Ivan had looped south back off the coast of Florida and now that it is back in the tropical waters, it is a tropical storm again. This is so unprecedented, the National Hurricane Center had to debate whether to give Ivan back his name or to name him Matthew, or if he gets his old name back.
Here, you can watch its path...over, as of tonight, 21 days.
Of course, that isn't the only storm that seems to be lost. Jeanne did this same loop-de-loop over the Atlantic and is now poised to hit the US again... if it doesn't loop a few more times.
This has been one of the more unbelievable tropical seasons.
Here, you can watch its path...over, as of tonight, 21 days.
Of course, that isn't the only storm that seems to be lost. Jeanne did this same loop-de-loop over the Atlantic and is now poised to hit the US again... if it doesn't loop a few more times.
This has been one of the more unbelievable tropical seasons.
You'd think that in the event of a castastrophic deteroration of the earth's orbit, NOAA would have other matters to tend to instead of posting an 'excessive heat warning'. But then again, everybody has a job to do.
Hazardous Weather Outlook
In case you're wondering, that warning was cancelled later in the day.
[The ever changing link...we will not let this gem be subject to link-rot]
Hazardous Weather Outlook
150
WWUS73 KEAX 171659
NPWEAX
URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY-PLEASANT HILL MO
1055 AM CST WED DEC 17 2003
...TEST...TEST...TEST...
.UNUSUALLY HOT WEATHER HAS ENTERED THE REGION FOR DECEMBER...AS THE
EARTH HAS LEFT ITS ORBIT AND IS HURLING TOWARD THE SUN.
MOZ012-021-172251-
ANDREW MO-CLINTON MO-
1055 AM CST WED DEC 17 2003
...EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THIS AFTERNOON TO LATE
TONIGHT...
UNUSUALLY HOT WEATHER WILL OCCUR FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS
AS THE EARTH DRAWS EVER NEARER TO THE SUN. THEREFORE...AN EXCESSIVE
HEAT WATCH HAS BEEN POSTED.
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER
DETAILS OR UPDATES.
$$
HEINLEIN
In case you're wondering, that warning was cancelled later in the day.
[The ever changing link...we will not let this gem be subject to link-rot]
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