The Lessons of the Moore Oklahoma Tornado
On Monday, an EF-5 tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma resulting in substantial loss of life, hundreds of injuries, and economic losses that will run into the billions of dollars. The storm had winds reaching 200-210 mph, was on the ground for 17 miles, and was observed from 2:45-3:35 PM CDT (19:45-20:35 UTC).How did the National Weather...
Weather Impacts of the Mount Saint Helens Eruption
Yesterday was the 33rd anniversary of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens, an event that devastated the mountain and surroundings and caused terrible problems on nearby rivers.But there is another story of the eruption and one far less known: its impact on local weather. The eruption produced a huge volcanic dust cloud that was mainly...
Biking Dry
Today is bike to work day and thus there is no better time to discuss how you can bike on most days without fear of getting wet....or at least very wet.Yes, even here in the Pacific Northwest a little meteorological knowledge and technology can help you avoid those raindrops and enjoy a very pleasant ride...
A New Chapter for U.S. Numerical Weather Prediction
Major news to report.The National Weather Service will be acquiring a radically more powerful computer system during the next year, one that could allow the U.S. to regain leadership in numerical weather prediction. Used wisely, this new resource could result in substantial improvements in both global and regional weather predictions.Using 24 millions dollars from the...
Mid-May Blow
A front associated with a line of thunderstorms and followed by very strong winds raked western Washington this afternoon, resulting in the loss of power to tens of thousands of homes and a major blockage of I5.WSDOT photo of a big tree blocking parts of I5First, what were the wind speeds like? Here is a...
Mother’s Day Special Forecast
I have gotten a number of inquiries about the weather on Mother's Day, particularly since the general forecasts have been on the wet side.I believe I can offer some good news for those of you with a little patience, tomorrow has real potential for a nice walk or barbecue (even if your mother is not...
University Research Reveals the Secrets of Cold Drinks
As the weather warms and the outdoor picnic/barbecue season commences, there are few more important questions than how can I keep my drinks chilled? And for the scientifically minded: what processes control the temperatures of my cold beverages? How many times have you taken a cold beer out of the cooler and found it lukewarm and...
Hot Roads and Hot Records
Yesterday, Seattle Tacoma Airport hit 87F, the all-time record for the date and the warmest temperature in the ENTIRE continental U.S. (we tied Phoenix). Pretty amazing.But if you think the air temperatures were warm what about the roads? The City of Seattle put in a number of road temperature sensors to allow it to...
Rising Rivers
This week we had have an ideal situation for rapidly rising rivers. We started off cold and snowy, with low snow levels in the mountain. Sunday/Monday brought over a foot of snow to the lower Cascades passes.As the week progressed, temperatures warmed and yesterday (Saturday) we hit mid-70s in central Puget Sound and 80s over...
Sundog!
Some thought they predicted the death of kings. Before the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in 1461, the future King Edward IV tried to convince his troops, frightened by the appearance of three suns, that they represented the Holy Trinity and presaged a great victory. (He won).And during the past days several of you have seen this...
