Hurricane Awareness Tour 2015

For the last two years I have attended Hurricane Awareness workshops and because of this I was asked to call into "Barometer Bob Show"back in 2013.  No matter who or what I read or listen to in these events the common theme is to be prepared and be aware of severe weather.   Everyone on the east coast still talks about Hurricane Sandy and how it impacted the general area.

So to continue my quest to learn, I went to the Hurricane Awareness Tour on May 4th which was located at the William J. Hughes Technical Center next to the Atlantic City Airport.  This tour was a unique experience for all ages.  Not only did you get to see the Hurricane Hunter Aircraft but you got to see equipment, brief presentations and lectures from the experts in tracking Hurricanes. Sadly I learned that this tour only occurs on the east coast every 20+ years (last tour was back in 1991).

In the beginning of the tour our small group was led to a hangar where representatives from different agencies were doing lectures about forecasting and the sciences of tracking tropical storms.

Staff from the local emergency offices such as FEMA, The American Red Cross, the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes and the Mt. Holly National Weather Service office were there to answer questions.  (all were great in answering questions)

After leaving the hanger, our guide directed us outside to where there were several aircraft that are actually being used to track hurricanes to keep the public safe.

The first aircraft I went to was the large WC-130J flown by the USAF Reserve 53rd Reconnaissance Squadron.  There was a long line to board the aircraft and I could not pass up an opportunity like this.  I waited in the line on a nice spring day. The weather was perfect for this event and there was a nice breeze that at one point knocked my hat off my head.

As I moved forward in the line, I was able to see the shear size of this aircraft. 

After some time I was able to see the banner at the back entrance of the aircraft.

I briefly met Weather Officer Leesa Froelich who was there earlier in the day to give a tour to school students.

 Image above (I believe) is equipment used to measure storms while flying through a hurricane.

A view inside the aircraft.

Next I walked around the NOAA G-IV jet aircraft.

Outside there was a display with members of the crew explaining the missions and equipment used on board.  One instrument is a Dropsonde (see graphic below)

"Dropsonde" by NASA - http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/gsfc/earth/pictures/camex4/dropsonde.gif modified in PNG. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dropsonde.png#/media/File:Dropsonde.png

"Dropsonde U.S. Air Force" by Staff Sgt. Randy Redman of the US Air Force - http://www.cnes.fr/imagezoom.php?location=public&file=p7088_12b9b45ee698ace19981b86ab28505b1dropsonde_U.S._Air_Force_photo_by_Staff_Sgt._Randy_Redman.jpeg&label=Dropsonde.+Cr%E9dits+%3A+Staff+Sgt.+Randy+Redman.. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dropsonde_U.S._Air_Force.jpeg#/media/File:Dropsonde_U.S._Air_Force.jpeg

The crew member of the NOAA G-IV answered my questions about the Dropsonde and let me hold one.  He said they drop roughly 20 of these probes when flying above a hurricane. The data is streamed live (by satellite). The device measures pressure, temperature, dewpoint, wind speed and wind direction of the tropopause (an outer layer of our atmosphere where weather changes occur).  It also has a GPS sensor so it measure its location as well as the time of the drop.  I was told that each of these probes cost roughly $700 and they simply fall into the ocean.  The discussion about this instrument was very interesting.

This was really the end of the tour however as a bonus the USAF and US Coast Guard kindly had their aircraft on display.  This is a must see tour and a great educational experience and I recommend to everyone.

Credit for this blog story must go to.  NOAA/NWS office at Mt. Holly New Jersey WFO for NJ, PA, DE and MD.  Wikipedia, 

NOAA News about the East Coast Hurricane Awareness Tour

I also read from the National Hurricane Center website and their twitter feed about the tour.

Thank you to the National Weather Service.

Photographs by Pat Saavedra, author of this blog except for the Dropsonde images as noted above.

Tornado - Dexter, Michigan

A tornado touched down this afternoon right outside of Dexter, MI today.  An unconfirmed report stated that it was an EF3 and the NWS continued to report golf ball sized hail and severe thunderstorms and heavy rain for the area.  Thankfully they had storm sirens so an early warning helped ( Per CNN).  The Weather Channel reported that, so far there were no reported deaths or injuries.

I just spoke to a fellow photographer that lives an hour away from Dexter, and he said it missed his area..  He kindly shared a video he found online of the damaged area.. (Thanks John)

Here is another video, if you don't want to hear colorful language then turn down the volume first :)

I suggest everyone be weather aware, check your daily news for weather reports..

Better yet, buy a NOAA Weather Alert Radio..

 Be prepared for bad weather.

Geomagnetic Storms Today

A strong Geomagnetic storm to hit the Earth today as a result of a Plasma Cloud or Coronal Mass Ejection from the Sun.  As of this morning it is at G1 level, but NOAA is stating that levels may reach G3 strength. You can see status changes here: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/

Another issue is that there is a slight chance that an Aurora can be seen as far south as Pennsylvania tonight (3/12).

Here is a Map of where the Aurora is most likely visible tonight.

Effective Early Warnings

Doubt has surfaced regarding the importance of the National Weather Service and there is a bill that may be passed by March 16th to reduce it's budget.

 Today a story with a graphic came out in USA TODAY,  I wanted to share the graphic and with this, I wanted to urge readers to sign the petition to stop budget cuts which help fund the very source of vital weather alerts and information.  After watching recent news, how can we allow budget cuts, when it is clear that many lives were saved by the early warning from the NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.

Please find the link right under the graphic to sign the petition.

PLEASE CLICK THIS LINK TO SIGN THE PETITION (please):

Solar Storms - Part II

As mentioned in the first segment, solar storms do have an effect on the Earth in many ways.  These storms have an 11 year cycle where the next peak is in 2013. Because of our reliance on technology, these storms also have an impact on our power systems, electronics and communication systems.

Here is a list of critical systems affected;

• GPS
• Power Grids (hospitals & airports most affected)
• Airline communication
• Military & Environmental Satellites

NOAA's SWPC also known as The Space Weather Prediction Center, is located in Boulder Colorado, is our early warning for Space Weather events.  They warn us if there is high solar activity and provides space weather forecasts. 

Solar Storms also cause the effect known as the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights, the image below shows how solar flare energy ionizes our upper atmosphere and causes this spectacular display.

Image Courtesy NOAA

I need to credit the source of this story (NOAA)  

http://www.noaa.gov/features/03_protecting/whenthesunactsup.html

Latest update Suomi NPP

This new image was released from data captured back on January 21 - 25. 

   The CrlS is one of five instruments called the Cross-track Infrared Sounder.   The image below is from the Nasa website: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NPP/news/cris-operational.html

The image is from 3 days of captured data and the orange colors show very warm seas surface temperatures.  The information collected from this advanced instrument will aid scientists to study and record climate data to help improve weather forecasting.

Please enjoy the high resolution infrared image.. Credit NASA/NOAA

Tropical Depression Funso - NPP Image

Latest update for the  NASA - NOAA NPP  Satellite

Tropical Depression Funso from space!

On January 23rd, the NPP captured a breathtaking image using it's on board VIIRS instrument.  The NPP in it's unique polar orbit took these images at 7918 miles above the Earth.  From earlier posts the VIIRS stands for the Visible Infrared, Radiometer Suite.  

I wait each month eager to see the next image that is posted on the NASA website from this advanced satellite.

Thank you to NASA for providing public information for this project and fantastic images from space.

 http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hurricanes/archives/2012/h2012_Funso.html

A Weather Ready Nation

The Nation Weather service, along with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and other organizations, have been working together on a large scale plan to prepare our country to be a “Weather Ready Nation”. 

 During the next ten years, a major plan is being constructed in time for the 150 year anniversary of the National Weather Service.  Building a Weather Ready nation would involve using the latest technology, preparation, education and training, to help insure protection of lives and would benefit our economy. 

Evidence of climate change is all around us, being prepared to protect lives is a priority, and there is also the need to protect our Nation’s water supply.  New technology, using tools such as computers, Doppler radar, and satellites, would be used by scientists and meteorologists, to monitor our climate both on Earth and space weather, will help to enhance our ability to detect and study significant possible weather events with better accuracy.  Advancement in information technology using such tools as the internet, computer software, social networks and smartphone technology will help to bridge gaps in vital communication and weather alert status information.

Will we be ready for strong weather events such as Hurricanes, tornadoes, or as the NWS states a High Impact Event?

What is a High-Impact Event?

No standard, nationwide criteria define a high-impact event.  It may impact millions of people or one sector, and it may vary in timing or location.  It is any weather-dependent event that significantly impacts safety, health, the environment, economic productivity, or homeland security, such as:

• Major events such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and tsunamis

• Persistent drought

• Thunderstorms in a congested air space

• Rains that trigger flooding and cause agricultural run-off, leading to harmful algal blooms and dead zones

• Geomagnetic storms that disrupt energy distribution and communication systems

• Snow squalls at rush hour

• An above-average hot day

• Coastal inundation

• Changes in Arctic climate

For more detailed information, please read the Strategic plan 2011,  here ; http://www.nws.noaa.gov/com/stratplan/files/2011.06_nws_strategic_plan.pdf

Two Satellites & a Storm

Current Weather and Technology Events

• Be aware that two fonts may meet in our area that initially there was a slight chance of forming a classic Nor'easter.  Recent weather reports do not seem to indicate this at this present time, anyway we will receive lots of rain and possible thunderstorms.  Remember that we received record rainfall last month and it would not take much rainfall to see flooding conditions. 

•  A German Xray satellite is expected to fall from its deteriorating orbit, and crash into the earth later this week. Reports state that this could occur sometime between the 21st to the 25th.  The ROSTAT satellite has been inactive for over 10 years, and it was a project managed by the US, Britain and Germany.  Nasa states that they should make a formal public announcement two hours before final reentry.

To see a detailed live tracking map of it's actual position, please click here : ROSTAT Position map

•  Nasa is launching its brand new NOAA satellite on October 27th, this will allow Meteorologists to track storms, day maybe even weeks in advance. This represents a huge step in weather safety and climate change study.  I am really excited about the change that will be seen by this new satellite.
  

Here is an informative video about the launch and the function of NPP