Taking Pictures from Orbit

Space Weather is something that has always fascinated me. You are going to end up asking me, how does taking pictures from orbit have to do with Space Weather?  Well not too much however, seeing high quality images of the Earth gives us an idea of the conditions in both the atmosphere such as seeing the aurora and the in our sky with cloud formations, storms and at times, views of the surface such as ocean currents and river flows.  Just looking at the complex and beautiful textures that can be seen from space is worth seeing this video.

Special thanks to Commander Hadfield for sharing such a great and informative video 

from on board the International Space Station.

Strongest Solar Flare of 2013 (so far)

Scientists at NASA have proclaimed that they have detected what apparently is the strongest solar flare so far for this year.  This expulsion of solar energy from the Sun caused a radio blackout to occur that was measured as a M6.5.

Please watch this brief video showing the solar flare courtesy of NASA

Flood Awareness Week 2013

 

Did you know that the number one weather related fatality is from floods?

Starting tomorrow (March 18th to March 22nd) is National Flood Awareness Week and it is important to note what is the principle reason for deaths during a flood.  I have been in a bad flood and the most dangerous situation I encountered was driving, where it is very difficult to tell how deep waters are during a flash flood and especially difficult during a blinding rain storm and at night.  Please share with new drivers and remind friends and family to not cross flooded roads.  If you happen to find a flooded road it is recommend to not cross and to find another route.  Pull over and find another route to your destination (if you have a GPS learn how to set a new route).

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/hic/flood_safety/index.shtml

 Driving: Flood Facts

The following are important points to remember when driving in flood conditions:

    Six inches of water will reach the bottom of most passenger cars causing loss of control and possible stalling.
    A foot of water will float many vehicles
    Two feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles including sport utility vehicles (SUV’s) and pick-ups.
    Do not attempt to drive through a flooded road. The depth of water is not always obvious. The road bed may be washed out under the water, and you could be stranded or trapped.
    Do not drive around a barricade. Barricades are there for your protection. Turn around and go the other way.
    Do not try to take short cuts. They may be blocked. Stick to designated evacuation routes.
    Be especially cautious driving at night when it is harder to recognize flood dangers.
For more information visit the source:  ready.gov

It is important to understand that spring is almost here and this is when storms can cause flooding.  March is particulaly a challenging time to forecast winter and spring storm that can produce any type of liquid or frozen precipitation in the same day!  Be aware, watch the news or read online to know when a storm is coming before that morning or afternoon drive.  The_Weather_Vane posts the forecasts and updates from The National Weather Service on a daily basis using social media sources such as Facebook, twitter and a Mobile App., but do not limit your sources for information.  You can buy a battery powered weather radio that will work during a power outage.  Even cell phone services may be interrupted during a storm.  Look at the chart below from last year showing how important it is to be Weather aware this month.

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/floodsafety/

 How to be Weather Aware:

First, read the News by watching TV (daily) or search local news/weather on the internet.

It is important that you know of 

If you know a storm in coming see if you need to evacuate and if the threat is not severe enough to leave then make sure you get, supplies and needed medications if you feel you will be without power.

For details about being ready make a plan, please visit here; http://www.ready.gov/floods

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Do we need simpler Winter Warning messages?

The National Weather Services is asking for help from the public.  Apparently the messages that the NWS uses in their warnings and advisory's (WWA), are hard for some to understand and this process of making a simpler message is a result of the Weather-Ready Nation project (Click here to learn more).
I have to admit that some of the messages used are a bit difficult to follow before I read up on this subject last year, but that is where we should be concerned.  In an event of an emergency we should not need a  study guide on how to decipher warning messages during an emergency.  Now of course, much of the public do not access the direct warnings from The National Weather Service, however those who do may greatly benefit from this proposed change.  I firmly believe that our recent experiences with T.S. Irene and Hurricane Sandy has pushed concern from the public for clear warning messages and updates when a potential storm is detected.   Have you read WWA warnings?  Are they clear to you?

Here is what is used currently and the Proposed Simplified System  (full details click (Here)

The language in the proposed official headlines will be translated to the proposed alternative

headlines as follows:

THE NWS HAS ISSUED A _____ WATCH

will be translated to

THE NWS FORECASTS THE POTENTIAL FOR ____

with the hazard type, level of certainty and expected impact(s) clearly stated in the rest of

the hazards message. 

THE NWS HAS ISSUED A (N) ______ ADVISORY

will be translated to

THE NWS ADVISES CAUTION FOR ____

with the hazard type and expected impact(s) clearly stated

in the remainder of the hazards message.

THE NWS HAS ISSUED A ______ WARNING

will be translated to

THE NWS HAS ISSUED A WARNING FOR A ______

with the hazard type and expected impact(s) clearly stated in the remainder of the

hazards message.

We will retain the term “Warning” because of its direct connection to protection of life

and property but plan to eliminate the individual hazard products within the Warning

category.

You can voice your opinion on the proposed changes to messages used by The National Weather Service.  If you wish to review more information and to submit your suggestions and what the message should be changed to, please do so here by clicking this next link;  Send your comments or suggestions

Information about this story was respectfully collected from The National Weather Service website;

nws.weather.gov/haz_simp/#proposed 

The_Weather_Vane works to help our community be better prepared for severe weather

Meteorite Explosion in Russia

There are numerous reports by the global Russian news agency RT on twitter this morning with posts mentioning that an explosion may have injured over 700 people.   More information being reported as witnesses claimed that they saw a burning streak in the sky and and an explosion soon after that blew out many windows and some doors outside of  Chelyabinsk in central Russia. 
There are unconfirmed reports of debris in three locations and a possible crater that was located.                       

Scientists are have yet to report if this meteor was related to the 2012 DA14 Meteor that was known to pass very close to the Earth today. We do not know if other meteor fragments could be expected in the next few days to strike the Earth.

Below is the video from a dash cam.