Weather Pulse Blog

Meteorologist Britta Merwin

There is something very powerful that happens when the amazing beauty of Mother Nature surrounds the senses. No city lights in view, just the cool mountain breeze touching your skin, the warm sunshine on your face, the smell of fresh clean air, and the amazing sights that take your breath away.

There are many National Parks from coast to coast that bring the realization of the awesome power of crystal clear mountain lakes, towering rock formations, and endless ocean fronts. Back home in Colorado I have been blessed with many encounters with awe-inspiring vistas and gorgeous landscapes. My brother, Alex Merwin, loves to roam the world capturing amazing photos, but recently his expeditions of the Front Range and Rockies of our home state left me breathless. I hope you find a moment of peace and beauty in his work as you explore another thing that makes Colorado so great through the work of Alex Merwin. Enjoy:

Blue Lake in Ward, CO

The clear waters of Blue Lake in Ward, CO

A stream in Ward, CO

Ice sheets in July in Ward, CO

Sky Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park in Estes Park, CO

Ice on grass blades: Sky Lake in Estes Park, CO

Endless Pines in Estes Park, CO

Mt. Evans in Idaho Springs, CO

Mt Evans in Idaho Springs, CO

Posted by Britta Merwin at 01:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Bill Karins, Meteorologist

Our latest tropical system, Tropical Storm Noel, will come off the coast of Cuba late today and remain a weak tropical storm. After that it will have about 24 hours to strengthen before strong upper level winds push it out to sea.

So what does that mean for folks here in the U.S.? Well the upper level winds will turn Noel out to sea before the storm reaches South Florida. The worst effects from Noel in South Florida will be felt Wednesday night through Thursday morning. Even when Noel is closest to South Florida, the weather won't be much different than the weather Florida has seen the past two days.

Forecast path as of 11:30 a.m. EDT

The combination of Noel and a very strong area of high pressure over North Carolina is producing a strong gusty wind and large waves along the entire east coast of Florida. The current beach erosion from 10-15 foot waves and wind gusts up to 40 mph are not from T.S. Noel. But as Noel moves through the Bahamas, the wind and waves over South Florida will increase slightly.

MORE: Hurricane Central

The biggest news story I expect with Noel out of Florida will be the beach erosion. This is a back-to-back beach erosion event with the strong high first and then Noel. I don't expect any houses to fall into the sea but a good chunk of dunes and some backyards will get washed away. Florida will also be on the dry side of Noel so no heavy rain with flooding is forecasted. None of the reliable weather computer models takes Noel into Florida and judging from experience, I tend to agree.

-B.K.

Posted by Bill Karins at 11:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Meteorologist Todd Santos

Southern California is on fire! This was the headline at the finish of last weekend and was soon to prove itself to be an understatement.

To many across this country, the Santa Ana winds were a little-known, if not a previously unknown, quantity. Even to the many who were familiar with their effects across the Southwest, this most-recent fire outbreak has proven them to be a potentially catastrophic consequence of strong high pressure in the mountains.

PHOTOS: Viewer Photos Of California Wildfires

This weather pattern was simultaneously producing picture perfect sunny conditions in the Rockies and category two hurricane force wind gusts along the Southern California Mountains. Combine the fact that the air both dries out and warms up when descending from the higher elevations with even a tiny spark over dry brush and the recipe for disaster is fully in place.

The scale of these fires has been massive enough to be seen from space as noted in the two attached satellite pictures. The first is from Monday 10/22/07 where the fires were nearing their peak intensity with the offshore Santa Ana winds ferociously fanning the flames.

The second is a slightly closer in view on Wednesday afternoon, 10/24, following a massive assault from fire crews both on the ground and in the air. At this point, crews were gaining the upper hand while the gusty winds began to subside across the region. Thankfully the weather should continue to cooperate with fire crews working to return calm to the beautiful place so many people call home.

While the toll has been unimaginable for the millions of people directly affected by this event, situations such as these always have their way of highlighting the heroism of the men and women who selflessly motivate at a moments notice to help those in peril. Instead of detailing all of the countless negatives associated with such a massive wildfire I would like to take a moment to thank all those whose continuing efforts should make us all very proud to live in the “land of the free and home of the brave.”

Meteorologist…Todd Santos

Posted by Todd Santos at 12:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Meteorologist Britta Merwin

Hurricanes, blizzards, and tornadoes represent some of the most extreme weather that Meteorologists strive to forecast and track. It is severe weather outbreaks like the event that started on Wednesday October 17th that really push forecasters to their limits. Those years of calculus, physics, and learning how to analyze the atmosphere really count when you are trying to inform and protect the people in the line of extremely dangerous weather.

The days leading up to this past Wednesday were full of anticipation and preparation at NBC Weather Plus. The atmosphere had all the right ingredients and Meteorologists around the nation saw the large threat for numerous tornadoes to occur over October 17th and 18th. A strong southerly jet had set up over the central plains as Gulf moisture started pouring into the southern states. Soon a powerful low pressure system was raging through the Nation’s midsection.

Day one, Wednesday October 17th, the damage path from tornadoes, wind, and hail started in central Kansas and Oklahoma stretching to the border of Illinois and Indiana. The hardest hit was Missouri with 11 tornado reports and two fatalities in the town of Paris. Since the tornado in Paris occurred under dark skies it was even more dangerous. The darkness makes tornadoes hard to see and some people might be asleep and have no idea a tornado is headed for them. Unfortunately the two victims in Paris were in a mobile home. Most deaths in tornadoes are from people trapped in mobile homes which can’t withstand the extreme forces. The best defense in these situations is to have a NOAA Weather Radio which works like an alarm clock in severe weather events alerting you at anytime but especially at night when you might be asleep. Also if you live in a mobile home have a tornado evacuation plan and have a safe place to go like a storm shelter during a tornado warning. By the end of October 17th there were 17 tornado reports, 231 wind reports, and 52 hail reports. The worst news was the powerful storm system was getting more organized and it was on the move.

Day two, Thursday October 18th, the focus follows the massive storm system to the northeast. The severe weather started with strong squall lines moving into the Florida panhandle from the Gulf of Mexico producing a tornado that tore through downtown Pensacola. Soon the focus switched from the Gulf to the Midwest when a defined dry slot developed around lunch time allowing for strong daytime heating increasing the instability in the atmosphere. By the evening super cells, large independent rotating thunderstorms started popping up from Michigan through Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky. For hours our team of Meteorologists monitored the radar looking for signs of rotation like hook echoes, a signature on radar that looks like a hook indicating where a possible tornado could be located. There were a total of 30 tornado reports occurring in Florida, Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana. Some of the most intense super cells moved along the border of Kentucky and Indiana during the evening impacting communities of Sebree, Owensboro, and Louisville. Our very own Meteorologist Jeff Ranieri was driving to Evansville, Indiana during the severe weather outbreak reporting the massive super cells he saw developing in the area.

As a Meteorologist a feeling of amazement, terror, excitement, and horror run through your body during these events. Tracking the radar, realizing how devastating these storms are, you pray that people are aware of the storms coming their way. You hope you have reached someone with the warning and that one more person has made it safely to their basement. At the end of the experience it is hard to put words to the power of Mother Nature.

Posted by Talia Bluth at 03:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Meteorologist Jeff Ranieri

This goes under the heading "just in case you missed it." Just one week ago, I was ice skating in 80 degree temperatures in NYC. Today, conditions have turned much cooler with Mother Nature getting her act together. I somehow managed to keep my act in order on the ice. I must say it was quite the experience trying to talk, hold a wireless microphone, and gather my thoughts on the ice. Watch the videos below to see me in action and find out if I stay up or fall down on the ice while live on TV!

This day on the ice was definitely one of the most bizarre and extremely fun live shots I have ever done in my career.

Posted by Jeff Ranieri at 02:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Bill Karins, Meteorologist

Hot, humid and strike three. My fall officially began at 11:42pm last night when my boys of summer fell to the Cleveland Indians. Love them or hate them the Yankees once again put on quite a show this season but now its over and so is my summer. I’m not sure what was more shocking to me last night, sitting with 56,000 sweating fans on Oct 8th at 10pm with a heat index of 83 or the failure of the Yanks to hit in the clutch once again. Now that I think about it, it figures that on an “Indian Summer” like night in the Bronx the Indians would easily win.

Disappointed New York Yankees players Johnny Damon, Derek Jeter and Bobby Abreu. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Growing up, I was one of those kids who was always playing one team sport after another during the year. My calendar was always based on the sports seasons, baseball - spring/summer, football - fall; basketball - winter. So now, because my baseball talents couldn’t get me passed college baseball, I live vicariously each summer through Jeter and the Yankees. Now that they are done, so am I with baseball. Instead it’s time for exquisite maple leaves, carving pumpkins and apple picking. So pass me a cider donut, open the windows, put the football game on, and please god of baseball don’t let the Red Sox’s win.

Posted by Bill Karins at 02:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Gary Archibald, Weathercaster

Love this time of the year – it’s a smorgasbord of changing weather, scenery (with fall colors providing the natural omnipresent splendor) AND…three of my favorite sports are in full swing!

For fans of baseball…it’s the playoffs. And there isn’t anything like the month of October and the hype and wonderment of America’s pastime. In the northeast for example, at dusk, just before the first pitch is thrown…say…between the New York Yankees and the Cleveland Indians (Sunday night), there will be a calm, fair, and comfortable autumn evening…picture it...under the lights at Yankee stadium. What an atmosphere. What a spectacle!

It doesn’t end there. NFL football is well under away as well. Throughout the country, pigskins are flying from one-end of the gridiron to the other… for pros and amateurs alike; it is a time to soak it up. I too, have been tossing the football around with my 11-year-old cousin Nicholas in the late afternoon… Through him, at this time of the year, I am able to re-visit earlier years, wonderful moments in time when we as kids become our childhood sports stars… I was Dallas Cowboy legendary quarterback Roger Staubach, superstar running-back Tony Dorsett…all under the ambiance of the autumnal mystique…the falling leaves, the brilliant hues abound, the soft grasses in the school yard fields underfoot.

And hockey – the ultimate contest of skill and brawn has begun…for the pros in the NHL, they are only beginning the season, but soon enough, under the lights – once it becomes cold enough, outdoor rinks will be busy with skaters young and old enjoying the great Canadian sport… dare I say that I long for winter already. Hmmm…no…although a winter-lover, I’ll take autumn slowly for now, in full swing… the skates are ready to go though.

Enjoy!

Posted by Gary Archibald at 05:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Meteorologist Jeff Ranieri

Ok, so I know we have all heard of the infamous "Spring Clean Up" time but what about "Fall Clean Up"? I tried it recently and while it was not tons of fun it oddly left me feeling great.

The other weekend I was left unexpectedly busy on my Sunday when I decided to put away a new jacket. To my surprise, as I opened up the hall closet to put away my new purchase, not only did I not have enough room but it was quite disorganized. This is quite the horrible thing to let happen in NYC where space is such a valuable commodity. For some, the space can be so crucial they go to any length to store items. I actually have a friend that at one point stored her sweaters in kitchen cabinets and stove!

Thankfully I don't have storage issues like my friend but still decided to tackle the mighty closet. One hour later I was left feeling great about newly reclaimed space in my NYC apartment. I am officially ready for the cold weather. The jackets are hung, the scarves are ready for use and the gloves are easy to find. I was also able to donate several items that I was ready to ditch. As they say in New York City make every little bit of space count. Even if you have tons of space there is nothing like being organized. This all brings me to my ending thought for the blog.

Are we so lazy during the wintertime that a catch phrase hasn't caught on over the years? I vote for a new phrase. We could call it something like "Fall Rehaul". Have a better catch phrase for fall? Share with Weather plus in the comments section below.

Jeff

Posted by Jeff Ranieri at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Gary Archibald, Weathercaster

It’s feeling cooler in the early morning hours throughout the northern tier of the country – primarily in the northwest, northern Rockies, northeast – in particular, for our friends in New England. It’s fall season. Par for the course, right?

For some – it’s too much, too soon. Personally, I love the cool, crisp, clear mornings that autumn brings… it’s a gift of fresh renewal, the cleansing of air, the moderating of the relative temperatures and humidity. It makes for a much more comfortable experience… the mugginess is gone at night… sleep is easier to attain, longer lasting, and that much more re-vitalizing. Enjoy!

On a visual spectrum, the eyes have it - the natural kaleidoscopic world of color is on display, and the leaves waving gently in the breeze have the stage, and their audience is enraptured. Beautiful musical imagery dance and sway, the rustle of the maples and the branch ends, are an extension of the root. The blaze of hues is inspirational, surreal; in so being, I become alive again in this season. Remove yourself from the confines of the structure (work, chores, - the house itself!), its hard edges and unwavering inflexibility. Be amongst the changing organic phenomena in all its glory. A hike a long area trails will work. So too will a jog in a park. I’ll join you!

Thank you sweet autumn.

GA

Posted by Gary Archibald at 06:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Bill Karins, Meteorologist

No more crying wolf, no more the sky is falling. When a warning is issued for your area danger is in the air. The National Weather Service (NWS) has officially gone to a more precise system for issuing dangerous warnings. In the past, the warnings have been based on the county you live in. The previous system was good if you live in a small county, but out west some of the counties are the size of entire New England states. Often in the bigger counties, a severe thunderstorm warning would be issued and it wouldn’t even rain where you are. Very rarely would severe weather be expected across any entire county, so now the NWS is pinpointing the location of the expected severe weather conditions. Here is an example of the old county warnings compared to the new storm warnings. You can notice how much smaller the warning is on the right.

The old warnings would show entire counties.

This is how the new warnings will look.

The benefit of this new system will not be to people affected by storm but to the people not hit by the severe weather. In the past, a county with 100,000 people would go under a severe thunderstorm warning from a dangerous thunderstorm anywhere in the county, but now, only towns in the path of the storm will be warned. This will spare thousands of people from stopping their lives and preparing for a storm that was never going to head their way.

This change is mostly due to the enhanced technology of NEXRAD radar systems deployed throughout the country. This radar looks into the storms and tells the NWS forecasters how large the hail is, how strong the wind gusts are or where a tornado is located. These more precise warnings are a great addition to our forecasting technique. You may notice next spring that you don’t have as many warning as in the past, but you will also notice that when a warning is issued, get ready because the storms coming.

Posted by Bill Karins at 02:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Bill Karins, Meteorologist

O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
To-morrow's wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.

-from "October" by Robert Frost

October is a deceptively quiet weather month that often awes us with destructively diverse weather events. When you picture October, you think plunging temperatures and splendid leaf displays, but what about hurricanes, tornadoes and blizzards? No other month of the year produces this trifecta threat on a yearly basis. (Nov. distant 2nd) The interesting thing about October weather is that most location around the country will see 3 out of 4 weeks of beautiful weather. It’s the other week of nasty October weather that grabs our attention.

The weather in October can get really tricky.

Hurricane season may peak in September but hurricane landfalls in the U.S. are very common in October. Cat 3 Wilma was a reminder of October’s tropical danger. Other infamous October landfalls include Opal, Irene, Lili and Isabell. In total, by my count we’ve seen 10 land falling October hurricanes in the last 42 years.

October is also the first battleground month heading into winter. In September, a few cool outbreaks invade from Canada but they don’t last long or push too all that far South. It’s not until October that the strong cold fronts can penetrate deep enough into the tropical air to provide summer relief in the South. The dry, cool air is appreciated but its push southward is often accompanied by severe weather. In 2001, 3 separate outbreaks hit tornado alley, the southeast and the Great Lakes. The tornadoes in Indiana were left behind one of the states worst tornado outbreaks ever.

Finally, October can also produce incredible snowstorms. Just look at last year when an early season blizzard paralyzed Colorado. Up to two feet of snow fell on the Front Range, shutting down airports and closing highways. The weight of the snow brought down hundreds of trees and left 90,000 residents in Denver without power.

Winter also stuck Buffalo last October, when what may have been the storm of the year surprised everybody with 2-3 feet of heavy wet snow. The leaf covered trees snapped like twigs damaging cars and houses. Power was out in some areas for over a week.

October 2007 is sure to produce more beautifully diverse weather, stay tuned!

-BK

Posted by Bill Karins at 09:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)