Weather Pulse Blog

Meteorologist Jeff Ranieri

Nothing is ever "typical" or "normal" when it comes to weather, but something you might always expect with a major tornado is the possibility of death. While this may sound grim it is the reality we often live when natural disasters like tornados or hurricanes strike.

Monday I traveled to Virginia to cover the tornado in Suffolk and while I was expecting the worst, there was a glimmer of sunshine through the tragedy. I arrived with my producer at 5am for a Today Show live shot and as the sun started to rise, so did the damage. We would soon learn we were positioned at the heart of the damage outside a neighborhood where homes were completely flattened.

Click here for a look at all of Jeff's photos

As I was preparing for the live shot and contacting the local officials, I was more than surprised. While we learned over 150 homes were heavily damaged, there were no reports of any deaths. This major EF-3 tornado with winds topping 160 mph managed to spare the entire community. Truly remarkable, when you compare this to similar tornado disasters in the past. It became even harder to believe after hearing stories all day of how some survived when the twister cut a path 25 miles long.

Take a look at photos I took on the scene and I'm sure you will see the miracle in the Monday tornado that took just minutes to change a community forever.

Posted by Jeff Ranieri at 02:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Meteorologist Britta Merwin

You are right, the title says California not Colorado! Although everyone in my life knows I think Colorado is the best state in America, California is not too far behind in my book. My Dad has been a California resident for over ten years now and I recently got back from visiting him in beautiful Napa, California!

One highlight on my trip was an adventure to Bodega Bay, approximately 40 miles northwest of San Francisco. The area is beautiful, known for its rocky coastline and impressive surf.

These beachfronts are not meant for the sunbathers or weak swimmers. The diverse ocean floor leads to erratic wave patterns, deadly rip currents and sleeper waves! Sleeper waves, also known as rouge waves, are extremely large and strike the beach with little warning. Unexpected beach goers have become victims of these giant killers.

Also, temperatures at the coastline are usually very cool all year round with strong winds helping keep people out of the water. The only people who dare to enter the water are some of the strongest surfers but signs combing the beach warn visitors to keep their distance from the shoreline.

Another reason to stay out of the water, if dangerous currents and cool temperatures weren’t enough is something called the Red Triangle. Great white sharks are known to feed off of the large population of marine mammals like harbor seals that live along the Northern California coastline. Although I didn’t see any great whites, I did see about a hundred harbor seals at Goat Head Rock.

The group of seals finds a safe home where the Russian River dumps into the Pacific Ocean. Many fish are found in the area providing plenty of food for the group and the river provides a safe haven from the dangers of the open ocean.

The area also provides a great location for rising pups and luckily I arrived just in time for baby season! I got within 30 yards of a Mom and her pup enjoying the surf! It was amazing to observe the animals in their natural environment.

My trip was very peaceful; it is amazing how Mother Nature can revitalize even the busiest soul. So on that note I leave you with this picture, which for all you yoga nuts out there I call “Warrior on the Beach”

Posted by Keith Davis at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Meteorologist Jim Nichols

We all know that green lights mean go, so why can’t green lights go…well…green? Using LED lights and solar panels, a Japanese company has developed a traffic light that is wireless and completely self-contained. The manufacturer claims these new sun-dependant traffic signals could save thousands of dollars in energy costs over the long term. It still seems like there is a lot of research that needs to be done before these become mainstream throughout the world, but it’s a good start.

This idea isn’t completely new. Over the last few years many communities have used this kind of solar powered LED technology to light up those blinking “school crossing” signs when needed. Solar panels are also the main power source for emergency call boxes found on the side of the highway and the venerable large blinking orange arrow that forces you to merge three lanes into one. LED lamps are the kind of technology that you wish I invented. They require little electricity, rarely (if ever) burn out and shine bright enough to be seen miles away. LED’s are the way of the future and probably the greatest revelation to lighting since Thomas Edison.

There are lots of other nice little side benefits from a solar powered traffic light though. When the lights go out…where do the cops go first? Intersections and traffic control. With a solar-powered light independent of the electrical grid, the traffic lights would still work like a charm. This would allow the police to focus elsewhere when the power goes out.

So while we’re on a LED kick, let’s take it a step farther…shall we? How about street lamps? The city of Dania Beach, Florida has now undertaken the task of installing 124 solar powered street lamps. Again, those low powered, high brightness beauties called LED’s play a crucial role here. Apparently the city came up with idea after the local power company was too slow in responding to burned out street lamps. Again, this is another idea that I wish I would’ve thought of! Imagine street lamps that are independent of the power grid (and would work in a power outage), and never have to have a bulb replaced…brilliant!

Of course, this kind of thing takes time. I have been using those little solar powered lamps in my garden for years and they rarely last into the evening and produce nary a faint glow. But the key here is progress. We can’t achieve any kind of advancements in “green” light technology unless we are willing to keep experimenting. Could you imagine if Thomas Edison stopped trying after his hundreds of failures to perfect the light bulb? We are in a similar, exciting time right now.

It will probably be a while before green lights get the “green light” in your town, but know that change is coming soon. The safety benefits alone are enough to keep everyone trying!

Posted by Keith Davis at 10:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Meteorologist Samantha Davies

Recently in Alaska, a cloud of off-white haze covered the sky. The haze was so thick that it blocked the view of the Chugach Mountains, in Anchorage.

At first, residents did not know where that haze was coming from, but the mystery has now been solved! The haze was the result of sand storms in the Gobi Desert and wildfires in Russia.

Sand storms in the Gobi desert are very common in April and May. The dust from these storms usually reaches Alaska, however, this year it’s worse than usual.

Last week, wildfires spread across southern Siberia and the Russian Far East. Over 100 wildfires were burning in four regions, and some areas were declared a state of emergency.

The haze has stubbornly been sitting over the state. Due to the smoke and dust Air Quality has been reduced to moderate level, meaning that the air is unhealthy for sensitive groups. The air is expected to clear as a storm system approaches Thursday and Friday.

Posted by Samantha Davies at 06:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Bill Karins, Meteorologist

This is the beginning of Green Week here at NBC Universal. Our goal is to increase environmental awareness and to offer earth-friendly suggestions that you can try to help save the planet. It’s a fact that every “going green” thing we do helps. I’ve never come across a person that wouldn’t do everything he or she could to help if cost wasn’t an issue.

MORE: Go Green With Weather Plus

Of course in these hard financial times, cost is probably the most important factor when deciding upon going green options. In many cases Going Green can actually save you money or be negligible to your wallet. Below is information on one of today’s most controversial going green decisions to date. It was made by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is guaranteed to affect your family or one you know. Here are the facts. If you were on the FDA panel what would you have done?

One of the first developments in the “save the planet” movement was the realization that CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons) were depleting the ozone layer. The ozone layer is located in the stratosphere 6–10 miles above the earth’s surface and blocks the suns ultra violet radiation so we can play outside without too much worry.

The large hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica led to the Montreal Protocol in 1987 that globally banned production of CFCs with the exception of medical benefits. One of the medical exceptions was made for small but essential asthma inhalers that required CFCs to push the medicine into a patient’s lungs. This exception continues to this day but not for long.

The area shaded in purple represents the hole in the ozone layer. Courtesy of NASA.

In 2005, the FDA voted to halt the production and sale of CFC multi-dose inhalers beginning December 31st, 2008. Starting next year asthma suffers will have to use the relatively new HFA (Hydrofluoroalkane) inhalers. The New England Journal of medicine reported that the safety and use of the new HFA inhalers is comparable to the CFC inhalers. So what’s the big deal? Try sticker shock!

For me, this is the first time in memory that the cost of protecting the planet will directly take money out of unsuspecting families’ pockets. Yes, I know we all pay more for gas because of the environmental production costs, but this case is different. Technically, driving is considered a luxury; breathing is literally a luxury you can’t live without. The cost of these new inhalers is 3x the cost of the current CFC inhalers.

Asthma inhalers like this one may soon become obsolete. Courtesy of Asthma.org.

For insured asthma suffers this will likely mean increased co-pays but for uninsured asthma suffers the cost per prescription will go up an average of $26 dollars. That’s $312 dollars more per year. The price increased because there is no cheaper generic HFA inhaler – whereas there has been a generic CFC inhaler available for years. The drug companies basically ensure that asthma suffers will pay brand name prices until at least 2010 when the generic HFA may become available.

If this issue still doesn’t seem important consider the fact that the asthma drug Albuterol is the 7th most commonly prescribed drug in the U.S. with an estimated 52 million prescriptions. The New England Journal of Medicine predicts Americans will spend an additional $1.2 billion in 2009 to treat asthma in order to prevent CFCs from harming the ozone. This sounds like a great deal for drug companies but a tough pill to swallow (or inhale in this case) for consumers. If you are one of the millions of families with children who suffer from asthma, this has recently occurred or will shortly.

For me, the consumer acceptance or protest of these changes will be a litmus test for future planetary sacrifices. In order to truly negate the harm humans are doing to our planet, the sacrifices will have to begin.

Happy Earth Day!

Posted by Bill Karins at 03:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Meteorologist Samantha Davies

Thursday, the word game Mad Libs turned 50!! So, to celebrate I figured I’d turn the forecast into a mad lib. Enjoy!

Today it will feel like (season__________) across the Eastern half of the nation. High pressure will allow for a (adjective_________) southerly flow and dry conditions. Plenty of (noun_________) can be expected from (location__________) to (location________). High temperatures will range from (number______) to (number______) degrees.

The center of the country is where the (adjective_____) weather will be. A cold front draped across the Midwest will be the focus for some (plural noun_________) and storms. Rain can be expected from the Great Lakes southward through Texas. Tonight, there is a possibility for (adjective_____) storms in Oklahoma and portions of (location______). Some of the stronger storms may contain (noun_______) and (verb________) winds. To the north of this, cold front the air is much cooler and (noun__________) can be expected in Eastern New Mexico and Colorado.

The West coast will also see (adjective________) weather, as high pressure is (verb_______) the region. Partly sunny (plural noun_________) can be expected for the Pacific (direction__________) with temperatures in the upper 50s. California and the Southwest will see a lot of (noun_______) with temperatures in the 70s and 80s.

Scroll down for the answers….

Today it will feel like spring across the Eastern half of the nation. High pressure will allow for a warm southerly flow and dry conditions. Plenty of sun can be expected from Boston to Orlando. High temperatures will range from 60 to 80 degrees.

The center of the country is where the active weather will be. A cold front draped across the Midwest will be the focus for some showers and storms. Rain can be expected from the Great Lakes southward through Texas. Tonight, there is a possibility for severe storms in Oklahoma and portions of Texas. Some of the stronger storms may contain hail and gusty winds. To the north of this cold front the air is much cooler and snow can be expected in Eastern New Mexico and Colorado.

The West coast will also see pleasant weather as high pressure is dominating the region. Partly sunny skies can be expected for the Pacific Northwest with temperatures in the upper 50s. California and the Southwest will see a lot of sun with temperatures in the 70s and 80s.

Posted by Samantha Davies at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Meteorologist Samantha Davies

A swarm of earthquakes off the coast of Oregon is generating a lot of questions. Scientists listening to microphones underwater have detected the unusual earthquakes. Over the past two weeks over 600 earthquakes have been reported with three of them being magnitude 5 or greater. Usually this is a sign of a potential volcanic eruption, but here is where the questions lie- there is no volcanoes in the area.

Is there a new volcano forming?? The earthquakes could be the result of magma rumbling under the Juan de Fuca Plate. The earths crust is made up of plates sitting on molten rock (magma), when the molten rock erupts through the crust a volcano is created. Scientists from Oregon State University soon hope to send out research ships to take water samples. Within these samples, scientists will look for sediments that could have been stirred up, and they will look for chemicals indicating magma moving through the plate.

The other geological news: scientists are predicting that a major earthquake will strike California by the year 2037. Seismologists have looked at historical data, and fault lines to determine a 99.7% chance of 6.7-magnitude earthquake within the next 30 years. Scientists, however, can’t determine the location of the earthquake. There is a 67% chance that the tremor will hit the Los Angeles basin, and a 63% chance that the quake will impact the San Francisco Bay area.

Posted by Samantha Davies at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Meteorologist Samantha Davies

California saw record high temperatures over the weekend. Temperatures were around 15 degrees above normal. Here is a look at some of the numbers from this past Saturday:

MAP: Southwest Heat Index Contours

Bob Hope Airport: High- 92, Record- 96
Camarillo/ Oxnard: High- 94, Record- 85
Los Angeles: High- 94, Record- 97
Long Beach: High- 95, Record- 91
Santa Barbara: High- 89, Record- 88
Anaheim: High- 96, Record- 89
Sacramento: High- 87, Record- 87
Oakland: High- 87, Record- 86

Sunday also featured highs in the 90s for many locations. High pressure in the upper levels of the atmosphere combined with a light offshore flow allowed for this heat. California isn’t the only location seeing warmer than normal temperatures. The graphic below is the jet stream from Sunday; you will notice the large ridge in the west allowing for warm air to flow all the way to the Canadian border. The intermountain west is experiencing temperatures in the 70s, while the eastern half of the country is dealing with cold temperatures. Freeze watches are issued for residents as far south as the Gulf Coast.

A pattern change in the atmosphere will allow for a big cool down in California. Many valley and costal areas could see a 30-degree temperature drop through mid-week. An onshore flow is expected to increase and noticeably cooler temperatures will be felt across the region by Tuesday.

Posted by Samantha Davies at 01:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Bill Karins, Meteorologist

A classic spring storm will bring tornadoes and heavy snow to the middle of the nation

Headlines:
1) Large, very dangerous tornadoes are expected Thursday afternoon
2) Up to a foot of snow with near blizzard conditions are expected from South Dakota through Northern Minnesota
3) Heavy rain in Oklahoma, Missouri and Illinois will lead to flash flooding

We will be covering a dangerous storm during the next three days. This is your classic spring storm that will have it all (tornadoes, flooding and heavy snow).

The highlight of the storm will be Thursday afternoon and evening with supercell thunderstorms producing what looks to be a significant tornado outbreak.

The area at greatest risk of large, long-track tornadoes will be from Little Rock to St. Louis. The other highlight of the storm will occur Thursday night and Friday across the Northern Plains where heavy snow and gusty winds will produce blizzard or near blizzard conditions.

The areas I expect to see the heaviest snow (6-12") will be from Sioux Falls, SD to Duluth, MN. Denver and Minneapolis will also see snow, but not as heavy (3-6").

The last concern with this storm will be flooding. As of now, I don't foresee any major river flooding but flash flooding will be widespread. The areas at greatest risk for flash flooding will be from Oklahoma City to St. Louis and up to Chicago Thursday night.

Here is a break down of what areas will be impacted and when:

Thursday:
Denver (Light snow ending 3-6" total)
Little Rock (tornadoes nearby, widespread wind damage)
St. Louis (tornadoes nearby, widespread wind damage)
Chicago (possible wind damage with flash flooding nearby)

Thursday Overnight:
Memphis (tornadoes possible nearby, widespread wind damage)
Sioux Falls (Rain going over to heavy snow 3-6")
Minneapolis (Rain to snow 1-3")
Duluth (Snow begins 1-3")

Friday:
Sioux Falls (snow and blowing snow 8-12" total)
Minneapolis (light snow 3-6" total)
Duluth (blizzard conditions 8-12" total)
Nashville (wind damage possible nearby)

Posted by Samantha Davies at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Temperatures around the globe in 2008 are expected to be cooler than last year. The reason: a powerful La Niña. La Niña is basically a period of cooler sea surface temperatures in the Tropical Pacific Ocean. The graphic below shows a recap of temperatures in the United States; much of the western half of the country experienced below normal temperatures.

The effect of the cooler water impacts the entire globe by lowering temperatures worldwide. This La Niña has also contributed to the heavy rains in Australia, and the cold temperatures and heavy snow in China. According to The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), this weather phenomenon is expected to continue into the summer.

With this recent prediction of cooler global temperatures, some scientists are wondering whether this means that global warming has peaked. They argue that the earth may actually be more resilient to green house gasses than recently thought. On the other hand, the WMO says this is not the case. Temperatures in 2008 are still expected to be well above average for the century and that the temperature trend is still warming despite the slightly cooler temperatures expected this year.

Posted by Samantha Davies at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Have you ever woke up and walked to the window to see yet another grey and rainy day and feel like getting right back into bed? Well it turns out that there might be more to how the weather affects your mental health. Seasonal Affective Disorder, or S.A.D., is a type of depression caused by gloomy weather.

With periods of low sunshine and short days some people can experience feelings of depression. In the United States usually residents in the northern states are more at risk for S.A.D. since they experience longer periods of low sunshine and unsettled weather. Typically the peak for the disease is November through March.

Although not everyone experiences depression from bad weather many people would admit that cloudy weather does make them feel as happy as wonderful warm sunshine.

So what can you do to bring a little light to your life if you happen to live in the Pacific Northwest or the Northeast, which typically has grey and cold weather from November to March? Since I am a glass half full kind of person I say look for the silver lining of that cloud. Remember that where skies are dark, light will always return. Also maybe think about making your own sunshine and take a trip.

For all the travelers out there here is a weekend forecast full of sunshine, may it bring a ray of light to your day:

Chicago: Finally getting some nice weather after a crazy winter and spring, temperatures in the upper 50s with some sunshine through the weekend.

Denver: A gorgeous spring weekend! Partly clear skies with warm sunshine in the low 60s.

San Antonio: Feeling like summer! 80 degrees on Saturday, 82 on Sunday with tons of sun!

Albuquerque: Perfect weather in the low to mid 70s this weekend with nice sunshine.

Las Vegas: For the people actually going outside the casinos the weather will be great with upper 70s on Saturday and low 80s on Sunday with clear skies.

Posted by Keith Davis at 12:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The trend of making more with less has been hot for the past few years as the impacts of waste become more evident in our environment. I would like to think I do my part where I can and while a reusable water bottle is one of my daily contributions, I recently found another way to be "green" at work.

I'm going to let you guess before I give it away... Here's the picture

It's black and round and it's function is to help you organize at the office. (tick - tock -tick-tock) Ok, your time is up!

*** The answer: A STAPLER ***

The device actually uses the paper your joining to make a small weave and connects everything together. It does all of this with the only energy output coming from a bit of elbow grease. No staples are used and no paper particles are even left behind.

ME STAPLING:

THE NEW GREEN STAPLER:

When I purchased the handy earth saving device I had my doubts but it works great. The only drawback is you can't staple a stack of papers the size of a phone book, but who needs that many things to staple together anyways?!!?

If your interested in getting one I suggest trying The Container Store where I purchased it for under 10 bucks. The best part of the stapler is the fact that it will never disappear from your desk as most people have no idea what the heck it does.

Check out our "GOING GREEN" section for more ideas on how you can become "Green" Talk soon - Jeff Ranieri, NBC Weather Plus Meteorologist

Posted by Jeff Ranieri at 11:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Bill Karins, Meteorologist

April showers = April flowers. But heavy April rain = more flooding pain if you live anywhere near the Upper Mississippi Valley.

We just finished March with record or near record rainfall from St. Louis to Paducah. Cape Girardeau, MO smashed there record with 17.83" of rain in March. Their old record was 11.89" in 1977. Here's a look at the current flooding going on right now. Flood warnings are in neon green. Most of these rivers are minor or moderate without houses being flooded.

As of 3:00 pm EDT, April 1 2008

Another strong storm will roll through this region starting Wednesday night and ending Friday morning. Two to three rounds of thunderstorms will move over the same areas producing guaranteed flash flooding and the possibility of another major flood on the same rivers that just finished major flooding two weeks ago. At this time the flooding isn't forecasted to be as bad as it was two weeks ago. Here is a look at the hydrology forecast for rivers gauges across the country currently and over the next 48 hours.

River flooding is divided up into sub-categories of minor, moderate and major. Pictures of houses with water in or around them it is a major flood. You'll see the current forecast is for only 3 gauges to see major flooding in the next two days. Two weeks ago we had 30 river gauges at major flood stage when the flooding peaked. The best chance for good pictures at this time would be on the Meramec River just outside of St. Louis. This river saw record flooding two weeks ago and even though this round will not be as bad, those same houses could be flooded out for the 2nd time in two weeks. -BK

Posted by Bill Karins at 03:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)