You are browsing the archive for June 2014 - Dan's Wild Wild Science Journal.
30 June 2014
Yes, El Nino Is Coming But It’s Probably Not What You Think
An El Nino is probably on the way for this autumn and winter, but despite what you may have heard about floods and fires, it’s not looking (right now) as if it will be a strong one. The strength of the El Nino IS a big deal however, because weak to moderate El Nino episodes tend to have different and milder impacts on worldwide weather, than the super strong ones …
27 June 2014
NCDC: Hottest May On Record
The National Park Service had an interesting post on FLIKR today (as well with this image): FROM NPS: Shrinking Snowpacks A recent snowstorm brought nearly 3 feet of snow near Logan Pass in Glacier National Park, and road crews are still working hard on opening the Going-to-the-Sun Road. Large June snowstorms like this one used to be more common in the northern Rockies, but average snowpacks have been in …
25 June 2014
Chem-Trail Folks Crash AMS Conference on Broadcast Meteorology
We came back from lunch for our final session to find that every seat in the room had a DVD, and the same glossy brochure claiming that the government is giving you all kinds of disease from their secret spraying program. For those that may not have heard yet, these people believe that those white lines you see in the sky behind high-flying jet aircraft are actually mind/weather control chemicals. …
23 June 2014
The Shoshone Road Cut
I know just enough geology to be dangerous, but I highly recommend a trip through Death Valley NP. Make sure you bring a good roadside geology book, and better yet, read it before you go. I took advantage of the drive back to Las Vegas from the AMS weather conference in Lake Tahoe to spend a Sunday in the park, and it is one of the most beautiful places I’ve …
19 June 2014
Meteorology In The High Mountains Of California
I am at the American Meteorological Society’s 42nd Conference on Broadcast Meteorology at Squaw Valley,Ca. We are just outside of Lake Tahoe, and I drove up from Las Vegas, through Death Valley and by Mammoth Lakes. The temperature ranged from 96 in Death Valley to 46 at Mammoth, and when i awoke here in Squaw Valley this morning it was 28 degrees! I thought I’d share some pics of …
12 June 2014
This Research May Give You Better Warning Of A Dangerous Storm
TV Viewers are quite familiar with seeing lightning on radar displays these days, and knowing a storm is producing a lot of lightning as it approaches a large metropolitan area, is vital information for everyone from a power company to a baseball coach. Many times I can almost guess at how many power outages will develop based on the lightning I see with a storm. It’s a simple function of …
11 June 2014
Has The Solar Cycle Peaked? NASA Says Probably.
The 11 year solar cycle has apparently peaked, but it has been one of the weakest solar maxes of the modern era. The cycle is actually 22 years because at the end of 11 years, the sun’s magnetic field flips, and then flips again 11 years later. NASA has a video out today that explains more, and it’s important to note that some of the biggest solar storms can occur …
9 June 2014
Some Amazing Pics Of Earth
NESDIS is now producing some incredible Earth imagery using different satellites with some of the most sophisticated radiation sensors in orbit. I thought I would share a couple with you. Click for the BIG image. One is a view of the USA taken Saturday afternoon June 7. The other is the sea temperatures around North america and the other shows the temp. anomalies. This allows you to see where …
4 June 2014
A Busy Tuesday at the Hazardous Weather Test Bed in Norman,OK
If a thunderstorm has an extremely strong updraft it will push all the way into the stratosphere before weakening. The air actually starts to get warmer in the stratosphere, and a warm bubble of rising air suddenly finds itself colder than the air around it, and will eventually sink back down. So, the higher the updraft penetrates, the stronger it must be. This is why meteorologists are keen to know …
2 June 2014
Here’s How Scientists Are Improving Warnings of Dangerous Weather
Imagine a hot July weekend, and the beaches and or area lakes are packed with thousands of folks enjoying the sun, sand and water. While there is a chance of thunderstorms in the forecast, the skies are sunny, and the weather is the last thing on the minds of most people. It’s the first thing on the minds of weather forecasters, however, and if strong thunderstorms with deadly lightning …
Dan Satterfield has worked as an on air meteorologist for 32 years in Oklahoma, Florida and Alabama. Forecasting weather is Dan's job, but all of Earth Science is his passion. This journal is where Dan writes about things he has too little time for on air. Dan blogs about peer-reviewed Earth science for Junior High level audiences and up.