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5 April 2013
Hurricane Forecasts and The Shrinking Cone of Uncertainty
Two events of note to mention regarding hurricanes and tropical meteorology this week. That familiar cone you see during hurricane season actually has some science to it. The width of the cone is based on the past accuracy of tropical cyclone predictions made by the National Hurricane Center. As the track predictions have improved the cone gets more narrow. Brian McNoldy at the uni. of Miami RSMAS put together a great image showing the difference in the cone from 2008 compared to …
10 November 2012
Before and After Superstorm Sandy- USGS Releases Amazing pics.
Sandy DID cut a new inlet on Fire Island NY. USGS image. Barrier Islands are nature’s buffer from storms. New inlets are a natural occurrence during storms and the sands are constantly shifting. Building on them is fraught with risk, but taxpayers all pay for the federal flood insurance that protects property owners there. After Sandy, I suspect there will be a much greater discussion about whether this is a …
1 November 2012
What Those Who Understand Atmospheric Physics Are Talking About After Sandy
Asking if Hurricane Sandy was caused by climate change is like asking someone at the South Pole which way is north. This kind of storm could almost certainly form in a world where the CO2 levels have been unchanging and Arctic sea ice levels were stable. That said, anyone who claims Sandy was ( or was not) caused by the changing climate just doesn’t get it. It may be possible …
30 October 2012
Delmarva After The Storm
It was night to remember with the winds howling for hours here on Delmarva. While I was doing the weather updates I could hear the wind rattling the doors of the studio here in Salisbury. While the damage is worse in Jersey and New York, it is bad here as well and the Delmarva Peninsula had more rain from Sandy than anywhere else. The rain gauge in my front yard (a cocorahs …
29 October 2012
East Coast Waits For the Hammer To Drop
This statement from the Mount Holly, New Jersey NWS Office speaks for itself. I would heed it if you are in Delaware NJ or NYC. Ocean City MD is already getting gusts to 47 mph, and the surge there may reach 4-5 feet as well. I am seeing some model forecasts of 10-13 foot storm surge levels around the NYC area. This would be a Billion dollar disaster if this verifies, and …
25 October 2012
Northeast Spooked By Potential Franken-Storm (and they should be!)
Hurricane Sandy is feeding off the warm water of the Bahamas tonight, but as it moves northward over the weekend, it will begin to transition to a more nor’easter like storm that takes its energy from temperature differences in the atmosphere. We may even see Sandy weaken for an extended period before becoming perhaps even more powerful as it curves into the NE coast. Tropical systems almost always have a fairly tight wind field. The …
30 August 2012
Hurricane Isaac By Moonlight
Can you spot Richmond, Okla. City, Tulsa, and Springfield, Missouri?? That should be a good start for you. As far as know, this is the first time a hurricane has been imaged by natural light at night. Certainly the first over the U.S. A nice image of the power of Mother Nature against the backdrop of mankind’s domination of the Earth’s surface. More on Suomi and the VIRRS here.
29 August 2012
Hurricane Isaac Strengthens Noticeably At Landfall. Risk to New Orleans Increasing.
Winds are gusting to over 100 mph just offshore now and winds are already gusting to near 80 mph around the New Orleans area tonight. The radar data shows a shrinking eye wall and that also indicates the Isaac has gotten stronger. The track now seems likely to put New Orleans in the wettest and windiest part of the storm. The storm surge and the rainfall remain the biggest worries. If you are in …
3 August 2012
Someone Turned On The Switch In The Tropical Atlantic
Besides Ernesto just north of South America, we have a tropical wave near the Bahamas and another looking very healthy off the coast of Africa this afternoon. The tropics are really heating up now. It’s tIme to check on your hurricane kits if you live near the coast.
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.