Much of North America is getting quite a blast of Arctic cold air this week. Some regions of the southern USA are seeing temperatures up to 30F lower than normal. Below are two very important infographics with one addressing wild chill and the other showing how to dress properly to best handle the cold weather and retain body heat. Speaking of winter weather, we’ll explore more on winter weather safety with plenty of information for the next several weeks. There are several interesting stories to review, so let’s get started.
The handy checklist below from the American Red Cross will help you put together an emergency kit for a variety of weather scenarios. A kit like this is very helpful in a variety of other difficult scenarios from wildfires to blizzards to tornadoes and hurricanes.
Graphic courtesy American Red Cross
Social media is a very useful tool that can be misused for misinformation, disinformation, and hype. While this infographic is geared towards, winter weather, it certainly applies to all kinds of weather year round.
Infographic courtesy NWS Fort Worth, Texas
That’s a wrap for this post! I’d like to extend a warm welcome to my followers in social media. I’m glad you’re along for the fun! If you’re on Twitter, Tumblr, or Instagram, let’s connect! As for the COVID-19 pandemic, sport a spiffy mask as often as you can, practice good hand-washing hygiene, mind your social distancing, stay safe, and stay healthy!
Greetings once again to one and all! Plenty of interesting topics to cover this week. In atmospheric science news, our changing climate is front and center and will be for many years as humanity grapples with the best path of adaptation. The coronavirus and Covid-19 situation is foremost on everyone’s mind with a world-wide pandemic that’s like nothing the world’s current population has ever seen. Additionally, the spring severe weather season is in full swing across the contiguous USA.. We’ve some tornado safety information and more with this week’s picks…so let’s get started.
Here’s a concise reminder on taking shelter during a tornado warning. Where you take shelter is quite often a matter of life and death or serious injury.
Infographic courtesy NOAA
An emergency kit is also an essential part of severe weather preparedness. This handy checklist from the American Red Cross will help you get started. Since severe weather and other weather-related disasters can occur year round, it’s an excellent idea to have this at the ready regardless of where you live or the month/season.
Infographic courtesy American Red Cross
That’s a wrap for this post! I’d like to extend a warm welcome to my new followers in social media. I’m glad you’re along for the fun! If you’re on Twitter, Instagram, or Tumblr, so am I and I invite you to enjoy me. Once again I’d like to thank so many of you for all the thoughtful comments I’ve received as of late. Cancer does not have to be an automatic death sentence and I have no intention of giving up this fight and will accept nothing but absolute and total victory. If you’re a male over the age of 40, you should discuss getting your PSA tested with your doctor. The Prostate Cancer Foundation is an excellent website with further information. As for the coronavirus, please stay home if possible, practice good personal hygiene, mind your social distancing, stay safe, and stay healthy!
Greetings once again to one and all! Plenty of interesting topics to cover this week. In atmospheric science news, our changing climate is front and center and will be for many years as humanity grapples with the best path of adaptation. The coronavirus and Covid-19 situation is foremost on everyone’s mind with a world-wide pandemic that’s like nothing the world’s current population has ever seen. It’s also the official arrival of the severe weather season across the contiguous USA. We’ll cover that topic and more with this week’s picks…so let’s get started.
For severe weather preparedness, here are two links of importance to help keep you safe. First, here’s an excellent overview of the weather hazards that become more frequent this time of year. From NOAA: Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, and Lightning…Nature’s Most Violent Storms.
With the arrival of the most active months of severe weather comes a plethora of information sources. A handful are excellent, a substantial segment are satisfactory, and a vast majority are built on hype under the guise of ‘saving lives.’ This is no time for carelessness. Trusted and official weather information sources such as your local National Weather Service, the Storm Prediction Center, and the national and local broadcast meteorologists of your choice are always your best choices for timely and accurate information.
Infographic courtesy NOAA/NWS
One vital and essential element of keeping you safe is Doppler Radar. This infographic covers the history of National Weather Service radars and how they work.
Infographic courtesy NOAA/NWS/SPC
You’re far more likely to be in a severe thunderstorm than a tornado. But, not all thunderstorms are severe. All should be treated with respect as even the most modest of thunderstorms can be laced with deadly lightning and even flash floods. Some thunderstorms can have strong winds and even hail, but are not considered severe. This infographic explains the criteria used by the National Weather Service.
Infographic courtesy NOAA/NWS
An emergency kit is also an essential part of severe weather preparedness. This handy checklist from the American Red Cross will help you get started. Since severe weather and other weather-related disasters can occur year round, it’s an excellent idea to have this at the ready regardless of where you live or the month/season.
Infographic courtesy American Red Cross
That’s a wrap for this post! I’d like to extend a warm welcome to my new followers in social media. I’m glad you’re along for the fun! If you’re on Twitter, Instagram, or Tumblr, so am I and I invite you to enjoy me. Once again I’d like to thank so many of you for all the thoughtful comments I’ve received as of late. Cancer does not have to be an automatic death sentence and I have no intention of giving up this fight and will accept nothing but absolute and total victory. If you’re a male over the age of 40, you should discuss getting your PSA tested with your doctor. The Prostate Cancer Foundation is an excellent website with further information. As for the coronavirus, please stay home if possible, practice good personal hygiene, mind your social distancing, stay safe, and stay healthy!
Greetings once again to one and all! Plenty of interesting topics to cover this week. In atmospheric science news, our changing climate is front and center and will be for many years as humanity grapples with the best path of adaptation. The coronavirus and Covid-19 pandemic is foremost on everyone’s mind with a world-wide pandemic that’s like nothing the world’s current population has ever seen. We’ll cover that topic with several of this week’s picks…so let’s get started.
Let’s start with a very good FAQ about the coronavirus and COVIS=19. This is only one of many excellent sources of basic information to help you understand what is taking place with our current global pandemic.
A common misconception concerning viruses is they ‘disappear’ during the warmer months of the year…depending on which hemisphere you live in. The best answer to that is…maybe.
Last but not least, staying informed about severe weather potential and ongoing storms can be stressful enough. Keeping up with a severe weather event and getting overwhelmed by other very important events can seem far too much. “Seven Calming Ways To Keep Up With Stormy Weather While Avoiding The News.”
FLOOD SAFETY
Flooding is a threat that exists year round but with the onset of the spring severe weather season, it’s become more likely across North America. Here are some helpful infographics from NOAA regarding staying safe if you encounter the weather phenomenon that causes more deaths annually than any other hazard.
infographic courtesy NOAA
An emergency kit is also an essential part of severe weather preparedness. This handy checklist from the American Red Cross will help you get started. Since severe weather and other weather-related disasters can occur year round, it’s an excellent idea to have this at the ready regardless of where you live or the month/season.
Infographic courtesy American Red Cross
That’s a wrap for this post! I’d like to extend a warm welcome to my new followers in social media. I’m glad you’re along for the fun! If you’re on Twitter, Instagram, or Tumblr, so am I and I invite you to enjoy me. Once again I’d like to thank so many of you for all the thoughtful comments I’ve received as of late. Cancer does not have to be an automatic death sentence and I have no intention of giving up this fight and will accept nothing but absolute and total victory. If you’re a male over the age of 40, you should discuss getting your PSA tested with your doctor. The Prostate Cancer Foundation is an excellent website with further information. As for the coronavirus, please follow good personal hygiene and prescribed by official sources, stay safe, and stay healthy!
Greetings again to one and all! Here’s a review of my intro from the last two weeks. After a few months on hiatus for health reasons, I’ve decided to resume this weekly blog which contains my personal choices of the top ten science reads from the past week. This post will be published every Saturday between 12:00pm and 3:00pm Central USA Time (1700 UTC to 2000 UTC). The selection will be subjective, but lean heavily towards what my followers in social media are interested in. There will be seasonal emphasis on the severe weather season across North America and the Atlantic hurricane season. During the next few weeks, there will be a few things to be ironed out, so the usual bugs and/or changes are likely to happen. The topics will be from a wide variety of science interests; astronomy, weather and meteorology, climate and climate change, environmental science topics, the occasional quixotic read, and much, much more. On a personal note, I appreciate the ‘good vibes’ and wishes for a speedy recovery. I am in the middle of a long rehabilitation regime from prostate cancer surgery and to say it is a daunting challenge is an understatement. I have many long months ahead and your kind and caring words mean the world to me. A medical situation such as this certainly has made me take pause and reevaluate the priorities in my life.
On that note, let’s take a look at this week’s reads.
On 20 October 2019, a strong tornado moved across parts of the Dallas, Texas metropolitan area. The autumn months typically bring an uptick in severe weather activity across much of the USA’s Great Plains. This story from the Guardian is a good overview of the situation. Unfortunately the headline, which implies that one tornado moved from Dallas into Arkansas, is all too common.
Are you stressed out by the daunting challenges of climate change? You’re not alone. Here are a list of eight actions you can take, some are better than others, other like ‘fight shaming’ are ridiculous, most important is the realization that every small action you can take adds up to big changes…and a better quality of life.
The Atlantic hurricane season will be coming to an official end very soon, but it’s never too late, early, our ‘out of season’ to have a preparedness plan and supplies in place. My Hurricane Preparedness Page can be a helpful starting point to prepare for the storm you hope never happens.
This handy checklist from the American Red Cross can be very helpful in putting together a disaster preparedness kit. This emergency kit can also be applicable in many different climates and for all seasons.
Infographic courtesy American Red Cross
That’s a wrap for this post! If you’re on Twitter, Instagram, or Tumblr, pay me a visit and let us connect. A million ‘thank you’ again for all the thoughtful comments I’ve received over the past few weeks. Cancer does not have to be a automatic death sentence, and I have no intention of giving up this fight and will accept nothing but absolute and total victory. If you’re a male over the age of 40, you should discuss with your doctor getting your PSA tested. The Prostate Cancer Foundation is only one of many reputable sites with further information.
Greetings to everyone and Happy Meteorological Summer to my followers and friends in the Northern Hemisphere! It’s also the official first day of the Atlantic hurricane season. May was a wild weather month for much of the Great Plains in the USA with substantial numbers of tornadoes and record breaking floods across much of the Arkansas River basin. Many more topics to cover this week, so let’s get started.
The planet Mars is a very dusty location with our amazing rovers getting a thorough covering of Martian dust in short order. Fortunately, there’s a solution.
Here are some links and infographics that will provide a starting point for gathering online severe weather information. I hope you find plentiful information here that will help you become better prepared as we navigate one of the most volatile climactic seasons on our planet.
Testing your NOAA weather radio year round is one of the best ways to stay informed on weather conditions for your area regardless of the season. Many National Weather Service offices conduct weekly tests. It’s also a good idea to replace the batteries in your NOAA weather radio when you change batteries in your smoke/carbon monoxide detectors.
Infographic courtesy NOAA/NWS
When severe weather is forecast, it is assigned a risk category. Hazards exist in all categories, hence it’s important to be aware of all of them. Note: tornadoes can and do occur even in Marginal Risk areas…and a Slight Risk does not mean that storms will be “slightly” severe.
Infographic courtesy NOAA/NWS
After thunderstorms form, they are carefully observed with Doppler Radar. This infographic explains how this amazing technology works and how its progressed over the years.
Infographic courtesy NOAA/NWS
When severe weather is anticipated, a Severe Thunderstorm or Tornado Watch will be issued. It’s very important to know the difference between a Watch and a Warning.
If a TORNADO WARNING is issued, it means you need to take cover immediately. Where you take cover can sometimes be a life-or-death situation.
Infographic courtesy NOAA/NWS Infographic courtesy NWS Norman, OK
If a TORNADO WARNING is issued and you are in the warned area, there are good options and bad options for taking shelter. The choice can sometimes be a life-and-death decision. Bad options have killed countless people in recent years. One of the most onerous and dangerous behaviors during severe weather is the practice of “sheltering’ under an overpass. Under no circumstances should anyone engage in this life-threatening activity.
Infographic courtesy NOAA/NWS
One of the most onerous and dangerous behaviors during severe weather is the practice of “sheltering’ under an overpass. Under no circumstances should anyone engage in this life-threatening activity.
Infographic courtesy NWS Norman, OK
Here are more links that will help you prepare and stay informed during the severe weather season.
This excellent Emergency Kit checklist from the American Red Cross is very helpful in assisting you while you compile items for your kit. A kit like this should be available year round…there are many winter weather scenarios where the same items will come in handy.
Infographic courtesy American Red Cross
Please keep in mind that ONLY your local National Weather Service office, NOAA Weather Radio, or reliable broadcast media are the BEST sources of important, timely, and potentially life-saving weather information, watches, and warnings! None of the links on this page should be used for life-&-death decisions or the protection of property!
That’s a wrap for this post! To my new followers, I’d like to extend a very sincere “Welcome” and thank you for being a part of the fun. For my long-time followers, your loyalty is deeply appreciated. Thanks so much for the support and kind words!
