August 31, 2005 -- Beautiful Weather TodayWe'll close out the August 2005 weatherbook today and it looks like we can call it just about average. Temperatures will be right on the money while precipitation will fall just shy of a half inch below normal.
Meanwhile the picture just grows more and more grim with each passing day for our friends along the central Gulf Coast. It may be several weeks before we know exactly how many lives were lost due to Hurricane Katrina.
August 30, 2005 -- Katrina Continues To Weaken, Widespread Devastation Katrina made a slight turn toward the north yesterday, sparing New Orleans the full brunt of its right-front quadrant at landfall. The Gulf Coast of Mississippi took the full force, in the same area where Hurricane Camille struck in 1969.
There is widespread flooding, hundreds of buildings are destroyed, and the power is out for thousands. Even though the hurricane passed through early yesterday, the weather has just improved to the point where helicopters are able to fly, giving us a true firsthand look at the devastation.
Here in Colorado, we will have near record heat today out ahead of an approaching cold front. Tomorrow will be some ten to as much as twenty degrees cooler!
If you are following the remains of Katrina, here are some links to the maproom here on TheDenverChannel. The storm is currently in the Ohio River Valley.
Tropical Satellite/Radar Southeast USA Radar/Satellite Gulf Coast Radar Gulf Coast Radar Loop Gulf Coast Satellite Gulf Coast Satellite Loop Ohio Valley Radar Ohio Valley Radar Loop Ohio Valley Satellite Ohio Valley Satellite Loop Have a great day, thanks for reading the blog, and stay here with 7NEWS for the latest information.
August 29, 2005 -- Katrina Makes LandfallKatrina made landfall this morning at 6:10 AM in southern Plaquemines Parish, just south of Buras, which is near Grand Isle, Louisiana. The storm weakened slightly to a Category 4 with sustained winds of 140 MPH, still bringing potentially catastrophic winds across southeast Louisiana. About 70 miles off the coast of Alabama a bouy measured a 48 foot wave as Katrina was making landfall. This very broad storm is affecting the entire central Gulf Coast, from Louisiana to Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
New Orleans sits below sea level, and a direct hit Katrina is going to produce tremendous damage. While storms have came within 60 miles of the city in the past, and some smaller storms have made direct hits, it has been 25 years since a major hurricane hit The Big Easy. The city has never felt a direct hit from a Category 4 or 5 storm.
Below are some resources we have for you to continue tracking Katrina.
Tropical Satellite/Radar Southeast USA Radar/Satellite Gulf Coast Radar Gulf Coast Radar Loop Gulf Coast Satellite Gulf Coast Satellite Loop Gulf Coast Marine Temperatures The effects of this storm are going to be felt hundreds of miles inland, both in terms of wind and flooding over the next few days.
August 27, 2005, 10:10 AM -- Katrina Making Forecasted Turn, StrengtheningHurricane Katrina is now up to 115 MPH and has began making the northwest turn that has been forecasted. This storm has the potential to head on a direct course for the southeast Louisiana coastline, putting New Orleans under high alert. However, areas from the central Louisiana coast to the Florida Panhandle need to monitor this situation closely.
As always, we've got several links built into our website to help you keep watch on the latest position of Katrina.
Tropical Satellite/Radar Southeast USA Radar/Satellite Gulf Coast Radar Gulf Coast Radar Loop Gulf Coast Satellite Gulf Coast Satellite Loop Gulf Coast Marine Temperatures Stay with 7NEWS for all the latest.
August 27, 2005 -- Gulf Coast On AlertThe blog will be dedicated to coverage of Hurricane Katrina this weekend as a landfall somewhere along the central Gulf Coast looks like a very strong possibility.
Katrina developed mid-week from a tropical disturbance over the central Bahamas. It was a minimal tropical storm until influenced by an area of high pressure over the Atlantic, which caused Katrina to move west toward south Florida. Once crossing the very warm waters of the Florida Straits, the system quickly blossomed into a Category 1 hurricane.
In south Florida, we've seen the news reports of pretty extensive damage and flooding. Near Homestead, where Hurricane Andrew hit so hard in the early 90s, over 13" of rain fell as Katrina passed through.
Originally it was thought that Katrina would track across the eastern Gulf of Mexico, but with each new forecast, the track becomes a bit more to the west. This is due to a very strong ridge of high pressure to the west of the storm, influencing the path. Current thinking is that the ridge will break down, allowing Katrina to make the northwest turn toward land. But it is a stubborn feature, kind of like the high that sat over Colorado during July. The various forecast models ran for tropical meteorology are all coming into a much better consensus, and that would take the storm very near New Orleans, likely a category 4 and potentially even a 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
New Orleans sits below sea level, and a direct hit from a hurricane that powerful wouldn't be good news. While storms have came within 60 miles of the city in the past, and some smaller storms have made direct hits, it has been 25 years since a major hurricane hit The Big Easy. The city has never felt a direct hit from a Category 4 or 5 storm.
From the first levees built in 1718 that were only three feet tall, a vast flood control system surrounds the city today. But with the Mighty Mississippi lining the city on the east, and the 630 square mile Lake Pontchartrain on the north...plus a series of bayous and canals, and the Gulf of Mexico less than 100 miles away...it is highly possible that this city which averages 6 feet below sea level could see catastrophic flooding if it took a direct hit from a Cat 4 or 5 storm.
Hurricane Georges passed by the city in 1998, pushing waters of the shallow Lake Pontchartrain over a floodwall and into the city. Hurricane Betsy also caused flooding in New Orleans.
If a slow moving major hurricane brought a 30 foot surge of water into New Orleans, that would top the levee system and likely overwhelm the pump system in place, leading to a widespread major flood event. Something many people don't realize is that every drop of water New Orleans receives from the sky must be pumped out due to the below sea level elevation.
If you have family and friends in and around the central Gulf Coast, give them a phone call this weekend and just make sure they are keeping abreast of the latest situation in their community.
We have a tropical satellite map right here on TheDenverChannel, and encourage you to use this while tracking Katrina. We also feature a series of other resources for you, listed below.
Tropical Satellite/Radar Southeast USA Radar/Satellite Gulf Coast Radar Gulf Coast Radar Loop Gulf Coast Satellite Gulf Coast Satellite Loop Gulf Coast Marine Temperatures Stay with us this weekend, we'll keep you updated on Katrina, and invite you to TheDenverChannel at anytime to use the above links for tracking the system.
August 26, 2005 -- Weather SatellitesSatellites in space orbit the Earth to help us track and forecast the weather. They carry instruments (not cameras) that scan the planet to form images. The instruments are like a telescope or small antenna type scanning mechanism.
Electrical signals that contain the image data are transmitted from space to receiving stations on the Earth's surface. We can get infrared, visible, or microwave radiation images back from space to help us forecast the weather. Most satellites are designed to have a life around 5 years.
There are two kinds of orbit patterns that satellites are put into, geostationary and polar orbiting. The geostationary orbits very high up, at approximately 22,500 miles over the equator. This altitude is calculated so that is takes the satellite exactly 24 hours to orbit the planet, in sync with Earth's rotation of once every 24 hours. This makes the satellite appear fixed over a single spot, thus called a "geostationary" satellite. This is what produces the cloud animations you see on our equipment here at 7NEWS. These satellites can take data quickly every few minutes.
Polar orbiting satellites is put into a very low orbit, only 500 miles above Earth, and covers a track from the North to South Pole. Unlike the geostationary, this orbit will cover the entire planet as Earth rotates beneath it. A polar orbit is sun-synchronous allowing the satellite to measure each spot on Earth twice a day, at the same local solar time.
August 25, 2005 -- The Tropics Remain ActiveKatrina rapidly developed in the western Atlantic the last few days, and will make a direct strike in south Florida by the weekend. Ironically enough, yesterday was the anniversary of powerful Hurricane Andrew, which leveled places like Homestead back in the early 90s.
This system will not come in nearly as strong, but as it makes the nearly 200 mile track across the Florida Straits, water temperatures are around 90 degrees... offering plenty of fuel for some rapid intensification prior to landfall.
It is a very slow moving tropical system and will drop up to a foot of rain over a fairly widespread area. (Some locations may see up to 20" of rain) This isn't good news because it has been a wet year in south Florida, with many towns running a surplus in precipitation.
August 24, 2005 -- Active Start To The WeekTypically severe weather begins to wind down as we head into late August. It has been a pretty quiet year in Colorado with regards to severe weather, especially over the past 4 weeks.
The work week began with isolated severe storms on Monday, dropping hail in Estes Park and Thornton, along with heavy rains that caused a massive car wreck on I-25 north of Denver.
Yesterday brought a severe thunderstorm watch to the region, and some rather large thunderstorms, especially east of town. Hail fell west of Sterling, in Flagler, and in Bethune. Some hail was as large as 2" in diameter.
Today will be drier across the region, with just garden variety afternoon storms. Stay with us here in the 24/7 Weather Center, and we'll keep you ahead of any threatening weather conditions.
August 23, 2005 -- A Bit About RainbowsRainbows are awesome sights of Mother Nature, and yesterday afternoon was a great setup for rainbows in eastern Colorado. We had at least three dozen pictures uploaded to our 24/7 Digital Album from the unsettled weather, and many were of rainbows left behind passing storms.
Click Here and look for the link called
Recent Pics under "Weather News" to view the 24/7 Digital Album.
A rainbow is simply sunlight spread out onto its spectrum of colors, made visible by water droplets.
So why are stormy afternoons always a good time to see a rainbow? Well...you need the sun to be behind you (west) and the precipitation to be in front (east). As storms pass through Denver and roll out onto the plains, and the sun begins to set over the mountains, we get the perfect setup for rainbows.
Yesterday many of your witnessed and sent us pictures of a double rainbow. This is caused when the light entering water droplets in the sky get reflected twice out of the raindrop. This yields a primary rainbow and then a secondary rainbow. The secondary is not as bright as the primary. It is possible for light to get reflected more than two times, but this is quite rare.
What causes the intensity of rainbows? It depends on the size of the water droplets. Large drops produce bright rainbows with well-defined colors, while smaller drops produce rainbows that have overlapping colors that appear white.
Thanks for reading the blog today! We could get some more weather similar to yesterday, so stay with 7NEWS for all the latest information. Be sure to check out all the resources built into TheDenverChannel to help you stay ahead of the storms. Some of these are linked in today's weather discussion.
And don't forget to have those digital cameras ready, we love your pictures!
August 22, 2005 -- Three Weeks Into AugustWe're now 3 full weeks into the month of August, and things are looking much better now than this time last month! So far the average high has been 85° with the average low around 58°. Put the two together and it adds up to be about 1.6° below normal. In the precipitation department things look pretty good, with 1.33" already recorded in the official rain gauge out at DIA.
Two records have been set so far this month, both record low maximums. (61° on the 4th and 63° on the 13th) Much better than this date last month when we were in the middle of tying our longest streak of 100° days!
The rest of the month should bring pretty normal weather, with highs mostly in the 80s and overnight lows in the upper 50s.
August 21, 2005 -- Taking A Look At The TropicsThe record setting start to the Atlantic season has quieted down for the time being, which is some excellent news! However, the season doesn't typically peak until mid-September, so we can't let our guard down just yet.
In the Pacific, Hurricane Hilary is churning off the coast of central Mexico. The good news is the strong winds associated with this system will remain offshore as she moves to the northwest into cooler waters.
August 20, 2005 -- On This Date In Weather History Though the weather is typically settling down in the severe weather department by late August, we can still get a few good storms to roll through the region.
On this date in...
1941 -- Hail pelted the city of Denver 1966 -- A funnel touched down twice 2 miles northwest of Castle Rock 1980 -- 55 to 60 MPH winds roared through Boulder 1982 -- A severe thunderstorm blasted JeffCo Airport, causing $3 million dollars in damage. Heavy rains fell in Boulder, with 1.65" in just 15 minutes causing some flooding, along with winds up to 72 MPH. Over a 1/2" of rain fell over Littleton in just 5 minutes where 2 homes were struck by lightning. Lightning also struck in Arvada where a quick inch of rain sent Ralston Creek out of its banks. 1984 -- A slow moving storm dropped 1.25" of rain over Evergreen, with a quick 1/2" falling over southeast Denver in just 18 minutes. Littleton and Boulder picked up an inch of rain, with 0.92" falling at Stapleton Airport. 2001 -- Severe storms brought high winds and large hail to the Metro Area. 1" diameter hail fell at Cherry Creek in Aurora. Several trees fell including onto a mail truck in Denver. A roof was blown off a building between Denver and Thornton. Parker reported a wind gust to 60 MPH, 62 MPH in Broomfield, and 61 MPH at DIA.
August 19, 2005 --Calculating The Savings Of 24/7 LIVE Doppler Now that KMGH-TV 7News has “plugged into the sun” to power its weather radar, we can look at the sky everyday and forecast, not only the weather, but our energy savings and a cleaner environment.
That’s because solar-electric systems that use the renewable energy of the sun to produce electricity – like the 2-kilowatt solar-electric system recently installed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at the 7News weather radar site -- are pollution free and offset the amount of electricity needed from the utility grid.
Solar-electric systems – also called photovoltaic systems or PV – convert the sun’s light directly into electricity. They work anytime the sun is shining. More electricity is produced when sunlight is more intense – high noon, for example – when rays strike the solar cells directly. In Colorado, where the sun shines more than 300 days a year, solar-electric systems are highly effective. But even on cloudy Colorado days, a solar system will work at 25% of its capacity or better.
The 7News weather radar solar system was made possible through a partnership between KMGH-TV and NREL to demonstrate the reliability and efficiency of clean solar power. NREL researchers, working on solar energy technologies in Golden, Colorado, for the past 28 years, have made significant progress on development of solar cells that are better, more efficient and cheaper to manufacture.
The Department of Energy invests in solar research to improve America's security, environmental quality, and economic prosperity through public-private partnerships that bring reliable and affordable solar energy technologies to the marketplace, according to its Web site.
An NREL team of Byron Stafford, John Thornton and Bob Hanson designed and installed the 7News weather radar solar system.
The first step was calculating how much power was needed to operate the radar and its support systems. Senior engineer Byron Stafford measured the daily maximum amount of electricity used and came up with 10.4 kilowatt hours a day – a little more than four 100-watt light bulbs would use if they were turned on for 24 hours. (A 100-watt light bulb uses 2.4 kilowatt hours/day.)
A series of eight solar panels was assembled into an 8 ft. X 25 ft. system and mounted on poles next to the radar tower. The system was connected to an inverter, which coverts the electricity from the solar system from direct current (DC) electricity to alternating current (AC). Then it was connected to the Xcel Energy power grid.
During the day, the solar system reliably generates electricity without noise or air pollution. The radar uses the electricity it needs and the rest is sent into the utility grid when energy demand is at its daytime peak. At night, the radar runs on grid power. Through an agreement with Xcel Energy, the TV station is credited for the excess power it generates.
More information about solar energy and solar technologies is available from the U.S. Department of Energy
here and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
here.Consumers interested in exploring how to add solar-electric systems to their homes can get information
at this link.To learn more about all renewable energy technologies, stop by the NREL Visitors Center located at 10513 Denver West Parkway, Golden, CO. Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday – Friday. Special programs and tour information is available at
this website. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is the U.S. Department of Energy’s primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development.
To see how a solar cell works, go to
this link.August 18, 2005 --Opening Up The Weather Archives There may be a time when you need some past weather data, be it a high or low or the amount of precipitation that fell on a particular day. We have one resource right here on TheDenverChannel that will help you find past weather data for most of the National Weather Service reporting stations. Under the almanac section you will see a link to historical weather data. Simply enter your date and click the go button. You will then be taken to the site in the link below.
Historical Weather DataThe default is for Denver. You can get daily, weekly, monthly, and even custom weather data from the past. If you want to change to another city, all you need to do is enter the airport code for the weather station. (i.e. Denver = KDEN, Centennial Airport = KAPA, Buckley AFB = KBKF, JeffCO Airport = KBJC, Greeley = KGXY, Limon = KLIC, Colorado Springs = KCOS, Pueblo = KPUB, Apsen/Eagle County = KEGE)
If you are looking for other data, like hail, high winds, or tornadoes...you might want to check the Storm Prediction Center's website. They archive all severe weather reports sent into the various National Weather Service offices.
Storm Prediction CenterAnother great source for finding precipitation is the CoCoRaHS network. Keep in mind this is a fairly new project and data is only available for a limited number of years. In the Denver area, data is available in some areas since 2002, and a few years prior to that in the Fort Collins vicinity.
CoCoRaHSA great source for Denver Weather History is available from our local National Weather Service office in Boulder. Just click the link below and choose your date.
Denver Weather HistoryHave a great day and enjoy searching through the exciting world of weather history! Hopefully you will learn about something from the past about your area! As always, I appreciate you reading the blog, visiting the 24/7 Weather Center here on TheDenverChannel, and for watching 7NEWS!
August 17, 2005 -- Lunar Comings And GoingsIn the current day, the Moon doesn't mean near as much as it did to our early ancestors. Back then, the sky literally guided life!
So why does the Moon rise each day in the east and go down in the west, much like the Sun and other stars? It is because the Earth rotates on its axis to the east, pulling these bodies into view and then forcing them to slip away to the west.
The Moon makes one trip around Earth every 29.5 days. This gradual movement in the sky is toward the east, which is why the moon rises later every day or night of the cycle.
This montly cycle is why we have phases of the moon.
The light we see is actually a reflection of the Sun onto the Moon. When the Moon is full, it is exactly opposite the Sun with Earth in the middle. The Moon arcs across the sky and sets at sunrise.
The night after the Moon is full, it rises later, typically about 50 minutes. (Note: this varies with season and latitiude) After a few nights the moon may not rise until after you have gone to bed.
At last quarter, one week after full, the Moon appears like a backwards "D" and doesn't rise until around midnight. It remains in the sky until noon. In this phase, the Sun - Moon - and Earth form a triangle when viewed from above. While the Sun is striking the entire disk of the Moon, we only see a portion that is reflected back to Earth. The rest of the Moon still faces us, it just isn't illuminated.
About a week after last quarter, the Moon is directly between the Sun and Earth. This is called the New Moon. In this phase, the Moon and Sun rise and set together, so no sunlight can be reflected to Earth off the Moon, and thus it isn't visible.
A week after that we are into the first quarter, where the Moon looks like a regular "D" in the sky. It rises around noon and is visible all afternoon until it sets around midnight.
Finally, we're back to the Full Moon and the above cycle continues to repeat.
For the record, the Moon always shows the same face to Earth, rather we can see it or not. This is because in the 29.5 days it takes to orbit Earth once, it also revolves one time on its own axis.
August 16, 2005 -- Draining What Once Was A Glacial SeaIt's a long way from Colorado, but a very interesting story that caught my eye.
Today's blog will take us almost 900 miles northeast of Denver to Devils Lake, North Dakota.
Devils Lake once was a shallow glacial sea, and is the largest natural body of water in the Peace Garden State.
The lake has no natural drainage, and is known to fluctuate in size over time; from a dry lakebed to a 400 square mile body of water. When the lake is at low water levels, it actually forms a series of lakes. (Devils, East Devils, West Stump, and East Stump lakes)
Due to the fact that North Dakota has drained many of the surrounding wetlands, and thanks to several years of above normal precipitation...Devils Lake has risen 26 feet since 1993, swallowing up 90,000 acres of land. The result has been many flooded communities, farms, homes, and grain bins. Graham's Island Road is one location that has seen flooding from the high water levels on the lake.
To remedy the high waters on Devils Lake, North Dakota has developed a plan to drain lake water into a system that will eventually empty into Lake Winnipeg, located in Manitoba, Canada. Lake Winnipeg is the world's 10th largest freshwater lake and home to a multi-million dollar fishery. The plan is to divert water through a canal to the Sheyenne River. From there, the water would drain into the Red River of the North, which empties into Lake Winnipeg.
The problem is those downstream from the lake, in Minnesota and especially Canada, are worried that the waters will cause serious pollution. Devils Lake is a closed ecological system with salty waters that contain high concentrations of nitrogen, sulfates, and phosphates. In fact, the state of North Dakota doesn't even allow these waters to be used for irrigation.
On Monday, the project took flight and the great water diversion began. 50 cubic feet of water per second will be drained between now and November. Several scientists (both Canadian and US) will monitor the water quality along the diversion. The results will allow a more advanced filter system to be developed.
August 15, 2005 -- Tornadoes In High AltitudesOver the years many have raised the question, "Do tornadoes ever strike the high country?"
The answer is yes, and potentially it happens more often that what is documented, due to the fact that so many mountain locations are not populated.
A few documented mountain twisters include...
A tornado photographed at 12,000 feet in Sequoia National Park, California, is believed to be the highest altitude tornado recorded in the United States. In 1987, a very strong F4 twister hit in the mountains of Wyoming, on the remote south side of Yellowstone National Park. Scientists were able to determine the twister's strength by the pattern of fallen timber left behind. Destruction was evident both up and down the 10,000-foot mountain it struck. In 1983, an F3 tornado struck at nearly 11,000 feet in Utah. Tornadoes have also been documented in the Salt Lake City and Lake Tahoe regions, where the mountains are quite high. In the mid 1980s, a tornado damaged a CSU Forest Station near Cameron Pass, west of Fort Collins. In 1959, an F2 tornado with a path 3 miles long and 200 yards wide hit Shell Canyon, Wyoming. (Big Horn Mountains) In 1985, an F3 twister with a path 1/2 mile long and 440 yards wide hit Medicine Wheel, Wyoming. (Big Horn Mountains) July 21, 1993, a tornado with a path 8 miles long and 880 yards wide hit Dayton Gulch, Wyoming. (Big Horn Mountains northeast of Greybull) The twister formed near Little Bald Mountain, which is 9,907 feet above mean sea level. It was rated near the F2 and F3 threshold.
So next time you hear the myth:
Tornadoes don't form in the mountains...you can answer back,
FALSE!It is ture that the atmospheric conditions needed to form rotating thunderstorms that produce tornadoes most often can be found east of the Rocky Mountains.
August 14, 2005 -- Record Cool In Denver, Record Warmth In AnchorageSaturday's high temperature in Denver happened just after midnight Friday night thanks to a Canadian cold front passing through about 1:30 AM. The temperature fell from 63° and never returned. Denver and surrounding areas stayed in the 50s all day with periods of light rain, drizzle, and fog.
W° set a new record low maximum temperature for August 13 of 63° The previous was 69° set back in 1979.
It was cold enough in the highest elevations for snow! Trail Ridge Road was closed due to adverse conditions on Saturday.
Meanwhile, much of southern Alaska was in the 80s on Saturday, with several new records set. King Salmon hit 80°, Anchorage 82°, and a sweltering 90° at Haines Customs, Alaska. Juneau hit 83° for a new record, smashing the old one of 79° dating back to 1980!
August 13, 2005 -- Rare Killer Tornado Hits Wyoming TownWright, Wyoming, is a small coal-mining town in Campbell County, 100 miles northeast of Casper and 40 miles south of Gillette on Highway 59 and 387. On Friday afternoon, a strong Canadian cold front pushed through the region, igniting a round of severe thunderstorms. One of those storms rolled through southern Campbell County, spawning a tornado.
The area was in the lower 70s until mid-afternoon, falling into the mid 50s by 6:00 PM after the front and storms passed through.
Residents of Wright had about 5 minutes of warning before a twister tore through their mobile home park at 4:51 PM. Nearly 50 of the mobile homes in the park of 183 were destroyed by the 1/4 mile wide tornado.
One person was killed and a second died later at a local hospital. A third person is still missing as of this posting. Several were treated for injuries.
Most tornadoes (55%) in Wyoming are F0 on the Fujita Scale, with about 29% being rated as F1. Approximately 8% of all Wyoming tornadoes are F2 with less than 2% being F3 or stronger.
This tornado has not yet been rated, pending a damage survey by the local National Weather Service office, but likely will be F2 or F3 (potentially even F4) due to the damage left behind.
Campbell County has the 2nd highest frequency of tornadoes in Wyoming, with Laramie County having the highest. Laramie County is where Cheyenne is located. Goshen County ranks third. The majority of tornadoes in these counties are small twisters that touch down over open range, and are rated F0.
In a study of Wyoming tornado frequency by hour, covering the period of 1950 - 2003, 18.1% of all twisters happened during the 4:00 PM hour. The next common hour was 6:00 PM with 12.8% of all twisters, closely followed by 3:00 PM with 11.5% and 5:00 PM with 11.1%.
42.1% of Wyoming tornadoes occur during the month of June, with 23.4% during July and 20.5% in May. August tornadoes are somewhat rare with only 9.4% of the occurrences between 1950 and 2003.
Tornado deaths are not that common in Wyoming, with only 5 in the state's recorded history prior to the twister that hit Wright on Friday.
July 16, 1979 -- Laramie County (northern Cheyenne) This tornado struck at 3:25 PM and was on the ground some 8 miles. It was 80 yards wide and hit 500 homes in its path. This F4 twister killed 1 person and injured 40 people. June 26, 1959 -- Big Horn County (30 miles E of Greybull) This tornado struck at 3:00 PM and was on the ground for 10 miles. It was 100 yards wide. The F1 tornado killed 1 person when a tree fell on a pickup truck. June 25, 1942 -- Platte County (4 miles W of Wheatland) This tornado was on the ground for an undetermined amount of miles, and was estimated at 6 yards wide. This F2 twister killed 2 field workers in their home and injured 4 others. It struck at 7:00 PM. May 31, 1923 -- Sheridan County (5 miles NE of Lariat) This tornado was on the ground 2 miles and was 300 yards wide. The F2 tornado killed 1 person and injured 2 others after destroying a small homestead shack.
The last major tornado (F2 or greater) to hit Campbell County, Wyoming, was back on May 6, 1988. An F2 twister touched down 8 miles SE of Gillette, injuring 2 people. It was on the ground 1.5 miles and was 50 yards wide.
August 12, 2005 -- Why Is The Sky BlueVisible light can be all colors, from red and orange to blue and green. To understand why the sky is blue, we need to talk about scattering.
An object will be blue if it scatters (reflects) more blue light than any other color. Molecules of air scatter some of the blue light while letting all other colors pass through. Thus, the sky is blue.
Ok, so why blue? The air molecules in our atmosphere are about the same size as the wavelength of blue light.
The sky will be full of clouds this weekend as a cool and damp pattern takes over our weather. It will be a great weekend for getting some of those projects caught up around the house. Or you can just relax, read a book, and watch 7NEWS!
August 11, 2005 -- The Perseid Meteor ShowersOvernight tonight will be the peak viewing for the Annual Perseid Meteor Showers. The Perseids visit every year in late July and early August. Some will be able to see up to 60 meteors per hour!
The meteor showers are caused because Earth's orbit passes through the tail of Comet Swift-Tuttle this time each year. Tiny bits of comet dust hit the Earth's atmosphere traveling at speeds up to 132,000 MPH. Due to the fast speed, the bits of dust disintegrate, making a vivid streak of light. The showers are most intense when Earth is in the dustiest part of the comet's wide tail.
Perseid meteors fly out of the constellation Perseus, and the best time to view these showers are when Perseus is high in the sky. (Between 2 AM and 6 AM)
As a bonus, you will also be able to see Mars, in the constellation Aries, right next to Perseus. Look to the east for these features. Something neat about Mars is that though it will appear like a star, it doesn't twinkle.
As far as the weather goes, some people may have clouds to contend with. We will be in between storm systems by the wee hours of Friday morning, so we have the best chances for clear skies at that time. However, with ample low level moisture in place, some clouds can't be ruled out.
Afternoon thunderstorms that will develop will linger on the far eastern plains much like last night, and that could keep some clouds around those areas.
Remember you want to be away from the city lights for the best skyview!
August 10, 2005 -- How Much Does The Air WeighYou may not think of the air as having a weight, but in fact, it does!
At sea level, the atmosphere exerts a pressure of about 14.7 pounds per square inch. You don't notice this weight pressing against you because you are used to it.
Here in Denver, roughly 15% of the atmosphere is below us, so only 12.5 pounds per square inch is exerted on us.
You can imagine that a place like Mount Everest (29,000 feet) would have much less pressure exerted on a being or object. With about 70% of the atmosphere below you, the air pressure would only be about 4.4 pounds per square inch on your body.
Be thankful we don't live on the planet Venus, where the atmosphere is 90 times heavier than here on Earth! That is heavy enough to crush you. In addition, the temperature on Venus is hot enough to melt lead.
August 9, 2005 -- The Tropics Remain ActiveCurrently in the tropics we are watching two systems, Tropical Storm Harvey and Tropical Depression Irene.
Harvey has been out in the open Atlantic for several days now, passing really close to Bermuda last week. He's moving slowly northwest of the Azores and is expected to lose tropical characteristics in the next few days.
Irene is a tropical depression, and you might be asking yourself...since when did we start naming tropical depressions? Irene was once a tropical storm but since has weakened into a depression, with winds around 35 MPH. She may strengthen back into Tropical Storm status in the next 24 hours.
Irene is spinning about 1,000 miles southeast of Bermuda, moving west at 12 MPH. Irene is forecast to make a turn to the northwest by mid-week. It is still a bit early to say if there will be any impact on the mid-Atlantic coastlines as far as a landfall, but tides could be running a bit high along the outerbanks of North Carolina.
If you have plans to Florida or the Caribbean Islands, at this time there are no threatening tropical systems.
We've got a really nice Satellite/Radar map that covers many of the tropical destinations you may have in the Atlantic Basin. Just click
here for a current snapshot of the weather from Cancun to Florida, and Jamaica to the Cayman Islands.
August 8, 2005 -- A Little Weather HistoryOn this date in Denver, the original all-time record high of 105° was set at 4:15 PM back in 1878. As you recall, we tied that high back in July of this year.
In 1874, swarms of grasshoppers invaded the city. Millions were seen cruising through the air.
In 1976, a 13-year-old boy was struck and killed by lightning while riding a bicycle. And more recently, in 2000 lightning struck 3 homes in central Arapahoe county, causing $47,000 in damage.
1" diameter hail pelted the city on this date in 2003.
August 7, 2005 -- The 24/7 Digital AlbumThe 24/7 Weather Center
LOVES to get your pictures! We've made it simple to upload them directly to TheDenverChannel. Just click on the weather page and look for the upload link under Mike's Weather Blog.
These are just a few examples of some viewer pictures. Rainbows, sunrises, sunsets, clouds, thunderstorms...these all make for great photos. We especially like to receive your pictures of the weather in real time (when you can do so safely) as storms roll through your area.
We'll do our best to get as many pictures shown in our weather segments as possible. Please note...some pictures may not be shown on the day you upload your photo, and time constraints (i.e. when there is breaking news) may not always allow us to show pictures during a particular weather segment.
Tune into 7NEWS each day and enjoy our 24/7 Digital Album. Remember that you can always view every picture uploaded to the 24/7 Digital Album in our weather slideshow all day, everyday!
We have all slideshows archived right here on TheDenverChannel. Just scroll up to the top of this page, and look for "Slideshow Center" in white under the Denver's 7 logo.
Have a great upcoming week at work or school!
August 6, 2005 -- Beneficial RainsA strong cold front brought some relief from the dry and hot conditions that has gripped Colorado over the past few weeks. Parts of the Denver area saw over 3" of moisture!
The heaviest rains were confined to the Denver Metro this week, but much of Colorado picked up some much needed moisture.
Here are some 48 hour totals (7 AM Wednesday through 7 AM Friday) from around the state, courtesy of the CoCoRaHS network of volunteer observers...
Northwest Colorado Hayden -- 0.12" 8 miles south of Glenwood Springs -- 0.39" 1 miles east-southeast of Grand Junction -- 0.27" 5.8 miles east of Basalt -- 0.66" 1.7 miles west-northwest of Leadville -- 0.75" 1.8 miles north-northeast of Fraser -- 0.79"
Southwest Colorado 7.7 miles west of Cortez -- 1.72" 13.3 miles south-southwest of Hesperus -- 1.80" 1.4 miles north of Ouray -- 0.47" 5.4 miles northwest of Buena Vista -- 1.33" 0.3 miles north-northwest of Salida -- 0.68" 0.8 miles south-southwest of Nucla -- 0.81"
Northeast Colorado 15 miles west-northwest of Sterling -- 1.20" 6.1 miles north of Last Chance -- 0.78" 5 miles west-southwest of Wray -- 1.05" 1.9 miles north of Brighton -- 1.54" 1.5 miles west of Brush -- 0.77"
Southeast Colorado 1.6 miles south of Wetmore -- 1.63" 2.1 miles east-northeast of Monument -- 1.22" 10.5 miles west of Weston -- 1.93"
Denver/Fort Collins Metro Denver International Airport -- 0.92" 24/7 Weather Center at 7NEWS -- 2.46" 1.5 miles southeast of Boulder -- 1.52" CSU Weather Station in Fort Collins -- 0.54" 7.7 miles east-southeast of Littleton -- 3.35" 8.2 miles north-northwest of Castle Rock -- 3.26" 0.3 miles north-northeast of Louviers -- 2.90" 1.2 miles north-northeast of Aurora -- 2.02" 5.7 miles south of Denver -- 3.28" 1 miles west of Byers -- 0.82" 3.3 miles west of Centennial -- 3.01" 4.2 miles south-southeast of Denver -- 2.77" 6.8 miles east of Conifer - 2.22" 2.6 miles north-northwest of Evergreen -- 1.22" 5.5 miles south of Hartsel -- 2.02"
August 5, 2005 -- Mark August 12th On Your CalendarsOne week from today will be the best time for viewing the annual Perseid Meteor Showers. Be sure to put August 12th on your calendar, and write meteors before sunrise as your reminder. By the way, sunrise on August 12th is 6:02 AM.
The Perseids visit every year in late July and early August, but there is always one night that is the best for viewing. This year it happens to be August 12th.
The meteor showers are caused because Earth's orbit passes through the tail of Comet Swift-Tuttle this time each year. Tiny bits of comet dust hit the Earth's atmosphere traveling at speeds up to 132,000 MPH. Due to the fast speed, the bits of dust disintegrate, making a vivid streak of light. The showers are most intense when Earth is in the dustiest part of the comet's wide tail.
Perseid meteors fly out of the constellation Perseus, and the best time to view these showers are when Perseus is high in the sky. (Between 2 AM and sunrise on the 12th, away from city lights, will deliver hundreds of these meteors if skies are clear)
As a bonus, you will also be able to see Mars, in the constellation Aries, right next to Perseus. Look to the east for these features. Something neat about Mars is that though it will appear like a star, it doesn't twinkle.
Typically this time of year we see afternoon showers and storms, with overnight clearing, so we should have a decent chance of having a good show!
Speaking of weather, be sure and check the blog Saturday for a complete summary of area rain totals from this soggy early August that brought some much needed moisture to parts of Colorado!
August 4, 2005 -- Measuring A Very Precious ResourceWhen rain or snow falls from the sky, you often hear it measured in inches. Have you ever tried to quantify precipitation into a another type of measurement, like gallons?
One inch of rain falling uniformly over one acre of land is 27,154 gallons of water. (That's about the same amount of water as most in ground backyard pools contain!!!)
So lets put this into a geographic perspective that we can all understand.
One square mile equals 640 acres. The Denver/Boulder Metropolitan Area is over 150 square miles. That equates to approximately 96,000 acres. (150 square miles X 640 acres per square mile)
So when the area picks up an inch of rain from a uniform storm system such as what is currently affecting the region, that equates to 2.6 billion gallons of water falling from the sky!!! (96,000 acres x 27,154 gallons of water per acre with an inch of rain)
Now of course there are obviously factors to consider that prevent all the rainwater from making it into our water supply. Things like the natural process of the water cycle (evaporation for instance), runoff from urbanization, and soil absorption into the water table. But clearly, precipitation is invaluable, even when we pick up just a few hundredths over a wide spread area.
If I've peaked your interest, then let me tell you about CoCoRaHS. (The
Community
Collaborative
Rain
and
Hail
Study)
CoCoRaHS is a network made up of backyard volunteer weather observers who take daily gauge measurements and report them directly to their website. In real time, maps are generated from the information. In areas where there is a dense network of volunteers, you can really see incredible footprints of passing storm systems.
The map in the picture seen here is from the observation period 7 AM on August 2nd, through 7 AM August 3rd for the Denver Area. If you want to see what fell from yesterdays first round of wet weather, visit their website and look at today's map, ending at 7 AM. You can look at individual counties in addition to the state overview. CoCoRaHS has expanded in the last few years to Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Texas.
They are always in need of more volunteers, and we here in the 24/7 Weather Center really encourage you to get involved. You will learn so much from just donating a few minutes each day to check the gauge. And don't worry...they let you take vacations from time to time, and understand life gets really busy some days. If you miss your gauge reading due to a busy schedule, you can always file a multiple-day accumulation report.
CoCoRaHS WebsiteSo click the link above, check out the maps to see how much moisture fell where you live, and see if there are any gaps on the map you could help fill. Even if someone appears to live close to you, having observations in close proximity help see footprints left by those very isolated and short-lived afternoon thunderstorms we often see during the summer months.
Have a fantastic day!
August 3, 2005 -- Cool And Wet Along The Front RangeIf you are ready for a break from the heat and some moisture for the lawn, then you will like the next 48 hours. A very strong cold front is pushing south today and will move through eastern Colorado by tonight. The frontal passage will be marked by an increase in clouds and wind followed by showers and thunderstorms. A few could be strong to severe, especially over the northeastern plains.
Some locations will easily pick up an inch of rain. It does look to be a fairly widespread event, with most everyone getting in on at least a passing shower east of the Divide.
By Thursday, we'll enjoy refreshing 60s and 70s for much of the state, with the warmest readings in western Colorado.
If you go to the weather page here on TheDenverChannel, in the forecast discussion we've got links built to some of the tools we've designed just for you to stay ahead of the weather, including FutureCast, Radar, and Severe Weather Alerts.
Have a great day! Enjoy this nice break from the heat, as well as the much needed rain! It's been a while since we've had to drive on wet roads, so take your time to ensure we all arrive safely at our destinations.
August 2, 2005 -- Historical Weather DataWe offer a really nice tool right here on TheDenverChannel for those of you needing historical weather data. Now the data set is somewhat limited, with recent data more readily available than something from 1950 let's say.
From the weather page, look down the second column below Mike's Weather Blog until you come to the Almanac section. There you will see a pull down menu where you can select a date. As a test, go ahead and enter July 1, 2005.
The system will grab the data for Denver on that date, giving you a summary, followed by graphs, and then the hourly reports. Notice in the menu near the top of the page that opens, you can also get weekly or monthly data.
If you want weather data for additional locations, all you need to know are the airport codes. A list of some Colorado airport codes follow...
Centennial -- KAPA Buckley AFB -- KBKF Boulder/JeffCO -- KBJC Fort Collins -- KFNL Limon -- KLIC Greeley -- KGXY Colorado Springs - KCOS Pueblo -- KPUB Aspen -- KASE Eagle County -- KEGE Grand Junction -- KGJT Durango -- KDRO Burlington -- KITR Lamar -- KLAA Alamosa -- KALS Monument Hill -- KMNH Craig -- KCAG
You can enter national locations too, such as...
Minneapolis/St. Paul -- KMSP Dallas/Fort Worth -- KDFW Atlanta -- KATL Los Angeles -- KLAX San Francisco -- KSFO Miami -- KMIA Chicago -- KORD St. Louis -- KSTL Little Rock -- KLIT Seattle -- KSEA Anchorage -- KANC
So when you are in need of weather data, take advantage of this very useful tool available right on TheDenverChannel. As always, if you have a weather question, feel free to contact your friends at the 24/7 Weather Center. weather@thedenverchanel.com
Have a great day. We have some cooler and wet weather in the forecast by Thursday for those looking for a break from all the recent heat!
August 1, 2005 -- Recap Of The Record Setting July 2005July 2005 will definitely be one we remember and talk about for years to come! We tied the record number of consecutive 100° days with 5 in a row back on July 19th-23rd. The previous occurrence was July 4-8, 1989.
There were a total of seven 100° afternoons in Denver during the last half of July. This is not only the most number of 100° days to occur within a single month, but also is the most to occur in any summer season!
When you take all the highs and lows for July, add them up and take an average...you get an average high for the month being 94.52° with extremes being 68° on July 26 and 105° on the 20th.
July delivered 25 days at 90° or above.
The average low during July was 60.81° with extremes ranging from 50° on July 4th to a very mild 70° on July 8th.
Taking the total average for the month, we get 77.66°, which is just shy of the warmest July (and all time warmest month) on record for Denver. That was during the Dust Bowl Year of 1934, when July averaged 77.8°! So July 2005 will go down as the 2nd warmest month in history, as well as the second warmest July recorded...missing the #1 spot by less than 2 tenths of a degree.
In the precipitation department, the month ended with a mere 0.27" of rain in the rain gauge, good enough to make this the 3rd driest July in Denver's history. Only 1939 (0.08") and 1901 (0.01") were drier.
Here is a recap of the records set in July 2005 at Denver.
July 8 -- Record High Minimum (Overnight Low) of 70°, previous record was 68° set in 1989 July 16 -- Record High of 102° occurred at 1:49 PM. Previous record was 101° set in 2003. It was also the first 100° day recorded in Denver since July 24, 2003. July 19 -- Record High of 101° reached at 2:52 PM. Previous record was 100° set in 1934. July 20 -- Record High of 105° reached at 3:37 PM. Previous record was 102° set in 1939. It was also the hottest day ever recorded in July for Denver. The previous hottest July temperature reading was 103° recorded July 8, 1989 and July 6, 1973. 105° tied the all time hottest temperature recorded in Denver, last reached 127 years ago on August 8, 1878. July 21 -- Record High of 104° reached at 2:46 PM. Previous record was 100° set in 1981 and previous years. July 22 -- Record High of 102° reached at 2:48 PM. Previous record was 100° set in 1931. July 23 -- Record High of 102° reached at 3:17 PM. Previous record 101° set in 1910. This was the 5th day in a row of 100° heat in Denver. July 29 -- Record High of 99° tied at 4:08 PM. This was last set in 1995. July 30 -- Record High of 101° reached at 2:39 PM. Previous record was 100° set in 1972.
Denver wasn't the only city in the west sweltering in the summer heat. Several records were set in Pueblo, Alamosa, Burlington, Colorado Springs, Rifle, Rangely, Montrose, Cortez, and Grand Junction.
Speaking of Grand Junction, on July 21, they reached 106° at 4:17 PM. That broke the all time hottest temperature in that city's history, previously 105°.
Records were set from Phoenix to Las Vegas during July, and from Rapid City, South Dakota to portions of Idaho.
If you want to talk about heat, let's spotlight two desert southwest locations that make Denver look cool!
Las Vegas spent much of the month in the 100s, and went more than 120 hours where the temperature never fell below 90°.
115° was the high on the 16th 116° was the high on the 17th after a morning low of 93° 116° was the high on the 18th after a morning low of 92° 117° was the high on the 19th after a morning low of 95° 110° was the high on the 20th after a morning low of 94° 109° was the high on the 21st after a morning low of 90°
The cake likely goes to Death Valley, California, where the daytime high was 110° or more all month long. Several days reached into the 120s after 5 nights where the low never dropped below 100°! The extreme high was 129° recorded on the 18th, with an overnight low of 102° on the 22nd. Death Valley went over 100 straight hours where the temperature never dropped below 100°. WHEW!
So, Mike, what is the deal? Why was it so hot across such a large swath of real estate last month?
The answer isn't El Nino or La Nina. It was simply a very large area of high pressure that parked over the 4-corners. Due to the amount of time it remained over the region, it was able to develop a very large bubble of hot air under the ridge. Air sinks under high pressure, and thus we get compressional warming. The sinking air also zaps much of the available moisture, creating low dewpoints and relative humidities. Dry air heats fast!
Downstream, another area of high pressure in the eastern United States kept this high from moving, and thus the stagnant weather pattern dominated headlines much of the month.
August is going to arrive on a fairly warm note, but we should see some cooling back to seasonal readings (and even a bit below) by late in the week.
Thanks for reading the blog, have a great week, and we appreciate you making 7NEWS your choice for news, weather and sports. If you know someone that might enjoy reading our daily blog, be sure and drop them an email with the link.
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