SUMMARY: Being an “observationalist” isn’t hard work; in fact, it’s fun! You just have to look around and see the patterns in your natural world. First there was “The Mentalist,” the hit CBS series that focused on Patrick Jane’s (played by Simon Baker) ability to use his mind to find
Read DetailsAbout 10 days ago, a major brush fire (linked to a growing drought) erupted to the east of Naples, along I75. The fire eventually grew to more than 8,000 acres. Today, the same area is under a Flood Watch (Fig. 1) meaning that some two to four inches rainfall could
Read DetailsWith most of the regularly scheduled summer weather camps closed due to COVID-19, I have discovered at least three sites that are offering virtual versions. These are listed below, along with web links to facilitate further research. If you want additional information about any of the camps, please contact the
Read DetailsWhile the remnants of hurricanes occasionally affect the British Isles, Hurricane Ophelia is going to be much stronger than the average United Kingdom (U.K.) storm. As of early this Sunday morning, Ophelia, still a category 2 hurricane (Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale), was forecast to become extra-tropical before land-falling in Ireland on
Read DetailsHurricane Nate is nearing peak intensity (strong Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 90 miles per hour) as it races toward landfall on the Mississippi-Alabama coast tonight (Fig. 1). However, with the strongest winds and the greatest push of water toward the coast on its eastern flank, places from
Read DetailsThere’s data and there’s statistics. There’s also the misrepresentation of these. We all know that statistics themselves don’t lie, but the people who use statistics may intentionally or unintentionally do so. A Tweet late yesterday by Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) was the most recent example to catch my eye. With the
Read DetailsThe focus during tropical cyclone events is typically on high winds, coastal storm surge, heavy coastal and inland rainfall, and possible flooding. However, if one is located far enough away from the storm’s circulation, atmospheric processes may lead to less rainfall. Such is the case for southwest Florida during the
Read DetailsLast November, a new weather satellite (GOES-R*), was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida (Fig. 1). This new space dweller is equipped with modern and powerful instruments, opening numerous possibilities for improved weather analysis and forecasting. Today, I would like to focus on a brand-new instrument – The Geostationary
Read DetailsThe GWCC home page contains a four-panel graphic containing satellite and radar observations and a severe weather outlook (all from NOAA). The following is a brief overview of these graphics (organized by column from left to right): GOES Enhanced Infrared satellite image (upper left) – This image, obtained by a
Read DetailsThis feature is about GOES (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite) Water Vapor (WV) imagery. This type of satellite imagery (just one of many) is based on a specific band of data within the infrared radiation (IR) spectrum. It is collected from a geostationary satellite positioned roughly 22,000 miles above the Equator
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