Roosevelt Severe & Unusual Weather: December 2017

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Top 10 Worst Weather Disasters

https://www.seeker.com/top-10-worst-weather-disasters-1766290272.html

Curious to what was the most devastating weather disaster the Seeker list the biggest weather related disasters. With little snippets of the each events. Such as the 1925 Tri State Tornado that killed about 700 people and ripped through 3 states in 3 and a half hours. Destroying 15,000 homes in its path. I found this one quite interesting because I've never heard of this one.

Future arctic sea ice loss could dry out California

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/12/171205092142.htm

Arctic sea ice loss of the magnitude expected in the next few decades could impact California's rainfall and exacerbate future droughts, according to new research led by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists.

It's believed that with the decrease in sea ice will have a great impact on western part of the world. With less ice there will be less precipitation, which will lead to droughts and dry soil. The California region is already prone to wild fires and droughts and it's expected to get worse. As they project that the Arctic Sea Ice will be completely gone in the next decade or so. Leaving the West Coast dry with more severe drought and less precipitation.

Climate change: How do we know?

https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/
Climate Change Evidence

This article talks about the other various way we know that Climate Changes is certainly a fact. Other than the temperature is getting higher world wide or the more severe storms we have been having. It talks about the rise of acidity in the oceans due to the heightening amount of carbon dioxide in the water, which is bad for ocean life. I found interesting, also the lack in snow coverage during the winter. Satellites have shown that there is a decrease in snow coverage and it melts earlier than usual. It's interesting because I've noticed that we receive snow later than usual and it melts earlier also.
The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have decreased in mass

The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have decreased in mass

Severe weather warning for ice issued as UK reels from five-day freeze

The UK is facing another freezing night after a week that saw temperatures plummet lower than those in Moscow and Oslo.

Following a weekend gripped by the coldest temperatures of 2017, the freeze is expected to loosen its hold on Wednesday.

But a severe yellow weather warning will continue until 11am across most of England, Wales and Scotland, as remaining ice threatens treacherous conditions on roads and paths.

Many areas enjoyed a blanket of snow thick enough for sledging and snowmen.

Thousands of homes were also left without power.

Disruptions also grounded flights and caused delays to and from airports including Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh. British Airways cancelled 170 flights on Sunday and more than 100 on Monday.

Ice forming in the fountains in Trafalgar Square, London, as Britain had its coldest night of the year

Meanwhile, rail disruptions caused travel chaos, with cancellations between Birmingham and Bristol after a landslide caused by the severe weather.

https://news.sky.com/story/severe-weather-warning-for-ice-issued-as-uk-reels-from-five-day-freeze-11168192

Snow in Hawaii?

Heavy snow is forecast to fall this week across the peaks of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island thanks to a flow of deep moisture that's coming from the Intertropical Convergence Zone. Winter storm watches have been posted there.

Snow on Hawaii's peaks is not uncommon in the colder months because they are nearly 14,000 feet high. Mauna Kea has a sub-Arctic climate, the weather service said.

“As long as we have deep enough clouds to support ice crystals, and when you have cold enough temperatures at the summit level, you can get snowfall,” said Matthew Foster, a meteorologist with the weather service in Honolulu.

A blizzard hit both mountains in late February. Mauna Loa and its sister peak of Mauna Kea are both volcanoes. Mauna Kea is the highest point in the state.

Image result for Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa

In fact, the coldest temperature ever recorded in Hawaii was 12 degrees on Mauna Kea on May 17, 1979, the weather service said.

While the summits receive snow, the rest of the Big Island and Maui are dealing with heavy rain and the potential for flash flooding over the next few days.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2017/11/27/record-heat-continues-western-central-u-s-while-snow-falls-hawaii/898347001/

Severe Heatwave across Australia

With the mercury set to soar above 30C across all capital cities, except Hobart, in the days ahead, Aussies are urged to stay out of the heat. Even Tasmania won’t be far off the 30C mark. Perth could get to 35C, Melbourne 36C and Adelaide a suffocatingly hot 38C.

Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Ashleigh Langey said NSW would reach peak temperatures on Thursday, followed by a short cool change on Friday.

“Over the next couple of days there will be a high pressure system influencing the state with pretty warm conditions. From Tuesday onwards it looks like we have got a low intensity heatwave developing, and by Thursday it will be a severe heatwave in parts of the state. There will be clear skies as well, which means things will heat up.”

Western Sydney will bear the brunt of the hot weather, climbing to 42C near Penrith and remaining in the mid to high 30s throughout the week.

“On Friday it will cool down to 27C because we have a southerly change moving through that will cool things down a bit,” she said.

http://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/severe-heatwave-warning-with-temperatures-in-capitals-set-to-soar-to-more-than-30c-this-week/news-story/5883eb05958dc90752daeafa15717e87

Australia will face a heatwave this week. Image: Bureau of Meteorology

Upsurge in Earthquakes Predicted for 2018

According to scientists from the University of Colorado, there is a strong link between the Earth's rotation and seismic activity. Several scientists have warned that there could be a significant upsurge in number of earthquakes worldwide next year. It disbelieved that the variations in speed of the Earth's rotation could cause severe seismic and unstableness, specifically in tropical areas that are heavily populated.

Although the rotations may be very small, it is argued that even that could be enough to create big amounts of underground energy to be impactful. Researchers were studying to find out what is the correlation between periods with high number of earthquakes and intense seismic activity, along with other factors that contribute as well. What they discovered was that when "Earth’s rotation decreased slightly it was followed by periods of increased numbers of intense earthquakes." Even the slightest rotation of the earth can be measured and expected to create some kind of impact in terms of earthquake, big or small. Two researchers that embarked on the study found that there is a common period of about 5 years where the Earth's rotation slowed a specific amount several times throughout the past century and a half. Thus, these periods resulting in a noteworthy increase in intense earthquakes. According to Roger Bilham, "This link is particularly important because Earth’s rotation began one of its periodic slowdowns more than four years ago." Suggesting that the Earth is giving us a 5 year heads up on earthquakes to occur in the future.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/18/2018-set-to-be-year-of-big-earthquakes

Snow-nado in Poland

You've surely seen video of tornadoes, waterspouts, dust devils, and maybe even firenadoes. But have you ever seen a snownado?

This rare phenomenon has been captured on camera a handful of times, most recently in the mountains of Poland's Tatra National Park.

A strong gale of wind hit the mountains, creating a rotating column of air that lifted up a thin layer of fine snow. Also called a snow devil, these columns of rotating snow normally persist from 30 seconds to two minutes.

Watch the video here.

Dangerous Weather Fans Flames of Fire

The fifth largest wildfire in California history expanded, ripping through dry brush atop a coastal ridge while crews struggled to keep flames from roaring down into neighborhoods amid fears of renewed winds.

Red Flag warnings for fire danger due to Santa Ana winds and a critical lack of moisture were extended into the week, with a possible increase in gusts Thursday into Friday.

Tens of thousands of people remain evacuated.

The blaze — known as the Thomas Fire — has destroyed more than 680 homes, officials said. It was just partially contained after burning more than 360 square miles of dry brush and timber. The fire has been burning for more than a week.

The fire is in an area of California that has remained in at least moderate drought even after last winter’s powerful rains and heavy mountain snowfall eliminated drought symptoms in much of the rest of the state.

Santa Ana winds have long contributed to some of the region’s most disastrous wildfires. They blow from the inland toward the Pacific Ocean, speeding up as they squeeze through mountain passes and canyons.

http://www.dailynews.com/2017/12/12/dangerous-weather-fans-flames-of-thomas-fire/

Orange Sky in the UK

On October 16th, 2017 the sky across parts of England because of the smoke and dust from fires that occurred in southern Europe drifted north. The color came from the remains of Hurricane Ophelia and wildfires that occurred in Portugal and Spain a few days before. Smoke and sand from the Sahara desert carried north by the strong winds from the storms. The combination of events that made the sky look especially different than the UK has seen before. The smoke covered over 1,000 miles throughout the UK.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/16/health/orange-sky-uk/index.html

Flood Warnings in southeast Australia

Continuos rainfall in Australia measured a total of about 8 inches. This is reportedly more rainfall than the average amount for the month of December. Flood warnings spread throughout the city of Victoria along with evacuation warnings. Several rivers peaked at major flood levels and communities were alerted. Roads in northeast Victoria were flooded, people were told avoid flooded streets. The first two days of December accumulated more rain than the average for the whole month of December. Such rain could result in storm force winds along the ocean, widespread rain, and rough seas.
https://www.theguardian.com/weather/2017/dec/03/flood-warnings-downgraded-after-record-rain-in-south-east-australia

Strong Earthquake in Southeastern Iran

On November 30th, a strong magnitude-6 earthquake occurred in Southeastern Iran, struck late at night, at a depth of approximately 6 miles. It was confirmed that at least 42 injuries resulted from the earthquake, which were mostly minor and as the ground began to shake people were quick to find shelter. The small town affected is reportedly struck by earthquakes often. Back in November, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck in western Iran, affecting 9,000 people and killing 530. Back in 2003, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake affected the city of Bam, leaving 26,000 dead. Because Iran is located on major seismic faults, it results in frequent earthquakes and averages in one per day.

https://weather.com/news/news/2017-12-01-iran-earthquake-hojedk-kuhsaran-district-latest-news

Probable La Niña in Japan

Japan is expecting a cold winter because of La Niña that is suppose to cause lower than average temperatures for a longer period of time. It would be the record 15th La Niña since 1949. La Niñas known to consist of more intense atmospheric pressure, heavy snow, and severe cold temperatures. In result, it can cause extreme rainfall and heat in the summer. "La Niña is officially recognized as occurring retrospectively when the five-month average temperature of the surface water in the observation point off Peru remains lower than the monthly average of the past 30 years by 0.5 degrees or more for at least six consecutive months." If seawater temperatures and weather conditions stay as they have been since November till February, it will officially be recognized as La Niña.

http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201712120038.html

Climate Change Could Take the Air Out of Wind Farms

BIG OFFSHORE WIND farms power Europe’s drive for a carbon-free society, while rows of spinning turbines across America’s heartland churn enough energy to power 25 million US homes. But a new study predicts that a changing climate will weaken winds that blow across much of the Northern hemisphere, possibly leading to big drops in clean wind energy.

That’s because the temperature difference between the North Pole and the equator, which drives atmospheric energy in the form of winds and storm systems, is shrinking as the Arctic warms. A warmer Arctic means less of a temperature difference and therefore weaker winds across the central United States, the United Kingdom, the northern Middle East, and parts of Asia. It's just one of many weather-related effects that scientists forecast are likely to occur as concentrations of heat-trapping carbon dioxide continue to rise in the Earth's atmosphere—from stronger hurricanes to weaker polar vortexes.

Source: https://www.wired.com/story/climate-change-could-take-the-air-out-of-wind-farms/

Plane loses control and skids off runway in SNOW weather chaos

Snow and heavy winds forced a plane off its course and then to slide out of control away from the runway, it has been revealed. The plane, which was travelling into an international airport in Moscow, experienced a dangerous landing due to the weather.

A passenger captured the footage on his phone, taken from just after the plane had come down. Snow is common in Moscow at this time of the year, and can lead to flight cancellations and delays, as in other countries such as the UK. However, in this case, the pilot braved the conditions as the plane came down on to the taxiway.

Source to video:

https://www.express.co.uk/travel/articles/890969/snow-plane-danger-video-pictures-viral

How to drive safely in snow and ice

The Telegraph is informing British drivers on how to drive in the snow but certainly these tips could be employed worldwide! Driving in such extreme wintry conditions is fraught with inherent risk, so it should always be avoided. But if you really have to venture out, there are a few things you can do and techniques you can use to make sure you stay as safe as you possibly can.

If you do decide to head out, you shouldn’t just be thinking about how to cope with the driving itself. You should also make sure you’re prepared in case things don’t go to plan. It’s a good idea to pack a bag of supplies to keep in the car when the snow starts to fall. These should include food and water, warm clothing or a blanket, a torch, a first aid kit, a fully charged mobile phone, jump leads, a shovel, an ice scraper or deicing fluid, and some grit, sand or cat litter. Plan your route, so that you don’t get lost, and make sure you stick to major roads for as much of it as possible. These are the roads that are likely to have been cleared or gritted, so you stand the best chance of getting to your destination.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/advice/how-to-drive-safely-in-snow-and-ice/

What is Britain doing to tackle flooding in the face of extreme weather?

The UK is set to be hit by a vicious combination of extreme storms, intense downpours and rising sea levels as it faces the next century. Seven of our 10 wettest years have occurred since 1998. 2013 had the UK’s wettest winter in history, and it was followed just two years later by the next wettest. For centuries, Britain has been draining wetlands, reclaiming salt marshes and lining rivers with concrete banks.

Taken from the water, this land has been built on and has driven rapid development. But as the climate changes and rainfall records are broken through the next century, there are concerns about the country’s ability to tackle the floods it will bring. Already they're forcing a retreat: Defences are being built further back from their predecessors, sea walls are being allowed to be breached, and experts are warning that our current defences can't hold back extreme flooding.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/11/23/britain-tackle-flooding-face-extreme-weather/

Shape of Lake Ontario generates white-out blizzards, study shows

Researchers, including the University of Utah's Jim Steenburgh and University of Wyoming's Bart Geerts, now report that these intense snowstorms are fueled by air circulation driven by the heat released by the lake, and that the shoreline geography of Lake Ontario affects the formation and location of this circulation. The result? Very heavy snowfall.

The findings, published in three papers, show how the shorelines of lakes may help forecasters determine the impacts of lake-effect storms.

"Lake Ontario's east-west orientation allows intense bands of snow to form," said Ed Bensman, a program director in the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences, which funded the research. "This study found that the shape of the lake's shoreline can have an important influence on the low-level winds that lead to bands of snow for long periods of time -- and to heavy snow totals. The research team analyzed the strength of these snow bands, and their formation and persistence. Snow bands were often active for several days."

Source & Link to report:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171115175313.htm

Billion-dollar climate disasters

Not a month has gone by since without a major weather disaster wreaking havoc on some region of the nation. The wildfires that burned through Sonoma Valley just two months ago resulted in $9.4 billion worth of insured damages, the California Department of Insurance announced Wednesday. In just a few days, the current blaze has already scorched a greater area.

The frequency of billion-dollar climate disasters has been rising steadily over the past few decades. From 1980 to 2016, the annual average was a mere 5.5 disasters. In the last five years, that average has nearly doubled.

Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/billion-dollar-climate-disasters-devastate-drain-nation-n827996

New evacuations ordered as California wildfires whip across region

Massive wildfires continued to scorch Southern California on Sunday fueled by whipping Santa Ana winds as thousands of firefighters braced for more extreme weather in the week ahead. Five fires covering more than a quarter of a million acres raged across California on Sunday, with 9,000 firefighters combating the flames, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.

More than 800 homes and structures have been destroyed and 98,000 people have been forced to evacuate, according to Cal Fire. The ongoing blazes are threatening 25,000 homes. By far the largest blaze, the Thomas Fire in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, spanned 230,000 acres and was only 10 percent contained, authorities said Sunday night.

Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/new-evacuations-ordered-california-wildfires-whip-across-region-n828221

scientists who turn hurricanes into music

A hurricane lifetime can last anywhere from a day to a few weeks. Agencies such as the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration continuously measure all sorts of features of a storm. We distilled the changing characteristics of a hurricane into four features measured every six hours: air pressure, latitude, longitude and asymmetry, a measure of the pattern of the winds blowing around the storm’s center.

To create the sonifications, we export these data into the music synthesis program SuperCollider. Here, numerical values can be scaled and transposed as necessary so that, for example, a storm lasting several days can be played over just a few minutes or seconds. Each type of data is then treated like a part in a musical score. Data are used to “play” synthesized instruments that have been created to make sounds suggestive of a storm and to blend well together.

Source to video:
https://www.popsci.com/turning-hurricanes-into-music#page-3

First Blizzard of the Season Breaks October Snow Record in Havre, Montana; Up to 30 Inches Reported

https://weather.com/storms/winter/news/rockies-snow-montana-colorado-wyoming-early-october-2017

Story Highlights

A heavy early-season snowstorm dumped more than a foot of snow on parts of the Rockies.

Travel impacts occurred, along with tree damage and power outages.

The first blizzard of the season resulted in widespread power outages and downed trees in parts of Montana. Treacherous travel conditions and additional power outages were also observed across other portions of the northern and central Rockies as an early-season snowstorm swept through the region.

(MORE: Winter Storm Central)

Unlike the snow the Rockies experienced in September, this storm had a greater impact since valley locations were also affected, in addition to typical mountain areas.

Havre, Montana, had seen 13 inches of heavy, wet snow as of late Tuesday afternoon, which set a new record for heaviest two-day October snowfall total at the Havre City-County Airport. The previous two-day October record was 12.6 inches, which was set in 1898. Due to power outages, further investigation will be needed to determine if any daily records were broken in Havre.

Many large tree branches were downed, and all of Havre was without power, the Hill County Sheriff reported around 10 p.m. MDT Monday.

According to the National Weather Service in Great Falls, Montana, this storm was effectively a blizzard in the Havre area, especially considering the severe impacts. A blizzard occurs when the following conditions are met for at least three consecutive hours: sustained winds or frequent gusts to at least 35 mph and considerable falling and/or blowing snow that frequently reduces visibility to less than a quarter mile.

Elsewhere, Zortman, Montana set a new one day record for October with 14 inches of snow reported Tuesday morning.

While not a record, Missoula, Montana recorded .10 inches of snow Monday night, which is the earliest recorded measurable snow there in 34 yrs.

The heaviest estimated snow amount from this storm is 30 inches in Rocky Boy, Montana. Drifts in at least one location were estimated to be eight feet high.

Top snowfall totals as of Tuesday evening include:

30 inches in Rocky Boy, Montana
20.4 inches near Encampment, Wyoming
18 inches near Steamboat Springs, Colorado
16 inches near Cameron Pass, Colorado
15.8 inches near Havre, Montana
Up to 15 inches near Breckenridge, Colorado
14 inches at the Vail Pass rest area on Interstate 70 in Colorado
14 inches near Redcliff, Colorado
14 inches in Zortman, Montana
14 inches in Cut Bank, Montana
13 inches in Havre, Montana (Havre City-County Airport)
13 inches near Rand, Colorado
12 inches near Laramie, Wyoming
10 inches near Avon, Colorado

The snow first affected the Colorado Rockies Sunday night into Monday.

Interstate 70 was closed in Colorado between Vail and Copper Mountain for a time Monday morning due to accidents and vehicles sliding off the icy road. Shelters were opened to take in stranded travelers in the area.

More than a foot of snow accumulated in many locations, including an estimated 14 inches of snow that was measured at the Vail Pass rest area on Interstate 70 as of Monday morning.

Several ski resorts in the high country of Colorado expressed their excitement about the snow.

Loveland Ski Area provided this image showing how the snow had piled up on their measuring platform at an elevation of 10,894 feet before power was knocked out there. More than a foot of snow had been measured at that location by early Monday.

(MORE: When Does Winter Storm Season Typically Start?)

At Steamboat Resort in Colorado, their webcam captured 19 inches of snow piling up – the heaviest early-October snowstorm on record at the ski area.

In southeast Wyoming, the first snowflakes of the season were observed in Cheyenne on Monday morning. This coincides with the date of when the average first measurable snow has historically occurred in Cheyenne – Oct. 2.

Heavy snow was observed in northwest Wyoming on Togwotee Pass, where around 2 feet of snow had piled up by Monday evening.