Forecasting 101: Air Masses

An Air Mass is a large body of air in which the properties are the same in a horizontal direction. Air masses are determined by their temperature and moisture content. There are three different temperature categories for air masses: Arctic (A), Polar (P), and Tropical (T). The three different temperature categories are then paired with either a Continental (c) or a Maritime (m) to represent what moisture that particular air mass holds. Continental is a dry air mass while Maritime is a moist humid air mass. The type of air mass can usually be determined by where the air mass is coming from. For example look at the figure below from one of my text books. Note that most of the time Arctic air will not be associated with Maritime air. This is because Arctic air is so cold it can't not enough moisture to be considered Maritime.

 Air masses are important to pay attention to when forecasting because they usually hint to what what the weather is going to be moving in. I wanted to go over air masses because next week I am going to talk about the boundaries of air masses or what are commonly called Fronts! Yayyy! Get excited!!


Photo From:
geospatial.gsu.edu

Myth: Tsunamis are One Big Giant Wave

Myth: Tsunamis are one big giant wave.

In honor of this week being National Tsunami preparedness week!! I thought I would do a myth buster for your lovely Monday morning!

Answer: No way! The picture above is not real!

The Science:  A tsunami is a series of low, fast and long ocean waves that can be caused by and earthquake or a sudden displacement of water. And most of the time the wave moves in all directions. Basically, just think of a tsunami as a wave that keeps on coming, not a huge tall wave. It's like a flood from the ocean or bay. I know that's not very scientific, but it is the only way I can think to explain it. The picture below is an actual picture from Japan.


Info/Picture:

baghdadbythebaysf.com

telegraph.co.uk

Throwback: Hurricane Irene

In late August of 2011, Hurricane Irene formed in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. It first made landfall in the Bahamas, then took a turn to the north.  Hurricane Irene weakened to a Category 1 hurricane before striking the North Carolina coastline with sustained winds at 85mph. It then continued northward skirted along the Jersey Shore and completely made landfall over Brooklyn, NY. Below is a track of Hurricane Irene.

As Hurricane Irene continued northward into New England, it continued to reek havoc. Strong winds and heavy rainfall devastated Vermont and New Hampshire.  Total storm damage cost 15.6 billion dollars, which makes Irene the 7th costliest hurricane. The cover bridge below is just one of many that were destroyed because of Hurricane Irene, and most of these bridges were over 100 years old.











To check out more Hurricanes that have hit the East Coast check out my earlier blog post, East Cost Hurricanes Through the years.


Photo and Info From
noaa.gov
vtdigger.com

Wacky Weather: Late Season Snow Storms

Happy First Day of Spring!!! Although, most of us still feeling a winter chill. In meteorology talk, there is a blocking High Pressures system in Canada keeping the Jet Stream south giving the MidWest and East a very active and cool weather pattern. Unfortunately, for you looking for spring, this pattern looks to persist into the first week of April. I found a graphic from AccuWeather that perfectly describes what I am trying to say.

The most recent winter storm hit the northeast yesterday, dropping anywhere from 1 to 6 inches of snow from Philadelphia to New York.  And models are hinting to yet another late snow storm for the MidWest and East next week! Get ready, winter is not over yet! (even though I wish it was)



Photo From:
accuweather.com

Forecasting 101: Flooding Types

As Meteorologist, one must look at several factors in order to decipher whether some sort of flooding is possible. Remember, it doesn't always have to rain in your backyard for it to flood. 

There are various reasons that flood can occur under, for example; multiple days of rain, snow melt, poor drainage. However, to break it down there are three main types of flooding.

1. Is your A-typical Basic Flood, which is commonly called "river flooding". This type of flood is caused by an overflowing river or some similar body of water that last for an extended amount of time, usually greater than 12 hours. This type of flooding is generally due to an excessive amount of rain over a couple of days. However, snow melt can be another cause.

2. Flash Flooding, is when an area receives an excessive amount of rain in a short time. This type of flooding can cause poor drainage areas to flood very suddenly. A big cause to flash flooding can also be leaves or clog drains, because there is no where for the water to drain in piles up and floods. Flash Flooding is probably the most severe kind of flooding because it can happen so quickly and catch people off guard.

3. Coastal Flooding, occurs when strong onshore winds push water from an ocean, bay or inlet onto land. This type of flooding can form from storm surges associated with tropical storms and hurricanes, or can be associated with non-tropical storms such as "nor'easters".



Info/ Picture From:
Noaa.gov
weather.com
news9.com

Flood Safety Awareness Week

Thought I would inform you all that it is Flood Safety Awareness Week. It floods somewhere in the United States or its territories nearly every day of the year. Flood waters have caused about 8 billion dollars in damage in the past 30 years as well as claiming about 100 lives per year. That is more then hurricanes and tornadoes! Being prepared in advance and knowing a few flood safety tips will help you and your family survive a flood if it happens in your area.

Know your risk! Ask yourself, Do you live in a flood prone area? If you are not sure contact your local National Weather Service office and find out. Knowing this information is very important!

Do you live by a river? If so it might be a good idea to visit and maybe even book mark the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS). This service forecast how high the flood waters will be across the United States.

The most important thing I can tell you is if a road way is covered by water, DO NOT TRY TO GO THROUGH! Driving is actually the biggest killer when it comes to Flood Waters.



These are just a few tips to help you prepare for a flood. For more information, please visit The Flood Safety Awareness website at www.floodsafety.noaa.gov

Knowing your flood risk, how to prepare for and actions to take before, during, and after a flood can save you time, money, and even your life. 

Photo and Info From:
Noaa.gov

Throwback: Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami

Monday marked the two year anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. March 11th, 2011 Japan experienced a 9 magnitude earthquake. This massive earthquake then sparked a tsunami which hit the Japanese coast just minutes after the earthquake. Survivors said that they wave reached about 23 feet in height. Unfortunately, 2994 lives were claimed during this event and over 6000 people were injured. Japan is still suffering from the effects of this event. In fact, according the Japanese Government over 300,000 are still homeless due to the event.

One of the biggest worries from this disaster was the fact that there were several Nuclear Plants in danger from the tsunami waves. Below is a map of Japan and where all of the Nuclear Plants are located. The experts claim that the radiation that was leaked at Fukushima was non life threatening.


Photo/Info From:
freeandhandy.com
planetearthandhumanity.blogspot.com
ouramazingplanet.com
forbes.com
hiroshimasyndrome.com