Snow Poll

There is some buzz now on the weekend storm. As a scientist and broadcaster, I say it is dangerous to put a number out too soon. There is not enough data to support total snowfall more than 48 hours before it 'starts'. If the storm does not verify, or changes the public sees you crying wolf. I posted a poll at the right to see what you think. What's better? Trying to hit a home run and risking a strikeout, or analyzing data and being responsible to the public. Regardless of my opinion, I will act on your votes here on this blog. I welcome your comments as well.

TerribleTues-day?

Let's start off with what we missed yesterday. I pointed out the warm air to the south, but this is ridiculous. While we were stuck at 47F, Richmond hit 79F! If you read my blog last Friday/Saturday which discussed this warm up just missing us, I truly never expected anything like this.

OK- Parents know about those 2's...sorry for the bad pun, but there is so much to talk about today: Ice Storm in the mid west, Sub Tropical Storm near Puerto Rico, and a weekend Winter Storm for us???
The ice storm in Oklahoma might be the worst in recent memory with power outages, trees snapping and covering roads, a morning tally of 18 deaths - it's just bad! All is not OK in OK. Check out this scary statement the NWS posted yesterday:

THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE TULSA AREA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY. SOME INTERSECTIONS MAY NOT YET HAVE TEMPORARY FOUR WAY STOP SIGNS. CALL 911 FOR LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCIES ONLY. PLEASE DO NOT HANG
UP IF YOU CALL, YOUR CALL WILL BE ANSWERED. THE TULSA POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ON OPERATION SLICK STREETS. IF YOU HAVE A NON INJURY ACCIDENT, DO NOT CALL 911. THE POLICE WILL NOT RESPOND. ALL HOSPITALS EXCEPT THE OSU MEDICAL CENTER AND HILLCREST MEDICAL CENTER ARE OPERATING ON BACK UP POWER. AEP-PSO HAS PRIORITIZED RESTORING POWER TO HOSPITALS FIRST. IT COULD TAKE SEVERAL DAYS FOR THE POWER TO BE RESTORED TO ALL HOMES. DO NOT SEEK SHELTER FROM THE COLD AT AREA HOSPITALS. SEEK SHELTER AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...

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The tropics continue to be active as 'Sub Tropical' Storm Olga was named yesterday. This once again brings up the question of naming storms. Recently the National Hurricane Center began the practice of naming 'sub tropical storms'. Not full Hurricanes! Some forecasters believe this is falsely inflating the numbers to justify - well either their off season purpose or the seasonal forecast. Either way, it counts as another one on the list - post season and will be a central Caribbean event this week. Click the image for a full view.

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The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) signal this weekend is going negative, which supports coastal snow storms for us. That is mainly due to the final push of the Midwest ice storm strengthening when it moves out to the ocean on Thursday. Here is the GFS outlook for Sunday showing a large coastal storm off of the DE coast. Both the Canadian and GFS support this, but plotting an ice/snow line this early would be purely guesswork. At this time, I would hedge my bets on a mix developing late Saturday, turning to snow on Sunday. For reference, since the GFS did the best job with this storm, I will continue to show this model's projections for Sunday morning. Remember that timing and position can vary widely over the next few days, so it's a little early to get really excited.

Monday Makeover?

For some maybe, but essentially more of the same. This was the scene at 5:00am this morning: Dense Fog Advisory since it was so thick it was hard to see street signs and other cars on the roads. BWI 39F, yet Richmond, VA was at 63F. Wow! Although the fog was worse north of B'more, and not that bad downtown, the moderate rain that fell between 4-6am just made it ugly. The temperatures at that hour told the true story. I telestrated this stationary front that has been plaguing us all weekend, and will do so most of this week. Combine chilled ground from recent snow, moisture from falling rain, and warm, moist air trying to move our way- and Fog is often the result. This boundary is essentially the polar front. Click over to the TV GRAPHICS, RADARS and CAMS tab. The second link down has the national temperature map, and you can see the polar plunge in the nations heartland. Not much push for the cold air to move, just stay in place, and we just make it on the mild side, or do we? Figuring out these fronts is one of the hardest things. It's safe to say we stay out of the ice, but how far north that warm air makes it, could be the difference between low 40s and mid 60s. I did forecast the Eastern Shore to hit 65F (Easton), while the chilly air gets dammed in Cecil county stuck in the 40s. The rest of us should hit near 50F or so. Regardless, it looks like we are in for showers from this front through Thursday. At early glance, Saturday may bring the next chance of snow, stay tuned...

1 Degree of Sanity

So last night ended up to be a whole lot of nothing. Well, rain- since temperatures stayed at 33F at BWI and most of central MD. So much for that snow burst in the afternoon and Advisory. I don't make the Advisories, nor does any other TV weather guy. That is a government issue from NWS. All I can do is pass it along, even though I did not expect it. Sort of like my findings of this web image on Internet Explorer. I just found out the IE6 does not support my programs CSS files. Please try the browser link in the upper right to see what I mean...
The worst thing about snow- when it melts. A lot of that today around here. Tonight it's more of the same- rain or freezing rain. This next wave is going to be a matter of not temperature degrees, but degrees of latitude. Here are the GFS maps for Monday, since it did the best job last week with the snow on the 5th. Where does the front set up? On the left is the surface map and 12 hour precipitation. On the right is the 850mb temperature map. This level is roughly 1500m or 4,500 ft above the ground - but changes all of the time. This level helps us with ice events as well as expected temperature down at ground level. You can see I've circled the 10C in yellow, which would put us in the 60s, but the 0C in light blue is in northern PA. A sharp contrast in a close area. I still expect rain, but there will be a range of temps close to 40F or 60F depending on how far north the front can get. The atmospheric tendency has been to verify a little farther south that model predictions. That would eliminate the the GFS aiming for 60F on Monday. Although I would feel safe in the low 50s. The one caveat, if we get sun after morning rain, or the wave in OH gets stronger. That would lift the front north and would increase our likelihood of jumping on the heat bandwagon. I'm taking the rest of the weekend to watch my snow melt. It may be another two weeks until we can get more.

Noon Update

A Winter Weather Advisory was posted just before noon for tonight and Saturday morning through 6am. Looks like the cold air hangs on with another wave of moisture. Icing likely after dark for most of us. North near the PA line 1/2 to 1 inch of snow by morning. This is tough to line up since it will be warm air at cloud level that will determine who gets snow or sleet. Either way, it's light, but enough to be a pain. Click image for larger view. Updated Maps on Weather Graphics Page.

Getting More...Online and Outside.

First, I wanted to ask you to try another web browser if you are using Micr. Int. Explorer. I've posted a link here on the right. I tested my site on Explorer yesterday, and it looks quite different. I was quite disappointed. From the banner, colors, and it was missing some elements. Just give this browser a try. It's free and will work much better overall. You might actually thank me.
As for more snow.. A lot of people have asked if this start indicates a snowy winter. That's like expecting the Orioles to make the playoffs when they do well in April. We might have a better chance though, but no guarantees - yet. Today, I would focus more on light and mix. It has raced in here, and I first began to adjust my forecast on TV at noon yesterday. This morning, my car thermometer (at 3:45am) was down to 13F in Hunt Valley. BWI hit 14F. Then this cloud deck rolled in, and any heat that rose up overnight, was bounced back down to the ground, so BWI was back to 20F at 6am. This system will track just north and west, which isn't a great track for us. So On that fast pace, it now appears that it could arrive earlier, with some snow, but still be light. This is the leading edge of warmer air, which will still bring us rain this weekend as we get back into the 40s.

Afternoon Update

I don't normally post twice a day, but wanted to share a few things. First this visible satellite image from mid day shows the snow pack under clear skies. If you look close enough, you can make out some rivers and mountains that look darker. ALBEDO: Measurement of solar reflection. That explains today's glare off of this fresh snow pack, and holding our temps lower than forecasted. Look at the Nation Temps on my Weather Graphics - Radars and Stuff. That cold air may hang on with next system moving in Friday afternoon. I now see us with sleet or a mix at the start. More on TV and here Friday...

'Thursday' Morning Quarterback

Yesterday I gave myself a mid day report card of a B. This morning, I'd say between a B and B-. Is it wrong that I am upset for undercutting the snow? A little humble pie? In retrospect, I did blog early this week that this track would often give us the higher end of snow, and the bulls eye was in Central MD. Also, I have been pointing to Dec 5th for about a month (well for the past few years too). However, I was afraid to pull the trigger yesterday morning for this first event. Honestly, I never would have gone higher than 4" though. Here is one of our report maps. I have another on on my Weather Graphics and Cams Page. Below you can see some Doppler Estimates. Click on each image for a full view.
What I got right: It snowed, it was worse after 3pm, and I was the first to put out accumulating amounts. What I got wrong: Morning snow - was from a second Low that developed ahead of the clipper. This gave us the added 2-3 inches. Some roads were icy during the day. that was due to temps staying 3 degrees colder, so more stickage and accumulation. Why? Well the track of a clipper in southern VA is perfect for us. I knew that, but rounding the base of the 500mb tough, and tapping into 850mb Temps of -6C to -8C allowed the support for this moisture to survive the trip over the mountains. The clipper itself would have given us 2-4 inches, but the development ahead of the main Low is what pushed some amounts over 6 inches. Thanks to all for sharing your pics... I will try to get some on the air or here later. Remember my full web site link is in the upper right corner of this blog.

DOPPLER ESTIMATED SNOWFALL
Click map for larger view

Mid Day Report Card

A huge response from the viewers, and lots of happy students here at Sparrows Point HS getting out early. I am not surprised, but I need to explain what happened. Overall, I give myself a B. First Dec. 5th proved itself again- see morning blog below. I've said it for about a month now. But this morning was a rough ride. Snow was on schedule, but the early burst west and south near DC melted on near freezing roads, then re-froze quickly. That was the early ice, and 4 hour ride from Harford County to DC I heard about. With air temps steady 24F to 28F, more 'stickage' on roads mid day. The lack of melting, is one reason to up my total range to near 3". Also, so banding set up from Mt. Airy to near PA line in Baltimore County already piled close to 3" or 4" in spots by 1pm. I am still holding for the main roads to get icy after 3pm. If anything, watching the main Clipper Low this evening, may actually produce 5 inch amounts in parts of Carroll County. I may also be reporting 3-4 inch amounts close to the beltway tomorrow morning. Hope you enjoyed the early gift either way. I'd rather start low and up my totals, that have to pull back.

Our Date With Destiny

It was this date in 2001 that we set the record High temperature of 75F. Since then, it has marked the first snowfall of the season. Today will mark 5 of the last 6 years. I find this truly fascinating for nothing other than coincidence. Click on the image for a full view.
Note: If you are not reading this on my new website, please use the link in the upper right of this blog.
On www.justinweathertalk.com you find:
This Blog
My TV WeatherMaps and Graphics
Local Weather Stations and cameras throughout Maryland
Radar and Satellite Page
Videos of some of my winter storm coverage in Baltimore.
Note: My December 5th Live shot (from WBAL days) is posted below...

While this is our first event of the season, and this Snow Advisory affects all of us, I expect the mid day roads to be wet. However, a burst is posts, could make some roads in Carroll and Western Howard Counties slipper. But I expect the main problem to be after 3pm. That's when the snow picks up and the sun goes down. The ride home will be slow.
As of 6am, the models are on target with my forecast, showing this clipper passing to our south. That combined with colder temps locked in place, a little more snow may fall just south along the path of the clipper. Generally I am expecting 1-2 inches for most of us. Here is the overnight model breakdown:
NGM: .16" = 1-2" Snow
AVN: .28" = 3" Snow
NAM: .15 = 1 1/2 " Snow

Please share your pics with me on the Contact Me Page or through ABC2 at weatherpix@wmar.com

Now a trip down memory lane. One of our newsroom managers reminded me of the snow angel I did on the air while back at WBAL. That was on the famed December5th back in 2002. Here is some of that coverage below. I have more if you see the tab for Photo and Video Albums above (on full web site)

Falling Temps, Flying Leaves, and Flakes

Today: Blustery! What is the true definition of that? I usually consider it when the wind comes in bursts, surges, and makes it feel colder. Today would fit. As temperatures struggle the reach 40F, it will feel like the 20s. How about the snow as well. Following a few streamers from Lake Erie down into Dixie is tough. I did mention it on the air yesterday, but did not want to push it too much. Unfortunately enough did fall to coast the ground in northern Baltimore County and Carroll County. The roads were salted this morning due to icy spots. These flurries and snow showers will continue until mid day, but be isolated. You can ABC2's StormCenter Doppler in my Weather Graphics Page. But that isn't really the story today is it?
Tomorrow it will snow. For all of us. This is the model output for the NAM (North American Model), an upgrade from the former ETA, and has a tendency to overdue precipitation. I am using it, because the other images don't do a good job highlighting this clipper.
Two things to consider: First, when a clipper passes to our south, we often get the high end or more of snow. When it passes just north, we get much less or nothing. Second, there is cold air support for all snow. The general rule of thumb is 10 to 1. So multiply these numbers by 10 for an idea of snowfall.
From overnight the range of liquid equivalent forecasts for Baltimore are:
NAM:0.27"
GFS: .16"
*NGM:0.09" (but that only goes out until Wednesday at 7pm. I will update these numbers by noon)
My general call is for 1-2 inches of snow. The timing will be afternoon through midnight. That means the evening commute could be slippery as roads tend to accumulate snow when the sun gets low between 3pm and 4pm. It should end overnight, but if we get wet afternoon roads to ice up, then Thursday may warrant a school delay. December 5th recent snow history and video of my LIVE coverage from WBAL tomorrow.

Something Blowing in the Wind

Wind Advisory Today- Gusts to 50mph
My Morning Headlines are now posted at the right. Click on the image for a full view. Also, reminder, my full web site is now ready. Click the link and you can find "My Blog" posted there in addition to much more local weather images.
I had a little ice yesterday morning, but since I live up north - I knew it was isolated. Soon we will all get to share a scene of winter. As the storm winds up in New England, a very potent Polar Air Mass moves in. The transition will result in damaging winds today. But as we jump ahead to Wednesday, the indication now is that we may repeat 4 of the last 5 years. December 5th tends to be our first day with snow in Baltimore - (More on tomorrow). Here is some of the model support:
First: My favorite for winter events is the Canadian. Here you can see the clipper in central Ohio on Wednesday afternoon. I highlighted the potential snow line in yellow, as the precipitation moves in during the afternoon hours. This type of system does not often have a lot of moisture with it, but this quick move and path likely overhead or just to our south, will give us it's full punch. Early bet on 1" accumulating or more. The real indication of the amount begins about 60 hours before the event, which would be this morning's package. If i see anything significant, I'll update it here.
Either way, the support for cold air is seen here on the GFS. A nice trough in the 850mb level showing the cold air aloft to our north continues to flow in. This map shows the important freezing line south of central Maryland. So even though high temperatures will be above freezing at ground level, cloud level support for snow is there with temperatures -4C to -6C.
Behind this, another quick moving system will reach us on Friday with wintry mix. Looks like winter is here, and glad I finished my new web site just in time. Please see the link above and surf around. If there is something more you would like to see- contact me.

This is my December. This is my time of the year...

UPDATED 1:30pm

That was for the Linkin Park fans. But, yes, I love December, and on schedule we have a winter pattern. Is it winter yet? Meteorological winter begins today and is the 3 month stretch of December, January, and February. Astronomical winter begins at the solstice- shortest day o the year. This year that is December 22nd. Either way, it has marked the beginning of a winter pattern for Maryland most of the time. I have made mention many times of December 5th for Baltimore's first snow. See below.
My new website and this blog are now at: www.justinweathertalk.com
Congrats to Wisp Ski Resort at Deep Creek Lake. They opened for the season today! Now it's all about the developing storm in the plains. As of now, what may begin as a mix will be light, but light freezing drizzle is something that could be a big problem. I remember a January morning back in '01 I think- when freezing drizzle led to over 800 car accidents in Baltimore County. Either way, a better chance for PA.

Well, the morning models don't look impressive. Here is the NGM (black background), and Canadian (white background). If anything, you can see a distinction of the precip staying just north in PA. That doesn't mean we stay dry, but anything that falls early, may appear on radar, bu dry up before reaching the ground. VIRGA. Or, it may just be very light. Temps tonight will dip between 25F and 30F, but very dry. The timing is likely well after midnight - say after 3am. I would hint at anything from flurries to some sleet, then a light mist or drizzle. Temps will be near 30F just north and west of the beltway, but safely near freezing by the bay. I've highlighted the NE to E wind expected to cause this. If we get any steady precip this far south, then we could dam in the cold air in all day. Our main shot of moisture will be the rain that moves in Sunday night. By then we should be at least in the 35-40F range, but some near freezing spots near the PA line.
That famed December 5th has a chance again this year to prove itself. I'll share that frequent historical date this week. Here is the Canadian run for Wednesday, and this clipper has decent moisture with it, as well as cold air. Stay tuned.
Note: November ended with an average temperature of .7 degrees above normal, and 1.60" of rain below normal.

Every End is a New Beginning

WINTER STORM WATCH FOR PA issued around Noon for SUNDAY MORNING. I'll post tonight if MD gets on board.
Today is the end of a few things... First November 30th marks the end of Hurricane Season. A season that has been marred with ridicule. First the new director of the Hurricane Center had to resign after criticizing the lack of funding for old satellites. The expected active season was a dud. Yes we had 14 named storms, 5 Hurricanes, of which 2 were major. But this article in the Miami Herald points out the miss by the forecasters. This article from the Houston Chronicle suggests that some storms did not deserve a name. I agree and had blogged about these Sub Tropical systems early in the season.
Which brings me to the new beginning: My new web site is ready! This link will take you to the What's New Page. Don' forget to look at the menu tabs for Weather Graphics, Radars, and Maryland Spotlights on County weather.This blog as you see it can be seen in my new site with a clean and simplified look. So the next time I mention that I blogged about something months ago, this archive will help you find it. For those of you that have built web sites, know the work involved. So doing this myself, and getting in by my deadline of December is a personal accomplishment. I miss my family, as I have spent a lot of my free time working on this. Thank you all for your support and allowing me to share my thoughts with you over the past few years. Now I can share more, along with your comments and pics, etc. There is still a little more development needed, but let me know what you think. Please remember to bookmark the new page.

I am waiting for the new model runs, so my forecast map for Sunday is what I am sticking with. As the cold air gets 'dammed in' from High Pressure in Eastern Canada, I still see a chance for a morning mix - especially north of Baltimore. The gradual warming will likely bring our high in the 40s at night. So mostly rain for this one, but some flurries possible on Tuesday. It can be found in my Weather Graphics

I may be right, for the wrong reason...

A few days ago, I mentioned that we had a pattern shift and a chance that the weekend storm might bring snow or a mix. Here is the temperature map of the 850mb level (above 3,ooo ft) for Saturday. The wind flow is still NW, and our numbers are around -6C. This (cloud) level and number are important for wintry precipitation. The problem is that it will be clear early Saturday. But it does set the stage for the approaching storm.


The models have been all over the place - especially the GFS. Initially it had a Low passing to our west in the Great Lakes, Tuesday night it shifted the track closer to us due to the strong cold air mass and developing trough. Last night, it went back west. This time of year I would expect that track. Here is the same GFS model for Sunday morning. While the storm will be a mean wind and snowmaker for MN, it will push a wind shift to the south for us. As the cold air gets pushed out, the warmer air is forced up and over developing 'over running' clouds and wintry mix. The pink is that precip, while the yellow line shows the likely freezing line. However, that upper level temperature will be cold enough that the first round might be snow or sleet early Sunday. When the real 'stuff' gets here, it should be rain. This is the type of situation where temperatures warm overnight. As the storm passes, the colder air has a chance to bring some Lake Erie snow showers here on Tuesday. Still 4 days out, and the models may shift again....

New Nasa Images

This is the Ferrar Glacier, Antarctica. This past month, NASA, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the British Antarctic Survey jointly developed this accurate image of the 7th Continent. The Full Story from NASA's Earth Observatory can be found here.
If you want to see the 3D movie view, click here or on the image.
This is independent of the recent stories that have been released expecting a mild winter. The Climate Prediction Center is building it's forecast off of the La Nina in the Pacific which historically brings milder temperatures to much of the US . I am not a big fan of this- besides my love of snow. They are limited by their computer models, and restrictions of data out of the Pacific. Recently they mis-identified the position of the El Nino, which led to a bad forecast. Besides, how often does a 3 month forecast work out. It's not any better than the 7 Day I show no TV. I would venture to say that because they are saying mild, we have a better shot of it turning out cold. We have to watch the storm this weekend to see how the pattern will set up. But at this time- we may have a better shot of over running light snow on Sunday if it arrives early enough. The wrap around snow for the east will depend on the path of the Low. This path will likely produce a modest snow storm - but for whom. Best bet now would be Detroit and Chicago.
I will have more on this tomorrow, with a few model outlooks.

Birthday of a weather legend:
Anders Celsius: 1701-1744
astronomy was his passion, but he made a major contribution to science with a simplified temperature scale. Instead of the Fahrenheit scale which ranges from freezing of 32F to boiling at 212F, Celsius developed his scale based on 100 degrees. He did attempt to turn things around, and use 0 for boiling and 100 for freezing, but this was reversed back to the way we know after he died.
From a scientific standpoint, this makes the math much easier working with the metric system (based on 10).
In terms of weather, the rest of the world uses Celsius except the USA. Perhaps we are stubborn to change, but the wider variation of numbers does make it easier to explain a range of conditions. It sounds odd to think a warm day in the summer would be 30 degrees C, instead of 86 degrees F. Yet having freezing at 0C does make sense. All upper level data is measured in Celsius and used for all mathematical computer models.
Locally, our rain was a disappointment. At least officially. BWI measured only .16", yet northern sections of Carroll County picked up much more. Manchester recorded 1.28", and is only about 30 miles from BWI. Today will be a reversal of fortunes. The warm air surged in last night, and we were still at 62F at midnight. As the strong winds shift to the northwest, we should stay in the 50s or get colder this afternoon.

Making Up for Lost Time

Despite the little warm up today and tomorrow, November temps are now just normal for Baltimore. The rain however, is -1.21" for the month, and -7.26" for the year. No doubt, we're still in a drought. But today's rain should help a little. This map here is the Canadian model precipitation forecast for 12hrs ending this evening. The yellow and orange in the mountains highlights over 1 inch (legend is in mm). While this type of system will often weaken after crossing the mountains, we should still get close to 1 inch. This cold front will also be responsible for some thunderstorms overnight.
Even better news is for Atlanta. Their reservoirs have made headlines with the potential of going dry next month. Their fortune as changed. Last week, a storm brought over 2 inches of rain. This one could do the same. A little bit a time. To put it all in perspective... Atlanta is still officially -19.08 inches below normal for the year. That is nearly 1/2 of what they should have had by now.
Beyond this storm, the colder air will make a return gradually. A taste on Wednesday, then we're back into the 40s with the next surge this weekend.

Weathertalk readers: The new web site debut is just days away....

I Like What I See

First it was flurries - last night. It's a little early to get excited about snow, even though some ski areas are open. Our below normal temperature pattern is holding, yet this is just a balance of the heat we had in October and early this month. We are now just about normal at BWI as it stands today.
This pattern change however is showing promise. Here is the early week storm as seen by the Canadian model. Here you can see over 1 inch of rain for the south- including Atlanta, GA. Definitely a pattern change for them. This storm is coming from the southern branch of the jet. A sign of a winter pattern, one that will tap into Gulf of Mexico moisture. This is a signal for improvement in the dry south US. Nothing surprising here with our La Nina pattern. So what you see next is somewhat expected...


Looking longer range, I have posted the 5 day GFSx. This is the upper level 500mb flow. The spots highlighted are vort maxes, or pieces of energy that are ingredients for building storms.
The closed Low off of the southern California coast will open up and develop the next southern branch Low. While I highlighted a ZONAL flow for the eastern US, the jet itself should be located just south of the Great Lakes. So this time, there will be colder air in place. The pattern for La Nina would have these developing Lows ride west of the Appalachians. That means snow for midwest, and rain for the B'more and the rest of the I-95 cities. But if the cold air holds like we have now, then a slight push east with the next storm could shift snow and ice potential east as well. No Guarantees! But it is something to watch. Note: December 5th has been the 1st major snow event for Baltimore 4 of the last 5 years. It is about that time....

Loss of a Legend

I did not know of the passing of this legend until I got a phone call from the WCBM newsroom. They were just asking me about the pronunciation of the man who founded the classification system for Hurricanes. It's ironic to talk tropics during this cold spell, but Herbert I got the news yesterday about a legend in the Weather World. It was a call from WCBM'sSaffir (saph- her) died the day before Thanksgiving at the age of 90. I did not know the man, but I know that in the famed year of 1969, he made a contribution to the field of meteorology by categorizing tropical cyclones based on wind speed, and damage. This was expanded by Robert Simpson - the former director of the National Hurricane Center. This Safir-Simpson scale is still the best way of communicating the strength of a storm today. A sad note: Now he joins the legendary Ted Fujita (founder of the original tornado classification scale), who dies in 1998.
It's the holiday weekend, and we all have our priorities: Thankfulness, shopping, football, and my personal favorite - the return to the cold. I have been spending my free time between the rest above- rebuilding my web page. Sounds like fun, huh? Well, I wasn't sure I was going to post this weekend, despite the fact that ski resorts (Snowshoe, WV) are opening nearby.