As seen from space, snow covers the Mid-Atlantic from Washington D.C. through Baltimore and Philadelphia to New York City. (NASA) See a larger image below.
Whether it is called ‘Snowmageddon’, ‘Snowpocalypse’ or any other array of the names, the amazing series of winter storms that have struck the Mid-Atlantic States has been nothing short of astounding. Two storms struck the region in less than a week and NASA satellites have captured images of what the scene looks like from space after the second storm struck.
Just some of the artists performing ‘We Are the World: 25 for Haiti’. Watch the video below.
One month after a devastating magnitude earthquake struck Haiti claiming the lives of more than 230,000 a band of musicians released a new song and video to aid relief efforts. Premiering at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, ‘We Are the World 25 for Haiti’ is a remake of the song originally recorded 25 years ago to aid famine relief in Ethiopia.
The song was originally written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and performed by music artists of the time. According to USA for Africa, more than $63 million was raised as the song went on to become the biggest selling single of all time.
Bringing together more than 80 contemporary artists from across the music industry and all genres, the new version seeks to repeat that success on the 25th anniversary of the original. A new non-profit organization named the We Are the World Foundation will collect and distribute funds collected via cash donations and the purchase of the song and the video.
The video and song are reminiscent of the original showing the various artists singing in unison with many performing brief solos.
Introduced by Jamie Foxx, the video intersperses footage of the devastation on the ground in Haiti with that of the artists performing in a studio. A veritable who’s who in the music industry takes part – see the complete list below the video.
February 14 to February 20 - This week in Denver weather history
Many notable weather events have occurred in Denver this week in the past, some recently. It was just last year that a windstorm knocked down trees and powerlines in Boulder. Three years ago, we saw an end to 61 days straight with snow cover – the second longest streak in Denver history.
13-14
In 1895…a cold air mass settled over the city. High temperatures of only 4 degrees on the 13th and 8 degrees on the 14th were record low maximum temperatures for each day. Low temperatures were 6 degrees below zero on the 13th and 5 degrees below zero on the 14th…but were not records. Light snow totaled only 0.4 inch. Winds were light.
In 1960…snowfall totaled 6.1 inches and north-northwest winds gusted to 39 mph at Stapleton Airport.
In 1967…high winds were widespread along the foothills where wind gusts of 60 to 90 mph were common. A wind gust to 108 mph was measured at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder. Sustained winds of 50 to 55 mph with gusts as high as 70 mph were recorded in downtown Boulder. An estimated 3 thousand dollars in damage occurred to mobile homes in Boulder. Power lines were downed over a wide area. At Stapleton International Airport…west winds gusted to 32 mph on the 13th and southwest winds gusted to 48 mph on the 14th.
In 1972…winds gusted to 67 mph at the National Bureau of Standards in Boulder. Wind gusts to 49 mph were measured in downtown Boulder. West winds gusted to 26 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 2001…heavy snow fell across metro Denver and in the foothills. Snowfall totals included: 8 inches at Evergreen; 7 inches atop Crow Hill and in Lakewood; 6 inches in Denver…Doubleheader…Eldorado Springs… Morrison…and Pine Junction. Snowfall totaled 4.8 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. Northeast winds gusted to 33 mph at Denver International Airport on the 13th.
14
In 1918…southwest winds were sustained to 41 mph with a measured extreme velocity to 46 mph.
In 1987…metro Denver received only 3 to 4 inches of snow… But the foothills west of Boulder received up to 11 inches of snow. Snowfall totaled 4.2 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 31 mph.
In 1988…winds gusted to 81 mph at Echo Lake.
In 2002…high winds developed in the Front Range foothills during the early morning hours. Winds gusted to 84 mph… 11 miles north of central city. West winds gusted to 43 mph at Denver International Airport.
14-15 in 1960…heavy snowfall totaled 6.1 inches at Stapleton Airport.
In 1965…5.4 inches of snow fell at Stapleton International Airport behind a cold front. North-northeast winds gusted to 32 mph. Winds were strong and gusty all day and caused considerable blowing snow…contributing to hazardous driving conditions mainly to the east of Denver.
In 1984…a snow and wind storm howled across eastern Colorado closing I-70 east of Denver. This was the second blizzard in less than 4 days. Only 0.5 inch of new snow fell at Stapleton International Airport…but north winds gusted to 51 mph.
More than two thirds of the United States recorded snow no the ground on Friday. (National Weather Service)
It seems so improbable that no one was sure whether or not it has happened before but there was snow on the ground in 49 of the 50 states on Friday. The unlikely event was possible thanks to snow that hit unusual places like Texas and Florida.
According to the National Weather Service, 67.1 percent of the United States’ total land area was covered by snow yesterday. That far exceeds the 40 to 50 percent normally seen this time of year.
Dallas, Texas recorded an improbable 12.5 inches of snow breaking records for the date and pushing the city to its second snowiest winter on record and its snowiest in 32 years. Not to be left out, snow was on the ground in Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia and even the Florida Panhandle.
So what was the one state that held out without snow? Hawaii. This is actually unusual as the Mauna Kea volcano peaks at 13,800 feet and often times has snow on it. Research meteorologist Tiziana Cherubini at the Mauna Kea Weather Center told the Associated Press the mountain had been without snow for a few weeks and none is in the forecast.
Officials at Rutgers University’s Global Snow Lab and with the National Weather Service are trying to determine if all 50 states have recorded snow on the ground at the same time. They have verified that 49 states have previously on January 19, 1977 when South Carolina was the lone holdout.
National Weather Service meteorologists attribute the snowy conditions to a moderate El Nino event in the Pacific Ocean and the Arctic Oscillation. In El Nino seasons, moisture streams across the south. The Arctic Oscillation brings colder air from the north dropping temperature and allowing any precipitation that might fall to turn to snow.
The history making snowstorm that pushed many East Coast cities’ snow totals into the record books has moved out. Now residents begin the monumental task of digging out from snow depths the likes of which have never been seen.
Separately, the two storms in the past week and a previous one in December ranked each in many cities’ ‘top 10’ snow events. Collectively, the storms have dumped more snow than the region has ever seen in a single season.
NOAA's new Climate.Gov website is supposed to provide a 'single point-of-entry for NOAA’s climate information, data, products and services.' (NOAA)
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced its new ‘portal to climate information’ at the web address Climate.Gov. The site is to serve as a consolidated home to climate information from across all of NOAA’s various departments. The site has potential but despite the announcement, some of the information on the site is already out of date.
The NOAA Climate Service Portal will go hand in hand with the proposed NOAA Climate Service, a new branch of NOAA that officials want to become the one-stop-shop for climate information from the U.S. government. “We envision this climate portal as the first step toward making the wealth of climate information at NOAA available in one easy-to-use resource,” Lubchenco said.
An interactive “climate dashboard” that lets users see a range of constantly updating climate datasets (e.g., temperature, carbon dioxide concentration, and sea level) over adjustable time scales;
A new Web-based climate science magazine called ClimateWatch, featuring videos and articles of scientists discussing their recent climate research and topics that cannot be relayed in charts and graphs;
Explanations and exploration of data products available from NOAA and partner agencies, with direct links to the sources of the comprehensive datasets;
Educational resources for students and teachers, including lesson plans for the classroom and laboratory, educational games and interactive media; and
Easy-to-understand fact sheets and presentations for professionals and the public about climate science, research and climate impacts.
The adjectives to describe last week’s record-setting snowstorm no longer seem adequate to describe the winter weather striking from the Mid-Atlantic to New York. A second potentially more severe storm that the National Weather Service described as ‘life threatening’ is battering Washington D.C., Baltimore, New York City and every place in between.
Storms that dumped more than two feet of snow last week were bad enough but the latest storm has introduced another element – wind. Gusts of 35 mph to 45 mph are expected and coupled with snowfall amounts of more than a foot, snow drifts to four feet are forecast for some areas.
Widespread power outages are likely to become common as the wind and heavy snow takes its toll on an already taxed infrastructure. Road crews who were still working to clear the snow from the last storm are now struggling to stay ahead of the mounting snow totals.
Blizzard Warnings have been posted for Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Baltimore, and New York City. Forecast snow accumulations range from 6 to 12 inches in Washington to 12 to 22 inches in Philadelphia and 10 to 16 inches in New York City. Underscoring the dangerous conditions from the wind and snow, the National Weather Service warning said, “This is a life threatening situation for anyone who becomes stranded.”
Officials were urging all area residents to hunker down and wait the storm out. Public schools, businesses and even the federal government have ceased operations for the day.
'Snowmageddon' forced government officials to announce their proposed new climate agency via teleconference instead of at a press conference. Was it the Gore Effect at work?
It was ironic that the announcement of the NOAA Climate Service had to be changed due to the extreme winter weather. In recent years the term ‘Gore Effect’ was coined to explain the unseasonable weather that oftentimes accompanies appearances by former vice president and Nobel Laureate Al Gore or when a global warming event is held.
Cold and snow have followed Al Gore and these events across the globe with amazing frequency since 2004. Hearings and press conferences about climate change in the nation’s capital have been besieged by winter storms and global warming events across the earth have been struck by severe cold in recent years. Just this past December, the United Nations Climate Change Conference felt the Gore Effect when severe cold and snow arrived in Copenhagen as international delegates worked on a global warming agreement.
Climate officials are quick to point out that what used to be termed ‘global warming’ is now called ‘climate change’ and has little to do with short term weather. The shift in vernacular has been made in recent years to allow climate scientists to better explain virtually any weather or climate condition that falls outside the norm.
The extent of snowfall from the major winter storm that struck the Mid-Atlantic states last week is easily seen from NASA satellites. (NASA) See a larger version below.
NASA’s Terra satellite flew over the area on Monday and was able to capture amazing imagery showing the widespread snow cover. The image to the right and the larger version below clearly show Washington D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia buried under a significant blanket of white.
Even as area residents continue to dig out from the snow and power companies try to restore power to tens of thousands, a second blast of winter is set to arrive today. That storm may generate nearly as much snow and will certainly push most major cities in the area to record seasonal snowfall totals.
Heavy Snow around U.S. Capital – February 8, 2010 (NASA)
Last year's "Summer of Storms" should serve as a reminder of the severe weather threat in Denver.
Remember last year’s “Summer of Storms” that saw a seemingly endless parade of hail, funnel clouds and tornadoes visit the Front Range? The severe weather threat in Colorado is real and it can turn deadly in an instant.
Education is key to knowing how to protect you and your family. Whether you want to be an official storm spotter or maybe just want to learn more about severe weather, storm spotter training can provide you an incredible opportunity to learn.
The storm spotter program is a nationwide program with more than 280,000 trained spotters. These volunteers report weather hazards to their local National Weather Service office providing vital information when severe strikes. Data from spotters include severe wind, rain, snow measurements, thunderstorms and hail and of course tornadoes.
Storm spotters are part of the ranks of citizens who form the Nation’s first line of defense against severe weather. There can be no finer reward than to know that their efforts have given communities the precious gift of time–seconds and minutes that can help save lives.
By completing one of these training classes you can become an official storm spotter. When severe weather strikes, you can report it by calling a special toll free number or submit your report via the National Weather Service’s website.
These are great sessions for anyone wanting to learn more about the severe weather we experience in Colorado, whether you want to be an official spotter or not. All training is free. Topics include:
Below are the dates, times and locations announced thus far. There is one this coming weekend in north Denver, two in Westminster in March and one in Commerce City in April – all are great opportunities for Thornton residents. Click here to go to the NWS site for the latest.
February, 2010 – Upcoming
Day
City, State
Time
Location
14
Denver, CO(Denver County)
1:00pm MST
note: Following National Storm Chaser conference.
There is a charge for the conference, spotter training is free.
Red Lion Hotel Central
4040 Quebec Street
Denver, CO 80216
Contact Information: Robert.Glancy@noaa.gov
March, 2010 – Upcoming
Day
City, State
Time
Location
08
Holyoke, CO(Philllips County)
10:00am MDT
Phillips County Fairgrounds
Event Center
Holyoke, CO
Contact Information: philcoadmin@pctelcom.coop
08
Julesburg, CO(Sedgwick County)
6:00pm MST
Julesburg Fire Department
Contact Information: sedgwickcooem@yahoo.com
09
Haxtun, CO(Phillips County)
6:30pm MST
Haxtun Volunteer Fire Dept.
Contact Information: jdavis@pctelcom.coop
16
Westminster, CO(Adams County)
2:30pm MDT
Front Range Community College
3645 West 112th Ave.
room TBD
Westminster, CO 80031
Contact Information: Robert.Glancy@noaa.gov
16
Westminster, CO(Adams County)
6:30pm MDT
Front Range Community College
3645 West 112th Ave.
room TBD
Westminster, CO 80031
Contact Information: Robert.Glancy@noaa.gov
29
Sterling, CO(Logan County)
6:30pm MDT
Sterling Fire Department
420 Oak Street
Sterling, CO
Contact Information: Owens@Sterlingcolo.com
31
Akron, CO(Washington County)
6:30pm MDT
rescheduled…
Washington County Fairgrounds Event Center, Akron
