Natural Disasters, World Weather

Queensland, Australia readies for Tropical Cyclone Ului

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Satellite image - Tropical Cyclone Ului poised to strike Queensland, Australia. (ABM)
Satellite image - Tropical Cyclone Ului poised to strike Queensland, Australia. (ABM)

The eastern coast of Australia was on high alert as Tropical Cyclone Ului prepared to make landfall in Queensland. Packing winds approaching 75 mph (165 km/hr), the government has begun evacuations in advance of the powerful storm.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology said that Ului had shown intensification over the past six hours and was warning it may strike land as a Category 3 storm packing winds to 105 mph (170 km/hr). Very destructive winds are forecast to begin affecting coastal areas late Saturday night and into Sunday morning.

Landfall is expected 625 miles north of Brisbane (1000km) between Bowen and Proserpine. As with any cyclone, the wind presents the most immediate danger. However heavy rain raises the risk of severe flooding as 8 to 12 inches is expected in the hardest hit areas.

In advance of the storm, Queensland issued a disaster declaration which clears the way for the government force the evacuation of those at risk. Currently the communities Townsville, Burdekin, Rockhampton, Whitsunday, Charters Towers, Mackay, and Isaac fall under the mandatory evacuation orders. Resort areas along the Great Barrier Reef have already been evacuated.

For the complete forecast map and details, please visit the Natural Disasters Examiner.

Thornton Weather

After one last shot from Old Man Winter, Thornton clears up

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Thornton's weather forecast for Saturday, March 20, 2010
Sunny skies return to Thornton but temperatures remain cool.

Old Man Winter didn’t go down without a fight yesterday as he closed out Thornton’s last day of winter with a snowstorm. Today we look to start to bounce back on the first day of spring although temperatures will remain chilly.

Yesterday’s snowstorm dumped anywhere from 5 inches of snow on the eastern suburbs to well over a foot in the foothills (click here for the snowfall reports). Here at ThorntonWeather.com we recorded 5.2 inches.  March is Denver’s snowiest month with an average of 11.7 inches.  There may be more to come!

Roadways at lower elevations were mostly wet while in the high country, accidents forced the closure of some highways and chain laws were in effect. Get the latest Colorado & Denver road report here.

Today we will start out the weekend with lingering cold temperatures although we will see the return of some sun. Highs will be in the mid-30’s under mostly sunny skies as the storm system moves toward the east.

Sunday we continue to bounce back and will start to make short work of melting that fresh snow. Sunny skies will be overhead and high temperatures will be in the low to mid-50’s.

As we enter the next workweek, high pressure over the region continues the warming trend. Highs on Monday will be in the low to mid-60’s with mostly sunny skies.

Tuesday and into Wednesday another storm system has the potential to impact the Front Range although right now it isn’t looking to be as significant we the one yesterday. Tuesday’s temperatures should reach the mid-50’s but there will be a slight chance for rain showers. Overnight Tuesday and lasting into Wednesday there is a chance we could see some snow again.

The latter part of the week we will be a bit cooler than normal but still should have pretty nice days on tap for Thursday and Friday.

Colorado Weather, Thornton Weather

Winter storm arrives in Colorado; Heavy snow expected in Thornton

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Weather warnings in effect as of Friday morning. (NWS)
Weather warnings in effect as of Friday morning. (NWS)

Update, 3:50pm: The snow keeps flying and the wind keeps blowing! Just about the time you think the snow is going to ease up Old Man Winter lets it fly yet again.

How cold and wet is it?  It is cold and wet enough to have frozen our anemometer (wind sensor).  So if you are wondering why we aren’t registering any wind, you know why!  🙂 

Snow continues to fall across much of the Front Range but it is heaviest in and near the foothills. A quick sampling of storm reports shows Thornton has recorded 4.5 inches, Arvada 6.0 inches and Boulder 9.4 inches. Click here for the complete listing of snowfall reports.

We are looking for the snow to gradually decrease from north to south. However, until it does this evening we will see periods of moderate to heavy snowfall. Total accumulations by the time the storm ends around midnight will range from a few inches out by DIA to 5 to 10 inches closer to town and 7 to 14 inches near the foothills.

The winds are picking up a bit this afternoon as well and that is creating blowing and drifting snow. Visibility may be limited on the roadways so please use caution. Most main roadways continue to be everything from wet to slushy but periods of heavy snow coupled with wind may cause conditions to deteriorate.

The Winter Storm Warning will continue to be in effect until midnight tonight.  Remember that a Winter Storm Warning means hazardous winter weather conditions are imminent or highly likely. Significant snow accumulations are occurring or expected. This will make travel very hazardous.

As always, stay tuned to ThorntonWeather.com for truly local weather for Thornton. 

You can also signup to receive the latest weather alerts and forecasts via email here.

Continue reading Winter storm arrives in Colorado; Heavy snow expected in Thornton →

Colorado Weather, Thornton Weather

Out like a lion – Major snowstorm to close out winter

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Weather warnings for northeastern Colorado. A Winter Storm Warning will go into effect for Denver at midnight Thursday. (NWS)
Weather warnings for northeastern Colorado. A Winter Storm Warning will go into effect for Thornton at midnight Thursday. (NWS)

Tomorrow is the last official day of winter and Mother Nature is set to ensure the season goes out like a lion. A major winter storm will arrive over Colorado tonight and bring bitter cold and significant snowfall to Denver.

The storm system we have been watching all week has begun to move down from the Pacific Northwest and will be joined with a cold front from the north. A scattered mix of rain and snow will kick things off to the north this evening before moving south along the Front Range. That will then transition to all snow after midnight at which point snowfall rates will begin to pick up.

Tomorrow’s rush hours are sure to become a miserable mess for commuters and drivers should exercise caution. Heavy snow is likely during the early morning hours and it will last throughout the daytime.

Snow accumulations of 6 to 12 inches is possible with the highest amounts to the west. Most of the Denver metro area will be looking at 5 to 9 inches total accumulation between tonight and Saturday morning. See the forecast snow total map below.

Continue reading Out like a lion – Major snowstorm to close out winter →

National Weather, Natural Disasters, Severe Weather

85 years ago today – The nation’s deadliest tornado

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A Chicago Herald Examiner headline covering the Great Tri-State Tornado of 1925. (Wikipedia) Follow the link below for images of the destruction.
A Chicago Herald Examiner headline covering the Great Tri-State Tornado of 1925. (Wikipedia) Follow the link below for images of the destruction.

News reports portray a dreary start to March 18, 1925 with heavy rain in the morning but nothing that would foretell the disaster that was to come. Before the day was over, parts of Missouri, Illinois and Indiana would be torn asunder and nearly 700 people would be dead.

Today marks the 85th anniversary of what we now call the Tri-State Tornado. The deadly twister was of the likes that had never been seen before – and hasn’t been seen since. That morning, the U.S. Weather Bureau’s forecast called for “rains and strong shifting winds.” Nothing that would indicate the horror that was to come.

The first reports of the tornado happened at 1:01pm near Ellington, Missouri. As it moved to the northeast the twister tore through the towns of Annapolis, Redford, Cornwall, Biehle, and Frohna. By the time it exited Missouri, 11 people were dead.

Illinois bore the brunt of the tornado as it continued on its deadly path. It crossed the Mississippi River and tore through Gorham, Johnston City, Murphysboro, De Soto, Hurst-Bush and a half dozen other Illinois towns. Entire towns were reduced to rubble, over a thousand people were injured and 613 people in the state were dead.

Far from over, the twister crossed into Indiana where the towns of Griffin, Owensville, and Princeton were hit. 71 people are thought to have died in the state.

The horror finally came to an end at 4:30pm, three and a half hours after it started. The tornado dissipated southwest of Petersburg, Indiana but not until after it had covered a path of at least 219 miles and left death and destruction the entire way. From southeastern Missouri, completely across southern Illinois and into southwestern Indiana, the tornado was the longest tracking twister ever recorded.

For more about the deadly tornado, maps of the path and images of the aftermath, read the complete story on the Natural Disasters Examiner.

Thornton Weather

Winter Storm Watch issued for Thornton for Friday as snowstorm approaches

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Weather warning map
A Winter Storm Watch will be in effect for Thornton and the Front Range starting Thursday night. From 5 to 10 inches of snow is possible before Saturday morning. (NWS)

Friday is the last full day of winter and it appears the season if going to go out like a lion. A powerful system coming from the Pacific Northwest is going to bring a major change in the weather with significant snowfall for the entire Front Range.

We have been discussing the potential for this storm in our daily forecasts on Examiner.com all week. Denver will still enjoy one more day of unseasonable warm temperatures but as longtime residents know, the weather here can change on a dime and that looks to happen Thursday night.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Winter Storm Watch which goes into effect late Thursday night and lasts through Friday evening. Snow is expected to start after midnight and unfortunately for commuters it should be at its height by Friday morning at rush hour.

In their statement the NWS warns of “a significant change to harsh winter weather conditions” and that is what this system is going to bring. Temperatures are going to plummet nearly 40 degrees from the temperatures today and what is forecast for tomorrow. Highs on Friday will only be around 30 degrees.

In terms of snowfall, an inch or two will have fallen by Friday morning and then it will continue throughout the day and into the evening. Total snow accumulations for the Denver area could amount to 5 to 10 inches by Saturday morning. Higher amounts in the foothills and along the Palmer Divide are expected.

Continue reading Winter Storm Watch issued for Thornton for Friday as snowstorm approaches →

National Weather, Natural Disasters

North Dakota & Minnesota brace for widespread flooding

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More than a third of the contiguous United States has an above average flood risk currently. (NOAA) Click on the image for photos from the flood preparations in North Dakota and Minnesota.
More than a third of the contiguous United States has an above average flood risk currently. (NOAA) Click on the image for photos from the flood preparations in North Dakota and Minnesota.

With the Red River continuing to rise and expected to crest at more than 20 feet above flood stage, communities in North Dakota and Minnesota are preparing for widespread flooding. Weather forecasters are expecting that the river may approach the record levels seen just last year, potentially flooding hundreds of square miles.

The filling of sandbags and reinforcing dikes and levees has taken on a sense of urgency along the river.

In Fargo, North Dakota, the Red River was already nearly 13 feet above flood level Wednesday morning – major flood stage by National Weather Service standards. It is forecast to rise seven more feet by Sunday morning.

NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco warned in a statement that it flooding is likely to be extensive. “It’s a terrible case of déjà vu, but this time the flooding will likely be more widespread. As the spring thaw melts the snowpack, saturated and frozen ground in the Midwest will exacerbate the flooding of the flat terrain and feed rising rivers and streams.”

For more on what President Obama and the governors of those states are doing to help residents, read the complete story on the Natural Disasters Examiner.

Thornton Weather

Two days of warmth followed by a return to winter conditions

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Winter weather tree
We will enjoy a couple of days of spring-like temperatures but winter weather looks to make a comeback on Friday. (Image courtesy Shannon Vermilye)

With only three days of winter left, Thornton is looking to have its warmest day of the year thus far on St. Patrick’s Day. We will enjoy those warm temperatures today and tomorrow but Friday brings big change in temperatures and the chance for significant snowfall.

For Wednesday, there will be sunny skies across the Front Range and that will help to warm the Mile High City to temperatures nearly 15 degrees above normal. Highs today look to be in the upper 60’s and will likely mark the warmest day of the year thus far.

Thursday we will enjoy one more day of unseasonably warm weather. There will be a few clouds starting to intrude and highs will be in the mid to upper 60’s.

The big weather day in the forecast we are watching is Friday and winter looks like it may go out as a lion. A significant storm system is now getting organized and will begin to move from the Pacific Northwest and arrive in the state Thursday night and into Friday morning. This system is bringing with it plenty of cold air but also a lot of moisture. Highs of Friday may not even reach the freezing mark – almost a 40 degree drop from what is expected Thursday.

Overnight Thursday there will be a chance for snow and the timing of this system may shift a bit but right now but it looks like starting around 6:00am Friday is when it really gets spooled up. How much of the precipitation falls as rain and how much as snow is going to depend greatly on the temperatures.

As it stands, it looks like there should be plenty of cold air to make most of it fall as snow. Assuming so, Thornton may be looking at getting one of its biggest snowstorms of the year. This early it is tough to put a number on the snowfall but preliminary indications are that the mountains and foothills could receive a foot of snow and up to 10 inches is possible along the Palmer Divide.

Continue reading Two days of warmth followed by a return to winter conditions →

Natural Disasters

Magnitude 4.4 earthquake rattles Los Angeles

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Los Angeles was rattled by a magnitude 4.4 earthquake Tuesday morning.The early morning quiet on Tuesday in Southern California was broken by a magnitude 4.4 earthquake near Los Angeles. The temblor, centered near Pico Rivera, caused no major damage but rattled area residents and put first responders on alert.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake occurred at 4:04am and originated 11.7 miles below the surface of the earth. The epicenter was less than a half mile from Pico Rivera or 10 miles east-southeast of downtown Los Angeles.

While the quake was relatively small, it was felt across a large swath of Southern California. Reports indicate it was felt as far north as Rosamond, as far east as Lucerne Valley and as far as Poway near San Diego to the south.

Get all the details on the temblor from the Natural Disasters Examiner.

Climate Change

British government rebuked for global warming ads with false warning of extreme weather

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A British government ad campaign utilizing children nursery rhymes to warn about the dangers of climate change has been rebuked by a government watchdog. (DECC)
A British government ad campaign utilizing children nursery rhymes to warn about the dangers of climate change has been rebuked by a government watchdog. (DECC)

Scare tactic newspaper advertisements from Britain’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) have been banned by a government advertising watchdog agency. Two ads in a series which used child nursery rhymes to warn about the purported dangers of manmade climate change were found to have unsubstantiated claims in them.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) reviewed the ads after receiving more than 900 complaints from British citizens – the most complaints it received on any ad last year.

The two offending ads were based on the nursery rhymes of ‘Jack and Jill’ and ‘Rub a Dub Dub’ and warned of the effects of extreme weather, a claim which has long been disproven.

Without a background in climate science, the ASA relied on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) reports to determine the accuracy of the ads. In its conclusion, the ASA said the ads failed to meet code based on a lack of substantiation, truthfulness and their environmental claims.

It was the definitive statement that the severe weather events will happen that caused the ASA to take action as they are presented as if there is no doubt.

For more details on the advertisements, the claims in them that made them controversial and a slideshow of the ads, please visit the Climate Change Examiner.

Weather, natural disasters & climate news and information.