For the first time since at least 1950, no tornadoes were recorded during the month of February. (Chris Foltz, NOAA)
While there was plenty of notable weather last month in the United States including the severe winter storms in the northeast, tornadoes were not one weather phenomena anyone had to worry about.
According to the National Weather Service, there were no twisters reported during February 2010 – the first time since record keeping began in 1950 that February did not have any. The previous low number of tornadoes in February was 2 in 2002.
Harold Brooks, a meteorologist with the National Severe Storms Laboratory, said the last time the United States went a calendar month without a tornado was January 2003. Through yesterday it has been 36 days since the last twister struck on the 24th of January in Tennessee.
Brooks cautions against reading too much into the statistic. He said it tells us, “Somewhere between a little and nothing at all.”
Most years that start out slow in terms of tornado events end average or below average Brooks said. However, he also points to 2003 when the year started out 45 days without a tornado but by the middle of May the season was above normal.
In the wake of the Climategate email scandal, the failure at the climate summit and with revelations of errors in IPCC documents, Al Gore has been conspicuously absent - until now.
Former Vice President Al Gore had been conspicuously absent from the public eye recently. Following on the failure of the Copenhagen climate summit and new revelations of errors in key climate science reports, the Nobel Laureate was nowhere to be found. On Sunday he returned with an op-ed in the New York Times discussing the ‘attacks’ on the manmade climate change theory.
As is the norm for his work, Gore as always takes the opportunity to use over-the-top language to push for action against what he describes as an “unimaginable calamity” that will be visited on the earth. He used the liberal ‘Old Gray Lady’ to discuss his thoughts on the errors in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) work, the Climategate email scandal and took jabs at news organizations like FOX News.
Gore only concedes two of the many errors – the one concerning Himalayan glaciers and another comical one about the Netherlands finding itself flooded. He says science will “never be completely free of mistakes” and says that “the overwhelming consensus on global warming remains unchanged.”
Few would argue that science is perfect in any area of study. However, many would simply expect that if drastic measures are to be taken to combat the purported threat of manmade climate change, the science should be sound before jumping in.
March in Denver typically means frequent and rapid weather changes. The days grow longer and we start enjoying more sunshine and sometimes summer-like weather. However, on occasion arctic air masses can still force their way south into Colorado dropping temperatures quickly and markedly.
These changes are due to March’s “in between” status – elements during the month have much in common with winter and spring. In addition to arctic fronts, Pacific storms frequently move across Colorado from the west and warm moist air streams up from the Gulf of Mexico northeastward into the state. When these cold fronts collide with the warmer air masses the result can be some crazy weather.
A crushed car in a parking garage in Concepcion Chile following the earthquake early Saturday morning Feb. 27, 2010. (TVN)
Buildings lie in heaps of rubble, highway overpasses collapsed and large crevices opened in the earth following a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Chile yesterday. Aftershocks continue to rock the nation while rescuers try to reach an untold number lying buried in the remnants of towns and cities.
Yesterday’s earthquake struck the nation early in the morning hours when most residents were still sleeping. The temblor’s 8.8 magnitude rating demonstrates the power of the quake and put the event in a tie for the fifth most powerful earthquake since 1900.
Tsunami warnings were issued immediately following the quake for thousands of miles of coastline surrounding the Pacific Ocean. From California and Alaska to Hawaii and Japan, officials worried about a devastating wave that could have been generated by the quake.
Near the epicenter, Chile is under a ‘state of catastrophe’ and officials work to direct recovery efforts. Outgoing President Michelle Bachelet said, “It was a catastrophe of devastating consequences.”
Officially the death toll from the quake stands at 214 however officials warn that number will almost certainly grow. 500,000 homes were damaged by the quake and 1.5 million residents have been affected.
Concepcion, the largest city closest to the epicenter, saw widespread destruction and the greatest count of fatalities thus far. Buildings across the city were collapsed into ruin and rescuers were working to comb the rubble for survivors.
The nation’s capital, 200 miles from the epicenter, was not spared. Elevated highways collapsed and apartment buildings were reduced to piles of brick and mortar.
Rescuers were struggling to reach possible survivors as they run low on supplies and gasoline. Adding to the difficulty are ongoing aftershocks that threaten to bring down already weakened structures. More than 80 aftershocks of magnitude 5.0 have occurred since the main quake struck at 3:34am Saturday.
Officials with the U.S. Geological Survey said yesterday’s quake was several hundred times more powerful than the magnitude 7.0 quake that devastated Haiti last month. Chile however is in an earthquake-prone region and newer buildings have been built to withstand quakes.
The service also said that the Chile quake was centered 21.7 miles beneath the earth’s surface, considerably deeper than the 8.1 mile depth of the Haiti quake. Its magnitude 8.8 rating puts it in a tie as the fifth largest earthquake to strike the globe since 1900.
Smoke and haze are clearly seen over Santiago, Chile after the earthquake in this image released by NASA. See larger before and after images below. (NASA)
The quake has caused tsunami warnings to be issued for most of the nations along the Pacific including Australia, Japan, Russia, Indonesia and the Philippines. In Hawaii, the tsunami arrived in recent hours and it appears the state will escape relatively unscathed.
NASA’s Terra satellite flew over the stricken area today and the agency released ‘before and after’ photos that clearly show the smoke and dust. For complete coverage of the earthquakes, please visit the Natural Disasters Examiner.
Haze Over Santiago Following 8.8 Earthquake
After Image
Before image
Haze lingered over the metropolitan area of Santiago, Chile, following a magnitude 8.8 earthquake on February 27, 2010. In an image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite at 14:25 UTC, black smoke hung over the northern part of the city, while light-colored haze (perhaps pollution and/or dust) covered the southern part of the city and filled a canyon that cuts eastward into the mountains. The lower image, acquired on February 23, shows the city and surroundings under clear-sky conditions.
NASA images provided by the MODIS Rapid Response Team. Caption by Rebecca Lindsey.
February 28 to March 6 - This week in Denver weather history
Wild weather is a fact of life in Denver and in Colorado in general. We see that consistently in the history books and this week demonstrates that. As usual we see high wind events and extreme cold. Also notable is that as we enter the month of March, we start to see occurrences of those heavy, wet spring snows that can wreak havoc.
From the National Weather Service:
22-29
In 1960…heavy snowfall of 6.1 inches at Stapleton Airport on the 22nd and 23rd marked the beginning of a protracted cold spell which lasted until the end of the month. The cloudy… Cold weather was accompanied by occasional light snow or flurries and fog. New record low temperatures for the dates were set on the 24th thru the 29th with the lowest temperature of 11 degrees below zero on the 28th. The seven consecutive days of low temperatures of zero or below had been exceeded in duration only 4 times previously. New low maximum temperatures for the dates were set on the 23rd… 24th…and the 26th thru the 29th with the lowest maximum temperature of 8 degrees recorded on the 26th.
27-28 in 1918…heavy snowfall totaled 9.6 inches in downtown Denver. Most of the snow…8.4 inches… Fell on the 27th.
In 1931…a major winter storm dumped 12.0 inches of heavy snowfall over downtown Denver. This is the greatest 24 hour snowfall ever recorded during the month of February. North winds gusted to 18 mph on the 28th.
In 2006…a warm spell resulted in 3 temperature records. The high temperature of 73 degrees on the 27th equaled the record high for the date. High temperature of 77 degrees on the 28th was a record high for the date and equaled the all time record high temperature for February first set on February 4…1890.
28
In 1896…northwest winds were sustained to 54 mph with gusts to 65 mph. The winds warmed the temperature to a high of 56 degrees. This was the second consecutive day of strong winds in the city.
In 1958…at Stapleton Airport… Snowfall totaled 5.3 inches and northeast winds gusted to 24 mph.
28-1
In 1875…6 inches of snow fell from 3:15 pm on the 28th to 1:00 am on the 1st. Precipitation for the two days was 0.50 inch.
29
In 1896…southwest winds were sustained to 41 mph with gusts to 60 mph. This was the third consecutive day that strong winds occurred in the city.
In 1992…Chinook winds gusted to only 25 mph at Stapleton International Airport…but warmed the temperature to a high of 70 degrees…which equaled the record for the date first set in 1940.
In 2004…only light snow fell across metro Denver… While a blizzard raged across northeast Colorado. Both I-70 and I-76 were closed to the east of Denver by winds gusting to 60 mph producing drifting snow to depths of 2 to 6 feet. Snowfall was only 1.6 inches at the Denver Stapleton site. North winds gusted to 41 mph at Denver International Airport.
29-1
In 1896…snowfall totaled 5.5 inches in the city. Northeast winds gusted to 24 mph.
In 1948…snowfall totaled 5.9 inches in downtown Denver. North winds were sustained to 15 mph.
1
In 1904…west winds were sustained to 42 mph with gusts as high as 58 mph. The Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 67 degrees.
In 1906…snowfall was heavy and totaled 7.5 inches over downtown Denver. Northeast winds were sustained to 37 mph.
In 1940…snowfall was heavy and totaled 7.7 inches in downtown Denver.
In 1943…6.0 inches of snow fell over downtown Denver. North winds were sustained to 19 mph.
In 1956…west-northwest wind gusts to 52 mph were recorded at Stapleton Airport.
In 1961…a wind gust to 65 mph was recorded at the Colorado building in downtown Boulder. The high winds caused some minor damage. Northwest winds gusted to 43 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1974…a wind gust to 77 mph was recorded in Boulder. Southwest winds gusted to 37 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 2002…upslope conditions caused heavy snow to develop in and near the eastern foothills. Snow totals included 14 inches at Eldorado Springs and near Genesee; 13 inches atop Lookout Mountain; 12 inches in Coal Creek Canyon; 10 inches in Nederland and just east of Boulder; 9 inches in Boulder and Morrison; and 8 inches at Broomfield…Erie… Golden…Louisville… And Littleton. Snowfall totaled 6.5 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. Northeast winds gusted to 31 mph at Denver International Airport.
Tsunami wave travel times as a result of the magnitude 8.8 earthquake near Chile. (NOAA)
One of the largest earthquakes since 1900 struck off the coast of Chile early Saturday morning prompting tsunami warnings, collapsing buildings and claiming an unknown number of lives. The magnitude 8.8 temblor struck at 3:34am local time (06:34 UTC) and has been followed by more than 50 significant aftershocks.
At the current time, many eyes are focused on Hawaii. A tsunami has been generated by the quake and is expected to arrive in Hawaii at 2:05 MST.
Saturday, February 27th, 2010
Update, 12:12pm MST – Powerful aftershocks continue to rock Chile. According to the U.S. Geological survey, more than 50 aftershocks of magnitude 5.0… Keep Reading »
Satellite imagery of a major winter storm striking the northeastern United States, Friday, February 26, 2009. (NASA)
Yet another major winter storm smashed the northeastern United States on Friday snarling travel, closing schools and knocking out power to 1 million. The latest storm adds to the region’s astounding snow totals for the season and has already resulted in further breaking records.
With the latest storm, strong winds added another element to the heavy snowfall. From Pennsylvania through the nation’s capital to New York and New England, the havoc was widespread. All told, power companies across the region said more than 1 million residents and businesses were without power.
In New York, the city’s famed Central Park had received 16.9 inches of snow as of 7:00am today. That total gives the city 35.9 inches for the month sending February 2010 into the record books as New York City’s snowiest month on record.
Reflecting the extraordinary snow, New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg shuttered the nation’s largest public school district for the day. Three fatalities as a result of the storm have been reported, one of which was a man killed in Central Park when a snow-laden tree branch fell on him.
Other snow totals across the area were impressive. Greenwich, Connecticut reported 10.6 inches. Lodi, New Jersey led that state with 18.3 inches. In New York, Monroe reported 31.0 inches.
Rain was a problem on the northern parts of the storm system. Southern and coastal Maine is expected to receive up to 3 inches of rain prompting flood warnings in the state and in New Hampshire. Other portions of coastal New England were under similar advisories.
Travel was disrupted as well as more than 1,000 flights out of New York City’s three airports have been cancelled Friday. Philadelphia saw cancellations at its airport and ground travel was snarled.
File - Rajendra Pachauri,the head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Many climate ministers are growing increasingly concerned about the IPCC and Pachauri's ability to lead the panel. (World Economic Forum, Flickr)
Faced with falling public confidence in climate science, the United Nations announced it would conduct a review of its climate arm, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The panel’s work has come under heavy fire in recent months and its leader, Rajendra Pachauri, now is lacking support from international climate ministers themselves.
At a meeting held by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) in Bali, ministers recognized the many errors and are seeking to reassure the world their science is sound. Privately, ministers have expressed embarrassment at the errors and frustration at the handling of the issues by Pachauri.
Nick Nuttall, UNEP spokesman, told reporters that details of the review would be announced next week. The makeup of the group “will be senior scientific figures,” he said. “I can’t name who they are right now. It should do a review of the IPCC, produce a report by, say, August and there is a plenary of the IPCC in South Korea in October. The report will go there for adoption.”
In a private meeting with the governing council, Pachauri did little to reassure them of his ability to lead the panel going forward. He expressed ‘regret’ for the errors but did not apologize, adding to the frustration of the leaders. The IPCC’s leader further only admitted to the Himalayan glacier error calling the dozens of others ‘misunderstandings.’
NASA's Terra satellite captured amazing images of snow across the Rocky Mountain region. See below for a larger picture covering a much larger area. (NASA)
Winter weather arrived over the Rocky Mountain region this past weekend covered the entire area in a blanket of white. NASA’s Terra satellite captured amazing images of the snow cover across parts of 10 states.
From Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming across to Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota, Salt Lake City to Denver and the Grand Canyon through New Mexico to Oklahoma the images are amazing. Few areas across the thousands of square miles are spared snow in the images.
NASA’s Terra satellite and its Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) routinely capture stunning images.
Snow cover stretched from South Dakota’s Mt. Rushmore to Arizona’s Grand Canyon in late February 2010, after snowstorms blanketed the Rocky Mountains. Mostly cloud-free skies allowed the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite this largely unobstructed view of the western continental United States on February 23, 2010.
From northern New Mexico, the Rocky Mountains stretch northward through Colorado and Wyoming. Along the eastern face of this mountain range, rugged terrain gives way to prairie, including the flat topography of eastern Wyoming and Colorado. Mountains extend far westward, however, with snow cover accentuating mountain peaks all the way to Salt Lake City. The snow-free Grand Canyon snakes a serpentine path in the southwest, but the land surrounding that park is snow covered, as is much of northern Arizona and New Mexico.
NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, Goddard Space Flight Center. Caption by Michon Scott.
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