Alaska and California seem to be stuck in a pattern since last May. A high pressure aloft over the eastern Pacific has brought abnormally warm weather to Alaska since May and dry weather to California since January. It is hard to make a case that this persistent ridge will remain in place indefinitely but, should it persist through this winter, it will have a significant impact on the California water supply.
weatherhistorian, • 6:47 PM GMT on October 31, 2013
An extra-tropical cyclone, variously named St. Jude (The Weather Channel and the U.K. Met Office), Christian (Free Univ. of Berlin), Carmen (European Windstorm Centre, UK), and Simone (Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute), swept across northwestern Europe October 27-29 with the strongest winds ever recorded for some locations and resulting in at least 16 fatalities as well as causing yet to be determined amounts of financial damage. Herein is a brief summary of this historic storm.
weatherhistorian, • 8:42 PM GMT on October 29, 2013
California is enduring its driest calendar year on record as October draws to a close with no significant precipitation on the horizon for the rest of the month. San Francisco (airport location) has picked up just 2.12” of rainfall since January 1st, almost as dry as Death Valley where 1.71” has been measured so far this year. The last significant rainstorm to hit San Francisco was on December 25-26, 2012 when 1.10" was measured at the airport.
weatherhistorian, • 7:52 PM GMT on October 24, 2013
New South Wales, Australia’s most populous state (with 7.27 million residents), has been scorched by at least 98 wild fires over the past week with, at last count on Sunday, at least 22 still burning out of control. Some 143,000 acres (58,000 hectares) have been charred so far with the loss of 208 homes and a single fatality (as of October 20th). NSW officials say these “are the most dangerous conditions seen in the state for 40 years”. Herein is a brief summary of Australia’s wildfire history.
weatherhistorian, • 5:30 AM GMT on October 21, 2013
The recent amazing rainfall total of 33.44” (824 mm) from Izu Oshima Island on October 15th, has prompted me to look at what places in the world have measured 24-hour rainfalls of 40” (1016 mm) or more. There seems to some debate as to whether Japan has ever measured such and the list of such places is a short one.
weatherhistorian, • 9:47 PM GMT on October 17, 2013
September featured a continuation of unusually warm temperatures in most land areas of the southern hemisphere including Antarctica. A record rainstorm inundated the Front Range of Colorado resulting in a catastrophic flood in the Boulder area. Deadly floods also impacted Romania and parts of Mexico, the latter as a result of Hurricane Manuel. Typhoon Usagi sideswiped Hong Kong. It was the warmest September on record in Australia and the wettest such for Moscow.Below are some of the month’s highlights.
weatherhistorian, • 9:42 PM GMT on October 14, 2013
Jeff Masters has posted an excellent and comprehensive update today concerning the aftermath of Cyclone Phailin. I will post a new blog on Monday.
weatherhistorian, • 5:55 PM GMT on October 09, 2013
For what may have been the first time in modern records the contiguous U.S. faced a simultaneous threat from a tropical storm, blizzard, tornado outbreak, and extreme wild fire threat this weekend. However, with the dissipation of Tropical Storm Karen, only a 'trifecta' was achieved. On the other hand, record heat occurred in the mid-Atlantic and flooding hit Louisville, Kentucky. Here is a brief roundup of the superlatives.
weatherhistorian, • 8:51 PM GMT on October 06, 2013
UPDATE OCT. 5: I will post a blog on Sunday with a summary of the wild weekend of weather the U.S. is experiencing. For what may be the first time in modern records, the contiguous U.S. is facing a simultaneous threat from a tropical storm landfall, blizzard, tornado outbreak, and extreme wild fire event. Or, as Chrissy Warrilow of The Weather Channel put it, a veritable Weather-Palooza (a ‘Palooza’ is a musical event featuring four or so major acts performing at the same time).
weatherhistorian, • 7:35 PM GMT on October 04, 2013
A rare tornado touched down in Puerto Rico four miles south of the town of Aguada on Tuesday afternoon, October 1st.
weatherhistorian, • 8:51 PM GMT on October 02, 2013