WeatherBuff

Powers we all wish we had at the Monday Morning work meeting...

I'm thinking about a new office chair for the Weather Center. Any thoughts? 😅

💙 Be Weather-Ready: I'm not a full-fledged prepper, and I'm not suggesting you become one. I do have an appreciation for folks who are very well prepared for weather emergencies which may affect water and food supplies. In addition to drinking water, I have leaned toward powdered food, like dried milk, eggs and things you can just add water to. It keeps forever and it's easy to store: "Just add water". I'm not recommending any particular brands, so shop around. There is a huge variety of food available. A week's supply of the basics would be a good start for everyone.

🩵 Be Weather-Ready: If you are concerned about power failures, (and you should be), my recommendation is to focus on taking care of yourself, your family and your pets. Water is a top priority. I have a bunch of these. They're 5 gallon containers that can be stacked up to save space. The plastic is safe to store drinking water long-term. They're available at numerous outlets.

🌫️When doing my forecasts, I start at the "top" of the atmosphere and work down to the surface. We kind of need to know what's going on up high, because it affects our surface storm systems. 500 millibars is around 18,000 feet. It's amazing... you can really get a handle on how storms will impact things down here by doing the top-down approach. I'm a private sector MET, so I pay for model data, but there are free forecast model websites, like www.tropicaltidbits.com.

I have to agree, especially when I run into people who say "meteorologists are always wrong". 😂

🌙I have one thing on my "Astronomical Bucket List". That is, living until August 12, 2045. On that day, the path of totality will pass directly over my home in Colorado.
(Image credit: National.eclipse.com & Eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov)

🎅🥤Santa is going to need a bottle of water, instead of a glass of milk. Get a load of these forecast temperatures for Christmas Day across a good part of the country. Keep in mind, this is a forecast model... not a guarantee of what will actually happen. Us meteorologists use multiple models for guidance when making forecasts. The 1st map shows expected temperatures around midday/early afternoon December 25. The 2nd map shows a strong high pressure area over the southern states at 500 millibars. This is a little below the Jet Stream flow, but it's a good indication of the dry and warm conditions expected at the surface.

🔶❄️☃️ A little snow for the Colorado Foothills tonight into Saturday night. Winter Weather Advisory from the National Weather Service Denver-Boulder. * WHAT...Snow and blowing snow expected. Total snow accumulations of 3 to 8 inches will be possible in the Advisory area. Travel could be difficult due to slippery roads, and also blowing snow. Here's a look at the Advisory map, and expected snow totals by Saturday evening.
Source: NWS Denver/Boulder

🔥💨 We have a "No Joke" weather situation in store for eastern Colorado and the Foothills on Friday 12/19. Damaging wind and critical fire weather conditions are expected. A very strong low over the northern Rockies, high pressure over the Four Corners, and a low pressure lee trough just east of the mountains will cause downslope wind. Air flow will go over the higher mountains where it will dry out. Then, as the air rushes down the eastern slopes, it will warm due to compression. Wind gusts of 80-100 mph will be possible. Relative humidity will be around 10%, and temperatures will be warm. In addition to the fire risk, driving will be hazardous due to unpredictable strong wind gusts.

🔺 You need to know: https://www.nbcnews.com/science/climate-change/trump-administration-break-climate-research-center-ncar-rcna249668

Trump administration plans to break up largest federal climate research center Russ Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, said the National Science Foundation "will be breaking up" the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado.