Archive: Tracton
Earthquake weather: Is there such a thing?
* Sunny stretch for now. Then what? Full Forecast | Recent record cold * Map of recent earthquakes shows enhanced activity in the Asia-Pacific. Courtesy USGS. Over the past month, the Asia-Pacific region has seen a sudden spike in major...
By Steve Tracton | October 20, 2009; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (2)
The Inevitable Doom & Gloom of Global Warming
* Our Full Forecast | Amazing D.C. Sunrise | Condoms & Climate * Doomsday Graphic by CWG's Steve Tracton I write this article with extreme trepidation given the flamethrower rhetoric witnessed in this blog and elsewhere regarding the reality-versus-fiction debate...
By Steve Tracton | October 1, 2009; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (15)
Feeling the Power of Hurricane-Force Winds
* Cooler, Showery Tomorrow: Full Forecast | Year of Science * * T.S. Danny's Winds Near 60 mph: Hurricane Tracking Center * * Danny's Impact Likely Minimal for Metro Area: Weekend Forecast * CWG's Steve Tracton faces down winds up...
By Steve Tracton | August 27, 2009; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (9)
Hazy, Hot, Humid: Think Snow!
* Possible Record Heat Today: Full Forecast * * Heat Advisory Noon to 8 PM (except far N&W: map) * * Weather Gang Live Chat About the Heat: 2 p.m. * Temperatures: Current area temperatures. Powered by Weather Bonk....
By Steve Tracton | August 10, 2009; 12:30 PM ET | Comments (9)
NOAA Says No to DHS Hurricane Modification
* Major Heat by Sunday: Full Forecast | NatCast | July Recap * Graphic (courtesy NOAA) depicts NOAA hurricane-related activities before, during and after a storm. It appears that, for now at least, hurricane modification will not be one of...
By Steve Tracton | August 7, 2009; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (3)
NOAA Hurricane Outlook to be Revised Lower?
* Heating up: Full Forecast | NatCast | Climate Change and Jellyfish * Satellite image of Hurricane Andrew, which battered South Florida during the otherwise quiet hurricane season of 1992. UPDATE, 11:45 a.m.: The Colorado State tropical prediction experts lowered...
By Steve Tracton | August 4, 2009; 11:45 AM ET | Comments (12)
Memories of the Moon Landing & Weather Folklore
* More Storms? Full Forecast | NatCast | Later: NASA Tweetup * An exhibit at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing. By CWG photographer Ian Livingston. This week marks the 40th anniversary...
By Steve Tracton | July 24, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
NWS, Red Cross Align on Tornado Advice
* Severe T-Storm Watch: Full Forecast | Nats-Cubs Forecast * Photo courtesy NSSL. Back in May, we told you that the the American Red Cross (ARC) and National Weather Service (NWS) had agreed to disagree on the recommended action of...
By Steve Tracton | July 17, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (4)
Can Wind Farms Change the Weather?
* Summer Tries to Sizzle: Full Forecast | TWC's New Morning Show * Courtesy ecopartnership.gov. Large-scale wind farms, consisting of hundreds to thousands of wind turbines spread over large areas for generating electricity, are likely to play an increasingly important...
By Steve Tracton | July 15, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (19)
Weather Makes for Summer Fun With Kids
* Full Forecast Through the July 4th Weekend * Billy and Maria are characters featured in the National Severe Storm Laboratory's downloadable coloring books for children. School's out for the summer, so what to do with the kids? Be it...
By Steve Tracton | July 2, 2009; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
What's In a Car's Name? Sometimes Weather
* Full Forecast | NatCast | Lightning Safety | How Many 90° Days? * Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud Cirrus...Hurricane...Storm...Cloud. What do these words have in common? Sure, they're all weather terms. But what else? Automobile buffs, which I am not, will...
By Steve Tracton | June 25, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (4)
The Sureness of Global Warming Skeptics
* New (6/25/09): Heartland Responds to Climate Commentary * * Related Story: Think Tank Reverses Course on Climate Lobbying * Global Warming: Was it ever really a crisis? So read the banner hanging in front of the 250 or so,...
By Steve Tracton | June 18, 2009; 01:15 PM ET | Comments (21)
Confusion on What to Do If Car Meets Tornado
National Weather Service & Red Cross agree to disagree * Stormy P.M. Commute? Full Forecast | Preparing for Hurricanes * The National Weather Service uses this picture of a mangled car to discourage people from staying in their vehicle during...
By Steve Tracton | May 28, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (15)
DHS Rebuffed by NOAA on Hurricane Modification
* Sunny Full Forecast | NatCast | Renaming Climate Change * Satellite image of Hurricane Katrina as it approaches the Gulf Coast on Aug. 28, 2005. Courtesy NOAA. The field of hurricane modification research has been largely silent since 1983,...
By Steve Tracton | May 19, 2009; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (5)
Weather Trivia: Think Trillions, Not Billions
* Full Forecast: T-Storms Today? | NatCast | Capitol Sunrise Photos * "A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking real money," the late Senator Everett Dirksen is supposed to have said in the early 1960s. That...
By Steve Tracton | May 1, 2009; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (0)
Do Solar Storms Threaten Life as We Know It?
* Cooling Down: Full Forecast | Geoengineering & Global Warming * An artist's depiction of high-energy pulses of solar wind from sunspot activity distorting Earth's magnetic field and producing geomagnetic storms. Illustration by K. Endo, Nikkei Science Inc., Japan. Courtesy...
By Steve Tracton | April 6, 2009; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (20)
Geoengineering Our Way Out of Global Warming
* Nice Weekend? Full Forecast | Cherry Blossom Coverage * An increasing number of prominent climate scientists and environmentalists (e.g., here and here) are expressing concerns that the point of no return -- when even the most extreme measures to...
By Steve Tracton | April 2, 2009; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (15)
The Iditarod: The Last Great Race on Earth
* Warm-up Underway: Full Forecast * Image courtesy Iditarod.com Several years ago I was lucky enough to see the beginning of the annual Iditarod sled dog race in Anchorage. I say lucky because I just happened to be staying in...
By Steve Tracton | March 17, 2009; 12:30 PM ET | Comments (9)
The Super-Predictable Superstorm of 1993
* Spring Takes a Sabbatical: Full Forecast | Dueling Climate Meetings * Infrared satellite image of the March 1993 "Storm of the Century." Courtesy NOAA. Sixteen years ago this week, nearly the entire eastern third of the nation was ravaged...
By Steve Tracton | March 12, 2009; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (14)
Artificial or Not, China Has Snow and D.C. Doesn't
* Our Full Forecast | Weather Channel Founder Talks Climate 'Scam' * So you want snow in D.C.? If so, perhaps we need to follow the example of China. As reported here and here, Chinese officials claim that the first...
By Steve Tracton | February 20, 2009; 01:30 PM ET | Comments (5)
Snow With Sunshine: The Explanation
* Snow With Sun: The Pictures | Full Forecast Through Weekend * In his post earlier today, CWG photographer Kevin Ambrose displays neat photographs of the sunrise on Feb. 16 (Presidents' Day) that show snow falling from a blue sky...
By Steve Tracton | February 19, 2009; 12:55 PM ET | Comments (1)
In Darwin's Shadow: The Inventor of Forecasting
* Wind Warnings & Advisories in Effect: Full Forecast | Power Outages * Today, Feb. 12th, marks the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin. Some 22 years later, in 1831, Darwin began his five-year voyage of discovery aboard the British Royal...
By Steve Tracton | February 12, 2009; 11:15 AM ET | Comments (3)
Models Knew Monster Storm Was No Certainty
Despite hype, 'Groundhogzilla' was never close to sure bet * Weekend Warm-Up: Full Forecast | When Ants Come Marching In * In his recent post Andrew Freedman justifiably criticizes the hyping last week and into the weekend by AccuWeather, a...
By Steve Tracton | February 6, 2009; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (6)
Are Scientists Overselling Climate Models?
* Milder for Now: Full Forecast | 2008 Warm, But Coolest Since 2001 * According to a 2007 report by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a group of hundreds of scientists that assesses and reports on climate...
By Steve Tracton | January 22, 2009; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (33)
Top International Weather Events: 2008
* The Latest on Tomorrow's Wintry Mix: Full Forecast | InaugurationCast * Guest contributor Robert Henson recently ran down his selection of highest impact U.S. weather events of 2008 (1-5, 6-10), while CWG's Ann Posegate reviewed her choice of last...
By Steve Tracton | January 9, 2009; 10:55 AM ET | Comments (0)
I Resolve To...
* Express & Detailed Forecast | Submit Your Inauguration Forecast * This is the time for making New Year's resolutions. Despite good intentions, most resolutions are likely forgotten or ignored by the time folks remember to write 2009 rather than...
By Steve Tracton | January 1, 2009; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (0)
'Nothing Takes Longer Than Waiting for Snow'
A Snow Lover's Refrain Welcome to winter, but where's the snow? From the latest (sometimes sensationalist) news reports, it seems snowstorms are everywhere (even New Orleans!) -- except, as local snow lovers (including myself) can attest, in the D.C metro...
By Steve Tracton | December 23, 2008; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (22)
Snow Jokes
* Full Forecast: Wet and Sometimes Warm | Close Encounter with the Moon * The recent post by Ann Posegate, Winter Weather Joke, inspired me to review my collection of winter-related jokes accumulated from various sources over the years. As...
By Steve Tracton | December 15, 2008; 12:45 PM ET | Comments (1)
Were the Pilgrims Weather Wimps?
* Good Travel Weather? Full Forecast | Snow Lover's Crystal Ball * Unfriendly natives weren't the only obstacle for the weather-challenged Pilgrims. Courtesy Dept. of Defense. "What a bunch of wimps," I remember thinking of the Pilgrims when I learned...
By Steve Tracton | November 26, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Rogue Waves: They're Real, & They're Spectacular
* Snowflakes Outside Your Window? Full Forecast | Photo Contest Winners * Estimated at 60 ft. high, a rogue wave off of Charleston, S.C., moves away from a ship after crashing into it a short time earlier. Courtesy NOAA. I...
By Steve Tracton | November 21, 2008; 11:15 AM ET | Comments (3)
Fish 'n' Chips and a Boatload of Hail
A thick buildup of hail -- yes, hail -- in Ottery St. Mary, England. Courtesy Margaret Bargmann. I was intrigued by the remarkable and unusual storm across the Atlantic highlighted by Jason's recent post, "What the Hail? Weird Weather in...
By Steve Tracton | November 6, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
Obama's Long, Stormy Journey
Riding the winds of change to victory Emerging from the political storm of the campaign. Background photo by Kevin Ambrose (CWG). Obama photo by Paul Beaty (AP) The "stressathon'' (as dubbed by Andrew Freedman to describe the nearly two years...
By Steve Tracton | November 5, 2008; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (7)
The Hairy Issue of Hurricane Modification
When last we met, authorities had approved the audacious proposal of a brash young meteorologist to save Miami from the devastating effects of Hurricane Calamity. Needless to say it didn't work, but at least there was enough leftover Prozac...
By Steve Tracton | October 23, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
Hurricane Calamity
Fictional Hurricane Calamity bears down on South Florida. Graphic created from a composite of NOAA images of Hurricane Andrew. Imagine a monster Category 5 hurricane -- we'll call it "Hurricane Calamity" -- on a steady westward, high-confidence track, within two...
By Steve Tracton | October 17, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Snow in October?
It's happened before, and although the odds are long, there's no reason it couldn't happen again. Let's rewind the video tape... It's Oct. 10, 1979. A cold rain the night before, which postponed the 1979 World Series opener at...
By Steve Tracton | October 10, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (6)
Global Warming is Real, O.K.?
Better prediction of local effects needed Observed changes in global average surface temperature. Changes are relative to corresponding averages for the period 1961-1990. Smoothed curves represent decadal average values while circles show yearly values. The shaded areas are the uncertainty...
By Steve Tracton | September 30, 2008; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (56)
TV Weather Bloopers
As I've mentioned in previous posts, my early interest in all things weather was greatly reinforced in the 1950s by legendary Boston radio and TV meteorologist Don Kent. Although he had no meteorological degrees after his name, Don was a...
By Steve Tracton | September 29, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
Remembering Hurricane Isabel, Five Years Later
September 19, 2003: After Hurricane Isabel, a man in a canoe paddles through Old Town Alexandria, Va. By Mark Young/The Journal Newspapers. How do you spell RELIEF? -- all is quiet on the tropical front. For the first time in...
By Steve Tracton | September 18, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (7)
When Hurricane Carol Came Calling
I've been a weather nut for as long as I can remember (could you tell?). I recall -- with some reminding by my parents -- becoming overly excited at the age of five or six by snowstorms. I saw my...
By Steve Tracton | August 28, 2008; 01:15 PM ET | Comments (6)
A Full-Out Effort to Forecast Olympic Weather
The success of the Beijing Olympics will be largely determined by the prowess of athletes, quality of venues and infrastructure, and the experience had by participants and spectators. But weather can be a make-or-break factor in any sporting event with...
By Steve Tracton | August 14, 2008; 11:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
White Christmas -- in July?
You've likely heard of Christmas in July, and perhaps even participated in related activities. Locally, the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation hosted an event for "children of all ages" to "enjoy a summer afternoon of tree trimming, exchanging gifts...
By Steve Tracton | July 31, 2008; 11:10 AM ET | Comments (9)
When Hurricanes Go Extratropical
In a recent post, I recounted the unusual redevelopment of the remnants of Tropical Storm Erin over Oklahoma in August 2007, a few days after it had made landfall along the Texas coast. This inland "ghost" of Erin did not...
By Steve Tracton | July 25, 2008; 11:45 AM ET | Comments (4)
It's a Thingamabobbercane
Radar image of the remnants of Tropical Storm Erin over Oklahoma on Aug. 19. 2007. Courtesy NOAA. In August 2007, Tropical Storm Erin gradually dissipated after making landfall in Texas. But a confluence of environmental factors, including abundant low-level moisture...
By Steve Tracton | July 17, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (9)
And the Weather Darwin Nominees Are...
You've probably heard of the Darwin Awards, which unofficially "honor people who ensure the long-term survival of the human race by removing themselves from the gene pool in a sublimely idiotic fashion," according to Wikipedia. Like most people, I've done...
By Steve Tracton | July 10, 2008; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (0)
Photoshopping the Weather
Is this photograph fake or real? Credit: Unknown. Fake or real? As pointed out by PBS, it's a question being asked about more and more pictures in this age of digital photography and advanced image editing software, such as Adobe...
By Steve Tracton | June 26, 2008; 01:00 PM ET | Comments (0)
Beware of Bolts From the Blue
You've just discovered the email announcing that you've inherited $5 million is not spam. You've just received a Dear John letter from your loving significant other. You've just been promoted from intern to company CEO. You're standing outside under clear...
By Steve Tracton | June 20, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Olympic Weather Prep Enters 'Actual Combat'
The China Meteorological Agency (CMA) has been busy preparing for the August Olympics in Beijing. In May, China launched the FengYun-3 A satellite, which will support enhanced weather forecasts during the Olympics, according to the CMA, and has already sent...
By Steve Tracton | June 15, 2008; 01:00 PM ET | Comments (1)
Fixing Iraq's War-Torn Weather Service
War. What is it good for?... Not weather it seems. Weather services were among the infrastructure destroyed by the Iraq war. We hear this week of an agreement between the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Italian Ministry of Foreign...
By Steve Tracton | June 12, 2008; 01:00 PM ET | Comments (0)
Bulletin: Major Storm Threatens Planet
A tremendously intense and extraordinarily large storm continues to develop, threatening the planet with winds approaching 400 mph, about 2.5 times the 156 mph threshold that would make it a Category 5 hurricane. The storm's dramatic evolution began with the...
By Steve Tracton | May 29, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (10)
Extreme Golf: Now That's a Water Hazard
Credit: Anonymous. Golf on an aircraft carrier? This would most definitely help the U.S. Navy with recruiting. I can see the ad already: Tiger Woods drives the ball right down the center of the fairway, then turns to the camera...
By Steve Tracton | May 23, 2008; 11:30 AM ET | Comments (2)
Weird Clouds... From Another World?
Courtesy U.S. Navy. Photos by John Gay (left) and Jarod Hodge (right). What do we have here?... Grist for the mill for the UFO believers out there? At first glance, the images above may indeed look to some like a...
By Steve Tracton | May 16, 2008; 11:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
In Defense of Meteorologists: Part 2
By Steve Tracton In my post last week, I commented upon the misleading (and a few flat-out wrong) statements about weather forecasting that appeared in a post on the New York Times Freakonomics blog. These statements were made as part...
By Steve Tracton | May 8, 2008; 11:15 AM ET | Comments (0)
In Defense of Meteorologists
Calling all victims of 'collateral misinformation' By Steve Tracton Q: D.C. weather tomorrow? A: Chicago weather today This, essentially, is the concluding take-home message of an article on the supposed sorry state of weather forecasting that was posted recently on...
By Steve Tracton | May 2, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Bad Forecast? Blame the Butterflies
Farewell to Lorenz, the man behind the "butterfly effect" By Steve Tracton "Don't blame us. Blame the butterflies" -- maybe that's what meteorologists should say when they miss a forecast. One person who most certainly would have appreciated such an...
By Capital Weather Gang | April 23, 2008; 11:15 AM ET | Comments (0)
Spring is Here, But Snow Hope Springs Eternal
By Steve Tracton Robins cruising around the yard. Crocuses emerging from the ground. Winter clothing clearance sales. Outdoor sidewalk dining. Snowbirds returning from Florida. Blaring sound and spewing fumes of lawn mowers. Pollen allergy sneezing and wheezing. Cherry blossoms and...
By Capital Weather Gang | March 22, 2008; 11:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
Is It Still Winter?
By Steve Tracton Considering today's weather - providing a taste of both spring and winter - the answer to this question of season may not be as obvious as the response to the old Groucho Marx query, "Who is buried...
By Capital Weather Gang | March 8, 2008; 01:00 PM ET | Comments (46)
