Messages

16

General Discussion / Re: House Budget Proposal Could Devastate the NWS’s Watch/Warning Forecasts

« on: February 18, 2011, 02:30:46 AM »

Sorry for the double post (I looked for the thread in the wrong place....it's what happens when you don't frequent the site). Anyways, I am going to state that as a former intern at the NWS, all the private agencies need the services NWS provides.

Why do I say that? Here's why.

-Imagine if you had to pay for weather content. And believe me, if you've ever used AccuWeather's site, you know why. Imagine if it cost $2 every time you wanted to see a radar. $3 every time you wanted the 7-day forecast. And you wouldn't get a warning unless you signed up for the "Premium Plan" for $19.95 a month plus tax. As asinine as it sounds, it has been tried before.

-Not all stations have their own radar. I'm willing to bet 75% of TV stations use NWS radar. And, if they want a radar for wide angles, they don't have competing affiliates in competing companies' radars - they use NWS.

-The sounding reductions may be the biggest blow to them all. If any of you have used Skew-T's to forecast (and if you are in the weather weenie field, you WILL use them, guaranteed ) the only way we can judge how accurate they are is by actual soundings. The soundings are taken twice daily, just like models. (And I know about the RUC and the 06/18z runs, but that is a new thing).

 And I'll let you in on another secret. On severe weather days, we at the NWS had additional soundings per the SPC's request. Their severe weather forecasts, on which millions of lives depend on, need those additional soundings. You can't get a feeling for the "loaded gun" scenario unless you have a radiosonde in the air.

-Privately funding weather forecasting is the biggest mistake of them all (and I'm surprised that anyone would say that). Essentially, if you say "OK, the satellites, the radars, the obs grids, let's privatize them". Who do you think has $350 million to buy the satellite? $20 million to buy the obs grid? $5 billion to buy the radar network? Surely not anyone on here. Joel Myers and AccuWeather couldn't wait to get their paws on that. And if you're an independent/consulting forecaster, your information - all of it - could come from a "AccuWeather Professional" site, for which they could charge you whatever they wanted to get money from you - because you wouldn't have any data, and you'd be slave to their charges for $30/month "basic" packages, or whatever.

Be very scared. Be very, very scared if they go through with this. You don't know if that tornado warning may be there when it's three miles from your house.

17

The Game Room / Re: What Are You Watching Right Now?

« on: February 17, 2011, 11:34:25 PM »

A videotape of Match Game 90 that I'm transferring to put on YouTube later.

18

General Discussion / Re: House Budget Proposal Could Devastate the NWS’s Watch/Warning Forecasts

« on: February 17, 2011, 11:28:15 PM »

I apologize for posting a slightly political thread, but this is something where the traditional "cut funding" platform may cost more than it saves (including lives). According to http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/house-fiscal-11-budget-proposal-could-devastate-the-national-weather-services-life-saving-warnings-and-forecasts-116235429.html this article, the recent legislative changes warranted a 30% cut in National Weather Service funding. Among the cuts would include (potential impacts in parentheses):

-Reductions in balloon soundings (critical for model compilations and severe weather predictions) from twice daily to as little as once per 48 hours.
-Elimination of the Hurricane Hunter jet (essentially means we go back to 1924 in terms of hurricane forecasting; no data to assure satellite-based forecasts are accurate)
-Elimination of NWS offices (a spectrum of problems, from forecasting inexperience to decreased warning time for floods, tornadoes, and other severe - read life-threatening - weather)
-Elimination of weather observations (can't tell what the temperature is outside or make plans)
-Reduction in money spent for aviation forecasting (more plane crashes; increased chances of icing/turbulence forecasts)

Now, I'm all for the reduction in spending in general by government, but this is unacceptable. In a comparison, if the federal government cut local fire, ambulance, and police coverage by 30%, there would be many people impeached. Yet, because of the "always wrong" attitude, meteorological data may soon be harder to come by. Think of it this way (because I lived in Indiana at one time during my adult life): If it is 2 AM and a tornado is outside your house, would you like 15 minutes warning from your local NWS office, or 60 seconds warning when you hear a loud roar and the spouse says "it is a train or a plane, go back to sleep, you have a meeting at 8am"?

I figure since there is a general interest in weather activity on this board, that I would share this with you. But this goes to show that there may be a little but too much zealousness when it comes to money spending and cuts.

19

General Discussion / Re: What do you drive?

« on: February 15, 2011, 02:03:53 AM »

I promised myself any new car I would get would have more horsepower than the prior one. I started out with an '05 WRX (227 hp), went to an '04 Accord (240 hp), now I have an '03 Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (250 hp). My fave is the new one....not a lot of horsepower, but I've had that car going speeds that would make most parents cry (of course, for safety, I did it in places where no one or nobody could get hurt ) A lot of kids here...definitely buy something that's small and cheap for your first ride. (Can't tell you how many times I wrecked my Subie in the first two years I had it because I was inexperienced.)

Let's say this about my car: I get a lot of people to drive slow in front of me. Especially if I'm going to work (we have to wear a black shirt, and sometimes, I'll have a black ballcap and sunglasses on.) Nobody's going to touch the car, and heck, it's pretty comfortable on the highway (especially above 70 mph; it's like a flying carpet). One thing though, all that power comes with a price. I average about 9-11 mpg driving in the city and 18-24 mpg on the highway (281 cid costs ya something; at $52/tank of gas, you have to be selective )

20

General Discussion / Re: The Pot Belly Stove

« on: February 02, 2011, 09:27:26 PM »

For those of you who didn't remember this, here's a video from when Punxsutawney Phil came to Penn State three years ago. This is in the old weather station in Walker Building, before the renovations. A fellow recent Meteo graduate from PSU got his handlers to bring Phil in.

Punxsutawney Phil Visits PSU, Part 1

Punxsutawney Phil Visits PSU, Part 2

Punxsutawney Phil Visits PSU, Part 3

Enjoy! (Although I should have posted this yesterday)

21

General Discussion / Re: The State of the Union

« on: January 26, 2011, 09:08:50 AM »

I'm all for the Keystone Corridor (Pit-Phi high-speed rail). It's been on the table for some time....would essentially link Pittsburgh to the Northeast Corridor.

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General Discussion / Re: What Type of Cell Phone Do You Have?

« on: January 25, 2011, 07:25:07 PM »

Samsung Alias V.2. on Verizon Wireless.

23

General Discussion / Re: Needs help with Dell PC.

« on: January 25, 2011, 06:56:49 PM »

Yea, I'm curious as to how a computer with a 4800 series Radeon can't run Railworks.....I have a 3800 series and a quadcore with 8 GB of RAM and I run Crysis at 1024x768 at 40 fps.....

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General Weather Chat / Re: In need of Weather Systems 101

« on: January 25, 2011, 06:52:22 PM »

Most of the cyclogenesis (low pressure system formation) in the United States forms on the lee (in this case, east) side of the Rocky Mountains during the spring (tornado season in the Midwest), and usually, nor'easters form anywhere from Texas to Louisiana, with a second low often establishing itself off the East Coast once that low tracks eastward. (Interestingly, cold air damming can cause a hydrostatic pressure gradient; essentially meaning the pressure drops itself without any influence.)

As for Alaska's forecasting, it's actually very well covered. Geostationary satellites are actually able to view well up into the 70s in latitude, after which the view becomes too skewed. Polar orbiting satellites have good resolution, but are often unable to view the same place more than twice a day, limiting its potential as a weather observation and forecasting source.

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General Weather Chat / Re: 2010 Ties 2005 For Warmest Year On Record

« on: January 25, 2011, 06:45:55 PM »

Just remember to average your temps globally, and I'm happy. Just because 09-10 was a cold and snowy winter here doesn't mean it was an icebox elsewhere. And anyone who mentions politics gets to deal with Goobah,  the Global Warming Caveman Smiley. Survivors get to deal with me. 

Simply put, anyone who accuses the United States of being cold, and thus disproving climate change globally, should look at a hemispheric 500-mb map. If you can't read that, you have no business discussing weather, climate, or politics of the foresaid, at least in my view. (I'll even provide a source for one:  http://www.meteo.psu.edu/~gadomski/HEMI500/5dayloop.html).

26

General Discussion / Re: The State of the Union

« on: January 25, 2011, 06:38:29 PM »

I've been up since 11 pm last night. I'm going to sleep. Let the pundits deal with the politics....I'll read a summary in tomorrow's press, after I get some shut-eye.

27

General Discussion / Re: YouTube

« on: January 18, 2011, 12:21:06 PM »

I've noticed problems in the last few days also, although I'm running BOINC constantly and so that might have an effect.

28

General Discussion / Re: Your Career Choice

« on: January 07, 2011, 01:12:00 AM »

Graduated from Penn State a month ago with a major in Physical and Environmental Geography with minors in Meteorology and Climatology. I'm most likely going to work for an environmental quality company or some company that requires use of physical earth sciences, (Marcellus shale?) Later today, I'm interviewing with a real estate company for temp work, but I'm keeping my options open.

29

General Discussion / Re: Report cards

« on: December 25, 2010, 11:53:37 PM »

Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience - A-
Field Mapping - A
Human Use of Environment - A
Intro to Climatology - A
Internship - B+

Overall, I finished at Penn State with a 2.97 GPA overall, 3.7 in the major, and two 3.9 GPA semesters in a row. Awesome.

30

General Discussion / Re: Your Career Choice

« on: December 25, 2010, 11:49:18 PM »

Went to Penn State with a B.S. in Physical and Environmental Geography with minors in Meteorology and Climatology. Internships....eh, one at WEHT-TV (ABC25) in Evansville, Indiana, and National Weather Service in Pittsburgh, PA. Also helped teach introductory GIS at Penn State, and worked as the head of the severe weather forecasting department in Campus Weather Service. As for a paying job in the field, you can pray for me at night that I get one.

BTW as an aside, I forgot to post that now, I'm a Penn State Alum (class of 2010). Yay me