365 Project
During 2010, I posted a blog a day containing at least one meteorological image a day. Some are simple graphics, others are somewhat technical explanations, and most are somewhere in between. Please browse around, click on a link to see the associated image of the day, and let me know what you think!
Day 356: Snowy Christmas?
Quick post: The above image is depicting where the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center believes there is at least a 10% chance of four inches or more of snow falling on Christmas Day. I wish I were there.
read moreDay 355: Atmospheric River
As I mentioned last night, a very moist airmass is moving through the western United States. Tonight’s image is a precipitable water image of the eastern Pacific Ocean. Notice the higher returns from the central Pacific Ocean extending eastward into southern California. This sliver of higher precipitable water values extending northward is known as an “atmospheric river“. This atmospheric river is bringing copious amounts of moisture northward into southern California and is aiding the impressive precipitation...
read moreDay 354: Southern California Soaker
A very moist cyclone is currently pounding the west coast of the United States. This cyclone is bringing much needed rains to southern California; however, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Flash flood warnings are in effect for portions of southern California because of the significant rainfall. The moisture doesn’t stop in southern California. This moist plume extends northeast from California into central and southern Nevada into central and northern Utah into western Colorado, where winter storms warnings are...
read moreDay 353: Yet Another Northern Plains Winter Storm
Yet another fast moving short-wave trough moving across the northern United States will bring snow to residents of the northern plains. Winter storm warnings are once again posted for a large portion of the north central United States! Since the week before Thanksgiving, winter storms have been occurring on the order of about one every five days across Minnesota. I’m insanely jealous.
read moreDay 352: Developing Drought Conditions
Above are the last 30 days combined precipitation totals from the Oklahoma Mesonet. Notice the swath along and just northwest of the I44 corridor that has received very little rain the last 30 days? Notice how all of Oklahoma to the west of I44 has much less precipitation than areas east of I44? This lack of precipitation is leading to drought conditions across these areas, which will increase the wildfire potential during any warm periods (unless precipitation...
read moreDay 351: New Mexico Snow
Yesterday into early this morning, a late Autumn storm moved though the southern United States bringing a decent snowfall to much of northern New Mexico. Above are the objectively analyzed snow totals from a regional cutout of the National Snow Analysis.
read moreDay 350: West Coast Deluge
A strong storm is poised to affect the western United States over the next several days. This storm will bring in a very moist airmass resulting in widespread significant precipitation. Of particular interest is the precipitation maximum in the Sierra Nevadas where most of this will fall in the form of snow. Feel free to follow this event over at one of my former student’s website Powdiction.
read moreDay 349: COLD!
Tonight’s image is from Unisys, and depicts just how cold it got this morning across the continental United States. Although the temperatures are lower across the north and east, the deviation from normal are greatest in the southeast and Florida. Most of Florida last night was below 0C (32F) for a large portion of the night! The good news is that it shouldn’t be this cold tonight (in Florida, anyways).
read moreDay 348: Winter in Full Force
As some already know, I’m in the midst of a family emergency so this will be short. Tonight’s National Weather Service’s Watch Warning graphic indicates that winter is in full force across the eastern United States. Winter weather advisories and warnings in eastern Arkansas and the Ohio River Valley to Hard Freeze Warnings for most of Florida. ...
read moreDay 347: Oklahoma Highs
Unable to do a detailed post tonight, so enjoy a look at today’s high temperatures across Oklahoma (courtesy of the Oklahoma Mesonet). In the wake of this weekend’s strong cyclone, coldest temperatures were in the northeast portion of the state and warmest temperaturess in the southwest and far western Oklahoma panhandle!
read moreAbout Patrick
Patrick Marsh is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Oklahoma's School of Meteorology. He earned a Bachelors of Science in Mathematics and Physics (cum laude) from the University of Arkansas in 2005 and a Masters of Science in Meteorology from the University of Oklahoma in 2007. In addition to working on his doctorate, Patrick serves as the National Severe Storms Laboratory Liaison to the Hazardous Weather Testbed where his research interests lie in working with operational forecasters, data mining, data visualization, and all things high-impact weather. For more about Patrick's work, check out his complete CV!
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