WeatherHawks

https://www.weatherhawks.com/imagine-if-you-will/

Imagine, if you will… In the 1990's a voice actor named Don LaFontaine provided voiceovers for hundreds of movie trailers. LaFontaine would begin his voiceover with a baritone voice saying "In a world where…,” which has become an icon. In honor of LaFontaine, who passed away in 2008, we'll begin this article with… ...

The thermal low pressure system visible over Baja and the Gulf of California is driving the North American Monsoon, a plume of moisture over the southwestern states. Aided by inbound moisture from the Pacific Ocean, the monsoon will make for thunderstorms and unstable weather this weekend.

Seeing signs of fall colors here in Colorado. I expect colors to be muted in much of the state, with trees at the lower elevations going from green straight to brown. We'll see what develops as we get deeper into September.

If you've ever wondered where some of the regions are that are referred to in NWS forecasts, here's a map showing the boundaries, courtesy of RadarOmega. Next time you hear a forecast for snow in the central plains, you'll know where the forecasters are referring to.

If you've ever wondered what the terms scattered, broken, or overcast actually mean regarding cloud cover, here's a guide:

Cloud Cover—What It Means It’s common to read or hear in weather forecasts the terms clear, scattered, broken, or overcast. While these terms may sound subjective, they are actually defined explicitly by the National Weather Service. Sky cover is categorized by the amount of sky obscured by clouds, measured in oktas, or ei...

My latest article on the WeatherHawks website discusses the PWAT Anomaly, the variance in precipitable water above or below regional and seasonal means. When evaluating atmospheric conditions, it helps determine the chances of rain or severe thunderstorms.

Precipitable Water Revisited: The PWAT Anomaly The deviation from climatological means is helpful in predicting precipitation.

https://www.weatherhawks.com/the-how-and-why-of-our-changing-seasons/

The How and Why of Our Changing Seasons The earth’s position in its orbit relative to the sun determines when the seasons change. Most people are aware that spring begins in March, summer in late June, fall in late September, and Winter in late December. The actual date may vary from year to year by a day

https://www.weatherhawks.com/sunrise-sunset/

Sunrise, Sunset There’s more to the sun’s arrival and departure each day than most of us realize.

This is the drought map for the western US as of June 15th. If you think the North American Monsoon doesn't have an effect on our drought, look at Colorado compared to the rest of the West. The monsoon flows from the southwest, across Arizona, and into Colorado and the path can be clearly seen on the map.

For those of you who are CoCoRaHS observers or just enjoy measuring rainfall, a new rain gauge has been officially approved for CoCoRaHS observations. Made by Colorado-based Climalytics, the Tropo gauge is taller than the current gauge but the same 4" diameter, is easier to read, and better suited for taking snow cores in deep snow. You can find more information at climalytics.com.

Read my review at: https://www.weatherhawks.com/climalytic-offers-new-rain-gauge-design-for-observers/

Tropo on the left, standard Stratus rain gauge on the right.

California could be in for another round of intense rainfall as an atmospheric river approaches from the Pacific and comes ashore later this week. The danger comes as rain falls on areas of recent heavy snows, melting it and causing localized flooding. People in counties along the Big Sur region are being warned to stock up on supplies.

The chart below from the Ocean Prediction Center for 1200 UTC on 11 March clearly shows the forecast position of the AR on Saturday morning. Winds at the 500 MB level (~18,000 feet) range from 35 to 55 knots.

For more information on atmospheric rivers, check out my article on WeatherHawks.com (https://www.weatherhawks.com/atmospheric-rivers/).