Heckuva way to be welcomed back to KC to facilitate another NWS Foundations class. I’ve got a car but being sleep deprived from an early travel day is not the best way #stormchase (and no navigator). May be another close call for KEAX… #kswx #mowx
Successes like Artemis II reignite my childhood dream of becoming an astronaut even after living through Challenger and Columbia. Amazing what science and engineering can do…
Attn: @deeplycloudy.bsky.social @stephanieway.bsky.social @ctillier.bsky.social . Another good bolide for GLM cross reference and this one is further north…
Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum. Right as we pulled into the parking lot.
My Jeep “The White Knight” hit 100,000 miles after 13 years. COVID work from home helped delay this from happening sooner. Now to see how long the Jeep will hold together.
My JK Unlimited Rubicon just hit 100K miles after 13 years. COVID work-from-home helped delay this; “The White Knight” has been on easy-med trails, lots of winter driving, & too many storm chases to remember. Wish I had a full mechanic’s garage to do 100K maintenance myself, it’s $$$ & lots of time
My trend continues. About 5-6 years after I move for work, new region experiences a record heat/drought. Fingers crossed we get an active monsoon for some mid-summer relief. Otherwise, rebuilding the Corsi-Rosenthal Box to filter smoke particulates out of the air in the house (and office maybe) 😷😞
Enjoying the outdoor fire pit after watering the trees and plants that are starting to grow. Bright orange flames about a foot over the top of the lava rock base
Taking advantage of a light evening breeze after watering the spruce and plants that are starting to come out of dormancy. Probably won’t do this often if we continue to dry out. Or natural gas futures go through the roof (both equally possible)…
Sa Tế Tỏi Phi or spicy fried garlic chili oil from Da Lat Vietnam. Makes me believe red peppers in North America are getting bred to be less hot/spicy compared to the Asian counterparts
My fam has been holding out on me; they brought back spicy fried garlic chili oil from Da Lat, #Vietnam. Found it in spice rack when I got home. Spicy enough to give the scalp tingles and nose run but not obliterate taste buds. N America red peppers must be getting weaker when compared to this stuff
Sunrise over KMCI airport after a successful 2.5 weeks of the first NWS Academy cohort.
Sunrise over KMCI after a successful first NWS Academy training course. 6 to 8 months in development led by amazing team leads, I hope our 51 students are ready to continue their NWS career w/ a solid understanding of probabilistic forecasting & IDSS. Now to iterate & make better for next round!
Or in other words, United is going to force flyers onto already more expensive tickets by removing typically cheaper times/routes. More people, higher ticket $$, fewer options = more profit. (And airlines have major operations to hedge on fuel prices so more money short term until contracts expire)
Looking to see if I’ve got time for a morning run in KC before the front hits (nope) but did catch this interesting loop of undular bores. Can’t quite remember seeing such clear velocity signatures in the wave pattern either…
Al Moller constantly reminded me records were meant to be broken. However, I don’t think he realized how many would start to fall as people spread, resources dwindle, and the climate changes. Sad he’s not around but I’m sure even he would be surprised at how often this is happening.
Easiest. Chase. Ever. Walked out the hotel near the NWS Training Center and had a left mover come just south of us. 3” hail 2 miles south so it was a close call.
Moderate snow falling in Broomfield, CO, guessing 1.5-2” in 2 hours.
I’ve got a Jeep with Three Peak mud tires. However, plenty of people think 4WD with wrong tires means driving 75+ on Denver/Boulder roads is still ok. Situational telework for the win and it’s a good call; guessing 1.5-2” since 8 am with big conglomerates falling Jeffco/Broomfield county line #cowx
Dried starfruit in chili from Dalat, Vietnam. So good!
Dried pomelo from Da Lat Vietnam. Sweet/sour/bitter, not my favorite.
Goodies brought back from Da Lat, Vietnam by fam; 1) dried Starfruit with chili and 2) dried pomelo. The starfruit is my favorite with spicy heat on the back end. Pomelo has just enough bitter/sour (not a fan of either) to make it second. #Vietnam #dalat #foodie
Wildfire on bluebell trail in Chataqua State Park southwest side of Boulder
As if there isn't enough going on in the world right now; Fire in Chataqua State Park in southwest Boulder on/near the Bluebell trail. #cowx #wildfire
OK, I need a camera that can go into the UV range along with visible wavelengths...
Copper Kettle Brewing out of Denver, Mexican Style Chocolate Stout. 11 out of ten. Added to my favorite list!
Found a new beer to add to my favorites list. Copper Kettle Brewing, Denver. Mexican Style Chocolate Stout; it’s got the spices. It’s got hint of chile for bit of heat. Mexican vanilla is there but not overpowering. And a stout. 11 out of 10 b/c it’s triggering good memories from Taos & Santa Fe.
Ah yes, the was it the ground traffic not clearing fast enough, gusty winds, no gate space, a noob pilot learning the ropes of DEN, or a combination thereof game! Welcome to the club!
Cloud AWIPS monitoring wildfires breaking out across portions of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico.
Hard to focus on what I need to be working on when another wildfire outbreak is unfolding across the Southern Plains (and now near Limon, CO). Bit easier to watch from afar than working at the impacted WFOs but still not easy knowing what it’s like working these events…
Xcel PSPS help with "known" potential threats for ignitions. You still have the human element; chain dragging on road, welding on something a person thinks is safe, or sparks from passing train (which we saw out here in CO near the Candelas subdivision). Those you can't quantify or prepare for
It’s exactly this situation why 1) we didn’t buy in Candelas and 2) makes me wish I had a Radiacode (or similar) Geiger counter/spectrometer to see exactly what is getting released into the air. Why for those that don’t know?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioac...
Fire at the Highway 93/72 intersection near Rocky Flats
Also here in the Front Range, this points to dusty, toasty, smoky for summer unless we manage to get some late winter/early spring storms that can bump up snowpack. Or an active monsoon season.
Advice I was given by a "seasoned"/old school met when I started:
"Records are meant to be broken"...
I got down to 1° but we had a light west wind all night. Imagine creek behind house got below 0°. Wind picked up before sunrise & we jumped to 18° in 30 minutes. If this keeps up, we will hit the low 40s; first time I may get to experience a weak chinook event since living here.
Back in my day, it was the hood of a Ford F-150 being pulled behind a 4WD '77 Chevy. If the Chevy didn't lose control, it would slingshot us around a bend in a Farm-to-Market into an open cotton field until we fell off. Or hit a berm and went flying, then falling off. Oh to be young again...
I mean there could be a hint of pink in there. Or it could be iPhone 16 camera doing camera things 🤷🏻♂️. Giving another 30 minutes then heading home… #cowx #aurora
Meteorological data from the NCAR Mesa Lab site in Boulder showing both an almost 80 mph wind gust early on Thursday and a frontal passage Thursday night.
Pretty easy to see when the cold air made it to the hill to @ncar-ucar.bsky.social Mesa Lab last night. And with a whimper compared to the almost 80 mph gust earlier in the day… #cowx
