From Michael Laca: In honor of Hurricane Kate's new-found notoriety as the latest landfalling hurricane in U.S. history, I have re-mastered my chase footage from this incredible storm and it's now available to view on YouTube! Be sure to turn your speakers up and enjoy!!!
Monday, December 12, 2011
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
The Latest From Tom Lowe
Here is the latest from Tom Lowe. In my opinion, the best time-lapse photographer/videographer out there! Enjoy!
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Hurricane Irene Video
Here is some awesome Hurricane Irene video (part - I) shot by my friend José M. García! I had a great time chasing Hurricane Irene/talking hurricane history with José and many others on this chase! Look forward to meeting again under the next eyewall... Enjoy!
*Look for part II soon!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
No Snow...
Even when the first talk of snow started on Friday, I felt very confident that Starkville would see no accumulations. And, that's what happened. I saw a few tiny flakes mixed in with some steady light rain around 2am, but other than that, nothing. I was a little surprised so many were going a little crazy about this event, but I understand when you even say the "s" word in the Deep South, people are going to get a little crazy. If this would have been the end of January, different story, but we were still too warm (ground temps way too warm).
I had a feeling the models were overdoing the cold air, as it turned out our WBZ heights hovered around 1,200-1,500 feet. Here is what I said on facebook/twitter... The point about forecast soundings vs. forecast thickness values is really important! Don't get suckered in by the 540 line or the 850mb 0 degree line. You really need to analyze a forecast sounding in detail to even be fairly accurate with winter weather forecasting (model trends/pattern recognition big as well). I'll write a blog post soon on this, as thickness values are almost worthless!
" WBZ heights near a 1,000 feet Tuesday morning "may" lead to a few hours of wet snow. NO accumulations for Starkville! Models are a little cold IMO, and lack of dynamic cooling is an issue. Only a couple hundredths an hour during that time frame. FYI... Always use forecast soundings over forecast thickness values when forecasting winter weather, unless you want to get burned! Thickness values are just an average, not going to account for important details like melting layers, WBZ heights, snow growth region, etc... #Bufkit "
Friday, November 25, 2011
Weather Shoes
These are pretty darn cool! Not a huge fan of the colors, but love the idea. Weather shoes brought to you by Kevin Durant...
Monday, November 21, 2011
2003 Presidents Day II Nor'easter
Here is some fun video I put together from the 2003 Presidents Day II Nor'easter. We (Myself, Justyn Jackson, Andy Wood, Todd Beal, and John Walker) were located near Washington D.C. (Fairfax County, VA). About 18" of snow/sleet at our location, and at the time, this was the 6th greatest snowstorm in Washington D.C. history (recorded). This video is a long time coming, taken during our undergrad days at Mississippi State. Fun times! Enjoy!
© Greg Nordstrom 2003
Friday, November 18, 2011
Tuscaloosa, AL Tornado Video
Here is some incredible footage from the Tuscaloosa, AL tornado on 4/27/11. This was taken from the Alabama One Credit Union security camera...
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Sugar, Sand, Sleet
The finest sleet I have ever seen in my life! It really was like sugar/sand...
Presidents Day Nor'easter - Washington DC (February 16-17th 2003)
© Greg Nordstrom 2003
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Ready To Chase A Nor'easter
Half way through November, no threat in the tropics, and I'm feeling the itch to chase a nor' easter. I really do love snow, even though I hate the cold? Lol! Hurricanes will always be number one in my book, but nor'easters are a fairly close second. I've been in my fair share (1993, 1996, 2003, 2010), all in Northern Virginia (Arlington/Fairfax Counties), but I'm ready for another historic Washington D.C. bomb! I came across some old school video I shot during a historic 2003 nor' easter I'm going to edit here soon. In the mean time, here is some cool video I shot during the back to back nor'easter/blizzard in 2010 (Snowmageddon). Enjoy!
Friday, November 11, 2011
The 1987 Veterans Day Snowstorm Remembered
Here is a great link remembering the 1987 Veterans Day Snowstorm in Washington DC. The biggest November snowstorm (recorded) in Washington DC history!
"Notice that it reached the 60s the day before and the forecast was for highs in the 50s with scattered light rain." Oops!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
November 10th, 2002
9 years ago tonight was the biggest November tornado outbreak in recorded US history. I wrote a detailed blog post last year on the 8th anniversary, and I also hit on topics like Dixie Alley. At the time I originally wrote this, Alabama had more tornadoes in November than any other month of the year. Obviously, that is not the case anymore with the recent huge April tornado outbreaks (April 15th & 27th). Enjoy!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Tipton, OK - Mesonet
From Oklahoma Mesonet:
"Our technicians have returned from Tipton and Fort Cobb with amazing stories. We'll post more pictures tomorrow, but here's what our calibration staff have been able to retrieve from the recovered dataloggers:
Tipton recorded a wind gust of 86.4 mph before it was destroyed. The anemometer has yet to be found. The site experienced a pressure drop of 47.16 mb in 1 minute, recording a low of 913.47 mb!
Fort Cobb recorded a wind gust of 91.4 mph before it was driven into the ground. It had a more gradual pressure drop of 14 mb, recording a low of 944.81 mb."
Tipton recorded a wind gust of 86.4 mph before it was destroyed. The anemometer has yet to be found. The site experienced a pressure drop of 47.16 mb in 1 minute, recording a low of 913.47 mb!
Fort Cobb recorded a wind gust of 91.4 mph before it was driven into the ground. It had a more gradual pressure drop of 14 mb, recording a low of 944.81 mb."
WOW!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
More Tornado Video From Tipton, OK
Here is some more crazy tornado footage from Tipton, OK. This was shot by Chad Cowan. Shows Andy Gabrielson's car that flipped over (Video I posted yesterday).
Monday, November 7, 2011
Crazy Tornado Video!
Sorry I haven't posted in a week, but things have been very busy for me. Short post tonight, as I'm going to link some crazy tornado video from Andy Gabrielson near Tipton, OK today. By the way, there is ZERO connection between today's tornadoes and the recent earthquakes in Oklahoma. NONE!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Presidents Day Snowstorm of 1979
This is probably my favorite "eye-like" feature in any Nor' easter. Also, one of my all time favorite storms to read/study about... Before the storm, the NWS called for 1-3" of snow in/around Washington DC. Instead, almost 2 feet of snow fell! - Presidents Day Snowstorm of 1979 (Feb 18th-19th)
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Florida + Snowtober
While Rina is dead and did not take a Wilma like track, look at the IR image above. You can see the blow off/convection once associated with Rina over Florida as I write this post. So in the end, I really don't think my idea of the upper flow "pulling" Rina towards Florida was a bad forecast. Rina just got killed by way too much dry air/shear... Regardless, this tropical moisture will only enhance one heck of an October Nor' easter for the East Coast this weekend. From about Washington D.C/Baltimore to Maine (Also the Appalachians) expect a very impressive snow storm for late October. There will be a nice swath of 6-12" snows from central/eastern PA into central/eastern Maine. Locally, I wouldn't be shocked at snow amounts of 15-18" in several locations. Definitely a storm you should follow this weekend, as it will be fairly darn historic for late October. In my personal opinion, this is only the first of many big Nor' easters this season!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Last Rina Update
Tropical Storm Rina is getting destroyed by dry air and shear! I thought it would hang on long enough for the upper flow to "grab" Rina pulling it on a Wilma like track. This is not going to happen, as Rina will miss the trough and sit near the Yucatan Peninsula until it's death. This was always very possible, and looks to be a done deal at this point. I'll leave you with the same Matrix quote I posted in the last post below. Just replace Mr. Anderson with Rina! lol
"You hear that Mr. Anderson?... That is the sound of inevitability... It is the sound of your death... Goodbye, Mr. Anderson..."
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Hurricane Rina Update
I really think the dry air is beginning to take its toll on Hurricane Rina. The overall convection has shrunk, and I really believe once it starts interacting with land tomorrow (also increased wind shear), the dry air will begin to entrain. Honestly, in my eyes, it is a miracle it hasn't entrained yet. I still expect a track similar to Wilma, as I do think South Florida will experience minimal hurricane (absolute max)/tropical storm (far more likely) conditions this weekend. I'll be the first to say I never saw Rina getting to 110mph (still "may" be able to get a little stronger - major hurricane?), but I think the clock is ticking on the dry air. I feel like I'm watching the Matrix...
"You hear that Mr. Anderson?... That is the sound of inevitability... It is the sound of your death... Goodbye, Mr. Anderson..."
Now I don't think Hurricane Rina will completely die (even though it's very possible) because of the dry air/increased wind shear, but it's going to weaken it substantially without a doubt. We are most likely at/close to the max intensity for Rina. More updates to come...
Monday, October 24, 2011
Hurricane Rina
While I thought Rina could become a hurricane, I'll be the first to say it has strengthened much faster than I originally thought. With dry air all around and strong shear to the north, I thought it would be a much slower process. Of course this just goes to show how hard tropical cyclone intensity forecasting is, as I really believe the incredibly warm ocean waters has to be the main reason for intensification. That and the dry air staying out of the core/less wind shear than originally thought. If you look at the TCHP map I provide, you can really see the warm water Hurricane Rina is moving over, as this is some of the warmest/deepest waters in the entire Atlantic Basin.
So what does the future hold for Hurricane Rina? Well, the NHC now has Rina becoming a major hurricane (115mph), which is much different than the 60mph max intensity they originally forecasted. I still have a hard time seeing that with all the dry air around, but I guess it is possible with the warm/deep waters it is currently in. As it eventually moves north and begins to interact with land/increased wind shear, I really believe dry air will begin to entrain Hurricane Rina. It will eventually start looking like a "cinnamon roll" when the dry air does entrain. Once that happens, it will being to weaken...
As for the track? Man, that's tough, but I personally lean towards something similar to Hurricane Wilma. By the way, today is the 6 year anniversary of Hurricane Wilma's landfall near Cape Romano, FL as a category-3 hurricane (125mph). Obviously, I don't think it will be near as strong, but I guess there is an ok/decent shot South Florida could experience minimal hurricane/strong tropical storm conditions this weekend. I personally think the trough will be stronger than forecasted, as Rina will race towards the NE once it is caught. We have plenty of time to watch Hurricane Rina, as things can/do change quickly in the tropics! The threat to the US has increased without a doubt in the last 24 hours in my opinion. Many more updates to come!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
TD #18
TD #18 has formed in the Western Caribbean and is expected to become tropical storm Rina fairly soon. The environment is not favorable at all for rapid development. I agree 100% with the NHC's top forecast of 60mph (I guess it could make it to a hurricane as intensity forecasting is tough to say the least). The further north it moves, the worst the upper air environment it will encounter. There is just too much dry air/shear in my opinion! Not seeing a big threat to the US at this time...
Thursday, October 20, 2011
NOAA Winter Outlook
Personally, I expect a similar winter/spring to 2010/2011. I'l write a detailed post here soon as to why, but the pattern is similar overall. Also, with the extra rising motion in the tropics (More upward/rising motion in the tropics will lead to troughs digging in more than normal during the early part of winter), I expect an early/cold start to the winter like last year as well. Deep troughs! Here is the NOAA winter outlook:
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
The Big Picture Blog
It has been a while since I posted a link to the Big Picture blog, but here are a couple good weather ones I haven't posted yet. This really is a fantastic blog! Enjoy!
Monday, October 17, 2011
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Amazing Time Lapse
Here is an amazing time lapse from Dustin Farrell. Amazing is actually an understatement... Enjoy!
Friday, October 14, 2011
Northern Lights
This is an amazing link to an almost "how-to" guide to Northern Lights photography. There is lots of great tips/suggestions, as I highly recommend this link to everyone. Definitely going to "chase" this in 2012/2013. One of the top weather related (also lake effect snow) goals left on the bucket list that I haven't seen yet!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Incredible Lightning Time Lapse
Here is one of the best lightning time lapses I have ever seen in my life! Shot by Jeff Gammon off the coast of Jupiter Beach, FL, this really is some incredible shots. For more amazing work by Jeff, check out his website: stormvisuals.com
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
10 Years of LDCT
A name coined by Tim Wallace (Long Distance Chase Team), LDCT was born 10 years ago today! Our first chase (Myself, Josh Johnson, Justyn Jackson, & Todd Beal) was a 27 1/2 hour straight chase from Starkville, MS to Waco, TX and back. The first of well over a hundred chases (Hurricanes/Tropical Storms, Severe Weather/Tornadoes, & Nor' Easters/Blizzards) over the next 10 years. Time sure flies when you are chasing. Here is to another successful 10 years!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Hurricane Jova
Hurricane Jova is approaching the Mexican coast (Pacific) with sustained winds of 100mph and a minimum central pressure of 973mb. Expect landfall around 6z tonight...
Monday, October 10, 2011
Did a Tropical Storm Hit Florida Last Night?
Did a tropical storm hit Florida last night? This is the title of a GREAT blog post by meteorologist Stu Ostro from the Weather Channel. I'll link the blog below, as I highly recommend this blog to everyone. It's a very detailed/informative post! Enjoy!
Saturday, October 8, 2011
AL DAVIS 1929-2011
As a lifelong Raiders fan, I want to pay my respects to Al Davis. People can say what they want about Mr. Davis, but the Raiders are Al Davis. He did so much for the NFL, that without him, the AFC may not even exist today. He was the first owner to hire a Hispanic (Tom Flores) & African American head coach (Art Shell). He also was the first owner to hire a women (Amy Trask) as CEO. He was a man way ahead of his time, as he was maybe the greatest football mind the NFL has ever seen. I have been watching the Raiders hardcore since I was 7 years old, and even though I love my Lakers/UCLA Basketball, I would give every championship I have ever seen in my life, for just one more Raiders Super Bowl. JUST WIN BABY!
AFL's Coach of the year in 1963 (Raider went from 1-13 to 10-4 in his first year as coach)
AFL Commissioner in 1966 (Huge figure in the merger of the AFL & NFL)
Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992
Has been asked to present 9 players into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (Most in NFL history)
1967 AFL Championship
3 Time Super Bowl Champion: 1976, 1980, 1983 (5 Appearances)
16 Division Titles/21 Playoff Appearances
25 Playoff wins/411 Regular Season Wins
Only owner/CEO, head coach/assistant coach/scout, general manager, and commissioner in NFL history...
*Back to weather on Monday. Again, I typically keep this blog 100% weather, but as silly as this may sound to some, the Raiders have shaped me as a person. God, then family/friends, then weather, then the Raiders!*
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Steve Jobs 1955-2011
I typically try to keep this blog nearly 100% weather related, but from time to time I think there are good life lessons learned from other peoples lives. With the passing of Steve Jobs, here is one of those lessons, and something to keep in mind that was very well said by my good friend Josh Johnson...
"A little perspective. Steve Jobs' estimated net worth was over $8 billion. If you are reading this in good health, he would have gladly given every dime to have what you have right now. RIP Steve."
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Hurricane Ophelia = BEAST!
What a beast, as Hurricane Ophelia is now a monster category-4 hurricane. 140mph - 940mb. It has moved north of Bermuda, which only makes this more remarkable to me. It just goes to show how hard tropical cyclone intensity forecasting really is, as tropical cyclones this strong, this far north, is pretty darn rare!
Friday, September 30, 2011
Winter Chill - Snowmageddon Photos
Tonight there is a nice winter chill in the air. Well, ok, it's more like a nice Fall chill (Tonight near 45, lower 40's on Sun/Mon). I grew up in Los Angeles, so it's fairly chilly to me for the first day of October. LOL! With this in mind, I wanted to post some photos I shot near Washington D.C. (February 2010) during "snowmadeddon". I expect an early/cold start to the winter, but I'll get into that another day... Enjoy the photos!
ALL PHOTOS ©GREG NORDSTROM 2010
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
5 Months Ago...
My good friend Jim Edds reminded me that today was the 5 month anniversary of the 4/27/11 tornado outbreak. A day I'll never forget, as 4/27/11 will go down as one of the worst tornado outbreaks in US history. There are so many stories from that day, and I'm going to release a chase recap soon. I should have released it a long time ago, but I do have some video out from that historic day. I'll link that below...
Video Recap: "Here is some raw video I shot during the 4/27/11 tornado outbreak (Super Outbreak II). I saw several tornadoes this day, but here is tornado footage I shot in Macon, MS. This same supercell produced an EF-5 tornado in Philadelphia, MS about 20-30 minutes earlier. It rained debris for about 5 minutes before the tornado appeared across a field. While a couple miles away, you could still see the violence associated with this tornado, as horizontal accessory vortices spun into the tornado from the right. At the end of the video (~5:15), you can hear some erie noises (Sounds like a swarm of bees) being made as the tornado moved rapidly to the east. I shot this with two different cameras and I "matched-up" some sequences at the end of the video to give you the viewer two different perspectives. Of course video can never do it justice... My thoughts and prayers still go out to everyone affected on this historic day!"
HURRICANECHASER.NET
©Copyright Greg Nordstrom 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
6 Year Ago Today!
On this day 6 years ago, Josh Johnson, Matt Miller, and myself were in my apartment when a F1 tornado from Hurricane Rita's feeder bands hit us. I just got home earilier that day from being in the eye of Hurricane Rita with Richard Hoseney in Orange, TX. Talk about ironic!
Friday, September 23, 2011
MYSTERY TO UNLOCK SEVERE STORMS
Got an AMAZING book today! MYSTERY TO UNLOCK SEVERE STORMS, Memoirs Of An Effort To Unlock, by Dr. Ted Fujita. This is a very rare book, and it took me two years to find it. I sure can't wait to read it! Special thanks to Ryan Wade for bringing my attention to this rare book...
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Joplin, MO Tornado Assessment
Below I'll leave a link to the Joplin, MO tornado assessment. 159 people lost their lives in this tornado, with over 1,000 injuries. This monster EF-5 tornado was the first tornado since the Flint, MI tornado of June 8, 1953 to result in over 100 fatalities. Like any weather disaster, lessons can and should be learned. This is a good read, so I highly recommend checking it out!
Saturday, September 17, 2011
December in Virginia
I was looking through some old photos today, and came across a few from my December trip to Virginia. Here are 10 shots from Merry Point, VA. Beautiful area, especially in the snow... Enjoy!
All Photos ©Greg Nordstrom 2010
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Tornado Art
Chuck Doswell posted a link to some really cool tornado art, so I figured I would share it with everyone. These paintings are done by John Brosio, and all are oil on canvas unless otherwise stated. Mr. Brosio has some great images, so I recommend checking them out... Enjoy!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Must Buy DVD/Blu-Ray
Jim Edds and Jeff Gammons have worked together to put out their latest project, "Hurricane Irene - Journey to Hope Town". It is available on both DVD and Blu-Ray... Jim Edds is a good friend of mine, and is one of the best storm chasers out there. His work is always very professional and awesome to watch. I have several of his DVD's and they are all great! Go buy your copy today, as Jim Edds takes the worst Hurricane Irene has to offer in Hope Town, Abaco, Bahamas!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
9-11-01 METARS
No words needed...
KLGA 111551Z 34008KT 10SM FEW000 SCT050 SCT250 24/13 A3011 RMK AO2 SLP196 FU FEW000 FU AND DEBRIS PLUME SW FROM SFC-040 DRFTG SE T02440128
Friday, September 9, 2011
Tropical Storm Nate, Track, and Strength
Well, I really thought Tropical Nate would track more north. With a deep trough to the N/NE, it made the most sense to me. Thankfully for the US, enough of some ridgging built in to the north, which is causing TS Nate to move south/west. I always knew it was a tough forecast, but I would forecast a more northerly motion each and every time with this setup. The ridgging was so small to the north, that I just didn't see it or envision it developing. No excuses though, I was wrong. I will say, I think the fact TS Nate was so small played a big role in this. If it would have be a larger storm, I really don't see how it could have missed the trough? I guess we'll never know though...
With the strength, the dry air was just too much, as I don't see Tropical Storm Nate making it to a hurricane anymore. This was a tough forecast all around, but you live and learn when it comes to forecasting, storm chasing, and weather in general. I always try to learn as much as I can from each forecast, as I also always try my best not to make the same mistake twice. Some may laugh at this, but personally, I learn much more from the forecasts I'm wrong about, then the ones I nail. I will file this in the back of my mind, that's for sure. Still a lot of hurricane season left!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Tropical Storm Nate Update
Tropical Storm Nate is deepening this afternoon. Now a 70mph tropical storm with a central pressure of 995mb. Yesterday, I stated that the arching pattern of the clouds suggested for some fairly quick deepening, but I was also very worried about all the dry air around. In the end, I still feel as long as the dry air doesn't entrain into the core of TS Nate, it will continue to deepen. Should be a hurricane soon enough!
The track is still tough, but I personally still like a more northerly path (The NHC has come north since yesterday). With a deep trough across the eastern US, I just think a track more north/northeast makes the most sense. Of course I'm not saying northern Mexico (And Texas) is in the clear, but if I lived along the northern Gulf Coast, I would watch TS Nate very closely. No comment with potential strength, but I will say, the further east TS Lee stays from Texas/Lee's track, the stronger it should become. Of course the dry air is still a big concern, but it does seem to be slowly moistening up some. There is still a ton of dry air around though! Many more updates to come...
*UPDATE 10PM* Well, tonight's data sure looks a lot more like a Mexico hit. While I really thought a more northerly path made the most sense to me, I may be dead wrong! Not sure what to think anymore... Hmmm?
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Tropical Storm Nate
Well, 96L sure developed faster than I thought, as we now have Tropical Storm Nate in the Bay of Campeche. There is still a ton of dry to the N/NW, so you would think Nate is going to have a tough time developing into a hurricane. However, if you look at the satellite imagery, you see nice curved banding occurring, as it looks like Nate is going to deepen fairly quickly. Hmmm? If it can keep the dry air out of the core, then I think Nate will deepen. If the dry air is entrained, then Nate will struggle.
The track is tough as well. The NHC has Nate heading towards Northern Mexico (La Pesca) very slowly, pretty much taking 6 days to get onshore. Personally, I'm leaning with a more northward motion. Again, this is not an easy forecast (What is in the topics these days? lol)... The trough to the north/northeast makes me think more of a northerly motion, so I'm going with my gut/instincts here. I'll look at things in much more depth tonight, but I'm personally leaning with a more northerly track at this moment. In my opinion, anywhere from northern Mexico to the panhandle of Florida needs to watch TS Nate closely, as there is potential for a huge track error. In about 24 hours or so, we should have an answer whether the more northerly motion makes sense or not...
Quickly on Tropical Storm Maria, I really don't have much change to my original thoughts. I think it will take a track similar to Irene, but most likely a little more east. Especially when it gets off the coast of North Carolina, as I don't see a New England hit in Maria's future. Personally, it looks to me like it will be east enough to miss the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Again, still a tough forecast, as we have plenty of time to watch things...
Here is a great global water vapor image my good friend Jim Edds posted on twitter. It really shows you the extent of the dry air in the Gulf of Mexico and the position of the trough...
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