Gathering the Web

Last Tuesday was a rainy day. It was our first real rain of this year. I was thrilled. Out of town visitors are disappointed when it rains in San Diego. That’s not what they have in mind for their sunny, San Diego vacation. But, those who live here are usually happy. We don’t have enough fireplace and sweater weather.

The pattern of Tuesday’s rain was unusual. Normally, rain starts in the North County and works its way south. This time, it started in the south and moved north. “…this … is due to the location of the cut-off low. The counterclockwise flow around the low is pulling moisture up from the south.” When the storms tap into this tropical moisture, we can expect rain to last a day or more, instead of just an hour or two. Also, the South County (where I live) can anticipate as much rain as the North County.

This morning, after I wrote the previous paragraphs, I read an informative article in San Diego’s Union-Tribune. The author, Robert Krier, considers this week’s storm as wimpy, just like all other storms this winter. He’s still waiting for a storm that delivers an inch or more of rain to San Diego and the region. My neighborhood did receive about an inch, but San Diego as a whole received less.

The article goes on to explain the reasons for the piddling storms. The explanation is quite interesting, at least to me. You can read it here. I like the last two paragraphs,”Forecast models earlier this week were hinting at the possibility of a more substantial storm here mid-next week, Wasowski said, although he cautioned that it was too early to consider that a certainty…This would be a sopping wet air mass..It would move all the way across the Pacific from Japan. It could slam the entire state. But we’ll see.” Many people will have legitimate reasons not to like this forecast. I, for one, am encouraged by the possibility of a wet season. I assume Robert Krier is too.

Links for you:

• The job of a meteorologist is to study and explain the character of the atmosphere and the changes that take place in it almost continually. It may be warm, sunny, windy, rainy, snowy, or stormy. All of us are influenced by the weather and benefit from the services provided by meteorologists. Two articles for those who are considering a career in meteorology can be found here and here. Read them to find out more about what a meteorologist does and what qualifications you need.

• If you are a weather enthusiast, amateur or professional, check out WeatherMatrix, the “largest” online weather community. “WeatherMatrix is a worldwide organization of over 10,000 online amateur and professional weather enthusiasts — meteorologists, storm chasers and spotters, and weather observers from all parts of the globe.” Other networks of weather enthusiasts can be found on this page.

• When I’m curious about the weather and want to find an up to date forecast, I turn to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website. This site has many kinds of U.S. weather maps. You can start off here to find the map you need. If you want to learn more about meteorology, you can find free online courses and factual articles. This theme page on El Nino, is informative. Also, be sure to visit the NOAA’s History page, which includes numerous images and stories from the past.

• The internet has plenty of weather links for children, starting with the NOAA’s Fun for Kids page. Don’t miss Weather Wiz Kids, created by meteorologist, Crystal Wicker. It allows kids to learn more about the fascinating world of weather. She links to lots of other great weather sites for children. Nick Walker, meteorologist for The Weather Channel, is also known as the “Weather Dude.” He has a wonderful website, with meteorology made simple for kids, parents, and teachers. You can read his online book, Weather Basics, or listen to some song samples from his CD/Book, Sing Along With the Weather Dude. Another meteorologist, Dan Satterfield, has a super fun site, Dan’s Wild Wild Weather Page. It is for kids between 6 and 16 years old and for their parents and teachers, too–or anyone else.

I’m anxious to post this. I’ll probably add more favorite links as I find them, or I’ll write a separate post. Weather is fun to observe and is much talked about. Get outside and enjoy the sunshine, the whispering breezes, or the dripping fog. Watch the clouds march across the sky and use your imagination to find fun shapes. You can observe a lot of changes, even from your own front yard.