TGES's Blog

I just saw the footage of Doppler Don escaping from a car, while it's sinking in a lake.

My first reaction was "why would you want to do that?"  My second: "why would you want to do that again?"

I admire your courage....to be willing to do that in the name of scie...uh whatever it was done in the name of....and to do it in a lake with 0 protection from the frigid lake water.....wow!

WTG!!! 

I'm seeing a lot of strange behavior in the animals that frequent our back yard oasis that has me very worried that it's going to be a nasty winter.

Here's just a few:

The sparrows are flocking at the feeders in groups of 15-30 at a time.  We normally don't see this kind of grouping until early to late October.

The hummingbirds are going through 2 quarts of nectar each week.  Generally, we don't refill the feeders like this until the end of September.

Large monarchs are passing through the area (migratory).  They generally peak in the KC area around the 20th of September.

The critters are doing their thing from 3-8 weeks early this year.  Does this mean Winter is going to read it's ugly head accordingly?

The "Watchdog" in the KC Star ran an article that was asking why each of the 4 news stations had different colors to designate severe weather watches and warnings.  What an excellent question, but I would like to take it one step further.

Why is it that each of the 4 news stations in KC use different shades of RED for their watches and warnings. 

I am Red/green color-blind, and because of this, I have a difficult time in differentiating the watches from the warnings on ALL the stations.

Wonder if anyone has given any thought to this?

Just curious!

Have a nice, color coordinated day!

Some pics from last evening's storm, taken in Excelsior Springs.  The "orange" cloud that was descending from one of the cells was unusual.  After looking at the pics on a 21" screen, is it possible this is sunlight reflecting off one of the cumulonimbus clouds and through a small crack in the formation?

They were taken after 8:30PM, so this would be the only explanation I would have.

Any thoughts?

I wanted to take this oportunity to thank Joe, Karli, Lauren & the entrie Fox 4 crew for giving our Boy Scout Troop a field trip they will never forget. 

Now every time they watch Fox 4 news, the Scouts will have a better understanding of what happens "behind the scenes."  And thanks to Mr. Lauria's presentation, the Q&A session, and information contained in Storm Station 4.3, the Scouts have only one more requirement to complete and they will earn their "Weather" merit badge.

Thanks again Fox 4!!!

I've been following the news reports about the floods coming out of southern Missouri.  It is refreshing to know that much like what members of our community experienced in '93, there are truly heroic people whose actions speak louder than any words.

One of the most riveting photos was that of the Fed-ex driver pulling a 79 year old man to safety after the man's car left the road.

Employees of the Missouri Conservation department have been tirelessly evacuating residents along the James River;  actions that fall far outside of their "normal" job descriptions.

In spite of the tragedy, it's refreshing to know that our public servants go well beyond the call of duty to assist those in need.

Has anyone else heard anything from the front lines?

Disc 2 was awesome!  Karli, I think you owe Don one after his little "prank!"

Little man loved all the experiments (now he wants to get a hold of liquid nitrogen - thanks Science City!)

The pic section was awesome.  Truly a unique credit to the blogging community.

Thanks to all who had a hand in it.  If you or your children are interested in weather, it is worth whatever effort is necessary to get one.

We were fortunate enough to get a copy yesterday, and after watching the "Alpha" DVD, our 10 year old little man gave it a "thumbs up."

Without getting into too much detail, and spoiling it for those who haven't seen it, the EXPERIMENT segment is his absolute favorite, as he now plots how he can replicate some of them shown on the DVD (the "cloud" experiment is first on his list, but not ours!!!) 

He is also impressed by the "behind the scenes" piece, and if he had his opportunity to pull a prank, would put "duckies" up in place of the national map for the meteorologists to circle and draw on.

The "Omega tape gets top billing tonight (even over "Survivor," but we have DVR so it's not really a sacrifice for Luckycharm!).

More to follow from the young critic.

By the way, he "aced" the trivia sections on the first DVD!  Watch out Doppler Don!!!

PS - we enjoyed the "sneak peak" at School Day at the K so much, we may have to find a way to let little man "play hooky" in May, since his school won't organize a trip.

Thanks Fox 4, great job!

I just read that the U.S. military is working on "contingency plans" to deal with a 10,000 lb spy satellite that in all probability, will impact North America sometime in late February or early March.

The reassuring part, quoting the head of the Northern Command, General Gene Raunaut:  "Renuart added that, "As it looks like it might re-enter into the North American area," then the U.S. military along with the Homeland Security Department and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will either have to deal with the impact or assist Canadian or Mexican authorities. "

Phew, that was close, as if it would have the audacity to hit the US!!!

By the way, who issues the "severe spy satellite impact" warning, should this thing decide to hit the continental US?  NASA? NOAA? the CIA? FEMA?  National Weather Service?  And would homeowners insurance cover such a thing, or would it be classified an "act of God?"

One final question: is this considered a weather blog, a news blog or an entertainment blog?  Went with my first guess...weather, since it involves stuff falling out of the sky!!!

Inquiring minds want to know. 

I heard on the morning show you completed your first marathon! 

I also heard Don wants to challenge you to a showdown (on the Cheeseburger & beer celebration - not the run!!)

Anyways, great job!!

When I was a kid growing up in a farming community in small-town Nebraska, I used to make fun of the crotchety old men who would sit around the table at the local restaraunt, and make their predictions about what kind of winter was in store.

Well, now I'm a crotchety old man, and can do this on my own.  In the 4 years I've been observing the various wildlife around my home, I hadn't noticed very much out of the ordinary.   This year, however, is a different story.

Three years ago, I predicted around 15 inches of snow for our area....we received 14.6.  Two years ago, I think I predicted 18, and we got somewhere in the neighborhood of 16.  Last year, I thought around 14, and we got that much in one storm, so that doesn't count (in statistical speak, we call that an "outlier," and are allowed to throw it out.)!!!

This year, I've noticed a few things that seem "out of the ordinary," in terms of wildlife activity, that make me believe we're in store for an early, and/or long and harsh winter (and if you're a Monty Python fan, you will be forced to eat Robin's minstrels, and there will be much rejoicing, yaaaaay.)

First observation:  the hummingbirds are gorging themselves.  In previous years, we would on average, fill our feeders once/two weeks.  Now we're having to fill them every three days.  And we're not just seeing the ones and twos, we have as many as 5 around one feeder at a time!  The alpha males are still being aggressive and chasing the females and other males off, but for the most part, there is no vacancy at the feeders.

Second observation:  the deer are feeding more actively.  In previous years, the deer didn't start frequenting our backyard feeder until some time in October; this year, they are already making daily visits with fawns in tow, a first for us. 

Third observation:  the deer and raccoons are feeding together.  We normally don't see this until late into the winter, but this year, both deer and raccoons are at the feeder together.

Fourth observation:  bass remained shallow most of the summer in area lakes.  Usually, the bass will suspend over deep water during the dog days of summer.  This year, the bass have stayed relatively shallow, and actively feeding.  Mild summer?  No, I think they've been fattening up for a reason.

Anyways, I'd like to be wrong, but something tells me.....

FROM MSN.COM

According to the best estimates, this year Earth is predicted to cut through the densest part of the Perseid stream sometime around 2 a.m. ET on Monday. That corresponds to 11 p.m. PT Sunday for those living in the western United States or Canada.

The interval when the meteors will be falling at their highest rates will likely last several hours or more on either side of these times.

As a result, it is the late-night hours Sunday, on through the first light of dawn Monday, that holds the greatest promise of seeing a very fine Perseid display.

The moon, whose bright light almost totally wrecked last year's shower, will have zero impact this year. The moon will be new on Sunday, meaning that there will be no interference from it at all.

Perfect!

What to expect
A very good shower will produce about one meteor per minute for a given observer under a dark country sky. Any light pollution or moonlight considerably reduces the count.

The August Perseids are among the strongest of the readily observed annual meteor showers, and at maximum activity the display nominally yields 90 or 100 meteors per hour. Observers with exceptional skies often record even larger numbers. Typically during an overnight watch, the Perseids are capable of producing a number of bright, flaring and fragmenting meteors, which leave fine trains in their wake.

On the night of shower maximum, the Perseid radiant is not far from the famous "Double Star Cluster" of Perseus (hence the name, "Perseid"). Low in the northeast during the early evening, it rises higher in the sky until morning twilight ends observing. Shower members appearing close to the radiant have foreshortened tracks; those appearing farther away are often brighter, have longer tracks, and move faster across the sky.

About five to 10 of the meteors seen in any given hour will not fit this geometric pattern, and may be classified as sporadic or as members of some other (minor) shower.

FROM HEAVENS-ABOVE.COM  NOTE THE PERSEUS CONSTELLATION WILL BE THE "POINT OF ORIGIN" FOR MANY OF THE METEORS.  This is the sky chart for the KC area around 1:00AM Monday morning, the estimated peak-time for the Perseids.

ENJOY and have a great weekend!!!

The following is a photo and caption from my May 8th blog, and unfortunately is the same area where a tragic accident occurred July 4th.

It is my understanding the flood waters were even more intense this time around, and as the footage my MyFox shows, is clearly marked with the "Impassable during high water" signs.  The teenager reportedly also passed two vehicles in her attempt to drive through the flood waters. 

The experts don't warn us continuously about driving through 6" of moving water, just to sensationalize matters.  It's been tested and proven.  I am angry about this accident.....and can't stress enough to do the right thing, and don't drive through standing water on roadways...My thoughts and prayers are with the family.  It breaks my heart this happened. 

(From TGES May 8th blog)  A Clay County park ranger had just chased two young boys out of this area (Rocky Hollow road), who were playing in the waters.  He said he would have had a water recovery effort on his hands if he hadn't driven up when he did. 

HAYS | Storm chasers get in the way of spotters

Storm chasers beware: Law enforcement officers in at least Trego and Graham counties are tired of dealing with you. “We had about 200 storm chasers” Tuesday night, said Trego County Sheriff Rich Schneider. “We had to get rough on them to get them to move.” The storm chasers pulled off U.S. 283 north of WaKeeney, set up tripods and were blocking traffic and keeping emergency personnel from driving up the highway to keep track of the storms.

No wonder Fox4 went with the Hummer....they may have to drive over a few vehicles just to get out of harm's way!!!