The Weather that Makes the Dots TESSE 22 July 2008 Eric Kelsey Institute for the Study of Earth, Ocean and Space - UNH
0100,000200,000300,000400,000500,000600,000 Age (yr BP) Temp. in F° CO 2 Concentration Projected Concentration After 50 More Years of Unrestricted Fossil Fuel Burning Temperature Cycle over 7 Glacial Cycles CO 2 [ppmv]
0100,000200,000300,000400,000500,000600,000 Age (yr BP) Projected Concentration After 50 More Years of Unrestricted Fossil Fuel Burning Year Seasonal Temperature Cycle over 7 Years?
0100,000200,000300,000400,000500,000600,000 Age (yr BP) Projected Concentration After 50 More Years of Unrestricted Fossil Fuel Burning Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Diurnal Temperature Cycle over 7 Days?
Temperature at Mount Washington, NH June 2007
Climate vs Weather climate- Meteorological elements that characterize the average and extreme conditions of the atmosphere over a long period of time at any one place or region of the earth's surface. (Environment Canada) weather- The state of the atmosphere with respect to heat or cold, wetness or dryness, calm or storm, clearness or cloudiness. (Massachusetts Dept. of Education)
Fractals
Fractals - fronts Supercell Thunderstorm Extratropical cyclone warm cool warm cool
Supercell in southeast NH July 18, 2008 Prompted issue of Tornado Warning for Durham and surrounding towns Supercell with small hook-echo
Storm Reports Storm Prediction Center
US water vapor imagery If above link doesn’t work you can get it here:
How do clouds form?
Cool air until it is saturated - also, radiative cooling until air reaches saturation: fog
Cohos Trail near Dixville Notch orographic uplift
What weather phenomena impact New England weather and climate?
Time and Space Scales of Weather Phenomena
Common Storm Tracks Alberta Clipper Colorado (Lee) Low Coastal Track moist warm, moist warm cold, dry
Orographic Effects
Seabreeze
Ocean & Lake Effect Snow Short-lived, localized events
Gulf Stream & Gulf of Maine SSTs NOAA
Westerly Mid-latitude Winds
Nor’easters, Coastal Storms Blizzard of Feb Energy gained from contrast between cold-dry and warm-moist air masses
Hurricanes Hurricane Bob 1991
El Niño (Dec. 1997) La Niña (Dec. 2000) ENSO: Tropical Pacific SST
El Nino-Southern Oscillation: Tropical Pacific SST
North Atlantic Oscillation Variability on Order of Weeks +Warmer and less snow -Colder and more snow
Land Use Effects
Mount Washington
Fun Facts July: warmest month (ave high: 54F) 2nd driest month (8.02”) Least snowiest: 1.1” most ever 3rd highest temp (71F) 2nd least windiest: 25.3mph ave. Coldest month: January (14F ave high) Wettest: November (10.49” ave) Snowiest: December (55” ave) Coldest temp: -47F (Jan 1934) Windiest: Jan 46.3mph
Helpful Links Storm Prediction Center: spc.noaa.gov University Corporation for Atmospheric Research: rap.ucar.edu/weather National Weather Service nws.noaa.gov