Our camping trip this past weekend

We had a fantastic weekend adventure!!! My wonderful groom and I joined some friends and headed out to Cheaha State Park for some camping and exploration. Yes, in the middle of this astounding heat streak, we spent time getting to be one with nature. We had a great drive up on Friday, meeting up with my wonderful groom's dear high school friend along the way. We got to the park and immediately went to work on our campsite. We quickly pitched our classic stand-upright inside tent. My wonderful groom's dear friend made a lean to, using drill bits and other sound system installation tools... yes, seriously... he hung it on an extension cord. LOL! Note that under the lean-to is a huge slab of rock, fondly dubbed "Bed-rock". It wasn't until after he invested all his time and effort in his lean-to that he realized his bed-rock was a little short of his body. We sat around the non-fire and waited for the rest of the group to arrive, having had to work late Friday, were expected to arrive at about 1AM! We "enjoyed" some enlightening trivia games hosted by my wonderful groom, who was Philosophizing by that point. When they finally arrived, we helped them get settled and hit the sack.

Saturday, we rose early to a gentle pitter patter on our tent, to my dismay, no, not hail... dear friend was launching pebbles at us, eager to start our day... sigh. We got up, freshened ourselves and hit the breakfast buffet, taking in the amazing, yet hazy and sadly smoky view.Then, we were off to learn/re-learn the ropes of rapelling (pun intended). My wonderful groom quickly launched into a focused teaching mode, and the guys all worked together to show the two ladies what to do...Brett mocking us by traipsing face first down the side of the mountain (Aussie-style rapelling)Em, hesitant but trusting...Dew... not so sure, needing a little more convincing...... but eventually getting over it for the little rapell...After a little exploration and sight-seeing... ...we headed over to my wonderful groom and I's special spot and the guys did some rapelling over that > 100' drop... We watched.Then, we hiked back, encountering a large stick bug along the way...... and proceeded to hit the pool and cool off. Though the weather up there was moderate... at a relatively cool 85°. I can handle that. Dewpoints were higher than I like, but we did all right. That night after some campfire dogs and S'mores!!!, we explored Bald Rock and took in an amazing sunset despite the smoky hazy skies, enjoyed a far off thunderstorm (got updates from Alabama Mike, who was too tired to join us) and hit the sack early.It was an amazing trip and in true Dew fashion, we took the scenic route home... encountered some torrential downpours, powerful wind and frequent lightning. We just missed a severe warned storm back home, but our leisurely ride home, passing Jimmy Carter's boyhood farm and current home was well worth it.Have a great day!!!
~Dewdrop

It was small but it packed quite a punch!

Well, I was working on this great post about our wonderful weekend, and the power flickered and the internet went down, and I lost it all, so now, my focus has shifted to the storm, which carried ferocious lightning, torrential downpours and dangerous winds... much of the county now is without power, and tree crews are out removing trees from houses. I heard lots of sirens after the storm. It's all over now...

I'll write about our wonderful camping trip tonight... if I have power.

~Dewdrop

Heat is THE NUMBER ONE weather-related killer!

SKY WATCH FRIDAY time! I am busy busy with stimulus yuck, so I might not get a chance to say hi. Please don't take offense. Our hosts: Klaus Sandy Ivar Wren Louise Fishing Guy

Thanks, also,to Dot and Tom, who were instrumental in the success of this blogging event. You should definitely come fly with us!

Well, since the big weather story right now is the ferocious heat, I figure I will share a refreshing pic... Yes, folks, all over the country's mid-section, high temperature records are being obliterated, along with concrete on the highways, as the mercury climbs from Louisiana on up to Canada, where concrete highway blocks are buckling in the extreme heat. Heat indices place many of these areas in the triple digits.HEAT IS THE NUMBER ONE WEATHER-RELATED KILLER!!!

On average, more than 1,500 people in the U.S. die each year from excessive heat. This number is greater than the 30-year mean annual number of deaths due to tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and lightning combined. In the 40-year period from 1936 through 1975, nearly 20,000 people were killed in the United States by the effects of heat and solar radiation. ~source(really... an interesting website)

Didn't know that, did you? Excessive heat warnings (AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN 4 OR MORE CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF HEAT ADVISORY CRITERIA ARE EXPECTED TO BE MET...OR IF HIGH HUMIDITIES ARE EXPECTED TO COMBINE WITH HOT TEMPERATURES TO MAKE IT FEEL LIKE IT IS 110 DEGREES OR GREATER.) are being issued all over the central plains because of multiple days of heat indicies in excess of 110°F. What should you do to protect yourself from dangerous heat??

AVOID PROLONGED WORK IN THE SUN
DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS
STAY IN AN AIR CONDITIONED ROOM
CHECK UP ON RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS (ESPECIALLY INFANTS OR YOUNG CHILDREN, ELDERLY AND THE SICK)
WEAR LIGHT-WEIGHT, LIGHT COLORED, LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING
DO NOT LEAVE CHILDREN OR PETS IN CLOSED, PARKED VEHICLES (FOR ANY AMOUNT OF TIME)
REST OFTEN IN SHADY AREAS
WEAR A HAT, SUNGLASSES AND SUNSCREEN

So, you know about prevention, but you should also learn to recognize signs of heat related disorders:

1. SUNBURN: Redness and pain. In severe cases swelling of skin, blisters, fever, headaches. First Aid: Ointments for mild cases if blisters appear and do not break. If breaking occurs, apply dry sterile dressing. Serious, extensive cases should be seen by physician.

2. HEAT CRAMPS: Painful spasms usually in muscles of legs and abdomen possible. Heavy sweating. First Aid: Firm pressure on cramping muscles, or gentle massage to relieve spasm. Give sips of water. If nausea occurs, discontinue use.

3. HEAT EXHAUSTION: Heavy sweating, weakness, skin cold, pale and clammy. Pulse thready. Normal temperature possible. Fainting and vomiting. First Aid: Get victim out of sun. Lay down and loosen clothing. Apply cool, wet cloths. Fan or move victim to air conditioned room. Sips of water. If nausea occurs, discontinue use. If vomiting continues, seek immediate medical attention.

4. HEAT STROKE (or sunstroke): High body temperature (106° F or higher). Hot dry skin. Rapid and strong pulse. Possible unconsciousness. First Aid: HEAT STROKE IS A SEVERE MEDICAL EMERGENCY. SUMMON EMERGENCY MEDICAL ASSISTANCE OR GET THE VICTIM TO A HOSPITAL IMMEDIATELY. DELAY CAN BE FATAL. Move the victim to a cooler environment Reduce body temperature with cold bath or sponging. Use extreme caution. Remove clothing, use fans and air conditioners. If temperature rises again, repeat process. Do not give fluids.
~source

Heat is a serious issue that should be taken very seriously. On average heat kills more than the 30-year mean annual number of deaths due to tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and lightning combined. Heat can pose a serious threat to your life.

Stay cool!
~Dewdrop

Chasing safely

Well, we all see videos and hear stories of chasers who got a little too close (or perhaps way too darn close!), and it seems that all chasers, no matter how good, end up getting a little too close for comfort at least once in their chase career. Generally storm chasing can be quite safe, if you're doing it in wide open areas where you can see for miles and miles, stay positioned in the safe viewing area with regard to the storm, but occasionally, data transmission problems related to wireless connections, poorly timed decisions, insufficient education and a serious passion for "getting the storm" can cloud judgment (pun intended). There can be a serious amount of adrenalin involved in a chase, and if you misjudge storm motion, or if you hit road option difficulties, or if you just want to get a little bit closer, or maybe just happen to see such and such storm presenting on radar better than the one you're on, or happen to get stuck behind a log truck... storm chasers have ended up in some precarious situations that could have been harmful to their lives. It happens. If they live to tell about it, it can go on to serve as a valuable lesson and wake up call about the power of Ma Nature and what these vicious beasts of storms are capable of... Here is the story of my friend, Ken, in Texas, who is a storm chaser who got caught in the danger zone, and hopes that his sharing the episode will help others to make wiser decisions than he made those days. Ken's Story. Thanks, Ken, for using your lessons to educate others to help keep everyone safe out there.

My situation occurred on February 26, 2008. First off, in south Georgia, chasing is quite dangerous for a few reasons, 1. there is a limited viewing distance. Most views are obscured by rather large pine trees and lots of them. There aren't many large open areas to view from. 2. Most of our supercells are HP (high precipitation), and so if a funnel drops and reaches the ground, it's much more difficult to see, being obscured by the rain... Anyways, my wonderful groom (bf at the time) and I were getting data support from Alabama Mike, who did put us in line for viewing a few funnel clouds. After that passed and fizzled, Mike guided us toward another developing storm. I tried to stay ever-mindful of the sky, but with constant turns and trees, it was difficult. Here's the chase account:

...so we headed back east to get ahead of it again, and we were riding parallel with it because when Alabama Mike suggested we turn north, we traveled about 5 miles up a tree covered windy dirt road before we came out RIGHT UNDER a rotating wall cloud!!!!

Seriously! We were under the rotating wall cloud, right there in tornado-genesis-ville. We were fortunate that nothing bad happened. Apparently, the storm was a lot faster than his radar... Always, keep your eyes to the sky.

Outside of that, I had a beautiful tower yesterday with magnificent crepuscular rays as the cumulus towers exploded into the evening sky.Have a great day!!
~Dewdrop

How I got interested in weather... by Dewdrop

OK, so I was having a conversation this morning with a fellow storm chaser about where we got our start.... and that got me thinking I have a story to share there. I have always been a passionate weather geek for as long as I can remember. When I was a young child, ages 6-10, I remember standing on the porch during thunderstorms. My mother would drag me inside kicking and screaming, but I was seriously awe-struck at that young age, absolutely drawn to the storm... meanwhile, my brother dove under the bed hiding from the "light-ling"... literally. My first real memorable event was Hurricane Gloria. I lived on the coast of Boston, well, 6 houses down from the coast, when Hurricane Gloria moved inland and passed over Massachusetts in September 1985. My uncle, whose home faced the beach, was evacuated. We, however, decided to have a hurricane party at the neighbor's house. When it was realized that the worst of the storm was missing us, the kids were given clearance to go outside and play in the wind! I loved it, leaning into the wind, feeling it press against my face. It left a definite impression, and a burning passion for anything weather. According to Wikipedia, Hurricane Gloria ranks as the 13th costliest and the 16th most intense hurricane at time of U.S. landfall this century.

1985 September 27-28-Hurricane Gloria- cat.1/2- first hurricane of significant strength to move inland in southern New England since 1960. Widespread wind damage reported in Conn, RI, and MA, later into coastal NH and Maine. Tree damage in Conn. worst since 1938 and wind losses in RI and eastern Massachusetts considerable to trees, utilities and roofs. Storm still had hurricane force wind gusts into New Brunswick, Canada. ~source

If you leap from there to 1989, on October 1, 1989, my boyfriend and I were sitting at a field watching the skies churn over Rockdale County, where we both lived. What I didn't know at the time is that we were watching a tornadic supercell, which was dropping frequent funnels and exhibiting strong rotation. That storm dropped 2 tornadoes that afternoon, one of which caused damage in the parking lot outside the video store we went to on the opposite side of the field. We had to take shelter inside the adult video room... as a tornado dropped just outside, turning shopping carts into balls of metal and throwing them into cars. Those tornadoes caused extensive damage in my grandparent's neighborhood less than one mile away.

On 10/01/1989, a tornado touched down 2.42 miles from the center of Rockdale County, Georgia. The tornado was rated a category 1 . There were 0 injuries and 0 fatalities. Damages ranged from $50,000-$500,000.

A tornado touched down 5.2 miles from the center of Rockdale County, Georgia. The tornado was rated a category 2 . There were 0 injuries and 0 fatalities. Damages ranged from $50,000-$500,000.
~source

That is a powerful and exciting memory.

Several supercells and amazing skies later, I have sought as much informal training as possible that relates to weather during the past 3 years. I have attended 6 SKYWARN spotter training classes, and I have taken several on-line training classes, earning certificates in several weather related topics. I have been to the northern plains chasing tornadic supercells, experienced outrageous outflow winds/straight line winds, and seen funnel clouds, the end of a tornado and mammatus clouds, wound up under a rotating wall cloud (oops, wrong turn), captured lightning pics, done damage assessment after tornadoes and tropical storms, become certified as a CERT team member, earning a HAM radio license, learned CPR seeing the potential of becoming a first responder (being a storm chaser), started a weather blog and joined a storm chasing team. Heck, I even attended "Chase School"... it was my destiny. Yes, my weather geekiness has grown in leaps and bounds.

Speaking of weather, since I generally ignore Eastern Pacific basin systems, the near Hurricane Andres doesn't do anything for me. There is an area of disturbed weather in the western Gulf of Mexico that all eyes are on for it's slight and unlikely chance of development. If it were to develop to a tropical storm, we would call it Ana. Looking ahead, if we make it to the "W" named tropical cyclone, and it becomes a fish (remains out to sea without impacting land), we could have "a fish called Wanda". :D See, total weather geek.

Have a great day!
~Dewdrop

Lightning safety

Well, weatherwise, this weekend was nothing but HOT, HOT, HOT. We had the 6 cousins all together for some excitement though. Unfortunately, with the heat, our outdoor activities were limited. We had picked up some water balloons a while back and had a "great water-balloon war", which of course, required them to be hosed off afterwards, wink, wink... Aside from the fun times with cousins, we didn't have much going on. Locally, skies were clear, no thunderstorms, no rain. Apparently, that wallop Thursday night took all the available energy. Elsewhere in the country, some folks are dealing with the aftermath of tornadoes, mostly in Iowa and Minnesota... but there was the stray in Idaho (yes, you read that right).

Link to storm reports.

Some significant damage was reported from yesterday's storms.Tornadoes are destructive, but a more common severe weather killer is lighning. This week is Lightning Safety Awareness Week. An average of 62 people per year in the United States are killed by lightning strikes. When thunder roars, go indoors! So far this year, there are 15 reported lightning fatalities. Death from lightning strikes this year have been caused by people... walking to vehicle (wait until it passes)... Riding motorcycle (get indoors when thunder starts booming-pulled radar support for Mini-Dew's dad this week when he got caught on the interstate on his motorcycle in a horrible thunderstorm with frequent cloud to ground lightning)... yard work (it'll still be there later)... in a corn field (don't be the tallest thing, or standing around/near the tallest thing)... walking to catch bus (wait inside)... playing baseball... jogging... near tree doing yard work... under tree... near tree camping... golfing... fishing... was it worth it? No way.

The only safe place from lightning is indoors, whether in your home, school, car or place of business. It is important that if you hear thunder, that you quickly get to safety. Here is a link to the game Leon the Lightning Lion, which tests your lightning safety IQ. I hope you too, will score a 100%. Most of the country is at risk for thunderstorms today, so here is a great chance to be safe and put your lightning knowledge to work.

Have a great AND SAFE day!
~Dewdrop

Lightning strikes and thunder rolls

What a night last night was here! Wasn't any heat lightning this time! It started out pretty mild, isolated towers, one even generating a 1" hail report down at our airport, which was far enough from my location to miss it all, then, things started to get severe warned...First the radio went off... severe warning on a thunderstorm headed my way (radar image above). Then, the CodeRed weather alert chimed in... then, the TV (not to be outdone) offered up its EAS tone. I rushed outside with my camera first... WHAT A SHELF CLOUD!!! Really spectacular, looking north from my backyard. You see the leading edge of that wallop on radar. I quickly grabbed the patio furniture, as the radar suggested that winds from the bowing segment could have been an issue. Then, it came... moments into the thunderstorm, we lost power (fortunately, as I was finishing up dinner preparation), and Mini-Dew became one of my appendages, affixed to my hip (she's not a big fan of storms or power outages). How I raised a child afraid of weather is beyond me... Anyways, the lightning in this system was AMAZING! What a show, for 2 1/2 solid hours, it flashes several times per second. It boomed all around us. Brilliant scattering streaks crawling across the sky, occasional CG, and some CC within the clouds, which momentarily mimicked daylight. As my wonderful groom so eloquently put it while holding up his camera phone... "It's like shooting fish in a barrel, but I'm going to get lightning on my phone." Lo and behold... he got one... see?! I was out there myself, though... shooting lightning Dew-style! (without a tripod, sorry...) Fortunately, power was restored after 2 1/2 hours. It was spectacular!

Have a Dew-rific day and a great weekend and Fathers' Day!
~Dewdrop

What is heat lightning???

SKY WATCH FRIDAY time! I am busy busy with stimulus yuck, so I might not get a chance to say hi. Please don't take offense. Our hosts: Klaus Sandy Ivar Wren Louise Fishing Guy

Thanks, also,to Dot and Tom, who were instrumental in the success of this blogging event. You should definitely come fly with us!

In honor of our summertime-like thunderstorms, I give you cloud to cloud lightning at night.This morning, I awoke to flashes of lightning, no thunder, just bright flashes of light, lighting up the dawning morning sky. Just moments ago (6:40AM or so), the National Weather Service in Jacksonville issued a severe thunderstorm warning including the county to my east, indicating that hail and wind were a definite threat from the supercell that was pressing southward out of Fargo, Georgia. Yesterday evening, we had the same, severe warned in the county just east of me, and 1 3/4" hail was reported in Fargo with that powerful cell. Here... of course, nothing but brilliant flashes of light, which might have actually been on the outskirts of that storm which was 15-20 miles away. We didn't even have rain...

Lightning without sound is referred to as "heat lightning". My parents used to tell me that "heat lightning" was caused by extreme heat and it's harmless. Many people actually believe that heat lightning is a "safe lightning", not necessarily true. Well, it is called heat lightning, but that really is a misnomer. Heat lightning is lightning with no audible thunder. It's not because it has no sound, but because it is too far away or changes in densities in the air affect whether or not the sound of the thunder is able to refract to us, so we can hear it.

If a lightning strike is a sufficient distance from the observer, sound from the strike will not be heard. These "silent bolts" are called heat lightning.

The movement of sound in the atmosphere depends on the atmospheric properties of the air such as temperature and density. Because temperature and density change with height, the sound of thunder is refracted through the troposphere. This refraction results in spaces of volume in which the thunder does not propagate through. The sound of thunder often reflects off the earth's surface. The rumbling sound from thunder is partly due to reflections off the earth's surface. This reflection and refraction leaves voids where thunder can not be heard (click here for an applet of this by Tom Whittaker.) Therefore, the Earth's curvature also contributes to people far from the strike from not hearing it. Thunder is more likely to be bounced off the earth's surface before it reaches an observer far from the strike. The reflection and refraction in the troposphere determines who hears the strike and who doesn't.

The term "heat" in heat lighting has little to do with temperature. Since heat lightning is most likely to be seen in association with air mass thunderstorms in the warm season, the term "heat" may have been used because these flashes are often seen when surface temperatures are warm.
~Meteorologist, Jeff Haby

As I said though, it is possible for density and temperature to affect whether or not the sound of thunder travels through the air, so potentially dangerous nearby thunderstorms can go unheard (not too common). So, "if you hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck" AND if you see nearby lightning, get inside! Lightning is a real and serious threat, always. Lightning strikes can (and do) occur outside of the audible thunder zone. Click on the above image for lightning facts about strikes "out of the clear blue sky". Play it safe. If there is a thunderstorm anywhere nearby, get indoors.

Speaking of thunderstorms, looks like a major concern for hefty severe weather, including a heightened risk for tornadoes. The Storm Prediction Center is expecting the next two days to be among the most active of the year for severe weather.






Folks in the northern plains, including Wisconsin should be very aware of the weather, and take any warnings seriously, as tornadoes are a serious threat today.

SEVERAL ROUNDS OF SEVERE STORMS WILL LIKELY AFFECT THIS AREA... COUPLED WITH STRONG DAYTIME HEATING AND DEWPOINTS IN THE MID 70S WILL YIELD EXTREME INSTABILITY WITH MLCAPE VALUES APPROACHING 5000 J/KG AND LITTLE CAP. FORECAST SOUNDINGS OVER SOUTHERN MN AND NORTHERN IA INDICATE THE RISK OF INTENSE SUPERCELLS FORMING OVER THIS AREA CAPABLE OF VERY LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND PERHAPS SIGNIFICANT TORNADOES.

Have a safe day... turn on your weather radios! (That includes you, sis!)

12:00pmEDT: Talk about Dewvoid... those watches might has well have been 1000 miles away... I am between them.Alas, the tornado probabilities have been redrawn...... and we are within an area with a chance of tornadoes...

Latest update: Apparently, I typed too loudly... Dewvoid, back in action.~Dewdrop