Monday, September 28, 2009

Where the front comes from is important

This week is a great case in point of how different cold fronts can be. As I write this, we're feeling the effects of a front that moved through on Sunday. Winds have been breezy, skies clear and temperatures 20 degrees cooler than 24 hours ago.

In contrast, another front will move through on Wednesday (later), bringing cooler air again, but also clouds and a better chance for showers. They're both cold fronts, and the difference is where they formed.

A quick definition to get us rolling...a front is a boundary between large areas of the atmosphere with different temperatures, densities and humidities. The front is the leading edge of this large area of air with consistent temperature, density and humidity throughout.

The front that moved through on Sunday formed over land in northern Canada, therefore it brought cold and dry air.

In contrast, the air that's moving in behind the front later Wednesday formed over the Gulf of Alaska. It's cold and wet, and that's what we get on Thursday.

To be a bit more technical, air that forms over land is classified "continental", if over water, then "maritime".

There are different terms that describe its temperature, ranging from tropical to arctic.

The air that's over southern Colorado at the moment is "continental polar". The change that's on the way is "maritime polar".

(One other major contributor to our weather here in Colorado is "maritime tropical" air, which is warm, full of water, and comes in either from the Gulf of Mexico or the southeastern Pacific).

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Gusty winds as a cold front moves in

Right on schedule, a cold front moved from northeast to southwest across Colorado on Sunday, (9/27), resulting in this selection of wind gusts...

48 mph - Woodmen Valley; 43 mph - USAF Academy; 41 mph - Garden of the Gods; 47 mph - Pueblo West; 35 mph - Briargate; 29 mph - Gleneagle; 28 mph - Colorado Springs Airport; 29 mph - Downtown Pueblo; 26 mph - Downtown Colorado Springs; 24 mph - Walsh; 22 mph - Canon City; 21 mph - Leadville.

The air behind those gusts is 15-20 degrees cooler than the afternoon highs we had on Sunday, and you'll feel that difference on Monday...and by the way, the official statistics for Sunday were...
Colorado Springs, High-84, Low 51; Pueblo, High-90, Low 47

Friday, September 25, 2009

Expect "variety" this fall

Meteorologically, Fall is always an interesting time in the Rocky Mountains. It's a period when cold, winter-like storms from the north alternate with mild, "summery" conditions building in from the south and west.

We've already seen a touch of one of those "wintry" storms, to be followed by "summery" conditions through the weekend, and 2 more cold fronts on the way for late weekend and next week.

Bottom line...it's Colorado, fasten your seat belts, and prepare for turbulence (and enjoy the "good stuff" when it blips through).

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Blackberry Vs. iPhone part II

To keep you updated on my continuing evaluation of BlackBerry (Tour) vs. iPhone, I'm a little over a week into the process at the moment, and am still leaning heavily in the direction of the iPhone.

Here's why...(and I know I listed a few of these in the last installment),
1) My hands are just too big for the nasty little keyboard on the BlackBerry. With the latest software update, the iPhone/iPod Touch is larger and easier to be accurate on when you turn the screen sideways.
2) Applications. Apple's are far and away superior...particularly facebook, which I use frequently.
3) Battery life - yep, Apple again. When you get into serious 3G mode with the BlackBerry, the battery drops faster than the gas gauge on my 1985 Porsche when I'm driving it "enthusiastically"
4) Screen size - Here again, the ability to turn the Apple device sideways and create a larger image (and stretch or compress it easily) makes it an easier-to-see experience, whether surfing, texting, FaceBooking or Twittering.

Maybe I'll still discover the virtues of the BlackBerry, and if/when I do, I'll let you know, but I'm less optimistic than I was.

OOOH, here's something in the BlackBerry's favor. It has a pretty good camera (3.2 megapixel) built in, and it has a flash.....it's a shame I don't use the camera.

Wind gusts Wednesday Morning

Another cold front moved through Wednesday morning, (9/23/09), and REALLY kicked up the winds. Here's a quick summary from the WeatherBug stations (I'll update the info as more comes in).
Briargate - 52 mph; Falcon - 48 mph; Garden of the Gods - 46 mph; Canon City - 41 mph; USAF Academy, Manitou Springs - 35 mph; Gleneagle - 34 mph; Fort Carson, Fowler - 32 mph; DIA - 31 mph; Calhan, La Junta, Lamar - 30 mph; Woodland Park - 27 mph; Pueblo West, Mueller State Park - 26 mph; Vineland - 24 mph; Trinidad - 20 mph.

Much milder conditions ahead for Friday.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Blackberry Vs. iPhone

A comparative technology feature today, as you see in the title, if your life is becoming (or needs to be) more connected, you have some choices.

BlackBerry's are certainly popular with the business crowd, but iPhone sales continue to climb.

Both will keep you connected, but in very different styles.

I've had an iPod Touch for a few months now, and REALLY like it, and while it's not officially an iPhone, it has most of the same functionality, particularly with regard to keyboard and apps.

OK, here's the story...
My venerable LG phone died the other day, and since I'm encouraged to update Twitter, Facebook, the station Web site and keep in touch with weather data during the day, I figured it was time to bite the bullet and upgrade from a cell phone to a "multimedia communicating device".

Upgrading to an iPhone would have meant changing carriers (and I haven't heard great things about the one that handles the iPhone), so I thought I'd give good old Verizon a shot.

I told the sales associate at the Colorado Springs store what I needed to do, and decided to buy on the top end of the power curve with a BlackBerry Tour, at the time of this writing, their latest, greatest model.

The store was GREAT about setting it up for me, getting it online (even fixing a billing problem I've had for years), so A+ for service, but what about the device itself?

Keep in mind that I've only had it for a few days, so this is a preliminary report...however some things are obvious at this point.
1) This is the best phone I've ever had. The clearest signal, the fewest drops.
2) Since I'm a newbie, finding what I'm looking for (including my messages) is tough/non-intuitive.
3) The tiny little keys on the keyboard are WAY too small to be comfortable.
4) The trackball you use to navigate works VERY well.
5) The built-in "apps" I've tried so far (including facebook) are inferior to the Apple versions.
6) The screen is large for a BlackBerry device, but smaller than the landscape mode on an iPhone.

Let's compare/contrast that with the iPhone/Touch
1) Can't compare the phone signal quality, remember I'm using the Touch for this comparison
2) Finding what you need is MUCH easier on the iPod, and apps are "right up front" on the screen.
3) With the current software upgrade, turning the screen sideways give you MUCH bigger, better, more usable keys, as compared with the BlackBerry.
4) Just finding what you want to launch and touching it is still easier than the trackball
5) The apps for the things I do, such as Facebook, are MUCH better, smoother, easier-to-read.
6) The ability to turn the screen sideways and see a larger image/expand the keyboard makes the iPhone (iPod Touch) the clear winner here.

Initial summary...It's still early in the "learning curve" game, but as anything other than a phone, I definitely do NOT like the BlackBerry at this point, and if the monthly fee for the iPhone is anywhere close to what I pay for the BlackBerry, (and it's decent as a phone), before the end of the 30-day trial, I'm tempted to switch. I'll keep you posted.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Rainfall totals for Monday, 9/14/09

A few strong to severe storms with heavy rain hit the NewsFirst 5 viewing area on Monday. Here are a few rainfall totals from the WeatherBug.net stations.

1" - 1.56" Briargate, .83" Gleneagle, .75" Florence. 33" USAF Academy, .31" Divide, .25" Palmer High School, .23" Garden of the Gods

Why I still use a PC

There's been lots of computer news recently, with the updates from Apple leading the pack, and I've become a fan of iTunes and my iPod Touch. My experiences with Apple's operating system have been positive, as well.

So why, then, do I still use a PC when it's time to get down to work, surf the net, or decimate the known universe when I have time for a little gaming? Several reasons...

1) The difference in cost. I REALLY like the MacBooks and MacBook Pro's. They're sleek, light and powerful, but when I can still pick up a notebook PC that does everything I need it to do for less than $500, (though, perhaps, less elegantly), about half the cost of the Apple equivalent, I just can't justify the expense.

But wait, there's more

2) Compatibility. Even in today's world, I run across lots of college-level educational software (part of the texts and lab manuals I use in my courses), that won't run under the Mac operating system. I know the usual response to this one..."You can run BOTH operating systems on your Mac, so just whichever one you need to". True, apparently, but it sidesteps the question of buying a copy of Windows whatever to run on the MacBook when I need it. Do-able, YES, inexpensive, NO. Again, we get back to the cost factor. Have you priced a stand-alone version of Windows lately? Look it up, but be sure you're sitting down. So here again, first you pay more for the MacBook (or whatever), and you add to that cost by picking up a high-priced copy of an operating system you'll only use on special occasions. Just not do-able in my budget.

3) Lack of Apple "netbooks". Besides my Toshiba laptop, my main computer these days, I carry a tiny little Acer Aspire One netbook, that is adequate for surfing the Web, word-processing, spreadsheets...you know, the usual everyday stuff...and it even has a 160 GB hard-drive. I don't currently have that option with Apple products. (and if I do, please let me know....NO, the iPhone and Touch don't count. They're cool, but not the same thing).

The bottom line is $$$. Now, don't get your fur up, you Mac-iavellians. You're using an outstanding product, but for a "Joe Laptop" like me, it just isn't the solution yet.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Heavy rain in southern Colorado

Here's a quick look at some of the impressive amounts of rain that fell in the NewsFirst 5 viewing area on Saturday.. Surprisingly, there was only one small stream flood advisory, and it was for northeastern El Paso County until 12:15 AM Sunday morning.
1.30" - Gleneagle;
1.25" - Briargate (In 2 hours) ;
1.14" - Vilas (Baca County);
1.02" - Downtown Colorado Springs;
0.98" - Palmer High School Area;
0.97" - Garden of the Gods area;
0.96" - Wasson High School area;
0.93" - Fort Carson;
0.87" - Walsh, Baca County;
0.82" - Monument;
0.64" - Air Force Academy;
0.62" - Calhan area;
0.52" - Woodmen Valley;
0.48" - Woodland Park;
0.46" - Manitou Springs
0.44" - Trinidad

iTunes 9 - My favorite new feature

iTunes 9 is officially in the cyber-world, and already on millions of computers. If you're like me, you're asking the logical question "so, is it different enough from previous versions to make the download worthwhile?" For me, the answer is YES, for one new feature, "Home Sharing".

This one lets you link iTunes to up to 5 computers on your HOME network, and share content among them.

For me, it's a big deal, because up until now, I've had one collection of songs, audio books and video on one computer, and a completely separate set on another, and didn't know how to get them together. (There was PROBABLY a way, but not being in the Mac world, I didn't have a clue).

Now my two favorite computers (on a NetBook, the other a laptop), can see each other's libraries, and I can easily transport files from one to the other, so now whichever computer I sync my iPod Touch with has the latest, greatest library to draw from...and since the upgrade is free, "such a deal".

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Warming morning winds in Manitou Springs

John in Manitou Springs sent in a great question the other day. He wrote...

"I live in Manitou Sprgs and I have noticed a consistent phenomena this summer: on warmer days (such as today, Sept 8) the temperature will drop the previous evening into the wee hours of the present day (2 to 3 am). However, starting around 3 to 4 am or so, the wind (usually westerly) will pick up and it will warm at least 5 degrees, and sometimes 10, quite rapidly. It reminds me of a mini-chinook, but I have no idea why it would start up at that time in the morning on these warm days. I love an explanation."

John, your observations are right on target, and it IS a "mini-chinook". Here's why it happens almost daily.

Overnight, the temperatures fall more rapidly over the higher elevations to the west of Manitou Springs, and since colder air sinks, it moves eastward down Ute Pass and through the city.

Since it's moving from higher to lower elevations, it warms and dries, just as our famous "Chinooks" do, and that's why you see that temperature rise when they start to blow.

These breezes are also referred to as "diurnal" (daily) or "drainage" winds, since they're "draining" down Ute Pass.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

El Nino and the upcoming Winter

We haven't seen a summer like the one we've just been through for awhile. 1997 comes to mind for me, and as I've mentioned in previous blogs, we keep hearing that an El Nino is building, and people wonder if that's where the extra rainfall came from.

From the data we have available, the answer is still "NO". El Nino doesn't influence North America in Summer or Fall. It's in the Winter and Spring that we feel the effects, but not necessarily in Colorado.

I just looked at the long-term projections for this Winter and Spring in terms of temperature and precipitation. Admittedly, I wouldn't bet my life on the accuracy of the long-term computer output (it's getting better, but not where we'd like it to be yet), but it's convinced that we'll have "average" temperature and precipitation...as opposed to the Farmer's Almanac, which is convinced that we'll have a "don't touch your tongue to a metal light pole" Winter.

Only time will tell...it will be fun to watch.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

August weather statistics

With the old month behind us (and for an August, it was VERY mild), here's a quick look at the official statistics, before we move into what will probably be a "September to Remember".

Starting with Colorado Springs, the warmest day of the month was the 5th and 23rd, at 91 degrees
The coolest morning occurred on the 19th, when the mercury dipped to 49.
Rainfall topped out at 1.84" (3.48" is "normal"...leaving us 1.64" below average for the month...and still behind on the "since January 1st" average)

In Pueblo
The warmest:101 on the 23rd
The coldest:48 on the 28th
Precipitation: 2.71" (2.27" is "normal, meaning +.44" for the month) Pueblo's ahead on precipitation for the year, as well.

Tuesday's readings are worth noting as well.
Colorado Springs heated up to 88 (up 10 from Monday)
Pueblo officially logged 97 (also up 10, and just missed matching the record high for the date)