Storms with damaging winds and hail hit southern Colorado hard on Monday afternoon (8/10). Hail from the size of quarters to ping-pong balls blasted northern Colorado Springs during the dinner hour, while upwards of half an inch of rain fell in 15 minutes (.53" Briargage and .66" in Stetson Hills).
Then severe storms moved southeastward into northeastern Pueblo and northwestern Crowley counties during the 9 o'clock hour.
Other severe storms were reported in central Las Animas county.
It's a combination of lots of water in the air, and the tail end of a cold front up against the mountains to act as a trigger. Fortunately no tornadoes reported.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009
On the virtues of driving a Porsche
I warned you that this column would drift away from exclusively weather topics from time-to-time, and this is one of those times.
I was reminded on a long (650 mile) road trip last week (see my previous blog) how much I enjoy driving...when I'm in my Porsche 944.
Like most, I've owned a number of different marks over the years, from a Renault LeCar (boy, was THAT a mistake), to Oldsmobiles, Plymouths, Subarus, Toyota's, Saturns and Nissans. They were just cars. They got you from one place to another, usually not usually very comfortably, and were interchangeable pieces of transportation.
That changed a few years ago when I picked up my 1985 (late) Porsche 944. A German mechanic/friend put me on to it, I took a test drive, and was hooked. $3500 later, I had my very own piece German driving technology.
On the down side, they're not cheap to maintain. Something or other always needs repair, and as you might expect with a car that's over 20 years old, I've been through clutches, seals, various electrical relays, injectors, the shift boot is held on by Gorilla tape, and it leaks like a sieve. ("When a Porsche stops leaking....it's out of fluid").
So why do I still drive it? Let's look at the positive side of the ledger.
It was built with that precision the Germans are famous for out of real metal. When you close the doors, it feels right (and sounds right). The seats are the most comfortable of any car I've ever driven. (After my 9 hour trip home from Utah the other day, I was tired, but not crippled, like I usually feel after a long journey in other cars). The handling is phenomenal, and you can really feel the road (not uncomfortably, but you're not disconnected from it as you are in so many newer cars). It turns in a VERY small circle, and the visibility is good. The heater is outstanding (because, I suppose, it gets cold in Germany in the winter). The air conditioner...not so much.
I averaged 33 mpg on the highway....not bad for a semi-performance car, huh?
So while I'd like the gas mileage of my son's 1997 Saturn sedan (38 mpg on the highway), or the fewer visits to the mechanic that come with a Honda or Toyota, thanks just the same, I'm sticking with the Porsche. I'm currently at 198,000 miles, and when the time comes, I'll have the engine rebuilt and keep going because this isn't a "throwaway" car, it's a driving experience.
I was reminded on a long (650 mile) road trip last week (see my previous blog) how much I enjoy driving...when I'm in my Porsche 944.
Like most, I've owned a number of different marks over the years, from a Renault LeCar (boy, was THAT a mistake), to Oldsmobiles, Plymouths, Subarus, Toyota's, Saturns and Nissans. They were just cars. They got you from one place to another, usually not usually very comfortably, and were interchangeable pieces of transportation.
That changed a few years ago when I picked up my 1985 (late) Porsche 944. A German mechanic/friend put me on to it, I took a test drive, and was hooked. $3500 later, I had my very own piece German driving technology.
On the down side, they're not cheap to maintain. Something or other always needs repair, and as you might expect with a car that's over 20 years old, I've been through clutches, seals, various electrical relays, injectors, the shift boot is held on by Gorilla tape, and it leaks like a sieve. ("When a Porsche stops leaking....it's out of fluid").
So why do I still drive it? Let's look at the positive side of the ledger.
It was built with that precision the Germans are famous for out of real metal. When you close the doors, it feels right (and sounds right). The seats are the most comfortable of any car I've ever driven. (After my 9 hour trip home from Utah the other day, I was tired, but not crippled, like I usually feel after a long journey in other cars). The handling is phenomenal, and you can really feel the road (not uncomfortably, but you're not disconnected from it as you are in so many newer cars). It turns in a VERY small circle, and the visibility is good. The heater is outstanding (because, I suppose, it gets cold in Germany in the winter). The air conditioner...not so much.
I averaged 33 mpg on the highway....not bad for a semi-performance car, huh?
So while I'd like the gas mileage of my son's 1997 Saturn sedan (38 mpg on the highway), or the fewer visits to the mechanic that come with a Honda or Toyota, thanks just the same, I'm sticking with the Porsche. I'm currently at 198,000 miles, and when the time comes, I'll have the engine rebuilt and keep going because this isn't a "throwaway" car, it's a driving experience.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
El Nino and your interesting summer
I've had a number of "Ask Mike's" recently about the El Nino conditions strengthening off the coast of South America, and specifically "is this why we've had such a wet summer?"
Let's start with the easy one first..."is El Nino responsible for the buckets of rainfall we've had over the past month or so?" and the answer is a resounding NO. It's just one of those years (kind of like 1997).
Even though an El Nino is building (more about that in just a bit), its effects are minimal in North America during the Summer and Fall.
Now then, just what is El Nino? It's an ocean an atmospheric condition diagnosed by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures off the coast of Peru. It may be measured locally, but the effects are global.
As an El Nino strengthens, the trade winds that usually flow from South America to Indonesia either die away or reverse. Indonesia (and Australia) often go into long-term drought as a result, often followed by wildfires.
The entire global wind flow is affected, and as a result, during El Nino years (which occur every 7 to 14 years), the southeast usually gets more rainfall, the northeast more snow, and here at home in Colorado, we can do almost anything. That seems like sidestepping the question, but during strong El Nino years, we've been wetter-than-average, drier-than-average and average.
There are usually fewer Atlantic hurricanes when El Nino is strong, which may explain why the hurricane forecast for the season has just been downgraded to a lower number.
Want to know more? Here's a good place to start http://www.elnino.noaa.gov/.
Let's start with the easy one first..."is El Nino responsible for the buckets of rainfall we've had over the past month or so?" and the answer is a resounding NO. It's just one of those years (kind of like 1997).
Even though an El Nino is building (more about that in just a bit), its effects are minimal in North America during the Summer and Fall.
Now then, just what is El Nino? It's an ocean an atmospheric condition diagnosed by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures off the coast of Peru. It may be measured locally, but the effects are global.
As an El Nino strengthens, the trade winds that usually flow from South America to Indonesia either die away or reverse. Indonesia (and Australia) often go into long-term drought as a result, often followed by wildfires.
The entire global wind flow is affected, and as a result, during El Nino years (which occur every 7 to 14 years), the southeast usually gets more rainfall, the northeast more snow, and here at home in Colorado, we can do almost anything. That seems like sidestepping the question, but during strong El Nino years, we've been wetter-than-average, drier-than-average and average.
There are usually fewer Atlantic hurricanes when El Nino is strong, which may explain why the hurricane forecast for the season has just been downgraded to a lower number.
Want to know more? Here's a good place to start http://www.elnino.noaa.gov/.
Friday, August 7, 2009
The virtues of spontaneous travel
Just got back from a 2 day quick trip to northern Utah where my son, Mike Jr. is finishing up his undergraduate degrees and headed off to graduate school (same state, just further north).
It was an unusual experience for me in that I usually plan trips down to the last detail and follow the plan...This time, I just got up Wednesday morning and said, "I've got 2 days off...I'm going to see Mike Jr.", so I threw a couple of shirts, a few socks (not necessarily matching) and a case of Pepsi in the car, called Mike to tell him I was coming and headed north.
Things were smooth through the Denver Metro area, but WOW, was there a lot of construction from just north of Denver almost to Wyoming...and most of I-80 westbound seemed to be under construction too. Still, I covered 638 miles in 9 hours, and the restaurants were still open.
There are many things I don't miss about Utah...the heat in the summer, the humidity, the winters, but I DO miss some of the restaurants, and some of my favorites are still here.
I picked up my son, and we immediate headed for Kim Long's in Layton. It's Vietnamese quisine and outstanding. We both ended up with dishes featuring peanuts, so after the entree was gone, we ended up in a "who can pick up the smallest particle with chopsticks?" competition. Mike Jr. spent two years in Hong Kong, and, needless to say, he smoked me.
I found a nice hotel near the restaurant, and the phrase "considering that I'm not going to pay what you're asking, what's your next best offer?" served me quite well, and it was off to dreams of more restaurants.
Next day (with the combination of heat and humidity making me feel as though I were in Africa), it was off to complete some essentials that needed to be out of the way before he heads off to grad school...tires rotated, oil level checked, determining an alternative to holding on the front bumper with duct tape...you know, the usual.
All tasks completed, it was off to favorite eatery#2, El Matador in Ogden. I've been going to el Matador for at least 35 years that I can document, and it's been uniformly outstanding. This time was no exception.
Got Mike Jr. back in time for a 1:30 class, and hit the road back to Colorado at 1 PM.
Going eastward, there was much less construction in Wyoming, and northern Colorado was smooth, but the Denver Metro area....Holy Smoke! I hit downtown just as Invesco field at mile high disgorged approximately 13,000 fans who had been watching a Bronco's practice onto part of the freeway narrowed down to minimal lanes by construction, and from there to Baptist Road in northern Colorado Springs, well..let's just say it was fortunate that I had a good book on CD, I didn't walk through the front door until nearly 2 hours later.
Lessons learned:
1) Spontaneous travel can be wonderful, if you choose the right company and destination.
2) Your favorite restaurants are probably still just as good as you remember them.
3) Never pay the first rate quoted by any hotel on the planet
4) A Porsche is far superior to any Korean or Japanese rental car for long road trips (I arrived home feeling tired but not crippled).
5) Sometimes, your children can make you VERY proud to be a parent. (Hope he remembers me when he gets his Nobel prize!)
It was an unusual experience for me in that I usually plan trips down to the last detail and follow the plan...This time, I just got up Wednesday morning and said, "I've got 2 days off...I'm going to see Mike Jr.", so I threw a couple of shirts, a few socks (not necessarily matching) and a case of Pepsi in the car, called Mike to tell him I was coming and headed north.
Things were smooth through the Denver Metro area, but WOW, was there a lot of construction from just north of Denver almost to Wyoming...and most of I-80 westbound seemed to be under construction too. Still, I covered 638 miles in 9 hours, and the restaurants were still open.
There are many things I don't miss about Utah...the heat in the summer, the humidity, the winters, but I DO miss some of the restaurants, and some of my favorites are still here.
I picked up my son, and we immediate headed for Kim Long's in Layton. It's Vietnamese quisine and outstanding. We both ended up with dishes featuring peanuts, so after the entree was gone, we ended up in a "who can pick up the smallest particle with chopsticks?" competition. Mike Jr. spent two years in Hong Kong, and, needless to say, he smoked me.
I found a nice hotel near the restaurant, and the phrase "considering that I'm not going to pay what you're asking, what's your next best offer?" served me quite well, and it was off to dreams of more restaurants.
Next day (with the combination of heat and humidity making me feel as though I were in Africa), it was off to complete some essentials that needed to be out of the way before he heads off to grad school...tires rotated, oil level checked, determining an alternative to holding on the front bumper with duct tape...you know, the usual.
All tasks completed, it was off to favorite eatery#2, El Matador in Ogden. I've been going to el Matador for at least 35 years that I can document, and it's been uniformly outstanding. This time was no exception.
Got Mike Jr. back in time for a 1:30 class, and hit the road back to Colorado at 1 PM.
Going eastward, there was much less construction in Wyoming, and northern Colorado was smooth, but the Denver Metro area....Holy Smoke! I hit downtown just as Invesco field at mile high disgorged approximately 13,000 fans who had been watching a Bronco's practice onto part of the freeway narrowed down to minimal lanes by construction, and from there to Baptist Road in northern Colorado Springs, well..let's just say it was fortunate that I had a good book on CD, I didn't walk through the front door until nearly 2 hours later.
Lessons learned:
1) Spontaneous travel can be wonderful, if you choose the right company and destination.
2) Your favorite restaurants are probably still just as good as you remember them.
3) Never pay the first rate quoted by any hotel on the planet
4) A Porsche is far superior to any Korean or Japanese rental car for long road trips (I arrived home feeling tired but not crippled).
5) Sometimes, your children can make you VERY proud to be a parent. (Hope he remembers me when he gets his Nobel prize!)
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Rainbows
From time to time here in southern Colorado, we see some spectacular rainbows. Tonight in Pueblo was one example, with a nice double-bow behind the storm.
Phsically, here's what's happening..
When sunlight enters a water droplet (a rain drop, let's say), it bends (refracts) as it enters, bounces (reflects) at the far end of the drop and bends (refracts) again as it leaves.
Each color (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet) bends through a slightly different angle, and the projection gives us that spectacular light show in the sky.
When you see a double rainbow (as many did tonight), the light bounces (reflects) twice inside the drop..so in this case, the sequence would be to bend (refract) as the light enters the drop, to bounce (reflect) twice inside the drop, and to bend (refract) as it leaves, producing a secondary (dimmer) rainbow above the primary rainbow.
This secondary bow has the colors in reverse order from the way you'll see them in the main (primary) rainbow.
Phsically, here's what's happening..
When sunlight enters a water droplet (a rain drop, let's say), it bends (refracts) as it enters, bounces (reflects) at the far end of the drop and bends (refracts) again as it leaves.
Each color (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet) bends through a slightly different angle, and the projection gives us that spectacular light show in the sky.
When you see a double rainbow (as many did tonight), the light bounces (reflects) twice inside the drop..so in this case, the sequence would be to bend (refract) as the light enters the drop, to bounce (reflect) twice inside the drop, and to bend (refract) as it leaves, producing a secondary (dimmer) rainbow above the primary rainbow.
This secondary bow has the colors in reverse order from the way you'll see them in the main (primary) rainbow.
Tech Notes Updated.
Since we cover multiple topics in this blog, and we've had a couple of days without wall-to-wall severe storms, let's slide back into the "tech" arena today. (But since I have/will talk about the definition for severe storms on the 10 PM news, for more information, pull up my July 31st and July 27th postings on those topics).
Tech update...I'm still REALLY glad that I chose the ipod Touch for my portable tech toy. Wifi lets me keep up on everything from my e-mail to satellite and radar images, current weather conditions, and the position of planets in the sky.
On the gaming side, the Touch version of "Doom" is outstanding, and uses the device's accelerometer.
Favorite apps so far include "Planets" (free, and shows you the positions of the planets in the sky...and more), "Google Earth" (also free...and stunning), and "Flight Control" (paid just a bit for this one), where you use the touch screen to land (hopefully safely) a collection of jets, propeller planes and helicopters. It's seriously addictive.
Allrighty then...here's my big discovery in the past year...Open Office, a free office suite that performs many of the functions of Microsoft Office (and even looks quite similar).
I've been using it exclusively on my laptops for the past year or so, and have only had isolated instances where I missed the Microsoft version.
It allows you to save your documents in a "Word" compatible format (and many others), reads files with the .docx extension, and the package has an "Excel" compatible spreadsheet, a much simplified "PowerPoint" module and more. I've been VERY impressed, and for the money (free), it's worth a try.
Just point your browser to www.openoffice.org, and you can download a copy for yourself.
Tech update...I'm still REALLY glad that I chose the ipod Touch for my portable tech toy. Wifi lets me keep up on everything from my e-mail to satellite and radar images, current weather conditions, and the position of planets in the sky.
On the gaming side, the Touch version of "Doom" is outstanding, and uses the device's accelerometer.
Favorite apps so far include "Planets" (free, and shows you the positions of the planets in the sky...and more), "Google Earth" (also free...and stunning), and "Flight Control" (paid just a bit for this one), where you use the touch screen to land (hopefully safely) a collection of jets, propeller planes and helicopters. It's seriously addictive.
Allrighty then...here's my big discovery in the past year...Open Office, a free office suite that performs many of the functions of Microsoft Office (and even looks quite similar).
I've been using it exclusively on my laptops for the past year or so, and have only had isolated instances where I missed the Microsoft version.
It allows you to save your documents in a "Word" compatible format (and many others), reads files with the .docx extension, and the package has an "Excel" compatible spreadsheet, a much simplified "PowerPoint" module and more. I've been VERY impressed, and for the money (free), it's worth a try.
Just point your browser to www.openoffice.org, and you can download a copy for yourself.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Summer is coming back
For most in southern Colorado, it was a better looking day, with plenty of blue sky (and some haze caused by the amount of water still in the air).
A few thunderstorms formed near the mountains and moved across Fountain, the Wet Mountains and Wet Mountain Valley and severe thunderstorms developed in western Las Animas county.
The town of Boncarbo (northwest of Trinidad) had torrential rain and hail to the size of quarters.
Now the weather picture changes as high pressure builds over the top of us and highs climb at least 10 degrees from Saturday into Sunday, Stay warm on Monday (in fact, even go up a little bit), cool slightly on Tuesday, and go back into the warming pan on Wednesday and Thursday.
As you make your outdoor plans, never write off an isolated thunderstorm this time of the year in Colorado, but we'll see some of the best weather for outdoor activities we've had in awhile.
A few thunderstorms formed near the mountains and moved across Fountain, the Wet Mountains and Wet Mountain Valley and severe thunderstorms developed in western Las Animas county.
The town of Boncarbo (northwest of Trinidad) had torrential rain and hail to the size of quarters.
Now the weather picture changes as high pressure builds over the top of us and highs climb at least 10 degrees from Saturday into Sunday, Stay warm on Monday (in fact, even go up a little bit), cool slightly on Tuesday, and go back into the warming pan on Wednesday and Thursday.
As you make your outdoor plans, never write off an isolated thunderstorm this time of the year in Colorado, but we'll see some of the best weather for outdoor activities we've had in awhile.
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