Categories
Latest Daily Weather Briefing Calendar
Recent weather highlights
Historic snowfall in the Northeast on 29-30 October 2011.
Pictures in Worcester MA on Sat/29 and Sun/30 October.
Snow in Dillon on 17 October 2011.
Taken about 830am.
Amazing red aspen south of on 2 October 2011.
On road to Central City.
Kitties and Wilma
9 Oct 2011.
The Great New England Hurricane of 1938
Foliage near Nederland on 25 Sept 2011
Early mountain snow in the mountains of Colorado
The slow Colorado snow melt of 2011
Snow near the top of Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park on 30 July 2011
Snow still left at Diamond Lake, CO (10,940 feet) - Comparison of July 2007 and 2011
Aspen area pictures from 15-17 July 2011
Some references for June CO tornadoes
A collection of potentially useful web sites for the DWB
I've arranged these by category, though some sites crossover several categories. Please send me email with
any site(s) you'd like to add.
Short-list of some useful newer sites
HMT forecast link
Climate data and forecasts.
NOAA/ESRL Climate Analysis Branch homepage.
Interactive map to plot precipitation graphs is available on this CDC Drought
Monitoring page. Scroll down to the section under
"Regional Accumulated Daily Precipitation" and click at a location on the map.
Climate Prediction Center homepage.
Some specific CPC products.
General weather sites with access to models and observations.
Hurricane information.
CIMSS tropical cyclone page. Includes satellite imagery with upper level winds.
Local (Boulder and vicinity) observations.
Nice combo of Google Earth satellite and real-time weather station plots, from the Weather Underground. Can select the location to get a map where desired.
GSD MADIS surface plot interface. Can display mesonet and other obs
from all over the CONUS.
National Wind Technology Center mesonet; Can generate plots from here (like 2 m wind speed and gusts). Meteorological tower located at the western edge of the NWTC Site and about 11 km (7 miles) west of Broomfield, and approximately 8 km (5 miles) south of Boulder, Colorado, at an elevation of 6085 feet.
Another site, this one in Golden, Colorado. Site location: New SRRL instrument deck and met tower on top of STM, Golden, Colorado. (see this google map .
National Weather Service websites.
Numerical weather prediction: sites for different NWP runs.
Official NCEP site for access to their
different models, including the NAM to 84h and GFS out to 384 h, updated every 6h!!!! There must
be a 4-corners cutoff in there somewhere! Also access to NCEP window 5-km runs, the RUC, special hurricane runs, spaghetti plots from the GEFS, SREF runs, and RTMA analyses.
LAPS model homepage.
A table format for access to various models run by the GSD LAPS group.
Ensemble forecasts
Penn State E-wall: Access to different
models and ensembles.
Includes GFS ensemble members for each forecast period OUT TO 384 h. Also access to many other deterministic model runs.
Environment Canada ensemble site. Ensembles from their models as well as the NCEP ensembles for a variety of fields through 360h. Called the "North American Ensemble Forecast System (NAEFS).
NAEFS meteogram forecasts. Many cities to choose from including Denver.
NAEFS collection of all 500 mb ensemble members from the NCEP and Canadian ensemble systems.
http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/ensemble/produits_e.html# http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/ensemble/naefs/produits_e.html"> NAEFS probability maps for precipitation categories.
PSD maproom: source of MRF ensemble, also El Nino/La Nina
updates and interesting graphics.
A new way to look at probability forecasts from ensembles.
From the PSD maproom.
High-resolution models on the near-CONUS scale
NCEP experimental 4 km NMM.
Forecasts out to 36 h.
NCEP experimental 5 km WRF-NMM and WRF-ARW window runs.
Forecasts out to 48 h. Can compare to NAM, many products, regional scales.
NCAR WRF-ARW. Forecasts from different resolutions of the WRF through and the Hurricane WRF.
A rather impressive archive of the GFS graphics that goes back for several years, and out to 168 h.
This site gives you 12z runs, but there is a link to 00z runs.
Canadian models: global spectral model
runs beginning at 0000 UTC (to 144 h) and 1200 UTC (to 72 h).
ECMWF access.
ECMWF access from Unisys weather site.
4-panel plot of sfc P and 500 mb height for 72 h through 144 h.
European model site.
Great site with loads of model and other (include web cams) info for Europe.
Numerical Model VERIFICATION sites.
General world weather sites.
WMO weather site.
Includes info on hurricanes and tropical cyclones and other severe weather around the world.
Fire weather information
National Fire Weather Incident Site Information on all fires, with access to maps and photos.
Sites where you can get historical weather data (maps, etc.)
A great site from SPC. You can get
analyzed maps for 00z and 12z at the standard levels WITH data, and readable (suitable for publication)
from the current time back to 11/30/98.
NOAA/PSD historical weather data web site.
An impressive array of possibilities for displaying historical data, including weather maps.
Unisys site for historical data.
Preset displays of analyses of certain fields at upper levels (but NOT 500 mb), also surface data
and analyses, and some satellite imagery, back to 1998.
The "Daily Weather Map" ONLINE!
Can go back to Jan 1 2002 at this site.
Historic Daily Weather Map series online.
At this site one can get daily weather maps back to 1871. You do need to download a special browser to display these maps from prior to 2002.
NOAA GIBBS (Global ISCCP B1 Browse System) home page.
Amazing historical collection of satellite imagery, global and can be zoomed, dating back to 1983. Easy to navigate via a calendar system.
Individual radars and radar-derived precipitation.
NOAA NWS Hydorlogical Prediction Service webpage. Can look at individual river gages on a clickable map.
World-wide weather radars. Very nice list with access to radars all over the world.
NWS precip page. Great page for daily, weekly and monthly estimated precip. Plus much more, with archive capability.
NCDC snowfall plot page. Nice presentation of snowfall data for 1-7 day totals and snow depth.
NWS NPVU homepage. 6-h and 24-h estimated precipitation plots, with an archive.
Daily radar-derived
precipitation summary on CONUS scale ending 1200 UTC. Plus other possibilities, from intellicast.com.
CPC CONUS 24-h and 7-day precipitation analyses from station data, checked with radar
(note that images are kind of small).
Satellite imagery
NOAA GIBBS (Global ISCCP B1 Browse System) home page.
Amazing historical collection of satellite imagery, global and can be zoomed, dating back to 1983. Easy to navigate via a calendar system.
Severe Weather
SNOW!!!!
Web Cam sites.
Weather Underground webcams. Very nice site.
DIA web cam. Also others in Denver.
"Weather Matrix" site. Many web cams and weather data.
Nantucket web cam and other Cape Cod sites.
Washington D.C. area traffic cams.
Another Washington D.C. web cam. This one shows snow/ice accumulations in real-time.
Web sites of interest for WISDOM
FIM model output. Many different scales and FIM models to chose from. Output to 168 h.
FIM TACC (high resolution FIM9) model output. Output to 168 h.
Tracks for "Invest" storms from the ensembles. For different models.
CSU hurricane model page. Many different models and ensembles.
FSU hurricane model page. Many different models, including HWRF and GFDL.
Penn State hurricane model page. Many different models including HWRF and GFDL.
ECMWF home page. MSLP and 500 mb out to 240 h.
NH GFS. NH GFS forecasts out to 384 h.
Mike's model page. Many capabilities.
NAEFS ensemble page. Here one can find means AND individual plots for a number of variables from all the members of the GFS and CMC ensembles (forming the NAEFS or North American Ensemble Forecast System). This does NOT cover the full Atlantic, but would cover off the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico, and goes out to 384 h.
CDC ensemble page. Mean and ensemble (spaghetti plots) plots for the Northern Hemisphere out to 360 h, for several fields.
NCEP ensemble page - upper levels. NCEP ensemble mean and spreads for upper levels (500 mb and 250 mb) out to 384 h for the Northern Hemisphere.
NCEP ensemble page - cyclone tracking. This page gives model and ensemble tracks for cyclones. The storms do not have to be named or "INVEST" types. The SREF is included on this page.
NCEP ensemble page. This page gives model and ensemble tracks for cyclones. The storms do not have to be named or "INVEST" types.
...future sites to be added.......
Collection of saved longrange (30 day and longer) forecasts.
For the 2007-2008 Winter
Official winter outlook issued October, 2007.
Official winter outlook issued November, 2007.
Verification of precip for November 2007. Percent of normal.
Verification of precip for December 2007. Percent of normal.
Verification of precip for November 2007 to January 2008. Percent of normal.
Verification of temperature for November 2007 to January 2008. Departure from normal.
For the 2003 Winter
Official winter outlook, first issued mid-September, 2002.
Hazardous weather outlook for 2 week period covering the blizzard of Feb 2003.
Summer 2000 forecasts (drought/possible drought)
Current drought conditions as of 20 June 2000.
30 & 90 Day forecast issued 15 June 2000, valid for July and July-September 2000.
30 & 90 Day
forecast
issued 13 July 2000, valid for August and August-October 2000.
12 month forecast
issued 15 June 2000, valid through July-September 2001.
Verification:
Fall 2000 & early 2001 forecasts for the winter.
30 & 90 Day forecast
issued 12 October 2000, valid for November and November 2000-January 2001.
Verification of 90-day precipitation (November to January):
total precipitation and
percent of
normal precipitation.
Verification of 90-day temperature (November to January):
average temperature and
departure from normal
temperature.
Verification of November precipitation:
total precipitation and
percent of
normal precipitation.
Verification of November temperature:
Average temperature and
departure from normal temperature.
Verification of December precipitation:
total precipitation and
percent of
normal precipitation.
Verification of December temperature:
average temperature and
departure from normal
temperature.
Verification of January precipitation:
total precipitation and
percent of
normal precipitation.
Verification of January temperature:
average temperature and
departure from normal
temperature.
30 & 90 Day forecast
for precipitation and temperature,
issued 18 January 2001, valid for February and February-April 2001.
Verification of February precipitation:
total precipitation and
percent of
normal precipitation.
Verification of February temperature:
average temperature and
departure from normal
temperature.
12 month precipitation
forecast
issued 12 October 2000, valid through January 2002.
12 month temperature
forecast
issued 12 October 2000, valid through January 2002.
Late winter/spring 2001 forecasts for Spring 2001.
30 & 90 Day forecast
issued 15 February 2001, valid for March and March-May 2001.
Selected saved "shorter-term" forecasts.
Cold wave of January 2009
GFS analysis valid for 12z 14 Jan 09.
FIM 120h forecast valid 12z/Wed/14 Jan.
GFS 120h forecast valid 12z/Wed/14 Jan.
ECMWF 120h forecast valid 12z/Wed/14 Jan.
Potential first fall snow of 2003....variability in the longrange
500mb 300 to 312 h forecasts from Fri/3 Oct at 00z, valid 12z/Wed/15 Oct to 00z/Thu/16 October.
Closed upper level low near CO.
500mb 300 h ensemble forecasts from Fri/3 Oct/00z GFS run, valid 12z/Wed/15 Oct.
500mb 372 to 384 h forecasts from Fri/3 Oct at 00z, valid 12z/Sat/18 Oct to 00z/Sun/19 October.
Portion of the upper trough hanging back into the Rockies.
500mb 384 h ensemble forecasts from Fri/3 Oct/00z GFS run, valid 00z/Sun/19 Oct.
500mb 276 to 288 h forecasts from Fri/3 Oct at 12z, valid 00z/Wed/15 Oct to 12z/Wed/15 October.
Just 12h later, the closed upper level low is now an open trough passing across CO.
500mb 300 to 336h forecasts from Fri/3 Oct at 12z, valid 00z/Thu/16 Oct to 12z/Fri/17 October.
The open wave then forms a tight cutoff over the South, which merges with a new s/w trof dropping
out of Canada...
500mb 372 to 384 h forecasts from Fri/3 Oct at 12z, valid 00z/Sun/19 Oct to 12z/Sun/19 October.
...resulting in a new deep trough in the EAST!
***blank for now*** valid 06z to 18z on Wed/ October.
***blank for now*** valid 06z to 18z on Wed/ October.
Potential St. Patrick's Day 2003 blizzard
500mb forecast from Mon/10 Mar at 18z, valid 06z to 18z on Tue/18 March.
500mb forecast from Mon/10 Mar at 18z, valid 06z to 18z on Wed/19 March.
GFS forecast from Fri/14 Mar at 12z, valid 12z on Tue/18 March.
October 2001 "blizzard" forecast by the Day 15 MRF....
MRF 348 h 500 mb forecast from Sept 19,
valid 12z/3 Oct01. Big cutoff forecast near CO.
MRF 360 h surface forecast
valid 00z/4 Oct01. Probably cold enough for snow.
Nevermind...the next day's MRF forecast a high amplitude ridge!
500 mb forecast valid valid 00z/4 Oct01.
Surface for 336h forecast.
But wait....a storm is back on this 240 h MRF from 00z/24 Sep, valid
00z/4 Oct 01.
.....though it didn't cutoff... 500 mb valid 00z/5 Oct 01.
Not so fast...the next day its gone again.
9 panel MRF from 00z/25 Sep run.
Other saved items/interesting events.
The Great "Groundhog Day" Blizzard - 1-2 February 2011
Snow pics
New England Blizzard - 12 January 2011
Hurricane Earl - September 2010
First snow of the season snow....21 October 2007.
Snow in CO in May: 11-12 May 2010 storm
Snow possibilities were in the forecast for some time...
Violent tornado outbreak in OK on 10 May 2010
Crazy comet in WI: 14 April 2010
link to an archive of DWB weather highlights
Big and wet rain/snow storm on the Front Range: 16-18 April 2009
Some radar reflectivity and obs from the storm.
Big New England ice storm: 11-12 December 2008
Here are some photos from the Worcester (MA) Telgram and Gazette
And a photo from the Concord Monitor
Major tornado hits Windsor, CO; 22 May 2008
Some radar reflectivity and velocity closeups showing the remarkably strong mesocyclone and hook echo.
Current vs recent and average Upper CO River Basin snow water equivalent totals. Season through Jan 2008.
First snow of the season in the High Country. Late night/early morning thunderstorms in Boulder but snow on the peaks! View of Breckenridge on 24 Aug 2007.
Snow still left at Diamond Lake, CO
Early season snows in Boulder...how does it happen. Below is a collection of some events from the past.
3 Sep 1961, the earliest measurable snow recorded in Denver. From DEN WFO web site: "THE EARLIEST MEASURABLE
SNOWFALL ON RECORD OCCURRED ON SEPTEMBER 3RD IN 1961 WHEN 4 INCHES OF SNOW
FELL AT THE STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND THE TEMPERATURE DROPPED TO
33 DEGREES." Only a trace recorded in Boulder (also a low of 33), but 1.16" of precip. Storm total 1.60".
11-12 September 1974. Earliest >1" snowfall. Boulder obs: 9/11 91/48 0.00;
9/12 54/31 1.10 2.7 0 depth; 9/13 54/38 0.00 0.0 0
June 2007: Unusual intense tropical cyclone (~cat 5) in the Arabian Sea.
Late season snows in Boulder...how does it happen. Below is a collection of some events from the past.
June 12, 1947: 1.0 inches in the BOU records, the latest measurable snow recorded. Cheyenne recorded 8.7" of snow from this event.
25-26 May 1950: 8.7 inches at BOU.
2-3 June 1951: 2.2 inches at BOU.
13 June 1969: Boulder's latest snowfall. Only a trace, but occurred around noon!
17 May 1983: Wild storm with Blizzard warning on the eastern plains. Boulder received 7.1 inches.
20-21 May 2001: A wild Sunday...temperatures warm into the 70s before a strong cold
front brings snow by late afternoon. DIA actually shuts down for awhile. Boulder received 3.8 inches.
24 May 2002: Most recent late snow. Boulder received 1.1 inches.
Repeat of the last great May Boulder snowstorm?????? A look back....
Early heat on the High Plains....
82 and still climbing at Rapid City on 12 March 07.
Chickens without a home.... A close call on the 88-D in southeast Georgia at KEOX from one of the tornadoes on 1 March.
Big winter storm eastern Colorado to the Midwest...23 to 25 Feb 2007
Pictures from Bill Gallus (U of Iowa at Ames) of the Iowa ice and snow storm.
Southeast Colorado snow cover buries the Granada profiler....
Massive Lake Effect snows in western NY
Tornadoes in Central Florida
Strong tornado(es) in the early morning hours of 2 Feb 2007 in central FL.
Snow in Tuscon, Arizona.
A fairly rare snowfall 21-22 January 2007 in Tuscon and other parts of far southern Arizona and New Mexico. About 2 inches or so in the city of Tuscon, more in the foothills. Some Tuscon pics are shown below.
Bumper cars in Portland, Oregon.
A REALLY white Christmas (and New Year!!!) Three storms in a row hit the area. Great stuff. See the NWS summaries below for more info.
Goodland got a loads of snow as well. Check out this data and photos from the GLD WFO.
Potential big one?
September skiing in Colorado!
Summer 2006 in review
Waterspouts over Lake Erie
Initial conditions at start of hurricane season 2006
March 2006 big Plains snow
NOHRSC snow depth analysis as of 06z/21 March 06. COOP reports showed 25" depth in Central Nebraska.
GFS snowfall forecast by Tue/12z from Thu/12z/16 Mar run (120-h forecast). Big snow was hoped for in Boulder...but the storm came in spurts and never quite lived up to this forecast from the GFS. Turns out maybe this storm was too spread out in time and distance (incredible area of snow east of us by the end) for the big one here.
Model comparison from 16 Mar 12z runs...96 h forecasts valid 12z/Monday/20 March.
EC analysis for 12z/20 March. Note that the storm verifies in the position near the EC but quite a bit weaker, unfortunately. Storm came in 3 parts and the last one didn't quite close off soon enough in the OK Panhandle.
Here is a model comparison from the 12z runs on 14 March. Verification is between the too fast GFS and the too slow European models.
Winter wildfires January 2006
NWS fire weather warnings and watches. Map of the CONUS displayed here from the
NATIONAL FIRE WEATHER PAGE.
Boulder WFO area big snow/rain event: 9-10 October 2005. Images courtesy
of the Boulder WFO.
26 Aug 2005 Hurricane Katrina
Wilma - October 2005
Northeast floods - October 2005
23-24 Apr 2005 MI and OH snowstorm
20 Apr 2005 CO severe weather...DWFE NMM and MDSS forecast validation from 0000 UTC 20 Apr run.
21h forecast valid 21z 20 April
24h forecast valid 00z 21 April
27h forecast valid 03z 21 April
30h forecast valid 06z 21 April
19 Apr 2005 CO severe weather.
Big 10-11 Apr 2005 CO snowstorm.
Crazy weather in Southern California.
Waterspout from nearby ski area, unique picture taken on Monday 21 Feb 2005.
Set of waterspout pictures near the Huntington Beach pier, taken by lifeguard Claude Panis on 20 Feb 2005.
Snow for Christmas????????
GFS forecast 360h for Christmas Day.
GFS forecast 360h for Christmas Day.
GFS forecast 348h for Christmas Day.
GFS forecast 348h for Christmas Day.
GFS ensemble forecast 348h for Christmas Day.
The Great November 2004 Snow???????
DGEX & GFS forecast of storm total snow ending 12z Tue. 174h/180h forecasts.
Late October, 2004: Heavy rains/mountain snows in California.
Waterspout
off Ventura, CA, on Wed/27 Oct.
Heavy snow at Squaw Mountain as of Wed/27 Oct.
2004 Hurricane season
CIMMS site
with some great montage imagery and long loops.
August 24, 2004: Heavy rains in KC to Topeka area.
Rainfall totals
from MKC radar from Mon/23 Aug thru midday Tue/24 Aug.
Rainfall totals
from TOP radar from Mon/23 Aug thru midday Tue/24 Aug.
April (2004) snowstorm.
A big issue...how far north would precip be...some model forecasts:
January (2004) snowstorm.
The mountains get hit!
Arctic air or not?
LAPS radar analyses at:
MM5 forecasts:
Runs from 12z/Fri/2 Jan:
Runs from 18z/Fri/2 Jan:
Runs from 00z/Sat/3 Jan:
Hurricane Isabel...September 2003.
The Newport/Moorehead City WFO has compiled
this web site of Isabel's impacts.
Fascinating photos of coastal erosion are found
here.
NOAA P-3 eyewall photo from
Sept 12th.
Here is a high resolution visible
satellite image
from Sept. 12th.
A complete set of high resolution visible images and loops of other
imagery can be found at
this CIMMS site at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
A closeup of the eye with a 250 m
visible image
from Sept. 12th.
Hurricane Juan....landfall in Halifax, Nova Scotia the night of Sept. 28, 2003.
collection of damage photos.
Tree-trimming May snow...9-10 May 2003 storm.
It's the big one!!! Variations in liquid to snow probably accounted for
the large variations around the area at lower elevations. Huge snow and liquid in the
mountains.
Some pictures from George Grell's house, up Coal Creek Canyon near 9000 ft.
Taken late Wednesday.
Snow in London! These pictures (courtesy of my daughter Carrie) taken during the
heaviest London snow in ~10 years (2-3" total) in early January 2003 (Jan 3rd?).
2002 Weather summary for Boulder,
courtesy of Matt Kelsch.
Typhoon hits Guam...December 2002.
1st ski area in U.S. to open....
Loveland becomes the first ski area to open...1 run, 1000' vertical.
Images from 17 Oct 02
"Interesting" record
You know the weather is dull in your area if your record is
this!
Hurricane Lili
Buoy data from near the eye of Lili, for Wed/2 Oct
Buoy data from near the eye of Lili, for Wed/2 Oct
Hurricane Isidore
"Artificial landspout. You too can make your own tornado. Check out this
prescribed burn near North Platte recently. Landspout formed when cu went over the fire. See the text
description here from DDC forecaster Jim Johnson.
Here is a fantastic series of images from a sailboat (during a race off Australia
in January 2002 (I believe) that encountered a severe waterspout, apparently spawned by a supercell storm. Thanks
to Joe Golden for forwarding the images. Joe says that the Doppler radar at Sydney could see mid-level rotation
in this storm at a distance of ~100 km. Here is a text file of the
correspondence to Joe.
What is this????? Apparent waves along an upper-level shear zone on 18-19 Oct 2001,
noticed during the Daily Weather Briefing (by Dennis Rodgers).
A series of water vapor images are shown below:
Other images, most with observations (RAOBS, and/or ACARS). Also other data.
VISIBLE satellite image at 1700 UTC.
There are even waves near the surface (but in the other direction)!
First snow of the season in northern Michigan.
Picture from Gaylord NWS at 9pm 9/25/01.
Tornado outbreak on 16 October 2001.
Overview site: weather conditions, etc.
click here.
A summary of conditions using nearby profilers is found
here.
Photos from chaser Greg Ladue:
click here.
Photos from a local paper are found
here.
Here is a collection
of satellite imagery from CIRA.
Tornados in NE: Saturday 22 Sep severe reports
click here.
Here is
a sounding for the Tornado area.
Update: nice radar image and photo of nighttime T
found here.
Washington DC and Virginia area Tornadoes from Monday Sept 24 2001.
Washington Post photos.
Here is a map of
the T damage and times.
An official storm report from the local WFO is found
here.
Another collection of photos are found
here.
Some photos, radar and other obs from Jon Davies are found
here.
The heat is on....6 July 2001 NE/KS temps.
click here.
A text file of the obs can be found
here.
ND tornadoes from 17 July.
click here.
A text file of the report can be found
here.
T over Mt. Etna?
click here.
Tornadoes in SE Nebraska on 13 June 2001
Large tornado in NW Wisconsin on 13 June 2001
Weather info courtesy of John Davies.
DIA Hailstorm on 20 June 2001
Tornadoes in SE Colorado on 29 May 2001
Here are some photos of the Lamar area tornadoes. Courtesy of Ian Wittmeyer.
More photos of the Lamar area tornadoes. Courtesy of Ian Wittmeyer.
More photos of the Lamar area tornadoes. Courtesy of Greg Thompson.
Info from 6 April 2001 severe event.
DDC reflectivity at 2235z. At this time spotters REPORTED A TORNADO 19 MILES SOUTH OF ULYSSES.
2-? May 2001 snow
Some more forecasts for the event.
MSP hook echo....Wed 9 May 2001
click here.
Nedy Eddy (?) case: 11 May 2001.
click here.
Last Modified
4 June 2010
Department of Commerce
| NOAA | NOAA Research | ESRL | NOAA in Boulder
