March Moon Rise

March 10, 2009 by

Tonight at 10:28 P.M. we will have our March full moon, the last full moon of winter. Full moons throughout the year have names given by early settlers and Native Americans to indicate important seasonal activities…such as a Harvest Moon and Hunter’s Moon.

The March full moon is know as a Worm Moon in the Farmer’s Almanac, for the warming of the soil and emergence of earthworms that herald the return of robins and spring. Also known as a Sap Moon for rising maple tree sap, a Lenten Moon for catholic settlers, and a Crow Moon for the cawing of crows that indicate the end of winter.

Below are photos of the moonrise above the Great Smoky Mountains. The far mountain peak the moon rises over is Mt. Le Conte.
Moon Rise

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Great Smoky Mountains, News, Weather

Our new homepage!

March 4, 2009 by

I have added a new look to the homepage that incorporates real-time weather from the National Weather Service and a web cam overlooking the Great Smokies. The page also changes during the day to reflect the amount sunlight. The goal here is to inspire the city-bound hiker to get on the trail this spring.

webpage.jpg

Filed Under: News

New outrageGIS Weather Station Features

February 24, 2009 by

Visible SatWarm weather is approaching and I thought it would be great to have more web cams and animations to watch the unfurling of Spring and severe weather.

The animation to the left is the visible light spectrum from the GOES satellite and shows a cold front passing over Kentucky this past Saturday. I have assembled a few scripts to output a daily animation from dawn until dusk at four frames per hour.

Each frame is 640 pixels square, so each daily animation is about 8-16 megabytes, depending on the length of daylight. I’m working on automating the output to a .flv movie which would be easier on bandwidth. View a large-version snippet of this of this animation here. As I get the file sizes smaller, these animations will be incorporated into the weather page.
What I find most exciting about these animations is that they are photographs. We know weather and clouds from ground level of course, but to see a corollary from space I think helps a photographer understand the movement of clouds and how they filter sunlight. Though it’d be hard to use these animations to predict future light conditions beyond a few hours, they are helpful in understanding how the atmosphere moves and, in retrospect, what cloud cover is associated with which weather conditions.

How about a full day of photographs?090222

The animation to the right is a full-day digest from Sunday. It shows the snow cover and lake effect snow machine impacting the Appalachians. The full animation is 9 megabytes and can be view here. Note the clearly defined line of cloud cover and snow over the mountains that straddle the TN-NC state line. To the east you can see Mt. Mitchell and its orographic uplift.
Two New Web Cams

Our current NPS web cams Look Rock and Purchase Knob both look east. I incorporated two forest service web cams, Joyce Kilmer and Cold Mountain, which both look west. Though they are not in the park, they are useful in getting a panoramic real-time view of the Great Smokies. All of these web cams can be found on our Great Smokies weather page: http://www.outrageGIS.com/weather/grsm.

Filed Under: Great Smoky Mountains, News

Winter Storm in the Bluegrass

December 16, 2008 by

Low Temps Dec 16 2008Winter storm warning, Dec 15-16, 2008.

“The National Weather Service will issue a winter storm warning when a dangerous combination of heavy snow, with sleet and/or freezing rain, will occur or has a high probability of occurring within the next 12 hours.”

Severe winter weather events are notorious to forecast. Our TV weathercasters had a range of predictions from a half-inch of ice accumulation to 5 inches of snow. The National Weather Service (NWS) had a similar forecast. After the event, we had a lot of variability across the region, so in part, all of the predictions were somewhere correct. I think the NWS made a good prediction on where the bad weather would happen, but the severity was hard to calculate.

The above map (shown in greater detail below) shows low temperatures across the U.S. and highlights the problem with forecasting such a large storm. The huge temperature change from -20° F in the northern states to 60° F in the southeast indicates two vastly different air masses in close proximity. The greater the difference, the more difficult the predictions. When the air masses begin to interact and do their dance, that’s the problem.

It’s easy to forecast calm conditions, but when the weather becomes bad, the severity is determined by how different the air masses are and how much they interact. Two similar air masses doing a “big dance” will have little impact. Two vastly dissimilar air masses just interacting slightly will produce enormous weather. Though we can measure the characteristics of air masses, the problem is that we can’t predict how they’ll interact.

The basic setup we had here was that cold polar plunged southward, and displaced the warmer, more moist tropical air. As the warmer, less dense air rode over the advancing colder, denser air, precipitation fell as rain. As it traveled through the colder, ground layer of air, it froze on surface contact. That’s freezing rain. However when upper layer of air approaches the freezing point, precipitation could fall as snow or sleet. As this boundary zone between air masses changes, the vertical temperature profile changes and so does the type precipitation that hits the ground.

Can you feel it for the weathercaster trying to predict this stuff?

Watches and Warnings Map, Dec 16

Watches Warning Dec 16 2008
Above map is the Watches and Warnings for the U.S., December 16, 2008. Compare this map to the below map, which forecasts low temperatures for this morning. Note the axis of warnings from Texas to Pennsylvania which overlays a sharp temperature contrast between the polar air to the northwest and tropical air to the southeast. This steep temperature gradient is almost 90° F and is zone of interaction.

Low Temperature Map, Dec 16
Low Temps Dec 16 2008

The below map shows snow and ice totals for the Bluegrass region.

Snow Cover Dec 16 2008

Filed Under: News, Weather

Sunday Wind Advisory

December 16, 2008 by

Wind_DowntownWind advisory, Sunday Dec 14, 2008

The National Weather Service will issue a wind advisory for sustained winds 31 to 39 mph for at least 1 hour or any gusts 46 to 57 mph. However, winds of this magnitude occurring over an area that frequently experiences such winds would not require the issuance a wind advisory.

Lexington recorded sustained winds of 39 mph with gusts around 45 mph. This created difficult walking conditions at times around downtown. Wind speeds can be faster in isolated parts of the built environment because of turbulence. Though cities typically decrease average wind speeds near ground level, during periods of high wind speed tall buildings interrupt flow causing them to ‘pile up’ on windward sides and then rush off with increased velocity in channels between buildings. Wind eddies on the leeward side of buildings will also have strong gusts.

A comparison to a simple stream might be helpful. Water flows fastest in the stream’s center. An obstruction blocking the stream will divert the flow into two channels, each with increased velocity. Unlike water though, air can be highly compressed. When air piles up on the windward or upstream side, it will move in a more dynamic manner around the obstruction. Turbulence.

The mechanics of how all this plays out is beyond my understanding, but it is sufficient to say that when a wind advisory is issued for Lexington, we can experience strong and erratic winds downtown. I noticed many flocks of pigeons remaining on their protective perch, and no soaring hawks or vultures, so that’s probably a good gauge of strong turbulence.

The last time the area was under a wind advisory was during the passing of the remnants of Hurricane Ike. I think winds gusted to near-hurricane strength. Winds this weekend are associated with a strong low that passed to our north. This low pressure system created blizzard conditions and wind chill warnings across the northern states. The system also brought the cold punch of air that created our first major winter storm a day later.

The chart below is from the Beaufort Scale of wind speed. So next time you’re wondering, “What’s that wind speed?” here’s your chart.

DescriptionSpeedVisual Clues and Damage Effects
CalmCalmCalm wind. Smoke rises vertically with little if any drift.
Light Air1 to 3 mphDirection of wind shown by smoke drift, not by wind vanes. Little if any movement with flags. Wind barely moves tree leaves.
Light Breeze4 to 7 mphWind felt on face. Leaves rustle and small twigs move. Ordinary wind vanes move.
Gentle Breeze8 to 12 mphLeaves and small twigs in constant motion. Wind blows up dry leaves from the ground. Flags are extended out.
Moderate Breeze13 to 18 mphWind moves small branches. Wind raises dust and loose paper from the ground and drives them along.
Fresh Breeze19 to 24 mphLarge branches and small trees in leaf begin to sway. Crested wavelets form on inland lakes and large rivers.
Strong Breeze25 to 31 mphLarge branches in continuous motion. Whistling sounds heard in overhead or nearby power and telephone lines. Umbrellas used with difficulty.
Near Gale32 to 38 mphWhole trees in motion. Inconvenience felt when walking against the wind.
Gale39 to 46 mphWind breaks twigs and small branches. Wind generally impedes walking.
Strong Gale47 to 54 mphStructural damage occurs, such as chimney covers, roofing tiles blown off, and television antennas damaged. Ground is littered with many small twigs and broken branches.
Whole Gale55 to 63 mphConsiderable structural damage occurs, especially on roofs. Small trees may be blown over and uprooted.
Storm Force64 to 75 mphWidespread damage occurs. Larger trees blown over and uprooted.
Hurricane Forceover 75 mphSevere and extensive damage. Roofs can be peeled off. Windows broken. Trees uprooted. RVs and small mobile homes overturned. Moving automobiles can be pushed off the roadways.
Filed Under: News

Weather influenced by the Great Lakes

December 7, 2008 by
We had a widespread snowfall this weekend in the Bluegrass. While we only had an 1″ or less over the central and northern Daniel Boone country, all we need to do is put a chain of great lakes to our immediate northwest if we wanted some truly deep snow.
December 7, 2008 Surface Observations
Enlarge this map and look at dramatically different weather around the Great Lakes today.

One of the most obvious and striking winter weather conditions is the atmospheric influence of the Great Lakes. When high pressure builds to the west of the Great Lakes and there’s a prominent northwest-to-southeast surface wind flow, weather is significantly different downwind of the lake compared to upwind. This often produces lake effect snow that can truly bury southeastern shore cities. However, the same influence can reach far south into Kentucky and the Appalachians.

The difference in weather can be outstanding, as people who live near the lakes know very well. Observe weather on both sides of Lake Michigan. The red number indicates the temperature in °F and the circle indicates cloud cover. A solid circle is completely cloudy, and an empty circle represents clear skies. The barb indicates wind speed and direction (see below for legend).

Compare Lake Michigan’s west shore with its east shore. The west shore of Lake Michigan is cold, below zero, and cloudless. Weather on the east shore of Lake Michigan is 20°F warmer, it is cloudier, and snow is falling, as represented by the green asterisks.

The cause of these conditions is simply the great reservoir of heat that the lakes contain and transfer to the atmosphere through evaporation. Though the lakes are slowly cooling through winter, they are significantly above freezing across a large area. When a colder, dry air mass blows over the lakes, evaporation will transfer heat and moisture into the air mass. As the rising, warmer air cools, if often condenses resulting in cloudiness and heavy snow; the lake effect snow machine. Also note the how far south the warmer air has penetrated compared to other locations at the same latitude.

cloud_cover_new2.gif wind-speeds.gif

For example this station here: example-1.gif is reporting that the current temperature is 55 degrees F, the sky is clear, and the winds are blowing from the north at 18 miles per hour.

And this station example-2.gif is reporting completely overcast conditons, winds from the north at 24 miles per hour and the temperature is 58 degrees F.

Filed Under: News, Weather

Sundog over Lexington

October 11, 2008 by
A sundog is a bright spot to the left or right of the sun (usually occurs in pairs) that typically happens around sunset or sunrise in high cirrus clouds.
Sundog Over Lexington

This sundog occurred Friday night over Lexington and there is a companion sundog to the left, but it is out of the frame. The bright spot to the far right is a reflection off our “Big Blue” building.

Sundogs form when a couple unique conditions are present. Cirrus clouds are the atmosphere’s highest clouds and are composed of small ice crystals. These ice crystals are were the sun creates the show.

When the sun is close to the horizon and there’s a significant layer of cirrus clouds, which should be noted are curving towards the horizon, sunlight will do 3 things: 1) be reflected at a predictable location causing the bright spot, 2) refracted at the same spot causing a rainbow, and 3) scattered throughout giving the sundog a general reddish cast.

While not rare, sundogs are uncommon and have been heralded as both good and bad omens by ancient peoples.

Filed Under: News, Weather

Drought Conditions in the Daniel Boone

September 20, 2008 by

Average Rain in KyPrecipitation, or lack thereof.
The Daniel Boone National Forest averages between 43 inches a year in the northeastern section to 53 inches in the southwestern section around the Big South Fork. Currently, the forest is in a precipitation deficit of around 4-8 inches. With the approaching fall and the driest period of the year, the forecast is for a seriously dry time in the woods. This is especially true to south and east, but the high ridges are dust dry now.

The most problematic aspect of a drought this time of year is forest fire hazards. After trees drop their leaves under cloudless skies, the forest floor experiences direct sunlight and high evaporation rates. This produces abundant fuel for forest fires.

So if you’re planning a trip this autumn, be careful with camp fires and consider using stoves for cooking and battery candles for illumination. The following discussion looks at national maps of drought severity and outlook.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: News, Weather

Hurricane Ike

September 11, 2008 by

Hurricane Ike

Postscript
Ike’s precipitation never made it to the Daniel Boone. The winds did however. Hurricane force winds were recorded in Louisville, Kentucky and a strong wind advisory was posted for Lexington and the Daniel Boone. We’ll have to wait and hope for another storm to bring much needed rain to the state, though we wish for no dangerous hurricane.

Current Track for September 11
It was 47 years ago today that Hurricane Carla made landfall and battered the central Texas coast with wind gusts to 175 mph, and up to 16 inches of rain. Carla also spawned a tornado which swept across Galveston Island killing eight people. The Category 4 hurricane claimed 45 lives and caused $2.22 billion dollars in damage.

Forecasters haven’t directly compared Ike to Carla yet, but this hurricane will most likely impact Kentucky. After making landfall Friday, Ike should swing northest north and aim for Kentucky and the Daniel Boone National Forest. The final track however has yet to play out, but if the bluegrass gets under this tropical depression, the state undoubtedly will do some catching up on the meager precipitation it has received this summer.

On average, the central part of the state receives about 11 inches of rain in the summer, however only 8 inches has fallen from June-August and none so far in September. In September, one of the bluegrass’s driest months, rainfall totals average about 3 inches. Last September, less than one inch of rain fell that month. Bone dry.

Hurricane IkeEnter Ike
A storm of this magnitude could definitely bring 3 inches of rain to the bluegrass. It could bring 6 inches. If it strengthens to a category 4 storm above the warmest section of the Gulf of Mexico as predicted, it will contain an enormous amount of energy and water vapor. Hurricanes this strong produce more energy in a day than the U.S. produces at all power plants in a year. That’s a lot of juice and Ike has to go somewhere.

Hurricanes need over 80-degree F surface water temperatures to exist. Every degree above that is like adding gasoline to a fire.
Below is a map of current surface water temperatures

Filed Under: News, Weather

Bike Prom 2008

September 1, 2008 by

The Boone's TraceLexington’s First-ever 2008 Bike Prom!
September 6, 6:00 PM
Fundraiser for The Living Arts and Science Center.

Postscript: The prom was tremendous with 96 gorgeous riders and tons of fun at the afterparty. Photographs can be found at the Forum discussion on Lexrides.com.

The Event. Dress up and Dance your bike around downtown Lexington during the 2008 Bike Prom. Ride stag or bring a date. No prior prom experience required, just bring your bike, share your fun-loving attitude, and promenade your style in the city.

What will you do on your special night? You will ride to selected destinations with a provided map and stamp your dance card at each location. You will asked to perform prom activities at each dance stop, such as be fitted with a supplied corsage, primp at the glitter station, partake and properly toast from the magic punch bowl (adult and child versions provided), select just the right tune, take a whirl on the dance floor, and have your photograph made with a backdrop of stardust and rocket ships.

While prom activities will be easy and fun to complete, you might find a few bike-related challenges that will spice up your night. All destinations and activities will be provided on the map and dance card.

Prizes and Afterparty. In the euphoria of the evening, maybe you’ll get lucky and the win the coveted crown of the Prom King or Queen. As you grace us with your cosmic moves on the dance floor, remember style is more significant than speed. Prizes for best-dressed couple and best-dressed male and female. We reserve the right to offer mystery prizes too. Prizes will be awarded during the after party at Molly Brooke’s Irish Bar with drink specials and DJ music by local mix-meister Mick Jeffries.

Start Time and Place. The prom starts at the Living Arts & Science Center, 362 N. Martin Luther King Blvd., Lexington, Ky. Registration begins at 6:00 PM and the dance starts at 6:30 PM. Rain date is the following Saturday, September 13. The event is $5.00 and all proceeds benefit the Living Arts & Science Center. The event is open to the public.

Sponsors. Proudly sponsored by following local businesses: outrageGIS mapping, Isle of You, Pedal the Planet, The Morris Book Shop, Molly Brooke’s Irish Bar, The Hive, and CD Central.

Hope to see you there!

Filed Under: News

Woodland Arts Fair, Aug 16-17

August 14, 2008 by

The Boone's TraceA postscript on the event: Thanks for all those trail lovers who showed up and visited our booth. We met many outdoor enthusiasts with great trip stories. For folks who walked away with great coupons and discounts, the store is open. If you couldn’t make it out and still want those deep discounts, just register for our newsletter and you’ll get a new round of superb coupons and map specials the first of September.

Once again we are participating in the Woodland Arts Fair in Lexington, Kentucky. The event runs typically from 10am-6pm on Saturday and 12pm-5pm on Sunday. We’ll back in the shady section, the bottom of the U, in the Woodland Christian Church Annex.

We’ll have all of our maps, which will include special, one-time free downloads of the GPS data packs and discount coupons only available during the fair. We’ll also have a cotton candy machine and free lama rides, no we won’t!, but other booths will have said treats and activities. Nearby our booth is Cricket Press, who makes some of the most attractive screen printing ephemera and t-shirts you’re gonna find in the Bluegrass.

Hope to see you there!

Filed Under: News

Release of the Great Smoky Mountains Trail Atlas

July 4, 2008 by

On July 4th we released a trail lover’s and backpacker’s atlas for a wild & historic national treasure, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Our trail atlas was designed for the modern trail user equipped with a GPS, but we focus our cartography on showing the rugged, historical, and ecological character of the park. These maps are beautiful, easy to read, and provide a pleasure as you wander over the pages and discover a new Smokies.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Great Smoky Mountains, News

The Boone Trace Magazine

June 16, 2008 by

The Boone's TraceWe are proud to have contributed to the recent Daniel Boone National Forest magazine, The Boone Trace. This comely tabloid-sized full-color magazine is the U.S. Forest Service’s official visitors’ guide and welcome publication with maps, photographs, and timely information. With over 700,000 acres, 100+ developed recreation sites, and 600+ miles of trail, this national forest provides ample opportunities to refresh, reconnect and challenge yourself in the great outdoors. The Boone’s Trace magazine is free and should be the first document you read before your adventure in the forest.

The opening paragraph reads, “Dense woodlands, towering cliffs and plunging waterfalls are just a few of the natural wonders found within the boundaries of this most unique forest. Extending across mostly rugged terrain, the forest provides breathtaking scenery, clean water, and an abundance of wood and wildlife.”

The national forest is now divided into four ranger districts; Cumberland, London, Redbird, and Stearns Ranger Districts. The Cumberland Ranger Districts has two of the most popular destinations in the forest, Cave Run Lake and the Red River Gorge. This knobby and cliff-rimmed country is home to historic iron furnaces, rare and endangered plant communities, great arches and sandstone formations, and the rugged Cliffty Wilderness Area.

The London Ranger District is defined by the Rockcastle and Laurel Rivers. Great recreation destinations include Bee Rock, Rockcastle Recreation Area,Waterfall Turkeyfoot, S-Tree, and the Laurel River Lake. While forest ownership less continuous in this district, many trails (official and unofficial) spline the ridges and creeks for hikers, mountain bikers, and motorized vehicles.

The Stearns Ranger District is home to the Beaver Creek Wilderness Area, Natural Arch Scenic Area, and numerous horse camps, shooting ranges and picnic areas. The area outlines the northern portion of the Big South Fork Recreation Area, which competes with the Red River Gorge for the title, “The Land of Many Arches.” The Redbird Ranger District is not contiguous with the other ranger districts, but off-road vehicle and mountain biking enthusiasts will find the Redbird Crest Trail a fine loop trail.

The Sheltowee Trace is forest’s unifying, long-distance trail, which connects the northern tip of forest with Tennessee’s Pickett State Park. This is the forest’s only National Recreation Trail and is the longest trail in Kentucky. Trail users can find more information at http://www.sheltoweetrace.com.

Magazine designed by Gwen Hensley of the forest service.

Filed Under: News

At Leisures Edge: Maps in Video

April 29, 2008 by

During the early days of outrageGIS mapping, Boyd finished a one-hour video that explored once-segregated black parks in Kentucky. The historic parks found in the movie are Douglass Park in Lexington, Iroquois & Chickasaw Parks in Louisville, Stuart Nelson and Noble Parks in Paducah, and Cherokee State Resort Park in Aurora.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: News

Scales, grids, and graticules

March 12, 2008 by

ScalesMeasurement scales, grids, and graticules for our printed map titles. Print them at home and use them in the woods to more precisely locate yourself with a GPS unit set to DD MM.MMM, on a UTM grid, or just measure linear distance.

These handy print outs have other information about the map they cover and fit in the polyzip carry bag.

Remember, don’t rescale these pdfs when you print them.

To download scales, visit: outrageGIS.com/scales

Filed Under: News Tagged With:
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