#Weather prediction

[thinkbolt]

Unchained Goddess (Bell Labs, 1958)

Produced by Frank Capra for Bell Science Series, directed by Richard Carlson, with animation by Shamus Culhane. In which Dr. Frank Baxter predicts GLOBAL WARMING.

[sylph-o-life]

Love it when people can tell the weather by very strange means.

I know when there's a storm coming when I stop breathing properly

[alexei-home-fromthewar-at-last]

This weather HURTS!

Shoutout to all my pals whose chronic illness came with weather predicting superpowers.

[jamesnora]

How Aneroid Barometers Predict Weather Changes

In the realm of weather forecasting, aneroid barometers stand as silent meteorological interpreters, capturing the subtle shifts in atmospheric pressure that herald impending weather changes. In this exploration, we delve into the intricate mechanics of aneroid barometers, unraveling the mystery behind how these instruments predict weather variations.

Understanding Atmospheric Pressure

Atmospheric pressure, the force exerted by air molecules in the Earth's atmosphere, fluctuates with changes in weather conditions. Aneroid barometers are designed to measure these variations, providing valuable insights into the atmospheric state.

Aneroid Barometer Components

Aneroid barometers differ from their mercury counterparts by eschewing liquid for a more intricate mechanism. The key components include a flexible metal capsule, a system of levers and springs, and a dial for pressure readings.

Flexible Metal Capsule: The Heart of the Aneroid Barometer

Central to the aneroid barometer is a thin, flexible metal capsule often made of phosphor bronze or beryllium copper. This capsule, sealed in a vacuum, responds to changes in atmospheric pressure by contracting or expanding. As pressure increases, the capsule compresses, and as pressure decreases, it expands.

Linkage System: Translating Capsule Movements

Connected to the metal capsule is a linkage system comprising levers and springs. The capsule's movements are transferred through this system, magnifying the subtle changes and transmitting them to the dial.

Dial Display: Interpreting Atmospheric Pressure

The dial of an aneroid barometer is calibrated to showcase atmospheric pressure in units of inches of mercury or millibars. As the metal capsule expands or contracts, the dial's indicator needle moves accordingly, offering a visual representation of the atmospheric pressure at that moment.

High and Low-Pressure Areas

Understanding the correlation between aneroid barometer readings and weather conditions is pivotal. A falling atmospheric pressure often indicates the approach of low-pressure systems associated with stormy weather, rain, or snow. Conversely, rising pressure suggests high-pressure systems, signaling fair weather and clear skies.

Weather Prediction Patterns

Observing the trends in aneroid barometer readings allows meteorologists and weather enthusiasts to predict weather patterns. A rapid decrease in pressure may signify an approaching storm, while a steady rise might indicate a period of stable weather.

Portability and Versatility

Aneroid barometers are prized for their portability and versatility. They are commonly used in homes, boats, and even as part of altimeters in aviation. Their mechanical simplicity and reliability make them accessible tools for those keen on monitoring atmospheric pressure changes.

Aneroid Barometers vs. Mercury Barometers

While aneroid barometers offer practical advantages, mercury barometers, which use a column of mercury to measure pressure changes, are still employed in certain settings. Aneroid barometers, being mercury-free, eliminate the environmental and health concerns associated with the use of mercury.

Conclusion

In conclusion, aneroid barometers serve as elegant instruments in the realm of weather prediction, offering valuable insights into atmospheric pressure changes. Their mechanical precision, portability, and versatility make them indispensable tools for meteorologists, outdoor enthusiasts, and anyone curious about decoding the language of the skies. As we continue to navigate the intricacies of weather forecasting, the aneroid barometer stands as a testament to the marriage of scientific ingenuity and practical utility.

[filosofablogger]

Happy Groundhog Day!!! - Redux (again)

[delicatelysublimeforester]

Weather Prediction

As the seasons change, so do our methods of predicting the weather. But one forecasting tale has endured the test of time – the tale of rime ice. For centuries, farmers across the globe have used the occurrence of rime ice to plan their planting and harvesting schedules. Rime ice forms on cold, winter days when temperatures drop below freezing. The formation of this majestic frost is usually…

[historyhermann]

UMD, the tornado warning, and the privatization of weather prediction

Front of the Diamondback in 2001. Courtesy of the UMD Archives.

On September 17th, sirens rang across the UMD College Park campus, with the issuing of a tornado warning by University of Maryland Police Department (UMPD) through an email alert and some students, like myself, being herded to the bottom of buildings like the Hornbake Library, as a result. As it would turn out, this warning was issued based on information from a private weather company, Accuweather. This led to stories in the Baltimore Sun, ABC 7, and Patch, coupled with comments from the UMD community, varied meteorologists and reporters. The rationale behind the UMPD issuing this tornado warning is understandable. In 2001, there was a tornado on campus which killed two female students, and seven years ago there was a similar case to what is happening now. While recognizing this history,  one question which arises: should UMD be relying on a private company to issue weather alerts?

Reprinted from my History Hermann WordPress blog and Wayback Machine. Originally published on October 9, 2018.

While it is good to rely on multiple sources of information it is a step too far to choose a private source over a public source. As the UMPD stated in a press release on September 17th, “in the interest of public safety, the University of Maryland Police Department contracts with AccuWeather to receive real-time information on storm paths approaching the footprint of our campus community,” which sounds like UMD is outsourcing its weather warnings to a private company. Some may say that such a state of affairs is fine because Accuweather may have better information. While meteorology is not a perfect science, Accuweather is concerned about its bottom line and its shareholders, while public institutions like NWS are accountable and answerable to the public, but an institution like Accuweather is not in the slightest.

The company has engaged in despicable practices in the past. This includes putting out a false tsunami warning earlier this year, then blaming the NWS for “giving them” the information, and slamming the NWS three years before that for not covering a tornado which hit Moore, Oklahoma, even though they didn’t cover the tornado either! They also continue to employ predictive analysis, which includes long-day predictions of 45-90 days which are broadly inaccurate. The company also has violated people’s privacy, by their mobile app storing and sharing a user’s location even when they opted out, something that the company claims it has fixed after such privacy concerns.

There is a more nefarious element to Accuweather and other private weather companies: they are part of an effort to privatize weather prediction in the United States. In 2005, then-Representative Rick Santorum, of Pennsylvania, proposed a bill which would have prohibited “federal meteorologists from competing with companies...which offer their own forecasts through paid services and free ad-supported Web sites.” While this effective privatization of weather prediction failed, the bill’s goal is something that private weather companies want.

Accuweather’s CEO, Barry Myers, brother of company’s founder (Joel), is a problematic figure. Putting aside that he is a lawyer by trade, he (and the company itself) said that Hurricane Florence wasn't that bad, despite the fact that 44 people have died, along with the death of 3.4 million poultry and over 5,000 hogs in North Carolina alone. Myers is a big political contributor, not only to Republicans, like Mitt Romney, but to Democrats like Hillary Clinton.

In October 2017, the current U.S. president nominated Myers to head NOAA, at a time that his administration proposed “cutting the NOAA budget by 17 percent.” Currently, Myers’ nomination is pending before the U.S. Senate, meaning that privatization of weather prediction will be up for a vote in this legislative body.

As a first step, the campus community and other concerned citizens should push UMPD to cancel their contract with Accuweather to receive “real-time information on storm paths” and push it to use information from public institutions like NWS to issue weather warnings or gain information on the paths of storms. The flagship educational institution of Maryland should be doing all it can to keep the campus community safe, using information from public institutions, rather than private ones.

This was originally slated to be published in the Diamondback but they never responded to me, and then I sent it to the Baltimore Sun on October 3rd as an op-ed with Tricia Bishop, the Deputy Editorial Page Editor, telling me "Thank you for the submission, but we’re going to respectfully decline to run it." As such, it has been published here. Due to those denials, it likely will not reach the audience I originally intended, but I'm not completely sure what to do about that. I delayed the publishing of this article in hopes that my letter to the editor is published.

© 2018-2023 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

[kosmicposum]

Raise your hand if tornadoes terrify you but the meteorological events that spawn them fascinate you.

🙋‍♀️

[meteortrails]

I truly think what luffy and zoro saw so immediately in nami in orange town, before she even really saw it in herself, that made them clock her as crew was just that reality defying tenacity and conviction that all of them share. luffy looks at her across the bars of that cage and understands that there’s something in this world she wants with the same ferocity he does, ideals that she obeys with the same intensity as him, and it’s that moment of understanding that makes him set on her being part of his crew. nami likes to pretend that she’s the normal one but the truth is that she’s just as much of a freak as luffy or zoro, and she’s a freak in exactly the same way! she’d rather bend the laws of reality and physics to her will than lie down and accept a loss, and zoro and luffy spend the rest of their relationship calling her bluff every time she tries to pretend it isn’t true. all three of them have eyes bigger than their stomachs and an understanding from day 1 that the only thing scarier than trying and failing is to never have tried at all. I just love them a lot is what I’m getting at here ok

[084392]

all things considered i feel like nami should own more outfits suited to different weather and stuff.......

[babyblueetbaemonster]

O great librarian please bestow your wisdom upon me.

[colonelpancakes]

Chronic pain is so funny I'll be sitting there wondering why I feel like my bones are dissolving in acid and then I'll hear thunder and go ah. That makes sense.

[dustyspines]

i step up to the mic. i say: the actual cursed child is cedric. the crowd boo and throw tomatoes at me as i leave. they don’t know i’m right.

[ddarkcrown]

me all spring: cha cha cha cha cha chaaa

me all autumn: TADATADATATDATDATATAA

[thedemigodsguide]

Hey, demigods!

Just learned something interesting.

Apparently Jason can tell the weather???? Like he's basically got his own personal weather app in his head?? We were having a campfire night, most of the campers were there, roasting marshmallows and singing along with the Apollo kids. Apparently, Mr. D decided that the campgrounds needed watering and didn't tell us. So we're all outside, and Jason just stops and says "it's going to rain."

We barely had enough time to put away the instruments before it just starts dumping rain. It was crazy!

So yeah, we got our own meteorologist here at camp. Could be useful🤭

–Kally