NOAA /Bout Weather Spring-Summer 2005

Spring - Summer 2005

Introduction
By Hendricus Lulofs 
Warning Coordination Meteorologist

Welcome to the first Spring - Summer edition of our online newsletter . In this edition you will find articles on a wide variety of topics ranging from lightning to the tropics and a whole lot more. There is an in-depth climate article that our climate team has put together that looks at a wide variety of topics. In this issue you will also be introduced to our new Hydrologist, Peter Corrigan, as long time Hydrologist Mike Gillen has retired. For those of you who did the weather puzzle from the Fall-Winter Edition...the answer key can be found in this edition!

During this Spring I had the pleasure of meeting many of you as we conducted our annual weather spotter training. We really appreciate our weather spotters and look forward to hearing from you as we head into our severe weather season!

Read on and enjoy this issue of .

  

The Weather Spotter's Sector
By Will Perry

Spring and Summer are the seasons where we need our Skywarn Spotters the most. This article will give you, the spotter, much needed information to help inform the public about ongoing critical weather in our region.


Winter 2004-2005: 
A Look Back
By: Robert Stonefield and Jan Jackson

Overall our winter was warm with monthly average temperature across Southeast West Virginia, Southwest Virginia and Northwest North Carolina of 2-5 degrees (F) above normal. The first half of each month was warm, especially January, where temperatures were 15-20 degrees (F) above normal. Record high temperatures in early January had people wondering, is winter over already? The second half of December and January reminded us that winter was still around as Arctic blasts of cold air dropped temperatures below zero across portions of the mountains and into the teens and single digits along and east of the Blue Ridge. It seemed the closer we got to Spring (March 20), the colder the temperatures remained.


Our New Hydrologist
By Peter Corrigan

My name is Peter Corrigan and I recently (early April) joined the Blacksburg WFO team as the Service Hydrologist. I am replacing Mike Gillen who served most capably in this position since the inception of the WFO in Blacksburg in 1994 and before that when the office was in Roanoke.

ANOTHER BUSY TROPICAL
SEASON?
By Jim Hudgins and Ken Kostura

After a very active tropical summer of 2004, preliminary indications show that another slightly above average tropical cyclone season may be in store. Also, an above average probability of U.S. major landfalls is anticipated. However these numbers of US landfalling systems is expected to be well below that of 2004. Specifically, it is estimated that 2005 will have about 6 hurricanes (average is 5.9), 11 named storms (average is 9.6), and 3 intense (category 3-4-5) hurricanes (average is 2.3). The probability of US major hurricane landfall is forecast to be 30 percent above the long-period average, which is computed between 1950 and 2000.



Lightning: Facts About Nature's Fireworks 
By Will Perry

Lightning is one of nature's most fascinating weather
spectacles, yet very deadly. This article covers lightning safety,
lightning myths, and some facts and figures about lightning.

Weather Puzzle Fall/Winter 04/05
By Dennis Sleighter

In our Fall Winter 2004-2005 Edition we published a weather puzzle. For those of you who
still want to try it go to to this link before looking at the answer key.

To see the answer key click below: