Lightning image from the National Weather Service

Improved education on the dangers of and safety precautions associated with lightning has given 2011 the lowest number of lightning deaths recorded in the United States, according to the National Weather Service.

Of the 26 people killed by lightning in the United States and Territories, one was in Wisconsin.  According to NWS statistics, McKenzie Klar an 11-year old camping in Burnett County this past July was killed after she was struck by lightning when under a tree.

Both Utah and Michigan recorded three deaths, while the remaining fatalities were reported in Montana, South Dakota, Colorado, Kansas, Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Florida and Guam.   

The majority of the deaths were reported in late summer and early fall with July seeing the most.  Nine people were killed by lightning that month, but that number is down considerably from the 16 that is reported average amount.       

The 2011 totals beat the previous record low amount of fatalities by two since 2008.

To see the statistical breakdown of the numbers, check out this website: HERE.

And to see the complete article from the National Weather Service for yourself, check out this website: HERE.

Posted under Environment, Nature, Records, Recreation & Sports, Science, Seasonal Items, Severe Weather, Storms, Summer, Weather and Health, Weather History, Weather NEws, Weather Safety

We have had some vivid lightning displays the last couple of weeks around here no doubt.  Just this morning, one huge thick bolt struck perhaps 1 mile away out my west window.  The image of intense light and power is still in my head.  At first blush one might think all lightning is the same, electricity.  While in a way that’s true, there is so much more to it than that.

The majority of lightning is generally considered “negative” lightning.  That is, it leaves a net negative charge in the air or the ground (wherever it strikes).  Here’s another way to look at it.  Electrons that build up in the thunderstorm cloud base are transferred or flow to the ground once the electic potential between the cloud and another object reaches a threshold.

However, there is something called “positive” lightning we have to deal with as well.   It accounts for less than 5% of all lightning strikes according to scientists but it is far more powerful than negative lightning.  Its peak charge, up to 300,000 amps, and it peak potential, up to 1 billion volts, can be 10 times that of negative lightning.  Positive lightning usually originates in the very high levels of the storm, up around the cirrus anvil.  It is most common in winter storms, during the peak intensity phase of a severe thunderstorm, and in the dissipating stage of thunderstorms.  Positive lightning leaves a net positive charge in the ground where it strikes.

Positive lightning is believed to be responsible for a large percentage of forest fires and power outages caused by lightning.  It is also thought to be a major contributor to the formation of elves and sprites.  These are lightning discharges at very high altitudes (18 – 60 miles aloft).

Lightning is actually a lot more complex than I can explain here and there is much that is not know about its behavior.  I’m sure it will remain a hot topic of research in coming years.

Posted under Science, Storms

I see Tony brought up the “Thunderstorms and Antimatter” story that has peaked much interest over the last couple of days. It is a very interesting discovery but what interests me more is the attention it has garnered. I would expect a geek/nerd like myself to be piqued by news about anti-matter and thunderstorms, but not so much the general public. Even my wife mentioned this story yesterday while I was relaxing around the house!

I think the attraction lies with the sci-fi aspect of the word “anti-matter”. Physicists (Paul Dirac in particular) first theorized the existence of antimatter in 1929 and the first anti-particle was observed in 1932, so it is not a very new concept. However, it remains out of the realm of our everyday lives and has found a home in quite a few popular science-fiction books, movies, and other media. So, when a new study indicates that anti-matter is created in thunderstorms and “beamed” out into space, it no doubt conjures of images of science-fiction.

The reality is not all that “sexy”. I have been following this story for a couple of years now. Recent studies of thunderstorms and lightning indicated that lightning produces gamma rays and it has been known for a while that it also produces x-rays. I haven’t done an exhaustive search, but I wouldn’t doubt that a lightning strike produces radiation in nearly all wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation. We are most familiar with the visible light produced by lightning and besides the higher energy radiation mention above there are probably longer wavelengths involved as well. Since lightning heats up the air, there is likely infrared to be observed.

Similar to when physicists use “atom-smashers” to conduct high energy physics experiments, lightning involves a lot of energy. The voltage potential of a lightning strike can reach 100,000,000. One stroke can deliver trillion watts of peak power and 300,000 amps of electricity. When so much energy is concentrated in such a small area, atoms and molecules end up being torn apart, and it is this process that produces all the different types of radiation. A lot of this can sound scary. Just remember that lightning has been occurring for as long as the earth has been around. This radiation is nothing that we have to worry about as far as human health is concerned. It is interesting none-the-less and I will be interested to see if the monitoring of the different wavelengths of radiation will bear fruit for forecasting in the near future.

Have a good Wednesday! Meteorologist Justin Loew.

Posted under Science, Storms

I was so busy ranting about AGW lawsuits yesterday that I forgot to mention the U.S. Drought Monitor. The great news is that the drought in Wisconsin has improved since last week. This is the first time this year (I am fairly sure) that we do not have any severe drought in the state. The severe drought category that was present in the far northeast part of the state last week has now diminished to moderate status. I would expect that this improving trend would continue except for the fact that this week has been dry and no rain is expected until the middle of next week. Therefore the drought situation should remain stable.

Alternative Energy:

Perhaps you came across this news perusing science and weather news over the last couple of days: Brazilian scientist proposes to generate electricity from air. This is not a proposal to capture the electricity from lightning strikes – something I have thought of before – it is a method to extract minute amounts of electricity from water droplets. Humid air would be the best target. While this sounds interesting in theory and probably works as described, I have my doubts that this method could ever generate any substantial amount of electricity at a competitive cost. The amount of of charge collected from each water droplet is very minuscule. It might take a massive installation in order to generate a usable current. So how does nature create such dramatic and large displays of electricity (lightning)? Through thunderstorms. Thunderstorms move truly massive amounts of air and separate positive and negative charges in the process. So how does lightning begin? Some researchers are looking at terrestrial gamma ray flashes as the “spark” of lightning.

Lightning is also an interesting subject in hurricane research. Lightning intensity and frequency change as a hurricane changes in strength. Researchers want to know how direct is the relationship in order to help with forecasting. To study lightning in hurricanes NASA is using autonomous drones - specifically the Global Hawk. For the latest on Danielle, Earl, and other tropical disturbances be sure to check the National Hurricane Center website.

Finishing up on the hurricane topic, there was an article recently that suggested major cities can attract hurricanes. Now this is not some magical force that cities exert from hundreds of miles away, it is only something that has shown up in computer simulations of hurricane movement when they get close to landfall. It turns out (according to the models) that “rougher” land surfaces make hurricanes change course a bit. The hurricanes move toward the land surfaces with more friction or roughness. In some coastal areas, large cities with big buildings produce more roughness than the surrounding landscape and thus could cause a hurricane path to shift a bit toward the city.

Have a good Friday! Meteorologist Justin Loew.

Posted under Alternative Energy, Technology, Tropics

It seems we got our wish- Rain! As Justin and Brian both have mentioned we are above average for the month, still below for the year but it sure seems like we have been seeing our fair share the last few weeks.  We again have the chance for showers and storms overnight and through Wednesday.  We could pick up another good inch in some areas if we see the heavy downpours like we saw last night.  After that we should dry out for Thursday and Friday, that will be good news for the gardeners and farmers.  Although I am not savvy in that area I believe they need a few dry days to get their crops picked. Check out both there blogs for more info on the rain!

Just a couple other things I wanted to mention… Brian blogged about the “United We Can”… although it ended up soggy they did luck out with a fairly dry morning and early afternoon.  I know many of them were up before the real rain began.  I talked to one of the organizers Monday morning and said that there was a chance and they made accommodations by putting up tents which was a great precaution.  The other good news.. they surpassed their goal for raising canned goods!  There goal was 3000 pounds and they gathered approx 5138!  Just goes to show rain can’t scare everyone away!

I also had the chance to visit the Nekoosa library today.  They have a program going on all summer long for kids not only in Wood county but all counties.   Over the next couple months Justin and I will be visiting them and giving weather talks.  I will make sure to post the pictures that they took when I get them. 

Last but not least it is ‘Lightning Awareness Week”.  “When thunder roars, go indoors!”  On average 58 people are killed by lightning, so far in 2010 we have had 9 killed.  It is a serious danger, and one that strikes year round although most people associate lightning with the summer months.  For more information check out the National Weather Service Lightning Safety Page!

Have a great night! Meteorologist Kristen Connolly

Posted under Severe Weather, Spring, Storms, Summer, Weather Safety

A quick update from my blog last night… Tropical wave Invest 92 has started to break apart across the Atlantic.   Hurricane forecasters thought there was a good chance this tropical wave could become ‘Alex’, the first named storm of the year.  But dry air has now worked into the core of the system, so the formation of Alex now appears unlikely.

You may have heard about it already, but a popular roadside attraction was destroyed by lightning.  What as known by some as the “Touchdown Jesus” was struck by lightning last night and burned to the ground.  The 6 story tall Jesus statue rose high above Interstate 75 between Dayton and Cincinnati, and was a common stopping point for travelers to take pictures.  Here is an article from Roadside America.

And here is some local coverage from a Dayton Newspaper.

The statue”s real name is the King of Kings Statue, built outside the Solid Rock Church.  The statue was built with a metal frame, which is all that is left standing.  The rest of the statue constructed mainly of wood and plastic materials has completely burned away.  The church plans on rebuilding the statue. 

Here is a video I found of the burning statue..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGTBFPte-MY

and also a video claimed to be the lightning which struck the statue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzRW0CsBYJM&feature=related

This isn’t the first time a famous Jesus Statue was struck by lightning…check this out.

Meteorologist Brian Niznansky

Posted under Severe Weather, Storms

First a follow-up on the big story from last week – the meteor that exploded over southwestern Wisconsin. Based on the video and descriptions of what happened I was speculating the meteor could have been bigger than a basketball. According to this article, it is now estimated to have had a diameter of about 1 meter (3.3 feet). Since there aren’t any circular sporting balls to compare it to, you can imagine a meteor as big as a washing machine. That is what exploded in the sky last week. Even more interesting is that a farmer has found one fragment and more might turn up as meteorite hunters are flock to the area. Astronomers say this size of meteor falls into the atmosphere about once a month. They are not always reported because many of them burn up over the ocean or other remote areas.

Other than the meteor, nothing much has been falling from the sky as of late, and it is showing up in the US Drought Monitor. No rain means that the drought conditions in Wisconsin will likely worsen before May. In last week’s report, the overall percentage of the state affected by drought decreased, but the percentage of severe drought increased from 4.0 to 8.9 percent. The severe drought is occurring in the northwoods where lake levels are already low by a couple of feet. Unless we end up with some repeated heavy rains in the northwoods, you can expect lake and river levels to be low all Spring, Summer, and Fall. What would bring us out of the drought? Either several rounds of heavy rains/storms over a month or two period – such as getting double our normal rain in June and July, or a couple of flooding events. Last year there was a drought in most of the area except in the central part of Taylor county where one flooding event of 3 to 5 inches filled up all the lakes. They remained high through the rest of the summer, even though there was not much additional rainfall. The trouble with extreme rain events such as the Taylor county event of last Summer is that they usually do not cover a widespread area. If you are hoping for some drought relief this week – you are mostly out of luck. Right now, I am only calling for a slight chance of showers on Friday and Saturday. There will be a storm system in the upper Midwest during that time frame. If it turns a little farther north, we could end up with a bit heavier rain but I am not holding my breath.

Lastly from the files “who-would-have-thought” - jolts of electricity have been proven to increase the production of mushrooms. Unbeknownst to me, there is an old Japanese legend that lightning will enhance mushroom crops. In order to add credibility to the legend, Japanese scientists used simulated lightning (jolts of electricity) on different test-crops of mushrooms. They found that mushroom production doubled (at a minimum, some varieties were better) when exposed to the electricity. They are now trying this treatment on other vegetables to see if it works across different agricultural crops. This reminds of when I grew up on the farm. It always seemed that things turned very green, or grew faster immediately after the first thunderstorm. The lightning seemed to turn the grass greener. My father often remarked about it also. Perhaps the lightning had something to do with it, however, it could have also been due to the rain or warmer weather that usually accompanies thunderstorms.

Lastly, lastly, don’t forget that this is tornado and severe weather awareness week here in Wisconsin. The best thing you can do is have a plan for all of the different places you might be during a tornadic or severe situation. Most people practice their drills at home and school, but you want to also make sure to develop a plan (or be made aware of the plan)  for work, church, outside, the mall, etc…

Have a nice Monday! Meteorologist Justin Loew.

Posted under Drought, Science, Severe Weather, Space

Some days there are so many interesting things to blog about that I don’t know where to start. Today I will start out with a little balance – some good electric vehicle (EV) news to balance out the bad news from yesterday. While there seems to be many large hurdles for adoption of EVs in the U.S. (long commuting distances, excessive regulation, funding difficulty, etc..) this is not the case in Israel. Project better place expects that one third of Israel’s cars will run on electricity within 5 years. Wow! Most forecasters don’t expect that much penetration in the U.S market until 2030 or later. Project Better place has the contracts to back-up this prediction. All of Israel’s vehicle fleets have agreed to replace (through attrition) their gas powered vehicles with electric vehicles. The replacement rate should result in a near complete replacement by 2016. No doubt there will be some unforeseen troubles that might delay these plans, but it is great to see an entire country willing to be the testbad for EVs and the concept of battery-changing stations promoted by Project Better Place.

Since I started out with some positive news, how about some good alternative energy news to balance out the Hirsch interview from last week. Dr. Hirsch is correct that current economies of the world are still highly dependent on liquid hydrocarbon fuel, however, progress on alternatives continues, enough progress that I am confident we will avoid the worst aspects of “Peak Oil”. A company in North Carolina (Semprius) has created a new micro-solar cell that is much cheaper to operatethan normal solar cells that use light concentrating lenses, and it has an efficiency of 25 to 35%. The advantage of this micro-solar cell is that it does not need expensive cooling hardware. Semprius expects electricity generated from these cells to run from $2 to $3 per watt – which, judging by the overly positive-hype that usually surrounds new technology breakthroughs, probably means $4 or $5 per watt. Still, this is a real product that is ready for the market and is being purchased. For reference, according to some sources, the cost of electricity generation from a new coal power plant is about $2 per watt.

Overall, the solar market seems to be in pretty good shape for the largest companies (up to 75% of smaller solar start-ups are expected to go bankrupt soon). Solar prices have come down enough to entice more buyers. If you include federal tax credits, the cost of a 5 kilowatt rooftop system has gone down from $22,000 2 years ago to $16,000 now, and could drop to $13,000 by the end of the year. Also, the U.S. is expected to become the largest solar market in the world within a few years. Of course, a lot of this depends on federal subsidies (mainly from tax credits). If the U.S. government goes broke then the tax credits will dry up as well. The true measure of success in the solar (and other alternative energy) market is if they can stand on their own and compete against other forms of energy production. Right now, that is not the case. The only “cleaner” energy source that can realistically compete with oil and coal in the next couple of years is natural gas.

Before I update the weather forecast for today, an interesting link out there on the world wide web. Check out these awesome slow-motion videos of lightning. The first video is a classic example of how most lightning happens. 1. Large charge differences build up within cumulonimbus (thunderstorm) clouds. 2. Negative charges become strong enough that the insulating capability of the air breaks down and negative charges start heading for the ground. 3. Once one of the negative channels reaches the positively charged ground it completes a circuit and the channel up back to the cloud “lights up” with flowing electricity. Check it out.

Questions about lightning are pretty common when I am out and about speaking about science and weather. So are questions about earthquakes. It seems that since meteorology and geology/seismology are both natural sciences, people expect that I am an expert in both. While I do understand how and why earthquakes form, I am not an expert, and the weather and earthquakes are not related. Still the recent earthquake in Haiti prompted a lot of concern about where and when quakes might occur in the future. Here are a couple articles describing different quakes zones that are susceptible, in the United States, and other parts of the world.

Finally, the present weather. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY remains in effect through 6pm for Jackson, Monroe, Juneau, Adams, Waushara, Waupaca, Wood, Portage, Shawano, and Menominee counties. Total snow accumulations in these areas will be 3 to 6 inches. Around Wausau and Marathon county 2 to 3 inches is likely, and in the northwoods more likely an inch or so. After today the weather looks fairly tranquil for the next week to 10 days. One weak weather system moving through on Saturday and Sunday will produce a 30% chance of snow and some light accumulation (dusting) is possible. High temps will be a couple degrees below normal all the way through Sunday.

Have a nice Tuesday! Meteorologist Justin Loew.

Posted under Alternative Energy, Science

The World-Wide Lightning Location Network can monitor about 30% of all lightning strikes around the world.  They currently have 46 monitoring sites that pick up the strikes.  By next year they plan to have 60 and hope to pick up all strikes around the world.  They  believe this will be a great forecast tool for many events including hurricanes, volcanoes and for commercial aircraft.  They also want to check out if the little amount of nitrogen oxides that are released during a strike affect air quality. 

The monitoring systems are spaced out 1864 miles from each other.  The pulse from the strike can usually travel the distance and reach one of the monitoring sites.  Since hurricanes are far out at sea they believe this will help to monitor the storm especially if the intensity is increasing.  From their research with Emily, Katrina and Rita in 2005 they noticed that lightning spikes when the hurricane is going to strengthen or weaken.  Another big element has been with volcanoes, they noticed that there is alot of strikes inside an ash cloud from an eruption that can affect commercial planes.     

Every second around the world there are 63 lightning strikes. 

Have a great night! Meteorologist Kristen Connolly

Posted under Science, Severe Weather, Weather History

Lightning shooting upward!?! Yep that’s right. Instead of cloud to ground lighting this strike shoots out of the top of the storm! Scientist were lucky enough to capture a one second image of a lightning burst that shot 40 miles up out of a storm.  They are known as gigantic jets and shoot up into space or the ionosphere.  Although they don’t occur every time they are much larger then their downward friends. 

Gigantic jets have only been recorded 5 times since 2001.  It appears as they say in the article that the measurements of electricity discharged by conventional lightning is comparable to that of gigantic jets.  On the other hand, gigantic jets travel farther and faster that their counterpart because air is thinner between the clouds higher up and the ionosphere provides less resistance.  A conventional lightning bolt follows a 6 inch channel and travels about 4.5 mils to the ground, the jet contains multiple channels and travels 40 miles upward!

Scientists don’t know what storms or conditions produce the gigantic jets since there has been so few sitings.  As it states they planning to install a low light high speed camera to capture more images to help research this new phenomenon. 

Have a great night! Meteorologist Kristen Connolly

Posted under Science, Severe Weather, Storms, Uncategorized