Meeting Saint Nick in St. Pete?

Hello Wolfpack and Raleigh and all followers!

It's been quite a while since I've posted! This past semester was CRAZY busy but it is over now and I am getting back into the swing of things. This post is primarily to serve the Band, Cheerleaders, and fans who are traveling down to St. Petersburg, Florida to cheer on the NC State football team against UCF in the Bitcoin Bowl. First is a brief analysis of the United States and generally what is happening from sea to shining sea. Below that is daily forecast analysis for St. Petersburg, and after that I have summed up a bit of a packing list.

United States

We have kind of an eclectic weather combination between the Rocky Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean right now. Currently we have a blizzard warning in Nebraska, a tornado warning in Alabama, and gale warnings and freezing rain advisories in Maine. As a result of the trough moving through the Southeastern United States, we are experiencing frigid temperatures in the northern midwest, yet the jet stream has not yet crossed over the Appalachian Mountains yet (laterally...I do realize that the jet stream is at about 9-10 km in altitude which is far higher than any of the mountains in the
Appalachian range). With this being the case, everything east of the Appalachian Mountains is still receiving warm Gulf air and our temperatures for the next couple of days here in Raleigh will be in the 60's! This reminds me of 9 years ago when my brother, cousins, and I were able to use our new roller blades on Christmas day because the high was in the low 60's and skies were sunny. The temperatures in the NE US are cooling off as they "move" to an upstream location west of the ridge, but an arctic cold air blast has not yet hit.

(Below is the advisory map from an hour and a half later than the image above. 
This is so you can see how the system is moving across the US.)

Christmas Eve - Travel Day

Trip Beginning - Well, let's just say this is going to be a good day for travel. We have a strong trough moving through the region, and if you thought we got a lot of rain yesterday here in the Triangle, well, we did, but we're going to get even more tomorrow. The low in Raleigh tomorrow morning is going to be right around 55 and it will be raining... not exactly the best weather for loading buses, but once on the highway it'll be great weather for settling in for the long haul. When we actually leave at 10:00, the temperatures will be about 60 here in Raleigh.

Because I love The Lord of the Rings

"Breakfast" Stop - We will be stopping tomorrow in Fayetteville, NC, not to eat, but to pick up the rest of the Power Sound going on the trip. By the time we stop there, the temperature will be around 65 locally... aaaand it will be raining.

Lunch Time! - When we stop in Florence, SC for lunch, the temperature will be sitting right on that 70 mark locally, and it will be raining at a rate of about 0.25in/hr. Bring your rain boots, umbrella, and light rain jacket for this stop.

Dinner - When we make the stop in Jacksonville, FL for dinner, the temperature will be in the low 70's, and guess what... it's going to be raining at a rate of about 0.20in/hr. Still very good traveling weather (for those who don't have to drive at least).

Arrival in St. Petersburg - We should be arriving at our hotel by around 11:00, just in time to settle in to our rooms before Santa comes and fills all of our stockings above the fireplaces we just left from our homes in NC. It's alright though, because spending Christmas with the band/cheerleading family is still going to be a lot of fun! Oh yeah, weather is important for this time too. Well, when Santa makes his way to the hotel, his reindeer and sleigh will not be landing on a soft blanket of snow. Instead sparks will fly and be extinguished when he lands on black top with 0.5" of rain and a temperature in the upper 60's. I hope everyone in the band has been good little girls and boys this year!

Christmas Day - Merry Christmas!

This is probably going to be the strangest and most different Christmas Day any of us will ever experience. Fortunately I will still be spending it with immediate family because my younger brother is also in the band. In St. Petersburg, FL, the low temperature will be around 60 and although most of the clouds will be sticking around overnight, the rain will have already stopped. For our rehearsal this day the temperature will be in the low-mid 60's with variable winds primarily from the North and Northeast. The high for Christmas Day will be in the mid-upper 60's and the cloud cover will be decreasing throughout the day. The Pep Rally and Battle of the Bands should both be very enjoyable for viewers and performers as the temperature will not be too hot and a nice broken layer of clouds will be overhead. It will be humid though, but that's Florida weather for you. The low that night for our Christmas dinner will be around 60 and a cool northerly breeze will be blowing, so it may not be a bad idea to grab a light jacket on your way to dinner.

Game Day - Go Pack!

Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida

December 26th is game day and today when we have our rehearsal, the temperature again will be in the low 60's but temps will rise a bit more rapidly today due to decreased cloud cover and the high around lunch time may reach 70 degrees. Weather will be perfect for chilling on the beach for the few hours before we need to get ready for the game and I want to play some Frisbee and some football if others are up for it. The game tonight is going to be only slightly cooler as the temperature at kickoff
should be in the mid-upper 60's with steady decreasing temperatures and increasing cloud cover through the night. It won't be cold enough to wear long sleeves under the uniform and it probably won't rain at all today.

Travel Day - Hopefully with another W!

Temperatures this morning in St. Petersburg will be in the low 60's. At lunch we should see temperatures in the low-mid 60's. For the dinner stop, temperatures will be in the mid 50's. When we drop off our friends in Fayetteville, temperatures will be in the low 50's. When we return to Price Music Center, the temperature will be around 50 or maybe even in the upper 40's.

Quick Check Packing List
In packing, make sure you have
- Band shirt, Band shorts, white gloves, black socks, music, and all pieces of your uniform/instrument
- Shorts and t-shirts (maybe even tank tops...Sun's out, guns out)
- Pair of pants/jeans for cooler temps at night
- Rain gear (umbrella especially)
- Comfortable clothes for travel

This is going to be an awesome trip! I'm so glad that I get to go with some awesome people! Let's go Wolfpack! Let's go make a Statement and claim Florida!

Images from http://www.weather.gov/,  http://www.runningwithspoons.com/2013/11/08/keep-calm-and-eat/, http://paonthefly.com/tropicana-field-football, 

Rivalry Weekend

Well guys today and this weekend is the weekend of the year. FSU vs. FLorida, Michigan vs. Ohio State, Alabama vs. Auburn, and most importantly for me, NC State vs. UNC. It's going to be an awesome day.

We've had some very interesting winter weather across the Eastern United States these past couple of weeks. Long synoptic-scale fronts have brought waves of winter weather to the mountains of NC and SC, and to Virginia and North. We have also had two serious Lake-effect snow storms in NY, the first of which produced 88 inches of snow just SE of Buffalo. These storms have since ceased though for the time being. The next wave is in the NW right now moving ESE. 

The weather in Raleigh tomorrow will be very different from the overcast, rainy conditions we've had for the past couple of days, though it will be chilly still. The low we will experience this morning in Raleigh is in the mid to upper 20's, but it's possible that the low-mid 20's could be felt due to clear skies allowing for quicker emission of infrared radiation. The high today will be in the low-mid 50's but the wind out of the southwest will make things feel a bit warmer. 

NC State is bringing the full band to UNC. Here is what we need to worry about for today:

1. Sunglasses. I believe we will be facing South or Southeast for the game and since we'll be playing at noon, it'll be important to protect our eyes from the bright almost-winter sun

2. Chap Stick. It's going to be cold outside today and our lips will get dried out. Keep the chap stick with you to keep them protected.

3. Game Day Intensity. Look, this is Rivalry weekend. Be crazy!

I hope everyone had an awesome Thanksgiving and black Friday, and have a great weekend!

Christmas Time is Here! Well... Almost.

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas in Raleigh, NC! Today marks the 70th anniversary of the Raleigh Christmas Parade, and there is no shortage of regulars and new attendees for the Parade! The Broughton High School Marching Band is opening the Parade as is tradition, Cary High School Marching Band performs right before Santa Claus, and North Raleigh Christian Academy Marching Knights are holding down the middle of the Parade. This year though we have a new, very large addition to the parade: the larger-than-300-person North Carolina State University Power Sound of the South Marching Band! This will be the first year in the Parade for the Power Sound since the early 1960's!

It's a nice day for a Christmas Parade too! Temperatures start off cold this morning in the mid 20's, rising to about freezing by the beginning of the Parade at 9:40. The high today should be around the low 50's, and conditions will remain sunny and relatively calm throughout the day. Tonight, though clouds will move in later this afternoon, the low will still get down to the mid 30's. If you're sitting at home tonight watching some of the later NCAA football games, it might be a good idea to throw a couple of logs in the fireplace and keep the living room warm!

This is going to have to be a shorter post because I am pressed for time, but I want to bring to everyone's attention the crazy winter weather we have going on around the Great Lakes. This past week a line of Lake Effect Snow blanketed parts of up-state New York between areas just south of Buffalo over to Rochester, as some areas had over 7 feet of snow, 5 of which fell in the first 24 hours of the event. Talk about winter weather. If that amount of snow came to Raleigh, we'd be gridlocked for about 3 weeks. Check out these totals! The areas which say 70+ inches actually received 88 inches of snow!

Right now the Great Lakes region is experiencing a good deal of freezing rain due to the  lake effect moisture and biting cold temperatures. The entire region is under a Freezing Rain Advisory! Keep in touch with your local meteorologists for updated information on these storms.

That's all for now! Have a great weekend!

Home Again!

After a long stretch of away games and bye weeks, the Wolfpack returns to Carter-Finley Stadium to take on the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech! If NC State wins this game, they become bowl eligible again. This would be the 3rd time in 4 years to be bowl eligible as a result of winning their second conference game since 2012. The Men's basketball team is playing tomorrow approximately 45 minutes after the football game too! It's going to be an awesome day.

Weather here in Raleigh really couldn't be more perfect for an early November weather report. The high in Raleigh tomorrow is forecasted to be in the upper 50's with sunny skies and a gentle northerly breeze, but being as early of a game as it is, the temperature will be in the mid 30's for the beginning of that tailgating so bring a jacket!

A high pressure system is sitting over the Ohio Valley right now and is dominating the weather for our region, making for clear skies and much cooler temperatures in some places. Parts of Atlanta and South Carolina in the Southeast, and most of Montana in the Northern Midwest.We also have a lot of wind over the Great Lakes and off the coast of the New England States and watercraft advisories and gale warnings are being issued for these areas.

This has been a short post, but for right now fortunately there is no severe weather news to speak of in the United States. I may have a post later this weekend concerning global weather phenomena considering we have a super typhoon in the Pacific and the Volcano in Iceland is still spewing ash 1000's of feet into the air.

Game Day Essentials:

1. Chap Stick or some sort of lip protection - with the temperature and dryness of air we will experience today, lips will dry out and get chapped quickly, so be sure to protect them.
2. Jacket - It's going to be chilly tomorrow, especially for tailgating. Be sure to dress warm in the morning but have layers to spread and put back on throughout the day. I believe we are going to have our belongings on the bus.
3. (As Usual) Game Spirit - Voice, Attitude, Passion. We need to win more games, and we need you guys to do it!

First Real Signs of Winter

Not only is the temperature dropping significantly for a few days, but snow is also falling or getting ready to fall in numerous regions across the the United States, and winter storm watches and warnings are being issued in a handful of states. Raleigh probably will not be experiencing any of this winter precipitation in the next week or so, but if you are heading to the Appalachian mountains in NC, KY, VA, or TN then you may be in for a pre-winter treat! Raleigh will be cold this weekend.

Mountains

Boone, NC has 3.5 inches of snow forecasted over the weekend, and other areas in the upper elevations have up to 10+ inches forecasted! It has already been snowing in Boone overnight. Depending on how quickly the cold front moves across the mountains, we will see more or less precipitation than that, but those are some rough forecasts.

Coast

If you are headed to the coast for this weekend, then be careful of wind. High wind warnings and small craft advisories are in effect for much of the eastern Seaboard as there is a deepening low pressure system ahead of a intensifying digging trough. (What does that mean? Well, our weather is typically generated by temperature and pressure gradients and trough-ridge systems. A high pressure system is typically associated with a ridge, and a low pressure system is typically associated with a trough. A digging trough means that there is a strong jet stream on the western side of the trough which is enhancing the pressure and temperature differences across the area, making winds stronger and precipitation heavier.) Due to this strengthening trough, precipitation will occur in the mountains and winds will occur at the coast. I do not have the image now, but last I looked the low pressure system was generating sustained surface winds of almost 70 knots (80 mph) so be careful if headed east.

Around the US 

Mr. Bill Bleach took this photograph and Meteorologist and
Storm Chaser Reed Timmer shared the photograph.

Yesterday we had some pretty crazy weather up near the Great Lakes! Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, IL was experiencing some serious storm surge from high winds, and some waves 20 feet tall were breaking and rolling over the road. Parts of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois on the southern coast of Lake Michigan are all under a Lakeshore Flood Advisory.

Western Montana and Eastern Idaho are under a winter storm warning.

Western Utah is under a high wind warning.

Texas is under a child abduction emergency.

North Central California is under a winter storm warning.

Game Day

It's game day again! After a bye last week, NC State is traveling to Syracuse in an attempt to win our first conference game since 2012! We have not had much success this year, and no success in the ACC, but hopefully that will change today! Kickoff is at 3:00 pm today in the Carrier Dome. The weather for Syracuse is cold and wet. The low should be getting down to about 40 this morning and the high will not be much warmer in the upper 40's with a good chance for rain throughout the day. Tonight into tomorrow (Sunday) morning the temperature will drop to about freezing and rain showers could turn into snow showers. These snow showers could last through Sunday as the high temperature on Sunday is only supposed to be in the low 40's, though little to no accumulation is expected.

Cary Band Day

One of the biggest, if not the biggest, high school band competitions in the state of NC takes place at Cary High School, and today there will be 41 bands performing including two exhibition bands: Cary High School Marching Band (the host school's band), and us, the NCSU Power Sound of the South Marching Band. I am so excited about getting to see many of these bands and getting to relive many of the great memories I have from high school. What's more is that our band at NC State is almost 200 marching members larger than the biggest high school band there. We are about 320 members strong this year, more than 3x's the size of many of the bands that will be there, and we can't wait to show them what it's like to be a part of something this big.

So, what is the weather going to be for today? Well, let's just say it's not going to be very conducive to an outdoor band competition. The high is supposed to be very close to that in Syracuse, NY interestingly enough in the upper 40's, and it is supposed to rain until around dinner or even a bit afterward. The Raleigh/Cary area could see up to 0.5 inches of rain today. We will need ponchos for our first performance, but I think we should be okay for the night performance. When we change out of uniform, it would be a good idea to have warm clothes and maybe even a towel packed. If you have your marching band rain jacket, that will be good to bring. I will be using mine tonight.

Daylight Savings Time

Remember that this weekend we fall back! This is the longest 2 day weekend of the year, and I will be taking full advantage of that extra hour of sleep. Don't forget to set your clocks back!

Time to Soar!

What's up everyone?! It's game day again in Wolfpack Nation and today's opponent should give the Wolfpack a bit less trouble than both FSU and Clemson. Last weekend we couldn't pull ourselves off the ground and instead taxied back to the airport gate. Today, we need to lift off and fly! Not scoring any points against Clemson away was very difficult to watch from the 3rd row. Not scoring any points against the Eagles from Boston College today would be even more disheartening.

Weather is going to be spotty today for the 3:30 kickoff. It looks as though scattered thunderstorms are going to be lingering all day starting around the late morning as a stationary front moves (that doesn't make any sense!) into our area and parks over the mountains. The temperature will be nice today as we should experience a high in the low-mid 80s with partly-mostly cloudy skies with the thunderstorms moving in, and we should see a low around the mid 50s tonight with increasing chances for thunderstorms into the night.

It is probably going to be a poncho day for the Power Sound of the South Marching Band due to the impending weather, but typically when we bring our ponchos it doesn't rain (band weather again sometimes overrules actual weather). It will be interesting to see what happens today. If it is only raining, the game will go on. If there is any thunder or lightning, which the NWS is calling for between 1 pm and 11 pm today, then there will be a postponing of the game or even a cancellation/reschedule. I hope the latter is not the case!

Keys for the Game

1. It was quiet for the Wolfpack at Clemson, so bring your loudest voice to rock Carter-Finley!
2. Rain Gear! It is most likely going to rain at some point and I want people to be able to stay in the stands and continue cheering on the team. We need a victory!
3. Big-Game NC State Game-day Spirit. Typical spirit among fans is rather lackluster so we need to bring the same energy we brought in the first 3 quarters against FSU!

Let's Go Wolfpack! It's Game Day!

October 2014 Lunar Eclipse!

Hello all! We have another fantastic astronomical phenomenon occurring tomorrow morning: a complete lunar eclipse! I will be waking up early to see it, and we should finally have decent clarity in the sky to actually see it! If you guys recall, earlier this year when we had a complete lunar eclipse, the skies were overcast here on the east coast and it was essentially invisible. 

What is a Complete Lunar Eclipse?

A complete lunar eclipse is when the moon is completely in the Earth's shadow which is cast by the Sun. When the Sun, the Earth, and the Moon are completely in line with the Earth in between the Sun and the Moon, also called syzygy which is the Greek word meaning "being paired together", the Earth casts a shadow giving the Moon a red tint. Why the red tint? Physics, my dear Watson. When direct sunlight is no longer able to reflect off of the Moon, the only light reaching the moon is the longwave red and orange light refracted by the Earth's atmosphere. This is why the moon appears to have a reddish/brownish coloration to it. The term for this coloration is "Earthshine".

When Will We be Able to See It?

In Raleigh, we will be able to see the Lunar Eclipse between about 4:15 am and 7:15 am. The maximum eclipse will occur at approximately 6:55 am according to astronomers. For best visibility, try to get to the roof of a building, the top of a hill, or a high-level window to get above the tree-line. I will be at Hunt Library myself to witness this annual event. Below is a chart which I found online with a full description of events:

Event	UTC Time	Time in Raleigh*	Visible in Raleigh
Penumbral Eclipse begins	Oct 8 at 8:17 AM	Oct 8 at 4:17 AM	Yes
Partial Eclipse begins	Oct 8 at 9:18 AM	Oct 8 at 5:18 AM	Yes
Full Eclipse begins	Oct 8 at 10:27 AM	Oct 8 at 6:27 AM	Yes
Maximum Eclipse	Oct 8 at 10:55 AM	Oct 8 at 6:55 AM	Yes
Full Eclipse ends	Oct 8 at 11:22 AM	Oct 8 at 7:22 AM	No, below horizon
Partial Eclipse ends	Oct 8 at 12:32 PM	Oct 8 at 8:32 AM	No, below horizon
Penumbral Eclipse ends	Oct 8 at 1:32 PM	Oct 8 at 9:32 AM	No, below horizon

* The Moon is below the horizon in Raleigh some of the time, so that part of the eclipse is not visible.

This table was found at http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2014-october-8

Lunar Eclipse Terminology

We have already learned about syzygy and Earthshine, but what else is there to learn about lunar eclipses? The Earth's shadow actually has three different parts: the Penumbra, the Umbra, and the Antumbra. The Penumbra is the outer part of the Earth's shadow. When the moon crosses through the Earth's Penumbra, it is given a slight reddish/orange coloration but still appears relatively bright in the sky. The image on the right is a picture of a partial lunar eclipse. The Umbra is the darker central part of the Earth's shadow. During the transition phase into the Full Eclipse, the Moon will appear dark with a white edge and the opposite edge appearing red. When the moon is at Maximum eclipse, it will appear entirely red, and the red portion, which is the deepest portion of the Earth's shadow, is called the Umbra. The Antumbra is the portion of the Earth's shadow beyond the moon. It is not actually visible because of the massive shadow that the Earth casts, but is much more visible during a Solar Eclipse. During a solar eclipse, when the moon is far enough away from Earth that the actual shadow does not reach the Earth, the axis of the Moon's shadow continues to portray a partial shadow on the Earth. 

I hope all of you can go out and witness the Eclipse!

http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/total-lunar-eclipse.html

http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/annular-solar-eclipse.html

https://www.google.com/search?q=lunar+eclipse&espv=2&biw=2133&bih=1008&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=rhg0VIbVDI6lyATshYLoCA&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg&dpr=0.75

Fall Has Arrived!

After a long, cool summer, the temperature and weather feels like fall here in NC. Leaves are changing in Western NC, acorns and hickory nuts are falling in Central NC, and it's getting to be too cold to go into the ocean. I have friends going out to Boone, NC next weekend for fall break and the weather is going to be perfect! Cold temperatures are moving in fast though. There were hard freeze warnings, freeze watches, and frost advisories in Tennessee, Western NC, Western VA, and Eastern KY last night and this morning. Winter is coming.

Cooler Temperatures!

We are going to have fantastic weather today though here in Spartanburg, SC! The high for the game today is going to be around 67 and the skies are going to be sunny. The same can be said for Raleigh! Today in Raleigh the high is going to be in the mid 70s but due to clear skies tonight the low is going to drop to about 40. Bring your jackets tomorrow morning to church! Freeze warnings and frost advisories have also been issued for almost the entire states of North and South Dakota and parts of Nebraska, Kansas, and Colorado.

Red Flag Warnings!

Aside from the seemingly persistent wild fires in California, the entire state of Mississippi and part of the panhandle of Florida are experiencing the effects of wild fires right now and are under a red flag warning.

Out in CA, there are only a couple counties under a red flag warning but with the warmth and dry air currently being experienced by the region, it is possible that these fires could spread.

Tropical Activity!

It's the beginning of October and I'm telling you that there is more tropical activity?? Yes! The hurricane season which began on June 1, continues through the month of November and ends on November 30. This is because the Tropical Atlantic and Pacific Oceans are warm enough throughout this period for cyclone formation and sustenance. What is the update for today? Although there is very little to no chance for tropical cyclone formation in the Atlantic for the next 48 hours, Hurricane Simon has now been named in the Pacific. It does not look like Simon will make landfall, but I will be keeping a watch on it.

GAME DAY!

It's game day in Wolfpack Country again! Well, this time it's not IN Wolfpack Country, but hopefully we can pull out a win! NC State has struggled against Clemson in the past....12 years. That was the last time we beat them IN Death Valley (Clemson's Stadium). 2002 was a long time ago but I am confident that we have everything we need to beat Clemson today and turn history around! The last time we beat Clemson in Carter-Finley was in 2011 for homecoming, and we were so close to beating them last year.

The key to the game today is hydration! It's not going to be very hot, actually it's going to be quite cool, but dehydration kicks in quickly when energy is being exerted.

That's all for now! I'll have another couple of posts next week. Have a great weekend!

First Fall Game Day - Big Game!

There is a big game for the NC State Wolfpack today as we take on the #1 Florida State Seminoles! This is the first time the #1 team in the nation has ever come to Carter-Finley Stadium to play, and the weather is going to be nearly perfect for this first-time event!

Does it get better than this?!

The low pressure system which we have been experiencing here in NC for the past few days has moved up to the Northeast and our weather is being driven by the lone Canadian High pressure system sitting over the Great Lakes. What does this mean for us? Fantastic weather. Kickoff temperature for the game tomorrow should be around 77, which is also the high for tomorrow. Skies will be mostly sunny and there will be a breeze throughout the day. 

NCSU - FSU History

The annual trend between traveling to Doak Campbell Stadium and Carter-Finley Stadium could be considered...sinusoidal. Like a roller coaster, if you will. Here is a year-by-year for the last 6 years:

2008: FSU wins 26-17 at Carter-Finley

2009: FSU wins 45-42 at Doak Campbell

2010: NCSU wins 28-24 at Carter-Finley

2011: FSU wins 34-0 at Doak Campbell

2012: NCSU wins 17-16 at Carter-Finley

2013: FSU wins 42-13 at Doak Campbell

NC State has a tendency to play big games when big games come up, but FSU obviously is no pushover team. I cannot wait to see what happens today!

How to Prepare?

1. Hydration

2. Sun screen

3. Game Face

Carter-Finley needs to be obnoxiously loud tomorrow if NC State is going to pull out another win! Make it loud!

Also, check out these videos when you get a chance!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70gkRU7KsQ8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PcsUqKaftU

Autumn is here!

The fall season has finally begun! The Autumnal Equinox was at 10:29 p.m. on this Monday, 9/22/14. Tonight the sun will be down for a full 12 hours, and after today the nights will be longer than the days until March in the mid and northern latitudes.


What does equinox even mean?

So, we have the Vernal Equinox, the Summer Solstice, the Autumnal Equinox, and the Winter Solstice. The solstices are the extreme dates, and the equinoxes are the balanced dates. The earth always receives direct sunlight (incoming solar radiation contacting the ground perpendicular to it), but at what latitude that direct sunlight is hitting is determined where in our orbit we are. The Southern Hemisphere receives direct sunlight between the Autumnal equinox and the Vernal Equinox, the Equator receives direct sunlight ON the Equinoxes, and the Northern Hemisphere receives direct sunlight starting after the Vernal Equinox and before the Autumnal Equinox.

The word "Solstice" stems from the Latin words "sol" meaning "sun", and "sistere" or "sitidium" meaning "to stand still" because the sun seemingly stops it's latitudinal movement before reversing direction. This is as a result of the Earth rotating on its axis around the sun.

The word "Equinox" comes from the Latin words "equi" or "aequus" meaning "equal" and "nox" meaning "night". This is to say that in a 24-hour day, there will be 12 hours of sun after the sunrise, and 12 hours of nighttime after the sunset.

(This information and more interesting terminology can be found at
https://www.noslangues-ourlanguages.gc.ca/bien-well/fra-eng/vocabulaire-vocabulary/slstc-eqnx-eng.html! Go check it out!)


What does Fall mean to me?

Fall is a fantastic time of year! After a good long summer tennis and baseball season, it's time for some football! Being in the Power Sound of the South marching band at NC State, I love participating in game-day shenanigans including but not limited to: calling out to people from the bus telling them to go to the game, parading around the football stadium, and playing and yelling my head off in the stands. I play mellophone, which is essentially the french horn shaped like a big trumpet for marching band purposes so that the sound is projected forward. Below is a picture of my pumpkin carving from last year. It's a mellophone!

What else does fall mean to me though? Family time. Spending time in the yard mowing and raking leaves, playing board games, going on family walks, traditions, and Thanksgiving. Our biggest tradition during the fall is to watch "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" as a family, but we have others like carving pumpkins while toasting the pumpkin seeds, and enjoying munching on the seeds later. I also love having fires in the fireplace once temperatures start cooling off, and enjoying a nice cup of hot chocolate on a cool Sunday afternoon.

Thanksgiving is the most important time of fall to me. I serve a God who is alive and active in my life and in the lives of people around me, and we have a national holiday for thanking Him for the blessings He has bestowed upon us. My family's tradition for Thanksgiving is going around the table saying what we are thankful for. Everything! Everything from life, to being able to do medial tasks such as brushing my teeth. This is a wonderful time of year!

I will have another Game Day post this Saturday when we take on Florida State! For now, enjoy the first few days of fall!

(Images found at http://guardianlv.com/2013/09/why-do-we-have-fall/, and http://pichost.me/1785916/)

Gorgeous Gameday!

It's that time again in Raleigh! After an extremely successful trip down to Tampa Florida for the Wolfpack, we return home to take on an opponent of 84 years: Presbyterian College. Now, there is a little history between these two schools...emphasis on little. PC has played against NC State once back on November 1, 1930, and won by a safety...and only a safety. The final score was 2-0. I have a feeling it will not be that low-scoring of a game today.

I entitled this post "Gorgeous Gameday!" because that is exactly what it is turning out to be!! Temperatures in Raleigh will reach just over 80 today with only around 50% humidity. Skies will be mostly sunny and the temperature will drop to around 78 degrees F by kickoff. There should also be a cool northerly breeze throughout the entire day with a 0% chance for precipitation. The low for tonight will be in the low 60s with partly cloudy skies. You can see on the left the hour-by-hour for today, tomorrow, and Monday morning. It is going to be a glorious couple of days.
*This image above is the "Hourly Weather Forecast Graph" used from the NWS Raleigh's website here: http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=35.79925&lon=-78.72331824699967&unit=0&lg=english&FcstType=graphical

From a Tropical Standpoint, there is not much activity. Tropical Storm POLO is currently just Southeast of the Baja Peninsula and will dump some rain in the southern Baja before heading back out toward the Pacific. There is only a 10% chance currently of tropical cyclone formation but we will keep watching this potential disturbance to see if anything comes up.

That's all for now! Go enjoy some Saturday afternoon football!

Stationary Fronts...Why you no move???

Yep! You guessed it! There is another stationary frontal boundary sitting over the Carolinas, Georgia and other Southeastern States with the Low pressure center located just off the NC coastline. With this front, we can expect rain in Central and Eastern NC for the next few days. I am actually surprised that we have not yet seen more rain in the triangle yet today, but the moisture is rising near the coast. Storms are appearing in Lumberton, Whiteville, and Tabor City, NC and in Loris and Little River, SC. South Central and Southeastern NC as well as Northeastern SC are under a flash flood watch for this afternoon.

BUFKIT was showing very little Atmospheric CAPE this morning. CAPE is a measure of atmospheric instability. What will be common is the forced lifting in the atmosphere. A Stationary front is when two frontal boundaries, typically a Cold Front from the North and a Warm Front from the South collide. The cold front forces the warm moist air to rise and cool, causing condensation and precipitation.

As is visible by observing the differences in the profiles from 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. above, as the temperature rises, so does the convective instability in the system. Isolated storms will be common this afternoon.

TROPICAL UPDATE

We have another tropical storm in the Atlantic! Tropical Storm Edouardo is very far offshore, and will not be moving toward shore. It is another tropical storm though so there is some reason to get excited!

 GAME DAY! GO WOLFPACK!

It's Gameday again in Wolfpack Country! Except today it's not actually in Wolfpack Country. Today The NC State Wolfpack Travels to face the University of South Florida Bulls in Raymond James Stadium located in Tampa, Florida. Weather is looking up for kickoff as skies should be partly sunny with fairweather cumulus present in the sky. The end of the game could get a bit interesting though as Showers and Thunderstorms are likely for Tampa in the late afternoon early evening, about 5:00 p.m. We will see what happens as the Game progresses. Unfortunately I will not be able to attend the game today, but I will be cheering from my couch at home!

If you do go to the game:

1. Wear sunscreen and drink plenty of water
2. Bring your rain gear for later on in the afternoon
3. Be the 12th man and Cheer our Pack on to another victory!!

MiScan5000: Oh sky PLEASE don't rain on our parade!

MiScan5000: Oh sky PLEASE don't rain on our parade!: It's game day again in Raleigh, NC! Last week was hot and humid with minuscule cloud cover with a slight breeze throughout the afternoon...

Oh sky PLEASE don't rain on our parade!

It's game day again in Raleigh, NC! Last week was hot and humid with minuscule cloud cover with a slight breeze throughout the afternoon. Today is a different day.

A cold front is pushing through the southeastern United States right now and it should be over Raleigh today, sometime in the early evening, right around kickoff. Chances have decreased throughout the past couple of days. The chance for thunderstorms has fallen from 60% to 30% with chance for isolated showers accompanied by thunderstorms after 2 pm. The forecasted high temperature is 92 for today with humidity around 65%.

The skies will be mostly sunny this afternoon for the Power Sound of the South's rehearsal, Parade of Champions, and March Around, but cloud cover will be increasing into the evening to mostly cloudy tonight. Unfortunately, band, we will need to carry our ponchos tonight. There is weather, and then there is band weather. If we bring our ponchos, it won't rain. If we don't bring our ponchos, the sky will open up its floodgates.

It looks as though the rain will continue over the next few days. What does this cold front and rain mean for our temperature here in Raleigh? Cooling off and feeling a bit like fall. It will not yet be jacket weather, but the temperature will be in the upper 70s on Monday and Tuesday. Quite a change from the 92 with 98 heat index we will have today.

For the game today:
1. Stay hydrated
2. Bring rain gear
3. Get hype!

We will see you all on the field! Go Wolfpack!

MiScan5000: Game Day!! Go Pack!!

MiScan5000: Game Day!! Go Pack!!: Ladies and Gentlemen, the (American) football season is underway! After the World Cup in Brazil and the All-Star Game break for MLB, the N...

Game Day!! Go Pack!!

Ladies and Gentlemen, the (American) football season is underway! After the World Cup in Brazil and the All-Star Game break for MLB, the NFL and NCAA football season have kicked off and students and fans await the big games of the season. Here at NC State, the Band, Dance Team, Cheerleaders, and Football team have all been getting ready for this moment: the season opener. Last year, a young Wolfpack did everything they could against the already-seasoned ACC powerhouses. This year, experience will hopefully bring the Wolfpack back to a Bowl game.

Tomorrow will not be an easy performance for anyone, as the temperatures are supposed to be almost as hot as they have been all summer. The high temperature is forecasted for around 90-91 degrees, but in Carter-Finley Stadium it could get into the upper 90s or even reach triple digits. BUFKIT is showing the high temperature at 4:00 pm to be around 33 degrees Celsius which equates to around 91 degrees Fahrenheit so tomorrow is going to be a hot one.



The temperature around kickoff for NC State tomorrow will be around 84 degrees with around 70% humidity. The temperature with the humidity will feel more like the mid 90s.

Unfortunately for us in the band, there will not be much wind tomorrow. Just around a 5 mph breeze from the South. Those cotton uniforms will be "Hot! Hot! Hot!" Fortunately there should be some fair-weather cumulus clouds forming throughout the day for some occasional relief.

Advice for tomorrow:

1. Drink plenty of water before, during, and after tailgating and the game.
2. Be sure to get in the shade intermittently throughout the game
3. Wear some sort of sunscreen, chap stick, or skin protection
4. Bring your game face and get ready to yell!

MiScan5000: Band Camp!

MiScan5000: Band Camp!: Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, prepare yourself for the world's most dangerous marching band! The Power Sound of the South Marchi...

Band Camp!

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, prepare yourself for the world's most dangerous marching band! The Power Sound of the South Marching Band at NC State University!

Band camp is officially under way here in Raleigh and the weather could not be more beautiful. Currently we are experiencing partly cloudy skies with relatively low humidity and a temperature of around 80 degrees, though we do have a chance for thunderstorms later this afternoon and into the evening as a warm front and a stationary front are merging over the Carolinas. Severe thunderstorms and flash flooding is possible in the Northeast and New England states as a cold front pushes the warm front out of the way.

Red Flag warnings are being issued throughout the Northwestern United States as well. As the rain moves out and drier conditions take over, the Pacific High pressure system will be accompanied by winds pushing southward along the Pacific coast, causing the spread of wildfires and hazardous dry conditions.

I couldn't post a forecast for Saturday for my high school band's King's Dominion trip because I didn't have internet at the hotel, but the rain held out for them and they had a wonderful exhausting trip and are back at it this week to get their show ready for the first game.

DCI Finals were incredible. The power which those drum corps posses is unmatched by other musical ensembles. I had a fantastic time and after this experience, not only am I ready for band camp, but this fall I am thinking about auditioning for one of the corps provided there are no hiccups in my schedule. I figured out this year that I have one more year of eligibility, and if I do not have a meteorology-related position somewhere, I would very much like to experience being a part of one of these outstanding musical groups.

I am going to try to post more regularly now that the school year is kicking back into gear. There's always weather going on but unfortunately I can't always make time to post about it. For now, Go Wolfpack! I will have another band/triangle update tomorrow morning.

MiScan5000: DCI Finals!

MiScan5000: DCI Finals!: Well ladies and gentlemen, my girlfriend surprised me again with a wonderful gift! For those of you who know me, I love music. I eat, brea...

DCI Finals!

Well ladies and gentlemen, my girlfriend surprised me again with a wonderful gift!

For those of you who know me, I love music. I eat, breathe, and sleep music. The only thing preventing music from being my life is weather. Well, now my girlfriend

has surprised me with two tickets to Finals for Drum Corps International in Indianapolis, Indiana. Finals are on Saturday and we are driving up tomorrow.

Indianapolis weather shouldn't be too different from weather here in the Triangle, though it will be a bit cooler:
Raleigh should see relatively summer-like weather this weekend...at least from a storm standpoint. A cold front will be moving through tomorrow and Saturday and although thunderstorms and maybe even a few severe t-storms will not be uncommon in the Piedmont, unusually cool temperatures will follow. The high for Raleigh is forecasted to be 86 on Friday, and 76 on Saturday and Sunday with rain throughout most of the weekend. 76? As the high starting the second week in August? Where did the summer go?? The normal high temperature for the month of August in NC is 87 degrees according to some sources. That means that the 90s we have at the beginning of the month are accompanied by low 80s near the end. 76 degrees though with a low around 68-69 for the next 3 nights (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is unusually cool. Take advantage of it!

Indianapolis will be experiencing the same weather but just about a day earlier. The cold front is already making its way across the state and temperatures have dropped. The temp in Indiana is 71 right now. Same as Raleigh, but due to time difference is really an "hour cooler" (although that's really not a proper statement). High temperatures over the next 4 days will sit around 79-80, and lows will settle in mid 60s. Oh, and it will be raining. There is a chance for thunderstorms on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Fortunately, Lucas Oil Stadium has a massive roof which can close to brace for impending rain. It's going to be an awesome trip!

I will be returning to NC on Sunday, but driving straight to Wilmington so that I can prepare to take the GRE on Monday morning before heading back for band camp at NC State the next day. It is going to be a busy few days! If I can get internet at the hotel in Indianapolis, I will write a post for Kings Dominion for Saturday (my high school marching band is taking a mid-band-camp trip), and I will post for NC State's band camp on Tuesday.

God Bless and everyone have a great and safe weekend!

Hurricane Iselle AND Julio! Hang on Hawaii!

Hurricane Iselle made landfall today as a Category 2 around 400 miles from Honolulu and is continuing to make it's mark on the Hawaiian mainland. This is the first hurricane in 22 years to make a direct hit on our Pacific State.

Before these hurricanes even began affecting the Islands, a 4.5 magnitude earthquake shook the state. One thing after another for the Pacific Island Chain.

Hurricane Julio is currently heading on a Northwestward path at 17 mph. The eye of this currently Cat 2 hurricane looks like it will pass to the North of Hawaii, and will likely be a Cat 1 or a Tropical Storm by the time the outer wind bands affect the Islands. The latest wind speed data showed recorded sustained winds of 104 mph, making it a very strong category 2 hurricane.

Tropical Storm Bertha!

More Tropical Activity in the Near-Equatorial Atlantic! This is going to be a very short and rather uninformative post because I do not have time to write it, but I needed to update you all on this new tropical activity.

Currently, Tropical Storm Bertha is due east of the Island of Barbados and is tracking West-Northwest.

If you have family in the Caribbean Islands, make sure they are notified of the potential for Tropical-Storm-Force winds and rain.

Coastal Forecast *Hurricane* Arthur

Okay ladies and gentlemen this is it! The forecast you've all been waiting for! I currently have friends and family in Oak Island, Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach, Atlantic Beach, and Ocracoke Island so I will make a forecast for each location estimating rainfall, storm surge, wind speed, estimated time of arrival, and duration of Hurricane Arthur for each location. See the beaches in order of Landfall below.

Holden Beach/Ocean Isle/Sunset Beach/Oak Island

The Southeastern Beaches of NC will experience the force of Hurricane Arthur before the rest of the state. This area is currently under a Tropical Storm Warning, since Hurricane Arthur will not actually be making landfall, the eye wall (area with strongest wind speed) will not be hitting this portion of NC. People living in this area can expect to see sustained winds of around 50 kts (~58 mph) with gusts reaching the triple digits. Rain will vary depending on whether the hurricane meets up with the cold front currently moving across our state or not but if so, beach-goers can expect to see around 2-3 inches of rain. The potential storm surge in this area could be around 3 feet above ground, but since the elevation of the region is around 20 feet above sea level, that surge could be diminished. Nonetheless, If you have anything on the ground floor in your garages, it would be good to move those into the house where they will stay dry. The center of the storm is currently about 6.5 degrees lat south and about 1 degree west long moving north-northeastward at about 10 mph. This means that the highest storm surge will be experienced at around 5:00 p.m. and the strongest wind and rain will be experienced around 11:00 p.m.. The storm will likely last around 20 hours (including what has already been experienced), so the fourth of July plans shouldn't be postponed for this area.

It is safe to ride out the storm in this area.

Wrightsville Beach

Both the Holden Beach area and the Wrightsville Beach area are already experiencing some of Arthur. Wrightsville Beach should expect wind speeds around 60-65 kts (69-74 mph) with gusts coming later this evening near 80 mph. Those living in the Wrightsville Beach/Wilmington area can expect around 3-4 inches of rain in the next 36 hours. Storm Surge for Wrightsville Beach/Masonboro Island is predicted at around 4-5 feet, and the Wilmington area surrounding the Cape Fear River should see around 3 feet of storm surge. It would be a good idea to move items into higher areas. The highest storm surge of Arthur should be around 7:00-7:40 p.m. and the highest winds will likely occur around and after midnignt. Arthur should move out of the area by around breakfast time.

It is probably safe to ride out the storm on Wightsville Beach, but I would not recommend it. If you live on the Wilmington mainland, you should be okay.

Atlantic Beach

Atlantic Beach will be the first point of landfall for the eye of Hurricane Arthur. Wind speeds of up to 90 mph can be expected in this region on the back side of the eye wall and storm surge will be around 6-7 feet. The highest surge and strongest winds will both be experienced around 3:00-4:00 tomorrow morning (July 4th) as that is when the eye is going to make landfall on the island. The storm should last around 30-36 hours. The Fourth of July festivities have been postponed until 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 5th.

I would highly recommend evacuating this area, as the combination of storm surge and wind speed could provide for devastating effects.

Ocracoke Island

Ocracoke Island shouldn't experience the same force as Atlantic Beach. Though the eye will pass over Ocracoke Island, the surge will not be quite as bad. Surge will probably still be between 3 and 6 feet in some places, but generally the surge will be lower than 3-4 feet. The sustained wind speeds and gusts will be about the same as Atlantic Beach with sustained winds between 75-80 mph and gusts up to 90, and Ocracoke can expect between 3-4 inches of rain. These will be experienced just an hour or two after Atlantic Beach and can be expected between 4:00-6:00 tomorrow morning. The storm will last until the early afternoon. The Fourth of July festivities have been postponed until 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 5th.

It should be safe to ride out the storm but I am not promising that your house will not get very wet.

Extra Important Information

Be careful of Tornadoes! Many times the damage of hurricanes comes from tornadoes embedded inside the walls of the hurricane and can be accompanied by hail and heavier rain. Stay tuned to your local weather stations as often and for as long as you can if you decide to ride out the storm!

If you have any questions about storm surge, visit this site and click continue. This storm surge map is "experimental" and is being used to estimate surge for locations in the path of the hurricane based on numerous mathematical formulas and derivations.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at1+shtml/154057.shtml?inundation#contents

Tropical Storm Arthur

Does anyone remember the show from the 90's? Yeah, I remember growing up with Arthur as one of the cartoons I watched on a regular basis. This Arthur however is far from a cartoon.

The first named storm of the 2014 Atlantic Hurricane Season is Tropical Storm Arthur. Currently packing sustained winds of 35-45 knots with gusts reaching 55 knots at times, Arthur is located 3 degrees east of the Florida/Georgia border and is currently moving N. It is expected to turn more toward the NE and hit the Outer Banks of NC as the Primary Landfall point before continuing up the East Coast. It is possible that this storm could become a Cat 1 Hurricane before making landfall. Regardless of the meteorological categorization, we will experience hurricane force winds in the outer banks should Arthur continue on it's NNEward path. I am considering driving out Thursday night after work so that I can grab some pictures and videos from the beach to post! And because it would be fun haha!

We also have a Tropical Storm in the Eastern Pacific, Tropical Storm Douglas, which will continue NWward into the mid-Pacific Ocean.

So, why was Tropical Arthur able to form? Don't Hurricanes form off the coast of Africa and move in a semicircle path, or form in the gulf and die over the US? Not exactly. There are six factors which contribute to hurricane formation:
1. SST (Sea Surface Temperature) needs to be greater than 80 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal Hurricane formation
2. Easterly Wave or perturbation needs to occur to begin rotation off the coast of Africa
3. Low Wind Shear
4. A convectively unstable atmosphere
5. Sufficient low-level moisture for entrainment or feeding the hurricane
6. Coriolis greater than 5 degrees from the equator. Coriolis is one of the main atmospheric forces when balancing atmospheric rotation and movement of air, and gets stronger with increased speed, rotation, or distance from the equator. The two other forces balanced by Coriolis Force are Pressure Gradient Force and Friction.

When hurricanes form in the Western Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico, the Easterly Wave is not the cause of hurricanes. Typically it's as a result of the Continental Low being trapped between the Bermuda High and the Canadian High pressure systems. This is exactly what happened with Tropical Storm Arthur. The rotation of the Continental Low just off the coast of Florida was accelerated by the Canadian High to the Northeast, and the Bermuda High to the Southwest. The rotation acceleration and stationary location over the warm mid-tropical Atlantic waters allowed for a rapid intensification of the Low. Above is the National Forecast Map for June 30, and it is clear that the High Pressure systems are accelerating the Low. The Low rotates counterclockwise, and each of those four Highs are rotating clockwise. That Low meteorologically is trying to get back to it's normal position over the Southeastern United States, but the four High Centers kept it from moving back and accelerated the rotation. Now, the Tropical Storm is moving up the East Coast and following the Gulf Stream and trade winds and will continue until it dies out.

More accurate information will come tomorrow as the track is easier to forecast 24 hours out. I will have more of a forecast post instead of an informational post tomorrow. If you live on the coast, shopping wouldn't be a bad idea! Power shouldn't go out but with weather, anything can happen.

Summer Tropical Activity!

Hello All!! I have great news (Or it could be bad news depending on how you feel about tropical cyclones)! There is a 30-40% chance of tropical cyclone formation in the Mid-Atlantic within 24-48 hours, and a 50-60% chance for cyclone formation for the 90-114 (4-5 day) hour outlook. I will keep you all posted on this as new discoveries about the system are made. Below is the TC Outlook for the Western Atlantic:

ZCZC MIATWOAT ALL
TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM

TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
200 AM EDT SUN JUN 29 2014

For the North Atlantic...Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico:

1. A broad area of low pressure located about 200 miles east of the
coast of Georgia continues to produce disorganized showers and
thunderstorms.  Environmental conditions are expected to remain
conducive for gradual development of this system while it drifts
southward offshore of the northeastern and east-central Florida
coast during the next few days.  An Air Force Reserve Hurricane
Hunter aircraft is scheduled to investigate this system this
afternoon, if necessary.
* Formation chance through 48 hours...medium...40 percent.
* Formation chance through 5 days...high...60 percent.

Forecaster Pasch

Also, the National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories in the Eastern Pacific for Tropical Depression FOUR-E which will likely intensify into a Tropical Storm later today. These are wind and high-seas advisories for small and medium sized watercraft in the area and fishermen and boaters need to be careful of the storm. As you can see, the forecast cone for Tropical Depression FOUR-E shows the storm moving further out into the lower-latitudinal Pacific.




North Carolina

Weather should be beautiful and summer-like yet again in the Triangle and Sandhills. In Raleigh today, the temperature will probably hang around the mid 80s with mostly sunny skies. In the mountain cities, it is likely that rain will persist throughout the day as the Low Pressure Center SE of South Carolina and the High Pressure System NE of Virginia are combining for an influx of warm moist air, which will cause condensation and rain because of the forced lifting by the mountains. The beach should have nice weather, similar to the plains, but could see isolated thunderstorms throughout the afternoon and evening. Wilmington should see high temperatures around 85 with a chance for an isolated thunderstorm.

United States

At this time there are a few storms moving across the Midwest. Storms are showing up on the Doppler in North Dakota, on the TN/AR border, and along Lake Superior. There is also some rain on the leeside of the Appalachians in VA, NC, and SC.

Southern and Eastern Utah along with Western Colorado are under a Red Flag warning as conditions are favorable for the spread of wildfires.

Also, as I am writing this, there is a tornado warning in NW Kansas and the storm is moving SE! If you live between Oakley and Scott City, Kansas take cover and put your severe weather safety plans to good use!