Weather-Related

A 2003 study predicted that glaciers will disappear from Glacier National Park by 2030.  But because temperatures are warming even faster than just a few years ago, glaciers are now expected to disappear by 2020.

Glaciers are created when snow doesn’t completely melt in summer and over time is compacted into ice.  To be classified as a glacier, an ice field must be at least 25 acres, moving, and sculpting the landscape.

In 1900, there were about 150 glaciers in what is now Glacier National Park.  Today only 25 glaciers remain.

Although the quantity and size of glaciers have been decreasing over the past century, glaciers are now shrinking four times as fast as they were in the 1960s.  The reason is warmer climate.  Although Glacier National Park is colder than many other parts of the world, temperatures in the park have increased three times as fast as average global temperatures.

There may be some debate as to whether the warming climate is a natural cycle or the result of man-made pollutants.  But there is no debate that temperatures in Glacier National Park are getting warmer, the glaciers are getting smaller, and this is all happening even faster than previously predicted.

Story at USA News
Glacier National Park Photo Tour
More National Park News

I would guess this photo is fake if it didn’t have the National Geographic stamp on it.

Two friends spot a waterspout in Louisiana and chase it down to get a better look.  My favorite part of the video:

Mother:  Y’all be careful.

Son:  All right, Mom, we know…  It’s not a tornado.

Other Kid:  It’s white, tornadoes aren’t white.

After a melodramatic introduction with ominous music, this video gets down to business with a series of impressive lightning strikes.  Warning: Language.  Apparently the most common expression after a close lightning strike is “Holy S***!”

A 45-year-old Lawrence, Kansas man was struck and killed by lightning as he was riding his motorcycle on U.S. Highway 24.  The man was riding with six other motorcyclists who are members of the Bikers Against Child Abuse group.  A man riding next to the victim was also injured, but was treated and released from a Topeka hospital.  The other five members of the group were not injured.

The bikers were returning home after visiting some children they had helped in the past in their work against child abuse.  The local sheriff called the man’s death a "tragic, sad thing."

Story at FoxNews
More Death & Destruction

OKWeatherWatch is a website by Dave Ewoldt, a storm chaser since 1982.  He has amassed a collection of amazing weather photos that he displays in a gallery on his website.  This photo shows a tornado destroying a house in Hiawatha, Kansas on June 4, 2005.

More Amazing Tornado Photos

The Burj Dubai is the world’s tallest skyscraper under construction in the Downtown Dubai, United Arab Emirates.  Construction began in 2004 and is expected to be complete by September 2009.

He appears to have God on his side:

(NAPSI)  As the weather heats up, be sure not to give your car the cold shoulder.  Instead, take some time to do a bit of routine maintenance in order to ensure a safe, comfortable and fuel-efficient driving season.

"Simple maintenance to your vehicle following the harsh winter months can make a huge difference when it comes to keeping your car on the road and getting the most out of this driving season," says Jim MacPherson, car care expert and automotive radio host for WTIC-AM in Connecticut.

MacPherson suggests that you should help prepare your car for warm-weather drives by following this simple checklist before you hit the road:

Read the rest of this entry »

Ryan McGinnis shoots some of the most amazing weather photographs found on the Web.  A review by one of his many fans says it all:

“Ryan McGinnis is one of the most talented photographers I’ve ever had the chance to work with.  His artistic vision allows him to see slices of life that truly set him apart from other talented photographers.  From the angles, exposures, and compositions that he uses, to his mastery of the newly emerging HDR style, McGinnis’ photos are part of a collective library that will show future generations the way we live today through timeless impressions of light.”

The photo above was shot just east of O’Neill, Nebraska.  This tornado appears white because McGinnis was shooting it from the west, and the low sun in the west is lighting up the funnel.  Almost all tornadoes are white (they are giant spinning *clouds*, after all).  A tornado usually appears grey or dark because rain and other clouds prevent most sunlight from reaching it, and because most of the time chasers take pictures of tornadoes from the east — catching the side of a tornado that faces away from the sun.  This was a rare exception to that rule… and so it looked snow white. 

McGinnis Photos on Flickr
McGinnis Storm Chase Photos (amazing!)