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Weather Channel Environmental Unit, Forecast Earth staff, fired

Interesting find from the Washington Post:

NBC Universal made the first of potentially several rounds of staffing cuts at The Weather Channel (TWC) on Wednesday, axing the entire staff of the "Forecast Earth" environmental program during the middle of NBC's "Green Week," as well as several on-camera meteorologists. The layoffs totaled about 10 percent of the workforce, and are among the first major changes made since NBC completed its purchase of the venerable weather network in September.

 

Click here for more on The Weather Channel cuts from the Washington Post...

Predicting the weather more accurately...or so they say

I'm not sure this is anything BRAND new - sounds a lot like a LIDAR setup to me - but I found the article interesting and thought you would, too, from Inside Engineer, in Britain.  I'll see what I can find out about the difference between this and a LIDAR setup.

BTW: Have you checked out NationalWeatherOnline.com lately?  Some interesting stories on the Headlines Page (a.k.a. "Breaking Weather News), including how pollution can come into play with clouds in the Himalayan Mountains, and updates on the new Santa Ana winds and resultant fires.  Remember that I've stopped updating weather headlines and instead am including a link to that site in my menu at the top of the page, or by clicking here.

Matt

"Scientists at the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) have developed a system that measures the individual layers of cloud above us, which in addition to allowing forecasters to more precisely predict the weather, the information gathers will also enable aircraft pilots to judge more accurately whether it is safe to take off and land in diverse weather conditions, offering a powerful safety capability for civil airports and military air bases." Click here for the complete article.

Vermont study to examine climate change and potential effects on fall foliage

Click here to link to the Proctor Maple Research Center in Underhill, VT, conducting the study described in this article.

Colorful study probes climate change, fall foliage from Associated Press

WHAT'S IT LIKE TO FLY WITH THE BLUE ANGELS? I FOUND OUT! YOU CAN SEE THE BLUE ANGELS AT THE GREAT STATE OF MAINE AIR SHOW THIS WEEKEND!

With the Brunswick Naval Air Station hosting the Great State of Maine Air Show this weekend, the Blue Angels have descended upon Brunswick from the team's home at Forrest Sherman Field, Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida, and will grace the skies with their breathtaking maneuvers through Sunday.  I was fortunate to take flight this week, and get an inside look at just what it's like to be in the cockpit of one of the Boeing F/A-18 Hornet, high-performance aircraft.

What an amazing experience!  Lot's of folks have asked if I was nervous before taking flight, and the truth is, with the exception of about 20 seconds, I wasn't!  We started with a briefing and overview from Staff Sergeant Deo Harrypersaud, Crew Chief and Supervisor who keeps the planes in tip-top shape, and got the low-down on what the flight would be like.  Of course, I knew I'd be in the most competent, safest hands I could possibly be in, with one of the best pilots in the country, which is a huge reason I was able to relax completely in the days, hours and minutes leading up to the flight.  The few seconds of nervousness came only once I was strapped into Blue Angel #7 and waiting for my pilot to arrive, and had just a few seconds to sit in the cockpit and process what was going on.  As soon as Lieutenant Frank "Walleye" Weisser walked up to the plane, though, I was reassured and ready to go.  Lt. Weisser was great!  He coached me throughout the flight, and showed me one great time in the skies!  Lt. Weisser was absolutely the best representative the U.S. Navy and Blue Angels could ask for - keeping me at ease and having a blast as we executed loops, rolls, inverted flying, supersonic flight, 6.7G's and more!    

The Blue Angels – recognized nationwide and seen by 15 million people annually – represent some of the United States' best pilots, dazzling onlookers with power, finesse and mastery of the forces of nature...and of course, the need for speed.  With the video and editing skills of Sean Colahan (seen in this picture, taking shots of the Blue Angels planes), I invite you to take a ride with me and Lt. Weisser aboard the F/A-18 Hornet...hang on and enjoy the ride in the video below...and be sure to check out "Walleye" and the rest of the team at the Great State of Maine Air Show in Brunswick, ME, before they leave town!  Want to see more about the Blue Angels?  Associated Press reporter Glenn Adams was covering the team the same day I was, and you can link to his article here.  Wayne Harvey, reporter for WABI-TV in Bangor, ME, was also on-hand and in the air, and you can see his report by clicking here.

NOAA: "DAM CAM" CAPTURES REMOVAL OF NEW HAMPSHIRE'S MERRIMACK VILLAGE DAM

         

            NOAA dam cam.
         

 

High resolution (credit: NOAA )

   

For more than 270 years, the Merrimack Village Dam helped power saw mills, gristmills, a shoe factory and provided water for a chemical factory. No longer powering industry and scheduled for demolition, the dam has one last role to play — that of movie star.

Beginning this week, NOAA, in partnership with the Conservation Law Foundation, will capture live on camera the removal of the dam, opening up 14 miles of the Souhegan River from Milford to Merrimack, N.H., providing extensive habitat for river herring, Atlantic salmon, American shad and American eel.

“Merrimack residents and people around the world can go online and watch the river as it transforms back to its natural free-flowing state,” said Eric Hutchins of the NOAA Restoration Center. “From your laptop at  home, you’ll see years of planning and preparations come to life, and watch the  river repair itself.”