Weather Blog – from Shade Tree Meteorology

January 14, 2021January 14, 2021

What is Graupel? A Refresher on Wintry Precipitation

On more than one occasion last fall, my husband and I watched players and sports reporters alike grappling with the precipitation that was occurring before or during the Cleveland Browns football game. The FirstEnergy Stadium, home of the Browns, is located on the southern shore of Lake Erie and is no stranger to wild weather. News reporters struggled to identify the precipitation type…sleet? Snow? Freezing rain? Hail? All good guesses, but the correct answer was actually graupel…which many meteorologists on Twitter were quick to point out.

Fans during the November 1, 2020 game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Photo Courtesy Brent Durken/Cleveland Browns.

January 7, 2021December 15, 2020

Looking forward to 2021: Goals and Plans

I don’t know about you, but I always take some time to look backward and forward at the end of a calendar year. It is always interesting to see the twists and turns that happened during the previous year, and to take those lessons learned and apply them to the next year. After last week’s post which reflected back on 2020, I thought it would be neat to share how I take all of that and look forward into 2021.

December 31, 2020January 5, 2021

2020: Reflections on a year like no other

Thursday, December 31, 2020.

We have posted our weekly blog nearly every Thursday for the last two years.

This Thursday post feels different in so many ways. While I often take time to reflect at the end of a calendar year, this one has stopped me in my tracks. I cannot help but look back on this year and think how absolutely different it ended up turning out than what I had hoped or planned. Like countless other people, Kelly and I both have experienced direct impacts of COVID-19, ranging from minor disappointments to shattering losses. It has been a year of grief but also a year of growth. I think in terms of key words and key points and that has been so helpful as I think through all of the personal and professional upheaval which this year as brought. Here are the words that have come to my mind:

December 21, 2020

Christmas 2020: What’s in the Stars?

Though many children around the world might think December 24 is the longest night of the year (it can be so hard to fall asleep while anticipating Christmas morning!), the longest night of the year actually occurs tonight! We talked a great deal about what the winter solstice is in this blog, but this year’s solstice is particularly special – Google even commemorated it with their doodle of the day!

December 17, 2020November 3, 2020

Third Thursday Interview: Meteorologist and Author, Cyrena-Marie Arnold

This month concludes our Third Thursday blog series, and I am so excited to have had the chance to talk with Cyrena for this edition! I first interacted with Cyrena when I saw a tweet about her new children’s book, The Weather Story with Frances Fox. She was kind enough to send me a signed copy of her book, and once I got my hands on it, I knew I wanted to talk with her!

December 10, 2020December 7, 2020

What’s in your Hazardous Weather Emergency Kit?

Imagine I’m Jennifer Garner…but instead of asking “What’s in your wallet?”, I’m asking “What’s in your emergency kit?” As a NOAA Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador, we at STM are dedicated to improving our communities’ readiness, responsiveness, and overall resilience against extreme weather, water, and climate events. Furthermore, we also believe that small actions can have big impacts, and creating and storing an emergency kit in advance of a disaster can save time, prevent confusion, and ultimately prevent injuries or death when inclement weather strikes.

December 3, 2020November 3, 2020

Encouraging Girls in STEM: The Ella Project

If you follow us on Facebook, you might have noticed that we shared a post back in October about the Ella Project. I was so pleased to make the aquaintence of Anthony Onesto, co-founder and creator of the Ella Project, and honored to be profiled as one of their Stories of women who work in STEM fields. This organization is doing great things, and so I decided to use this week’s blog to tell you about it in more detail!

November 23, 2020November 23, 2020

Holiday Weather Forecast: Thanksgiving 2020

Can you believe that it is Thanksgiving week already? Though travel and gatherings will likely be lighter than the norm this year (AAA is predicting a 47.5% decrease in air travel for the holiday!), the weather likely won’t put a damper on the holiday for most across the U.S. With more and more families and communities cancelling gatherings or making more unique plans such as outdoor dining or Zoom calls, it is still just as important to take a look at the weather ahead of time in order to plan accordingly.

November 19, 2020November 18, 2020

Third Thursday Interview: Rick Shema, CCM

For this week’s Third Thursday interview, I am so excited for you to meet a colleague of mine, Rick Shema. I met Rick while we were both serving terms on the American Meteorological Society Board of Certified Consulting Meteorologists (BCCM). Rick owns Weatherguy.com, a company which specializes in marine meteorology. He provides forecasts and support services for marine applications, and also provides expert testimony for marine cases in litigation. His love of the water and Naval experience give him top notch credentials in his work. We’ve had the opportunity to collaborate together both on the BCCM and on a case or two over the years, and I always enjoy working with him. His passion, integrity, and enthusiasm for what he does comes through in every aspect of his work. I hope you enjoy getting to know Rick as much as I have!

November 12, 2020November 12, 2020

2020: A Historic Hurricane Season

Eventful. Notable. Significant. These words can all describe 2020 in a nutshell, but they also aptly recount the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane season. At the time of this writing (November 11, 2020), NOAA’s National Hurricane Center (NHC) is currently issuing advisories on Tropical Storms Eta and Theta, while also monitoring an additional disturbance in the eastern Caribbean!