LordBaltimore

These are sounding rockets launched by NASA. Not really familiar with what they usually carry but this one sounds especially cool "The TOMEX+ mission will focus on a layer of atomic sodium in the atmosphere that peaks at about 56 miles (90 kilometers) altitude. This sodium layer forms from the constant influx of dust grain-sized meteors that burn up in the sky. A specialized laser aboard the TOMEX+ rocket, tuned to a wavelength that excites sodium atoms, will cause the sodium layer to fluoresce. This glowing band then becomes a natural tracer for atmospheric motions, allowing scientists to track its bends, ripples, and swirls as energy moves through the upper atmosphere."

Probably this:

That's impressive tbh. Gotta be frosting over good about now, wish they had a webcam

Lived in station north for the last two. They never did a good job announcing these things outside the cycling community so every time I woke up boxed in. Last one they towed my car a few blocks away off of St. Paul. Not the worst thing that went on in that neighborhood but still

she knew about my snow habits before she married me

The 4-10" on 1/6 was noteworthy because of the 3+ weeks it stuck around. Another 4-10" immediately followed by rain is like being served takis in a bag after lobster

words spoken by every great meteorologist at some point in their teens

Freezing rain outside the mountains isn't very visually impressive and just makes driving nasty af. Wish we could transfer QPF to next week

The control in a variational DA system like the IFS -aka ECMWF- isn't a reference state. It's the modal solution. Imagine a Gaussian curve with each regular ensemble member acting as an equally likely sample. The control isn't just some regular old member. It's the peak of the Gaussian

Whoever took down my temp sensor today is a massive turd

On the bright side there is something to be said about the lack of a January torch this year. Current guidance doesn't suggest we'll get above 50 until February. Looking through climate records, would be the first time in at least 25 years without a monthly high above 55 degrees for a lot of places

Never seen someone passed up for a grant by snow. Never had a paper rejected by snow. Never spent months coding snow that doesn't work. Science sucks. Snow rules

Low of 7 IMBY. cold killed my car battery this morning. One of maybe three times I've ever been annoyed by low temps

lots of subtleties with snowcover. New snowpack is highly insulating because of air pockets, which means lower skin temps than old snowpack due to less heat draw from the soil. Older snowpack is radiatively similar to wet soil but with higher albedo.

if this wasn't an advective cooling night I'd be pissed. At least that snow is still working for our benefit tn