WIXLIB

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICEWinter 2011 - 2012The Dakota ThunderWelcome MessageBy: Tony MerrimanInside this issue:Welcome Message1Seasonal ClimateOutlook for Februarythrough April1New Climate Normals2The Differencebetween Snowfall,Snow Depth, andSnow Water Equivalent3CoCoRaHS goes toSchool4ARBCON observersreporting snowfall5Meet the NorthwesternNorth Dakota RegionalCoordinator5Meet the Western andCentral North DakotaRegional Coordinator6It is with great excitement thatwe introduce the Winter Editionof the North Dakota state CoCoRaHS newsletter! The purposeof this publication is to keepNorth Dakota residents informed about the latest weatherevents in the state and how observers like you assist the National Weather Service (NWS)create better river and weatherforecasts.effort and is produced by a teamof North Dakota CoCoRaHScoordinators.If you have any requests forinformation you would like tosee in any future editions of thisnewsletter, please email me atTony.Merriman@noaa.govThanks again for being greatweather observers!This newsletter will continue tobe issued twice a year, one inthe summer and one in the winter. The content is truly a teamThe 4-inch raingauge required toparticipate in theprogramSeasonal Climate Outlook for February - AprilBy: Lindsay Tardif-HuberAfter a mild and dry start to winter in NorthDakota, what is in store for the remainder ofthe winter and the beginning of spring?Looking ahead, the latest seasonal climateoutlooks for February through April issuedby the Climate Prediction Center on January19th no longer expect greater probabilities forcooler and wetter than normal conditions.Concerning the precipitation potential, therewill be equal chances for normal, wetter thannormal, or drier than normal conditions overNorth Dakota February through April. Con-For North Dakota:(Source: NOAA)Equal Chances for Above, Near, or Below NormalPrecipitationcerning the temperature probabilities, farwestern North Dakota has a slightly higherprobability for colder than normal temperatures while the rest of the state has equalchances for normal, warmer than normal, orcolder than normal temperatures.Looking towards late spring around May,North Dakota has a slightly higher probability for wetter than normal conditions withequal chances for a normal, warmer thannormal, or colder than normal temperatures.For North Dakota:(Source: NOAA)Equal Chances for Above, Near, or Below NormalTemperatures

Page 2The Dakota ThunderNew Climate NormalsBy: Lindsay Tardif-HuberOn August 1st, 2011, the National WeatherService started using the new 1981-2010Climate Normals in all climate products.These new normals were released on July1st by the National Climatic Data Centerand replaced the 1971-2000 normals.For more information on the new climate normals,please go to the National Climatic Data Center webpage: als.html#WHATARENORMALSCommon climate variables such as temperature, precipitation, snowfall, snowdepth, and heating and cooling degreedays were included in the released data setfor the Global Historical ClimatologyNetwork (GHCN) sites. In North Dakota,there are 169 GHCN sites.From now through 2020, the new 30-yearperiod of 1981-2010 will be used to calculate climatological normals. The tablesbelow show the monthly temperature,precipitation, and snowfall normals forWilliston, Bismarck, Grand Forks, andFargo.Annual Normal Precipitation Amounts across the United States(Source: NOAA)

The Dakota ThunderPage 3The Difference between Snowfall, Snow Depth, andSnow Water EquivalentBy: Jimmy TaegerSnowfall, snow depth andsnow water equivalent are alldifferent observations thatmany observers measure afterit snows. Compared to measuring the amount of rainfallafter a summertime stormpasses, various measurementsof the fragile flakes requireslightly more knowledge.Don‟t worry! After readingthis article, you will be able totake proper snow observationslike a pro.Before it snows, place a whiteboard (about 2‟x2‟) outsideaway from trees and shadyspots. It is helpful to place astake near the board so it iseasy to find post-snowfall (seeimage below).After a storm passes and itstops snowing, measure thegreatest amount of snow onthe board with a ruler to thenearest tenth of an inch. If thesnow is melting as it lands,only a trace of snow should bereported. It is best to measuresnowfall as soon as possibleafter a storm passes incaseany of it begins to melt. Makesure to clean off the boardafterwards so the next snowfall event can be properlymeasured.Snow depth is the currentdepth of all snow on theground measured to the nearest inch. When measuringsnow depth, it is encouragedto take the average of multiplemeasurements in open, nonshady areas. Snow waterequivalent (SWE) is theamount of liquid water contained in snow. To measureSWE, push the outer tube ofyour rain gauge into the snowremoving a core of the snow,then melt the snow and measure the liquid to the nearesthundredth of an inch.We at the NWS rely heavilyon reports from observers likeyou all year long. To reportsnowfall amounts or otherweather information 24 hoursa day, call the NWS Bismarck‟s toll-free storm reportline 1-800-247-0212.(Source: NOAA)An observer uses a snow stick tomeasure snowfall (in tenths ofan inch) and snow depth (to thenearest whole inch).“To report snowfallamounts or other weatherinformation 24 hours a(Source: NOAA)day, call the NWS atClearly mark the snow board soit can be found after it snows.1-800-247-0212”(Source: Tony Merriman)DO NOT measure snow drifts.

Page 4The Dakota ThunderCoCoRaHS goes to SchoolBy: Mark EwensSchool: It‟s not just for learning, it‟s about doing! CoCoRaHS goes to school.Reading, writing, and arithmetic are staples in everykid‟s school day from early onthrough college graduation. Inthe 1940s and 1950s, the oldslang was “The Three R‟s”.Young men and womenwould listen while learnedteachers espoused the wisdomthey had garnered over theyears. In the modern classroom, teaching is all aboutdoing.(Source: YouTube)CoCoRaHS has a YouTubechannel available at:www.youtube.com/cocorahs“By taking a few minutes(to take an observation)a day, students havebecome part ofsomething rich andrewarding.”Many schools have embracedaggressive “hands-on” campaigns to teach students awide variety of subjects. Everything from environmentalstudies to community projectshas made their way into theclassroom. One such programthat has spread rapidlythrough many schools is theCommunity CollaborativeRain, Hail and Snow Network– CoCoRaHS.Not only does an involvementin CoCoRaHS provide anextra level of hands on experience to the classroom scienceteacher, it also provides “realworld” information that helpsa wide audience. Since itsinception in 1998, CoCoRaHShas quickly spread to all 50states. This demonstrates thevalue of the information beingcollected by the CoCoRaHSnetwork.Students become involved indata analysis, comparing rainand snow reports to those oftheir neighbors, learning thatprecipitation amounts varyfrom place to place. Theylearn about the „hydrologiccycle‟ and how weather affects more than just what towear to school. From farmersand ranchers to businesses andsports teams, the users of thedata collected are endless.There are several examples ofCoCoRaHS in school in NorthDakota. Two NWS Partnersare the International WaterInstitute (IWI) and the RedRiver Basin Commission(RRBC). Both have embracedand fully support the CoCoRaHS program.The data that are collected bythe partner schools is used in awide variety of ways. Scienceteachers get students involvedin collecting rain, snow andfrost data – all crucial to forecasting – giving them an appreciation of science at theroot level. By involving students in data collection anddissemination, they develop agreater appreciation for whythey are learning; it takes itfrom the abstract to the practical. A listing of schools involved in the CoCoRaHSprogram is available on theIWI and RRBC web sites;they also have a FacebookPage so sponsors and interested folks can keep track of thelatest weather.The folks at CoCoRaHS HQhave developed several wonderful aides to help teachersget their program up and running. The CoCoRaHS SchoolPilot Program has a tremendous amount of informationon the website, assisting educators in a firm start to theprogram.The “Sponsor a School” program is a great way for anyone – small businesses, civicminded individuals, corporations – to help a willingschool become involved. Amentoring program is alsoavailable.In a short period of time, CoCoRaHS in school has become a tremendous success.Educators and students alikeare keen on the idea that theycan help their communities bebetter prepared for whatevernature has to offer. By takinga few minutes a day, studentshave become part of something rich and rewarding.Learning while doing is whatCoCoRaHS is all about!(Source: CoCoRaHS)The CoCoRaHS School Pilot Program Websitehttp://www.cocorahs.org/Content.aspx?page CoCoRaHS Schools

The Dakota ThunderPage 5ARBCON Observers Reporting SnowfallBy: Darin LangerudThe Atmospheric ResourceBoard‟s Cooperative ObserverNetwork (ARBCON) is in itssecond year of winter observations. The network of volunteers has been in operation since1977, but until recently onlyreported seasonal observationsof rainfall and hail during themonths of April through September. Year-round operationsbegan in October 2010 withmore than 200 of the network‟snearly 700 observers volunteering for the extra duty.ARBCON added many moreyear-round observers to itsranks for the 2011-12 winterseason. A total of 339 volunteers are “braving” the NorthDakota winter to conduct dailyobservations this year, up significantly from last winter.Nearly 100 of them are reporting online, making their observations immediately available“A total of 339volunteers are bravingthe North Dakota winterto conduct dailyobservations.”(Source: Atmospheric Resource Board)Locations of ARBCON observers. Stars indicate year-round observers,raindrops are summer only.pretty good chance that ourintrepid observers will have asnowstorm or two to measurebefore winter is over. WhenWhile most North Dakotansthat day comes, ARBCON obwelcome the mild, relativelysnow-free winter we have expe- servers will be ready to measurerienced so far, we‟re not out of what Mother Nature throws atthem.the woods yet. There‟s still aon ARB‟s Internet website athttp://www.swc.nd.gov/arb.Meet the Northwestern North Dakota Regional CoordinatorBy: Rick KrolakSea, the Middle East, Japan,Florida, and California.Shortly after retiring from theNavy, Rick joined the NationalWeather Service in November2001, serving as a MeteorologyTechnician at the Weather Service office in Williston, ND. InNovember 2005, Rick was promoted to the Official in Chargeof the Williston Office.Rick Krolak is the CoCoRaHS coordinator for northwestern North Dakota. Rick began his weather career in 1983as a weather observer in the US Navy, and eventually rosethrough the ranks as a weather forecaster. Rick‟s navycareer highlights included observing and forecastingweather around the world including the MediterraneanRick was recently selected asthe Observing Program Leaderat the National Weather Forecast Office in Bismarck, ND.Rick also holds a Bachelor ofScience degree in ResourcesManagement from Troy StateUniversity. If you have anyquestions about CoCoRaHS,Rick may be reached theWeather Forecast Office, Bismarck, ND. (701) 250-4495.If you would like to be featured in the Summer 2012edition of the CoCoRaHSnewsletter, please emailTony.Merriman@noaa.gov