Author: Art Rangno

Retiree from a group specializing in airborne measurements of clouds and aerosols at the University of Washington (Cloud and Aerosol Research Group). The projects in which I participated were in many countries; from the Arctic to Brazil, from the Marshall Islands to South Africa.

45; nice in hundredths and a Canadian teaser prog

A second nice rain here in droughty Catalina!  Thought 25 hundredths would be great from that little rainband, but no, we milked that system, appropriate language for rural regions, for no less than 45 hundredths, both here on Wilds Road and in Sutherland Heights.   Very Seattle-like morning, too, with DARK low hanging clouds.  Now… Continue reading 45; nice in hundredths and a Canadian teaser prog

Rain ahoy!

Just on the horizon.  You were probably worried when you got up at 2:30 AM and saw only a big moon and no clouds.  “Where’s the rain?”, you wondered.   “She’ll be coming around the mountains when she comes” , to quote the lyrics from that old western song about Clementine (the Tortolitas and those… Continue reading Rain ahoy!

It doesn’t get better than this in a model run

You have to see this for yourself, from IPS Meteostar!  Its unbelievable.  The National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) and its “zuperkomputors” have blessed us in their billions of calculations with not one, not two, but four-five days of rain in the next 15 days!  FOUR different storms (!) bring rain and snow to AZ… Continue reading It doesn’t get better than this in a model run

A climate heroine: Judy Curry

Perhaps she will lead us out of the climate kerfluffles that we continuously have due to overzealous scientists that edit the content of their studies to the news media, leaving out the important complications.  Perhaps with our science “watch dog”, Judy, they won’t do that. “Complications”, you ask? The earth’s temperature has leveled out for… Continue reading A climate heroine: Judy Curry

Yep, its gone; all that model predicted rain in just the next 12 h run!

Dammitall!  Of course, being quite jaded, and knowing drastic changes in model predictions from one run to the next are usually bogus, this disappearance of all that predicted rain in 10-15 days ahead of us on yesterday morning’s National Center for Enviro Prediction “GFS” model has hurt.  People don’t realize how hard it is to… Continue reading Yep, its gone; all that model predicted rain in just the next 12 h run!

Something not to be depressed about: rain in the forecast!

The cloud drought has been a little depressing here in Catalina, Arizona, particularly in view of repeated computer model runs that showed that the next 15 days do not even shown rain getting close to us. But today, oh my, today’s run.  This is a model run for the ages!  Take a look at these,… Continue reading Something not to be depressed about: rain in the forecast!

Nice 22

Hundredths, that is, right here in Catalina.  It was so nice also being “back in Seattle” for a few hours of low hanging clouds and barely enough rain falling for an umbrella.  Yep, that’s the way it is in Seattle, just what we saw two days ago.   Being despondent over the prior rain “bust”… Continue reading Nice 22

“Does any one here know how to play this game?”

Of weather forecasting?  Models?  Me?  Nope. Turning Casey Stengel’s famous comment about his woeful New York Mets into one about weather forecasting seemed appropriate after our little disturbance passed over yesterday afternoon and evening with hardly even virga here!  Got a little depressed at how delusional I was about a squall-line (lion?) feature I thought… Continue reading “Does any one here know how to play this game?”

Good timing

Those disappointingly dry days of the weekend and yesterday with only isolated Cumulonimbus clouds (Cbs) are gone.  Today, a wall of clouds will develop to the west and southwest of us and, with luck, we’ll get at least a third of an inch to, if we are REALLY lucky (dump spot of Cb passes overhead),… Continue reading Good timing