Sky Awareness Week on April, 2025: What happened to the hole in the sky?
Sky Awareness Week 2025. Sky Awareness week - April 20-26 Sky Awareness week - April 20-26. 1; 3. Newer Older. Wow, look at that sky!
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Hole in the Ozone Layer: Contrary to the environmentalists' claims, there is no permanent hole in the ozone layer and no ozone shortage. Ozone is constantly created and destroyed. The interaction of ultraviolet radiation with oxygen molecules is what produces ozone. In the stratosphere, 10 to 40 kilometers above the earth's surface, several tons of ozone are produced every second.
The amount of ozone present at any one time is influenced by many factors. For example, the amount of ultraviolet radiation reaching the stratosphere (and ultimately producing ozone) depends upon latitude, solar cycle, and season. Concentrations of ozone may differ drastically from one day to the next, sometimes by as much as 50 percent, depending on the weather. Ozone holes are natural reactions to these ultraviolet light variations. Ozone levels can also be affected by the amount of volcanic matter in the stratosphere. Each volcanic eruption emits roughly a thousand times the amount of ozone�depleting chemicals than all the CFCs man has ever produced.
The ozone hole that appeared over Antarctica and caused all the panic is a natural and annual phenomena. The annual ozone hole was first measured in 1956�57, long before the ozone�destroying CFCs were in common use. The hole appears at the end of the dark, cold Antarctic winter, lasts about three to five weeks, and then disappears. There is no overall or permanent depletion of the ozone layer.
Has anyone noticed a shift in the energy since flight ban introduced over most of Europe few days ago?
I know what you mean. I posted a question last week about the peace and quiet I was experiencing because I live close to an airport. There was a definite change in the spirit of the place. An intense swell of natural sounds I was unable to hear before. Considering it is almost 100 years since the skies were that quiet, it is not surprising that we all sensed a change. I too somehow wanted it to remain that way. Maybe that moment of clarity just helped people like you and me realise that we yearn for more peaceful surroundings. Perhaps some of us may have been inspired to go and search for them.
What month did you notice the first snowfall in your home state?
its on freak September :
i have an article about that :
OFFICIAL BUSINESS
PENALTY FOR PRIVATE USE, $300
October’s poplars are flaming
torches lighting the way to winter.
~ Nova Bair
Page 8
National Weather Service
824 Brown Co 14 S
Aberdeen SD 57401
We’re on the Internet
SKY SCANNER
National Weather Service Forecast Office
Aberdeen, South Dakota
October 2005
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: PAGE
Winter Weather Preparedness/Awareness Weeks 1
Early Season Snowstorm Blasts Northern Plains 2
Ice Safety 3
New Climate Page 4
New Employees 5
Local COOP Observer Honored 6
NOAA Weather Radio Live Call-In Show 7
Wind Chill Chart 8
SOUTH DAKOTA WINTER WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK
OCTOBER 24 – 28, 2005
MINNESOTA WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK
NOVEMBER 7 - 11, 2005
Winter Weather Preparedness is not something
that “just happens”. It takes knowledge and planning.
Winter weather can be deadly.
Your life depends on your actions when a winter
storm strikes. Winter Storms can include blizzards, heavy
snow, heavy accumulations of ice and extreme wind
chills. These will make travel difficult to impossible, can
knock out power and phone service, close roads, cutting
you off from outside contact, and put your life at risk.
Living and working in winter weather presents
health hazards that everyone needs to be aware of. The
big threats are hypothermia and frostbite, but dehydration
and heart attack are also problems.
Hypothermia is a lowering of the core body temperature.
Frostbite is the freezing of exposed flesh. Both of
these can be prevented by wearing proper clothing and
avoiding over-exertion. To prevent dehydration drink
plenty of fluids. Working in cold and snow is very
strenuous. Shoveling snow is a major cause of heart attacks
in males over the age of 40.
Are you prepared to sit out a winter storm? Do
you have the necessary materials to survive on your own?
Make sure you have an alternative heat source for your
home and a generator. Operate the generator in a well
ventilated area to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
Stock enough foods and medicines to last for at least a
week, in case a winter storm makes it impossible to
travel.
If traveling, carry a winter survival kit in your
vehicle. This includes winter clothing for every person,
extra blankets, water, and food that requires no cooking.
If stranded, stay with the vehicle and wait to be rescued.
The National Weather Service has set up a Winter
Weather Awareness Page on the internet at
www.weather.gov/om/winter. This site contains general
preparedness information, as well as links to other agencies
such as the Red Cross and Federal Emergency Management
Agency. There are also links to specific winter
weather threats, and aids such as Wind Chill Charts, and
long lead time climatic outlooks.
Page 2
An early fall snow storm slammed into the Northern Plains the first week of October, bringing heavy
snow, high winds and much cooler temperatures to the region. The strong storm formed over the Rockies early
in the week, bringing new snowfall to the mountain ranges of Montana. This system then slid east bringing
quite a change from the temperatures in the mid 80s and 90s observed throughout the first few days of the
month. This was one of the earliest snow storms ever recorded across the Northern Plains. The National
Weather Service in Bismarck reported 10 to 15 inches of snow fell across western North Dakota, with a few
scattered 15 to 18 inch amounts. Western South Dakota also received heavy snowfall with the National
Weather Service in Rapid City indicating reports of 10 to 12 inches in Lawrence and Harding counties. Across
central and northeast South Dakota mostly rain fell with this storm system beginning Tuesday afternoon October
4th and ending Wednesday October 5th. Two snowfall reports came in from north central South Dakota
with 5 inches of snow reported near Morristown, and 3 inches falling near Isabel. The storm caused numerous
power outages throughout western South Dakota, western and central North Dakota, Eastern Montana, and
Eastern Wyoming. Many motorists were stranded on highways across North Dakota, with many schools closed
for the day as well.
Although it seems a bit premature for a snowstorm of this magnitude, this isn’t the earliest that snow
has ever fallen in the state of South Dakota. At both Aberdeen and Watertown measurable snow has fallen as
early as September 21st, when 0.2 inches of snow fell on that date in 1995 at both sites. Pierre’s earliest snowfall
came on October 1st, 1999 when 3.9 inches of snow fell on the state capital. Timber Lake also saw measurable
snowfall on the 1st day of October in 1999 when 5 inches of snow covered the ground. Wheaton, MN recorded
their earliest measurable snowfall of 1 inch on October 13th, 1997.
October is no stranger to snowfall with most sites across central, north central, and northeast South Dakota
averaging around a half an inch to one inch of snowfall throughout the month. Wheaton in west central
Minnesota averages just less than one half inch of snowfall during the month of October. In contrast, the latest
1st measurable snowfall of the season in Aberdeen occurred on January 8th, 1945 when the city received 0.4” of
snow. Aberdeen also went through a 55 day precipitation lull from September 21st to November 17th, 1952
making this time period the longest period without measurable precipitation in history.
The cold temperatures associated with this system are also well below average for this part of October.
The average maximum temperature in Aberdeen and Watertown for the first week of October is right around
65°F. In Pierre, that number is a slightly warmer at 68°F. The highs reported across the region Wednesday and
Thursday of last week were only in the upper 30s to around 50. That puts the maximum temperatures almost
15 to 20 degrees colder than the seasonal average for this time of year. As for minimum temperatures the average
for Pierre, Watertown, and Aberdeen is right around 39°F or 40°F for the first week in October. Minimum
temperatures this past Wednesday night were only about 5 to 10 degrees colder than the average for this time
of year, as most sites only dropped into the lower to mid 30s. However minimum temperatures the next few
days dropped into the 20s across the area, showing a 15 to 20 degree drop from the seasonal average.
Early Season Snowstorm Blasts Northern Plains
by Mindy Albrecht
Page 7
October 30th
Don’t forget to
turn your
clocks back one
hour at
2:00 am.
NOAA Weather Radio
Live Call-in Show
October 25th
7:00 pm
Tune in to your local NOAA
Weather Radio Frequency for
your chance to call in questions
to members of the Aberdeen
National Weather Service staff.
Also listen for information on
special guests.
Did you see us at the
Gypsy Days Parade?
The National Weather Service
float at the parade in Aberdeen.
October 1st, 2005
Page 6
from L-R Hydro-meteorological Technician Ken Gillespie, Data Acquisition Program Manager
Tim Kearns, Stoll Award Honoree Evelyn Quade and new COOP observer Dan Chaloupka.
Local Coop Observer Honored
Evelyn Quade of Wilmot SD, 2003 winner of the prestigious John Campanius Holm Award, was presented
with the Edward H. Stoll Award, marking her 50th year and final day as a volunteer Cooperative Weather Observer.
After 50 years of enduring wintertime blizzards and the heat and torrential rains of summer, Evelyn
has decided to retire and pass the observing duties onto her neighbor, Dan Chaloupka.
The Stoll award was established in honor of Edward Stoll who served as a cooperative weather observer without
interruption for 76 years (1905 - 1981).
So, as Dan completes his first day as the new Weather Observer for Wilmot SD, we're sad to be saying goodbye
to Evelyn, a long time, dedicated friend, but happy to be welcoming Dan who has only 49 years and 364
days left to reach the remarkable feat set by Evelyn Quade.
Page 3
1-605-225-0519
When significant or unusual weather events occur, give us a
call! We’re always happy to hear from the public, especially if you’re
calling to report freezing rain or snow accumulations of 2" or more. Don’t
wait until the next day...call us when it’s happening.
Ice Safety
Winter is still a time for having fun on the water. During the winter, lots of people turn in their boats for a
snowmobile and take to icy lakes to enjoy the fishing. While a lot of fun, there are dangers involved with
these activities. Ice on a lake will not be a uniform thickness, or be able to bear the same amount of weight as
another section of ice of the same thickness. There are many factors involved: age, thickness, temperature or
whether or not the ice is covered with snow. Strength is based on all these factors – plus the depth of water under
the ice, size of the water body, water chemistry and currents, the distribution of the load on the ice, and local
climatic conditions.
Recommended minimum ice thickness - These thicknesses are merely guidelines for new, clear, solid ice.
Many factors other than thickness can cause ice to be unsafe.
4" of new clear ice is the minimum thickness for travel on foot
5" is the minimum for snowmobiles and small ATVs
8"- 12" for cars or small trucks
Check for known thin ice areas with a local resort or bait shop. You can test the thickness yourself using
an ice chisel, ice auger or even a cordless drill with a long bit.
Refrain from driving on ice whenever possible. If you must drive a vehicle, be prepared to leave it in a
hurry: keep windows down, unbuckle your seat belt and have a simple emergency plan of action you have discussed
with your passengers.
Stay away from alcoholic beverages. Any amount of alcohol is enough to cause a careless error in judgment
that could cost you your life. Contrary to common belief, alcohol actually makes you colder rather than warming
you up.
Don't "overdrive" your snowmobile's headlight. At even 30 miles per hour, it can take a much longer distance
to stop on ice than your headlight shines. Many fatal snowmobile through-the-ice accidents occur because
the machine was traveling too fast for the operator to stop when the headlamp illuminated the hole in the
ice.
Wear a life vest under your winter gear. Or wear one of the new flotation snowmobile suits. And it's a good
idea to carry a pair of ice picks that may be home made or purchased from most well stocked sporting goods
stores that cater to winter anglers. It's amazing how difficult it can be to pull yourself back onto the surface of
unbroken but wet and slippery ice while wearing a snowmobile suit weighted down with 60 lbs of water. The
ice picks really help to pull yourself back onto solid ice. CAUTION: Do NOT wear a flotation device when
traveling across the ice in an enclosed vehicle! It will make it harder to get out of the vehicle if you go through
the ice.
Have fun on the ice – but be safe.
Information courtesy of SD Game, Fish & Parks and MN Dept. of Natural Resources
Page 4
New Climate Page
by Dan Mohr
The National Weather Service recently unveiled the new climate page for all its homepages across the country. The Aberdeen
National Weather Service‘s climate page contains a wealth of information for Aberdeen along with several other
locations across central and northeast South Dakota. When visiting our homepage, just click on the climate tab on top
and see for yourself. Note: new products and updates will be ongoing with the climate page.
On our office climate page, you will notice the many different areas you can visit including, climate home, observed
weather, climate prediction, climate resources, local data/records, and astronomical information. In the observed weather
section, you can follow through a couple steps to retrieve any one of the following products for selected locations: the
daily climate summary, the monthly climate summary, the preliminary climate data (updated daily), record event reports
(temperature or precipitation), daily regional and statewide high and lows and precipitation. The process of retrieving a
product is very simple. Choose a product type, location, timeframe, and then the click to view tab. When choosing a
product, a detailed product description is located at the bottom of the page informing you of what the product contains,
when it is issued, how far back you retrieve past products, etc.
Climate prediction is of great interest to many customers, especially in the extended and long range outlooks. Under the
climate prediction tab, you will find the latest 6 to 10 day outlooks, 8 to 14 day outlooks, and 30 and 90 day outlooks for
the continental United States. Also, information on climate variability factors such as El Nino and La Nina can be easily
accessed from this location. A couple very useful products to note on this page are the U.S. Hazards Assessment and the
U.S. Drought Assessment maps. The Hazards Assessment is intended to provide emergency managers, planners, forecasters,
and the public advance notice of potential hazards related to climate, weather, and hydrological events.
On each Thursday, CPC (Climate Prediction Center), together with the United States Department of Agriculture, the National
Drought Mitigation Center in Lincoln, Nebraska, and NOAA's National Climatic Data Center, issues a weekly
drought assessment called the United States Drought Monitor. The Monitor provides a consolidated depiction of national
drought conditions based on a combination of drought indicators and field reports. The CPC issues the Seasonal United
States Drought Outlook each month in conjunction with the Thursday release of the long-lead temperature and precipitation
outlooks near the middle of the month. The Drought Outlooks show areas where drought is expected to develop,
persist, worsen, or improve over the next several months.
Under the Climate Resources tab, you will find many other different places you can visit to see climate information. You
can view climate information outside the local area such as the high and low temperatures for the past 24 hours for the
entire country. You can also visit the state and regional climate offices across the country. One very important location
for all historical data and if you need certified data is the National Climatic Data Center in Ashville, North Carolina.
The Local/Data records tab contains information on normals for five locations across central and northeast South Dakota
and extremes for Aberdeen compared to South Dakota. The weather extremes for other locations will be added in the
future.
Finally, on the climate page you will find astronomical data for sunrise/sunset, moonrise/moonset along with the phases
of the moon for anywhere in the United States.
The National Weather Service Climate pages will continue to be improved as time goes along with new products being
added. In the not so distant future, a local downscaled product will be produced for seven locations across our area. The
downscaled product is produced from the Climate Prediction Center’s long range outlooks giving you the probabilities of
above, near, or below normal temperatures at a specific location for a three-month period. Also, a composite analysis
product of historical impacts of El Nino/La Nina on the area will be produced and posted on the climate page sometime
in late 2006 or early 2007.
Page 5
New Employees
Cory Behnke
Scott Doering
I grew up in Moline, Illinois, which rests on the banks
of the Mississippi River. In my younger years, I never paid
much attention to the weather, besides a few glances at
the clouds. My first curiosity in weather did not occur until
1993, when massive flooding occurred on the Mississippi
River due to extensive weeks of rainfall. At the time, the
flood crest was the fifth highest on record.
I continued my enjoyment in weather by taking an
introduction to meteorology class at the local community
college. I was unsure of a career track at that time and
thought meteorology seemed pretty easy. Little did I realize
I needed so many math classes. Upon graduating
from community college, I enrolled at Western Illinois University
with a major in Meteorology and a minor in Geology.
While there, I took part in many honor clubs and was
eventually elected president to one called Sigma Gamma
Epsilon. During my senior year, I received a student internship
with the National Weather Service in Davenport,
Iowa. My duties in Davenport consisted of launching
weather balloons and data collection, much like here in
Aberdeen.
My graduation day was one that I will never forget. I
missed my own graduation to work a severe weather
event at the Davenport office. On that day, we had several
tornadoes touchdown with one reaching an F2 and
another reaching F3 status. I knew from that day on I
wanted to work for the National Weather Service. I spent
the next two years volunteering at the Davenport office
gaining experience. I was highly involved in organizing
and presenting spotter training classes. I also helped out
on several severe weather events and even conducted a
damage survey of an F3 tornado that went through the
towns of Granville and Utica, Illinois.
The first job I was offered was teaching Introduction
to Meteorology, the same class I took years earlier. However,
four weeks before the semester was to start, and
the day before my birthday, I was offered a job as a Meteorologist
Intern with the National Weather Service in
Aberdeen. I politely backed out of the teaching position,
and moved to Aberdeen and could not be happier.
I was born and raised in the small northeastern
Wisconsin town of Peshtigo (site of the Great Peshtigo
Fire of 1871). I am a spring 2003 graduate of the
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a Bachelor
of Science degree in Atmospheric Sciences. I also
fulfilled the requirements for a Master of Science
degree in Mathematics (Atmospheric Sciences option)
from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
in the spring of 2005. My thesis was titled “Synoptic
and Local Controls of the Lake Michigan Pneumonia
Front”.
A few weather interests I have are forecasting at
the synoptic and mesoscale levels, as well as researching
problematic forecasting issues.
Interests other than professional include hunting,
fishing, golfing, and learning to play guitar. My wife
Julie and I are newlyweds, and I am extremely excited
to start my new career as a Meteorologist Intern
in the always active northern Plains
