Friday October 30th was Career Day at Dysart Geneseo Elementary School We spent the morning learning about careers in teaching, insurance, engineering, technology, meteorology and ministry. Mrs. Ewald arranged for us all to come and visit with the students. As the photos show, Dysart has had plenty of rain this fall!
Dysart Geneseo Elementary School
It was breezy and chilly in Dysart!
Posted under Uncategorized
This post was written by jkennedy on October 31, 2009
With Winter fast approaching it’s time to adjust our thinking when it comes to the weather. On Wednesday, October 28th I made a road trip to Des Moines. Each fall the National Weather Service office in Johnston holds a workshop to talk about the upcoming season. Meteorologists from Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota gathered to discuss some new changes in NWS forecast products. We also reviewed a case study on heavy snow bands, how they develop and some of the ramifications on local winter travel. It’s always good to get together and talk weather with my colleagues!
National Weather Service in Johnston
Jeff Kennedy and Jeff Zogg discussing a developing storm
NEXRAD Doppler radar at Johnston
Posted under Uncategorized
This post was written by jkennedy on October 31, 2009
I got to visit with Ms. Geiter’s class in Grundy Center on Tuesday, 10/27. We talked about different clouds, storms and weather instruments. We also read “Thundercake”, a story about a little girl who learns about thunderstorms from her Grandma. Grundy County is a very pretty place these days. Here’s a photo of Grundy Center Elementary school…and you can’t visit Grundy Center without admiring the Grundy County Courthouse!
Grundey Center Elementary School
Grundy County Courthouse
Posted under Uncategorized
This post was written by jkennedy on October 31, 2009
What's left of The Bus!
Your Eastern Iowa took a ride to see Dave Myers at Heartland Farm. Dave and his crew have a lot of fun things for families. There are hayrides, one of the best haunted houses in the area, treats and, of course, lots of pumpkins. My mischievious side took over for a couple minutes…and Dave let me fire the Punkinator! Not much left of that old school bus…
Lots of pumpkins to choose from
The Punkinator!
Dave preparing his ammo...
The Punkinator shots with 5000 pounds of force!!
Posted under Uncategorized
This post was written by jkennedy on October 27, 2009
Last winter was exceptionally harsh in the Northern US. Folks in North Dakota know how to handle the bad weather! This is pretty cool…Home video is a little shaky…but you get the picture!
Posted under Uncategorized
This post was written by jkennedy on October 23, 2009
All of our weather begins with the Sun! Our planet’s axis is tilted 23.5 degrees from the vertical. That tilt in the axis, combined with the Earth’s orbit around the Sun causes our seasons to change. Right now the Sun
Sun is overhead in the Southern Hemisphere
is overhead in the Southern Hemisphere. Over the next couple months the Northern Hemisphere continues to lean away from the Sun…and from our perspective it appears as though the Sun gets lower in the sky between now and December 21. We get less and less direct sunlight, less direct solar radiation and, as a result, cooler weather.
For a really cool video of this, click here.
Posted under Uncategorized
This post was written by jkennedy on October 19, 2009
Good corn pickin
A few of Jeff’s neighbors are getting underway with the fall harvest. Such big machines these days…it doesn’t take long to get the corn and beans out of the fields!
Posted under Uncategorized
This post was written by jkennedy on October 10, 2009
A large pool of cold air extends from Iowa to the North. Jet Stream level winds continue to form a long trough over the middle of the United States. There is also a fairly persistent cyclone over Hudson Bay/James Bay in the Eastern section of Canada. Areas of stormy weather keep rotating around the Hudson Bay low pressure, and that is keeping our weather rather unsettled. Latest computer models suggest that the temperature will remain well below normal right through the week of October 12-16!
Jet Stream level wind and temperature
Posted under Uncategorized
This post was written by jjarvis on October 9, 2009
