Belfort Instrument Weather Guide

Author: Sumit Bhatnagar and Parul Aggarwal

Skydiving is a sport that is mainly governed by weather. You, as a skydiver, ought to have a clear understanding of the weather.

While skydiving, you are subject to being pushed in the direction in which the wind is going. During the freefall part of the skydive, it is the strength and direction of the wind that governs the run in, spotting and amount of time left between groups on exit.

Satellite pictures and forecasts can help you to gain a better understanding of the weather before you go for skydiving.

In case the weather is bad, you need not worry. There are many other skydiving related activities in which you can keep yourself busy.

For instance, in the winter season, when it is too cold to skydive, you can ask at the DZ about learning to pack. If you buy your own equipment, you need not spend much on packing.

If you are planning to get a license, make sure you get certain briefs like the ‘jumpmaster brief’ and the ‘flight line checking brief’.

You can also do a rigging qualification which will allow you to pack reserve parachutes.

But, if you willing to skydive in the cold weather, all you need to do is, keep yourself warm!

In order to keep yourself warm, you can use ‘thermal suits’ or ‘warm wear’. These are specifically made for this purpose by the jumpsuit manufacturers. These thermal suits are to be worn underneath your normal jumpsuit to keep your body warm.

Alternatively, you can wear silk inners inside your gloves, or even surgeons gloves. This will keep your fingers warm. Keep in mind that if your fingers become numb, you might face problem while finding the toggle.

Full face helmets that are warmer than the open ones, neck warmers made from fleece material, etc. are also included in the protective clothing needed when skydiving in cold weather.

In addition to protective clothing, warming up and stretching your body before skydiving is of utmost importance.

Author: Karel Kosman

Although the clouds in the sky seem to be very different, it is possible to classify them by common characteristics into several categories. In 1803, amateur meteorologist Luke Howard (1772-1864) put together a table for distinguishing types of clouds and gave them Latin names. The classification, which is based on the shape and altitude of the clouds, gives us the following groups: high clouds, middle clouds, and low clouds.

High clouds are grouped together under a general name of “cirrus.” This group includes cirrus, cirrocumulus, and cirrostratus. In temperate geographical latitudes, these clouds move in altitudes of between 5 and 13 kilometres, in the tropics, the altitude is between 6 and 18 kilometres, while in the polar regions it is between 3 and 8 kilometres.

Cirrus clouds, also called “white clouds,” are formed by ice crystals. They occur either individually or in groups, have a fibrous appearance, silky glow in the sunlight, and are surrounded by white reflections. Depending on the wind speed, they may travel in these altitudes at 150 to 300 km/h. The wind scatters them far away from each other. The sunlight penetrates very well these thin layers of ice particles. At dusk, cirrus clouds light up with intense colours.

Cirrocumulus clouds, also called high (small) fleecy clouds, occur relatively infrequently. They are formed by ice crystals. Of ribbed appearance, they join in groups, forming cloud fields.

Cirrostratus clouds are also described as high cloudy veil, or high cloudiness. This type of clouds consists mainly of ice crystals and forms thin, expansive cloudy veils, reducing the intensity of the sunlight. If these clouds cover the sun or the moon, they create a light circle around these heavenly bodies. This phenomenon is called “halo.”

A preposition “alto” is given to the name of the middle high clouds. They include altocumulus and altostratus. These clouds move in temperate geographical latitudes in an altitude of 2 to 6 kilometres, in the tropics at 2 to 8 kilometres, and in the polar regions at 2 to 4 kilometres.

Altocumulus clouds, the so-called large fleecy clouds, are similar in their appearance to the cirrocumulus clouds. They occur at an altitude of 3 to 4 kilometres. They appear in the shape of nuggets, waves, or contiguous fields. Sometimes they appear layered or in a belt formation. They are formed by water droplets. When these clouds cover the sun, they create wreaths of light, but these are smaller than the “halo” phenomenon in the case of the cirrostratus clouds. Individual cloud nuggets often separate and rise. This strange shape is called altocumulus castellanus. They are an almost certain indication of a coming storm.

Altostratus clouds are middle high grey layers in the altitude of approximately 3 to 4 kilometres. They often originate from the cirrostratus clouds and create felt-like grey layers covering large areas of the sky.

They gradually cover the sun, so that it appears as if made of milky glass. These large clouds are made up of water droplets and ice crystals. They signal the arrival of rain. If, due to high rate of evaporation, the rain does not reach the ground, they form fringes on the lower edges.

Low clouds occur in the altitude of up to 2 kilometres. They include stratocumulus and stratus clouds. Stratus clouds are also called cloud layers. They extend from the vicinity of the ground to about 2000 metres above ground. Because of that, they are sometimes called high fog. Their base structure is not well organized and they give the impression of grey foggy mist. They often have “rags” (stratus fractus) hanging down. Stratus clouds consist of droplets, and at lower temperatures there will also be ice crystals. These clouds form when the ground warms up. At times, when they are very dense, they may produce drizzle, or sometimes even tiny particles of snow, but not large snowflakes. Stratus clouds may envelop mountain ranges and towers in a fog.

Stratocumulus clouds are the fair-weather clouds. They consist of water droplets, and sometimes in winter also of ice crystals. They re situated in the low cloud layer. Grey or whitish clouds, they occur in the shape of piled-up packages or nuggets, arranged above each other or over each other. There are no firm shapes or boundaries. These clouds often occur in evening hours and in winter.

Clouds that develop vertically extend through several altitude groups. Since their base is in the low cloud layer, they are included in those groups. They include cumulus, cumulonimbus, and nimbostratus clouds.

Cumulus cloud, also called dome-shaped cloud, is generally seen as an isolated, sharp-edged white dome. The upper part glows with white light, the lower portion is often dark. These clouds form when the ground is heated, most often in the afternoon and in summertime.

Cumulus clouds partially reach the upper cloud layers, where their tops may freeze. In general, no precipitation is expected from these clouds, however, if they continue to develop into the cumulonimbus type, there may be heavy downpours.

Cumulonimbus clouds are also called storm or rain clouds. They may reach up to 18 kilometres into the atmosphere (in the tropics) and run through several cloud layers, which means that they encompass almost the entire depth of the troposphere. Their characteristic is the widening of the upper part into a vaulted shield, also called storm shield. The shield is generally frozen and shows anvil-like fibrous structure, similar to the one seen in cirrus clouds. Generally, the cumulonimbus clouds appear alone, like a tower, or are in a mountain-range formation. When observed from the side, the view is impressive. However, standing underneath these clouds, you see only dark mass, which does not show any of its luminosity. If there are gleaming yellow patches in the cloud, it means hail will fall on the place below this cloud. Cumulonimbus clouds form during hot and humid summer days. They produce heavy precipitation, both rain and hail, which may be accompanied by high winds and thunderstorms.

Nimbostratus clouds are classified as layered, precipitation-laden clouds, which completely cover the sun. They are thick, grey layers of clouds, with “rags” hanging on the lower part, and they extend to an altitude of 5 kilometres. They form through gradual rise of extensive layers of air, bringing bad weather with continuing precipitation, either in the form of rain or snow.

Author: Ken Paone

If Johannes Kepler, the renowned 17th century astronomer and discoverer of the planetary laws of motion, could speak from the heavenlies, he might have a few words of wisdom to share with the National Weather Service. Although Kepler’s name is not normally associated with meteorology, he was quite the weather forecaster in his day. His first claim to fame, by the way, was not due to his discovery of those planetary laws, but because of his accurate long-range weather forecast of the severe winter that put Styermark, Germany on ice in 1593.

Kepler’s genius and outside-the-box thinking led him to equate terrestrial weather patterns with the geometrical formations made between the earth and planets. Since these formations could be calculated in advance, he reasoned, their effect on the weather could be as well. Through the publishing of his almanacs, the Royal Astronomer helped make ends meet when at times the kings who employed him were delinquent in their payments.

Kepler’s contribution to meteorology, along with his long-range forecast method, have all but been forgotten. And as would be expected, present day meteorology, ashamedly, has no real long-range weather forecast capability. Even armed with the most advanced weather computer, whose lightning fast calculations approach about 400 million per second, its three-day forecasts are speculative, and its six to seven day forecasts are worthless.

In this day and age when the flaws and limitations of many conventional procedures and methods have come to light, man is seeking and finding solutions in alternative methodologies. Just about every area of life boasts of some alternative option. So why not alternative weather forecasts based on natural, environmentally safe, and providentially-provided processes?

Wouldn’t it be great to know the times and places of hurricane formation and landfall months in advance? How about the when and where of other weather anomalies such as deep freezes, severe storms systems, and high velocity winds? All this is possible with Kepler’s method and would be a welcomed alternative for weather sensitive businesses like agriculture, the weather derivatives market, transportation etc. Although no forecast system, be it conventional or alternative, is 100 percent accurate, it is worth noting that based on this method my published long-range hurricane forecasts, prepared months in advance, were fulfilled in Hurricanes Isis (1998), Alberto (2000), Gilma (2000), and Tropical Storm Claudette (2003). Based on Kepler’s method, some of the best and worst weather for April 2005 is as follows:

April 1-3: A southerly airflow kicks in over the western Gulf of Mexico bringing warmer temperatures for the Deep South and on into the East Central States. Due to this increase in temperatures and humidity storms erupt over the area. The western U.S. is also slated for a warm up.

April 5-7: The Southeast, East Central and western U.S. continue warm and fair.

April 8-10: A storm system affecting the Ohio Valley and Southeast spreads inclement weather in the Northeast U.S. Low pressure brings thunderstorms to the Rockies and Plains. Special intensity is shown over New Mexico and Minnesota.

April 11-14: Cool and fair conditions are shown for the Plains, the Ohio Valley and Southeast. The Pacific Northwest is in store for an influx of very moist warm air around the 13th giving way to thunderstorm activity, which then continues westward over the Rockies.

April 15: The Middle Atlantic States turn stormy generating a low pressure system that heads across New England toward Nova Scotia.

April 18: The Pacific Northwest continues with higher than normal temperatures and humidity. With enough moisture in place, storms will fire up throughout the West Coast States. Temperatures are on the upswing over the Rockies and Front Range as well.

April 19: A front cutting through the Middle Atlantic States triggers storms, which continue through New England.

April 22-24: Fair conditions embrace the Plains and Intermountain West. Cool and clear weather finds its way over the Rockies and from the Southeast into New England.

April 26-27: Storms are triggered over the Southwest U.S. and Rockies.

April 27-28: Moisture is drawn up from the central Gulf of Mexico over Louisiana increasing temperatures and leading to storm activity throughout the Mississippi Valley, Deep South, and East Central States.

April 29-30: Most of New England sees fair weather except for Maine. The Pacific Northwest succumbs to storms while the Rockies are cool and clear. Moisture continues northward from the Gulf toward the Great Lakes setting off storms over Indiana and the surrounding area.

Author: Mark A Mitchell

Why would you want a weather emergency alert radio for your home, business or farm? I can offer several very good reasons that a weather alert radio is a great investment to protect your home, family or business.

A weather emergency alert radio is a crucial tool if you want to be kept informed about emergency conditions such as tornados, deadly thunderstorms, hurricanes, hazardous chemical spills, forest fires, natural disasters or terrorist attacks.

There are two types of emergency broadcasts that a weather alert radio can receive here in the U.S. They can recieve broadcasts that come from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and broadcasts that come from the Emergency Alert System (EAS).

The NOAA broadcasts are managed by the National Weather Service which is a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The NOAA broadcasts travel conditions, storm warnings, weather forecasts and emergency alerts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The Emergency Alert System or EAS broadcasts national as well as local government emergency alerts regarding issues affecting the public health and safety. Emergency Alert System broadcasts comprise warnings regarding weather emergencies like tornados, earthquakes, toxic chemical spills, radiation disasters and other emergencies which require that the public is notified and alerted immediately.

The best choice of emergency alert radio to get a radio that utilizes the SAME (Specific Area Message Encoding) specification. An emergency alert radio that has S.A.M.E capability built into it will receive every NOAA and EAS broadcast. A SAME capable radio ensures that you receive the best of both worlds plus SAME technology has the added feature of allowing you to only receive information for specific counties as opposed to an entire regional broadcast area. A SAME capable radio might cost you a bit more but the piece of mind for your family, business or farm is well worth it.

To sum up, an emergency alert weather radio can keep you immediately apprised of emergency conditions that threaten your home, family or business. Can you put a price on that?

Author: Jonathon Hardcastle

We are half-way through this warm weather month of August and the heat has become something of a burden and a hassle for many of us. Good thing the weather can be a source of amusement too sometimes. There were two reports last week about the weather that just made me smile. I’m re-telling them here in an effort to provide you with something to smile (or smirk) about this summer.

The first report, which originated from Moscow in Russia, recounted how Alyona Gabitova, a Russian woman from the town of Uljanovsk, was suing local weather forecasters for making a wrong prediction about the weather that ultimately ruined her holiday trip.

It seems that local weather forecasters had predicted sunny weather and a temperature of around 82.4 degrees Fahrenheit for one weekend a couple of weeks ago. Based on that weather report, Gabitova planned a weekend camping trip to a nearby nature park. She packed carefully for what she anticipated would be a grand weekend frolicking under clear blue skies but instead of sunny weather, she was greeted with non-stop rains all throughout the weekend.

As a result, Gabitova said her entire weekend was ruined and, to top if off, she caught a cold after getting soaked under all that rain. She later filed a suit in court against the weather forecasters. The local newspaper Nowyje Iswestijia reported that Gavitova was suing the weather forecasters to reimburse the travel costs of her aborted holiday camping trip. The paper said the court has yet to act on the woman’s complaint.

Now, how’s that for new-found freedom in the former communist republic?

The other news report, this time from a local US newspaper, told of how people can determine how warm the weather was going to be by listening to the chirping of crickets. Apparently, all you have to do is count the number of chirps which crickets make in 15 seconds, add the figure of 40 to that, and that’s going to be close to the weather for that day. The report said that doing this will put you a couple of degrees of the actual air temperature.

Too bad the lady Gabitova didn’t know this early enough. Otherwise, she would have noticed that no crickets were chirping during her holiday weekend and would have cancelled her trip.