Winning $1,000 for the Tulsa Humane Society: Let's Ask America

If you missed it, I represented Tulsa as a contestant on "Let's Ask America" (LAA), a nationally televised game show. Four meteorologists played for charity in a "meteorologists only" episode.

How did I get to be on the game show?

The LAA producers put out a casting call for meteorologists, and someone within my company submitted my name. I knew nothing about it and was quite shocked to get a phone call from California asking me to try out, a welcome surprise!

LAA recorded me playing a practice show via Skype, and within a week I received a call telling me that I made the cut. Yay! I got most of the questions correct too, so I was feeling confident.

Setting up for the game show was easy: The Channel 2 staff set up a laptop computer with Skype in the TV studio and connected it to the Internet. The game show was then recorded, editted and broadcast nationally on January 31, 2012. All contestants play from home or work.

How did I do on the show?

Hurricanes or politicians: Which did people in Florida say is more likely to make a mess of their state?

Florida, politicians and elections: wow, that's too easy! I remembered seeing silly questions before on the show and thought this might be the trick question. I answered hurricanes, thinking too of Hurricane Andrew from 1994. I missed it! Answer: Politicians


Boyfriend or dog: Who did female dog owners say they keep on a shorter leash?

Hmmm. Do they want a silly answer or a serious answer? Based on the previous question, I didn't think they would have two silly answers in a row; therefore, I answered dog. I missed it!

Black or white: Which automobile color did car enthusiasts say is the hardest to keep clean?

Oh good, an easy one! Oklahoma's red dirt can cover a dark colored car in a hurry: black. I missed it! (I guess they didn't ask car enthusiasts from Oklahoma!)

The third wrong guess eliminated me from the show, despite my lucky sunshine tie!

Amber, the Phoenix meteorologist correctly answered "white." She won a total of $47,000 for her charity! The Humane Society of Tulsa did win $1,000 for my appearance.

Bottom line: I really, really had fun for this unique game show opportunity. Thank you Let's Ask America for the fun! I would certainly do it again.

Hopefully I'm better at guessing the weather forecast than my game show results. Thanks for reading. 

George  

Forecast: Heavy snow in Tulsa... Maybe. Ok, nevermind!

Channel 2 viewers in far eastern Oklahoma enjoyed a White Christmas. Up to 8" of snow reported.

You have probably have questioned the sanity of your local weatherman if you've lived in Oklahoma during an alleged snow event!

Why do snow forecasts vary so much?

Why do we sometimes miss the snow storms?

Here are some excuses (uhm, reasons):

Most "winter storm" type snow events in Oklahoma are caused by smallish, compact, intense Low pressure areas. If you are reading a detailed meteorological forecast discussion, you might see a Low called a shortwave, lobe and vort max to name a few.

Due to the Low's relatively small size but sometimes intense strength, big snowfall differences can result over a short distance. Your scenery can grow from zero snow into a winter wonderland in 20-30 miles!

So-- where does the heaviest snow occur ?

The highest totals are usually 100 to 150 miles north of the Low's center, mainly depending on the temperature profile, size and strength of the Low.

Where does the Low need to go for Tulsa (or other Oklahoma town) to get snow?

For Tulsa to get a major snow, the center of the Low must travel through southern Oklahoma or extreme north Texas-- basically traveling from W to E or SW to NE near the Red River.

This 500mb vorticity map is an example of a computer
model that meteorologists use to gauge the
strength of an approaching Low (near Arizona).
One of a zillion graphics to analyze!    
A Low has a counterclockwise circulation toward itself.

Why is there a short distance between heavy snow and zero snow?

A Low has a counterclockwise circulation toward itself.

This means that as bands of snow form, the precip rotates in a tight circle around and toward the center-- you might picture the circulation around a hurricane. It's the same idea.

(Sometimes you will see heavy snow on the north and west side of the Low with strong thunderstorms in the warmer air southeast of the Low.)

Much drier air and north wind exist just north of the snow bands, and this drier air evaporates the northern fringe of the snow. The dry air combined with the Low's tight circulation creates a sharp precipitation cut off. Sometimes an area as small as one county can be the snow line.

Another issue: snowfall forecasts are most likely to be a "busted forecast" if the Low travels too far south instead of north-- that's what happened on Christmas Day of 2012 at Tulsa ended up without measurable snow.

Several days before when the Low was 2,000 miles away, its center was progged by several computer models to track near the Red River. Instead, the Low moved about 100 miles farther south. The resulting snow line cut-off occurred between Tulsa and Interstate 40 instead of Tulsa and Bartlesville.

How much snow fell?

Viewers south and east of Tulsa reported totals of 0-1" near Muskogee; quickly increasing to 6" in the Warner/Interstate 40 area just south of Muskogee. 6-8" totals covered the ground near the OK/AR line south of Fort Smith. Low visibility and strong wind created near blizzard-like conditions for drivers.

While some complained about how horribly meteorologists performed, the snow was correctly forecast the night before. Dan Threlkeld was on the 10pm news that night, and he nailed it.

He lowered the snowfall to Tulsa to 0-1" for Tulsa. Most folks were spending time with their families on Christmas Eve night, so many didn't see the new data.



In summary:

- snowfall total forecasts more than 24 hours out can have huge errors.
- do not believe a forecast see you on the Internet a week away of heavy snow!
- a compact, Winter Storm type Low is hard to forecast due to its compact strength and small size.
- if a Winter storm type Low travels too far south, you could completely miss out on the snow.
- snow, precipitation type and snowfall amounts are the most difficult weather to forecast

Also, I have never tried to "hype" a weather event. I try to call it as I see it. :)

Hope this helps! Thanks for reading, George

Channel 2 viewers in McAlester and Checotah emailed us these pictures of their White Christmas.

Hurricane Sandy pics: Real or spoof?

By now you've probably seen pictures of Hurricane Sandy circulating the Internet. Many of these photos have been forwarded to the KJRH Channel 2. Are they real? Here's the scoop:

A supercell thunderstorm is pictured here, and the Statue of Liberty is pasted in the foreground. Two real pictures, but not real together. The background storm picture was taken in 2004 by Nebraska storm chaser Mike Hollingshead.

No, not from Hurricane Sandy. This supercell storm photo was likely taken in the Plains. Hurricanes don't look near this ominous from ground level. 

This view of the iconic Tomb of the Unknown soldier is a real picture, but it was taken earlier this year. The rain from Sandy would have resembled this.  

Fake. No, the waves were not 100-200 feet tall!

 

!

Look familiar? From the movie the Perfect Storm.

I sure hope this is fake. 1,000 foot waves would not be good!

 

Yes! It's definitely a real picture. ;)

Note: You will rarely see actual hurricane pictures of "interesting" or "cool-looking" clouds from ground level. Hurricanes are so large that the cloud layers aren't obvious from close range. Instead of the individual bands or layers which are easily spotted in supercell thunderstorms, hurricane clouds look one shade of gray. The bottom of the clouds are also much closer to the ground than Oklahoma storms.

Another interesting to note: lightning is rare in hurricanes! 

Hopefully this info helps... George

Downbursts and microbursts in Oklahoma

(ABOVE: KJRH viewers Nik Stophel (Highway 169 looking toward Bixby) and Michael Wheeler (Bartlesville) took pics of microbursts and their downpours. Microbursts have a sharp contrast from intense downpour to calm surroundings.)

Microburst-type downbursts have relocated patio furniture and cracked tree limbs in Tulsa and eastern Oklahoma this Summer, and our viewers have sent in pictures to prove it.

A downburst is simply a highly concentrated strong wind blowing straight down (a down-burst of wind) from a storm. Only a few square miles are impacted.

The term microburst is used to describe a tiny downburst. A microburst creates intense damaging wind over a small 1-2 square mile area.

Two microbursts hit Tulsa and the Bixby areas in recent weeks. Other downburst/microburst destruction was reported in Washington and Nowata counties.

Microbursts are a problem for meteorologists as the exact moment a storm decides to "burst" can't exactly be predicted until downward movement is noted within the precipitation core. By then the downburst is already underway.

Downbursts can occur when a heathly thunderstorm inhales hot, dry air from outside of the cloud. This dry air evaporates the rain creating a huge pocket of cooler air within the storm.

As cooler air is heavier, this cold chunk of air falls straight down. In extreme cases the wind can reach over 100mph! Hurricane-looking conditions result for up to 10 minutes.

Different types of downbursts are also possible with "wet" and "dry" microbursts being identified.

Trees don't fare well in microbursts as the limbs are forced toward the ground.

Here are the conditions that I look for when watching for downbursts/microbursts:

- High temperatures with fairly dry air: 95°+ air temperatures with a dew point temperature of 65° or lower.

- If temperatures are closer to 100° with a 60° dew point, then microburst potential is greatly enhanced. (A difference of 35-40° between the temperature and dew point is ideal.)

- Light upper level wind (such as in July and August).

- Storms which build and develop "straight up" are microburst candidates.

- Interesting note: Drought years (like 2012) are more prone to microbursts due to the larger difference between the temperature and dew point temperature.

Hope this info helps... Thanks for reading! George

(BELOW: The anatomy of a downbursting/microbursting storm and damage pics. Courtesy: Casandra Paramenter and Dan Lockhoff.)

Dashboard Pizza: Cooking in the car on a hot day

(ABOVE: Minuteman Pizza Parlor in Sand Springs tried cooking a pizza on a dashboard. How did it fare? The yummy results are pictured below.)

Does the inside of your car feel like oven on a hot day? Is it hot enough for you to actually cook food? Minuteman Pizza Parlor in Sand Springs decided to put the idea to the test-- dashboard pizza!

Here's what they did:


They placed a fresh 10" cheese pizza in an aluminum foil tray. The pizza and tray were then set in direct sunlight on a van's dashboard. They aimed the front windshield toward the sun during peak heating of the afternoon. Then they shut the doors and walked away, letting the van heat up on its own.

The results? The pizza slowly cooked to a crisp after three hours-- it worked!

The cheese melted under the sun, and the pizza dough baked into a somewhat crispy crust.


Based on experiments that I've done in the past, I estimate the temperature of the pizza tray reached 150-170 degrees! The rubber/plastic composite dashboard is usually the hottest surface in your vehicle, especially if exposed to direct sunlight. (Random thought... I wonder what the van smells like now?)

How did the pizza taste? Jessy Lawley ate the cooked pizza below... pretty good!

Tulsa Tough 2012: Street party + bicycle racing

(ABOVE: Fast women! Ladies racing in the Friday night downtown races)

The Tulsa Tough is three days of professional bicycle racing and tour rides centered around downtown Tulsa. The annual event is held during early June on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Tulsa Tough has quickly grown into a huge event with big crowds and a festive atmosphere Personally, it's my favorite event in Tulsa!

The huge attendance figures this year were the largest yet. The growth of corporate sponsorships= improvements each year to enhance the experience for cycles and fans-- this is a first class event.

Professional cyclists race through downtown and Riverside Drive courses Friday night, Saturday and Sunday. The more casual (and open to regular cyclists) tour rides take place Saturday and Sunday morning.

My wife and I attended the Friday night pro races, and then I cycled in the Sunday morning "Grand Fondo."

The Friday Night races are a must see. Even if you know or care nothing about cycling you will love it!

Tulsa Tough begins with the "McNellie's group Blue Dome Criterium". It's a fast-paced experience which will take your breath away.

The best professional cyclists in the country race at speeds over 30mph in a tightly-packed clump. The cyclists ride a closed course along the city streets of downtown Tulsa under the lights. Fans, many with a beverage in hand gather around the track.

A huge outdoor TV broadcasts the event with "play by play" provided by nationally renown commentators.

Children enjoy the event too. It's fun to lean in close to the track to be blown back by the gust of the wind from the bikes-- the peloton, or clump of bicycles is so intense that they create their own wind. Smiles all around!

I really enjoy Sunday's racing too, maybe the most. These races zoom along a section of Riverside Drive.

Many folks sit under the trees and along the hills to enjoy the day. I also witnessed several bike crashes. (If you get some thrill out of watching bicycles crash, then this event is for you!)

The Sunday race features a short, but steep climb up "Crybaby Hill"-- this is cool to watch.

Local crazies come out, some dressed in silly stuff, to encourage or whatever the cyclists. The crowd is huge, clever and fun-- quite a spectacle!

The Tulsa Tough... first class event. Make sure it's on your stuff to do list!


(BELOW: I rode with Team Lee's in the more casual Saturday and Sunday morning rides.)

Location:Downtown Tulsa

Home Run for the Homeless

(ABOVE: Channel 2's Taft Price, Liz Bryant and myself are pretending to look like real ball players before the game.)

"Home Run for the Homeless" is an annual benefit softball game featuring alleged local TV news celebrities vs the local radio personalities. This was my first year to play.

The game is played downtown at ONEOK field, home of the Tulsa Drillers. Admission is a $5 donation and free for children.

The purpose of the game is to raise money for the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless. The Day Center specializes in helping homeless people "get back on their feet" so they can become self-sufficient. It offers programs and operates 24 hours a day.

(ABOVE: Liz and me with Julie Chin! Though Julie has "retired" from tv news, expect to continue seeing her all over town.)

Each local TV station volunteers familiar faces to play in the softball game. For this year's game, Taft Price, Liz Bryant and myself represented Channel 2. Al Jerkens, Jason Shackelford, Justin Wilfon and Russ McCaskey and others have played in recent years too.

The radio team was well represented as I recognized a personality from nearly each local radio station. This included my friend Kevin Ward from the 97.1 "the Sports Animal" who pitched. Their "ringer" was former TU quarterback Paul Smith . (Paul also works for 97.1FM, "the Sports Animal.")

In the broadcast booth, Phil and Brent from KMOD along with Roy D. Mercer provided humor at the players' expense.

Probably the highlight of the fun is helping and watching the kids run the bases during the middle of the game! (BELOW PIC)





As far as the actual game, the TV team stopped a losing streak to the radio folks with a 10-1 victory. Our defense played really, really well. Even a few double plays!

I did ok on the night too. I got a hit in every at bat, and defensively, I didn't make any errors at shortstop. (I blame not shaving for my good performance...)

Weather-wise, conditions were perfect with a temperature near 70 degrees, low humidity and not much wind.

Nearly $10,000 was raised for the Day Center. No one got hurt, and everyone had a good time.-- hope to be back next year! :)

Thanks for reading. George

(BELOW: Here is the view from the field. The Tulsa Drillers get nice views of downtown when they play.)