7:15 AM | *The role of the weather in the shipwrecking of the S.S. Minnow…new evidence has come to light which exonerates the Skipper once and for all*

April 01, 2024Paul Dorian

We all know the words…

“the weather started getting rough, the tiny shipped was tossed…”

Indeed, stormy weather played a critical role in the shipwrecking of the S.S. Minnow on that fateful day in late September 1964 onto an uncharted “desert” island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. The ship set sail that day on a three-hour tour with five passengers, the captain of the S.S. Minnow, Jonas Grumby (aka Skipper), and his first mate named Gilligan. A sudden storm interrupted the tour, damaged the tiny ship, and the two-man crew somehow managed to steer the boat to safety onto an uninhabited island not far from the Hawaiian Islands.

For years, there has been a cloud hanging over the head of the Skipper as the result of conjecture that he was somehow at fault on that day in putting the passengers at risk. However, new evidence has come to light that should exonerate the Skipper once and for all from any wrongdoing.

9:30 AM | *Artificial intelligence and weather forecasting…a quiet revolution is taking place in numerical weather prediction*

March 25, 2024Paul Dorian

It was just a matter of time…artificial intelligence (AI) has hit the numerical weather prediction world with a strong emphasis on “pattern recognition” and there is no telling where this will lead in the world of weather forecasting. Numerical weather prediction is well suited for AI as - in its current form - it requires a tremendous amount of data crunching and super computing power to resolve the physical laws of fluid dynamics to produce weather conditions in the future. One of the most notable AI advances in recent years has come with the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts which is generating experimental AI forecasts that are made available to the public.

7:15 AM | *The Great Blizzard of March 18-21, 1958…one of the worst snowstorms ever in eastern Pennsylvania*

March 18, 2024Paul Dorian

March is known to feature some crazy and surprising weather and the 1958 blizzard that occurred in the Mid-Atlantic region between March 18th and 23rd was indeed rather unexpected. In general, forecasts on the morning of March 18th had no mention of snow. This was in an era before computer forecast models were being utilized by weather forecasters on a daily basis and it was even before satellite imagery existed which could aid in the forecast. By afternoon on that particular day, the light rain had changed into huge, wet snowflakes and - for the next few days - history was being made.

7:15 AM | *It was called the “Storm of the Century”...March 12-14, 1993*

March 12, 2024Paul Dorian

The winter of 1992-1993 was not bad at all in the Mid-Atlantic region in terms of cold and snow, but one storm at the end of the season will put that particular winter in the history books forever.  One of the most intense storms ever observed in the eastern US took place from March 12-14, 1993 and it will be forever known as the “Storm of the Century”.  This intense storm generated tremendous snowfall totals from Alabama through Maine, high winds all along the east coast, extreme coastal flooding along the Florida west coast and incredibly low barometric pressures across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.  The aftermath of the “Storm of the Century” was unseasonably cold and broke records in many spots for the middle of March.  To this day, the storm also known as the “Superstorm of 1993” ranks among the deadliest and most costly weather events in US history.

10:15 AM | *Remembering the Tuskegee Weathermen...the Army created a program in 1941 to induct and train what would eventually amount to more than 14,000 airmen...some of whom became weathermen*

February 14, 2024Paul Dorian

Running for his third presidential term, Franklin Roosevelt made a 1940 campaign promise to allow for the training of African American military pilots. In cooperation with the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama which was founded by Booker T. Washington in 1881, the Army created a program in 1941 to induct and train what would eventually amount to more than 14,000 airmen, of whom about 1,000 would become pilots; the others became navigators, bombardiers, radio operators, administrators, support personnel - and some became weathermen.

11:30 AM | *Saturday marked the 65th anniversary of “The Day the Music Died” and the weather played a major role...February 3rd, 1959*

January 31, 2024Paul Dorian

It was a little past 1 AM on February 3rd, 1959 when American musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson were killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa along with pilot Roger Peterson.  Weather conditions were certainly contributing factors in the plane crash as there was poor visibility on that cold night with snow blowing across the runway. Hours before, Holly and his tour mates were on the eleventh night of their “Winter Dance Party” tour through the snow-covered Midwest.  It was a Monday and a school night, but 1,100 teenagers crammed into the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa for two sold out shows with the second one ending around midnight.  The event later became known as “The Day the Music Died” after singer-songwriter Don McLean referred to it as such in his 1971 song “American Pie”. 

7:15 AM | *Weather and the pivotal “Battle of Trenton” on December 25-26, 1776*

December 25, 2023Paul Dorian

December 1776 was a desperate time for George Washington and the American Revolution.  Morale was low, hope for winning the war was diminishing, and the Continental Army led by George Washington was thinning in numbers after many battles lost to the British.  December began with lots of rain and muddy travel conditions for the men which did not help with their spirits.  After retreating through New Jersey, they set up camp on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River where the army was met with very cold weather that led to plenty of ice on the water.  All in all, things were not looking good for Washington's army.  However, George Washington devised a plan that would change the course of the war and the history of our nation.  

7:15 AM | *The role of the weather on December 7th, 1941 - "a date which will live in infamy” - and a little known important indirect benefit from the weather*

December 07, 2023Paul Dorian

The weather on Oahu, Hawaii in the early morning hours of Sunday, December 7th, 1941 was not at all unusual for the time of year with mild temperatures and mainly clear skies.  Unfortunately, the weather conditions on that particular day would play a role in the bombing of the U.S. naval base by Japanese fighter planes at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii.  As Japanese fighters crossed the Pacific Ocean, they were given hope that their mission would succeed when the announcement was made of “clouds mostly over the mounts…visibility good”.  It is believed that the decision to attack on that particular day had plenty to do with the projected favorable weather conditions.