Climate: Cold European winters linked to low solar activity

Posted on August 24, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

The Rhine River, in Germany, historically tends to freeze over during periods of low solar activity.

Historic records reveal statistical link between sunspots and regional climate cycles

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — German scientists say they’ve established a statistical link between solar activity and the climate in Europe by tracking times when the Rhine River froze over. The research suggests that periods of low solar activity coincide with unusually cold winters in Central Europe.

Although the Earth’s surface overall continues to warm, the new analysis has revealed a correlation between periods of low activity of the Sun and of some cooling – on a limited, regional scale in Central Europe, along the Rhine. (more…)

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Space weather: Solar storms possible the next few days

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

New sunspots could generate solar storms in the next few days IMAGE COURTESY NASA.

Giant sunspot could flare up this week

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — A giant sunspot, almost 10 times the size of the Earth’s diameter, will likely generate powerful solar storms, with the the first wave of geomagnetic energy expected Wednesday morning.

NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center has issued an alert, with a warming for potential geomagnetic activity continuing the next few days. (more…)

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Spaceweather: Forecasting disruptive sunspots

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Peak in solar storms expected in next few years

A large sunspot group is visible as the bright area near the horizon in the NASA image. The bright glowing gas flowing around the sunspots has a temperature of over one million degrees Celsius (1.8 million degrees Fahrenheit). The high temperatures are thought to be related to the rapidly changing magnetic field loops that channel solar plasma.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — With the sun moving toward a high point in the sunspot cycle, an international team of space scientists said they will launch a concerted effort to forecast damaging solar storms that could disrupt communications on Earth.

The last major magnetic storm in 2003 disrupted 43 satellites and cost about $640 million, but there’s potential for even greater damage.  A burst of sunspots on the order of the 1859 Carrington super storm could cause $30 billion worth of damage, according to Professor Richard Horne, the British Antarctic Survey scientist leading the project. (more…)

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Dec. 18 weather: Powder, El Niño and … sunspots

Posted on December 18, 2009 by Bob Berwyn

(©UCAR, image courtesy Matthias Rempel, NCAR) "This is the first time we have a model of an entire sunspot," says lead author Matthias Rempel, a scientist at NCAR's High Altitude Observatory. "If you want to understand all the drivers of Earth's atmospheric system, you have to understand how sunspots emerge and evolve. Our simulations will advance research into the inner workings of the Sun as well as connections between solar output and Earth's atmosphere."

By Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY — Local ski areas reported an unexpected bonus snowfall Friday morning, with 5 inches at Copper, 4 inches at Keystone and 3 inches at A-Basin.

With the north-central mountains under a northwest flow, snow showers could persist Friday. Mountains oriented perpendicular to the wind could squeeze out a few more inches of snow as the moist air is pushed up the slopes.

Most of that snow will fall along the Front Range and Continental Divide, so A-Basin could get lucky. Keep your fingers crossed. Saturday morning looks a bit drier, but another plug of moist air could move across the area Saturday afternoon, bringing snow as far south as the northern San Juans. according to the weather experts with the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.

In the backcountry, human-triggered avalanches remain probable on north through southeast aspects through Friday, with the hazard rated as “considerable” on slopes near and above treeline. For other parts of the zone, the hazard is rated as “moderate,” which means a continued possibility of human-triggered slides. (more…)

Filed under: avalanches, snow, Snow and weather, Summit County Colorado | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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