George's Blog

WWT for November 23, 2008: Rank from Lowest to Highest

2008-11-23T13:55:00Z

Weekend Weather Trivia for November 23, 2008:

Rank these four weather items from lowest to highest wind speed:

A. Super Typhoon

B. EF 2 tornado

C. Category 2 hurricane

D. Gale Warning

A typhoon is a hurricane which forms in the western Pacific Ocean. If wind speeds of 150mph+ are observed, the name is upgraded to "Super" Typhoon.

The enhanced Fujita scale (EF scale) is a "new and improved" rating system for tornado damage. Researchers discovered that tornadoes can cause major structural damage at lower winds speed than previously believed, and the EF scale was introduced in recent years as a correction to wind estimates. While the actual tornado wind speeds haven't changed over the years, the scale to rate the damage had been adjusted for the new research. An EF 2 tornado has wind speeds of 110mph-135mph.

Hurricane Ike which hit Southeast Texas earlier this year was a strong Category 2 hurricane. Winds of 96-110mph equal a Category 2 hurricane.

Gale Warnings are issued along coastal areas for winds of 39-55mph.

The correct answer for today's question: D, C, B then A.

The above info will be used for today's Weekend Weather Trivia question on Sunday from 9-10am. Send your name, city and correct guess (which I just provided!) to weekendamshow@kjrh.com.

Deana will draw two winning names today for the Weather Alert radios. This will be the last weekend for the Weather Alert radio giveaway, but you can get them at Food Pyramid stores for about $30.

Thanks for watching!

WWT for November 16, 2008: Arroyo ahead, use caution!

2008-11-16T12:37:00Z

November 16, 2008 Weekend Weather Trivia: Arroyo ahead, use caution!

If you're driving through the desert Southwest, you might see road sign cautioning you of an "arroyo". So...what should you watch out for? A dust storm? A passing tornado? A scary spider?

(ABOVE: photo courtesy: Alameda Creek Alliance: The usually dry "Arroyo Mocho" can flood rapidly after upstream fainfall)

I first heard the term years ago when I lived in West Texas. In the late 1990s, I was the Chief Meteorologist for a television station in Abilene, and I was quickly treated to desert weather slang.

Some localized weather terms like "duster" or "dust storm" are obvious. Other words, such as "arroyo", can be a head scratcher.

An "arroyo" is a flatish, usually dry creek bed. These temporary creeks are found in desert areas and can wiggle through towns and park settings. You'll hear the term arroyo the closer you get to New Mexico and Arizona.

Arroyos are prone to rapid flooding, especially those downstream from canyons. In fact you might hear an "Arroyo and Small Stream Flooding Advisory" from the National Weather Service.

If you're reading this before today's newscast, then you can impress your friends because you'll know the WWT answer ahead of time, and better your chances to win a Weather Alert radio!

For your chance to a win a Weather Alert radio, email your guess to weekendamshow@kjrh.com when I show the question on TV (though I just posted the answer above!) Your name, city and correct guess is all you need to send us.

Join Deana and me this Sunday morning on "Channel 2 News Weekend Mornings" from 9-10am, as "Weather Words" will be the topic for Weekend Weather Trivia.

Thanks for watching! GF

WWT for November 9, 2008: Wettest year ever?

2008-11-09T13:21:00Z

Note: I've posted this article to help you win a Weather Alert radio, and to impress your friends and family because you'll know the answer before we show on TV!

Weekend Weather Trivia question: What's Tulsa's record for the most rainfall in one year? Your hints and answers are below:

With over 53" of precipitation so far, 2008 is one of the wettest years ever in Tulsa. Even if we don't see another drop of rain this year, 2008 would finish as the 10th wettest year in recorded history.

Looking back over the weather records from the last 100 years, our wettest years are:

1. 69.9" in 1973

2. 62.8" in 1915

3. 59.2" in 1974

10. 53.5" in 2008

More rain will fall this week and with just a few more inches we could reach a top 5 finish.

Thanks for playing Weekend Weather Trivia on Sunday's from 9-10am!

"Hail Fog" Video and Pictures

2008-11-09T02:05:00Z

Storm Chase: November 5, 2008

Click here for really impressive hail video (Video will be on top right after you click the link). I took the digital camera pictures below:

(ABOVE: Winter storm? Nope, that's hail and "hail fog" near Edmond and Guthrie.)

Channel 2 photographer Ty Ngyuen and I chased severe thunderstorms on November 5, 2008. The storms formed in the OKC area then moved northeastward into Green Country.

(ABOVE: My view out of Storm Chaser2 as we drive along Interstate 35. Vertical cloud development and leaning updraft towers offer clues of hail potential)

Lots, lots and lots more hail fell from the storms burying the grass under a layer of ice. The impressive hail cover forced drivers to navigate through "hail fog".

The fog (above photo) formed due to the large temperature contrasts between the warm ground covered underneath a layer of 32F ice, then sandwiched under a warm air layer just above the ground. After we rode out the storm, we drove along the icy roads chasing the storms back toward Tulsa. A small tornado was later reported in Osage County.

(BELOW PHOTO: I touch a golfball-size hail stone. The grass disappeared under the ice!)

If you missed the link at the top of page, Click here for the gutter-full gobs of hail video.

Enjoy! GF

Weatherman down... Bicycle crash on River Trails

2008-11-03T22:02:00Z

(ABOVE: My crash wasn't this bad...)

Weatherman down!... Bicycle crash on River Trails

I've pedaled over 4,000 miles since I bought an 18 year old Cannondale bicycle two years ago, and I had my first wipe out this last Sunday. I wasn't doing anything exciting like passing Lance or winning a time trial, instead I busted it on wet concrete.

(BELOW: This was my view just before the crash. I couldn't tell the concrete was soaked.)

'X' marks my crash spot on the above and below pictures, and no those aren't my skid marks. There's no evidence of my crash.

I was my riding bicycle Sunday near Riverside Trails, enjoying the warm afternoon. Due to the Trail constuction I rode through the beautiful Brookside neighborhoods, then emerged on 21st then westward across Riverside to the Trail. To get to the Trail from Riverside I took a small sidewalk.

The sidewalk is rather newish concrete and shaded from the sun. With my sunglasses on I couldn't tell the pavement was wet. (I think the concrete kept condensating due to the coolish ground temperatures. The temperature of the shaded concrete was likely 30 degrees cooler and near the dew point/saturation temperature)

I was coasting about 5-10mph slowing down to turn northward on the Trail when my wheels slid left and I fell right. The crash happened instantly.

(ABOVE: I took this picture just after the crash. From this view the concrete appears obviously wet.)

When I checked the surface after I crashed the concrete appeared to have a water treater or was sealed, so the moisture bubbled up instead of absorbing. The concrete didn't turn 'dark' when wet.

I wasn't hurt very badly. I have a small cut on my right arm and leg and huge developing bruise on my right thigh which absorbed most of the fall. Thank Mom's side of the family for the extra cushioning.

My helmet (BELOW IMAGE) has a very small scar from where the side of my head hit the pavement. If I wasn't wearing a helmet, I would've been really hurt! As is, I'm just a little sore.

My neck and shoulders are stiff so the next time you see me doing the weathercast, I'm just gonna stand in one place and not flap my arms.

My bike is fine actually. Somehow my water bottle holder bent, but everything else appears fine.

Bottomline: Even at high Noon, watch for wet pavement hiding in the shadows. And helmets protect you from dying or worse!

BELOW: After the crash I rode out to Sand Springs. The Sand Springs area is my favorite place to ride...beautiful country roads, hills and I did exceed the speed limit coming down this hill on my bike!

November 2, 2008 WWT: Weather vs Gas Mileage

2008-11-02T14:15:00Z

Weekend Weather Trivia for Channel 2 News "Weekend Mornings"

November 2, 2008 9-10am

Your results may vary. Objects in mirror are closer than they appear...

How does the weather affect your gas mileage?

My latest issue of Car and Driver magazine (December 2009 issue) spurred the idea for this question as C/D checked a few commons variables vs mpg. But what about weather changes?

Obviously, harsher weather conditions (wind, rain, snow) provide additional rolling and wind resistance resulting in worse gas mileage, but what's the worst offender? I checked two common weather conditions and also changes caused from adding extra weight and varying the air conditioning.

I performed a series of tests driving a V6 four-door car at freeway speeds. I drove 10 miles of generally flat freeway at 70mph-- five miles north then five miles south and averaged the results. The weather conditions: sunny, light wind and temperature of about 80F. The gas mileage was computed by the on-board electronic trip computer. My "normal" gas mileage was 27mpg.

Next, I then changed or added a variable.

Here's how these factors dropped gas mileage:

VARIABLE MILEAGE CHANGE

1. Driving into 20mph wind (-10%)

2. Cold weather driving (30F) (-8%)

3. Air conditioner (-7%)

4. 200 pounds of dog biscuits in trunk (-5%)

5. AC off, windows down (-4%)

The test that surprised me the most was #4. Bottomline: I'm keeping the AC on, but I need to lose the doggie fritters in the trunk!

Thanks for watching and playing Weekend Weather Trivia on Sunday mornings from 9-10am...GF

Win a Weather Alert Radio in November!

2008-10-30T20:51:00Z

Deana Silk and I try to provide you a good mix of news, accurate and interesting weather bits and fun during "Channel 2 News Weekend Mornings", and we'll try to crank it up a notch this November. By request, the Weather Alert radio giveaway is back!

Here's how it works: Sundays during the month of November we'll give away one Weather Alert radio each week to a viewer who guesses the correct answer to Weekend Weather Trivia.

It's easy to play-- during the Sunday 9-10am newscast, just send in a email to weekendamshow@kjrh.com with your name, city and the correct answer to the question we broadcast. Toward the end of the hour Deana will randomly pull out a winning name. Or even more impressively if we don't pull out your name, you can still win bragging rights at your house if you guess correctly!

Weather Alert radios are also for sale at Food Pyramid and Homeland stores for $30, and Channel 2 Meteorologists will help you program them if you need a little help.

You can watch "Channel 2 Weekend Mornings" from 8-10am on Saturday, and 9-10am on Sunday.

This Sunday's Weekend Weather Trivia topic: Gas Mileage

(BELOW: Hannah Montana and Billy Ray Cyrus made a live appearance on "Channel 2 News Weekend Mornings" for the BooHaaHaa celebration last week. Billy Ray even scared viewers with chest hair...)

My wife could've had $9 million a year...

2008-10-29T02:24:00Z

...if she played her cards right! But instead she got a storm chaser partner and husband (with a salary just a touch under that $9M mark...)

This evening I was checking out the latest sports headlines on ESPN, and I smiled when I read that MLB pitcher John Lackey will make $9 million next year.

(ABOVE: John Lackey the $9 million Man was my wife's high school date.)

Mr. Lackey is an All-Star for the California/Anaheim/Los Angeles (whatever they are this year) Angels, and his contract was picked up by the team for next season. You see, John Lackey asked my wife to be his homecoming date years ago in high school at Abilene (TX) High School.

Nothing came out of that relationship, and of course my wife met me several years later.

John missed out! So I'm the luckiest guy out there. For love or money?

Or,

For love or storm chasing? How about both! I love you Shyla.

(BELOW: My wife (and storm chase partner) and I enjoying the beach near Sea Rim State Park about two weeks before Hurricane Ike wrecked it.)

Patch job: Sand Springs PD Helps Out!

2008-10-20T19:35:00Z

(LEFT PHOTO: Sand Springs police officers handed out "Bully Free Zone" stickers to children and weatherman attending the Soap Box Derby. The sticker later saved me from calling help!)

By now you've probably seen the video of Julie Chin racing StormChaser 2.2 during the Sand Springs Soap Box Derby. I rode my bicycle from Channel 2 to Sand Springs for the event. Officer Behar (photo above right) of the SSPD helped oversee the Derby. She also passed out the cute little "bully free" stickers to the kids and George Waldenberger, Julie Chin and me. I didn't have anywhere to put the stickers, so I tucked them in my cycling safety kit bag attached to my bike. I then forgot about the stickers.

Now fast forward later in the week... I was cycling somewhere in West Tulsa after work and ended up with a flat tire. (You can probably see where this story is going...) Some rocky debris ripped a small hole in the tire tread puncturing the air tube.

Like most cyclers I carry a small flat repair kit, but at quite an inconvenient time I discovered I was out of tube patches-- that's never happened to me before! My kit included an extra tube and tiny air pump, but without a tire patch I would flat again.

So yes, I did what you expect!

(LEFT PHOTO) I couldn't find one of my "real" patches so I pulled out the stickers. I used half of one to line the underside of the tire sealing the hole. The sticker was thick enough to suffice as a thin plastic-like patch.

Thank you to Officer Behar and those cute little bully stickers-- I didn't get stranded on my bicycle!

BOTTOM LEFT PHOTO: (from left) Melanie Lewis, Brian Threlkeld, Julie Chin and me on bicycle. Julie reached 21mph in the race and as a bonus she didn't crash or run over too many small children.

Watch Out Sand Springs! Meteorologist Julie Chin drives StormChaser2.2

2008-10-10T22:01:00Z

(ABOVE: Saturday October 11th, Channel 2 enters "StormChaser2.2" into the Soap Box Derby in Sand Springs)

According to Dan Threlkeld's wife, he spent 18 nights building the mini-race car above. The basic chasis of StormChaser2.2 consists of two riding lawnmower frames. To reduce weight large metal chunks were carved out, and Dan's brother-in-law helped in the brake welding.

Dan says the biggest problem occurred during the spray painting of the interior frame-- the ambient spray dusted his wife's car with a primer shade of black! Dan quickly drove his wife's car to the carwash (at 1am) for a quick bath!

Meteorologist Julie Chin will drive the car Saturday morning in the downtown Sand Springs Soap Box Derby (You might only see her head sticking out!).

Take your family to "the Triangle" in downtown Sand Springs for a day of fun. Julie is scheduled to compete around Noon...come check it out!

(BELOW: note the terrified Weatherman in the rear window of 2.2)

Game: Find the World's Smallest Tropical Storm!

2008-10-07T07:17:00Z

ABOVE: October 6, 2008:/ IR Satellite/ Gulf of Mexico/Tropical Storm Marco

Here's a game for you: examine the photo above, and in five seconds, see if you can correctly identify the Tropical Storm. Scroll down to the bottom for the answer!

Even for the trained eye TS Marco isn't obvious. It's the smallest tropical storm I've ever seen. A forecaster from the National Hurricane Center said the following Monday evening regarding Marco, "I HAVE WORKED SOME TINY TYPHOONS IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC BEFORE...BUT HORIZONTALLY-CHALLENGED MARCO COULD BE THE SMALLEST TROPICAL CYCLONE ON RECORD." "MINIATURE MARCO...ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE..."

Though tiny compared with most tropical systems, the tightly wound storm meets the criteria for a named storm. Marco has sustained 65mph winds and convection around a closed circulation. Hurricane Watches have been issued near Veracruz, Mexico. Marco will make landfall Tuesday on the eastern Mexican coast.

BELOW: Did you find it? Tropical Storm Marco (lower left) is identfied in the Bay of Campeche and is moving westward.

"Certified Most Accurate?" College Football: Big 12 rankings

2008-09-30T22:47:00Z

(ABOVE: I rearrange my Big 12 mini-helmets every week. I usually keep them on my desk, ranking the teams best to worst.)

I'm a huge college football fan. You might see my wife and me cheering at a Golden Hurricane football game though we have no ties to TU. In fact you might see me around town wearing a "Tulsa" football shirt.

Anyway, the above picture is my weekly ranking from #1 to #12 in the Big 12 after the first month of football. Read these left to right with the front row being the top 6. Teams ranked 7-12 are on the back row. OU is #1. My Texas A&M Aggies aren't looking too swell at last in the Big 12.

I've done these helmet rankings for years largely for my amusement and are intended for fun. Enjoy!

I guess I like the Bob Stoops visor look? (BELOW: My Mom, myself and my wife at a Texas A&M football game. Though my family has happily made Green Country our home, I still own season tickets to Kyle Field. I studied meteorology at Texas A&M.)

September 27, 2008: Hurricane Ike Aftermath Reports on Channel 2

2008-09-23T21:34:00Z

(ABOVE: This shrimp boat resided in Sabine Lake before the hurricane. The storm surge pushed it inland becoming tangled in power lines.)

If you get a chance, watch Channel 2 News this upcoming Saturday morning (9/27) from 8-10am as I'll show you my Southeast Texas trip. Chief Meteorologist Dan Threlkeld and my other bosses let me fill up Storm Chaser 2 with relief supplies to help out my hometown of Orange and surrounding cities.

(ABOVE: Petting the wildlife is strongly discouraged. Gators washed up too...)

I didn't know what to expect driving through hurricane flooded areas in the rather gaudy vehicle you see above, but folks were glad to see the rest of the world knew of their plight. They wanted their survival stories told. Whether handing out water bottles, fixing my mother's broken door or just listening, I felt like we made a difference.

(ABOVE: Notice the reflection on the wet floor at First Christian Church in Orange.)

This will be my last blog for a while as I'm off to edit video tape. But if you have any questions or comments, feel free to post here or send me an email. Thanks for reading.

George Flickinger

(BELOW: A sign you don't see in Oklahoma!)

Day 2: Wet Carpet and Mud. Trying to Help Out...

2008-09-19T17:07:00Z

(ABOVE: Shrimp and thousands of fish were left behind in Orange after the storm surge retreated.

We finished up the second day in Southeast Texas visiting, talking and helping folks in Orange, Bridge City and Sabine Pass.

Today we pulled up wet carpet, handed out water bottles, and made friends with folks I've never met.

My mother's Orange house is fine. The storm surge made it half up the front yard.

I dang near cried when I walked through some trashed out homes in Bridge City. The city has just under 10,000 residents, and every home flooded. Some homes were left with mud and sludge coating everything, some up to the ceilings. Lot of folks didn't have flood insurance as flood waters never came close to threatening before...an inland 10-12 foot storm surge changed that.

(ABOVE: I don't know if I should have snapped this picture, but this is the view from Highway 90. Yes, that's what you think it is. Several of them floated up to and over fence as the old USN cemetery in Orange. Many decomposed bodies became trapped in storm drains, contributing to flooding.)

Hurricane Ike Recovery Day 1

2008-09-18T16:18:00Z

The drive from Tulsa to the Southeast Texas coast took a tiresome 11 hours. The drive took longer than usual due to everyone wanting to return to their home, plus military convoys, trucks of supplies, and heightened security.

We arrived in Orange today only two hours before dark. The flooding water has retreated back into the Gulf, but a sludge of mud is left in parts of downtown. Nature took a huge hit. While we’re quick to focus on human rebuilding efforts, I gander at the thousands and thousands of dead fish. When the rivers and bayous retreated, tens of thousands tossed from the sea couldn’t swim back.

Electric power has been restored to parts of the area, but we’ll sleep tonight in the dark using candles as our light source. I've loaded up Storm Chaser 2 with drinking water and supplies and now we're off to tell stories, help friends and benefit the recovery effort.