City Forecast Discussion: Riverton, Wyoming

The beautiful and high city of Riverton, WY is a small city of over 10,000 people has the delicate appearance of a peaceful, tranquil city.  However, the weather is anything but the appearance of the city.  If meteorologists thought forecasting for Miami, FL was difficult then they should be introduced to this city that ranges from around 4,500 feet in the city to 5,500 feet at the airport.  So, what makes this city so difficult?  One word, wind.  Wind played a factor for Miami as well, but not to the magnitude of Riverton.  Why wind plays a big roll is because of the terrain.  To the west and southwest of the city is the states highest mountain range reaching over 10,000 feet.  To the north is a high plateau that is around 7,000 feet and to the east the elevation declines as it gradually slants down into The Great Plains.  What does this mean for the wind?  Good question.  If a wind blows from the west or southwest then it will warm rapidly warm the city up.  If the wind blows from the north it gradually warms the city up.  If a wind from the east occurs then it would cool the city down or keep the temperature from warming much if any.  Do clouds make a factor when the wind is blowing?  From the two week experience in forecasting for the city clouds will not make a difference in how high the temp goes when the wind is warming it up.  Overall, another difficult city with lots of learning experiences to hold on to for future forecasting cities and future forecasts.

The next city that is currently being forecasted for is known as The Gem City with the motto of "Birthplace of Aviation".  Can you guess what it is?

City Forecast Discussion: Miami, Florida

The Magic City as some call it, the city of Miami is a beautiful and exciting location to be in.  The largest city of Florida holds its beauty in a number of ways depending upon your preference.  Unfortunately, forecasting for a city of this magnitude is a big challenge to meteorologists.  As versatile as the city is, so is the weather.  A number of factors come into play when trying to forecast for one of the largest cities in America along the Atlantic Coast.  The high and low temperature is always a challenge to forecast for in Miami.  A few things to keep in mind on how temperature can change and that is wind speed, wind direction, and sky cover.  When in Miami if there is a wind coming from a westerly direction, the temperature of the city will be slightly warmer because the winds are blowing the warm air from the land over the city.  If there is an easterly wind or northerly wind the temperatures will be slightly cooler due to influences of the water temperature.  Sky conditions have a huge impact too upon the city.  If it is clear at night, the temperature would cool off quicker than if there were clouds overnite.  If clear during the day, the temperature warms up much  quicker than clouds hovering over the area.  The clouds will prohibit much heating during the day while at the same time it will prohibit much cooling during the night time.  Wind will also effect the temperature regardless of clouds in the sky or not.  Those three factors are prime sorces of why Miami is so difficult to forecast, despite its size.

For all those that live in Miami or want to visit Miami keep those factors in mind when planning your day or your vacation.  Be aware of your wind speed and direction and the sky conditions.  Have a little fun and check on the local broadcast meteorologists and see if they are taking those factors into their forecast.

After spending 2 weeks forecasting for Miami, it was fun and, as I have described earlier, challenging due to those 3 main factors.  As the forecast for Miami ends this week, a new journey begins for forecasting for the city that is home to the Brunton compass and was featured in "Brokeback Mountain", Riverton Wyoming.