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When many of you head outdoors this season, whether for hunting or just to enjoy the crisp air, you’ll reap the benefits of technology and atmsopheric physics to help keep you dry. I still think one of the greatest innovations in outdoor equipment is fabric that is truly waterproof and windproof, yet allows moisture from your body to escape. This fabric goes by many names, but the most widely known is Gore-Tex.

The first time I encountered Gore-Tex was around 1980. I was a Boy Scout with Troop 103 in Atlanta, GA, and our assistant scoutmaster showed up for a campout wearing a light jacket that he said was completely waterproof and windproof. The rest of us had our standard ponchos made of nylon or rubberized fabric. Our ponchos kept rain out, but trapped so much body mositure that we still ended up damp. Of course, our ponchos cost about $5, while Paul’s fancy jacket cost almost $500. By the time we ended up back at the church after a soggy weekend in North Georgia, we all were true believers in this new “wonder fabric.”

Today, waterproof and windproof fabrics are a common component in not only lightweight rain jackets, but a wide range of outdoor clothing. But what makes these products work? The secret lies in the fact that water in the form of vapor is much smaller than a water droplet. In fact, your average raindrop is about two millimeters in diameter. This is obviously much larger than water in its vapor form.

A material that prevents two-millimeter raindrops from penetrating yet allows water vapor to escape must have extremely small pore spaces. This can’t be created by merely weaving cloth tightly. This needs a chemical production process.

According to the Gore-Tex Web site, Bob Gore created a synthetic material in 1969 that met these criteria. Its chemical designation is expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (abbreviated ePTFE). After some refinements, it was patented by Gore’s son, Robert, in 1976 and first marketed in 1978 under the trade name “Gore-Tex.”

The Gore-Tex membrane has more than nine billion microscopic pores that are about 20,000 times smaller than an average-sized raindrop, yet are about 700 times larger than a water vapor molecule. The result is that water in liquid form can’t penetrate the material, while water in vapor form easily passes through.

Of course, you probably aren’t thinking about the physics of your rain gear — just that it’s keeping you dry and protected. In the end, that’s the point of the product.

Have a great time in the field!

NOAA, or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, recently released the statewide and national ranks based on temperature and precipitation data from this past October. In case you forgot, it was very wet and cool around here last month. 5.67″ of rain fell in La Crosse during October, making it the 4th wettest October on record. It was also the 4th coldest October on record in La Crosse with an average temperature of 44.5 degrees.

Well, if it makes you feel any better… we were not alone in our wet and cool misery last month. NOAA found that October 2009 was the 3rd coolest on record for the contiguous United States and the wettest October ever on record! This is based on data going back to 1895. You can check it out for yourself through the following link: http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2009/20091110_octoberstats.html

Some highlights to note from across the country in October 2009:

• Oklahoma recorded its coldest October ever on record
• Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming all had Octobers ranked in the top 5 coolest on record
• Florida was the only state to rank above average for temperatures in October
• Iowa, Arkansas and Louisiana recorded their wettest Octobers ever on record
• Only Florida, Utah and Arizona had below normal precipitation

Regional highlights concerning October 2009 in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa:

• 3rd coldest October on record in Iowa
• 5th coldest October on record in Minnesota
• 9th coldest October on record in Wisconsin
• Wettest October ever on record in Iowa
• 3rd wettest October on record in Minnesota
• 3rd wettest October on record in Wisconsin

What I find interesting about the numbers from across the entire nation for October 2009 is that pretty much everyone was extremely cool and extremely wet. More often than not, our country is big enough that when one part of the country is extremely cool… then another part of the country tends to be warmer than average. Same with precipitation, if one part of the country is extremely wet… then another part of the country tends to be drier than average. For example a huge trough of low pressure could dominate much of the month over the eastern half of the nation, leading to cool and wet conditions there. Often times when that occurs, a huge ridge would dominate out west and provide warm and dry conditions. This just follows the idea that the atmosphere likes to be in balance and sort of even things out so to speak, but that just wasn’t the case in October 2009.

Speaking of balancing things out… through the first half of November, it’s been a warmer and drier than average month in La Crosse. In fact, the average temperature through the first 15 days of the month is 45.1 degrees, which is warmer than the average temperature of 44.5 degrees we had in October. As for precipitation, only 0.12″ of rain has fallen which is almost an inch below average.

So I guess you could say we’re finally enjoying some October weather. It only took until November to get here.

Until next time, see you in the morning!

This week is Winter Weather Awareness Week. It’s hard to think about the hazards of winter weather when the mercury continues to stay at or above 50°. But, as we hardy Midwesterners know, the weather can change on a dime. And it did just that in 1940. On November 11, 1940, one of the deadliest blizzards in U.S. history struck the Upper Midwest. The “Armistice Day Storm” still resonates in the minds of those who survived it and in the folklore of the Upper Midwest. Here are a couple of links that detail this ferocious storm. The first comes from an article I found from Minnesota Public Radio from 2000. Go to http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/200011/10_steilm_blizzard-m/ for a really good accounting of the storm. The second, comes from the National Weather Service in La Crosse. This link takes you to an article that focuses more on the weather system that produced the blizzard. You can find that link at http://www.crh.noaa.gov/arx/events/armistice.php

Talk to you later!

Cory

Those of you spending time outside around Midnight these past couple of weeks have been treated to a great display of shooting stars thanks to the Taurid Meteor Shower. You may not have seen that many meteors an hour during the Taurids, but the few you saw likely were real fireballs — often slowly streaking across the sky and staying illuminated for several seconds.

If you missed the Taurids display, don’t dispair! We’ll have at least two or three more good meteor showers between now and the end of the year. Even though conditions will be a bit chilly, the longer periods of darkness will increase your opportunity to see some shooting stars.

The next major meteor shower is the Leonids, which peaks November 17 through 19 as Earth drifts through the debris of Comet Tempel-Tuttle. This comet’s orbit takes it through our inner solar system every 33 years, and it leaves a trail of debris in its wake. The Earth’s orbit passes through this debris field every November, when meteors are seen coming out of the constellation Leo (hence the name, Leonids).

This year, Asia will be treated to the best Leonids display, with as many as 200 to 300 shooting stars an hour over Indonesia and China. The display in North America won’t be nearly as active. Still, we’ll be treated to an estimated 20 to 30 meteors per hour. A new moon during the peak of the Leonids will give us very good observing conditions — assuming clouds don’t get in the way!

It will be pretty easy to find the Leonid shower this year thanks to the planet Mars passing close to the constellation Leo. In fact, Mars is making one of its periodic close approaches to Earth. The Red Planet will appear as a bright reddish spot, much brighter than surrounding stars, and the meteors will appear to be coming out of the planet. The best night for viewing the Leonids is expected to be Thursday, November 17 around 3AM CST. The Leonid Meteor Shower continues through November 28, although the intensity and number of meteors decrease after November 19.

After a brief break, the Geminid Meteor Shower arrives in mid-December. The Geminids occur from December 3-19, and peak December 13 and 14. This is usually a very dependable display, with 60-70 meteors an hour. As the name suggests, the Geminids come out of the constellation Gemini.

The year ends with the Ursid Meteor Shower that peaks December 22 and 23 and occurs from December 16-25.

The bottom line: Temperatures aren’t the only things falling this time of year. Happy viewing!

Winter is just around the corner, and the National Weather Service is making the week of November 9 Winter Weather Awareness Week in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Winter Weather Awareness Day is November 12 in Iowa. This is a great time to make sure you’re ready for working and driving in winter conditions — snow, ice, sleet, and bitterly cold temperatures.

The Weather Service and the Farmers’ Almanac still have winter outlooks that seem to be 180 degrees apart. The most recent Weather Service Winter Outlook calls for above normal temperatures in the Upper Midwest. This outlook is based on El Nino conditions in the Pacific and the effects this usually  has on the Upper Midwest, including warmer than normal average winter temperatures.

The Farmers’ Almanac, on the other hand, calls for a chilly winter in the Upper Midwest. In fact, based on the secret formula used by the editor’s of the Almanac, this could be one of the colder winters to hit the region.

Regardless of who ends up being correct, winter in our region means you need to take some steps ahead of time to stay safe and comfortable. Along with making sure your house is properly insulated and drafts are sealed, this also is a good time to make sure your car is ready for winter.

While I check my car through the year, it’s especially important to make sure your car’s systems are working properly in winter. This includes making sure your headlights, turn signals and brake lights are all working — it can be difficult to see and be seen by other drivers when the snow is falling, especially during our long winter nights.

Getting stuck while driving in the winter is not only a headache, it also can be a potentially life-threatening situation. I carry basic safety equipment and tools in my trunk year-round. During winter, I add an old sleeping bag and a small suitcase with a few granola bars, a bottle of water (that I make sure isn’t frozen!), extra gloves, a wool hat, hand warmers, a down vest, and other small items that might come in handy if I get stuck with my car. A fully-charged cell phone is a great safety tool, too, but cell phone signals can be spotty, especially in rural areas.

If you break down on the road during winter, it’s a good idea to stay with your vehicle rather than trying to walk to safety, especially if you get stuck at night. Letting someone know your travel plans and route of travel will make it easier for you to be found if you don’t show up at your expected time of arrival. Also, if you take medication, carrying an emergency dose can help ensure that your problems stay automotive and don’t become medical.

Driving in winter weather conditions is never that enjoyable, but taking the time to prepare now — before the snow and ice hit — can pay big dividends down the road.