Transcript BikingDry.ppt

You Can Avoid the Rain!
Weather Tips for Biking
There are a number of approaches to
dealing with rain
Or the traditional approach…
Rain Jacket, Rain Pants, Booties,
Goretex, etc.
Another way to stay dry…
But there is an alternative
approach, one that will allow you
to bike on most days, even ones
with rain
Weather Radar!
NWS Doppler Radar
Weather Radar Can Change
Your Biking Life
• Since the National Weather Service put the
Camano Island weather radar in place
during the early 90s, I rarely get seriously
soaked.
• With a little knowledge of NW
precipitation and weather radar, you too
can protect yourself.
Weather Radar 101
• Weather radars can see where precipitation
is falling
• Can also tell the intensity of the rainfall
• Doppler radars can also determine the air
velocity toward or away from the radar.
• Radars can track storms, fronts, and other
major features
• An essential tool for the National Weather
Service and other meteorologists.
The National Weather Service has Installed Doppler
Weather Radars Across the Country
Interpreting a Radar Image
• Most radar
imagery has
much in
common.
• Intensity of
precipitation is
color coded
(units—dbZ)
Interpreting a Radar Image
• Black (while in some)no precip
• Grey and pink (520)…light rain…not
too bad.
• Dark pink to greenmoderate rain (20-35)
• Yellows are heavy rain
(forget it)
• Reds and high (don’t
even think about it)
Interpreting a Radar Image
• Remember the
beam can be
blocked by
mountains and is
higher farther from
the radar.
• Time below is in
UTC (GMT).
• UTC=PDT +7 hr
Important Precipitation Info
• It is RARELY uniform, even on rainy days.
• If you can shift you ride by 10-15 minutes
you can often miss the heavy stuff.
• Shift by 30-60 minutes you can usually do
so.
• By shifting your recreational ride by 10-20
miles, you can often ride dry, even on a wet
day.
Example: 4:48 PM one day: Heavy rain in
Seattle…but waiting will be rewarded.
Absolutely Dry
The Best Way to Judge When You
Should Go is To Use Radar
Animations
• Available at many web sites: UW, NWS
and others! Humans are very good at this.
– http://www.atmos.washington.edu/~ovens/loops/
– http://radar.weather.gov/radar.php?rid=ATX
Another Great Site: Rainwatch
Rainwatch
But the easiest and best way is
get a weather radar app on your
smartphone or pad!
iPhone
Advanced Training for Bicyclists
Showers and Sunbreaks are Your Friends
• After fronts go through we often have
showers and sunbreaks. Radar allows you
to stay in the breaks!
Showers and Sunbreaks on Radar
The Most Problematic Situation
is When a Broad Pacific Front or
Storm is Over Us
The Absolute Worst:
Pineapple Express!
Dec 3, 2007
But EVEN THEN,
there were dry spots in
the rain shadow and
some places had less
rain
Where to go for that ride?
• Using the weather radar…and highresolution visible satellite imagery…can tell
you where to go for bicycling…even when
it is raining in most places.
Puget Sound Convergence Zone: Number One Local
Weather Feature
Puget Sound Convergence Zone Radar
Rainshadows: Your Friend
Windward
Enhancement
Rainshadow
Rainshadows
Summary
• Rain is rarely uniform
• You can stay dry (or drier) by slightly
changing the time of your bike trip or
moving your cycle a few miles.
• Radar animations can provide very useful
guidance.
The end
Our Computer Models (all online)
Often Can Predict them Way Ahead of
Time