Categories
Out and About

Minnesota Surprised With Snow

For the most part, the Twin Cities hasn’t had snow this 2023–24 winter season. It’s by far a winter unlike any other I’ve experienced in Minnesota. Though I enjoyed the warmer days and better driving conditions, I was pleased to see bright snow outside my window when I got up this morning.

I took these seven photos today from 10:17 to 10:35 a.m. The National Weather Service’s forecast office for the Twin Cities is located next to my neighborhood in Chanhassen, Minnesota.

My house
Three conifers with the N.W.S.’s Doppler radar in the background
Backyard of the N.W.S.
Snow-covered tree
N.W.S. sign
Front yard of the N.W.S.
N.W.S. building
Categories
Gear Personal Life Pug Life

After Years of AfterShot Pro and GIMP, I’m Switching to Lightroom and Photoshop

It’s probably been over five years since I last used Photoshop. I even had a blog devoted to editing photos in Linux, which is possible but not nearly as feature-rich. As of this morning, I’m excited to announce that I’m back on board with Adobe! In addition to Photoshop, Lightroom is included with my subscription. The total cost is $10 a month—a steal in my opinion.

Here are 10 photos I took this morning around my neighborhood from 9:50 to 10:10 a.m. to test out Lightroom—of which I’m a first-time user—and Photoshop.

Missy and Pugsley sit on the stairs waiting for mom to come home
Sunstars are achieved by stopping down to the smallest aperture, in this case f/22
My house
The leaves on the deciduous trees in my front yard fall later than any of the other trees in my neighborhood
Mail truck in my neighborhood
Stop sign for leaving my neighborhood on Audubon Road
Crosswalk for the other entrance and exit in my neighborhood
Pine tree between my neighborhood and the National Weather Service Forecast Office in the Twin Cities/Chanhassen, Minnesota
Doppler radar at the National Weather Service Forecast Office
The former house of the late U.S. senator Rod Grams, located along Audubon Road in my neighborhood. He owned all the land in my neighborhood before my family moved there in 1993.
Categories
Out and About

N.W.S. Launching a Weather Balloon

The National Weather Service (N.W.S.) launches two weather balloons each day, separated by 12 hours. I took these photos at 6 a.m. this morning. The next launch is presumably at 6 p.m. (these times are probably different if the time is C.S.T. rather than C.D.T.).

If you ever come across a weather balloon on the ground when you’re out walking, follow the instructions to send it back to the N.W.S., since they reuse some of the equipment. As this “kidscorner” article on the N.W.S.’s website states, “The balloon flights last for around 2 hours, can drift as far as 125 miles away, and rise up to over 100,000 ft. (about 20 miles) in the atmosphere!”

These photos were taken at the N.W.S. forecast office in the Twin Cities/Chanhassen, Minnesota.

Getting ready to bring out the weather balloon
Getting ready to bring out the weather balloon
Bringing out the balloon
Getting ready to launch the balloon
The balloon launches
The balloon quickly rises
Categories
Out and About

Who Makes Sunsets? Not the Government.

Who makes sunsets? My source for such information tells me it’s not the government.

But, tonight, I did get to experience my first nice sunset in a long time. Even though yesterday I posted about why smartphones are not replacements for professional cameras, I went on a walk this evening with only my smartphone for a camera.

I took these photos of the National Weather Service forecast office in the Twin Cities/Chanhassen, Minnesota. For the uninitiated, I have been photographing this entity since at least high school. It’s located right next to my neighborhood, and it’s been pretty neat getting to grow up next to it.

Pictured on the right is the Doppler radar
This is the building where they inflate the weather balloons. The dome on top houses the tracking antenna.
Pictured is the Doppler radar and the office building
Categories
Gear

Everyone Needs a Weather Radio

I bought my first Midland NOAA weather alert radio in 2016. It has informed me of weather hazards numerous times since then. Had I not owned the weather radio, I wouldn’t have bothered checking the weather report manually and wouldn’t have known that severe weather was approaching. The weather radios provide me with alerts in every season, warning me of everything from tornadoes to blizzards.

The National Weather Service Forecast Office in the Twin Cities/Chanhassen, Minnesota. Pictured is the Doppler radar.

I’ve only used Midland weather radios, which are apparently the most popular brand. I have three different models: the weather-only WR120EZ, the WR400 (new model), and the WR300 (old model). The latter two include AM/FM, and they are therefore my picks.

I wanted to make this post to inform everyone how important it is to own a NOAA weather radio. I also wanted a way to save the user manuals, which I often worry I won’t be able to find (in my house or online). Here are pictures of the aforementioned weather radios in addition to their user manuals (linked at the end of this post as PDFs).

Midland WR120EZ
Midland WR400
Midland WR300