iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Eric Blake

Jeremy DeHart @jeremydehartwx.bsky.social · 27/10/2025

From a crewmember on yesterday's Teal 74 mission into now-Category 5 Hurricane #Melissa. As clear of an eye as you will see in the Atlantic basin.

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Reposted by Eric Blake

Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D. @sarahmackattack.bsky.social · 19/09/2025

I wanted to get a video of this ghost crab but every time I got close to their hole they scuttled back in, so I tried getting clever with it. I made a little sandcastle and shoved my phone into it, hit record, and walked away. Crab was VERY suspicious of this addition to their environment.

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Eric Blake @ericblake12.bsky.social · 29/08/2025

Katrina 20 years later - my only saved picture from the event was of the great Max Mayfield and Billy Wagner looking serious/concerned, with me working radar (left) at landfall (thinking it would be close to a disaster but hopeful). Later that morning we found out it wasn’t close at all 😢

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Reposted by Eric Blake

Pat Hyland @hylandwx.bsky.social · 17/08/2025

Breathtaking video from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron of the stadium effect inside the eye of Hurricane Erin from last night’s pass These observations are crucial for improving forecasts and keeping people safe

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Reposted by Eric Blake

Nahel Belgherze @wxnb.bsky.social · 16/08/2025

Unbelievable footage from NOAA’s Hurricane Hunters inside the eye of Hurricane Erin. Simply incredible.

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Eric Blake @ericblake12.bsky.social · 16/08/2025

Just an incredible explosive RI event with #Erin overnight. The pressure has fallen roughly 75 mb in 24 hours and has gone from a TS to category 4 during that time . 💣

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Reposted by Eric Blake

Ben Collins @bencollins.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

I got permission to share this, and I'm extremely grateful for that. The Onion got this letter from one of our subscribers in Alaska. She works with dementia patients and decided to leave a copy in the car for each one. This email made my year. Read it and you'll see what I mean. People are good.

I work as an elder and hospice caregiver, which I am oddly passionate about. I can love on them shamelessly and no one complains about my codependence. It's a win-win situation.

Many of my caregiving colleagues complain about the repetitive questions and, sometimes reactions, of the elderly, especially when those patients happen to read the newspaper, especially with the current downward spiral of our country — as if these people haven't lived through enough horror...

I love my dementia peeps, but sometimes wonder if there's a Guinness Book World Record for how many times an hour a dementia patient can repeat the same question — it's got to be in the hundreds. At least with small children, they ask different questions. Dementia patients will get stuck on one short question and ask it until you can interrupt their train(carousel) of thought and successfully redirect their attention. That carousel is pretty manic sometimes.

A couple days ago, I picked up my mail from the post office and drove over to the nursing home to take (let's call her "Miss Daisy") Miss Daisy out for a drive. Before we took off on our road trip, to the end of The Road and back, in our landlocked little town (Juneau, Alaska), I set my copy of The Onion down in front of her.

Over our two-hour excursion, tiny Miss Daisy read that front page at least a dozen times and each time she would snicker, giggle, and guffaw, then put it down on the dash board and, a minute later, discover it anew. I think it was the best afternoon of my life. We don't often hear them laugh and when they do, it's the sweetest thing you've ever heard.

...

Thank you, thank you, thank you, for the really important work all of you do. You make the world a better place.

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Reposted by Eric Blake

Michael Lowry @michaelrlowry.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

I sought comment from NOAA and the Department of Defense on this and received this reply today from NOAA's spokesperson. They suggest we use the surviving ATMS microwave that degrades significantly at the edges. You can see how much worse off we'd be with Erick last week if we only had ATMS.

NOAA official statement on the discontinuation of Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) data that includes the Special Sensor Microwave Imager Sounder or SSMIS. The full statement reads:
"The DMSP is a single dataset in a robust suite of hurricane forecasting and modeling tools in the NWS portfolio. The current models continue to include data from:

·         GOES and other geostationary Earth-observing satellites
·         Polar-orbiting satellites, including Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) and EUMETSAT MetOp
·         Hurricane Hunter aircraft reconnaissance missions and other aircraft-based observations
·         Observations on the ground and from buoys
·         Radiosondes and supplemental upper air soundings
·         Ground-based weather radar sites in the U.S. and neighboring countries

In particular, the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS), currently flying on NOAA’s JPSS, provides the richest, most accurate satellite weather observations available. NOAA’s data sources are fully capable of providing a complete suite of cutting-edge data and models that ensure the gold-standard weather forecasting the American people deserve.

For more information regarding DSMP, please reach out to the Department of Defense."

Comparison of microwave imagery for Hurricane Erick last Wednesday, June 18th, from the Department of Defense Special Sensor Microwave Imager Sounder or SSMIS (top) and NOAA Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder or ATMS (bottom). SSMIS gives a strikingly detailed look of Erick's inner core, including its inner relic eyewall and outer eyewall. Because the ATMS scan degrades prominently on the edge of its swath, the ATMS shows only a collection of pixelated colors not useful for positioning the storm or estimating intensity.

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Reposted by Eric Blake

Kim Wood @drkimwood.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

A comparison of what we see from geostationary infrared imagery vs. what we get when passive microwave imagery like what SSMIS provides is available. This is Hurricane Otis in 2023 as it was gearing up for extremely rapid intensification prior to impacting Acapulco as a category 5 storm.

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Reposted by Eric Blake

James Franklin @franklinjamesl.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

I did a handful of interviews yesterday on the imminent shutdown of SSMIS data flow and the expected consequences for hurricane forecasting at NHC. I've tried to collect and polish up my thoughts on the topic, attached...

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Sarah Griffin @smgriffin.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

Not going to lie, I cried a bit when I got the email that SSMIS was being discontinued. I developed D-MINT with a toddler in tow, showing her pretty pictures of hurricanes so she knew what Mommy did while she's playing with friends at school. This one hurts.

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Reposted by Eric Blake

Tom Astle @tjalamont.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

Please enjoy this ridiculously cute butterfly, which was about the size of my pinkie fingernail. It's in the butterfly family called metalmarks (Riodinidae). Males, like these, have reduced front legs and perch using only the rear 4 (females can use all 6). Sarota acantus; Costa Rica 🐙🌿 #insects

A macro photo, front three-quarter view, of a little butterfly perched on a green leaf. The butterfly has pale green eyes with black speckles, legs covered in thick yellow fuzzy hair, and orange wings sprinkled with metallic light blue patches. It is very cute.

A macro photo, side view, of a little butterfly perched on a green leaf. The butterfly has pale green eyes with black speckles, legs covered in thick yellow fuzzy hair, and orange wings sprinkled with metallic light blue bands and patches. It is very cute.

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Reposted by Eric Blake

Philippe Papin @pppapin.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

This is a seismic gut punch to the weather enterprise. It is impossible to overstate how important @unidata.bsky.social is in implementing many datasets/libraries (LDM, netCDF, THREDDS, metPy) we currently use in meteorological research & operations. www.unidata.ucar.edu/blogs/news/e...

unidata.ucar.edu

NSF Unidata Pause in Most Operations

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Reposted by Eric Blake

Chris Wicklund Auroras @wickydubswx.bsky.social · 18/04/2025

A 40 second video I took on my iPhone of a large dusty tornado near Rudolph Iowa. I didn’t think iPhones could really help night mode on normal video but this took the cake. #tornado

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Reposted by Eric Blake

Alan Gerard @wxmanms1.bsky.social · 17/04/2025

Thanks to @edwardsanthonyb.bsky.social and SFChronicle for sharing the full NOAA FY26 budget passback. After a detailed reading, think it is important for people to really understand just what massive changes are planned for US weather forecasting and research. open.substack.com/pub/balanced...

open.substack.com

BalancedWx Special: Perspective on the NOAA budget passback

A proposed sea change to the US meteorological science enterprise

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Reposted by Eric Blake

Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · 17/04/2025

120 light years from Earth, there's a planet that may be covered in a living ocean. Here's my story on a tantalizing hint of life beyond the Solar System. Gift link: nyti.ms/3GbrEaZ 🧪

nyti.ms

Astronomers Detect a Signature of Life on a Distant Planet (Gift Article)

Further studies are needed to determine whether K2-18b, which orbits a star 120 light-years away, is inhabited, or even habitable.

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Reposted by Eric Blake

Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 04/04/2025

This just in from the Memphis National Weather Service Forecast Office. They have a "...tremendous backlog of storm reports that still need to be posted." Full statement is below with alt text. #arwx #mowx #mswx #tnwx

Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Memphis TN
212 PM CDT Fri Apr 4 2025

...Memphis Operational Status Update...

We have a tremendous backlog of storm reports that still need to
be posted. Due to the ongoing warning operations and the extremely
high volume of partner coordination, briefings, and media
interviews, we simply haven't had the bandwidth to post them in
real-time.

We sincerely ask for your patience as we continue to balance the
delivery of critical, life-saving information during this multi-
day event while also working to mitigate staff fatigue. We are
only half way through what is a marathon. Please know that all
reports are being carefully documented and will be posted in the
coming days. At this time, we have made the decision to hold and
post Local Storm Reports in bulk rather than releasing days-old
reports during active weather. Our concern is that trickling in
outdated information could unintentionally add confusion to an
already chaotic operational environment.

Additionally, we plan on focusing on warnings and communication
and will forgo the issuance of any Special Weather Statements for
sub-severe storms this afternoon and tonight.

Thanks for your continued support, and please keep the real time
reports coming as they are critical to the warning process. Stay
safe and take care of yourselves and others around you.

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Reposted by Eric Blake

Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

New — Here is a running list of Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) offices that have either been fully eliminated or gutted into non-functionality as a result of today's mass firings (provided to me directly by a CDC staffer):

NCCDPHP
Division of Reproductive Health
Division of Population Health
BCSB
EPI branch
Prevention Research Translation Branch
Office of Smoking and Health

NCHHSTP
Division of TB elimination
-Communication, Education, and Behavioral Studies Branch
PBEMB

GLOBAL
Division of HIV and TB
Communications Branch
SPIN
SPICE
PBEMB
MCHB
HIDMSB
EHSRB
Scientific Integrity Branch

NCEH
Division of Environmental Science/Practice Asthma and Air Quality branch

NCIRD
ISD/Partnerships

NIOSH
Miner safety
Health effects lab division
Respiratory health division

NCBDDD
Office of the Director
Disability Health

NCIPC
Division of Violence Prevention
Division of Injury Prevention
OD
Office of Health Equity

OCOO
Office of Human Resources

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Eric Blake @ericblake12.bsky.social · 03/03/2025

Conan is great at the Oscars - a welcome distraction from the world 👏

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Reposted by Eric Blake

Kelly Ryan @hurricanekelly.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

As the weather community experiences tremendous challenges, I couldn't chose a better cause to promote. Please consider showing your support for Andy Hazelton as he and his family explore next steps following federal employment layoffs this week. gofund.me/8020498c

gofund.me

Donate to Weathering the Storm: Support for Andy Hazelton, organized by Lisa Bucci

We need your help! Andy is the guy in the office who loves his job and cowo… Lisa Bucci needs your support for Weathering the Storm: Support for Andy Hazelton

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Eric Blake @ericblake12.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

RIP to a Queen - thanks for so many years of great music 🪦

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Eric Blake @ericblake12.bsky.social · 15/02/2025

After a cool January- #Miami has had its warmest start to February on record, with little cool air forecast to be on the way. Guess we are paying for the nice temperatures!

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Eric Blake @ericblake12.bsky.social · 06/02/2025

Agree. This shall pass. I’m old enough to remember the 90s and the threat of cuts across the weather service. Keep working hard and opportunities will come! 👏

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Reposted by Eric Blake

Brian McNoldy @bmcnoldy.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

I have been remiss lately in updating my Starter Pack, but I just added @hurricane-herndon.bsky.social... go ahead and give him a follow! (And I'm sure I have missed other newcomers to Bluesky, please let me know!) go.bsky.app/88mXQKD

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Erin Reed @erininthemorning.com · 25/01/2025

Ever wonder what snow in the swamp would look like? This is 5 miles into the Louisiana swamps in the Atchafalaya basin... it's unreal... having lived down there for the first 28 years of my life, we never saw anything like this. Smashed records. Curtesy of Garrett Roberts.

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Eric Blake @ericblake12.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

On track for the coldest January in Miami since 2010! What a pleasant surprise given what usually happens around here in La Niña winters 👏

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Eric Blake @ericblake12.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

Incredible day - blizzard warning and winds gusting to 56 mph on Galveston with snow. One for the record books!!!

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Eric Blake @ericblake12.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

With a low of 49 today, #Miami has snapped its longest streak on record of low temperatures of 50 or above- almost two full years. I’m sure the cold weather lovers approve 😉 @bmcnoldy.bsky.social @pppapin.bsky.social

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Eric Blake @ericblake12.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

Thankful that we very likely won’t have any November H surprises in #Miami - this song has been running in my head 😊 #Sara youtu.be/dYEpFJhuu1E?...

youtu.be

Daryl Hall & John Oates - Sara Smile (Official Audio)

YouTube video by hallandoatesVEVO

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Eric Blake @ericblake12.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

Time to see what Blue Sky is all about! Ready for a change - suggestions, ideas etc are appreciated on how to maximize the utility. Thanks!

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