Weather Discussion from Pat Prokop - WTOC-TV: Savannah, Beaufort, SC, News, Weather & Sports

Weather Discussion from Pat Prokop

ThursdayEarly Afternoon, June 6, 2013

Weather Discussion and Forecast from Pat Prokop

Tropical Storm Andrea:

 

Tropical Storm Warning in effect for all the coastal counties:

Biggest Overall Impact Expected from Tropical Storm Andrea will be Potential for Flooding Due to Heavy Rainfall

•Area of Highest Threat for Localized Flooding Due to Heavy Rainfall is North of I-16 in GA

•Tropical Storm Force Winds Expected to Be Confined to Immediate Coastal Areas and Atlantic Waters

•Threat of Isolated Weak Tornadoes…Mainly Along and East of I-95 Later Today through Tonight

•Marine: Winds Increasing to Tropical Storm Force (39 mph) by This Evening and Through Tonight…with Seas Building to 5-10 ft Near Shore…and 10-15 ft Offshore

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Latest Carbon Dioxide Levels:
Through March, 2013 ... Atmosphere Carbon Dioxide levels continues to increase, as expected and as it will. A sustainable atmospheric heat budget would need CO2 levels of 350 parts per million or lower. The current yearly mean value is now 397 ppm and increasing at a rate now of 3.2 ppm per year. What this means is that the earth retains more heat received from the sun due to the increase in CO2 ... in other words, the planet continues to warm.

current atmospheric CO2 Levels
Click on image for larger view

Even if we stopped all CO2 emissions, the value will continue to rise due to "positive feedback forcing".  The reason is that most of the atmospheric CO2 will remain in the atmosphere for more than 100 years and as the warming continues, more CO2 that is currently dissolved in the oceans will leach back out into the atmosphere.

Patrick Prokop

Broadcast Meteorologist at WTOC since 1980
E-mail: pprokop@wtoc.com
Twitter: "@wtocpat"
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