Jalopnik: Weather

Weather.com Presents Green Week, Sponsored By Hummer

Ben Wojdyla — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:00:00 EDT

NBC Universal has jumped into the marketing-frenzy of greenwashing surrounding Earth Day with a network-wide green week. Since Weather.com lives under the NBCU banner, they are too — sponsored by Hummer.

It's hard not to laugh at the Weather Channel's brash use of Hummer in its "Green is Universal" banner. Likewise, it's amusing Hummer, a company with absolutely no green-cred, is trying to get in on the phony-baloney eco-action. We're assuming after this week is over, NBC Universal will return to powering its transmitters and servers with baby seal squeezins and Hummer will go back to crushing small woodland critters. [Weather.com]

New Study Confirms Car Exhaust Increases Lightning Strikes

Andrew Didorosi — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 10:30:00 EST

A new study reveals car exhaust clouds attract lightning and actually increase the frequency of strikes. Metallica approves.

Thorough lightning mapping has shown that long stretches of rural road have an unusually high concentration of lightning strikes. An undisclosed 50km stretch of desert highway has so many daily lightning strikes that Metallica actually chose to have their latest music video shot there.

NewScientist states, "During the working week, air pollution rises because of all the vehicles on the road. This effect has been shown to modify rainfall patterns both at the weekend and during the week by creating stronger updrafts of air and bigger clouds."

While you're not going to have a doomcloud tearing ass after your Festiva across the desert, it's interesting to see how our habits on the ground tinker with the happens up on high. For some extra insurance, I'm going to slap a little Farady cage action on the 'ole Scion.

[NewScientist via BldgBlog]

Photo Credit: David McNew / Getty Images News

What's The Wildest Weather You've Driven Through?

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:30:00 EDT

In the last few days I've started the move from Chicago to Houston. Last night an unusually strong storm blew through Northern Illinois and Chicago with hurricane-force winds (shutting down a Cubs-Astros game). Good thing I removed myself to Houston, where a French-named strong tropical storm is now bearing down on me. Understandably, I'm not driving right now. But anyone in the Houston area watching the news is getting minute-by-minute updates on people spinning out and wrecking their rides. And this is a weak storm.

We've driven through worse and we're sure you've driven through worse. Driving through a hurricane is no fun as you can feel your car getting pushed off the road (just stay home). Driving through a snow storm is even scarier as you can't see what's going and the white stuff overwhelms your vision (just stay home). A serious flood is perhaps the most frightening of all, as you watch the water rapidly rise (stay on high ground). So what's the worst weather you've driven through? [Photo: Getty Images]

Golden Gate Bridge Partially Closes For High Winds, Rain

bwojdyla — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 17:45:00 EST

The San Francisco area got a pounding this morning from a strong Pacific storm system that developed wind gusts as high as 107 mph. The Golden Gate Transit district was forced to suspend bus services and truck traffic across the historic span due to flooding. Fortunately for Friday commuters, as of 1:35 PST the restrictions have been lifted, but we'd wager the damage has been done and traffic jams will be monumental. The hurricane force winds forced the closing of the Richmond-San Rafael bridge because a tractor trailer was flipped on its side. We never thought we'd be happy to put up with Detroit temps in 20's but it sounds like the end of the world over on that side of the country lately. [SFGate.com] [Goldengatebridge.org]

Thanksgiving Day Travel... It's Snowy Out There

Matt Hardigree — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 10:30:00 EST

A lot of our readers will be hitting the highways in an effort to ignore their family for football and clog their arteries with gravy (I can't wait for gravy), so as a continuation of our earlier attempt at public service we've created this easy-to-read travel map based on the latest weather conditions forecast by the National Weather Service. This is what you can expect between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm EST on Thurdsay, though we're not meteorologists so please check with your local weather service before traveling. Safe trip everybody! [NWS]

Profiles in Accidental Hoonage: It's Broughton Bishop, Ice Dancer Extraordanaire

Davey G. Johnson — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 22:30:00 EST

79-year-old Broughton Bishop of Portland, Oregon, is the man responsible for the fabulous unintentional hoonage caught on camera by a man on his roof with a video camera and too much time on his hands. Bishop's the guy in the XC90 who manages to do a convincing impression of a pinball on Portland's Southwest Salmon Street and then careening down 20th Ave. Bishop's wife, Mary, said that he would prefer not to be interviewed. After getting a gash to the head stapled up, Bishop went back to work. Goodonya, Broughton, we're glad you're not hurt and well, you entertained millions. – Davey G. Johnson

Driver fine, recitent after SUV slalom [The Oregonian]

Portland Oregon and Sloe Gin Fizz: Sliding Cars With Dysentery

Davey G. Johnson — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 18:15:00 EST

The inimitable ThnderBlt sent us a link to this clip the other day, but the damn thing crashed our browser. But the resourceful types at Autoblog — whose budget is larger than ours while their ADD isn't nearly as acute — dug up this version of the vid on YouTube. And oh, crappin' crap, the thing inspires involuntary peals of gigglage. We know what it's like to be helplessly sliding toward another vehicle at low speed on ice. It sucks in ways that few things that don't involve permanent injury, loss of house, home or girlfriend do. However, it's still damn funny to watch. – Davey G. Johnson

Snowplow'd! Speed Bump Takes a Hit From Road-Clearing Machine

Davey G. Johnson — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 21:45:00 EST

While we're enjoying nice, mild post-Thanksgiving, pre-Christmas weather here in Southern California, the good folks of Illinois aren't so lucky, and neither are their speed bumps. Sheared from the road like a morning-fresh zit by an errant swipe of the Schick, this thump-causing traffic-regulator was shot by commenter JC Whitless in Ottawa, IL. We wonder how well it would work as an add-on spoiler for a bulldozer? – Davey G. Johnson

Mind the Hoff: 4Car Goes Storm Chasing in a Mini

Mike Spinelli — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 12:42:33 EDT

A Mini Cooper S is not Sean Casey's Tornado Chaser vehicle by a long shot. But that didn't keep Matt Carroll from the UK's 4Car from a clever angle for his video piece. Carroll tagged along with a band of avocational ~~weather-obsessed lunatics~~ storm chasers — he in the Mini, they in their central-casting-brown Econoline. What ensues is fine, but as the folks from Hemmings point out, pay close attention to the Hasselhoff-rich Pipex commercial. It may have totally upstaged the storm bit.

A man who does not exist [Hemmings]

Related:
How Does Sean Casey's Tornado Chaser Work? [internal]

All We Are is Dust in the Wind: Massive Gusts Blow Cars Off Kansas Highway

Davey G. Johnson — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 23:30:00 EDT

ber-breezes up to 100mph snarled traffic on I-70 in Kansas today after blowing a number of vehicles off the road and knocking over a semi carrying hazardous materials. The driver of the semi was apparently the only injury. Kansas authorities wouldn't disclose what the truck was carrying, and although the substance apparently hadn't leaked called in hazmat crews and set up a 100-foot perimiter around the vehicle. A mighty wind was blowin', indeed.

High winds hit central Kansas, blowing cars off the highway [Kansas City Star]

Three Feet High and Rising: Northeast Flood Wrecks Roads

maustin — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 13:30:09 EDT

"We gotta head for higher ground, we can't come back till the water comes down. Five feet high and risin'."

Yeah, we just mixed a De La Soul reference with a Johnny Cash reference, but hey — at least we didn't throw in They Might Be Giants. The Northeast part of our grand nation is still under water and it's wreaking havoc on the road system, to say nothing of the thousands of families forced to evacuate. This section of I-88 in New York was knocked out yesterday, and scattered rain is predicted for today. Where's a Gibbs Aquada when you really need one?

Heavy rains flood the Northeast [Yahoo! News]

Related:
Parking in D.C. the Sercret Service Way [internal]

World's Greatest PR Goofs: Mercedes-Benz Fog System

maustin — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 12:15:00 EDT

The new S-Class has more technology in it than the Space Shuttle*. So for the introduction of their new flagship, zee Germans decided to show off an impressive demonstration of the radar system, which can actually bring the car to a full stop. It's a great idea, especially in low-visibility conditions like fog. The only problem is, the demonstration went horribly wrong. Like Hindenburg wrong, but without the fiery death. Later, it turns out that Mercedes knew the system didn't work and decided to fake it, but the driver failed to hit the brakes in time. Sounds fishy, but it's a good watch. Here's the video, presented by our favorite Ford GT-owning Brit**, Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson.

* - technically that might not be true.
** - we don't actually know about any other British Ford GT owners, except maybe Jay Kay and in that case we'll take Clarkson.