Author: nowcastinglife

I'm a meteorologist, wife and mom of 3. I've spent the last 18 years of my career in television news, but now I work for myself and my family!

Payback’s a B****

This. (Sigh)

This is the gift my younger brother got my son for his birthday. He bought it more than a year ago… fearing it would go missing from the shelves by the time an age appropriate birthday (3) rolled around.

He is encouraging the children to sneak up behind unsuspecting people and let it rip.

It, of course, has become his favorite toy. And while I've been known to giggle at a fart joke… this has been playing at all possible times of the day.

Just a couple of months ago, my brother also taught my children the joke… "Guess what? … Chicken Butt!"

Lord help me if he has no kids. Because I'm waiting, I'm keeping tally, and payback is coming.

August 2, 2017 Severe Weather Risk

080217 severe wx threat

 

Strong storms are possible across parts of Colorado today. The picture above shows the categorical risk for severe weather, issued by meteorologists at the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma. For those who are unaware, the categories for risk include: Marginal, Slight, Enhanced, Moderate and High.

Here is a quick definition of what each category means:

Convective Risk Categories Defined.JPG

You can also click here for a more in depth look at SPC products.

So, what does all this mean for the forecast for today…  Today’s risk is SLIGHT for far northeastern Colorado, and MARGINAL for locations just outside of the Denver area.

As of this posting, a cold front was sitting north of Colorado, over Wyoming. This front will push south into our state late this afternoon/evening. Showers and thunderstorms will develop ahead of the front on the eastern plains, specifically in far northeast Colorado, close to 3 p.m. As they build, they will be moving south/southeast.

Storms on our far eastern plains have enough support in the upper levels for the development of severe weather. Large hail and damaging wind will be the primary threats. However, there is also a small chance for an isolated tornado. These storms will gradually exit southeastern Colorado late Wednesday night.

For Denver and the Front Range: isolated thunderstorms are possible. However, we do not have as much upper level support for strong storms. Isolated storms have already begun to form in the foothills and mountains. These storms are moving to the southeast and contain heavy rain and lightning. They will cross I-25 late this afternoon, around 3 p.m. We will see a threat for lightning, heavy rain and small hail as storms cross the interstate.  Most of the shower and thunderstorm activity in Denver will be over by 3 a.m.

The threat for severe weather in Denver is low. However, still watch for one or two storms to become severe.

NOTE: Models are also showing a second wave of showers and thunderstorms moving through the Denver area early tomorrow (Thursday) morning. This bears some watching so see if consecutive model runs pick up on this. It could mean some slick driving conditions for commuters early Thursday.

 

Escape Routes – Costa Rica

You may be asking yourself, “Why is Becky talking about a vacation to Costa Rica in the middle of the SUMMER?!”

I’ll tell you why… because winter is fast approaching. I am well aware of what the calendar says: Fall begins September 22; Winter begins December 21.

But here’s a few more stats…

Denver typically sees it’s first snow by OCTOBER 18th. Denver’s average October snowfall… 4.0 inches. If you want to go extreme, the Blizzard of 1997 came October 24 – 25th. Almost TWO FEET of snow fell over that time frame.

October weather 1997

If you’re superstitious, Denver has not seen snow during the month of October for the last 3 years. That’s the first time that’s happened in Denver weather history. We’re due.

October weather

If snow is falling, then it might as well be winter. So let’s all agree that winter in Denver starts in OCTOBER, which is now only 2 months away.  By the time January rolls around, we’re right smack in the middle of winter, despite what the calendar says. And I don’t know about you, but by that time I’m ready for a warm break.

As I look at the family calendar, a January trip to Costa Rica sounds tempting. In full transparency, I have never been… but I’ve wanted to go for years. And this meteorologist doesn’t go anywhere on vacation until I’ve researched its weather. According to what I’ve found, Costa Rica is a pretty great place to be when Denver is looking mighty chilly.

Their “green season”, or winter, runs from May to mid-November. It’s called the “green season” because of all the rainfall. Costa Rica averages 100 inches of rainfall every year… with some mountain areas getting more than 25 feet. During “green season”, you’ll wake up to sunny skies with rain showers developing during the afternoon. If you like to surf, some of the largest swells come during “green season”. And full rivers make for great white water rafting. Not to mention, it’s a little less expensive to visit when there is so much rain! However, that four wheeling trip you are wanting to take might not happen due to some roads becoming impassable. Can you imagine zip lining in the rain? When rain hits you at high speeds, it burns! I don’t enjoy the feeling of small rocks pelting my skin. Constantly. And what if you want to be lazy and hang out at the beach? Not happening if it’s raining all afternoon.

That brings me back to January. It’s 5 degrees outside in Denver and you have 5 layers of clothes on to keep you warm. The Broncos are great (hopefully), but the forecast is bleak… calling for a slow warm-up back to the 30s in five days.

January Denver

Meanwhile, in Costa Rica…

January Costa Rica

It’s dry season… especially along the Pacific Coast. Temperatures along the beaches of the Pacific Coast average from 86 to 94 degrees. Average temperatures in the mountains around the central valley range from 75 to 85 degrees. A few rain showers are possible… but are brief in the afternoon or evening.

Yes, please. Maybe a quick, long weekend trip to the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica in January is just the break I need. 🙂

(NOTE: In January, the northwest part of Costa Rica gets windy as cooler air dives in from North America. And the Caribbean side of the central mountains is still rainy. Cooler air pushes across the Gulf of Mexico, collides with warm, humid air over the northeast side of the country… and results in days of rain locals call “temporales del Atlantico”.)

 

Happy Valentine’s Day

Being a parent has changed me in so many ways… and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

It was a struggle to get these two, and the end result has even meant some pretty big life changes. But my family is THE most important thing. So if it means I have to make some sacrifices along the way, I will.

It takes time to find the balance, where your personal and professional life are in a good place.

I thank God everyday that I can come home to a wonderful husband and 2 awesome kids. They give me the patience to get thru many of my struggles! In the end, we make sacrifices for them… but they make the sacrifices worth it!

Happy Valentine’s Day to the best family a girl could ask for!

This Blog turns 1!!

I cannot believe that one year ago today I launched this blog! To be honest, I had a few anxiety attacks over it. But I knew I was doing the right thing. It was so important to me to share my own, high risk pregnancy experience.  I wanted others, who were either going through the same thing or something similar to have a real-life example to compare to, and to ultimately know that you are not alone.

I never expected it to grow to more than 8000 subscribers, or to receive the messages and emails from other people experiencing the same way. I feel like I have gotten more out of this experience than I ever gave. So, thank you!

While I am no longer pregnant, I still deal with all of the issues that made it hard for me to get pregnant in the first place, and made my first, second and third trimesters so stressful.  I still have uterus didelphys, Factor V Leiden, my endometriosis can return, and so could my uterine polyps. 

So, now I’m focusing on being a good mom, taking care of my health and finding ways to help others in their journeys as well.

Knowledge is power! And I firmly believe that the more thoughtful conversations we have, the more we share, the more power we give ourselves to make our lives better.

The beginning – Being a teenager sucks

When I was 15, I was diagnosed with something called Uterus Didelphys. In other words I have two wombs and in my case, two cervixes as well. It’s caused me pain beyond what you can imagine. But yet, it’s also pushed me to learn more about myself and my capacity as a human being, than I ever thought was possible.

Being a teenager sucks

Puberty is defined as “the period of human development during which physical growth and sexual maturation occurs.” I knew it more for its awkwardness: Awkward body, awkward behavior, and the not-so-mature actions of my peers. Teenagers are mean. And being a teenager sucked. Picture a 5 ft, 7 inch girl who was rail thin at 110 lbs. I was fortunate and missed out on the acne outbreaks. But I also grew 7 inches in one year, my nose leading the way, wore braces until I was 15, and wasn’t genetically blessed with boobs like quite a few other girls in my class. I was a member of the orchestra, and people thought the only social activity I participated in was studying. I felt like a moving target and a huge freak. There were many days I walked home off the bus crying. I didn’t feel normal, and people pointing out all my abnormalities only made me feel worse.

Putting the social adaptations of teenagers aside, I also had a growing medical problem that was slowly causing bigger problems than what I was facing at school. For the purpose of this blog, we’ll call her “Aunt Flo”. Flo was an obnoxious visitor. She didn’t just talk, she screamed… and it was crippling. No over-the-counter medicine would quiet her. She wouldn’t just get mad every once in a while, she was always pissed. She had it out for me, and she was winning. So, at 15 years old, my mother took me to the “female doctor.” Needless to say, I knew what was coming, and I was not excited.

I’ll never forget that first diagnosis. I had been poked and prodded by several doctors, and eventually it was recommended that we get an ultrasound. So there I sat, awkward teenager-totally self conscious about her awkward body-in that horrible stirrup contraption, being examined by 3 doctors. (We were at a learning hospital) All of a sudden, there was some “excitement” in the room. Instead of telling my mother and me what was going on, they rushed out and brought the rest of the class in! The room was now crowded with around a dozen doctors. “Wow, I’ve never seen this before” and “How unusual” were phrases coming out of their mouths. I remember thinking… “Gee thanks. Don’t mind the human freak in the room that you, apparently, are finding so unusual!” I felt like an experiment, a petri dish that happened to land at their hospital, not a human being.

We later found out, that their diagnosis was a little off. But none-the-less we were on the right track. I had an abnormality with my uterus that would require many more doctors’ visits. Whether that was the cause of my pain, we weren’t sure of. And that final diagnosis wouldn’t come for another 15 years.
Incidentally, mom and I decided we weren’t ever going back to that hospital. Being a teenager sucked enough. We didn’t need doctors making me feel like a bigger freak than I already was.

My journey

I don’t know why, but I was feeling nostalgic today. This blog has been one documenting my pregnancy with my, now 6 month old, son. What most people don’t know, is that I kept a private blog, documenting my journey through infertility and finally a pregnancy that stuck.  I think I’m going to start sharing some of those. 

That blog kept me sane, helped me sort out my feelings and move forward despite the heart ache.  So today, I’m sharing one I called “Hope”.  I wrote it the day I found out I was pregnant with my Hannah.

“2-1-12…. 

Hope

I have hope today.  This month, I believe I ovulated early.  Fortunately, much like the mean signs of Aunt Flo’s arrival, I’m very familiar with the friendly signs of “Olivia”.  I caught it.  And this morning, I took a positive pregnancy test.

I’m trying to stay calm.  We’re keeping it to ourselves, and I have an appointment for my first blood draw at 1:45 p.m.  I need this draw and the next one to show positive growth, and then I’ll get put on Lovenox.  

I pray with all of my heart that God keeps this life/lives healthy and safe.  

We’ll see what happens next, but for now, I have hope.”