Attention Weather Fans: Join Lake Anna’s Weather Watch from Your Backyard

Michael EckertIssue 124, Lake Anna Weather

This is your chance to become part of an important network of weather-observing volunteers.CoCoRaHS stands for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network. It began at the Colorado Climate Center at Colorado State University after the devastating flash flood in Fort Collins, CO, in 1998. Today, CoCoRaHS observations are used by the National Weather Service, private meteorologists, hydrologists, emergency …

‘Lake Anna Weather’ Named National Ambassador

Jen BaileyFeatured, Issue 124, Lake Anna Weather

Lake Anna Weather, which began as a small Facebook group in December 2021, has officially been designated a Weather-Ready Nation (WRN) Ambassador by the National Weather Service (NWS).The WRN Ambassador program encourages counties, towns, organizations, universities, and businesses across the U.S. to become more weather-aware and resilient in order to protect citizens, members, and employees from dangerous weather. Tornadoes, severe …

Hurricane Season is Here

Michael EckertLake Anna Weather, The Breeze 123

As we watch in horror the devastating floods in TX over the 4th of July weekend from the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry, and the heavy rainfall from Tropical Storm Chantal, we need to be prepared for the worst as hurricane season is ramping up. The 2025 names are: Andrea, Barry, Chantal, Dexter, Erin, Fernand, Gabrielle, Humberto, Imelda, Jerry, Karen, …

Barometric Tides, Explained

Michael EckertLake Anna Weather, The Breeze 122

For those who track the air pressure on a home barometer, have you ever noticed that twice each day the pressure falls and rises? The atmospheric pressure does fluctuate twice daily across the globe. This is analogous to the ocean tides, but formed from different processes and forces. Ocean tides are caused by the gravitational pull from the moon and …

Red Sky in the Morning, Sailors Warning

Michael EckertIssue 121, Lake Anna Weather

Weather folklore, like any folklore, is deeply rooted in patterns that were observed by individuals many years ago. Hundreds to even thousands of years ago, people had very little understanding of how the weather works. Since they did not have TV, radio, or the Internet, they would keep track of what happened each day. Sometimes they would find a pattern …

Beautiful and Bizarre Optical Wonders of the Sky

Michael EckertIssue 120, Lake Anna Weather, The Breeze™ 2025

Almost every day, as we look into the atmosphere, we can see some beautiful—and sometimes unusual—optical sights. These occur due to sunlight interacting with particles in the atmosphere. Light from the sun is made up of a spectrum of colors that we normally perceive as plain white light. But as this light passes through water, ice, smog, or smoke, the …

After a Cold Winter: Spring Lawn Care at Lake Anna

Michael EckertLake Anna Weather, The Breeze 119

After one of the coldest winters in several years, we can finally enjoy the spring season and turn our attention to lawn care. Typically, we experience beneficial rains throughout most of the spring. When combined with balanced chemical applications, these rains can help create a lush summer lawn. Hopefully, the extreme cold has also reduced some of the bug populations …

Lake Anna’s Microclimate: Warm Water Influence

Michael EckertLake Anna Weather, The Breeze 118

Amicroclimate is defined as atmospheric conditions that are slightly different from the larger areal climate conditions. Some of these can be significant differences that create impacts. Microclimates exist in many areas like cities (heat island) and around lakes, oceans, and mountainous areas. Lake Anna is unique due to the Nuclear Power Plant that artificially warms the water over portions of …

Bear Dens: Spotting and Avoiding Winter Habitats

Jen BaileyNature & Wildlife, News Alert

As the temperatures have plummeted and snow has covered much of the state in January, most bears have found a cozy den until warmer weather arrives. This natural behavior allows them to endure periods of scarce food availability. While bears’ denning habits vary depending on location, weather, and food resources, most have now found a cozy spot to rest through …