Jeff Lukas
@lukasclimate.bsky.social
Researcher, science translator, consultant in Colorado. Weather/climate impacts on water resources, society, ecosystems. Recovering dendrochronologist. Goal: No surprises, well-informed decisions.
In case you were wondering, this is a completely normal way for a federal department (Agriculture) to communicate the status of its online services during a government shutdown.
October 8, 2025 at 5:30 PM
In case you were wondering, this is a completely normal way for a federal department (Agriculture) to communicate the status of its online services during a government shutdown.
Reposted by Jeff Lukas
This is fucking insane. Closing these NOAA labs would obliterate our ability to observe, understand, and forecast the Earth System, from weather systems tomorrow to sea levels 50 years from now.
What a tragedy this is even being proposed on paper... 💔
NOAA FY2026 Congressional Justification: www.noaa.gov/sites/defaul...
NOAA FY2026 Congressional Justification: www.noaa.gov/sites/defaul...
June 30, 2025 at 4:59 PM
This is fucking insane. Closing these NOAA labs would obliterate our ability to observe, understand, and forecast the Earth System, from weather systems tomorrow to sea levels 50 years from now.
Succinct illustration of increasing exposure leading to greater risk and loss.
This is in the southeast fringe of the Denver metro area, about 8 mi east of Parker.
This is in the southeast fringe of the Denver metro area, about 8 mi east of Parker.
Here's the track of the first EF-2 tornado from Sunday (Elkhorn Ranch, NW Elbert County) overlaid on the landscape as it was in 2004, and today. 20+ years ago, it would've been over open country, but now it tore through a neighborhood. Almost certainly would not have been (E)F2 in the past. #cowx
May 22, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Succinct illustration of increasing exposure leading to greater risk and loss.
This is in the southeast fringe of the Denver metro area, about 8 mi east of Parker.
This is in the southeast fringe of the Denver metro area, about 8 mi east of Parker.
Reposted by Jeff Lukas
DOGE arrived at NOAA this morning. There was no notice. Joe Neguse is on his way, and Attorney General Phil Weisner will be arriving soon. If there is any way you can attend the Peaceful Protest, please turn out ASAP.
325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305
325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305
April 21, 2025 at 5:27 PM
DOGE arrived at NOAA this morning. There was no notice. Joe Neguse is on his way, and Attorney General Phil Weisner will be arriving soon. If there is any way you can attend the Peaceful Protest, please turn out ASAP.
325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305
325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305
The USGCRP was created by Pres. Bush in 1989 and tasked by Congress in the Global Change Research Act of 1990 to coordinate federal research and produce a quadrennial assessment: the NCA.
Crippling the USGCRP is yet another abuse of power that undermines our nation's readiness for the future.
Crippling the USGCRP is yet another abuse of power that undermines our nation's readiness for the future.
I'm devastated and heartbroken. Staff at the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) got the ax. Most likely means the Sixth National Climate Assessment (NCA6) is also cooked. USGCRP was the glue across the Federal family on all things climate - reducing duplication and making efficiencies.
April 9, 2025 at 3:10 PM
The USGCRP was created by Pres. Bush in 1989 and tasked by Congress in the Global Change Research Act of 1990 to coordinate federal research and produce a quadrennial assessment: the NCA.
Crippling the USGCRP is yet another abuse of power that undermines our nation's readiness for the future.
Crippling the USGCRP is yet another abuse of power that undermines our nation's readiness for the future.
Agreed--the 'Anthropocene' ship has long sailed, and it doesn't need the stratigraphers on board in order to sustain its mission: Communicating that humans have massively impacted everything on Earth.
I would argue that we don’t really need to have a defined geological period as the Anthropocene, and that the Anthropocene is much more useful as a concept than as a specific geological period.
March 28, 2025 at 10:16 PM
Agreed--the 'Anthropocene' ship has long sailed, and it doesn't need the stratigraphers on board in order to sustain its mission: Communicating that humans have massively impacted everything on Earth.
This is beyond insane. The Forest Service's top-notch research arm is vital to managing the nation's National Forests--and to the many public benefits that extend well beyond the forests' boundaries, including watersheds and water supply, wildlife populations, wildfire mitigation and safety...
March 7, 2025 at 11:07 PM
This is beyond insane. The Forest Service's top-notch research arm is vital to managing the nation's National Forests--and to the many public benefits that extend well beyond the forests' boundaries, including watersheds and water supply, wildlife populations, wildfire mitigation and safety...
Huge turnout today outside the NOAA building in Boulder (also next to NIST & NTIA, with NCAR just up the hill).
Uplifting to be part of it, but also depressing as hell that it's necessary. While there I talked with 3 just-illegally-fired NOAA folks, no doubt there were others.
Uplifting to be part of it, but also depressing as hell that it's necessary. While there I talked with 3 just-illegally-fired NOAA folks, no doubt there were others.
March 4, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Huge turnout today outside the NOAA building in Boulder (also next to NIST & NTIA, with NCAR just up the hill).
Uplifting to be part of it, but also depressing as hell that it's necessary. While there I talked with 3 just-illegally-fired NOAA folks, no doubt there were others.
Uplifting to be part of it, but also depressing as hell that it's necessary. While there I talked with 3 just-illegally-fired NOAA folks, no doubt there were others.
Great read: CO state climatologist and Wx forecasting guru @russ-schumacher.bsky.social on how modeling and forecasts of big CO snowstorms have improved since the monster March '03 event.
While the modeling has improved *a lot* in 20 years, the expertise of human forecasters is still critical.
While the modeling has improved *a lot* in 20 years, the expertise of human forecasters is still critical.
Had some fun looking back at forecasts of the epic March 2003 Colorado snowstorm, and how things have changed since then. #cowx
climate.colostate.edu/blog/index.p...
climate.colostate.edu/blog/index.p...
How has Front Range snowstorm forecasting advanced since March 2003? - Colorado Climate Blog
For those who were on Colorado’s Front Range in 2003, the epic snowstorm in mid-March likely still holds a place in your memory. This was the biggest snowstorm on record at Fort Collins, with 32.2″ of...
climate.colostate.edu
March 15, 2024 at 4:23 PM
Great read: CO state climatologist and Wx forecasting guru @russ-schumacher.bsky.social on how modeling and forecasts of big CO snowstorms have improved since the monster March '03 event.
While the modeling has improved *a lot* in 20 years, the expertise of human forecasters is still critical.
While the modeling has improved *a lot* in 20 years, the expertise of human forecasters is still critical.
In @edyong209.bsky.social's excellent photo, we can see that Greater Roadrunners display the warming stripes for their locale--in this case, Arizona.
Who knew?
#showyourstripes
Who knew?
#showyourstripes
March 13, 2024 at 7:42 PM
In @edyong209.bsky.social's excellent photo, we can see that Greater Roadrunners display the warming stripes for their locale--in this case, Arizona.
Who knew?
#showyourstripes
Who knew?
#showyourstripes
The sign of an incorrigible water nerd: I immediately converted the lava effusion rate into both cubic feet/second and acre-feet/day.
That's 3500-7000 cfs of lava
or 7000-14,000 acre-feet of lava per day
which would take 4.5 to 9 years to fill Lake Powell with lava
That's 3500-7000 cfs of lava
or 7000-14,000 acre-feet of lava per day
which would take 4.5 to 9 years to fill Lake Powell with lava
Eruption on Reykjanes Peninsula (Iceland)
According to Kristín Jónsdóttir (Icelandic Met Office) the fissure is ~3.5 km long, with an effusion rate of 100-200 cubic meters/second. Source: RÚV.
According to Kristín Jónsdóttir (Icelandic Met Office) the fissure is ~3.5 km long, with an effusion rate of 100-200 cubic meters/second. Source: RÚV.
December 19, 2023 at 4:41 PM
The sign of an incorrigible water nerd: I immediately converted the lava effusion rate into both cubic feet/second and acre-feet/day.
That's 3500-7000 cfs of lava
or 7000-14,000 acre-feet of lava per day
which would take 4.5 to 9 years to fill Lake Powell with lava
That's 3500-7000 cfs of lava
or 7000-14,000 acre-feet of lava per day
which would take 4.5 to 9 years to fill Lake Powell with lava