Inaugural Post: Who I Am And My Hopes For This Blog
Introduction
I love Las Vegas! From its amazing entertainment to its scenic natural beauty, there is something special about this place. And having worked for the National Weather Service in Las Vegas, I have a keen appreciation for its unique weather. Did you know that Mt. Charleston, just 45 minutes northwest of Las Vegas, can get over 100 inches of snow per year? Did you know that the hottest temperature in the world was recorded in Death Valley just a few hours from Las Vegas? In my first post I will introduce myself and explain about this blog and what I hope to accomplish.
Who Am I?
My name is Nathan Foster. I have a unique background in some unusual careers. When I was a kid I was obsessed with weather and wanted to be a meteorologist. I went to university for it but couldn’t hack the math required. I hate math! But I had already secured a job in the National Weather Service (NWS) that didn’t require a meteorology degree. And so my career trajectory was already set and I continued to work for the NWS for 15 years.
I worked shifts writing weather forecasts, issuing weather warnings, installing weather equipment answering calls about UFOs in the middle of the night. I moved a lot trying extended my career in weather and enjoyed every minute of it.
Alaska, Oregon, Kentucky, Vermont, and of course Las Vegas were all places I called home.
Why did I leave meteorology?
There was only so far my career could stretch without a meteorology degree. My degree is in geography because it was something I enjoyed just as much as weather. I have always been fascinated with maps and places. As a child I wrote letters to visitor bureaus in hopes they would send me brochures about far off places. Having a degree in geography led me to discover cartography and making digital maps called GIS (Geographic Information Systems). In the NWS I started making maps of rain and snow events. Gradually, this led to more complex map making including my biggest achievement - the Winter Storm Severity Index. Check it out if you’re reading this in the winter. Essentially, it shows how much impact a winter storm will have based on many different weather elements like snow amount, wind, how wet the snow is, etc.
Winter Storm Severity Index
I enjoyed making maps so much I decided to change careers and focus on it full time. Now I work for the US Department of Agriculture again doing something I am passionate about.
Why this blog?
I love Las Vegas! I really enjoyed the years I spent there and frequently return for fun. In a search for weather and climate information I noticed there didn’t seem to be many focused specifically on Las Vegas. I thought it would be fun to share my special knowledge about the area in the form of a blog. Las Vegas has many visitors and I frequently see searches for ‘Best time to visit Las Vegas’ or ‘Las Vegas weather in a certain month’. I can answer those questions. For me, I get to write a fun articles about a place I love on a subject I love. Win win! (pun intended)
Website Goals
I have some ideas for this site and blog. In addition to the basic climate information about Las Vegas, I am updating the website with the latest weather forecast. Everyone has an app but the reliability of those apps is in question. Personally, I think they are awful. Every day I look at the weather models for myself because it’s a habit from my NWS days. Summarizing the weather for Las Vegas kind of second nature so I might as well post it. I could make this very technical and nerdy but I want to focus on making a reliable forecast that you can read and understand quickly.
I’m also hoping add some safety tips, interesting facts about weather extremes, the science behind weather patterns in the area, and even some travel tips. If you have an idea for a post, be sure to send me an email or use the contact me page.
Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy your trip to Las Vegas!
-Nathan Foster
