Bob Ruhf's Page of
          Climate, Weather and Photo Galleries

          [Formerly called "Bob Ruhf's Meteorology Pages"]

          What's New?
          Email me at x98ruhf@netscape.net

          Site Map

          Last updated: February 22, 2008


          About This Site

          THE SITE: This site focuses on the following areas: (1) climate data for various locations in Michigan, Illinois, and Minnesota, (2) my general interest in the weather, and (3) photo galleries highlighting various natural wonders and weather-related phenomena. You can easily go through the various pages on this site by clicking the the following "Site Map" link or by scrolling down this page and clicking the various "Quick Links."

          CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SITE MAP

          THE WEBMASTER: I graduated in December of 2006 with a Ph.D. in Science Education from the Mallinson Institute for Science Education at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. My dissertation, which is an analysis of the effectiveness of inquiry-based instruction on the learning of basic concepts in atmospheric science among education students, is available for download by clicking here. I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology from Central Michigan University, a Master of Arts degree in Geography (with a concentration in Environmental and Resource Analysis) from Western Michigan University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Cornerstone University. I currently teach physical geography at Kalamazoo Valley Community College.

          Below are links to .pdf files of some of the research that I have conducted or of some of the papers that I have written:
          • Time Series Analysis Of 20 Years of Hourly Precipitation in Southwest Michigan
          • Analyzing the Effects of Inquiry-Based Instruction on the Learning of Atmospheric Science Among Pre-Service Teacher Education Students
          • An Overview of Conceptual Change Research
          • A Lesson on the Arbitrary Nature of Thermometer Scales Using the Historical Case of the Creation of the Fahrenheit Temperature Scale
          • The 1988 Forest Fires of Yellowstone National Park


          "The sun doesn't rise or fall; it just sits there, and we rotate in front of it. The sun never 'goes away' from the sky. It's still there sharing the same sky with us; it's simply that there's a chunck of opaque earth between us and the sun which prevents us from seeing it. No longer do I drive down a highway and wish the blinding sun would set; instead I wish we could speed up our rotation a bit and swing around into the shadows more quickly." ---(Michael Collins)



          QUICK LINKS TO CLIMATE DATA:

          DAILY CLIMATE DATA: This page contains daily temperature normals and high/low records for various locations in Michigan, Illinois, and Minnesota.

          RECENT TEMPERATURE RECORDS: This page contains record high and low temperaturres that have been set recently at various locations in Michigan, Illinios, and Minnesota.

          MONTHLY DATA - GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN: This page contains mean monthly temperatures and precipitation & snowfall data for Grand Rapids, Michigan (from October 1948 through the current month).

          SNOWFALL - KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN: This page contains snowfall data for Kalamazoo, Michigan (1998 through 2008).


          QUICK LINKS TO PHOTO GALLERIES:

          PAGE ONE: This page contains my various photo galleries highlighting God's natural geographic wonders (and some of man's artifical creations) in Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Minnesota, Idaho, Michigan, Indiana, New Hampshire, Hawaii, British Columbia, Washington State, Arizona, and more!

          PAGE TWO: This page contains photo galleries containing pictures I took during Western Michigan University's May 2001 Regional Geography Field Course to Yellowstone National Park. (Note: I went along as an assistant.)

          PAGE THREE: This page contains various photo galleries of natural geographic wonders in California, New York City, Indiana, South Dakota, Pittsburgh, Boston, Niagara Falls, and Michigan. (The pictures in these galleries were not taken by me but rather by people that I know.)

          PAGE FOUR: This page contains my photo galleries highlighting weather related events in Michigan, Wyoming, and Nebraska (thunderstorms, winter, rainbows, etc.).


          QUICK LINKS TO WEATHER PAGES:

          WEATHER HUMOR: This page contains weather jokes and humor. It includes "Diary of a Snow shoveler," "The Top 10 Signs that You might be a Weather Nut," and more!)

          A WEATHER JOURNAL: "The Weather: On the Road from Michigan to Boston"

          MORE WEATHER JOURNALS: This page contains creative Weather Journals from students in classes I have taught. The journals include poems, photos, and creative stories.

          WEATHER LINKS: This page contains links to meteorology related sites


          QUICK LINKS TO ACADEMIC PAPERS AND RESEARCH:

          Academic papers on meteorology related subjects:

          • Thermal Infrared Radiative Effects of Various Urban Materials Upon Vegetation
          • Lake-Effect Precipitation in Michigan
          • Global Warming: An Introduction
          • The 1988 Forest Fires of Yellowstone National Park
          • Time Series Analysis Of 20 Years of Hourly Precipitation in Southwest Michigan
          • A Lesson on the Arbitrary Nature of Thermometer Scales Using the Historical Case of the Creation of the Fahrenheit Temperature Scale
          • Analyzing the Effects of Inquiry-Based Instruction on the Learning of Atmospheric Science Among Pre-Service Teacher Education Students


          OTHER:
          Other web sites that I have created
          • (The Music of Bob Riley & the Fishers)
          • (Bob Ruhf's Humor Site)
          • (Nickelodeon's "Caitlin's Way")
          • (Bob Ruhf's Vegetarian Page)
          • (Bob Ruhf's Michigan Site)
          • (My Personal Tribute to Charles M. Schulz)
          • (Friends of Bob Ruhf)
          • (How I Found Faith in Jesus Christ)
          • (How I Learned to Hate Racism)
          • (Emails About My Sister's Death)
          What about Bob? Click here to find out more about me!


          Check out the web site of my younger brother's new business! He sells saltwater fish:
          Salt Water Reflections


          Use the following search box to search either this web site or the Internet:




          Webrings

          Search through the following webrings and find other interesting sites related to the various earth sciences, meteorology and weather, and amateur photography.




          Site Tracking

          Courtesy of Extreme Tracking.




          SITE MAP

          PHOTO GALLERIES:
          1. Photo galleries of God's Natural Geographic Wonders (And Some of Man's Artifical Creations)
          • Arizona: The Desert Wastelands (3 photos)
          • Arizona: The Saguaro Cactus in Tuscon (4 photos)
          • Arizona: Kitt Peak National Observatory & National Solar Observatory (4 photos)
          • Arizona: Sabino Canyon within the Coronado National Forest (4 photos)
          • Arizona: Bisbee (3 photos)
          • British Columbia: Stanley Park in Vancouver (4 photos)
          • Colorado: The Paint Mines (3 photos)
          • Colorado: The Wonders of Colorado (5 photos)
          • Hawaii: The Big Island (5 photos)
          • Hawaii: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (4 photos)
          • Idaho: Craters of the Moon National Monument (4 photos)
          • Illinois: Lake Katherine Nature Preserve, Palos Heights (1 photo)
          • Iowa: Where in Heck is Adair, Iowa? (2 photos)
          • Michigan and Indiana: Sand Dunes (2 photos)
          • Minnesota: Pipestone National Monument (4 photos)
          • Nebraska: The Wonderful State of Nebraska (3 photos)
          • New Hampshire: The Souhegan River in Merrimack (5 photos)
          • South Dakota: The Caves of the Black Hills (3 photos)
          • South Dakota: Badlands National Park - Page One (3 photos)
          • South Dakota: Badlands National Park - Page Two (4 photos)
          • South Dakota: Crazy Horse Memorial (1 photo)
          • Washington State: Route 11 Scenic Route (3 photos)
          • Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois: The Mississippi River (2 photos)
          • Wyoming: Devil's Tower National Monument - Page One (3 photos)
          • Wyoming: Devil's Tower National Monument - Page Two (3 photos)
          • Wyoming: Grand Teton National Park (7 photos)
          • Wyoming: Bird in Flight: Independence Rock State Historical Site (4 photos)
          • Wyoming: Yellowstone National Park - Page One (6 photos)
          • Wyoming: Yellowstone National Park - Page Two (2 photos)
          • Wyoming: The Bison and Elk of Yellowstone National Park (5 photos)
          • Wyoming: The State of Wyoming (2 photos)
          • Wyoming: Bighorn National Forest (1 photo)
          2. Western Michigan University's May 2001 Regional Geography Field Course to Yellowstone National Park (Note: I went along as an assistant)
          • Doug and Stacy Enjoy the Snow at Yellowstone National Park (2 photos)
          • Josh, Amber, and Jessica at Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone National Park (2 photos)
          • Erin and Stephen at the Mud Volcanoes of Yellowstone National Park (2 photos)
          • Bob, Tom, and Julie at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone National Park (3 photos)
          • Jill and Several Others at Gibbon Falls of Yellowstone National Park (2 photos)
          • Carhenge Art Reserve, Nebraska (2 photos)
          3. Photo Galleries by Other People
          • California: Photos by John Abbey (3 photos)
          • Indiana: Pumkins in Rural Indiana. Photo by Lisa DeChano (1 photo)
          • Massachusetts: Boston, Page 1. Photos by Patrick Newland (4 photos)
          • Massachusetts: Boston, Page 2. Photos by Stephen Podewell (4 photos)
          • Michigan: Moonlight over Portage. Photo by Stephen Podewell (1 photo)
          • New York: New York City. Photos by Dan List (4 photos)
          • New York: Central Park. Photo by Laura Zakalowski (1 photo)
          • Ontario and New York: Niagra Falls. Photos by Patrick Newland (5 photos)
          • Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh, Page 1. Photos by Stephen Podewell (5 photos)
          • Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh, Page 2. Photos by Stephen Podewell (5 photos)
          • Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh, Page 3. Photos by Stephen Podewell (5 photos)
          • Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh, Page 4. Photos by Stephen Podewell (4 photos)
          • South Dakota: Animals. Photos by Matt Siebert (3 photos)
          4. There are more photo galleries in the weather section below!


          WEATHER:
          1. Photo galleries of weather related events
          • Winter in the Suburbs of Grand Rapids, Michigan (5 photos)
          • Winter on the Campus of Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan (3 photos)
          • Urban Street Flood in the Suburbs of Grand Rapids, Michigan (2 photos)
          • Clouds Over Beaver Island, Michigan (3 photos)
          • Rainbows and a Rainstorm in Wyoming and Nebraska (3 photos)
          • Storm at Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming (4 photos)
          • Thunderstorm at Devil's Tower National Monument, Wyoming (4 photos)
          2. Weather humor
          • Diary of a Snow Shoveler
          • The Meaning of Easter (According to a Meteorologist)
          • Whether the Weather...
          • "The Top 10 Signs That You Might Be a Weather Nut!"
          3. Academic papers on meteorology related subjects
          • Thermal Infrared Radiative Effects of Various Urban Materials Upon Vegetation
          • Lake-Effect Precipitation in Michigan
          • Global Warming: An Introduction
          • The 1988 Forest Fires of Yellowstone National Park
          • Time Series Analysis Of 20 Years of Hourly Precipitation in Southwest Michigan
          • A Lesson on the Arbitrary Nature of Thermometer Scales Using the Historical Case of the Creation of the Fahrenheit Temperature Scale
          • Analyzing the Effects of Inquiry-Based Instruction on the Learning of Atmospheric Science Among Pre-Service Teacher Education Students
          4. Creative Weather Journals (from students in classes I have taught)
          • A Journal: "Weather Journal" by Stephanie Brazell
          • Poetry: "My Weather Journal" by Justina Harris
          • Poetry: "Heat" by Laura Smidchens
          • A Journal: "Weather Journal" by Kim Knoth
          • A Story: "Wacky Weather" by Laurie Lijewski
          • Images: "Weather Journal Project" by Shaina Ruthven
          • Images: "Sandra's Weather Journal Project" by Sandra Smokoska-Davis
          • Images: "Courtney's Weather Journal" by Courtney Webber
          5. "The Weather: On the Road from Michigan to Boston"
          • Page one
          • Page two
          • Page three
          6. Links to meteorology related sites
          • Official Weather Offices (U.S. and Canada)
          • Commercial weather sites
          • Weather data and information
          • Climate information
          • Other sites of interest


          CLIMATE DATA:
          1. Daily temperature normals and high/low records (MI, IL, MN)
          • Northern Michigan: Alpena, Gaylord, Houghton Lake, Marquette, Sault Ste. Marie, Traverse City
          • Central Michigan: Muskegon, Saginaw
          • Southern Michigan: Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Holland, Jackson, Lansing
          • Illinois: Champaign-Urbana, Chicago, Peoria, Moline, Rockford, Springfield
          • Minnesota: Duluth, International Falls
          • Record high and low temperaturres that have been set recently.
          2. Mean monthly temperatures and precipitation & snowfall data for Grand Rapids, Michigan
          • Temperature (mean monthly): October 1948 through June 1957
          • Temperature (mean monthly): July 1957 through June 1967
          • Temperature (mean monthly): July 1967 through June 1977
          • Temperature (mean monthly): July 1977 through June 1987
          • Temperature (mean monthly): July 1987 through June 1997
          • Temperature (mean monthly): July 1997 through current
          • Precipitation and snowfall: October 1948 through June 1957
          • Precipitation and snowfall: July 1957 through June 1967
          • Precipitation and snowfall: July 1967 through June 1977
          • Precipitation and snowfall: July 1977 through June 1987
          • Precipitation and snowfall: July 1987 through June 1997
          • Precipitation and snowfall July 1997 through current
          3. Snowfall data for Kalamazoo, Michigan (1998 through 2008)
          • The 2007-08 winter season (October 2007 to current)
          • The 2006-07 winter season (October 2006 to April 2007)
          • The 2005-06 winter season (November 2005 to April 2006)
          • The 2004-05 winter season (October 2004 to May 2005)
          • The 2003-04 winter season (November 2003 to April 2004)
          • The 2002-03 winter season (October 2002 to April 2003)
          • Daily snowfall totals (October 1998 through current)
          • Monthly and seasonal snowfall totals (October 1998 through current)
          • Snow depth records (October 1998 through current)


          OTHER:
          1. Other web sites that I have created
          • (The Music of Bob Riley & the Fishers)
          • (Bob Ruhf's Humor Site)
          • (Nickelodeon's "Caitlin's Way")
          • (Bob Ruhf's Vegetarian Page)
          • (Bob Ruhf's Michigan Site)
          • (My Personal Tribute to Charles M. Schulz)
          • (Friends of Bob Ruhf)
          • (How I Found Faith in Jesus Christ)
          • (How I Learned to Hate Racism)
          • (Emails About My Sister's Death)
          2. An Overview of Conceptual Change Research
          3. What about Bob? Click here to find out more about me!









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