More Severe Weather in the Midwest

A warm front making its way across Delmarva today brought a few showers and some warmer temperatures back into the picture. This system will help keep things warmer overnight and into Tuesday, however Tuesday night the cold front is expected to push through bringing, rain and even the chance to hear a rumble of thunder on Tuesday.

We are not in the risk for severe weather, however this same system is bringing severe weather to the Midwest. Tornado watches have been issued for parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri and as shown in the image above, there have already been 5 tornado reports, 23 wind reports and 60 reports of hail.

Start of Hurricane Season

Correction to below blog:

The Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1st (about 60 days away) and lasts through November 30. According to the National Hurricane Center, there is nothing magical in these dates, and hurricanes have occurred outside of these six months, but these dates were selected to encompass over 97% of tropical activity. June 1st has been the traditional start of the Atlantic hurricane season for decades. However, the end date has been slowly shifted outward, from October 31st to November 15th until its current date of November 30th.

Courtesy: National Hurricane Center

Will we see warmth anytime soon?

After temperatures near 80 across Delmarva on Friday, this weekend has felt even chillier. Temperatures barely reached 50 on Saturday and they only made it into the upper 40s for Sunday. With a 30 degree difference between Friday and the weekend, it is hard to believe that Spring is really here! So will we see warmer weather anytime soon? Well, maybe not the 80 degree weather but things will warm up.

For this week a few disturbances will move through bringing a couple of chances to see some spotty showers. For tonight, there is a slight chance to see some rain. Temperatures are expected to rise after midnight and highs for Monday will finally return back to average. There is also the chance to see some spotty showers throughout the day on Monday, as early as the morning. A warm front will then push through Monday night, keeping temperatures mild overnight and making it for a warm day, but not quite as warm as last Friday, for your Tuesday. Temperatures in Salisbury could be as warm as 70 for Tuesday, but right now Tuesday will be the warmest day we see this week. A cold front will slide through Tuesday, bringing a cooler Wednesday and Thursday, and rain to Delmarva. Another chance of rain appears on Friday and overnight. So, temperatures will be warmer than what we have seen over the weekend, but there are no more 80 degree days in the extended forecast as of now.

Hurricane Season Begins in 62 Days

The upcoming hurricane season is approaching (62 days away to be exact!) If you were wondering what to expect this year, Dr. William Gray and Philip Klotzbach posted their 2008 tropical storm forecast on Dec. 8, 2007. As of December, this is what they were predicting:

13 Named Storms
7 Hurricanes
3 Intense Hurricanes

Of course, this forecast will be updated throughout the season. Their next tropical storm forecast will be issued on April 8th, followed by June 3rd, August 5th, September 2nd and October 2nd.

Check back for more updates.

Warm Friday but Cooler Weekend

Plenty of sunshine and winds ending up being in a more Westerly component lead to well above average highs today. Widespread 70s and even some 80s broke out today across the shore. Typically this time of year, South to Southwest winds bring the warm temperatures to the shore, but the immediate coast stays cooler because of the Southerly flow over the cool ocean water. Today was different, the hot spot today was Ocean City topping off at 82 degrees. This was because the winds west West so there was no influence of cool water, nothing but land to warm up the air.

It is March so you can't expect temperatures this warm to continue for days. A cold front moved through this evening ending the warmth. There were some showers with the front but many locations only received a trace. The heaviest rain looked to come through Sussex County Delaware. Temperatures will fall back into the 30s tonight and rebound to the low 50s tomorrow. Even though air temps will be cool, there will be lots of sun and the late march sun is strong and it will make it feel warmer. Also remember if you are working outdoors, you can get a sunburn this time of year. On Sunday, expect highs a few degrees cooler in the 40s due to more clouds and Easterly winds off the cold Atlantic. Have a great weekend!

Go Green On the Road

If you missed this weeks Weather Matters segment, check it out... This week's segment is about going green on the road. It's the last segment of our series on becoming more environmentally friendly.

Did you know that an average car in the US driven 10,000 miles in one year, releases 5.5 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere? So here are some changes you can make.

First thing that comes to mind is a hybrid car. That's a great idea if you're in the market for buying a new car. Here are a few that are on the top 10 list for greenest cars according to greenercars.org:
Honda Civic Hybrid - 45 mpg hwy
Toyota Prius - 51 mpg hwy
Toyota Yaris - 40 mpg hwy
Nissan Altima Hybrid - 36 mpg hwy
But if you're not in the market for a new car, here are some other tips to save money and the environment.

Tip 1: Check your tires
It's important to keep your tires adequately inflated. You should check them every month. Properly inflated tires can save 250 lbs of carbon dioxide and $840 a year.

Tip 2: Don't top off
This ones real simple. When the pump stops, you should too! If you don't, you'll be paying for gas that you won't get. When your tank is full the extra gas you pump will be fed back into the station's storage tanks, not into your tank.

Tip 3: Lighten your load.
Did you know that every 100 pounds eats up an extra mile per gallon?

If you want to find out what your impact on the environment is, just head to myfootprint.org There's a link to it along with lots of other information at our website, wmdt.com, just click on 47 weblinks.

Warm Finish to the Week

Typical late March weather is in the forecast, warm one day then cool the next. Today's front that Kira mentioned is still forecast to move Northward tonight. There is a warm air mass just South of Delmarva with temperatures in the 60s and 70s. When the front moves North, the current cooler air mass will be replaced with the warmer air mass as the winds switch out of the South. Like today, temperatures for tomorrow are really going to depend on how much sun we see. It looks like Southern areas see the longest amount of sun and Northern areas see the shortest. But I still think all inland locations have a good shot at seeing 70 degrees or higher.

Very warm temperatures a few thousand feet above the surface will be overhead of Delmarva on Friday. These temperatures could support upper 70's, if full sunshine develops long enough. The record high for Salisbury on Friday is 82. It will be tough to get a long period of sun when the front is expected to move back through the area late afternoon. So any areas that do see sun will have clouds build back in the afternoon with the chance of showers as the front approaches. After the front moves through winds switch back out of the North and cooler air filters back in for the weekend with below average temperatures.

A Tale of Two Worlds

Make a trip from Delaware south to Virginia and you'll notice a big change in the weather. That's thanks to a stationary front bisecting the peninsula. To the north of the front, in Delaware, NE winds are keeping temps in the low 50's with cloudy skies and light rain showers. To the south, sunshine is being reported and temperatures are in the low to mid 60's. This front should slowly retreat northward allowing another warm day on Friday before it once again moves southward and through Delmarva as a cold front on Friday evening. A chance of showers will arrive with the passage of the cold front on Friday afternoon and evening. Then much cooler weather will arrive for the upcoming weekend with highs near 50° both Saturday and Sunday. Enjoy the warmth while it lasts!

April Temp and Precip Forecast

I'll keep on the topic of climate outlooks in this post following Kira's and focus on the temperature and precipitation forecasts for the month of April. A big influence on the early spring forecast is La Nina. La Nina is when seas surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific are colder than normal. Currently the strength of La Nina continues to be in the strong category. You would think the sea surface temperatures would be a lot colder than normal, but they are only about 2 degrees C colder than normal, and that is considered a strong La Nina. A 1- 2 degree temperature change either warmer or colder than average can disrupt the global weather patterns greatly. So with a strong La Nina still forecast, temperatures are expected to be above average and precipitation being equal chances for above, near, or below average for Delmarva.Here is a look at the U.S. forecast:

Source: Climate Prediction Center

Spring Outlook

After the recent horrible flooding in the Midwest (that is still going on), I thought it would be pertinent to write about the flood potential for the rest of the Spring across the country, according to the NWS. Unfortunately, the outlook doesn't look good.

Above-average flood conditions are expected due to record rainfall in some states and snow packs, which are melting and causing rivers and streams to crest over their banks. Recent snow depth in New England is more than a foot greater than usual for this time of year. Last week, more than 250 communities in a dozen states were experiencing flood conditions. Flooding is already evident along the Mississippi River, the Ohio River, the lower Missouri River, PA, NJ, most of NY, all of New England, and portions of the West, including Colorado and Idaho.

On the other end of the spectrum, the drought situation continues to improve thanks to winter's precipitation. The outlook continues to show general improvement in the Southeast, although some areas are unlikely to recover before summer. On the U.S. Drought Monitor, extreme drought coverage dropped from nearly 50 percent in mid-December to less than 20 percent in the Southeast for March. Overall, the Southeast had near-average rainfall during the winter which is good, however, there are still water restrictions in effect throughout the region. Bad news for the southern Plains. Parts of Texas received less than 25% of normal rainfall for the winter. The drought is expected to expand northward and westward this Spring in that part of the country.

Courtesy: www.noaa.gov

First Tornado Forecast

60 years ago today was the first tornado forecast that was issued. In the evening of March 25, 1948, a tornado hit Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, causing $6 million in damage, tearing down power lines, tossing fighter planes on their sides, and damaging the main runway. Fortunately, there were no fatalities because of the forecast issued a few hours before the event. Thanks to Air Force Captain Robert C. Miller and Major Ernest J. Fawbush who correctly predicted that atmospheric conditions were ripe for tornadoes in the vicinity of Tinker AFB. The tornado forecast was instrumental in advancing the nation's commitment to protecting the American public and military resources from the dangers caused by natural hazards. The weather service's advanced technology is a highly trained staff, a nationwide network of Doppler radar systems, new weather satellites and powerful computers that can predict atmospheric conditions with great accuracy.

Sources: NOAA and Air Weather Association

Spring (Warmth) Is Coming

It might be Spring according to the calendar but it sure hasn't felt like it. I even saw snow on Monday in the mountains of west-central PA! But hang on warm weather lovers, warm temperatures will return for midweek.

The cool air sticks around one more day, today, with highs only in the low to mid 50's, but then warm air begins to creep back into the region on Wednesday. Unfortunately, with the warm air also comes some cloud cover thanks to a frontal boundary that will keep itself stalled over the Mid Atlantic region. Areas of low pressure will ride along the front providing rain chances, but as of now, it looks like the bulk of those systems will remain to our north. Therefore, partly to mostly cloudy skies will prevail Wednesday through Friday with highs reaching the low to mid 60's. The next best chance for rain holds off until Friday night into Saturday with the passage of a cold front.

A cool start, but milder to finish to the week

A blocking pattern continue to keep and upper-level trough over the mid-Atlantic and Northeast. This is keeping our temperatures below average as cold air from Canada is allowed to flow Southward. Our morning low today was 23 and the high was only 52. We should be in the upper 50s this time of year. The blocking pattern begins to break down and the trough moves out on Tuesday. This will begin to allow milder air to move in for Wednesday. Highs return to above average in the 60s from Wednesday into the weekend, possibly some 70's on Friday. There is a very slight chance for a shower on Thursday as a weak front get close to the area from the North. The best chance for showers look to arrive Saturday afternoon and Saturday night.

Midwest Flooding

While we are enjoying the dry weather here on Delmarva, the Midwest is seeing the opposite.

Flooding is a huge concern in the Midwest, according to CNN, 17 deaths have already occurred from the current flooding, with damage around $2 million in Arkansas. With the potential for more flooding, this could be the most devastating flood the Midwest has seen in a while. Flood warnings, watches and advisories are still in effect for several areas in the Midwest.

Here are a few pictures from the flooding…


The picture above and below are from www.ConvectionConnection.net. They were taken in Eureka, MO.
The picture below, also taken from www.ConvectionConnection.net, is an image of the Meramec River in Missouri.

Allergy Outlook

Predominant Pollen:
Cedar/Juniper
Maple
Alder

Forecast:
MONDAY: HIGH-MEDIUM 7.5/12
TUESDAY: HIGH-MEDIUM 7.6/12
WEDNESDAY: HIGH-MEDIUM 8.4/12

It's that time of the year again...

I don't think you even need a calendar to be aware that spring has begun (other than the fact that it is a little chillier than I would like it to be!) I've noticed over the past week, the itchy eyes and sore throat are back. Yes, that's right... it's time for those annoying allergies to start getting on your nerves.

Here is your allergy forecast for the next few days:

Predominant Pollen:
Cedar/Juniper
Maple
Alder

Sunday: MEDIUM: 7.1/12

Monday: MEDIUM: 7.0/12

Tuesday: HIGH-MEDIUM: 7.6/12

For those of you not sure what these ratings mean.
MEDIUM: Pollen will likely cause symptoms to people who suffer from predominant pollen.
HIGH-MEDIUM: Pollen will affect a large number of people who suffer from pollen.

Easter Egg Hunt in the Snow?

Just some fun trivia about this day in Weather History...

Did you know that on March 22, 1943, a winter storm brought a total of 5.4" of snow to Richmond? Just something fun to think about, but image heading out for those Easter Egg Hunts! It would be a little difficult to find the eggs in 5" of snow!

Cooler Holiday Weekend

As we head into the first weekend of Spring, temperatures continue to remain below average. A blocking pattern has developed and this will allow cooler air to spill into the mid-Atlantic. This means that an area of high pressure has set up downstream from the U.S. and is blocking the main storm track flow from continuing heading East. This setup forces the cold air in Canada southward into the US. This type of setup is common during the Winter time and can impact forecasts greatly, but we haven't had this occur much at all this past Winter. If your looking for cold temperatures in the winter, this is the type of setup you want to see. Now that we are in late March and the sun's angle is getting higher, temperatures won't be extremely cold as highs range in the 40s and 50s for the next few days.

A fast moving clipper system will cross the mid-Atlantic Saturday bringing clouds and a chance of a few light scattered rain showers in the afternoon and evening. Some wet snowflakes could mix in the Northern areas. I think their will be a decent temperature spread across Delmarva, especially if Southern areas see any sun. Highs will range from the mid to upper 40s in the North to the low 60's in the South. This is due to a frontal boundary that will cut across Delmarva. If you are located North of the front, you will have a Northerly wind and cooler temperatures, South of the front, will have a Southerly wind with a chance of some sun resulting in milder temperatures. Right now it looks like the front will setup near the Delaware/Maryland line.

After the clipper passes a cooler shot of air settles in Saturday night and Easter Sunday. Skies will clear up and become mostly sunny for Easter, but it will be a chilly start for any sunrise Easter services. Highs will only top off in the upper 40's in the afternoon. Chilly temperatures continue for Monday and Tuesday then eventually climb back into the mid50s for Wednesday. The average high temperature is 58 degrees. Have a great holiday weekend!

Go Green At The Store

Here's today's Weather Matters segment from the morning show if you missed it:

We continue our month long series on going green. This week we find ways to go green at the store. Here are a few tips for you:

Tip #1: Choose Paper
According to the CW's Be Free To Be Free campaign, Americans throw away 100 billion plastic bags every year and only 1% of those end up getting recycled. It even takes a lot of energy to make paper bags. So, next time you head to the store think about bringing your own reusable bag. If you do get suckered in to using paper or plastic bags, recycle them!! If you live in Salisbury, you can recycle them at the Civic Center or the Walmart on N. Salisbury Blvd.

Tip #2: Think Less Packaging
We love to buy in bulk. But buy minimally packaged goods. Try to buy items with less plastic wrapping or even less styrofoam padding. Try to buy the "As is" products. Reduce your garbage by 10% and save 1200 lbs of CO2 and better yet $1000 a year!!! And once again, remember to recycle the packaging. You can recycle paper, plastic, glass, cans, etc.

Tip #3: Shop on Delmarva
It's almost that time of year when the farmers' markets open up for the season. Buying goods produced locally saves energy by reducing the fossil fuels needed to transport food and other items across the country and around the globe. It not only helps our farmers stay in business but it tastes great too!

Tip #4: Go for the tap
Skip the bottled water. It's already been banned from city offices in San Francisco. We all associate bottled water with healthy living. But did you know that roughly 40 percent of bottled water begins as tap water. Often the only difference is added minerals that have no marked health benefit. Instead of buying bottles, filter your tap water.

Here's some more information on bottled water.
Did you know that the US is the world's leading consumer of bottled water. In 2004, Americans drank 26 billion liters of it. To make all those bottles required more than 17 million barrels of oil. That's enough to fuel more than 1 million US cars for a year. And as you can imagine, a lot of those bottles never get recycled - actually 86 percent never saw a recycling bin. Buried bottles can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade.

Look for more green steps next week as we wrap up our month long series. By the way, have a great Easter!!

Free Ritas!

Happy 1st day of Spring! What a way to start Spring, though! When I headed to work very very early this morning, it was still in the upper 60's to near 70°, but that quickly changed. I left my home and it was dry out, and just a few minutes later, it started pouring! Within a three hour time frame, Salisbury's temperature dropped 20°, from 66° to 46° thanks to the passage of the cold front! Afternoon temperatures will be pretty seasonal but feel much colder thanks to the winds and the unseasonably warm day we had yesterday.
Speaking of the winds, gusts have already surpassed 40 mph! Wind Advisories are in effect for the entire peninsula until 11pm tonight, so watch out for downed trees and possibly some power outages. While the winds will slightly weaken during the overnight hours tonight, breezy conditions will stick around for Friday.
Unfortunately, the rest of the extended forecast doesn't look very Spring-like. A weak cold front will pass through on Saturday bringing cooler weather for Easter Sunday. While moisture with the system looks limited, we will keep our eye on it since overnight temperatures look cold. Another rain maker may develop early next week, but the models don't have a good handle on it yet since it is 4 or 5 days out. We'll keep you posted! Stay tuned!

Wednesday Highs

High temperatures today soared well above average, even with mostly cloudy skies. The average high is in the mid to upper 50s across the shore, but today they reached the 60s and 70s. Areas right along the water were cooler since the water temperatures are still in the 40s. Here are today's high temperatures across Delmarva:
Dover 65
Georgetown 71
Salisbury 73
Ocean City 62
Wallops 68
Melfa 73

As Kira mentioned, the warmth doesn't last as a cold front swings through tonight. Spring begins a couple hours after midnight but temperatures will be below average in the low to mid 50's. It looks like the weather pattern changes to more of a pattern that is common in Winter. So you can expect temperatures to be below average over the next week.

Welcome back warmth!

Welcome back warmth! A warm front has ushered in some warmer weather for the middle part of March. However, the clouds and windy conditions are limiting how much we can actually enjoy the warm temps. While the warm air won't stick around long, get used to the wind...it'll will be here for another day. A cold front will pass through tonight bringing some rain and possibly a thunderstorm and some cooler weather for the first day of Spring. It's a pretty potent system and it has some pretty strong winds, especially aloft where the winds are in excess of 50 mph. Some of those strong winds may be mixed down to the surface tonight allowing the possibility for a few gusts over 30 or 40 mph. While the rain will end by Thursday morning, the winds will continue throughout Thursday afternoon and there may even need to be advisories issued.
Speaking of advisories, there is a Coastal Flood Advisory in effect until 6 AM Thursday morning for Dorchester, Wicomico, and Somerset counties. Gusty southerly winds along with the high tide cycle may combine to create some minor tidal flooding. Tides are expected to be around 1.5 feet above normal for this afternoon's high tide and Thursday morning's high tide. The Southern half of Dorchester county southward toward Crisfield are the areas most likely to experience some flooding, according to the NWS.

Above Average Temps Return

High temperatures the past few days have been below average with highs in the upper 40's and low 50's, with the average being in the mid-50s. But as we head into the last day of the Winter season, temperatures will not be Winter-like. A storm system organizing over Texas will push a warm front through Delmarva for Wednesday. This means increased Southerly wind flow as we are placed in the warm sector of the system. High temperatures will top off in upper 60's inland, with a few 70s possible if enough breaks in the clouds develop. However, it is March and changes occur frequently so don't expect the 60s to last. A cold front will then come through Wednesday night ushering in a cooler air mass with breezy conditions.

Along with the warmer air, there are some rain chances. Tonight there is a chance for some spotty showers mainly north. For Wednesday, a possible spotty shower could develop but I think most areas will be dry until Wednesday night. As the cold front approaches late Wednesday night, the rain chances increase and should end before daybreak on Thursday.

Tornado Safety

Today in Virginia was the 2008 Virginia Statewide Tornado Drill. The National Weather Center issued a Special Weather Statement saying the following:

"If you were unable to participate this morning... please find a time this week to practice your tornado safety plan. When a tornado warning is issued, or when a tornado is bearing down upon you, it may be too late to develop, practice and implement such a plan!"

Here are a few Tornado Safety Tips:

1. Have a tornado safety plan and practice that plan so you are prepared if a tornado is headed in your direction. Just a few pointers, you want to avoid windows, be under sturdy protection or cover yourself with a mattress/blanket if you do not have anything sturdy.

2. If you do not have a basement, you want to be on the lowest floor, in a small center room. As mentioned above, STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. If you have no small rooms, go in an interior hallway or you can even climb in the bathtub. Once again, pull a mattress over you to protect yourself from falling debris.

3. If you are in a mobile home or know there is no where safe in your house/apartment, find out where the nearest tornado shelter is to you and get out!

4. For students, pay attention to the tornado drills you go over at school. They have selected the safest location for you to ride out the storm. You do want to avoid portable classrooms and large, open areas, such as the gym or auditorium.

5. Do not stay in your car during a tornado or go under overpasses/bridge. I heard on a news channel once, a reporter saying the safest place is an overpass. THAT IS NOT CORRECT. If the tornado is too close and you can not get out of the path, get out of your vehicle and go inside a nearby building for shelter. If there is nothing, find low ground, away from cars and lie flat, face-down and protect your head with your arms.

6. Most importantly, know the signs of a tornado and pay attention to the news/radio. If there is a tornado warning/watch issued, it is only for your safety, so PLEASE DO NOT IGNORE IT!

More on the Atlanta Tornado

Here are a few more pictures I found of the damage from the tornado that hit Atlanta over the weekend. The first picture is from www.cnn.com. It shows the damage outside of their station. As a meteorologist, severe weather can be a stressful time, so I can only image what they were feeling as the tornado was this close in person.


The following pictures are from the Associated Press. You can see people trying to get through the debris and clean up the mess.

Finally, a few more pictures from www.ctv.ca. As you can see, this storm left quite the mess.

Flood Awareness Week

The week is the National Weather Service's (NWS) National Flood Safety Awareness Week. This awareness week is intended to highlight some of the many ways floods can occur, the hazards associated with floods, and what you can do to save life and property. Each day this week the NWS focus on an area of flooding, such as Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS), Turn Around Don't Drown (TADD), Floods, Droughts and other Related Phenomena, Flood Insurance, and Flood Safety. According to the NWS, in the long term, floods kill more people in the United States than other severe weather. Here is a link to the flood awareness info so you can read on the flood topics. www.floodsafety.noaa.gov/

"Tornado" Ban??

Here's an interesting one for you on St. Patrick's Day...

From 1886 to 1952 there was a ban on using the word "tornado." Back in the 1880's the US Army Signal Corps forecast the weather for the entire country. But forecasting back then was completely different than now. John P. Finley issued generalized forecasts saying which days tornadoes were most likely. But in 1886 the Army put an end to Finley's program and banned the word "tornado" from forecasts because "the harm done by a (tornado) prediction would eventually be greater than that which results form the tornado itself." They thought that people would be trampled in the panic if they heard that a tornado was possible. Isn't it amazing that over 120 years later, we still deal with the same problems. While being trampled to death may not be the most common concern anymore, forecasters don't want to scare people with our watches or warnings. However on the other end of the spectrum, we also don't want people to get so used to the watches and warnings that they completely disregard them. This definitely applies to hurricane season...did you ever hear anyone say, "I'll stick out the storm in my home"??...definitely not a good idea!

Anyways back to the story...

The ban on the word "tornado" stayed in place until March 17, 1952. Why was the ban lifted?? A tornado wrecked 52 large aircraft at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma on March 20, 1948. That event spurred Air Force meteorologists to begin working on ways to forecast twisters. The Weather Bureau also began looking for ways to improve tornado forecasts. Therefore, the Severe Local Storm Warning Center, which is now the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma was established. The ban was finally lifted in 1952 when the new center issued its first "tornado watch."Thank goodness it was finally lifted! Here's a link to the Storm Predication Center, http://www.spc.noaa.gov/

Thanks to the weather notebook for this story.

Yesterday's Weather

Just to continue from yesterday's blog about the Atlanta tornado and other tornadoes that hit Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, the latest Storm Reports image from yesterday (see above) shows a total of 38 tornadoes. According to the reports, there were 5 injuries reported and 1 fatal. These are the reports given to the National Weather Service and the data is still considered preliminary, so this information may change over time.

As far as the weather we saw here on Delmarva, luckily only rain. Here are some preliminary rain totals:
Dover, Del.: 0.17"
Georgetown, Del.: 0.19"
Easton, Md.: 0.14"
Salisbury, Md.: 0.20"
Ocean City Md.: 0.23"
Wallops Island, Va.: 0.32"
Melfa, Va.: 0.12"

Tornado hits Atlanta

Yesterday a tornado hit downtown Atlanta, Ga., hitting the Georgia Dome and even causing damage to the CNN station. The tornado has been rated an EF-2, with winds greater than 130 mph. (Check back to our previous blog for the Enhanced Fujita Scale.) Above and below are two pictures of damage the tornado caused to a neighborhood in downtown Atlanta, from cnn.com.
As shown below on the Storm Reports for March 14, 2008, there were 30 wind reports and 100 hail reports, but only one tornado report, the tornado that touched down in Atlanta. Little did residents of Georgia realize how bad things were going to get....

The second Storm Reports image for today, March 15, 2008, shows 62 wind reports, 149 hail reports and 30 tornado reports! Tornadoes have been reported in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina so far this evening.


Tornado watches are still in effect for areas along the east coast, however Delmarva does not fall within the risk area for severe weather. We are looking at rain overnight, ending by tomorrow morning. About 1/2 to 1" of rain is expected to the southern portion of Delmarva, while 1/4 to 1/2" to the northern portion.

There have been several injuries and two deaths reported so far.

Happy Pi Day!

As Kira mentioned below, we went to Blades Elementary School in Seaford, Del. this past week. The kids were great and we were asked a lot of outstanding questions. To all the math and science geeks in the world, today is a “holiday” and it reminded me of a question that was asked on our visit to Blades Elementary School and another visit I had earlier this week at the Wicomico Family Support Center here in Salisbury, Md.

“How do we forecast?”

Without getting into too much detail about this question, we look to different forecast models showing several different layers of the atmosphere. The models can represent the forecast as text or pictures, but all of this information comes from extremely long mathematical equations. Fortunately for all of us meteorologists, the computers can crunch the numbers a lot quicker than we ever could! While learning about meteorology in school, Justin, Kira and I all had to solve several equations by hand to understand the atmosphere and all of its crazy weather! (And I have to point out, there is an equation for everything!) But one symbol we all wrote time after time, was Pi, 3.14159265358979323846…

Have a great Pi Day!

Going Green At Home

If you missed it, here's the Weather Matters segment from yesterday.
Continuing our series on going green in the spirit of spring, we'll start with ways to go green at home.

The EPA estimates that each homeowner could reduce home electricity use by 30%. All we have to do is use energy more wisely and purchase energy efficient products. Appliances that use the most energy in your home are: water heater 16%, refrigerator 12%, air conditioning/heat 8-30% (depending on climate), lights 7%. So here are some tips to reach those goals:

Tip #1: Get a bright idea.
You've heard this numerous times before, but change your light bulbs to CFL bulbs! They may cost a little more in the beginning, but they will pay for themselves in savings within the first year. They look cool and they're very durable too! If every household replaced 5 lights with CFL's, the energy saved would be equal to taking 8 million cars off the road for one year! Try them out!

Tip #2: Roll with it.
Replace 1 roll of toilet paper with recycled paper. That would save almost 500,000 trees.

Tip #3: Say Goodbye To Junk.
Did you know that about 17 million catalogs are mailed out every year? That destroys over 62 million trees each year. Remove your name from those annoying and unwanted mailing lists.

Tip #4: Be like Good Morning Delmarva
Use reusable mugs. 25 million disposable cups are thrown away each year and less than 20% of them get recycled.

Tip #5: Recharge
We all love electronics. But plan to use rechargeable batteries to power those beloved objects. You can save hundreds of dollars a year, plus avoid all those dead batteries going into landfills.

Tip #6: Old Is New Again
Head to craigslist or freesharing to find furniture, appliances, an apartment, or anything else! You can really find some great steals. Check out garage sales and thrift stores too!

Tip #7: Plant a Tree
Trees not only help the atmosphere by absorbing some carbon dioxide, but planting trees is also great exercise! Also, depending on where you plant it, trees can also help to save on cooling costs by providing some shade.

For more information, just head to our website and click on 47 weblinks. Next week I'll tell you ways to go green at the store.

Milder with some rain

As Kira mentioned, it has been very pleasant the last few days. A nice little taste of some spring weather. Temperatures look to warm up even more for Saturday and Sunday but there is a little rain in the forecast. As mentioned in the forecast since at least Monday, we have been talking about two fast moving disturbances to impact the region on Friday and Saturday nights. The first one looks to be the weaker of the two with the smaller chance for showers late Friday night. Some areas may even remain totally dry, as these showers look more scattered in nature. The next system looks more organized with wider rain coverage, giving us a higher chance for some rain showers Saturday night.

On the temperature side Friday and Saturday will remain above average with highs in the 60's. A warm front will move Northward tonight and depending how far North it goes will determine how warm we get. If enough sunshine develops on Friday highs will reach the upper 60s inland, especially around Salisbury. Far Northern area such as Dover, may only be near 60 with possible 50s if the front doesn't move far enough North. Basically, the farther South you are located from the warm front, the warmer your temperature will be, especially away from the water.

1 week until Spring!!

From the Blizzard of 1993 (talked about below) to the quiet and beautiful day we're seeing today...it's amazing these events occurred in the same month. Even though Spring doesn't officially start until next Thursday, it sure feels like Spring today. Mostly sunny skies will continue for the rest of the afternoon helping to bump those highs to the mid 50's! Get outside and enjoy it!! Clouds and even a chance for some scattered showers roll into the picture for Friday and Saturday.

I want to give a big shout out to Blades Elementary in Seaford, DE. Ashley and I went and talked about weather to all the first graders yesterday. We had a great time! The kids were very attentive, had lots of questions, and were extremely fun!! The class had recently finished their weather unit, so they were well versed on the topic of weather. Ashley and I fielded lots of questions about clouds, rain/snow, hurricanes, tornadoes, and even what we like to wear! Thanks again to everyone at Blades for the invitation and the kids for being so great!

Weather History Part 2

Yesterday I mentioned the Storm of the Century dumped 12.91 square miles of snow, but let’s talk about some specific numbers for locations to put it more into perspective. You may wonder much snow actually came from this storm in a specific location. While Salisbury, Md. only saw 2” of snow, not too far away, Washington, D.C. saw 13” of snow! If you think that is a lot of snow, imagine 30” more than that and you would have been in Syracuse! That’s right, Syracuse, NY had a totals of 43” of snow during this storm. Even more amazing, but way to the south, in Birmingham, Ala., they saw 17” of snow. Even Mobile, Ala., where they get their share of hurricanes and tropical storms, saw 3”.

If the snow wasn’t enough, this storm has record breaking low pressure in several locations, frigid temperatures and record wind gusts. In fact, Mount Washington, NH saw gusts of 144 mph and Franklin County, Fla. had gusts up to 110 mph. With winds like this, imagine the winds chills, especially with the temperatures seen in some locations. Not factoring in the winds, Burlington, Vt. Was -12 degrees F and even Birmingham, Ala. was 30 degrees below freezing with a reading of 2 degrees F.

Imagine being at the airport trying to make it to a vacation or business trip. Twenty-five percent of all flight were canceled for two full days! The overall damage ended up costing $6-$10 billion. Sadly, there were 300 fatalities also associated with this storm, a lot due to coastal flooding and tornadoes, however some of the deaths were from heart attacks caused by people overworking their bodies to shovel snow.

Wacky Weather

March is always one of the hardest months to forecast because of the ever-changing weather. It will be sunny and near 70° one day and then raining and near 40° the next. March is definitely a transition month. Inspired by the blog below, take a look at some crazy March weather of the past.

1. The Blizzard of 1988.
The storm paralyzed the entire northeast from Maryland to Maine. Saratoga, NY reported 58" of snow and over 40" fell in Connecticut. The Big Apple also received 21" of snow and some of the snow drifts reached the second stories of many buildings. Winds of up to 70 mph accompanied the snow, creating blizzard conditions. If the snow wasn't bad enough, record cold temperatures followed the storm. Unfortunately, over 400 people were killed.

2. On the complete other end of the spectrum...
In 1990, Baltimore reached 95° for the hottest temperature in the country and Washington DC hit 89°. Amazingly, over 90 high temperature records were broken or tied. Some of those old records had been set 100 years ago or more. During this warm spell, the famous cherry blossoms in Washington bloomed around March 15, which was the earliest in history. Ironically, after 6 days of record warmth, 2-6 inches of snow fell just 8 days later.

Weather History

On this day, 15 years ago, a remarkable storm was brewing. On March 13, 1993, the storm only brought two inches of snow to Salisbury, Md. and three inches of snow to Dover, Del., but it brought hazardous conditions to several other areas.

Due to the jet stream being unusually south, low pressure from the Gulf of Mexico joined an artic high pressure system from the Great Plains. This storm grew into a monster, stretching all the way from Canada to Central America.

This storm goes by several names and it’s amazing how differently people may remember this storm. To me, I was in the 3rd grade, excited to have a week off from school to play in the snow and go sledding. I remember this storm as the Great Blizzard of 1993. Justin also remembers all of the snow and the week off from school, but he remembers it as the ‘93 Superstorm. A few other aliases this storm went by include: Storm of the Century, No-Name Hurricane and White Hurricane. So, while I was in New Jersey playing in the snow, people in Florida were dealing with the hurricane force winds, coastal flooding and 11 tornadoes that spawned from the storm.

The image gives you an idea of how big the storm is, however here are some numbers to put it into perspective. The storm’s total snowfall was computed to be 12.91 square miles. That would weight between 5.4 and 27 billion metric tons! Right to the north of Tampa storm surges reach 12 feet high! A sad fact, but it shows how dangerous the conditions became, more people were killed from drowning than in Hurricane Hugo and Hurricane Andrew combined.

Check back tomorrow for some more interesting facts about the Storm of the Century.

Warm Up Coming

Though most, including Justin, are glad to gain an extra hour of daylight, it does make my life a little harder. Have you ever tried falling asleep when it's still daylight outside?? Unfortunately, my situation is going to get worse before it gets any better, but I'll take it if it means warmer weather.
Speaking of warmer weather, some of that is headed our way for midweek. A weak disturbance passed through the area very early this morning dropping trace amounts of rain. Now sunshine is out in full force with temps in the upper 40's. Another weak disturbance, like Justin mentioned, will pass through tonight providing just a few clouds. Mostly sunny skies will prevail for Wednesday and Thursday with highs warming to the upper 50's. A slightly stronger disturbance will bring a chance for showers late Friday and another system will bring a second chance of rain on Saturday. Unfortunately this will be weekend #2 with rain chances. It won't be a wash-out of a weekend though, with sunshine returning by Sunday.

Seasonal Week Ahead

I have to start off saying that it was nice seeing it light outside again after the 6PM newscast since we are now in daylight savings. The one bad thing about daylight savings for a meteorologist, is that the model data now comes out an hour later, because the model runs remain on standard time.

As both Ashley and Kira mentioned, things are now quiet weather wise. Seasonal conditions look to be the rule so far for this week. The jet stream is taking on a bit of a more zonal flow, which means it is a flatter fast moving West to East. Zonal flows bring quieter conditions and near seasonal temperatures with weak disturbances. A few weak disturbances will pass through the area this week. The first one comes through tonight with a chance of a few light rain showers. The next one passes by on Wednesday providing just some clouds especially in the AM. Another comes through Friday night bringing a chance of light rian showers overnight Friday. Then another comes through Saturday night bring a chance of rain overnight Saturday. Temperatures remain in the 50's this week for highs with low in the 30's and 40's. The average high this time of year is 54 with a low of 34.

Gain an hour of sunshine

After a busy weekend of weather and after losing an hour of sleep(which is never fun), a quieter pattern has taken control of our weather. Salisbury received over 1" of rain from Friday into Saturday and all of Delmarva also dealt with gusty winds, like Ashley mentioned below. But all is at least semi-quiet across the area now.
A weak clipper system will pass through the area tonight providing a slight chance for light rain showers. Sunshine will return for Tuesday afternoon through Thursday with highs rebounding back up to around 60° by the end of the week. Unfortunately, as of now, it looks like more rain is headed our way for the beginning of next weekend. Hopefully St. Patty's Day is dry!! Stay tuned...
Enjoy the sunshine and take a nap.

Delmarva Tornadoes

Over the weekend I received an email asking “When was the last time Delmarva has been hit with a major tornado.” I thought this was a great question and learned a lot about the history of tornadoes in Delmarva. Here are some facts I found from: http://www.bethanyopcchurch.org/severe/tornado_data.html. This information is from 1950-2005.

-There have been 90 F0, 111 F1, 40 F2, 4 F3 and no F4 or F5 tornadoes in Delmarva.
-The average track length of the tornadoes is 2.42 miles and the average width is 63 yards.
-There have been 6 fatalities and 192 injuries.

I also searched all of the tornado reports available on Wikipedia (there are a lot of fun tornado facts, something to check out if you are interested) for the years following 2005.


-The only tornado I found in the state of Maryland was the following, but it does not really fall in the category “Delmarva”: July 16, 2007: An EF1 tornado left a 4-mile (6 km) long damage path in Hartford County, Maryland. Numerous homes were damaged and roads shut down due to fallen trees and power lines.

Some other tornado facts for our area:
-On August 25, 1814, the War of 1812 Washington D.C. tornado killed several British soldiers occupying the city.

-From Wikipedia, The Rye Cove, Va. tornado outbreaks from May 1-2, 1929: “The Rye Cove, VA tornado was the deadliest among a potent tornado outbreak that swept from southwest to northeast along the Appalachian mountains from Alabama to Maryland. This outbreak is notable as one of the worst to affect the states of Maryland and Virginia, and as one of the few observed, intense tornado outbreaks affecting Appalachia. Producing 13 deaths, the Rye Cove tornado is the deadliest in Virginia history[1].”

Since we are talking about tornadoes, I posted the Enhanced Fujita Scale at the top of this blog. The EF Scale was presented by the National Weather Service at the American Meteorological Society conference in Atlanta, Ga. during February of 2006. This scale is still fairly new and an upgrade to the familiar Fujita Scale.

-Just another fun fact involving the EF Scale. According to Wikipedia the first time an EF5 will measured with this new scale was May 4, 2007 during the Greensburg, Kan. tornado.

A Windy Saturday Night

A wind advisory is in effect for all of Delmarva until 12 a.m. on Sunday. Wind gusts of 50 mph are not out of the question. So far, only one severe weather report has been reported to the National Weather Service for our area:

UNKNOWN WIND SPEED HEBRON WICOMICO MD 3842 7569 NUMEROUS TREES REPORTED DOWN (AKQ)

Weather watcher Chucky Plummer in Lewes reported that his patio furniture blew away. Weather watcher Pat Diefenderfer in Riverdale said these are some of the strongest winds she remembers for a while.

Check back for updated information. If any more reports come in, they will be posted.

Wet Start for the Weekend

The forecast remains on target just how Kira mentioned in the post below. The first batch of widespread rain will continue through around midnight, then there should be a bit of a lull in the showers for a few hours overnight. Then the main component of the storm will intensify an area of low pressure which will track into the mid-Atlantic Saturday. This will bring another round of widespread showers early Saturday morning through late afternoon, with a possible thunderstorm. The showers should begin to taper off around 4PM and then clearing will take place Saturday night.

Besides the rain, wind and mild temperatures will accompany this storm. Like Kira mentioned, the severe threat looks to be a lot less this go around but strong winds still could cause some damage. Wind gusts may exceed 40 mph during the day on Saturday. There is a Wind Advisory in effect from Noon Saturday until Midnight Saturday for the Southern half of Delmarva. Winds be Southerly as the storm tracks well to the west of Delmarva. With the South winds temperatures will keep rising tonight through the 60's and remain in the 60's for Saturday. Some areas away from water, may even reach the upper 60's if the Southerly flow is strong enough. After the storm passes, the winds will switch out of the West and colder air will transport back into the region. Temperatures drop back to the 40's for highs for Sunday and Monday.

On the surf side, the strong South winds will kick up a big and choppy South swell on Saturday but ridable condition return on Sunday with still some sizeable surf for Sunday AM with strong West winds. The strong winds will quickly fade the swell so it won't be around long. Also, don't forget to turn the clocks ahead 1 hour Saturday night. I love daylight savings time, I don't mind losing an hour sleep for longer daylight. Have a great weekend

Rain Is Coming, Again

Two big storms in just one week! It has definitely been an active week of weather. This storm system, however, will not have as much severe weather associated with it as the last one did. With that said, some heavy rain will still fall with this system and that will cause some flooding, especially to our North into Pennsylvania where they are already dealing with overflowing rivers.
As far as the forecast goes...pretty much on par with what we've been predicting. One round of moderate/heavy rain is currently pushing on our doorstep. It should move in from South to North by early afternoon and continue into the evening hours. The rain may lighten up during the overnight hours tonight, but then more rain is headed our way on Saturday as the second area of low pressure pushes through the Mid Atlantic region. Along with the rain, it will be windy on Saturday with gusts possibly over 30 mph. There is also a chance for thunderstorm on Saturday. Finally the rain looks to taper off during the evening hours.
Much cooler and windy conditions will prevail on Sunday with mostly sunny skies. Then a quieter weather pattern looks to set up early next week. Have a great weekend, stay dry!

Next Rain

Forecasted Rain Totals for Friday

Forecasted Rain Totals for Saturday

Unfortunately all of this beautiful weather will come to an end as our next chance for rain approaches. Rain is expected to enter Delmarva on Friday in the late afternoon, sticking around into Saturday. It looks as though there may be a few spots were the rain lets up throughout the day on Saturday, but the rain is not expected to completely push out until the late afternoon/early evening. As of now, we are not at risk for severe weather, the slight risk cuts off right to our south, but I won’t rule out the chance for another thunderstorm. Rain totals for Friday look to range between 0.25” and 0.5”, with the heavier rain to the south, but for Saturday, the heavier rain will be to the north, with totals ranging from 0.75” to 1.5”. The graphics above depict the total rainfall expected for Friday and Saturday.

As far as the severe weather across the country for today, a possible tornado was reported in Texas along with hail and wind reports. Also, with a separate disturbance, wind and hail reports have come out of Florida’s east coast.

It's Almost Spring, Go Green!

If you missed Weather Matters this morning, here's a recap.

Everything will soon start to turn green and begin to bloom; Spring is right around the corner. In the spirit of spring, each week throughout March during Weather Matters, I'll talk about ways to go green, to live more environmentally friendly.

Today, why bother going green? A quick search of "Why go green?" into google produced over 48 million hits. We are literally bombarded by everything green; from lightbulbs to cars. Companies are also promoting a greener lifestyle. The CW is running a campaign called "Free 2 B Green". And General Electric has a new series called Ecomagination.

There are a few common misconceptions about going green. First, going green means you're a huge global warming activist. Not true. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the world's current population is over 6.6 billion. That number is expected to expand to over 9 billion by 2050. That means that if all of the world's natural resources were evenly distributed, people in 2050 will only have 25% of the resources that people had in 1950. Bad news for your kids and grandchildren.

The second misconception is that going green costs a lot of money and is hard to do. Again, wrong. According to the Go Green Initiative, did you know...
- For every ton of paper that is recycled, the following is saved: 7,000 gallons of water; 380 gallons of oil; and enough electricity to power an average house for six months.
- You can run a TV for six hours on the amount of electricity that is saved by recycling one aluminum can.
- By recycling just one glass bottle, you save enough electricity to power a 100-watt bulb for four hours.

Throughout the rest of March, I'll tell you simple ways to become green at home, at the store, and on the road. I hope you join us!

Tuesday Night Storm Reports

Last night ended up being a wild night. Strong winds accompanied heavy rain and a few thunderstorms as Kira mentioned. Many reporting stations around Delmarva had wind gusts in the upper 50 and low 60 mph range. Here are the official wind damage storm reports from the Storm Prediction Center submitted by the local National Weather Service offices. Some of our weather watchers also reported strong wind gusts over 50 mph with some property damage.

UNKNOWN WIND SPEED 5 MILES SE CAMBRIDGE DORCHESTER MD: DAMAGE TO HOUSE AND CHIMNEYS AND A LARGE TREE DOWN. (AKQ)

UNKNOWN WIND SPEED 1 MILE N HURLOCK DORCHESTER MD: HOUSE AND FENCE DAMAGE. (AKQ)

UNKNOW WIND SPEED CENTREVILLE QUEEN ANNE'S MD: NUMEROUS POWER LINES DOWN IN CENTRAL QUEEN ANNES COUNTY IN THE VICINITY OF CENTREVILLE (PHI)

UNKNOWN WIND SPEED MARION STATION SOMERSET MD: POSSIBLE TORNADO. 6 LARGE TREES SNAPPED IN HALF. (AKQ)

UNKNOWN WIND SPEED WHITESBURG WORCESTER MD: SEVERAL TREES DOWN ALONG WHITESBURG AND DIVIDING CREEK ROADS. SIGNIFICANT BUILDING DAMAGE AND 2 BARNS COLLAPSED NEAR SOMERSET/WORCESTER BORDER. (AKQ)

UNKNOWN WIND SPEED 8 MILE SSW MILLSBORO SUSSEX DE: WIRES DOWN IN GUMBORO. (PHI)

UNKNOWN WIND SPEED GEORGETOWN SUSSEX DE: HANGAR DAMAGED AT SUSSEX COUNTY AIRPORT. (PHI)
63 MPH GUST GEORGETOWN SUSSEX DE: A 63 MPH WIND GUST WAS MEASURED AT THE GEORGETOWN AIRPORT ASSOCIATED WITH A SQUALL LINE. (PHI)

Storm Aftermath

Crazy start to the day!! A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for Sussex County and the entire area was included in a severe thunderstorm watch. A strong squall line pushed through Delmarva between 1-3 am. Rain rates at up to .5" an hour, frequent thunder and lightning, and strong winds accompanied those storms. Most impressively, Georgetown's airport had a wind gust of 63 mph at 2:08 am...that is tropical storm force!! Thousands of people were without power, debris covered the roads, and water completely inundated the roads. It was a crazy commute to work this morning, to say the least! Rain totals across Delmarva were anywhere from .5" to over 1".
As quick as the storms pushed in, they pushed out. The rain quickly ended by about 4-5 am and then the clouds started to break up. Judging by this afternoon and the mostly sunny skies, it's hard to imagine the stormy start to the day. Though it's still breezy now, the winds will diminish tonight as high pressure takes control of our weather. Sunshine sticks around for Thursday as well, but then more rain looks to head our way for Friday into Saturday. More details in the coming days...

Tuesday Storm Update

Here's a quick update on tonight’s rain. A strong low pressure system over West Virgina with a trailing cold front all the way down to Florida will bring the chance for some heavy showers and a possible thunderstorm after midnight. Most of the unstable air is to the West and South of Delmarva. There is even a tornado watch for West of the Chesapeake Bay until 3AM including Baltimore and Washington. Right now thunderstorm parameters do not look good for development of storms but there still is a chance. We continue to be under a slight risk for severe storms for tonight, mainly for wind damage potential.

As far as severe weather for today, there has only been one tornado officially reported but numerous wind damage reports across the Southern mid-Atlantic. Winds seem to be the main issue with this storm system. The winds are very strong from the surface and ever stronger all the way up through the mid and column of the atmosphere. So during any heavy rain showers or storms that develop, some of the strong winds from the upper atmosphere can be transferred down to the surface. A severe thunderstorm can produce winds over 60 mph. The good news is that the rain should be over by 7am on Wednesday. Breezy conditions still continue on Wednesday with West winds 15-20 mph and then finally subside Wednesday night.

Spring Weather Continues

If you missed out on today's nice weather, you will get a second chance on Tuesday. It just may be a good day to use some sick time, but don't let me influence you on that decision. I am actually still trying to get over a cold, it's been a week now and I am slowly getting better. Ok, now to the weather. Today's high was 65 degrees and that is tough to complain about for early March. High pressure aloft in the atmosphere and at the surface, and Southerly winds will allow for sunshine and high temperatures in the upper 60's tomorrow for the inland locations. I would not be surprised to see some 70 degree temperatures in the warmer locations if we get enough sunshine. The record high temperature tomorrow for Salisbury is 76 degrees.

However, temperatures this warm in early March do not last very long. A cold front will approach the area overnight Tuesday providing some rain. Right now, it looks like the best chance for steady rain would be from 2AM until 7AM Wednesday. Some of these showers could be heavy and a thunderstorm is possible. Right now, it looks like conditions for thunderstorms are not the best. But as Ashley talked about in the post below, the Storms Prediction Center continues to have us in a slight risk for severe weather for mainly wind damage potential. Winds will be strong throughout the entire atmosphere tomorrow so any storms that do develop could produce wind gusts over 60 mph. Even if no thunderstorms develop, strong wind gusts can still occur in heavy showers that develop. Again, it looks like the best time period for any strong winds that could develop would be overnight. Enjoy the mild weather!!! Also, Spring is less than 3 weeks away (March 20).

Severe Weather Potential

Our next storm system is expected to arrive late Tuesday night into Wednesday, bringing us showers and storms, and it is already bringing a mess of weather to the Midwest. Yesterday two tornadoes were reported, one in Kansas and one in Oklahoma, along with several wind and hail reports. So far today, there have only been reports of damaging winds in Texas and Arkansas, but tornado and severe thunderstorm watches are in effect for areas in Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana. Right now the National Weather Service actually has us in the slight risk area for Tuesday into Wednesday. There is a chance some of the thunderstorms may turn severe, but the largest threat at this point is damaging winds. Keeping checking back at our Blog and tune in to our Weathercasts for more details as the storm approaches.

Northern Lights Part 2

I just wanted to add a few more pictures I found looking online at auroras. The first image was taken in Russia. The second picture was taken in Norway. Both were from the aurora that was visible this weekend. Finally, the last is a picture of an aurora taken in Oklahoma, so you do not always have to be near the poles to see an aurora.

Oklahoma Picture: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap031113.html
Other Pictures: www.spaceweather.com

The Northern Lights

Everyone has a list of things they would like to see in their lifetime. Being a meteorologist, mine may be a little biased toward weather events, but one just happens to be going on this weekend… the Aurora Borealis (named after the Roman goddess Aurora, of the dawn and the Greek name for north wind, Boreas.) The Aurora Borealis, also called the Northern Light, is usually observed at night, near the poles. It can be green or sometimes red. An aurora in the southern hemisphere is called an Aurora Australis.

Wikipedia does a good job explaining how an aurora occurs. “Auroras are produced by the collision of charged particles, mostly electrons but also protons and heavier particles, from the magnetosphere, with atoms and molecules of the Earth's upper atmosphere (at altitudes above 80 km).” How exactly an aurora is originated is not completely understood yet.

According to NOAA forecasters, there is a 30% chance of more geomagnetic activity tonight.

References:
http://amsglossary.allenpress.com/glossary/search?p=1&query=aurora
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_(astronomy)
http://www.spaceweather.com/