Month: April 2019

Well, folks, I’m running the race right now. I set this blog to publish at 8:30 and that means I’m about an hour or so into the race. Say a prayer and send positive vibes, etc.!

I wonder how I’m feeling right now?…….

Main threats

No significant threats in sight.

Summary

Look for a nice day out there today. Be sure to get outside! We still have a slight chance for a shower tonight and early Sunday morning but that’s nothing to worry about.

Sunday afternoon and evening look really good. Enjoy.

The beginning of the workweek looks good, as well, with sunny skies and very warm temperatures.

Our next chance of rain arrives Wednesday and Thursday, when we should see scattered showers and storms return to the forecast.

WeatherTAP WeatherFACT

Seattle is not the rainiest city in the country. In fact, New York City receives more rain than Seattle in any given year. That being said, Seattle sees more rainy days than New York, they just don’t get a lot of rain on those days.

Seattle averages 37.41 inches of rain a year, New York gets 49.92 and Miami gets 61.92 inches.

Seattle averages 226 cloudy days a year. That makes me sleepy just thinking about it! (ha)

Records

The worst tornado outbreak in U.S. history occurred on this day in 2011. This was the first outbreak to out rival the Super Outbreak of April 3-4, 1974. An estimated 305 tornadoes set a record. Two EF-5s, four EF-4s, and 21 EF-3s. The tornado outbreak was most prolific across Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and southern Tennessee. Three hundred people lost their lives on this day, with 210 of those deaths coming from Alabama. The death toll from tornadoes that April went over 600, the most in any month in recorded history.

That enormous death toll was due to this super outbreak of tornadoes and the tornado that hit Joplin, Missouri that same month.

No one dreamed we would ever have such a deadly outbreak in the age of Doppler radar and modern communication.

Almanac

Almanac unavailable at this time

Yesterday’s record high: 87 (1986)

Yesterday’s record low: 32 (1972)

Today’s record high: not available

Today’s record low: not available

Today’s sunset: 7:24

Tomorrow sunrise: 5:50

Today’s day length: 13 hrs 32 mins 59 secs

Tomorrow’s day length: 13 hrs 34 mins 58 secs

One year ago today

It was back to feeling like spring on this day last year! After a cool morning low of 45 degrees, we sprang up to 67 degrees by the afternoon. Not a drop of rain fell ans winds were light from the northwest.

Astronomy 

Sky viewing conditions tonight: GOOD

Moon phase: Waning Crescent, 45% illumination

Moon rise: 2:14 a.m.

What to look for in the night sky tonight

If clouds aren’t in the way, look for the Beehive star cluster (M44) in the constellation Cancer the Crab. Look high in the southwest sky after darkness falls. With the naked eye, you should be able to spot the Beehive as a faint cloud. With binoculars, or a telescope at low power, the faint cloud explodes into dozens of stars.

Below is the night sky at 8:00 p.m., with M44 that green circle near the middle.

 

News

Wish me luck in my race! There’s still time to give!

https://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR/Heroes/Heroes;jsessionid=00000000.app20102b?px=4948061&pg=personal&fr_id=97508&NONCE_TOKEN=88AB53BA56F66141509710DE14C867FD&fbclid=IwAR3IM6siGnP-KHNCXmf3V01xFvINANJetk6Js2El5lvuRZ-Qo4QhND5uyBw

 

Total fundraising dollars now amount to $2,250!!! That’s a lot of families helped! The link to give is at the bottom of this blog post.

Main threats

No significant threats in sight.

Summary

We’ll see some morning showers before conditions improve by lunchtime. The afternoon and evening are looking quite nice, though it will be a bit breezy.

Overall, the weekend is looking nice too! We may get a stray shower Saturday night/early Sunday morning but that’s nothing to worry about.

The beginning of the work week looks good, with our next chance of scattered showers, and perhaps a storm, arriving Wednesday and Thursday. That does not look like a washout, but we should start seeing an increase in rain chances by then.

It’s unusual to have so little to say about storms this time of year. This is the peak of our severe weather season, but there are no clear indications of severe weather for the next week or so. That’s some good news for the plateau!

WeatherTAP WeatherFACT

Although Florida boasts of being the “sunshine state”, they don’t hold a candle to the Desert Southwest.  Phoenix, for example, sees more than double the sunny days as Tampa. If you want sunny days you better move to Arizona! (the humidity is more bearable too!)

Records

On this day in 1834 a killer frost impacted the Deep South. Frost was reported as “severe” in Huntsville, Alabama.

In 2003,  a very intense storm system brought incredible snowfall to California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains. Alpine Meadows ski resort, just north of Lake Tahoe, reported 100 inches of snow. Kirkwood, just south of Lake Tahoe, reported 112 inches.

Almanac

Yesterday’s record high: 84 (2016)

Yesterday’s record low: 31 (1969)

Today’s record high: 87 (1986)

Today’s record low: 32 (1972)

Today’s sunset: 7:23

Tomorrow sunrise: 5:51

Today’s day length: 13 hrs 30 mins 58 secs

Tomorrow’s day length: 13 hrs 32 mins 59 secs

One year ago today

It was a very chilly, wet day this time last year! The high only reached 53 degrees, after a morning low of 44. A rainfall total of 0.32 inches was recorded.

Astronomy 

Sky viewing conditions tonight: GOOD

Moon phase: Last Quarter, 54% illumination

What to look for in the night sky tonight

The Big Dipper is quite prominent in these April evening skies. Look to the northeast and you can’t miss it.

News

Yesterday morning, a terrible and long-track tornado moved from Texas into Louisiana. At least two lives were lost. The campus of Louisiana Tech was hit hard and the campus was closed until cleanup can make campus safe again. The tornado may have tracked for 150 miles! Damage surveys and radar investigations will determine if this was one single tornado or a family of tornadoes. They will also determine if this was a 150-mile long track of continuous destruction.

With spring, you never what you’ll get across the country. We’re talking tornadoes in one paragraph and snow in the next. Portions of the upper Midwest are under winter storm warnings today for 5-7 inches of snow. Locally heavier amounts are possible. The counties in the winter storm watch are highlighted in blue below. Even Chicago could get a slushy inch or two.

As stated at the beginning of this blog, today is the final day of giving to my St. Jude fundraiser before the race tomorrow morning. This has been an incredible experience and I still can’t believe over $2,000 has been donated to my fundraiser. That is just unbelievable and heart-warming. I hope and pray that you can feel the good that has come from this.

If you’d still like to give you are more than welcome to do so. No gift is too small and every penny will be used wisely. You can even donate anonymously if you wish. To everyone who has given I want to say THANK YOU! This means so much to me and I will think of you all every step of the way tomorrow….all the way to that 13.1 mark.

If you’ve never ran a 5K or half marathon you should try it someday. It’s quite the experience! Marathons are a different beast altogether but I encourage anyone without serious health issues to go for that, too! Only in these races is it OK to chase people and not get in trouble. Well, tagging them and saying, “You’re it!” could get you in trouble but who knows? I’ll not try it. (hahaha).

The link to give can be found here:

https://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR/Heroes/Heroes;jsessionid=00000000.app20102b?px=4948061&pg=personal&fr_id=97508&NONCE_TOKEN=88AB53BA56F66141509710DE14C867FD&fbclid=IwAR3IM6siGnP-KHNCXmf3V01xFvINANJetk6Js2El5lvuRZ-Qo4QhND5uyBw

Race day is coming and it’s coming fast. I’m not sure why I’m so nervous about this race but it is what it is (haha). I think I’ll feel better after I get my packet this evening. My bib number is 1802.

You all better think of me Saturday morning! (ha)

A donation came in this morning that takes me to an even $2,250! That’s just remarkable. I’m now doing a blast of Facebook campaigning to round up any last minute donors. I’ve always said that if I ever come into a large sum of money I’d give to St. Jude. I can think of few other places where money would do more good. I’ve heard many of you say the same thing.

Those of you who gave have helped ease the burden on a family that is going through a nightmare. It’s no picnic for the kids.

Some of these kids even experience parental abandonment when diagnosed. Some parents, right? St. Jude steps right in and takes care of those kids, too. No family and no child ever gets a bill…for anything.

The link to give can be found here:

https://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR/Heroes/Heroes;jsessionid=00000000.app20102b?px=4948061&pg=personal&fr_id=97508&NONCE_TOKEN=88AB53BA56F66141509710DE14C867FD&fbclid=IwAR3IM6siGnP-KHNCXmf3V01xFvINANJetk6Js2El5lvuRZ-Qo4QhND5uyBw

I sure do appreciate all of you who have been so incredibly generous. This means a lot to me and I can’t imagine how much it means to the families and kids who are using St. Jude right now. People who have been to St. Jude tell me that if I think I’m having a bad day, go walk the halls of St. Jude.

 

Main threats

No significant threats in sight.

Summary

We’ll see some showers and t-showers around today, but they will mostly hold off until this afternoon and evening. Still, many of us should stay dry. Rain chances pick up tonight and by Friday morning everyone’s lawns should have a drink of water. Showers should move out by noon Friday, leaving us with a nice afternoon and evening.

Saturday is looking good, with a slight chance of a shower or storm overnight and into the early morning hours of Sunday. Most of us may stay dry but some of you may get some more water on your lawn.

The start of our work week is looking warm and mostly dry. Some models bring in some isolated showers each day but I left those off the outlook for now. Those chances are at about 10%, so that’s too low to put on the outlook.

Rain chances increase again by Wednesday afternoon and evening but even that doesn’t look to heavy at this point.

WeatherTAP WeatherFACT

The total amount of rain, snow, and other moisture falling to the surface of the earth annually is equal to ten million gallons for every person on the planet. That’s a lot of water! Anyone else feeling thirsty? :/

Records

The latest freeze to ever occur in Nashville occurred on this date in 1910. With 1.5 inches of snow on the ground, the temperature dropped to 32 degrees by the morning of April 25th. This is also the latest that measurable snowfall has been on the ground in Music City.

Almanac

Yesterday’s record high: 84 (1965)

Yesterday’s record low: 29 (1986)

Today’s record high: 84 (2016)

Today’s record low: 31 (1969) Record lows are getting significantly warmer each day!

Today’s sunset: 7:22

Tomorrow sunrise: 5:52

Today’s day length: 13 hrs 28 mins 57 secs

Tomorrow’s day length: 13 hrs 30 mins 58 secs

One year ago today

The high was  59 and the low was 50. As you can imagine, it was cloudy and about 0.04 inches of rain fell. Those temps are below normal but clouds will almost always hold the temp down.

Astronomy 

Sky viewing conditions tonight: POOR

Moon phase: Waning Gibbous, 64% illumination

What to look for in the night sky tonight

Clouds will likely obscure any good view of the sky.

News

Yesterday, a graphic was released showing the number of tornadoes in each state up until today. Look how lucky Tennessee has been. We’ve had some very close calls, as you all know, but tornadoes have just not felt welcome here this year. Look at Mississippi, though!

I looked up some info on those California tornadoes, as many people on weatherTAP social media noticed that number and thought it was too high. Actually, they average six tornadoes a year, with many of them coming in March. Learn something every day, right?

Well, my Kids on the Rise meeting wasn’t able to take place. The director of Kids on the Rise has a sick little girl and so we postponed the meeting.

Oh, and don’t forget today’s date…..

You all have a great day!