Month: April 2019

Main threats

No significant threats in sight.

Summary

I think it’s safe to say we have made it through Dogwood winter. There will be more cool shots of air before summer gets here, for sure, but we’ll not see that this week!

Today and tomorrow are looking great. Models are trending drier with Wednesday and I just don’t see us getting much in the way of precip that day. Rain chances will pick up for Thursday and we could even hear a rumble of thunder. Still, this is not looking like a washout (at this time).

Showers may still linger for Friday but don’t be surprised if those get dropped.

Then, the weekend arrives and so far it’s looking good! Notice that Saturday is the big St. Jude race in Nashville. I have more info in the News section below.

WeatherTAP WeatherFACT

A freak lightning strike in the Democratic Republic of Congo struck a soccer team and killed 11 members of one soccer team, leaving the opposing team unmatched (and unharmed!). This led to accusations of witchcraft by survivors. It didn’t help that the score, at the time of the strike, was a delicately balance one all. This took place in 1998.

Voodoo meteorology strikes again! (ha)

Records

An outbreak of tornadoes swept across the South on this day in 1883. The town of Beauregard, Mississippi was completely destroyed by a very powerful twister. The tornadoes took the lives of 200 people.

On this day in 2011 the Lambert International Airport in St. Louis was impacted by a tornado. In fact, multiple tornadoes were seen moving toward the airport before everyone was forced to take cover. Windows were blown out and the roof of Concourse C was lost. The airport suffered extensive damage. Miraculously, only five people were hurt and no one was killed.

Almanac

Yesterday’s record high: 86 (1963)

Yesterday’s record low: 25 (1956)

Today’s record high: 85 (1988)

Today’s record low: 31 (1986)

Today’s sunset: 7:19

Tomorrow sunrise: 5:55

Today’s day length: 13 hrs 22 mins 48 secs

Tomorrow’s day length: 13 hrs 24 mins 52 secs

One year ago today

We reached a high of 58 degrees, after a morning low of only 52 degrees. You can almost always bet it was raining when the high and low are so close to each other. Indeed, we picked up exactly half an inch of rain. Winds were from the southeast.

Astronomy 

Sky viewing conditions tonight: EXCELLENT

Moon phase: Waning Gibbous, 89% illumination

What to look for in the night sky tonight

Well, the Lyrid meteor shower peaked early this morning, but you can still see plenty of meteors tonight. You will have to battle that bright moon, though. If you just can’t spot any meteors tonight never fear. The Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks in a couple of weeks, just in time for the New Moon. The dark sky then will make those meteors much easier to spot!

News

Saturday is race day! I’m just hoping the weather stays on the cool side. I have now raised a grand total of $2,237!!! BUT, it’s not over yet. I can still take money right up to race day. If you haven’t given and would like to please go to this site to give. OR, you can arrange to drop your donation off here at TAP. I’m very tempted to pledge $3,000 (that’s the next tier of pledging) for next year and the total I have so far is certainly encouraging enough for me to do that. Still, it sure would be cool to see how close we can get to $3,000 this year!

Every penny you give goes to St. Jude. What a great cause!

I run. You give. It’s that simple. Well, simple if running a half marathon is easy….which it’s not! But this isn’t about me! (haha).

Here’s that link and you all have a great day!

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

 

Go out and check out the moon rising. It’s a beautiful sight this evening!

I hope each and every one of you are having a wonderful Easter Sunday. Clear skies and calm winds made for perfect conditions for fog this morning. Never fear, though, the sun is on its way!

Our weather is looking great today, but we can’t let our guard down too much this time of year. There’s no severe wx in sight for this week but we know that will change, as we are in the battle of the seasons for the next month or so.

That is the inspiration behind today’s Sunday Story. I hope you enjoy!

Tornado Detection

The spring severe weather season is here, so it’s a good time to learn about the form of severe weather so many fear most; the tornado.

Tornado detection has come a long way over the years, thanks in large part to Doppler radar. This radar can tell which direction the winds are blowing within a storm. If those winds are rotating the radar will detect that rotation and a warning may be issued.

One problem with radar is that the beam increases with height the farther out from the radar site it gets. That means the radar beam coming from Nashville is a few thousand feet up off the ground by the time it reaches the plateau. This can lead to a lot of false warnings, as a storm may be rotating aloft but not making contact with the ground.

In recent years, a new radar product, called correlation coefficient, has been put to good use. This product detects debris that may be within a storm. This product knows when the object the radar beam is hitting is not rain or hail. That allows meteorologists to confirm a tornado has touched down based on the detection of debris in the storm, so long as the storm is strong enough to loft that debris high into the air.

We’ve come a long way since the days of WWII, when the military’s use of radar to detect enemy planes noticed that radar also detected precipitation. Now, we can even detect the winds, and possibly debris, within that precipitation.

Still, many tornadoes are too weak to be detected this way. Therefore, spotter networks are vital in letting folks know if a tornado has touched down.

So, keep an eye on the sky and always know what to do in case a warning is issued.

Main threats

No significant threats in sight.

Summary

Clouds and scattered to isolated showers should be with us most of the day, decreasing in coverage and intensity as we move toward the evening hours. Clouds should decrease overnight.

That leads us to a wonderful Easter Sunday. We should be very thankful for that.

That good weather continues into the first part of our workweek, before our next storm system moves in mid-week.

WeatherTAP WeatherFACT

You can tell the temperature by counting the clicks a cricket makes in 15 seconds and adding 37.

Records

It was a bad weather day in the Deep south on this day in 1920. A tornado outbreak took the lives of 219 people.

On this day in 2006 up to five feet of snow fell across portions of the Dakotas. Interstate 94 was completely shut down. Power outages were widespread. Four people lost their lives in the storm.

 

Almanac

Yesterday’s record high: 83 (2002)

Yesterday’s record low: 23 (1983)

Today’s record high: 84 (1964)

Today’s record low: 26 (1983)

Today’s sunset: 7:18

Tomorrow sunrise:  5:58

Today’s day length: 13 hrs 18 mins 38 secs

Tomorrow’s day length: 13 hrs 20 mins 44 secs

One year ago today

Winds were calm and the afternoon hit 65 degrees. This came after a frosty morning low of 32 degrees. Not too bad of a day!

Astronomy 

Sky viewing conditions tonight: POOR

Moon phase: Waning Gibbous, 99% illumination

What to look for in the night sky tonight

Mostly cloudy skies will likely block the view. After midnight, skies should clear.  The Lynid meteor shower is best after midnight, but you’ll be battling the light of a nearly Full moon.

News

You all have a wonderful Easter weekend!