MM News
A very special HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the very lucky mother of Meteorologist Mark! (ha) Happy birthday, Mom!
Weather Headlines
One last hot and humid day!
Lower humidity begins moving in tomorrow
Humidity stays away until Friday (a very pleasant week ahead!)
Watching a tropical system in the Gulf of Mexico
Meteorologist Mark’s Wx Vlog
Seven-Day Forecast
Daily Forecast
Today: Mostly sunny, hot and humid. Be careful in the heat. Showers and storms are liable to develop in the afternoon and evening. Any storm that develops could be strong.
Monday – Thursday: Mostly sunny and pleasant. Enjoy the low humidity while it lasts!
Friday: Mostly sunny. Humidity begins increasing.
Saturday: Hot and humid, with a chance for showers and thunderstorms.
Hay Weather Forecast
Meteorologist Mark’s Wx Concerns
Be careful in the heat and humidity again today. Stay hydrated and take breaks in the shade if you must be outside.
Like yesterday, widespread severe weather is not expected, but any storm that develops could become locally and briefly severe, with damaging winds being the main threat.
Almanac for Yesterday
Tropics
An area of low pressure continues to slowly organize in the Bay of Campeche. It is also moving very, very slowly. As we go through this week, this area of low pressure is expected to develop into a tropical depression or tropical storm. By the weekend, it may be producing very heavy rainfall for parts of the northern Gulf Coast. Anyone with travel plans to the Gulf by next weekend should monitor this situation very closely.
Sun & The Moon
Planting by the Moon in June
On This Day in Wx History
1984 – Severe thunderstorms struck Denver, deluging the city with five inches of rain and leaving up to six feet of water in some places. Softball size hail smashed windshields and ripped through metal cars. Snow plows had to be called out.
Yesterday’s National Temperature Extremes
High: 112° at Rio Grande Village, Texas, Death Valley, California, and Sabino Canyon & Cibola, Arizona
Low: 20° at Peter Sinks, Utah
Sunday Story
When we hear the phrase “Tornado Alley”, it might imply that there is a region of the country, typically on the plains, that is more prone to tornadic activity. That is a gross misinterpretation of tornado climatology in our country.
That is why many meteorologists would like to see an end to the phrase “Tornado Alley.”
Last year, there were more tornadoes in the South than on the plains. Last year wasn’t the first time that’s happened and it certainly won’t be the last.
The plains typically see tornadoes in March, April, and May. Outside of those months, there’s hardly any severe storm activity (typically). In the South, we face a risk of tornadoes year round, thanks in part to the easy access to warm, humid air from the nearby Gulf of Mexico.
Last year, the National Weather Service (NWS) in Birmingham, Alabama issued 39 tornado warnings. The NWS in Oklahoma City only issued 30.
To make matters worse, more people are killed in tornadoes in the South than on the plains. Many of the tornadoes on the plains occur in the daylight hours. That is why we see so many clear videos of tornadoes on the open plains from storm chasers, but it also means folks in their path can see them coming too.
In the South, many of our tornadoes come at night. This means folks can’t see them and that makes the situation much more dangerous. Plus, there aren’t as many nice tornado videos, which can lead folks to think we don’t have as many tornadoes as the plains’ states do.
Tornado Alley is certainly a place to be weather aware in the spring, but let’s not forget that the South is a place to be weather aware for tornadoes every month of the year.
