I am a local meteorologist for the Upper Cumberlands of Tennessee. I absolutely love tracking and forecasting the weather for this region! It is certainly an interesting place for weather!
I also write weekly weather articles for the Fentress Courier and the Livingston Enterprise, in addition to teaching free science classes for kids once a month.
If you ever want to talk weather you have found an ear! I hope you enjoy reading my blog as much as I enjoy writing for it!
1944- One person is killed, and 14 more injured, as an F-2 tornado strikes near Lebanon, Tennessee, at 6:30 a.m., cutting a 4 mile path before lifting.
A Year Ago Today
70Days until Summer
Yesterday’s National Temperature Extremes
High: 100° at both Death Valley, California and Cibola, Arizona
Low: 1° at Peter Sinks, Utah
Today’s National Wx Hazards
Severe storms are expected in Florida today, while snow accumulates across Montana and northern Wyoming.
Tomorrow’s National Wx Hazards
More snow accumulates in Montana and Wyoming, while freezing rain threatens northern Minnesota. The rest of the nation is free from high-impact weather.
Drought Monitor
The drought monitor is updated each Thursday.
NASA Nerdology
The helicopter on Mars was scheduled to take flight for the first time today. However, a small glitch has delayed that flight until Wednesday. Better safe than sorry!
Special NOTE:Please note that the Sunday Story will be published later this evening and will be published on Sunday evenings from now on. Thank you!
You all have a great day and keep lookin’ up!
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The “Meteorologist Mark” app is coming soon! Stay tuned!
Cloud cover and rain showers have really limited instability. Our window of opportunity for storms to fire this afternoon has nearly closed.
The Storm Prediction Center just updated their outlook and and they removed the plateau from any risk of severe storms for the rest of the day. That is great news!
The big storms well to our south today helped us out, too. There was historic four-inch diameter hail at Orange Beach, Alabama this morning!
We can’t completely rule out a stray shower or thundershower the rest of the day but that should be about it.
You all enjoy the rest of your Saturday and be thankful for a cloudy and rainy morning!
I like what I’m seeing on satellite….clouds. As long as we stay cloudy and cooler, the cold front that comes through this evening won’t have much instability to work with. If clouds break and temps rise, our storm chances go up.
The latest satellite image shows lots of clouds around our region. Those breaks over in West TN and northern Mississippi will need to stay away from us.
The updated outlook from the Storm Prediction Center, issued at 11:30, maintains a marginal risk for severe storms for the plateau through the afternoon and early evening. Until the cold front comes through this evening, we’ll have a risk for a shower or storm. That front just moved cross the Mississippi River and should be out of here by 7:00 or sooner.
Likewise, my concern from this morning’s blog update is unchanged. Our risk is low, but not zero. An isolated, brief tornado spin-up is also possible, as we have a lot of “spin” in our atmosphere again today. But, if we stay cloudy and cooler that chance stays even lower. I’ll issue another update at 3:00.
Showers & storms for Saturday (A couple severe storms possible)
Nice wx returns by Sunday
A cooling trend for next week
Meteorologist Mark’s Wx Vlog
48-Hour WX
48-Hour Precip Forecast
Five-Day Forecast
Daily Forecast Summary
Today: Showers and storms. Some storms could be strong this afternoon. Windy.
Sunday: Partly cloudy and breezy.
Monday: Partly cloudy and warm.
Tuesday – Wednesday: Partly cloudy and cooler.
Meteorologist Mark’s 5-Day Wx Concerns
My confidence is high in that we’ll see a low-end threat for severe storms this afternoon. That threat is low, but not zero. There is a risk for a brief tornado spin-up, as well.
The Storm Prediction Center has placed our area in the marginal risk for severe storms. This is the lowest of the five severe weather risk categories.
Meteorologist Mark’s Wx Discussion
Showers and thundershowers are very benign across the state this morning. Let’s hope it stays that way!
As we go through the next several hours, we’ll watch for new storm development back to the west, around the Nashville area. As that activity moves east, it will encounter some warm and unstable air over the plateau. That could cause storms to briefly become strong to severe. There is a 2% risk for a quick spin-up tornado. That risk is very low, but not zero.
If we get any sun and warm things up even more, that would increase our storm threat.
The main severe weather action is well to our south today and that activity will likely rob our atmosphere of a lot of energy. That bodes well for us.
Once we get past today, the weather is looking much quieter and that quiet weather should last through much, if not all, of next week. Temps will cool by the end of the week and we may be looking at “Dogwood Winter” by this time next week.
Almanac for Yesterday
Solar/Lunar Data
On This Day in Wx History
1994- One person is killed and 18 others injured when lightning strikes during an Ultimate Frisbee Match in Antioch in Davidson County.
2009- An EF-4 tornado carves a 23.25 mile long by 1/2 mile wide path across Rutherford County, passing through the northern sections of Murfreesboro. A total of 194 homes are destroyed and another 1547 damaged or affected across the county, with two people killed and 58 others injured. Nine other tornadoes touch down across Middle Tennessee.
A Year Ago Today
71Days until Summer
Yesterday’s National Temperature Extremes
High: 110° at Falcon Lake, Texas
Low: 0° at Peter Sinks, Utah
Today’s National Wx Hazards
Severe storms are expected across parts of the Southeast today, with all modes of severe weather possible. A wildfire danger continues across western New Mexico, while accumulating snow falls across western Montana.
Tomorrow’s National Wx Hazards
It’s a rather quiet April day, with the exception of accumulating snowfall causing high impacts to travel across Montana and Wyoming.
Drought Monitor
The drought monitor is updated each Thursday.
NASA Nerdology
A field of sand dunes occupies this frosty 3-mile diameter crater in the high-latitudes of the northern plains of Mars. Some dunes have separated from the main field and appear to be climbing up the crater slope along a gully-like form. How cool is it that we get to see images like this from another planet? The picture is so crisp and clear! I can almost feel the frosty air.
You all have a great day and keep lookin’ up!
Be sure to follow the blog by finding that “Follow” button in the lower right corner of the screen. Thank you!
Please feel free to “Follow” me on Social Media!
The “Meteorologist Mark” app is coming soon! Stay tuned!
