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!
There’s not a lot to talk about. I am watching the storm system coming the end of next week. It looks like it might produce some severe storms on the plains, but I don’t think that threat will make it this far east. We may get on into the second half of March before any substantial threat develops. I’ll keep an eye out.
On This Day in Wx History
1960- Temperature dips to -2 at Crossville, setting a new record low for the month.
THAT is cold any time of the year!
Almanac
Solar/Lunar Data
14 Days until Spring!
Yesterday’s National Temperature Extremes
High: 95° at Rio Grande Village, Texas
Low: -8° at Afton, Wyoming & Stanley, Idaho
Today’s National Wx Hazards
Some accumulating snow can be found across northern and western New England and in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. A storm system in the southern plains will produce thunderstorms, but they should stay below severe limits.
Tomorrow’s National Wx Hazards
More accumulating snow for northern and western New England, and a big storm system gets bigger in the Northwest.
Weather Shots
The NWS announced yesterday that by 2024 it will have suspended the use of “advisories.” From that time on, only watches and warnings will be issued. This is to remove confusion from such advisories. I’m not sure how I feel about this, but I’m sure input and discussion between now and then will leave us with a better system.
NASA Nerdology
Did you know there’s a garden on the International Space Station? During his mission, @Astro_illini has harvested radishes, planted lettuce, & begun growing mustard greens and pak choi. The plants are a source of food, and a connection reminding the crew of Earth. Visiting the labs at Kennedy during one of my NASA Socials was one of the most interesting things I got to visit. I thought it was all absolutely fascinating!
You all have a great day and keep lookin’ up!
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Severe weather awareness week continues! Monday evening, I talked about the importance of storm spotters, flash flooding, and lightning. This evening’s topic includes tornadoes and severe t-storms.
Tornadoes
This form of severe weather is on about the same level as ice storms when it comes to striking fear in the hearts of residents of the plateau. I say it over and over again….go to the ground level (basement is preferred), away from windows, with as many walls between you and the outside that you can get. Put on that helmet (bicycle helmets work great!). Head trauma is a very common injury with tornadoes and that threat can be reduced with a helmet. I have mine ready every time severe weather threatens. Gotta protect this noggin’!
If you’re going to bed and severe weather may threaten later on into the night, keep that weather radio on and make sure it has fresh batteries. Also, keep a pair of shoes by the bed and a flashlight. People are sometimes suddenly awakened and run for cover….barefoot. If the storm leaves broken glass on the floor, you now have to walk on that with your bare feet. That’s not good and could have easily been prevented.
Keep important papers in a safety deposit box. Scan important pictures and save them in an electronic file. For example, I have a few pictures that are especially precious to me and I have them scanned, just in case something happens to the house. I actually did this with my grandma’s chocolate pie recipe too. I took a picture of her handwritten recipe, complete with the little side notes she wrote in, and I have that saved on a drive. She always made those pies for me as rewards, comfort, or just to do so and I miss that so much. Disaster causes enough pain without us losing the most precious of possessions.
Getting to an interior room is key to staying alive. You may get hurt, but if you have that helmet on and any cushioning you can find (ie mattresses, pillows, etc), you should be fine. Get out of mobile homes. Get out of mobile homes. Get out of mobile homes. I don’t care if you have to get out of the mobile home and under the porch (people have survived doing that). That home is liable to go flying and you don’t want to be a part of that ride.
Get out of the car. Just get out of the car. Get into a sturdier structure. If you absolutely cannot get out of the car, make sure your seatbelt is on and then lie as flat as you can in the car. What an awful situation you find yourself in, but that’s now your best actions for survival. If only you had paid attention to the weather and stayed off the road in the first place……..
Don’t crack the windows in your home. You’re wasting your time.
Be careful with basements. Get in a corner and under a sturdy table. If the house collapses, it may come on into the basement (we see that happen from time to time). While a basement is good, you still need to take other actions.
The strongest tornadoes on the plateau have been F/EF-4s. That’s rough. Thankfully, Tennessee has only had one EF-5 and that was on April 16, 1998 in southern Middle Tennessee and over open farmland. It plowed the ground like a tractor. Farther south, in northern Mississippi, we had an EF-5 tornado that once removed 18 inches of soil and carried it away. That same twister also threw a truck, upside down, over the top of a water tower (Smithville, Mississippi, April 27, 2011).
Thankfully, EF-5s are extremely rare. A great majority of Tennessee tornadoes are rather weak and short-lived.
The sound of a tornado varies between tornadoes. The ones I’ve heard sounded like a thousand waterfalls. It would have been a relaxing sound had I not known it was deadly winds. ha We call this the “waterfall effect,” since most tornadoes sound that way. I’ve never figured out why people say a tornados sounds like a freight train? Fellow chaser friends of mine wonder the same thing.
Severe Thunderstorms
Severe thunderstorms can be just as destructive as many tornadoes, yet people never take a severe thunderstorm warning as seriously as they do a tornado warning. The winds of a severe thunderstorm can roar just like a tornado and few people can be convinced that the winds of a severe thunderstorm weren’t a tornado. That’s always been odd to me. It’s almost as if some people become offended if you tell them it was straight-line winds. Odd, right? (ha)
Starting this year, the NWS will begin using different wording for storms with an especially high risk of damaging, non-tornadic winds. Squall lines would be an example of this. Last summer, a squall line called a derecho raced across Iowa. By the time the line of storms had left the state, it literally looked like a hurricane had hit the state. In fact, they’re still recovering from that. The damage was extreme in many locations and it was all straight-line winds.
I often hear people say, “It was a tornado because it roared like one.” So, are straight-line winds quiet? High wind roars and sounds scary, whether it’s going around in a circle or blowing straight ahead.
Take cover from severe storms as you would a tornado. Interior room, away from windows, many walls between you and the storm. Get that helmet on.
Watches and Warnings
A watch means to be looking (watching) for signs of bad weather. A warning means to be hiding. A watch can last for hours, while warnings last minutes.
When a warning is issued, take cover. Make yourself a kit when a watch is issued. Get a flashlight, a bottle or two of water, your weather radio, something for the kids to do during the warning to distract, some snacks to stress eat (ha), and anything else that makes ya feel better. Throw a few things in a kit and know where it’s at so you can quickly grab it. This is something you don’t have to do right now, but it’s something you can work on when a watch is issued. You can grab it and go when a warning is issued.
Keep in mind that if you’re following Meteorologist Mark I always give an ALL – CLEAR. I also let you know when a warning has ended and you can come out of hiding. The quicker you know that warning is over, the quicker your nerves can be relaxing.
Finally, get a weather radio. You can look to me for a forecast but I want you to rely on the NWS for warnings. I can’t be liable for that through my blog. I can give you all kinds of information about the storm but I can’t issue warnings. ONLY the NWS can do that.
Final Words
The spring severe weather season is here and being prepared is key to being safe and less scared. The more prepared you are, the less scared you are.
If I had a final piece of advice it would be to talk to your family right now about what you will do when a warning is issued. If you’re separated, make sure you have a way of getting in touch, especially if cell service goes down. I’ll remind you of a lot of this when watches are issued. Still, just take a minute to think about it now.
Pictured below is the weather radio I highly recommend. You can shop around for this model and sometimes find it cheaper. It is also at Walmart in the electronics section. You can also find it on Amazon (just search Midland weather radio).
Thank you all so much for trusting me with your weather. It’s a responsibility I never take lightly and it’s a pleasure to be your weather guy! 🙂
Saturday & Sunday: Sunny and pleasant. Crisp mornings, warm afternoons.
Monday: Sunny and quite nice.
48-Hour Precip Forecast
Meteorologist Mark’s 5-Day Wx Concerns
Meteorologist Mark’s Wx Discussion
Honestly, I’d like to see a bit more rain the forecast, since things dry out so quickly this time of year. Vegetation begins coming to life and that vegetation is thirsty. I do not see any significant rainfall until the middle of the month. The good news is that the dry weather also means severe weather stays away. That will likely change the second half of the month.
Is it safe to say the snow is over. Yes.
Is it safe to say we’ll have no more cold weather? No. (ha) Remember, we have Dogwood winter, Blackberry winter, etc etc A total of at least five “winters” before summer comes along.
On This Day in Wx History
1917- Nashville receives 7½ inches of snow.
Almanac
Solar/Lunar Data
15 Days until Spring!
Yesterday’s National Temperature Extremes
High: 87° at Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, & West Kendall, Florida and at Fountain Hills, Arizona
Low: -22° at Peter Sinks, Utah
Today’s National Wx Hazards
A bit of accumulating snow can be found across northern and western New England. Another area of snowfall can be found across parts of Utah, southern Wyoming, and central Colorado. A wildfire danger persists across eastern New Mexico and western Texas. Thunderstorms across Oklahoma should stay under severe limits, for the most part.
Tomorrow’s National Wx Hazards
Accumulating snowfall can be found across parts of new the Northeast. Elsewhere, some thunderstorms can be found across the southern plains but severe weather is not expected.
Weather Shots
A friend of mine, @JasonDunning, is a meteorologist in Miami, Florida, and took this pic yesterday evening. Nice shot!
NASA Nerdology
Astronaut, chemist & physician Anna Fisher was around 8.5 months pregnant when she was asked to prepare for a trip to space. Fourteen months later, she flew aboard Discovery as the flight engineer and the 1st mother in space!
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!
Good evening, everyone. I had planned to do a special post this evening about severe weather awareness week but I will postpone that until tomorrow evening. I have just learned that the NWS Nashville is doing a special online recap of the March 3, 2020 tornadoes that devastated parts of Middle TN, including the Cookeville area, one year ago today.
I’m all registered! The class is supposed to be about an hour long and begins at 7:00 pm.
I drove down to Cookeville to see how things had changed and, like with any disaster, progress is certainly visible a year later. There were lots of folks wandering the neighborhoods, clearly reflecting on what had happened, so I didn’t take any pictures.
As you all know, one of the tornadoes from that historic storm moved through parts of Rinnie in northern Cumberland County.
You all take care and check out that online broadcast if you’re interested! This was truly an unusual event and one that we hope to never see again.
