Author: Meteorologist Mark

The heat is already cranking up out there today, with the temp already approaching 80 degrees and it’s not even 8:30 yet! Expect a very hot and humid day, with isolated to scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms. We don’t expect any organized severe wx, though any storm this time of year is capable of briefly becoming severe. Regardless, these summer storms usually contain lots of dangerous lightning and gusty winds. A more substantial severe wx threat will exist on Thursday. We’re not expecting much in the way of tornadoes, due to conditions just not being favorable for that kind of activity, but we could see some very potent storms roll out of Kentucky during the afternoon or evening. I’ll keep an eye on it. Right now, damaging straight line winds look to be the main threat, along with very heavy rainfall and some hail.  On Friday, we go back to your typical heat-of-the-day afternoon and evening t-storms.  That forecast will hold throughout the weekend. There are indications that a front will make its way through here early next week, bringing lower humidity. We’ll keep our fingers crossed!

Tropical Troubles?

As we all know, hurricane season started June 1. Typically, we expect development to be slow for June and anything that develops is usually in the Caribbean or Gulf of Mexico. FYI, hurricane season peaks in late August to early September. We are monitoring a disturbance that will make its way into the southern Gulf over the next several days. And that’s exactly where we’d expect any development to occur this time of year. The chance of development is small, but with the threat of a Gulf storm, we have to monitor it. Where it goes from there is anyone’s guess at this point. We have several days  to monitor that.  What is unusual is that a very strong disturbance has come off the coast of Africa and will be making its way across the Atlantic. It’s something to monitor because all indications are that the steering pattern will guide it right toward the Caribbean, where it becomes a concern to the US. Again, anything can happen between now and then, but we’ll monitor it. That wouldn’t be a threat until next week. Let us know if you have any questions by asking here or AskUs@weathertap.com!

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We’re already seeing that high humidity this morning. That high humidity, along with that hot sun, will make the atmosphere ripe for scattered afternoon and evening t-storms. Highs both Tuesday and Wednesday will top out in the lower 80s, with lows near 70. What you get today in the weather is what you’ll get on Wednesday. On Thursday, a cold front will begin flirting with our area, and that will lead to some stronger storms. Some of Thursday’s storms could contain some hail and marginally severe winds. I’ll keep an eye on it! The heat and humidity continue for Friday through Sunday, with isolated to scattered heat-of-the-day t-storms. There are indications that a stronger cold front will come through here around Tuesday, bringing lower humidity and cooler temps. I’ll keep an eye on that too!

I hope you got to check out the International Space Station last evening? It was a site to see once again. I’ll try to keep you posted on when the next one will be. Remember, you can watch it track across the earth live at http://www.isstracker.com/, as well as get texts reminders of when it will be flying over your neighborhood at https://goo.gl/LMQKyO.

Since it is so hot and humid out today, I’ll leave you with a pic of a place that might cool you off a bit. Isn’t that beautiful? This photo was taken by Tim Sherrill, father of our very own Emily Sherrill.

Now, when we leavin’ for the beach? 🙂

Technically, Summer doesn’t arrive until  June 20th, but you’ll beg to disagree with that this week. You may have already noticed that the humidity has really increased out there. It’s going to feel hot and muggy all week, with afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms. Each day will feature highs in the low to mid 80s, and overnight lows in the mid to upper 60s. The best chance of rain right now looks to be on Thursday, as a front creeps closer to our area. Basically, just know that it’s going to be hot and humid with scattered thunderstorms each afternoon and evening.  As usual, some of the storms could be strong, with gusty winds and lots of lightning, but no widespread severe weather is expected at this time.

You may have noticed that beautiful full moon over the weekend? It was quite the site to see! Facebook follower Inga Sarda-Sore snapped this pic of the moon as it was rising over New York City. The city is beautiful enough as darkness fall, but throw in that moon and it’s absolutely gorgeous.

On top of that beautiful moon rising, the International Space Station (ISS) flew right over my house Friday evening. It was so bright and easy to see. You can track the ISS live at http://www.isstracker.com/. Then, you can always know where it’s at! It’s really cool to watch. Check it out! You can also get free text messages from NASA that will alert you to when the ISS will be flying over your neighborhood. I get these and I highly recommend it. You can sign up at https://goo.gl/LMQKyO.

Would you take a ride on the ISS if given the chance? I would just to see a hurricane from space. How cool would that be? 🙂

Warm. Dry. Sunny. Repeat. That’s pretty much the forecast for the next three days! Mostly sunny skies will allow us to warm to near 80 today and into the low to mid 80s over the weekend. Clear skies at night will allow temps to drop to near 60. Humidity will be increasing each day, so you’ll likely feel that change, especially by Sunday. The next chance of rain comes Monday, as we heat up to a muggy 85 degrees. An isolated shr or storm is possible by the afternoon/evening. Those rain chances tick up to about 40% or so by Tuesday and Wednesday, again, mainly afternoon and evening heat-of-the-day type stuff.

That picture is one of the few taken of the worst tornado to ever strike New England. The one-mile wide twister hit Worcester, Massachusetts on June 9, 1953. It took the lives of 90 people as it tracked for 46 miles. The tornado bent steel towers that were built to withstand winds of up to 375 mph! The storm dropped debris on Boston and then out into the Atlantic Ocean.  1953 was the third deadliest year for tornadoes in the US, with 519 lives lost. This is in spite of the fact that tornado counts were below average that year. Of the 519 killed, two-thirds of those were lost in only three tornadoes (Flint, MI, Waco, TX, and Worcester, MA).  This emphasizes the point that we try to make with hurricane season. You don’t have to have an active year to have a bad year. It only takes one storm.

Incidentally, 1953 caused the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) to reorganize. The Flint and Waco tornadoes had been forecast, but the Worcester was a complete surprise (it was 1953, after all). At that time, the SPC consisted of young men who had gained their meteorological training while serving in the military during WWII.  Many of them had less than 10 years experience.  One of the men was Joseph Galway, the inventor of the “lifted index” that we use today as a severe wx parameter. The birth of convective outlooks came out of all this, a product that many of us everyday. The size of severe wx watches was also reduced and is comparable to what we use today.

The reorganizing of the SPC must have worked because we hadn’t seen a tornado with such death tolls until 2011, with the super outbreak in the South and then again with Joplin.