Friday, October 29, 2010

Weekend Forecast!

Hey bloggers. Just wanted to pop in with a quick look at you forecast for both tomorrow October 30th, and Halloween! So lets get to it.

Tomorrow, aka, Saturday we will look for mostly clear skies with highs in the upper 50s lower 60s around 60* degrees. Lows will drop into the low 30s around freezing, 32* degrees. Winds will be slightly breezy between 20 and 25 mph with a few gusts to 28 - 30 mph possible. This wind will make our nightly wind chill feel around 17* to 20* degrees.

Now for your Halloween outlook.


Your updated Halloween forecast above. As you can see I'm expecting a real treat for the Trick - Or - Treaters this year. With Mostly clear skies and highs around 58* degrees. Lows could drop near the freezing mark at 38* degrees. Winds are looking like they will be rather light and calm between 10 and 15 mph. Maybe a few gusts to 20 mph possible. Over all it's looking like the kids will be able to enjoy trick or treating. Parents as well! ;)

So have an AWESOME Halloween everyone and a great weekend as well. One more thing! here's a funny Halloween themed video to help get you into the spirit! :)


I will check back soon.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

A Real Treat This Halloween.

Hey bloggers! Well, we have some cool weather to talk about today! Yes,I'm looking for lows tonight to drop into the upper 20s near 29* degrees!! Woot Woot!! YEAH! Love it! We have a Freeze Warning in effect for the following counties in the WLFI viewing area below at this time. Take a look.CARROLL, WARREN, TIPPECANOE, CLINTON, FOUNTAIN, AND MONTGOMERY, COUNTIES.

As you can see this warning is in effect from 4:00am to 10:00am EDT Friday. With lows tonight dropping into the upper 20s along with a wind still gusting to 20 mph possible this will make for a wind chill of around 17* degrees. And this is only the start of the cool weather this week! We will see 20s as our lows again Friday night! But first lets start with Fridays forecast.

Friday we will look for partly cloudy to mostly clear skies across the WLFI viewing area. Highs will be in the low 50s only around 52* degrees. Lows will fall into the upper 20s once again near 29* degrees. Winds will be slightly calmer between 3 and 5 mph gusting to 10 and 15 mph. This slight wind chill will make Friday's nightly low feel like 19* degrees. Get out the extra blankets for sure!!

Saturday is going to be much like Friday however slightly warmer nightly lows in the low 30s. Now how about the Halloween forecast! Take a look.
Yes, this year is looking like a real treat for Halloween with highs in the middle to upper 50s around 57* degrees. And lows around trick or treating time in the upper 30s around 38* degrees. Some of you may still want to take a light jacket but over all things are looking pretty good. We will look for mostly clear to partly cloudy skies across the area this Halloween. Winds will be calm between 5 and 10 mph with an occasional breeze to 15 mph possible. But nothing to worry about!

As for your Extended forecast. This week is looking mostly dry with mostly clear to partly cloudy skies. And highs in the 50s with maybe a few days near the low 60s not out of the question.

So there you have it bloggers. Stay warm tonight! And I'll check back soon.....

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

A Storm For The Books!

Well, you can see below that the really strong half of the storm did in fact stay to the south of the WLFI viewing area. sure we did see some storm damage reports in parts of Jasper county however we seen even more south of the viewing area. Just take a look at this radar image below.
This image as you can see was taken at 10:17am EDT. This was just after I gave the all clear. you can see all the Severe thunderstorm warnings along with Tornado warnings in effect just to our south. And even just to our east! I had many many storm damage reports come in from our south do to high wind! And a few tornadoes reports to our east! Here's the tornado reports below.

KOKOMO HOWARD IN. TORNADO SPOTTED AT 300 E AND 100 N. TREES DOWN ... SHED AND HOUSES DAMAGED.

WANATAH LA PORTE IN. EF1 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN LAPORTE COUNTY INDIANA. ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEEDS IN THE 85-90 MPH RANGE. TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN AROUND 842 AM CDT AND MOVED NORTHEAST. TORNA

2 NNW WABASH WABASH IN. EF0 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN WABASH COUNTY INDIANA. ESITMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEEDS IN THE 80-85 MPH RANGE. TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN AROUND 1018 AM EDT AND MOVED NORTHEAST FOR AP

We had many severe thunderstorm warnings put into effect do to high gusty winds in the area, Along with a few tornado warnings in effect do to the fact that the line of severe thunderstorms was "capable" of producing possible tornadoes however didn't Thank Goodness. At one time I did pick up some rotation in the WLFI viewing area, Yes, in Newton county. You can see the rotation in this image below.See that little dot of green inside all that red? That's the slight rotation. It didn't last long and thank God it didn't turn into anything. It just had us on high alert for a while! But everyone stayed calm, safe, and stayed storm ready, and that's all we can ask for!

Lafayette, seen winds gusting to 36 mph. We really lucked out! Remington, seen gusts to 41mph. But the more south you go from Lafayette, the winds really picked up! Gusting to 70 and even 80 mph!! Just take a look at some of the high wind and damage reports in Indiana below.

Wind And Wind Damage Reports From Indiana.

70mph... TERRE HAUTE VIGO IN, MEASURED 70 MPH GUST AROUND TERRE HAUTE WITH TREES DOWN.

65mph... POSEYVILLE POSEY IN.

UNK Wind Speed... COALMONT CLAY IN, TREE DOWN ON GARAGE AT 1973 E US HWY 40. POWER LINES ALSO DOWN.

Wind Speed UNK... WHEATFIELD JASPER IN, LAW ENFORCEMENT TREE TOPS SNAPPED OFF...TREES DOWN AND DEBRIS ON ROADS IN RUSTLING OAKS SUBDIVISION...COUNTY RD 1100N AND 400W.

UNK Wind Speed... W LEBANON BOONE IN. SR 32 CLOSED AT 700 W DUE TO POWER LINES DOWN ... DEBRIS AND OVERTURNED SEMI. US 52 IS ALSO BLOCKED BY A DOWNED TREE. I-74 PARTIALLY CLOSED AT MM 49.

UNK Wind Speed... DANVILLE HENDRICKS IN. 18 INCH DIAMETER TREE DOWN AT COOK AVE. POWER LINES ALSO DOWN. POWER OUTAGES IN DANVILLE ... PITTSBORO AND BROWNSBURG.

80mph... GREENFIELD HANCOCK IN. ESTIMATED GUSTS OF 80 MPH. MULTIPLE TRANSFORMERS BLOWING UP AND STREET SIGNS DOWN.

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With wind gusts like the one above reading 80mph, That's in the EF1 tornado range! EF1 tornado winds are between 73 and 112 mph!! Just CRAZY!! This storm is gonna be all the talk for a while! This low pressure was so strong, Or should I say the pressure dropped so much that this low pressure system is equivalent to a cat 3 or cat 4 hurricane! WOW!

And this storm was all over CNN as well. I found this video of some of the damage in MO, and IL, earlier. take a look. The size of the downed trees are just amazing!

I mean is that unbelievable or what? mother nature is an amazing powerful thing that's for sure! So be thankful that we made it through safe and sound here in the WLFI viewing area. many people went without power here in Indiana, for some time. Take a look at the thousands of people without power in just some of the Indiana, counties below.


MONTGOMERY 26 People without power.

CLARK 1159 People without power.

CLINTON 1022 People without power.

HAMILTON 2721 People without power.

HENRY 2002 People without power.

HOWARD 2820 People without power.

MONROE 2484 People without power.

TIPTON 1863 People without power.

WABASH 3684 People without power.

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And there's more then that!! A grand total of 29872 people without power!!!

This was an event and a half that's for sure. But what do we have to expect for Tomorrow? Well, here's the forecast below.

Wednesday we will look for less storms and more Partly cloudy to mostly sunny skies across the state! Highs will be around 62* degrees with lows falling into the low 40s around 42* degrees. I will have to keep some gusty winds in the forecast! winds between 20 and 25 mph gusting to 30 and 35 mph possible.

Extended Forecast... Thursday into the rest of the week we will look for cooler temperatures in the 50s and maybe even some 20s at night!! Yes, a Hard freeze is looking likely this week! Bye bye buggies!!!! YAY!! lol...

Anyway that's the latest on what we seen and what we can expect for tomorrow. have a great week bloggers. I'm gonna go get some rest!


Look'n Good!

Okay bloggers the storm is basically past! The strongest is totally to the south and east of the WLFI viewing area. We got lucky and missed out on the worst thank god! Had this line of been a few miles to the north we would have been seeing those 70mph winds with possible tornadoes.

Here's what we do still have to look forward to this afternoon. We will still see winds occasionally gusting to 30 - 35 mph. Otherwise winds between 20 and 25 mph. along with scattered showers on the back side of this line of storms. Otherwise mostly cloudy and cool. As for the temperatures today, They will be going down as the day persists do to the cold front passing over head.Above is a look at the cold front and it's current location. Once this front passes we will see highs tomorrow only in the 50s!! Yes, it will really feel like fall.

I'm going to still keep an eye on things through out the day. And get things ready here later on for tomorrows forecast to see if we will keep the gusty winds in the forecast or not. Also I will have some amazing storm reports from Southern Indiana. Stay safe bloggers.

I'll check back if needed.

New tornado warning issued for White, and Cass, counties until 10:15am EDT.

You guy's shouldn't be in this warning. But it has been issued so I'm posting the info! You guy's are okay.

As Of 9:19am EDT

Again the real severe weather is staying to our south. I'm not picking up any rotation anywhere in the WLFI viewing area. However the National weather service will continue to issue severe thunderstorm warning do to the gusty winds!

Are we finished with high winds?? Well not really. I have been looking at past observations in IL, and they have picked up gusts to 41 mph as the line passed. And I believe this is what we can expect as we have already seen gusts to 33 mph. Also as the cold front passes later we will see breezy conditions across the area. Will we see 60mph winds?? Probably not. Thanks to the worst staying south of us!

And yes there has been a tornado warning issued for Jasper county however this is mainly for north of Remington, and no I'm not picking up any rotation at this time. Again this is mainly for dangerous straight line winds and the fact that these storms are capable of producing tornadoes.
I'm not picking up anymore rotation in Newton county at this time!
Very very slight rotation being picked up in southern Montgomery county between New Market, and Ladoga, Just north east of Russellville.
The rotation being picked up in Newton county is just to the north of Kentland. This rotation is moving north north east at around 58mph. If you are in Brook, then you are in the path of this storm!

Details!

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...

CARROLL COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL INDIANA...

CLINTON COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...

FOUNTAIN COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL INDIANA...

MONTGOMERY COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL INDIANA...

TIPPECANOE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL INDIANA...

EASTERN WARREN COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL INDIANA...

* UNTIL 930 AM EDT

The reason for the Tornado warning is because Doppler Radar Indicated That a SEVERE SQUALL LINE IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS AND BRIEF RAIN-WRAPPED TORNADOES. Not because rotation was spotted at this time.

Yes, the Tornado warning for Newton, county does have some SLIGHT rotation with it! So be on guard!

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As for all these severe thunderstorm warnings that are being issued is because of the possible damaging winds! The storms themselves won't be to bad. It's the winds that are the threat!

Looking Okay At This Time Real Severe Weather Is Still To Our South.

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...

SOUTHEASTERN FOUNTAIN, And MONTGOMERY, counties. THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS (CAPABLE) OF PRODUCING TORNADOES AND WIDESPREAD SIGNIFICANT WIND DAMAGE. But no real rotation is being picked up on radar at this time!

Still if in South WLFI viewing area take note that straight line winds can be just as dangerous!!


This is a look at the radar as of 8:30am EDT. The rain is just entering Tippecanoe, county and moving north north east at around 50mph give or take a little. Now the red severe thunderstorm warning box aside, The WLFI viewing area is looking good severe storm - wise. You see the yellow line I put on the map? this is where all the real strong severe weather is. If we stay like this then we will miss the worst and see wind as our only real threat.

Still be on guard until this line is through. Winds will pick up as the line makes it's way through the area. Expect winds between 35 and 45 mph with a few gusts to 50 mph possible!



I'll check back as needed.

Here's The Latest!

I believe that this severe thunderstorm warning was mainly issued for wind! Good news is I have not received any new high wind reports with the storms heading our way! And what old reports have come from this line in IL, has been between 58 and 60 mph. Still this is enough wind to do damage!

But the good news is at this time the line of storms heading our way is not as fierce as it was an hour or two ago! Lets just keep it that way.

Still expect steady winds between 33 and 45 mph with possible in storm gusts between 50 and 60 mph.

I'll check back.

New Warning In Effect.

Severe thunderstorm warning is now in effect for the following counties.

Tippecanoe, Fountain, Montgomery, Warren counties.

This warning is in effect until 8:45am EDT 7:45am CDT.

These storms can produce winds in excess of 70mph! These storms will be near Williamsport by around 8:15am EDT...

Latest Update!

Okay bloggers here's the news! I have seen a huge number of high wind reports from this storm in both MO, and IL. Most of the reports in MO, inside the storms came in between 58 and 68 mph. However I just received a report from Monroe, IL, of 78mph!! That's stronger then an EF0 tornado!! That fall in the EF1 tornado range!! WOW! This is just crazy!!

These storms are still packing severe thunderstorm warnings like crazy as they move in. Good news for us is that most of the severe thunderstorm warnings and tornado warnings are south of the WLFI viewing area. Still I would not be surprised to see a few issued for our area as it moves closer. Good news is I have yet to see any tornadoes reported!! Good sign! I still think that the SPC 10% chance of tornadoes is still a little to high for our area at this time.

Main storm threats.

Damaging winds! Wind damage has been reported everywhere!! Steady winds of at least 40 mph outside of storms! Over 60mph inside storms.

Small hail is also possible! Between .25" and .50" inches.

Lightning is a threat with any thunderstorm.

And even though it's still a lower threat I cannot rule out the chance for an isolated tornado somewhere in the area.
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Timing for the storms is looking sometime around 8:am EDT.

I'll check back as needed.

Tornado Watch Is In Effect.

TORNADO WATCH 720 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 AM CDT FOR THE
FOLLOWING LOCATIONS

INDIANA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

BENTON, BOONE, CARROLL, CASS, CLINTON, FOUNTAIN, JASPER, MONTGOMERY, NEWTON, PULASKI, TIPPECANOE, TIPTON, VERMILLION, WARREN, WHITE


HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING. This is for all of the WLFI viewing area.

Right now all we can do is continue to watch this line of storms as it continues to develop and move closer to our area

This is a very fast moving squall line of storms and it has already been packed with severe thunderstorm warnings and even some tornado warnings and it's only 5:00am in the morning. This storm isn't going to stop anytime soon ether! It is being fueled with lots of moisture being pulled into.This map above is your moisture map. You can see all the moisture this strong squall line has to work with! Scary. This squall line has already have many many high wind damage reports in MO. Winds being reported have been any ware between 58mph to 68mph!! Luckily no tornadoes have been reported at this time.

The SPC has put a high risk for severe weather into effect which is set up just to the east of the WLFI viewing area. Still we are looking at a possible 10% chance at tornadoes! Over a 60% chance for damaging winds!! This storms are packing steady winds over 60mph!! Along with hail a half inch in size! This is going to be a long bumpy day bloggers! I'll be right here as long as the power lets me! With the way today's weather is looking wind - wise be ready for anything!!

I'll check back.

Updated At 5:14AM EDT.

Monday, October 25, 2010

The Final Break Down Before The Storm!

Well, after going through the latest weather data it looks like a few things have changed! For better or worse? Well, not really for the better. Here's what we have to expect tomorrow weather - wise.
First off you see we have changed to a Wind Advisory at this time. This advisory is for the whole WLFI viewing area. Almost all of Indiana. This is in effect from 8:am to 8:pm EDT Tuesday.
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Tuesday aka Tomorrow, I'm expecting to see the rain / thunderstorms start in between 7:00AM and 8:00am EDT. We can expect Rain and thunderstorms through out much of the day do to this strong low pressure system and a strong cold front that will push through the area. This strong cold front will allow for a strong squall line of rain and thunderstorms to develop across the area as seen in this forecast radar image below.
This is when we will be watching the radar closely!! Right now Lafayette, is right on the line of the slight risk and moderate risk for severe weather come tomorrow. The moderate risk for severe weather has been put into effect do to all the strong winds that will come with this strong cold front. With winds this high they alone can be very dangerous! Sometimes straight line winds can be just as bad as a small tornado! If you can stay home tomorrow then I would do so. Winds like this can take out power and take down small limbs. We are talking winds between 25 and 30 mph gusting between 35 and 45 mph some could gust higher in wide open areas.
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Still the weather models are showing EHI around 1 and 2 which is what you usually need to see basic thunderstorms. CAPE values are still low which is good. And helicity is still around 350 to 400. Which is right on the line of basic to severe thunderstorms. This along with the high damaging winds is what the main severe weather threat is all about. With this being said I still will not rule out the chance for a stray strong storm or two along this squall line at this time.
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Now rain - wise we can expect to see rainfall between .25" and .50" inches with locally higher amounts in areas near .75". So here's the weather break down below.
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Rain / thunderstorms start around 7:am or 8:am EDT.
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Rainfall between .25" - .50" inches with locally higher amounts in areas.
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Winds will be between 25 - 30 mph gusting between 35 - 45 mph.
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Main Storm Threat.
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High gusty damaging winds is NUMBER #1!! Straight line winds can be just as dangerous as a small tornado.
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A stray strong storm along the squall line cannot be ruled out.
Lightning is a threat with thunderstorms.
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These winds will continue into Wednesday as we will see them between 25 and 30 mph. A gusty few days that for sure!
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Now the only way I will not be updating through the storms is if power happens to go out. Just going ahead and giving you all that heads up! Until tomorrow lets all get some rest and be up and ready to track first thing in the morning! ;) We have done the forecast so now all we can do is wait and then track the real deal.
Oh, and if any of you get pictures feel free to send them in at storm18mini@aol.com and I'll see what I can do. Thanks!
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See you then!

Wet, Windy, Stormy, Weather Is On The Way.

Well, bloggers we have some fun weather to track on the way by as soon as tonight! But first off lets start by looking at the High Wind Watch that has been put into effect for the WHOLE WLFI viewing area! Take a look below.
Yes I'm expecting to see winds through out Tuesday between 25 and 30 mph gusting as high as 45 mph possible! This high wind watch will be in effect from now through Tuesday afternoon.

A High wind watch means...
THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A HAZARDOUS
HIGH WIND EVENT. SUSTAINED WINDS OF AT LEAST 40 MPH...OR GUSTS OF
58 MPH OR STRONGER MAY OCCUR. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST
FORECASTS.


IMPACTS: HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR STRONG
WINDS AND EXERCISE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING. ANY OUTDOOR ITEMS
THAT MAY BE EASILY BE BLOWN ABOUT SHOULD BE SECURED.


This is no joke! winds will be blowing like crazy Tuesday. If you can stay off busy highways then do so! Winds like this can push your car all over the road. But wind won't be the only thing going on tomorrow!That's right rain and thunderstorms as well. Just look at this precipitation model above. This is a STRONG low pressure system that will impact many states Tuesday. Some areas will see training rain / thunderstorms tomorrow. Some areas severe thunderstorms will be possible. Now the storm predication center has us in the slight risk for severe weather at this time and yes, I do see the chance for some stray strong storms to move through parts of the WLFI viewing area. However I think the the best chance for more wide spread severe weather would be in the KY, and TN, areas at this time.

Now CAPE values are not that high along with the EHI models only pointing to basic thunderstorms for our area. However the Helicity values are HIGH! Our area or should I say the WLFI viewing area is looking at Helicity values between 350 and 400. What's this mean? Well 400 to 500 is usually needed to produce severe thunderstorms. We are really close! So a stray strong storm or two cannot be ruled out just yet! Now the more south you go the higher the Helicity values get! In areas like KY, and TN, the helicity values are between 450 and 600!! Which is why I made that area the better area to see more wide spread severe weather as seen below.But again that doesn't mean we're out of the woods. We will just have to keep a close eye on the radars and watch this thing as it moves in.

Now also in the Tuesday evening prog chart above you can see the nice cold front! This will cool us off into the 50s as our highs come Wednesday! Fall is here!

So tonight... We can expect to see partly cloudy to mostly cloudy skies. Winds will slowly start to pick up as the night persists. Lows will be in the middle 50s.

Tuesday... We will see winds picking up to 25 and 30 mph gusting between 40 and 45 mph possible. Highs will be in the upper 60s around 67* degrees. Rainy / Windy, along with some scattered thunderstorms. A stray strong storm or two cannot be ruled out just yet! Rainfall currently expected to be between .25" and .50" inches with locally higher amounts in areas possible. Expect brief "HEAVY" downpours at times! Lows will be in the low 60s to upper 50s.

Stay tuned! I have a lot of work I need to get done today but I will be back tonight with any details that may have changed!

Be sure to check back.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Developing Week Ahead Forecast.

Hey bloggers. Did you all enjoy your weekend? It sure was a busy one but packed with fun! Did anyone make it out to exploration acres? If not there is one more weekend left! Halloween is the last day or should I say night.

I will be back with your week ahead forecast later on tonight.

However for today you can expect temperatures in the middle 70s with some scattered hit and miss rain showers not out of the question! Rainfall would be less then a quarter inch. But I will have more on your forecast for the week ahead coming up later on. It holds cooler fall like temperatures, And more rain chances! What will Halloween be like weather - wise? I will let you know!

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Critical Fire Weather Again Today! **Red Flag Warning**

The fire weather watch has been updated to a Red Flag Warning for the following counties below. Take a look.
A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF
STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL
CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.
Remember your fire safety and stay safe bloggers!

So what about the rain we was talking about in the last post for today? Well, it's looking like a "Slight" chance at this time! yesterday we was looking at around a 35% to 40% chance however that has dropped to around 15% to 20% chance. Take a look why I say this below.

This is a precipitation model at 2:00pm EDT this afternoon. You can see that line of blue , And green moving in close to home. this model along with two others are showing this rainfall staying in our northern counties for the most part and also just to our west as seen above. Does this mean I'm ruling rain out for today totally? Not really, Because these models are showing this line of rain which is just a projected model I might add! And it's so close to home, I'm going to keep that 15% to 20% chance in! Because some stray scattered showers cannot be ruled out with this line so close above. So why did the rain chance fall? Well, the reason the rain won't get to us as fast as expected is because of a slow moving front! Yes, I'm talking about a stationary front!
You see the red and blue front to the north of Indiana in this prog chart above? Well, this is a prog chart image for 2:00pm EDT this afternoon. This front stalling out will keep us with less rainfall if any for yet another day. If we do see any rainfall today I think it would be really light hit and miss scattered And later on this evening / tonight into Sunday. Sunday and Monday bring the better chances of rain this week! And I'll have more on that soon.

Today we can expect to see the winds pick up between 15 and 20 mph with gusts between 25 and 30 mph possible. Temperatures will be above average for the next few days in the low to middle 70s. However as we head into the middle of next week highs will fall back into the 50s! And more rain chances move into the forecast.

so lots to talk about and forecast next week. Until then have a great weekend!

Friday, October 22, 2010

You Can Get Out Today And Have Some October Family Fun!

Hey bloggers! We got a frost advisory in effect until 9:00am EDT this morning. We got Rain in the forecast for this weekend. And we got some good old October family fun! We have a lot to talk about :) First off lets start with the frost advisory!As you can see above we have a Frost advisory in effect for the whole WLFI viewing area until 9:00am EDT this morning. Highs today will reach into the middle 60s around 66* degrees so I wouldn't put your plans back outside until this afternoon when temps reach max highs. Yes, it's that time of year again when we have to keep covering and uncovering the plants. but I love this cool weather so you won't hear me complain! ;)

We will see temperatures reach back into the low 70s this weekend into Monday maybe Tuesday but they will fall once again as we head into the week of Halloween! Yes, I'm looking for a polar jet to bring in the cooler air and even more rain chances! But will it be cold and rainy on Halloween? I'll get to that soon enough. For now lets just focus on the weekend weather!

Today we look to be Partly cloudy and dry. Highs will be in the middle 60s around 66* degrees with lows falling tonight into the middle 30s. Winds will be calmer then they have been the past few days between 10 and 15 mph.

Saturday we will see totally different weather. we will see mostly cloudy skies through out the day with around a 30% chance of rain sometime after 2:00pm EDT. Rain showers will be scattered hit and miss light showers. I don't look for much from this system. Rainfall less then a quarter inch. Highs will be in the low 70s around 71* degrees with lows in the upper 40s around 48* degrees. Winds will be breezy between 15 and 20 mph with gusts between 28 - 30 mph possible.

Extended Outlook. More slight rain chances Sunday into Monday. Temps will be in the low 70s through Monday before they cool off do to the polar jet. The week of Halloween is looking cool and wet at this time! I'll have your Halloween forecast coming soon.
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So yes we do have rain forecasted for the start of the weekend off and on through Monday but don't let that keep you down! Friday, Saturday, And Sunday, a little place called Exploration Acres is open! What's that? Well, its one of the largest corn mazes in northern Indiana!! They are closed during rain however today is looking like a great day to get out and enjoy!! He are the times and all the fun details below! Check it out. Have fun bloggers! I'll check back again soon.
Here's an air view of this years maze below!
Pumpkin Patch
Every good Jack-O-Lantern begins as a great pumpkin. Come find yours at the Exploration Acres pumpkin patch! Sprawling over 5 acres the patch provides a variety of pumpkins to choose from. Don’t worry about carrying them, we will have wagons available to transport your perfect pumpkin. They range in weight from 5-30 pounds and are only $.30/ pound. Also included in your visit is a hayride out to the patch, a trip anyone will enjoy! If you still want a pumpkin but scouring the patch for your perfect squash isn’t your style, there will also be pumpkins available for purchase in the country store.

Hay Rides
What is a trip to the country without a hayride? Tour the grounds of Exploration Acres aboard a spacious hay wagon pulled by a shiny new tractor. It is a relaxing way to survey the lay of the land and plan your visit, as well as a means to reach the corn maze. Shuttles leave regularly to take brave and energetic visitors to maze entrances.

General Store
Be sure to peruse the general store. It is the cozy little shack nestled next to the farmhouse with a big cow leaning against the wall. The store offers a nice outside area to visit with family and friends and is filled with hand-painted country signs and other interesting craft items. In keeping with its name, the general store offers a variety of items to utilize during your visit. It is the perfect spot to find drinks and snacks, pumpkins to decorate, fresh farm-grown mums, and purchase flashlights to use when the sun sets.

Picnic Area
Pack a picnic and plan to spend the day. There are many areas to spread a blanket on the ground; or if you prefer, you can enjoy your home-packed feast on one of the many picnic tables scattered throughout the woods.

Fire Pits
Don’t forget to pack your chocolate, marshmallows and grahams for the trip. Making a s’more over an open fire in the woods is a real memory maker. It is a great opportunity to share stories with family and friends as you relax around the fire and cook your favorite treats.

To ensure that you enjoy your visit to Exploration Acres,
consider the following as you plan your trip:

  • Wear comfortable shoes – with over 8 miles of paths you will want to be as comfortable as possible.

  • Bring a stroller for children – smaller (umbrella type) strollers can be maneuvered through the maze.
    Wagons are available free of charge.

  • Bring your lunch – while concessions are available, you are welcome to bring your own food/snacks
    and enjoy the atmosphere.

  • Bug spray – just in case the mosquitos are out.

  • Flashlight – for those daring enough to try the maze at night, don’t forget your flashlight!
Admission,
Adult (13+) - $9.00
Senior (65+) - $7.00
Children (6- 12) $6.00
You can find more info on other rates and other fun things to do at this site below. See you there! ;)
http://www.explorationacres.com/index.html

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Lafayette-IN/Exploration-Acres/88522214693

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Frost Advisory Going Into Effect Tonight! Bring In The Plants.

Yes, a Frost advisory will go into effect later on tonight for all of the WLFI viewing area. It will be in effect from 2:00am through 9:00am EDT Friday morning. So go ahead and bring in the flowers and cover whatever plants you cannot bring in.

I'll be back with your weekend forecast and some good October fun! All this coming up tonight at Midnight. Be sure to check back!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT!

A RED FLAG WARNING is in effect for the "ALL" WLFI viewing area counties.

**FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS ALSO FOR ALL "WLFI VIEWING AREA COUNTIES!!!"**
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This Red Flag Warning remains in effect until 8:00pm EDT this evening. Fire Weather Watch remains in effect from Thursday afternoon through Thursday evening...

A Red Flag Warning Means.

THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF
STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL
CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

"A FIRE WEATHER WATCH MEANS"
THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE FORECAST TO OCCUR. LISTEN FOR LATER FORECASTS AND POSSIBLE
RED FLAG WARNINGS.

This just goes to show you just how badly we NEED RAIN!!! Just be careful bloggers with any kind of flame. Try not to burn anything!! No bonfires!! Stay Safe!!


You can also always check out my Indiana weather page at http://www.jiwb2.blogspot.com/ for live up to date weather watches, warnings, and advisories as they happen along with radars and many other weather maps.

A Look At The Next Rain Chance, Fall Foliage, And Satellite Fly By's!!

Yesterday really did feel like fall!! Temperatures only hit 61.5* degrees here in the Lafayette area. Remington seen a high real close to Lafayette, with 61.6* degrees. That's just point one degree higher! As I have said before the average high for this time of year is right around 66* degrees so we were right where we should have been. But what about today and the rest of the week? Well, I'll get into that in just a few minutes. First I wanted to take the time to really point out how beautiful this time of year really is!

Have you been taking the time to enjoy the fall foliage? It is really becoming amazing outside. Leaves are changing all around us and starting to fall. I found this image below taken out of Brown county from the "Leaf Cam". Take a look.
With the sun angle in this shot it is a little hard to see all the beautiful colors however if you look close you can see all the Browns, Reds, Yellow's, And Orange's spread across the miles of trees. This is pretty much how most of Indiana is looking at this time. Here's a map below showing the Fall Foliage across the USA below.
You can see that the Lafayette, / Remington, area falls between that Patchy and Near peak area. Soon we will all be out with the rakes starting our fall clean up! I have already started clearing off the deck out back. I no sooner get it clean and then I have to do it again. I know I should wait until all the leaves fall but that's not me lol. I enjoy being outside with all the changing leaves so I guess it's not a problem. ;)

If any of you have any Fall foliage pictures I'd love to post them. Just send them to me at storm18mini@aol.com and I'll see what I can do! :)

Now how about we see what's in store weather - wise for today?

I'm looking for temperatures to become slightly warmer today as they climb into the upper 60s around 69* degrees. Lows tonight will be rather cool in the upper 30s near 39* degrees. Yes, you may want to close the windows before heading to bed. I made the mistake of leaving mine open the other night and brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Was it cold by the time I woke up lol. So just thought I'd give you a heads up! Anyway I think we Will keep Partly cloudy skies in the forecast for today with again no rain. :( However that may change by the weekend!

Yes, Saturday into Sunday is looking like our next chance at some rainfall here in Indiana. Currently looking like more then a tenth inch! :) Maybe even a quarter inch could be in store! As for next week? Well, I'm thinking we will see more chances at some decent rainfall and maybe even some cooler fall like temperatures as we get closer to Halloween. All we can do is keep hope! And keep watching this possible and much needed rain on the way.

Now I have one more thing for all you bloggers and sky watchers out there! We will have two chances at seeing satellites fly over head tonight. If we keep our skies clear then you should be able to see them or at least one of them! The first fly by will be the "XSS-11". It's brightness isn't great which means it will be barely visible to the naked eye but still possible to see! However if you have a scope it will be much easier! Here's a little info on "XSS-11" below.
The XSS-11 is a washing-machine-sized spacecraft that was launched by the US Air Force in April 2005 to demonstrate "autonomous rendezvous and proximity maneuvers." In other words, it would approach, investigate, and photograph other spacecraft in Earth orbit. In December 2006, it was maneuvered into a disposal orbit and lost to satellite spotters. It was just recently rediscovered. It's fairly dim so dark, clear skies are required for this one. You may see it flare.

Now the second fly by will be easier to see! It's the GOCE (flaring satellite). It's brightness is dim But Visible. Here's it's info below as well.Europe's Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer ("GOCE" for short) is an extraordinary spacecraft. It circles the planet at a perilously low altitude using fins to cut through the wisps of Earth's outermost atmosphere. GOCE's sophisticated ion engine constantly adjusts its thrust between 1 and 20 millinewtons (mN) to counteract even the slightest hint of atmospheric drag. All this is necessary to make the finest-ever maps of Earth's gravitational field. For sky watchers, the best thing about GOCE is that it flares like a meteor when sunlight glints from its solar panels. The brightness of the flares is similar to the stars in the Big Dipper.
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To view the XSS-11, look "North" at around 7:13pm. It should be visible from 7:13pm through 7:15pm.

To view the GOCE (Flaring Satellite) look "South" at around 8:07pm. It should be visible from 8:07pm through 8:09pm.

So get out and see what you can find in the sky tonight bloggers! ;) Have fun and I'll check back soon.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Not Much, But Still Rain None The Less!

Well, bloggers we did in fact see the rain that was forecast however it wasn't much! Still it was nice to see rain falling from the sky for a change as well as on radar lol. I was forgetting what rain looked like. ;)

You can see the line of rain moving in from our north west pushing through Tippecanoe county at around 1:26pm EDT yesterday afternoon.
As you can see the rain was so light we have hardly any green showing up to indicate light to moderate rainfall. After this line moved through the area we mostly seen scattered light off and on showers through out the rest of the day picking up not even a tenth inch more.
As for rainfall totals around the WLFI viewing area. Well, we didn't get much as expected. You can see in this radar rainfall image above taken at around 3:34pm EDT Remington, only picking up under a tenth inch. As well as Lafayette, coming in under a tenth inch. The more north and east you go the slightly higher the amounts got. Rochester, coming in with around a tenth inch. And this was the story all around the area. Light rain amounts but still rain none the less.

Also we seen that Frost Advisory go into effect for white county and Cass County. The advisory is still in effect from 2:00am EDT to 9:00am EDT Today.

Possible Frost Aka Frost Advisory Means...

* IMPACTS...SENSITIVE PLANTS SHOULD BE COVERED OR BROUGHT INDOORS
TO BE PROTECTED FROM ANY FROST THAT FORMS.

A FROST ADVISORY MEANS THAT FROST IS POSSIBLE. SENSITIVE OUTDOOR
PLANTS MAY BE KILLED IF LEFT UNCOVERED.
Have a great day bloggers. I'll check back soon.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Frost Advisory In Effect For...

***White County And Cass County***

...FROST ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM EDT /1 AM CDT/ TO 9 AM EDT
/8 AM CDT/ TUESDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORTHERN INDIANA HAS ISSUED A
FROST ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM EDT /1 AM CDT/ TO
9 AM EDT /8 AM CDT/ TUESDAY.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


I'll have details on todays rainfall coming up later on tongiht! Be sure to tune in!

Rain On The Way!

Alright we have rain in the forecast today! It's not a great chance but I'm still expecting to see some green on the radar in the WLFI viewing area.

I'm thinking we will start out with partly to mostly cloudy skies today as the rain moves closer. Rain will start in the northern counties first and as the day persists we will see a 40% chance of scattered showers across the WLFI viewing area.
IMAGE... (Today's Prog Chart).

As you see above I'm expecting scattered showers over a good part of the state. However I'm not calling for big rainfall amounts with this system. Even though it wont be much we still need it and will take every drop we get! I'm looking for most rainfall amounts to be between .10" and .25" inches, Maybe a few locally higher or lower amounts in areas.

Temperatures today will remain cool as the cloud cover keeps the temperatures for going up. Highs will be in the middle to upper 50s around 58* degrees. Lows tonight will fall into the lower 40s around 43* degrees. All in all this will be a nice fall day to stay inside and enjoy some home made apple pie or whatever baked goods you like! ;) lol.

So stay cool and have a Blessed day!
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Rest of the week temperatures will be around average in the low to middle 60s with lows around average in the low to middle 40s.

Average High For This Time Of Year, 66* Degrees.
Average Low For This Time Of Year, 43* Degrees.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

The Freeze Dates For Both 32° And 28° Degrees Are In! And Rain Is Back In The Forecast.

Well, we have talked about the 2010 - 2011 winter forecast so now we must talk about the frost dates for both 32* degrees and 28* degrees! Whats the time range? Well, lets get started and find out.

Let me start with this map below. This is the freeze time range for 32* degrees here in the Midwest.
The light green colors in the southern parts of Indiana and also south of there is expected to see the first 32* degrees between October 21st and October 31st. The next shade of green covering most of the state of Indiana and also the Lafayette area is expected to see the first 32* degrees between October 11th and October 20th. And if your in the dark green colors then you was expected to see your first 32* degrees between October 1st and 10th.

Now what about for the first 28* degrees? Take a look at this map below.
This chart is showing the first 28* degree freeze time range. The brown colors in southern Indiana and south is expected to see the first 28* degrees between November 1st and 10th. The areas in the light green that is covering much of Indiana and even Lafayette is expected to see the first 28* degrees between October 21st and 31st.

However the longest Lafayette has ever gone before seeing our first 32* degrees was back in 1946 and it wasn't until November 13th that we finally seen 32* degrees. Back in 1931 we went until November 25th before we seen our first 28* degrees here in Lafayette. Just amazing! But I don't think we will have to wait that long this year!

Now what about rain? We have been abnormally dry for some time now here in the WLFI viewing area. Over 50% of Indiana is seeing this drought! Two fires have been reported in Tippecanoe county alone do to this drought in the past month! Crazy!! Well, here's a look into the forecast below.
This is Sunday morning's Prog Chart. You see we will have a cold front push through the area today which will allow some rain to break out over the area by Monday. Also cooling us off into the 50s as our high! Now Today I don't look for rain but Partly cloudy skies with thicker clouds moving into the area this evening. Highs will be in the upper 60s near 70* degrees. however the day will start to cool as this front passes. Lows will be in the middle to upper 40s around 47* degrees.

Monday we will see mostly cloudy skies with around a 40% to 45% chance of rain. This rain will start out to the north of Lafayette, but will soon drop into our area as the day persists. Though I'm not looking for much over a quarter inch of rain this time around. Still we will take whatever we can get! Highs Monday will be in the middle to upper 50s around 58* degrees. Lows falling into the low 40s near 43* degrees.

As for the rest of the week temperatures - wise, we will remain around average with highs in the low to middle 60s and lows in the low to middle 40s. Average high for this time of year is right around 66* degrees with average lows around 43* degrees.

So there you have it bloggers!
Have a Blessed day, I'll check back soon.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Current Thinking On The 2010 - 2011 Winter Forecast For Indiana.

Hey bloggers it's been a long time since I've posted on here. As most of you know things have been crazy and busy the past few months. I'm not gonna go into detail. The point is I'm back to blogging and I 'm going to start things off with a look into your 2010 - 2011 winter forecast.

A lot of People, Weather watchers, and Meteorologist, have been trying to forecast this winter and let me tell you everyone has something different this year! It's pretty much two sided. You have half of the forecasting world calling for an average / mild winter here in most of the Midwest. And the other half calling for cold and snowy weather for much of the Midwest. So wheres my forecast fall with these to sides? Well, kind of in the middle. But before we start breaking this outlook down lets start out with one of the main things that will effect this winter. (La-Nina).

Yes, La-Nina is back and will effect our winter this season. Take a look at this map below.As you can see this image was taken of the pacific on September 30th 2010. This is the latest image at this time. this is showing the cooler waters AKA La-Nina. See the colors of dark blue and purples? This indicates the cold waters of La-Nina. Now the last La-Nina we had was back in 2007 and it was a moderate La-Nina. Still we had the blizzard of 07. So how strong is this La-Nina currently? Well, at this time I'm seeing this as a weak La-Nina, But this could change as the season persists.

Now a lot of people talk about La-Nina and El-Nino but what are they really? And what is the difference? Well, I have a little something that may help you out! Take a look at this Map below.
Now what your looking at is the difference of both La-Nina and El-Nino. El-Nino which is in the top image you can see is a jet stream pattern as well as La-Nina. See that purple line? That purple line is the Polar jet stream. See how it stays well to the north of our area and much of the states? This allows us to see both warmer then average temperatures most of the time as well as below average precipitation. Usually when we have a El-Nino jet stream we sometimes see a drought here in the Midwest.

Now if you look at the image below you'll see that the purple line AKA Polar jet stream is much lower on the map and allows that cold air to push into the Midwest which as you probably guessed means average to below average temperatures along with average to above average precipitation depending on how strong both the El-Nino and La-Nina may be!

Now that we have that understood lol, Lets try and move on to what we can expect this winter. Now remember that this is just a rough look into the next few months. And nothing in Indiana can ever be set in stone. ;)One of the main things to try and figure out is the storm track for the 2010 - 2011 winter. As you can see above I have two projected storm tracks posted. We see our biggest snows when we see storms take one of these paths. Now the tricky part is that I have some models calling for storm track number one, And the other half calling for storm track number two. So I believe that the real storm track will fall somewhere between the two above! Obviously the closer to storm track number one the more snow we will see! :) And you know that's what I'm keeping hope for lol ;)

So here's the rest of the winter break down below.

La-Nina
Currently we are seeing a weak La-Nina which will keep us close to an average winter however I'm still expecting a few numbers to stray from that average. As in Snow accumulation, / Temperatures. With this La-Nina we will see the jet stream dip down keeping us cool once we really get into the winter season.
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Precipitation
Currently some of the models are showing us starting out slow with the snowfall. However I expect us to see more snow chances and bigger snows as we head into the middle / late December into January and February. January and February look to be our snowiest months at this time.
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Temperatures
Temperatures are looking like they will go back and forth. Yes, I'm thinking we will see equal days of both above and below average temperatures through out the winter. Much like we have seen through out this fall. Equal days of above and below.
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Well, that's the rough outlook as of now for the 2010 - 2011 winter ahead. I will continue to make changes as needed when more data comes in. As in if this La-Nina gets stronger which would change the whole forecast!

now one more thing I wanted to add. I have not only been forecasting this winter by weather models, But also by weather Lore. And there have been a lot of signs pointing to things. But I will let you decide for yourself. Here are some of the weather lore posted below. Try some out and please feel free to post what nature is doing in your area. Believe me this will REALLY HELP when it comes to forecasting the winter outlook. So Thanks ahead of time!

Take care bloggers. I'll check back soon.
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Winter Weather Lore and the Persimmon

Check the seed of a persimmon after a fall frost. Cut into the seed from the narrow side, and look at the kernel. See if you can recognize the shape of a spoon, fork, or knife.

clip_image008

If the kernel is shaped like a . . .

spoon, look for a harsh winter with heavy, wet snow.

fork, look for a mild winter with light, powdery snow.

knife, look for a cold, icy winter with cutting winds.

Cold Winter Weather

Weather lore suggests winter will be bad if:

- Animals have thicker coats of hair or fur.

- Squirrels build their nests low in trees and gather nuts early.

- Ants build their mounds high.

- Larger numbers of spiders are seen in the fall.

- A heavy crop of berries are found on holly and dogwood trees.

- Birds are seen migrating early or huddling on the ground.

- You hear lots of rolling thunder during late fall.

- Leaves shed before changing color.

- Chimney smoke flows toward the ground.

- The breastbone of a turkey cooked in the fall is purple or dark blue. (If it is white,

a mild winter is in store.)



How Weather Lore Predictions Affect the Coming Winter

- A late killing frost suggests winter will not be bad.

- Average corn husk thickness suggests winter will not be bad.

- Fewer spiders sightings in the fall suggests winter will not be bad.

Am I the only one who has seen spiders like crazy this fall???

- A poor berry crop on hollies suggests winter will not be bad.