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!

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

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!

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.