Talking About Severe Weather And How To Be Ready If / When It Strikes!

Hey bloggers! What a nice day it was today. Partly cloudy skies across the area and a high in Lafayette, of 61.4* degrees! Woooo Hoooooo! ;) hahaha It just doesn't get any better then that! I spent the day outside helping my family do some spring cleaning. I also had to replace some wood on one of our decks. The wood rotted out over the winter. Good news is I had a nice day to get out there and get the job done! And it looks much better now. Just take a look at the satellite image taken at 5:45pm EDT this evening.

Yes, you can see a few high clouds however it was still a great day! Partly cloudy. I'll take it :) Good news is this mild weather is going to continue over the weekend into next week! A little rain is possible by Friday however it's not looking like much at all at this time.

You can see above looking at the Friday morning surface chart that this slow moving stationary front is what will cause for a few light hit and miss scattered rain showers. Again nothing heavy however rain is rain and I must forecast it! lol. Here's your detailed quick cast below.

Quick Cast.....

Thursday we will look for partly cloudy skies across the area through out the day. A few more clouds may try to move into the area by Thursday evening / night. Breezy! Expect winds between 10 and 15 mph gusting between 25 - 28 mph. I look for a high Thursday around 67* near 70* degrees with a low around 50* degrees.

Friday we will look for partly to mostly cloudy skies across the area. A few light scattered hit and miss rain showers are possible. Rainfall around a tenth inch or less. Look for a high Friday around 66* degrees with a low that night around 36* degrees. Winds between 5 and 10 mph.

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Now bloggers this week is Severe Weather Preparedness Week! Which means I'm gonna talk to you all a little bit about severe weather safety. So lets get to it!

Tornado And Severe Weather Safety

A TORNADO WATCH is normally issued for a large area covering a whole state or a large part of several states. The WATCH is intended to give you time to prepare, time to review safety rules. The sky may be blue, but weather changes could be just over the horizon. Begin preparing when you hear the watch.

TORNADO WARNING is broadcast when a tornado has been detected by radar or a tornado has been reported. A TORNADO WARNING is usually issued for one or two counties. If the tornado warning is for your county, you should seek a safe shelter immediately.

Before a watch or warning is issued, National Weather Service meteorologists may issue special outlooks and/or place wording within forecasts to alert you to possible severe weather ahead. The intent is to keep people informed and aware.

Safety Rules

In general, get as low as you can. A basement below ground level or at least the lowest floor of a building offers the greatest safety. And, put as many walls between yourself and the outside as possible. Avoid windows at all cost!

Homes or small buildings: go to the basement or to a small interior room such as a closet or bathroom or an interior hall on the lowest level. If available, get under something sturdy like a heavy table. Protect yourself from flying debris with pillows, heavy coats, blankets, or quilts.

Schools, nursing homes, hospitals, factories, and shopping centers: go to a pre-designated shelter area. Basements are the best, but interior hallways on the lowest floor usually offer protection. Close all doors to the hallway for greater protection.

Mobile homes or vehicles: leave them and go to a strong building. If there is no shelter nearby, get into the nearest ditch and lie flat with your hands shielding your head.

Stay away from windows! Don't bother opening or closing them. It won't protect the structure anyway. You'll just waste time and put yourself, and possibly others, at greater risk. Use those valuable seconds to find a place of safety.

Stay away from doors, windows, and outside walls. Protect your head!

Thunderstorms!

A severe thunderstorm is defined as having wind of at least 58 mph and/or hail ¾ of an inch in diameter or larger. Severe thunderstorm winds can gust to more than 100 mph, overturning trailers, un-roofing homes, and toppling trees and power lines. While dime size hail denotes a severe thunderstorm, hail as large as grapefruit has occurred. The danger to serious injury from hail is not hard to imagine when you consider that a good-sized hailstone may fall at speeds near 110 mph.

The best defense against thunderstorms is to stay inside a substantial building. Thunderstorms do not usually last for a long time and will generally pass in less than an hour. When thunderstorms are expected, be sure to pick up loose objects around your home or business. Small items can become deadly in strong wind, and flying debris can cause serious damage to other property.

Lightning - The Underrated Killer

Take some time now to learn or refresh your memory on lightning safety rules. That quick dash out in the open when a thunderstorm is in the area may unnecessarily expose you to the possibility of being struck. Is it worth the risk?

Lightning Safety Rules

Inside a home, avoid using the telephone except for emergencies. Also, stay away from windows.

 If you're outside, get into a building or in an all-metal (not convertible) vehicle
 DO NOT stand beneath a tall isolated tree, or in an open area.


AVOID projecting above the surrounding landscape as on a hilltop, in an open field, or a beach, or fishing from a boat.


Move away from open water or from tractors or other farm equipment.


Get off and away from motorcycles, scooters, golf carts, riding lawn mowers, and bicycles. Put down golf clubs.


Stay away from wire fences, clotheslines, metal pipes, rails or other metallic paths which could carry lightning to you from some other distance away.


Avoid standing in small isolated sheds or other small structures in open areas.


In a forest seek shelter in a low area under a thick growth of small trees. In open area, go to a low place such as a ravine or valley. Be alert for flash floods.


If you feel your hair stand on end, this indicates that lightning is about to strike. Drop to your knees and bend forward putting your hands on your knees. Do not lie flat on the ground.


Remember, there is no truth to the old myth that "lightning never strikes twice."
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So bloggers be sure to follow the tips above and do your best to stay weather ready! Earlier today I went ahead and put together a first aid kit. If you don't already have one then you should really think about getting one together ASAP! Also it's a GREAT IDEA to have a weather radio! These can be life savers. Why? Because at night time they can wake you up if a Watch, Warning, Or Advisory, is issued!
 So please do your part to be weather ready and stay safe.

Take Care bloggers and God Bless!

Talking About Severe Weather Ready! Coming Up!

It's Severe weather preparedness week bloggers! We will talk a bit about severe weather safety and also a look at out next rain chance!

Stay Tuned!

Rain Moves Out And Fair Skies Move In! Also More Details On The 9.0 Japan Earthquake Shifting The Earths Axis Straight From NASA!

Well, bloggers you seen the cloudy / rainy skies across the area last night and through out the day today! Rainfall near three quarters of an inch in the Lafayette, area this afternoon. You can see the rest of the rainfall amounts in my last post.

The rain and cloudy skies will continue to push off to our northeast however not before a groggy start to tomorrow morning! Take a look at your morning commute forecast.

That's right bloggers be ready to start the day with some patchy fog possible. So allow some extra time to get where you need to be in the morning until this fog clears. Drive slow and remember your fog driving safety tips!

Well, the good news is this rain and low pressure system is moving out! You can see the low pressure system in this current surface image below.

Yes, that low pressre as well as the clouds and rain are gonna continue to push off to our northeast overtime. Which means dry weather over the next couple of days! Yes, I see some fair weather in the forecast with highs in the upper 60s maybe even the low 70s possible!

You can see the surface forecast for Wednesday (Tomorrow) above. We will see partly cloudy skies (aka) Fair weather across the area with highs in the upper 50s to low 60s possible! Just look at this awesome quick cast below.

Quick Cast.....

Wednesday we will look for partly cloudy skies across the area with a nice mild high around 59* degrees. However if we do in fact see more sun then clouds then I wouldn't be surprised to see a high in the low 60s! Expect a low Wednesday night around 42* degrees with light winds between 5 and 10 mph.

Thursday we will look for mostly cloudy skies through out the day with off and on peaks of sunshine. Expect a high around 68* near 70* degrees. A few scattered light rain showers around a 20% chance cannot be ruled out in some of our central and northern counties later that night into Friday. Expect a low around 54* degrees with winds between 10 and 15 mph. A few gusts to 20 - 25 mph possible.

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Friday we will also be looking for highs in the middle 60s however I cannot totally rule out the chance for a few scattered hit and miss showers across the area. Still with highs in the 60s I think we can handle a little sprinkle! lol.

Now bloggers in one of my older post I talked about how the earthquake in Japan last Friday shifted the earth axis. Now I have a little more detail on that topic! The March 11, magnitude (upgraded to a 9.0 earthquake) in Japan may have shortened the length of each Earth day and shifted its axis. But don't worry—you won't notice the difference. I have more details about this event below straight from NASA! Take a look at what they have to say.

And remember you can send a $10 donation to Japan by texting REDCROSS to 90999. The $10 will be added to your next phone bill.

Or you can do what I did and buy a bracelet in which all money made goes to help Japan! Here's the site below where you can place your bracelet order. It's for a good cause!

http://ladygaga.shop.bravadousa.com/Product.aspx?cp=14781_42444&pc=BGAMLG88&src=SHAR002

Japan's Coastline Before and After the Tsunami

These images above show the effects of the tsunami on Japan's coastline. The image on the left was taken on Sept. 5, 2010; the image on the right was taken on March 12, 2011, one day after an earthquake and resulting tsunami struck the island nation.

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Using a United States Geological Survey estimate for how the fault responsible for the earthquake slipped, research scientist Richard Gross of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., applied a complex model to perform a preliminary theoretical calculation of how the Japan earthquake—the fifth largest since 1900—affected Earth's rotation. His calculations indicate that by changing the distribution of Earth's mass, the Japanese earthquake should have caused Earth to rotate a bit faster, shortening the length of the day by about 1.8 microseconds (a microsecond is one millionth of a second).

The calculations also show the Japan quake should have shifted the position of Earth's figure axis (the axis about which Earth's mass is balanced) by about 17 centimeters (6.5 inches), towards 133 degrees east longitude. Earth's figure axis should not be confused with its north-south axis; they are offset by about 10 meters (about 33 feet). This shift in Earth's figure axis will cause Earth to wobble a bit differently as it rotates, but it will not cause a shift of Earth's axis in space—only external forces such as the gravitational attraction of the sun, moon and planets can do that.

Both calculations will likely change as data on the quake are further refined.

In comparison, following last year's magnitude 8.8 earthquake in Chile, Gross estimated the Chile quake should have shortened the length of day by about 1.26 microseconds and shifted Earth's figure axis by about 8 centimeters (3 inches). A similar calculation performed after the 2004 magnitude 9.1 Sumatran earthquake revealed it should have shortened the length of day by 6.8 microseconds and shifted Earth's figure axis by about 7 centimeters, or 2.76 inches. How an individual earthquake affects Earth's rotation depends on its size (magnitude), location and the details of how the fault slipped.

Gross said that, in theory, anything that redistributes Earth's mass will change Earth's rotation.

"Earth's rotation changes all the time as a result of not only earthquakes, but also the much larger effects of changes in atmospheric winds and oceanic currents," he said. "Over the course of a year, the length of the day increases and decreases by about a millisecond, or about 550 times larger than the change caused by the Japanese earthquake. The position of Earth's figure axis also changes all the time, by about 1 meter (3.3 feet) over the course of a year, or about six times more than the change that should have been caused by the Japan quake."

Gross said the changes in Earth's rotation and figure axis caused by earthquakes should not have any impacts on our daily lives. "These changes in Earth's rotation are perfectly natural and happen all the time," he said. "People shouldn't worry about them."

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Well, they say it's  nothing to worry about! But Are you still a little worried? (Let me know in the comments please!).

Morning Rainfall Totals!

Rain showers have been pushing through the area all night and today! Take a look at the radar image below. This image was taken at 12:17pm EDT.

You can see nothing heavy left in the area. Just some scattered light rain showers here and there. These rain showers are moving north at this time. Here's a quick look at the morning rainfall totals below.

Attica, coming in with the highest at this time with .75" inches. Lafayette, not far behind with .70" inches. West - Lafayette, with .59" and the lowest amount from Kentland, with .36" Inches.

Pray For Japan! Donate $10 by texting the word REDCROSS to 90999.

Or you can buy a bracelet to help Japan. Here's the link below. All Money made goes to Help Japan!

http://ladygaga.shop.bravadousa.com/Product.aspx?cp=14781_42444&pc=BGAMLG88

60s And Possible 70s On The Way This Week!

Well, bloggers we have had cloudy days with cool temps in the 40s! However now we have rain on the way by as soon as late tonight into much of the day tomorrow (Tuesday). Also some 60s and possible 70s this week! Whaaaaaaaaaat? lol Let's take a look at that rain on the way below.

You can see the rain off to our west in this radar image above. Radar image taken at 9:10pm EDT. This will continue to move closer to our area as the night goes on. Right now it's looking like the rain will try to move in by sometime around 2:am EDT or just after. Take a look at this image below.

This is an image is showing what things are expected to look like tonight around 2:am EDT. You can see the rain is in Indianapolis, and some of the southern counties in our viewing area. This rain will continue to drift more north as the night continues and also as we head into tomorrow. Here's another image below showing what things should look like by tomorrow afternoon.

This image is looking at tomorrow (Tuesday) at around 2:pm EDT. You can see most of us still in that green area (Rain) through out much of the day. Right now I'm not looking for a total washout which is good news for the falling river waters. Right now I'm looking for most of us to pick up rainfall between a quarter and a half inch possible. However I cannot totally rule out some locally higher amounts in some areas near three quarters of an inch. However again most of us should be between .25" and .50" inches of rain from this system. Here's a look at your detailed quick cast below.

Quick Cast.....

Tuesday we will look for mostly cloudy skies and rain through out much of the day! Light to moderate rainfall at times. Expect rainfall between .25" and .50" inches with some locally higher amounts in areas possible near three quarters of an inch cannot be ruled out. Again most will be around .25" and .50" inches. Expect a high Tuesday around 49* degrees with a low that night around 34* degrees. Winds between 10 and 15 mph with a few gusts in the morning hours near 18 - 20 mph possible.

Wednesday we will start out with mostly cloudy skies across the area however as the day continues the skies will try to clear a bit becoming partly cloudy. Expect a high around 58* degrees with a low that night around 42* degrees. Winds light between 5 and 7 mph.

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Now take a look at these temperatures for this week bloggers! I know a lot of you are itching to get out and start that spring clean up! Well, you may very well get a few days this week to do so. Take a look at these expected highs.

Yes, Wednesday is looking Partly cloudy with a high around 58* degrees. If we end up seeing more sun then clouds we could easily hit the low 60s! Thursday will be a really nice day with a high in the upper 60s / low 70s! And Friday as well with a high around 67* degrees. The only catch with Friday is we could see a few hit and miss scattered sprinkles across the area. But still overall these temperatures are looking NICE!

Now last but not least a look at the rivers! Right now the Wabash river is sitting at 12.65ft which is still 1.65ft above flood stage. The Wabash river is falling and even though I'm forecasting rain tonight into tomorrow the Wabash will still continue to fall! It will be below flood stage by Friday around 1:pm EDT when it will be around 10.9ft. Flood stage is at 11.0ft. The Wabash is expected to be at 10.3ft by Saturday at 7:pm EDT. So good news for the rivers for sure!

Remember to have your rain gauges out and ready to record the rainfall tonight into tomorrow. Remember you can send me your weather pictures and reports to dobby1717@aol.com

Also if you would like to donate to Japan during this disaster remember that you can text (REDCROSS) to 90999 to donate $10. The $10 will be added to your next phone bill. #Prayforjapan

Take Care And God Bless!