Rainy Tuesday

Today was a nice, cool, partly cloudy spring day. However clouds will start to roll in later this afternoon/evening ahead of a cold front back to the west. We may have a chance for a shower or two before midnight, but the bulk of the action will be after midnight. No severe weather is expected. Sunny, dry weather is in store for Wednesday. Thursday another round of storms will fire up along a cold front. The models are unclear about whether we'll see rain on Friday or Saturday. I'm being optimistic and hoping the front moves through faster than expected. In a few days the models should converge toward one forecast and we'll know what the weekend holds for us!

Weekend troubles

Today was a such a beautiful day you wouldn't know that severe weather is on the way for tonight.

There is a moderate risk for severe weather in south Arkansas and a slight risk for the remainder of the Natural State. Biggest threat is for hail and damaging winds here in central Arkansas. Another low pressure system is set to move through our area around 6 am in the morning. No severe weather is expected tomorrow. A slight chance for rain is in the forecast for the rest of the day. For Sunday expec a complete turn around. Sunny skies and warmer in the afternoon. Morning temps will be in the mid 30's. More severe weather is on the way for the middle of next week!

Severe Weather Facts-Part 3

Today is the final part of my series on severe weather facts. Today I am talking about tornadoes and ways to recieve alerts.

Eighty tornadoes occured in Arkansas last year. Tornados caused 21 deaths and over 200 injuries in 2008. The strongest tornado reported was an EF4 which managed to stay on the ground for over two hours. It broke the record for longest tornado path. Tornadoes are not only a threat in the spring and summer, but also in the fall. In recent yare tornadoes were reported during the early fall months of August and September.

When tornadoes occur, folks often say "The tornado sirens didn't wake me up." The fact is that they are designed to ba an aoutdoor alert only. Sometimes you can hear them inside a building, but that was not their purpose.

That is why every household should own a NOAA weather all hazards radio. The radio can be programmed for specific alerts and for your city or county. It emits an annoying/loud tone that is sure to wake you in the event of a severe weather emergency. They cost about 30 dollars and can be purchased from electronic stores or found on-line. The program code for White County is 145.

Here are some tips to remember when a tornado warning is issued or the sirens sound.

• Never seek shelter under an over pass.
• If in your car, lay flat in a ditch and cover your head
• Always seek shelter in a sturdy building with an inner room absent of windows.
• Never seek shelter in mobile homes!

You can find more information on tornadoes or how to program a weather radio by visiting http://www.weather.gov/

A rough road ahead

It was an eventful night across the region last night. Here in Arkansas high wind gusts were the only severe weather reports of note. Some places in northwest Arkansas saw gusts of gale force or greater. That was round one and it is finished.

Round two will occur later tonight as a system moves in from east Texas. There remains a slight risk for sever weather in the south, but just a rain maker here.

Round three and four occur over the next couple of days. Several upper level systems will move through the area late Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Friday and Saturday could produce some severe weather.

Rainfall totals after we are said and done could be upwards of 2.5 inches. That will cover our rainfall deficit for the month with some to spare.

On the flip side after everything clears out I'm expecting sunny skies again for Sunday!

Itchy eyes, runny nose?...

If you suffer from allergies, here is a look at the tree pollen count for today: http://www.pollen.com/forecast.asp Mold is also in the moderate category.

Severe Weather Facts-Part 2

Today continues our week long series on severe weather. Friday I'll spotlight tornadoes and weather radios. All throughout the rest of the semester be watching for stories pertaining to severe weather awareness.

That get's me to todays topic: flash floods.

Flash floods are just one of many types of floods. Flash floods form quickly, usually without warning. They are produced by slow-moving storms or storms that move/train over the same area for extended periods of time. Most flash flooding that occurs in the state of Arkansas occurs overnight. The majority of deaths occur when people try to walk or drive into flood waters. The water may look calm on top, but underneath the current can be strong enough to sweep vehicles away. It only takes two feet of water to make a car float. The National Weather Service has a slogan to encourage people not to drive into flooded areas: "Turn around, don't drown!" If your vehicle does become submerged in rapidly rising water, abandon it immediatly and seek higher ground. To better prepare yourself for the threat of flash flooding, know which places in your area flood quickly. These are usually low-lying areas like ditches and culverts.

Information about this and more can be found at the NWS website www.weather.gov

Severe Weather Update

Last night was an active one for Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, and Nebraska.  Tornados were reported in Nebraska, Kansas and Iowa.  Otherwise there were numerous reports of hail and strong winds.  This line is set to move in later this afternoon.  The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma has most of Arkansas at a slight risk for severe weather.  I'm expecting heavy downpours and some strong winds.  Expect around one inch of rain fall today.  By the time the week is said and done, I'm expecting about 5 inches of rain to have fallen across central Arkansas.  We'll have to wait and see.  Jonathan Lindsay will have the latest tonight at 5!

Heavy rains ahead

For the month of March we are behind on rainfall by over three inches. That deficit will lessen by the weekend, because of some frontal boundaries that will be moving our way this week. The first is a cold front out in the plains. When it passes through, it will lift back to the north as a warm front. Both systems have the potential for severe weather. The best chance though for tonight and tomorrow is in NWA. We may see a severe t'storm or some damaging wind, but I expect all the bad stuff to stay to the west. It is Friday and Saturday that I am more concerned about, but we'll know for sure once we get closer. Rain totals for the five day period will be over 2.25 inches. We'll make up a little ground on the defecit. Tune in all this week for the latest regarding this round of severe weather.

Severe Weather Facts-Part 1

Today is part one of three in which I'll be sharing some facts and safety tips regarding severe weather. Today I'll highlight thunderstorms and lightning. Wednesday will be flash floods and Friday I'll cover tornadoes and severe weather radios.

Here are some facts regarding thunderstorms and lightning:

• 1800 thunderstorms are active at one time
• They produce lightning, flash flooding, damaging winds, hail, and tornadoes
• They are considered severe when winds of 58 mph or penny-sized hail is produced
• Lightning can occur in any t'storm
• In 2008 one lightning related death and three injuries were reported in Arkansas
• It strikes outside the area of heavy rain as far as ten miles
• Rubber-soled shoes do not protect from lightning strikes
• Despite popular belief, heat lightning is not caused by heat. Rather it is a far away thunderstorm that can be seen from far away

Here are some safety tips regarding thunderstorms and lightning:

• Know the difference between a watch and a warning. Watches mean conditions are favorable for development and warnings mean a storm is imminent.
• If you can hear thunder or see lightning, seek shelter. Use the 30-30 rule. If you can't count to 30 after seeing lightning, you are in danger of being struck
• Move to a sturdy shelter... not under a tree, or in a small shed, or in a convertible car
• If in the woods seek shelter under shorter trees
• Stay off the phone and computer
• Stay out of the bathtub or shower
• Get off of the golf course
• If you feel you skin tingle or hair stand on end, squat low to the ground on the balls of your feet and put your hands on your knees. Make yourself as small as you can.

You can find this information and more by visiting the National Weather Service's website at www.weather.gov

Weekend weather update

Saturday was abit cool and with the clouds, it didn't seem much like Spring.  I even heard someone say that today(Sunday) was the first day of Spring, eventhough Friday was.  Today sure seemed like the first day of Spring characteristic wise.

To start off the week well have mild temperatures in the lower 70's.  A cold front developing in the plains will start to move east.  It's looking like all the conditiuons are favorable for a severe weather event.

This is a look at the National Strom Prediction Centers assessment of the convective outlook for Monday.  There is a moderate risk for Southern Kansas and Northern Oklahoma.  Any moderate risk means the strong likelyhood for severe t'storms, hail, and several tornadoes.  

What does that mean for us?  The line will be moving in a southeasterly direction Monday night into Tuesday.  We will see the front push through our area Tuesday afternoon.  I'm expecting most of the severe weather to have died down, but there is a slight chance for a severe t'storm or some damaging winds here in central Arkansas.  Tune in tomorrow at 5, I'll have the latest.

Severe weather next week

There is significant upper level energy in the upper levels of the atmosphere. Shear and instability are also high.

These are models of the middle of the atmosphere. There is significant energy moving through the area capable of producing strong thunderstorms. The first one shows Tuesday night and the second shows Wednesday. I'm not ruling out a strong T'storm and some gusty winds, but the bulk of the severe weather will be in Oklahoma, Kansas, and maybe NW Arkansas.

First Day of Spring

Spring is FINALLY here!!! It arrived at 6:44 this morning. Eventhough we are abit cool right now, temperatures will warm and you will start to see more rain in the forecast.

2009 Hurricane Predictions

March marks the beginning of Spring and the release of hurricane predictions. Dr. William Gray of Colorado State University has released his predictions. Preliminary predictions show a decrease in tropical activity this year, but still above average. Gray calls for 14 named storms, seven of which will be hurricanes. Three of those will be major hurricanes. Also the eastern coast is most likely to see more landfalls than the Gulf Coast. Water temperatures will be cooler in the south Atlantic and high pressure will be positioned just right that trade winds will be out of the east. This will cause storms to move west toward the eastern coast. The hurricane season starts June 1 and ends November 30.

Clear skies for viewing

The International Space Station will be visible tonight. At about 7:45 look in the northwest sky directly overhead and you should be able to see the ISS with the space shuttle trailing behind. Skies should be great for viewing with only a few thin clouds likely. Temperatures over the next few days will be feeling more like spring, as were only 4 days away. An upper level system moves through on Thursday bring some rain to the area. The rest of the week looks good.

GSC Tournament forecast

For all those heading to Southaven tonight, the drive looks good. No rain and temperatures in the 50's. The wind will be brisk, so a light jacket may not hurt. Enjoy the game and GO BISON!

Wet weekend

Warmer temperatures were seen all across Arkansas today. Tonight temparatures will be in the mid 40's with SSE winds at 10-15mph. So it will feel colder than it actually is. Tomorrow will still be breezy with winds gusting to 25 mph. We will warm-up into the 70's tomorrow and stay there through the weekend. An upper level disturbance is set to bring rain to the state late Saturday. Sunday and Monday will be wet as well. At this time any severe weather will be to the northwest. Stay tuned.

A warming trend

We've been cold the past couple of days. High pressure is moving in from the southwest. It should get here late tomorrow night and early Wednesday. Winds will shift from northeast to south by Wednesday afternoon. When the winds become southerly, humidity and temperatures will increase. A welcome change!

Weekend recap

Snow in late February? Saturday was proof that any kind of weather is possible in Arkansas, anytime. Some locations to the Northeast received almost a foot of snow. Here though only a blanket of snow covered the ground Saturday night. You can still see the snow that hasn't melted yet in the Northeastern part of the state on this picture of the visible satellite.