Hello and happy Wednesday everyone, I hope all is well. It’s good to be back to work after the recent passing of my father. It’s never easy losing loved ones, but it’s comforting to know that people are thinking about you in a time of sorrow. To all of you who have reached out to my family and I, thank you!
Watching the Tropics
Swirling clusters of storms are becoming common in the tropics now. Currently, the National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on Hurricane Danielle in the Atlantic and Tropical Storm Frank in the Eastern Pacific. Tropical Depression 7 has also formed formed just east of Danielle, which is likely to become Tropical Storm Earl either today or tomorrow.
Hurricane Danielle is on track to plow into Bermuda by the weekend, perhaps as a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds around 100mph
Tropical Depression #7 is likely to become Tropical Storm Earl later today or tomorrow, but interestingly, the forecast models bring this storm farther west than Danielle. If the current forecast holds and there is intensification, it may be worth watching closely. My fear is that we see tremendous intensification and it drifts closer and closer to the Caribbean.
August Tropical Points of Origin and Typical Tracks
This is kind of an interesting map to look at… This is where tropical systems tend to develop in the month of August and where they typically track:
This is the long range GFS weather model forecast, which suggests three storms taking similar tracks through next Tuesday, August 31st. It’ll be interesting to see what happens over the next few days. It could be a long couple of weeks for Bermuda if these storms keep forming and threatening the same locations.
That’s what’s happening in the tropics, hope your day is bright and sunny. Enjoy the rest of your Wednesday.
Meteorologist Todd Nelson – WeatherNation LLC
I’m always fascinated with Earthquakes. I even have “Mappity Quakes” as an application on my iPhone and check it frequently. What I find so wild is that there are quakes just about every minute of the day. No, they are not exactly a weather phenomenon, but more geological in nature. I think though, many meteorologists are somewhat intrigued by earthquakes, like me.
One of our meteorologists sent me this article.
I thought the quote that was in relation to weather was particularly good. It mentions you take an umbrella along if it is cloudy as a preparation. So as new research comes out, why not prepare now for what may happen just as you would prepare for a bad weather day.
Take a look at the article. I think you’ll also take a deep gulp. It makes me wonder, what will weather maps would look like after the “big one” strikes California? Will we see the dust on satellite from crumbling buildings? Are people and residents of California really prepared? Is aid ready to be dispatched?
Earthquake clean-up is long from over in Haiti. How long would it take to clean up Los Angeles?
Thoughts for your day.
Good Sunday morning everyone. Let’s tackle today’s weather headlines!
Tropical Depression 6
Our next tropical system formed far out in the Atlantic yesterday evening, and as of posting it was still classified Tropical Depression 6. It is, though, expected to become Tropical Storm Danielle later today and in the next few days, a Hurricane. Current models have the storm posing no threat to land, though, starting to curve it off to the north and east by the end of the week — and at the moment should avoid even Bermuda. We are watching another wave coming off the coast of Africa within the next few days — and that has the possibility to be the next system to watch.
June 17 Outbreak
The National Weather Service offices in and around Minnesota are finally releasing the numbers from the tornado outbreak that occurred across the state on June 17. It currently looks like there were 45 tornadoes, mainly in northwest and south central parts of the state. Some surveying is still being done, so it is possible this number could fluxuate still. Either way, this would be a record for the number of tornadoes for one day in the state of Minnesota, easily smashing the record of 27 set on June 16, 1992. I also went and looked at the numbers from April 24, when there was the outbreak in Mississippi, including the Yazoo City tornado. If my numbers are correct, there were only 40 tornadoes on that day. That would (likely) make this date the biggest tornado outbreak day of the year so far. This really does show that Minnesota has had more tornado reports than any other state this year — something quite freaky for the northland! You can view more of the data from June 17 here.
Dull Period for Severe Storms
Seems like we are entering a pretty dull period for severe storms at the moment. The only big threat for severe weather will be down near the Gulf Coast today, and over the next few days there isn’t any big areas that the Storm Prediction Center is highlighting for severe storms. Enjoy the little break from severe weather!
49ers vs. Vikings
Sunday Night Football has the San Francisco 49ers at home in Candlestick Park against the Minnesota Vikings — and the skies are looking clear for it! Temperatures should be around 60 throughout the entire game. The only problem is some gustier winds from the NW at 10-15 that might have the potential to wreck a little havoc with those kicks.
Hope you have a great Sunday!
D.J. Kayser from WeatherNation
I’ve had food on my mind this morning, and I think it has something to do with thoughts of the Minnesota State Fair starting next week. Can’t wait to get my first bag of mini-donuts! It’s state fair time in many states, as summer starts unofficially winding down. The good news is that we still have a solid month until the official start of fall! To be a little more precise, the autumnal equinox is set for 10:09 PM on September 22, 1 month from tomorrow. By September, we’re seeing approximately equal(Latin term–aequus) day and night(Latin term–nox) as the sun works its way across the equator, and dips south of the equator for the winter months. Here’s a nice depiction: The northern hemisphere begins fall, while the folks in the southern hemisphere enjoy the first signs of spring.
Let’s get back to summer! Yesterday was a record breaker for numerous locations across the lower 48, and for numerous reasons. We had record highs, record maximum overnight lows, record high minimums and record rainfall. A record high of 99 was set at Lovewell Dam in northern Kansas yesterday, breaking the old record 97 set in 1959. Pennington Gap, Virginia picked up a record 2.37″ of rainfall for August 20th, topping their old record of 2.12″ set in 1956. And Mt. Pleasant, North Carolina shattered their old record of 2.05″ set way back in 1898, with a whopping 2.5″ of rainfall in a 24-hour period yesterday!
How about our weather this afternoon. The western half of the country remains relatively quiet, thanks to a large area of high pressure. Moisture surging north into New Mexico and Arizona could provide the folks across the southwest U.S. with gusty winds and very heavy rainfall. Meanwhile, the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma has outlined the Ohio Valley in a slight risk of severe weather. Storms this morning have really stabilized the atmosphere, so we’ll see if the green area is narrowed this afternoon. If strong storms do develop, damaging wind would be the main threat, as well as frequent lightning and locally heavy rainfall.
Stay safe and enjoy your weekend!
Meteorologist Bryan Karrick, WeatherNation LLC
How many of you are sniffling and sneezing a little more than normal? Well, you’re not alone! Ragweed season is in full force across the central and northern plains, causing a flare-up of allergies. According to www.pollen.com, the allergy count will be on the high side today from parts of Wyoming into the western Dakotas, Iowa, Illinois & Missouri, and into the northern half of the Ohio Valley. If you”re suffering, your best bet is to keep those windows closed to keep the pollen outside. You may want to stay indoors on windy days to avoid an onslaught of pollen. Allergens can collect on clothes drying outdoors, so utilize your dryer. Speaking of clothes, wear natural fabrics to help prevent a collection of allergens. Here’s one last tip many of us might not think about when we’re eating: Avoid grains and sugars which tend to inhibit your body’s ability to fight off allergens. I’ll definitely take these tips with me, since Ragweed season is the worst time of year for my allergies!
Can you believe we’re already into the heart of hurricane season? It’s been a VERY quiet start so far, but forecasters are expecting that to change as we head into the second half of the season. The National Hurricane Center is keeping an eye on two disturbed areas, one near the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico and another just coming off the coast of Africa.
The first system is quite disorganized, and has a 10% chance of taking on tropical cyclone status. The second one has quite an area of warm water to traverse, thus a 40% chance of becoming a tropical cyclone in the next couple of days. In the eastern Pacific, Tropical Depression Eight-E has developed and is continuing its west-northwestward wobble over cooler waters. This system is expected to weaken over the weekend.
Finally, if you’re planning a trip to the Iowa State Fair today, keep an eye on the sky and an ear to local forecasts. Severe weather looks like it’s in the cards from Kansas and Missouri, up over much of Iowa, into western/northern Illinois, and encompassing much of Wisconsin. Although damaging wind will be the biggest threat from storms across the central and northern plains, there is also a threat for isolated tornadoes, especially across the northern half of Wisconsin.
