LOS ANGELES — The most powerful El Nino storm yet this week pushed onto the California coast Wednesday as police and outreach teams kept an eye on Los Angeles riverbeds where thousands of homeless people live and would be vulnerable to flash flooding.
Driving rain inundated the San Francisco Bay Area during the morning commute, causing nearly two dozen crashes, toppling trees and flooding streets and streams.
The storm pushed southward toward Southern California with strong thunderstorms and pounding surf with waves topping 10 feet.
It’s the latest in a series of El Nino storms that has drenched California and the desert Southwest as it heads toward the Gulf Coast.
The latest system is packing colder temperatures, stronger winds and heavier rainfall than the previous ones that have lined up since the weekend and brought much-needed rain to the drought-stricken state.
In all, the current storm could dump as much as three inches of rain in coastal and valley areas and up to four inches at higher elevations, said NWS meteorologist Curt Kaplan.
Another less powerful El Nino storm was right behind and expected to hit land Thursday,
Authorities have spent days getting homeless people from low-lying areas along the Los Angeles River. Shuttles were available to shelters that had room for as many as 6,000 beds, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said.
Los Angeles officials have mapped homeless encampments for the first time as they try to contact as many people as possible. Police were prepared to temporarily detain people who were illegally camped along the Los Angeles River but refused to move.
“We’re not going to charge them with things,” Garcetti said. “But we will use the force of law — there is law on the books that they can’t be there.”
Motorists in mountain areas were warned that blizzard conditions with wind gusts reaching 60 mph were possible above 4,000 feet. Flash flooding and flows of mud and debris remained a worry in foothill neighborhoods beneath areas left barren by wildfires.
The National Weather Service said a record 1.42 inches of rain fell Tuesday at Los Angeles International Airport as a previous storm passed through the region.
In Orange County, south of Los Angeles, a homeless man in his 40s was swept off his feet by swift waters and washed nearly a mile down Brea Creek in Buena Park before he pulled himself out, fire officials said. He was treated at a hospital for scraped feet and arms.
San Diego fire-rescue crews responded to 75 calls in three hours. Most dealt with cars in flooded intersections, including instances in which a woman and her dog were pulled to safety and a family of four was rescued from their vehicle as waters swiftly rose.
Despite the potential for flooding and mudslides, the wet weather was welcome news for a state suffering from a severe drought. But officials warned residents against abandoning conservation efforts and reverting to wasteful water-use habits.
California’s water deficit is so deep after four years of drought that a steady parade of storms will be needed for years to come, said Mike Anderson, climatologist for the state Department of Water Resources.
The current El Nino system — a natural warming of the central Pacific Ocean that interacts with the atmosphere and changes weather worldwide — has tied a system in 1997-1998 as the strongest on record, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center said.


MOBILE, Ala. -- A powerful storm tonight flooded streets in Mobile, knocked power out for thousands of customers and left cars stalled in many parts of the city, officials said.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for all of Mobile County south of Interstate 10 as of 8:15 p.m. but warned that areas such as Midtown, around Mobile Infirmary and in Prichard and Chickasaw could also suffer flooding.
The weather service Web site reported that 3.38 inches of rainfall had been recorded at Mobile Regional Airport from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. today.
Alabama Power Co. spokesman Bernie Fogarty said that, as of 9:30 p.m., more than 4,600 Mobile County electrical customers were without power.
Fogarty said the largest concentration was about 3,000 customers in parts of downtown, Midtown and around Oakleigh and Lyons Park. Fogarty said another 600 customers suffered outages around Grand Bay, and an additional 1,000 scattered outages were reported throughout other parts of the county.
Fogarty said he hoped most of the customers would have power restored about midnight.
The weather service extended the flash flood warning just before 9:30 p.m. to central Baldwin County, including Bay Minette and Daphne. The weather service said as much as 2 inches of rain had fallen in an hour in Baldwin County by the time of the warning, and an additional 2 inches was possible in Baldwin County before the storms moved on.
The night storm came at the heels of a strong afternoon rainstorm that left many Midtown streets flooded, snarling traffic during the mid-afternoon hours.
Traffic was slowed for much of the day, with the worst snarl along westbound Interstate 10 for about three hours leading into the George Wallace Tunnel.
Police spokesman Officer Christopher Levy said a pair of four-car accidents, one about 4 p.m. and one just after 5:30 p.m., both inside the westbound tunnel, left traffic on I-10 and Battleship Parkway backed up for miles.


Storm Kompasu is expected to enter the Gulf of Tonkin between late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, before weakening. -
At 1 p.m. Wednesday, the storm was in the eastern sea regions of Hainan Island, about 600 km away from Thanh Hoa, 610 km away from Nghe An and 540 km away from Ha Tinh.
Storm Kompasu has killed at least nine and rendered 11 missing in the Philippines on Tuesday due to flooding and landslides, Reuters cited the national disaster agency as saying.
Summary content from
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Is there a radar app for iPhone?
MyRadar is a fast, powerful, easy-to-use weather app that displays animated weather radar around your current location and to quickly show what weather is coming your way. Just start the app; your location pops up with animated live radar, with radar loop lengths of up to two hours.
What is the best radar app for iPhone?
Best Free Weather Radar Apps for the iPhone and iPad
- The Weather Channel: Forecasts & Alerts.
- Dark Sky.
- The Weather Network – Forecasts & Alerts.
- NOAA Hi-Def Radar.
- Storm Radar.
Does Mac Have RadarScope?
RadarScope 4 on the Mac App Store.
Is RadarScope app free?
If you choose to buy the RadarScope Pro subscription, it will be charged to your Google Play account. Subscriptions renew automatically, and you’re charged at the beginning of each subscription period. Subscriptions may be managed and auto-renewal disabled via your Google Play app after the purchase.
What is the best live radar app?
7 Best Weather Radar Websites and Apps in 2022 That Are Free
- The Weather Channel.
- Weather Underground.
- NOAA Weather Radar Live.
- Our Top Paid App Pick: RadarScope.
- Runner Up Paid Pick: Dark Sky.
How much does RadarScope cost?
RadarScope, available for iOS, Android, Mac and Windows, does come at a price. Access to RadarScope costs $9.99 on iOS and Android and $29.99 on Mac and Windows with optional “Pro Tier” subscription models that cost $9.99 per year for the first tier and $99.99 per year for the second tier.
What is the best radar app for your phone?
The best weather radar apps for Android
- Rainy Days Rain Radar.
- Storm Radar by The Weather Channel.
Is radar now a free app?
RadarNow! is a free app for Android devices that displays the latest local weather radar with smooth animation against high-quality map backgrounds.
Can iPhone measure speed?
GPS – Speed Tracker uses the iPhone’s built-in GPS system to show your current, maximum/top and average speed, as well as the heading direction, total distance, trip time and altitude in a single screen.
Can iPhone camera detect speed?
A new iOS 14 feature allows you to check for speed and red-light cameras on iPhone Maps — here’s what you need to know. The letter F.
What radar do storm chasers use?
RadarScope, the Best Radar for Storm Chasing Out of many, RadarScope is the best radar so far. Many professional meteorologists, news reporters, and even pilots use it for storm chasing.
What radar do pilots use?
AeroWeather. AeroWeather is a great choice for pilots looking for current and precise weather conditions (METAR) and forecasts (TAF). The AeroWeather app provides access to METAR and TAF information for airports throughout the world.
Can I use my phone as a speed camera?
With your smartphone, you can measure the speed of people or moving objects with the apps Speed Gun (AndroidTM ) and SpeedClock (iOS). Great for sporting events like baseball, football or track and field.
Is the weather Underground app free?
About Weather Underground Weather Underground is a weather app that provides users with hyper-local forecast and customizable alerts so that you’re prepared for whatever the weather may throw at you. Weather Underground is available for free to download on iOS and Android devices.


SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) — There are many different ways to get those Air Quality Index numbers that have been giving Bay Area residents an indication of just how bad the air is.
Looking at hazy, ash-filled, grey skies, or even trusting your sense of smell aren’t the best methods to determine how much time you should spend outside.READ MORE: Here's What You Can Expect From The $1.9 Trillion Senate Stimulus Package
The Environmental Protection Agency relies on more than 250 monitoring sites across California, and one in each of the 9 Bay Area Counties.
“They are placed in areas that are intended to be representative of typical conditions in an area,” said Michael Flagg of Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
The state agency California Air Resources Board says it’s collecting more information on air quality than ever before.
- Bay Area Air Quality Management District
- BAAQMD Current Air Quality
- EPA AirNow
- Purple Air – Tracks particulate matter, sensors may register higher numbers than the air actual air quality.
Stanford University Director of Air Pollution and Health Research Dr. Mary Prunicki is using a combination of regulatory government monitors, and low-cost commercially available sensors.
“What we’re attempting to do now is to have subjects carry personal air-pollution measuring devices to try to get a better estimate of what people are really being exposed to,” explained Prunicki.READ MORE: COVID-19 Vaccine Shortage Forces Sutter Health To Reschedule Appointments
The way the high-cost devices work is fairly simple. Air gets drawn into the machine, then a network of computers does the analysis.
“There’s a filter that gets weighed in one monitor and then the other type of monitor, the particulate matter is deposited on the filter, and the beta attenuation of those particles is measured by sensors in the analyzer that translates to mass,” said Flagg.
The regulatory monitors, which cost tens of thousands of dollars, calculate particulate matter, gaseous pollutants like Nitrogen dioxide, and ozone, then publish the AQI numbers hourly through AirNow, which is run by the EPA.
As wildfires ripped through millions of acres last month, the EPA and U.S. Forest Service launched a pilot program, adding data from low-cost sensors like Purple Air, that use laser and light technology to pump out numbers every ten minutes.
“Looking at a number of different things is the way I look at air quality and encourage folks to do that as well,” said Flagg.
The new map is intended to help people make decisions to protect their health during fires.MORE NEWS: San Francisco Bay Ferry Officials Considering 1-Year Reduction In Fares
The EPA will not use the data collected for that program to make regulatory decisions since it’s partly relying on the low-cost commercially available air quality sensors.


This is an experimental translation of Long Range French Polynesian Weather forecasts. Words in UPPER CASE are original French. Words in lower case are all translated.
You can find the original text here: http://www.meteo.pf/previsions.php?carte=me
forecasts established by/through weather-france the thursday 26 april 2018 to 15H local forecasts at/in average deadline valid from sunday 29 april to tuesday 01 may 2018 MARQUISES : from sunday at/in tuesday, the sun RÉPOND this with SEULEMENT related clouds arising in tradewind. wind low from sector east. sea slight. swell short from sector east D'1 meter 50 SUIVIE monday a swell from south-east D'1 meter. islands underneath the wind : from sunday at/in tuesday, from good conditions dominate. wind low from sector east. sea slight. swell long from south-west D'1 meter 50 at/in 2 meters. TAHITI and MOOREA : from sunday at/in tuesday, the MATINÉES are sunny and the after-mid VOIENT ARRIVER of clouds on the landforms. related prolonged or heavy showers are so possible EN HAUTEUR. wind low from north-east veering at/in the east south-east soon monday. sea slight. swell long from south-west D'1 meter 50 at/in 2 meters. TUAMOTU and GAMBIER : from sunday at/in tuesday, from good conditions dominate. related clouds more ÉPAIS are at/in DÉPLORER to GAMBIER, but without GRANDE CONSÉQUENCE. wind low from sector east. on the south-east TUAMOTU/GAMBIER, it fired to north-west monday, then SE strengthens tuesday. sea slight becoming moderate tuesday on the south-east TUAMOTU/GAMBIER. to north, swell short easterly D'1 meter. elsewhere, swell long from south-west D'1 meter at/in 1 meter 50, relayed monday by/through a swell from south-east D'1 meter on the east of TUAMOTU and to GAMBIER. AUSTRALES : sunday, the GRISAILLE SE keeps and of showers and squalls are again to program. NETTE improvement monday and tuesday with a sky temporarily cloudy and a time dry. to north, wind low at/in moderated from south-west strengthening tuesday. to RAPA, wind from north-west moderated at/in enough FORT sunday, veering at/in the west soon monday EN easing. gusts 70 km/hr underneath squalls. sea moderate at/in rough at/in RAPA sunday. swell long from south-west D'1 meter 50 at/in 2 meters. Broken English provided for free by Eric from http://svsarana.com Contact me through my website if you locate severe errors. Please include the section of original text for debugging.


Summer arriving today with a "whew" has Sharon Fire Chief James Wright reminding residents to stay hydrated and cool.
The official first day of summer will see temperatures around 95 degrees, and 96 on Thursday, the National Weather Service in Taunton reported on its website Tuesday night.
Tuesday afternoon, the agency issued a heat advisory for noon to 7 p.m. Wednesday for much of Southern New England, including the Sharon area.
"The combination of hot temperatures and high humidity will combine to create a situation in which heat illnesses are possible. Avoid prolonged work in the sun or in poorly ventilated areas. Drink plenty of fluids. Stay in an air-conditioned environment. Stay out of the sun, and check in on relatives and neighbors," the alert says.
"To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency - call 9 1 1."
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's New England regional office predicted poor air quality for this area and elsewhere in Southern New England today and Thursday.
"Exposure to elevated ozone levels can cause breathing problems, aggravate asthma and other pre-existing lung diseases, and make people more susceptible to respiratory infection. When ozone levels are elevated, people should refrain from strenuous outdoor activity, especially sensitive populations such as children and adults with respiratory problems," the agency said in a press release Tuesday.
Wright said residents should "remember there are numerous public venues that have air conditioning, i.e. malls, restaurants, etc."
"All people, especially those with medical conditions, should limit strenuous activities and remember a cool water mist from a clean spray bottle and a fan can keep you nice and cool," he said.
Many Sharon youngsters will head to the beach.
Sharon Recreation's Summer Kickoff Celebration at Veteran's Memorial Park Beach will include face painting, a rock wall and a bounce house, starting at 1 p.m. Admission will be free, and beach tags will not be required.


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Centre debates contingency if monsoon fails
Worried over the slow progress of the monsoon, KV Thomas held a meeting on Thursday on the likelihood of less rains and subsequent drought-like situation this year.
Rathore said rains were slightly delayed but not too late to raise an alarm. "The behaviour of the monsoon differs every year. It is slightly behind the schedule but such delays are normal. There is no cause of concern for farm activities," he said.
Meanwhile, after a brief pause for two days, monsoon advanced gently and covered parts of Bihar, Jharkhand, parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh and eastern Madhya Pradesh. "In the next two days, there will be heavy rainfall in the north-eastern and eastern parts of the country. We expect fast advancement in the next 48 hours," said Dr M Mohapatra, spokesman and scientist at IMD.
IMD is likely to come out with an updated forecast on Friday, giving a detailed account of monsoon-influencing phenomena like El Nino and IOD. It will also provide a region-wise breakup of rainfall besides predicting the behaviour of the monsoon in July and August which are crucial for farm output.
The rain deficit in the first 20 days since the delayed start of the monsoon stands at 26%. The deficit has narrowed down from 50% till the second week of the month after a brief spurt of good rains over the southern peninsula and parts of Maharashtra.
The deficit is highest in northwest India comprising fertile fields of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab. In Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, the rainfall is short by around 25% giving jitters to the government as well as agro and fertiliser companies.
"The way the monsoon is behaving, we are suspecting a major demand destruction. Our main markets like Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab are yet to get their first shower. It will affect agriculture output and fertiliser offtake in a big way. Fertiliser consumption may break down by 50% this year," said US Awasthi, managing director, Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative, the country's largest fertiliser marketing company.


A daylight fireball streaked across the sky over central Europe at around 13:33 UTC on Monday, April 6, 2020. The American Meteor Society (AMS) received 350 reports about the event, with eyewitnesses from Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, Switzerland, and Germany. This is the 5th fireball report coming from Europe since April 1.
Based on the AMS' estimated trajectory, the fireball traveled southwest to northeast, from the area near the municipality of Sankt Ulrich am Pillersee, Austria, to Steinbach am Attersee.
Most of the reports came from observers in Slovenia, particularly in the areas of Ajdovscina, Celje, Cerknica, Domzale, Dravograd, Grosuplke, Idrija, Kroper, Kranj, Lenart, Litija, Ljubljana, Ljutomer, Logatec, Jesenice, Kamnik, Mozirje, Nova Gor, Skofja Loka, Smarje pri Jelsah, and Zalec.
Other reports also came from Baden-Wurttemberg, Bavaria, and Bayern in Germany; Friuli Venezia Giulia in Italy; Karnten in Austria; Zagreb in Croatia, and Switzerland.
Image credit: AMS
Parts of Europe have been reporting numerous meteor events since the beginning of April.
On April 1, three fireballs exploded within three hours consecutively-- two over Belgium and one over southern Germany.
On April 4, a very bright fireball illuminated the night sky over the northeastern Netherlands, near the German border. The event was observed from France, Denmark, District de Luxembourg, and even in England.
Featured image credit: Robert C./AMS
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The Crookston area, mainly to the south and east
had a lot of tornado activity on Sunday night. The storms popped up on the
radar around 7:00 p.m. and tornadic activity was reported for the next
three-plus hours around Crookston and Fertile area.
Several people called and emailed KROX asking why the sirens didn't sound and
Crookston Fire Fighter Shane Heldstab said they only sound the sirens if a
tornado is in Crookston or coming towards Crookston and since the funnel clouds
were south and east of Crookston and moving to the east away from Crookston the
sirens were not turned on.
For more news click here
SPORTS ON KROX
(VB) Fosston at Crookston - pre-match 7:00 PM


Ecological and Environmental Impacts of Cyclones.pdf
ECOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACTS OF CYCLONES
In meteorology, a cyclone is a large air mass that rotates around a strong center of low
atmospheric pressure, counter clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the
Southern Hemisphere as viewed from above.
Cyclones are characterized by inward-spiraling winds that rotate about a zone of low
Formation of CYCLONES!
• Cyclones form only over warm
ocean waters near the equator.
• When the warm, moist air rises
upward over the ocean, it causes an
area of lower air pressure below.
• Air from surrounding areas with
higher air pressure pushes in to the
low pressure area. Then this new
“cool” air becomes warm and moist
and rises, too. And the cycle
Impacts of CYCLONES!
Major impact of cyclone includes heavy
rainfall, strong wind, landslides, large storm
surges at landfall, and tornadoes.
The destruction from a cyclone depends
mainly on its intensity, its size, and its location.
Some of the disaster caused by cyclones are:
▪ Storm churn
The winds in the cyclones can travel with speed of
more than 156mph which can rip trees from the
ground and flatten buildings.
This often results in loss of animal habitats,
destroying vegetation, interrupting and changing
Cyclonic winds also can damage infrastructure, such
as power lines, communication towers, bridges and
Floods caused by cyclones can drown
people and animal, and are often the
greatest killer in cyclone.
Streets can become swift moving rivers
and the underpasses can become the most
Overflowing waters can damage buildings
and can also damage the infrastructure in
In earth science, erosion is the action
of surface processes that removes
soil, rock, or dissolved material from
one location on the Earth's crust, and
then transports it to another location
where it is deposited.
Removal of rock or soil as clastic
sediment is referred to as physical or
mechanical erosion which contrasts
with chemical erosion, where soil or
rock material is removed from an
area by dissolution.
Causes of Cyclones
Damage to coastal homes
Redistribution of sand
Rise in river level
Overflow of seawater
Collapse of Trees and Buildings
Migration or Displacement of people
Outbreak of infectious disease
Lose of biodiversity
It is one of the deadliest natural disasters
ever recorded. The storm formed over the
Bay of Bengal in November 1970 and made
landfall on the coast of East Pakistan (now
Bangladesh) before continuing on to West
At its peak, the cyclone generated winds of
up to 115 mph devastating the coastal regions
it encountered. It’s estimated that between
300,000 and 500,000 people were killed
during the disaster, making it the deadliest
tropical cyclone on record.
The Bhola Cyclone 1970
The Bangladesh Cyclone 1991
Another deadly cyclone that formed over the
Bay of Bengal was the 1991 Bangladesh
cyclone. By the time it reached land in
Bangladesh and eastern India, winds of up to
155 mph were recorded, making it one of the
most powerful on record.
The cyclone caused a deadly storm surge
that was 20ft high. It swept over the
coastline, claiming the lives of at least
138,866 people. In the fallout of the storm,
various countries carried out one of the
largest military relief efforts on record,
Operation Sea Angel.
The Odisha Cyclone 1999
This storm was the most intense tropical
cyclone ever recorded in the North Indian
Ocean. It was also one of the most
destructive in the region. At the peak of the
storm, winds of up to 160 mph were
recorded, as well as a record-low
As well as hitting the state of Odisha in
India, Thailand, Myanmar, and Bangladesh
also all felt the impact. Nearly 10,000 people
died, and it caused around $4.44 billion
worth of damage.
When your area is under cyclone warning
get away from low-lying beaches or other
low-lying areas close to the coast:
• Leave early before your way to high
ground or shelter gets flooded.
• Do not delay and run the risk of being
• If your house is securely built on high
ground take shelter in the safe part of the
➢ A cyclone is a spinning storm caused
by a low-pressure area in the
➢ The process of Cyclone formation
and intensification is described as
➢ We cannot avoid natural disasters like
cyclones, but being aware of the signs
and following all the safety measures
we can mitigate the loss of life and


Raymond S. Bradley is climatologist. Bradley is a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Geosciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is also the research director of the Climate System Research Center. Bradley's work indicates that the warming of Earth's climate system in the twentieth century is inexplicable via natural mechanisms.
My interests are in climate variability across a wide range of time scales. I’m particularly interested in how present day climate differs from climates in the past, and what may have caused climates to change.
I have written or edited ten books on climatic change and paleoclimatology, including Paleoclimatology: Reconstructing Climates of the Quaternary , and I‘ve authored over 100 articles on these topics.
Make a difference right now. Take Action!


They found that during periods of intense hurricane activity, dust was relatively scarce in the atmosphere, while in years when stronger dust storms rose up, fewer hurricanes swept across the Atlantic.
Amato Evan of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and colleagues there and at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration studied 25 years of satellite data--covering 1981 to 2006--to establish the correlation. Their findings are published 10 October in Geophysical Research Letters.
"These findings are important because they show that long-term changes in hurricanes may be related to many different factors," says co-author Jonathan Foley, director of the university's Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment. "While a great deal of work has focused on the links between [hurricanes] and warming ocean temperatures, this research adds another piece to the puzzle."
Researchers have increasingly turned their attention to the environmental impact of dust, after it became clear that in some years, millions of tons of sand rise up from the Sahara Desert and float across the Atlantic Ocean, sometimes in as little as five days. If scientists conclusively prove that dust storms help to squelch hurricanes, weather forecasters could one day begin to track atmospheric dust, factoring it into their predictions for the first time, the researchers say.
"People didn't understand the potential impact of dust until satellites allowed us to see how incredibly expansive these dust storms can be," says Evan. "Sometimes during the summer, sunsets in Puerto Rico are beautiful, because of all the dust in the sky--well that dust comes all the way from Africa."
The Sahara sand rises when hot desert air collides with the cooler, dryer air of the Sahel region, just south of the Sahara, and forms wind. As particles swirl upwards, strong trade winds begin to blow them westward into the northern Atlantic. Dust storms form primarily during summer and winter months, but in some years, for reasons that are not understood, they barely form at all.
Evan decided to explore the correlations between dust and hurricane activity after his colleague and co-author Christopher Velden and others suggested that dust storms moving over the tropical North Atlantic might be able to suppress the development of hurricanes. The researchers say that this makes sense, because dry, dust-ridden layers of air probably help to "dampen" brewing hurricanes, which need heat and moisture to fuel them. That effect, Velden adds, could also mean that dust storms have the potential to shift a hurricane's direction further to the west, which means it would have a higher chance of hitting the United States and Caribbean islands.
While the current research does not establish that dust storms directly influence hurricanes, it does provide compelling evidence that the two phenomena are linked in some way. "What we don't know is whether the dust affects the hurricanes directly, or whether both [dust and hurricanes] are responding to the same large scale atmospheric changes around the tropical Atlantic," says Foley. "That's what future research needs to find out."
The study was funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Harvey Leifert | American Geophysical Union
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Concrete shells are efficient structures, but not very resource efficient. The formwork for the construction of concrete domes alone requires a high amount of...
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Remains of cyclone to affect North Island
As Fiji and Samoa assess the damage caused by Cyclone Evan, the storm remains on course to hit New Zealand this weekend, making for the possibility of a wet and windy Christmas for the north and east of the North Island.
MetService yesterday updated its long-range forecast for Taranaki, predicting showers and rain for all next week.
Since Evan left Fiji it has slowly travelled south towards New Zealand, but forecasters were yesterday uncertain exactly where it would hit the country.
"There is a split between the computer models. It is either heading quite close to Northland or quite close to East Cape," MetService forecaster Allister Gorman said.
MetService said there could be flooding and winds strong enough to knock over trees and power lines.
But no one should cancel their holiday plans yet.
"We don't want to frighten people away," Mr Gorman said.
"Gisborne and Northland are big holiday spots, and while we are uncertain we don't want to put a kibosh on one.
People need to check the forecast closer to the weekend."
While the storm was travelling over open ocean it was very difficult to monitor the atmospheric conditions it encountered as it tracked south, he said.
Typically, when cyclones closed in on New Zealand they changed from being a tropical cyclone to being a mid-latitude low, with the strength of the winds dropping and the rain easing, but with the system covering a larger area.
"When it is in the tropics it has to pass very close to those islands to do damage," Mr Gorman said.
"When it comes to New Zealand you can still be hundreds of kilometres from the centre and you can still get damaging winds."
Meanwhile, life in cyclone-ravaged Samoa and Fiji was starting to get back to normal yesterday, with many tourists continuing with their holidays.
In Fiji, a state of natural disaster has been declared in the country's northern and western divisions. National Disaster Management Office director Manasa Tagicakibau said the order would allow authorities to speed up rehabilitation work.
Fiji Tourism Secretary Elizabeth Powell said the military had been dispatched to help hotels as well as local residents. She said most, if not all, main roads had been cleared, so emergency services were moving quite freely between damaged areas.


Storm Video Footage From YesterdayMarty Bowden
Posted by: Marty Bowden
Date: Jun 12 2012 2:55 PM
Here is some video footage of the storms that passed through yesterday in Geneva County. I was driving approximately 7 to 8 mph while recording this. Visibility was very slim.


It's a brisk day out there today, with a gusty breeze and below-average temperatures. If you're looking for 70s or 80s, you'll have to travel out of state to get them. Expect mostly cloudy skies (some sun at times, but not a lot) with temperatures staying in the 50s. Keep in mind, our average high temperature for May 8th is 69 degrees! There may be a scattered shower during the afternoon, but it doesn't look like a washout at all.


This article needs additional citations for verification .(December 2013)
|Formed||2 March 1883|
|Headquarters||134A Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong|
|Employees||315 (March 2018)|
|Annual budget||381.4m HKD (2019–20)|
|Parent agency||Environment and Ecology Bureau|
|Hong Kong Observatory|
| Politics and government |
of Hong Kong
|Related topics Hong Kongportal|
The Hong Kong Observatory is a weather forecast agency of the government of Hong Kong. The Observatory forecasts the weather and issues warnings on weather-related hazards. It also monitors and makes assessments on radiation levels in Hong Kong and provides other meteorological and geophysical services to meet the needs of the public and the shipping, aviation, industrial and engineering sectors.
The Observatory was established on 2 March 1883 as the Hong Kong Observatory by Sir George Bowen, the 9th Governor of Hong Kong, with William Doberck :皇家香港天文台) after obtaining a Royal Charter in 1912. The Observatory adopted the current name and emblem in 1997 after the transfer of Hong Kong's sovereignty from the UK to China.(1852–1941) as its first director. Early operations included meteorological and magnetic observations, a time service based on astronomical observations and a tropical cyclone warning service. The Observatory was renamed the Royal Observatory Hong Kong (Chinese
The Hong Kong Observatory was built in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon in 1883. Observatory Road in Tsim Sha Tsui is so named based on this landmark. However, due to rapid urbanisation, it is now surrounded by skyscrapers. As a result of high greenhouse gas emissions, the reflection of sunlight from buildings and the surfaces of roads, as well as the reduced vegetation, it suffers from a heat island effect. This was demonstrated by the considerable increase in average temperatures recorded by the Observatory between 1980 and 2005. In 2002, the Observatory opened a resource centre on the 23rd Floor of the nearby Miramar Tower, where the public can buy Hong Kong Observatory publications and access other meteorological information.
This building, built in 1883, is a rectangular two-storey plastered brick structure. It is characterised by arched windows and long verandas. It now houses the office of the directorate and serves as the centre of administration of the Observatory.The building is a declared monument of Hong Kong since 1984.
This building is next to the 1883 Building; the Centenary Building, used as The Hong Kong Observatory Headquarters, was erected in 1983 as a commemoration of the centennial service of the Observatory.
Over the years, the observatory has been led by:
|#||Name||Tenure Start||Tenure End||Length of Tenure||Notes|
|1||Dr. William Doberck||2 March 1883||12 September 1907||24 years and 195 days|
|2||Mr. Frederick George Figg||13 September 1907||13 June 1912||4 years and 275 days|
|3||Mr. Thomas Folkes Claxton||14 June 1912||8 July 1932||20 years and 25 days|
|4||Mr. Charles William Jeffries||9 July 1932||20 June 1941||8 years and 347 days|
|5||Mr. Benjamin Davis Evans||21 June 1941||30 April 1946||4 years and 314 days|
|6||Mr. Graham Scudamore Percival Heywood||1 May 1946||7 April 1956||9 years and 343 days|
|7||Dr. Ian Edward Meni Watts||8 April 1956||23 August 1965||9 years and 138 days|
|8||Mr. Gordon John Bell||24 August 1965||16 January 1981||15 years and 146 days|
|9||Mr. John Edgar Peacock||17 January 1981||14 March 1984||3 years and 58 days|
|10||Mr. Patrick Sham Pak||15 March 1984||25 May 1995||11 years and 72 days|
|11||Mr. Robert Lau Chi-kwan||26 May 1995||21 December 1996||1 year and 210 days|
|12||Dr. Lam Hung-kwan||22 December 1996||13 March 2003||6 years and 82 days|
|13||Mr. Lam Chiu-ying||14 March 2003||10 May 2009||6 years and 58 days|
|14||Dr. Lee Boon-ying||11 May 2009||13 April 2011||1 year and 338 days|
|15||Mr. Shun Chi-ming||14 April 2011||14 February 2020||8 years and 307 days|
|16||Dr. Cheng Cho-ming||15 February 2020||Incumbent||2 years, 161 days|
From 1885 to 1948, the HKO used the coat of arms of the United Kingdom in various styles for its logo but in 1949, this was changed to a circular escutcheon featuring pictures of weather observation tools, with the year 1883 at the bottom and a St Edward's Crown at the top. In 1981, the logo was changed to the old coat of arms, and in 1997, with the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong, the current logo was introduced to replace the colonial symbols.
The Friends of the Observatory, an interest group set up in 1996 to help the Observatory to promote Hong Kong Observatory and its services to the public, provide science extension activities in relation to the works of the Observatory and foster communication between the Observatory and the public, now has more than 7,000 individual and family members in total. Activities organised for the Friends of the Observatory include regular science lectures and visits to Observatory's facilities. Newsletters (named 談天說地) were also published for members once every four months. Voluntary docents from this interest group lead a "HKO Guided Tour" to let the public who applied for visit in advance to visit the headquarters of the Observatory, and learn about the history, environment and meteorological science applied by the Observatory.
The Observatory regularly organises visits for secondary school students. This outreach programme was extended to primary school students, the elderly and community groups in recent years. Talks are also organised in primary schools during the winter time, when officials are less busy in the severe climate issues and watchouts. A roving exhibition for the public was also mounted in shopping malls in 2003. To promote understanding of the services provided by the Observatory and their benefits to the community, over 50 press releases were issued and 7 media briefings were held in 2003. From time to time, the Observatory also works closely with schools for a series of events, including with the Geography Society of PLK Vicwood KT Chong Sixth Form College between 2008 and 2009.
Central is the central business district of Hong Kong. It is located in Central and Western District, on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, across Victoria Harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui, the southernmost point of Kowloon Peninsula. The area was the heart of Victoria City, although that name is rarely used today.
The Star Ferry is a passenger ferry service operator and tourist attraction in Hong Kong. Its principal routes carry passengers across Victoria Harbour, between Hong Kong Island, and Kowloon. The service is operated by the Star Ferry Company, which was founded in 1888 as the Kowloon Ferry Company, and adopted its present name in 1898.
Tsim Sha Tsui, often abbreviated as TST, is an urban area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hung Hom Bay now east of Tsim Sha Tsui. The area is bounded north by Austin Road and in the east by Hong Chong Road and Cheong Wan Road.
Tropical cyclone warnings and watches are alerts issued by national weather forecasting bodies to coastal areas threatened by the imminent approach of a tropical cyclone of tropical storm or hurricane intensity. They are notices to the local population and civil authorities to make appropriate preparation for the cyclone, including evacuation of vulnerable areas where necessary. It is important that interests throughout the area of an alert make preparations to protect life and property, and do not disregard it on the strength of the detailed forecast track.
Blackhead Point, also known as Tai Pau Mai indigenously, or by the names Tsim Sha Tsui Point and Signal Hill (訊號山), was a cape before any land reclamation took place in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It currently remains a small hill near the coast.
The Hong Kong tropical cyclone warning signals, or informally typhoon signals, are a set of signals used to indicate the threat or effects of a tropical cyclone. The Hong Kong Observatory issues the warning signal if a tropical cyclone approaches within 800 kilometres of Hong Kong and poses a threat of deteriorating conditions in Hong Kong.
Observatory Road is one of the oldest roads in Hong Kong, and has existed since 1883. It is called so because this is where the Hong Kong Observatory was constructed. The Observatory is still in operation and provides updated typhoon information and other services for the Northwest Pacific area.
The Clock Tower is a landmark in Hong Kong. It is located the southern shore of Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. It is the only remnant of the original site of the former Kowloon station on the Kowloon–Canton Railway. Officially named Former Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower, it is usually referred to as the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower for its location.
Star Ferry Pier, Tsim Sha Tsui, or Tsim Sha Tsui Ferry Pier, is a pier located on reclaimed land at the southernmost tip of Tsim Sha Tsui on Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong. It is commonly known as Star Ferry Pier (天星碼頭) in Tsim Sha Tsui. Star Ferry operates the pedestrian ferry service across Victoria Harbour to Wan Chai and to Central on Hong Kong Island. The location is identified as "Kowloon Point" in the franchise held by Star Ferry.
Tsim Sha Tsui Centre and Empire Centre (帝國中心) are two office buildings and shopping malls in East Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. They are connected by a covered pedestrian bridge.
The 1937 Great Hong Kong Typhoon was an unnamed typhoon in Hong Kong on 2 September 1937. It was one of the deadliest typhoons in Hong Kong history killing 11,000 people. In Macau, 21 people died by this typhoon.
Severe Tropical Storm Kammuri, known in the Philippines as Tropical Storm Julian, was a storm which made landfall on south China in August 2008, having a maximum wind speed of 50 kn (93 km/h). The name Kammuri was submitted to the World Meteorological Organisation's Typhoon Committee by Japan and is Japanese for the Corona Borealis constellation of stars.
Typhoon Pabuk, known in the Philippines as Tropical Storm Chedeng, was a minimal typhoon that formed on August 5, 2007. The system made landfall on Taiwan on August 7, and on August 9 Pabuk passed to the south of Hong Kong.
Tropical Storm Higos, known in the Philippines as Tropical Storm Pablo, was a tropical storm during the 2008 Pacific typhoon season. The name "Higos" is the Chamorro word for fig.
The Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau is a department of the Macao Government. It provides weather forecasts and issues warnings on weather-related hazards. It also provides geophysical-related services to meet the needs of the public and the shipping, aviation, industrial and engineering sectors.
Typhoon Vicente, known in the Philippines as Tropical Depression Ferdie, was the strongest tropical cyclone to strike the Chinese province of Guangdong since Hagupit in 2008, and was regarded as the strongest storm to affect Hong Kong and Macau in more than ten years. The eighth named storm and third typhoon in the 2012 Pacific typhoon season, Vicente began life as a tropical depression on July 18, 2012 north east of the Philippines. Vicente soon steadily moved into the South China Sea, and began to intensify above warm sea waters, and began explosive intensification early on July 23, and started to charge toward the Guangdong region prompting the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) to issue the Hurricane Signal, No. 10, the first since York in 1999. The Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau also hoisted the Signal No. 9 for the first time since York and after the transfer of sovereignty over Macau. Late on the same day, Vicente made landfall over Taishan in Guangdong, China.
Typhoon Usagi, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Odette, was a violent tropical cyclone which affected Taiwan, the Philippines, China, and Hong Kong in September 2013. Usagi, or which means the constellation Lepus in Japanese, was the fourth typhoon and the nineteenth tropical storm in the basin. Developing into a tropical storm east of the Philippines late on September 16, Usagi began explosive intensification on September 19 and ultimately became a violent and large typhoon. Afterwards, the system weakened slowly, crossed the Bashi Channel on September 21, and made landfall over Guangdong, China on September 22.
Weather Underground of Hong Kong is a non-profit website established in 1995 and directed by Mr. Fong Chi Kong Clarence.
Typhoon Ruby, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Yoning, was a strong tropical cyclone that struck Hong Kong, Macau, and southern China in early September 1964. The precursor disturbance to Ruby was first identified on August 29 over the Philippine Sea, and this system organised into a tropical cyclone by September 1. Ruby intensified as it moved west, becoming a typhoon the next day and subsequently passing over the Babuyan Islands of the Philippines. After reaching the South China Sea, Ruby turned northwest and intensified further, attaining peak ten-minute sustained winds of 195 km/h (120 mph) before making landfall at the peak intensity near Hong Kong on September 5. The typhoon weakened after moving inland and dissipated on September 6 over southeastern China.
Typhoon Dot was a strong tropical cyclone that made landfalls on Luzon and near Hong Kong in October 1964. It was the fifth typhoon to impact Hong Kong during the active 1964 Pacific typhoon season, and prompted the issuance of the No. 10 typhoon signal from the Royal Observatory in Hong Kong—the highest warning possible. The storm's precursor disturbance formed west of Pohnpei on October 3 and tracked towards the west, becoming a tropical storm by October 6. Gradually strengthening, Dot moved towards the west-northwest, northwest, and then curved west, leading to a landfall at typhoon intensity on Luzon on October 9. A freighter with 32 crewmembers went missing west of the island after passing through the typhoon and was never recovered.


Iraq - Conflict
• Lack of access to safety remains a grave concern as internally displaced persons (IDPs) from AlAnbar governorate are being prevented from leaving insecure areas.
• Threats of forced evictions, displacement and return movements in central Iraq are multiplying.
• Residents of Al Riyadh sub-district, in southwest Kirkuk, were requested by ISF to leave their village on 2 July.
USA – Forest Fire
• A forest fire broke out in Chelan County (Washington State) near Wenatchee on 28 June.
• According to media (as of 30 June), the fire burnt nearly 1,200 ha, destroyed 23 houses and injured three firefighters, while an evacuation order is in effect.
INDIA – Floods
• The Upper Assam districts of Sonitpur, Lakhimpur and Dhemaji were hit by new floods on 29 June, that killed two people and affected over 5,500 people in 20 villages. A relief camp has been opened by the district authorities, sheltering 75 people.
U.S.A. - Severe weather
• Severe weather, including thunderstorms, strong winds, heavy rain, hail and tornadoes affected several areas of Midwest and Mid-Atlantic United States on 21-23 June. Several tornadoes were reported in the states of Illinois, Iowa, Kansas and Michigan on 22 June.
• According to media (as of 23 June), seven people were injured and several damages occurred, mostly in the area of Coal City in northern Illinois.
Mexico - Tropical Depression THREE
• Tropical Depression THREE formed in the eastern Pacific Ocean, off the coasts of Oaxaca and Guerrero states, on 10 June.
• On 11 June, at 9.00 UTC, its approximate centre was 410km of Acapulco in Guerrero.
• Over the next 48h, THREE is forecast to intensify significantly. It is expected to move north-west and then turn north-northeast, towards Oaxaca and Guerrero.
• Very heavy rainfall and strong winds may affect the southern states of Mexico, particularly Guerrero, Oaxaca and Chiapas, on 11 June.
Mexico - Tropical Cyclone BLANCA
• On 5 June, at 9.00 UTC, BLANCA was a Category 2 Hurricane and its centre was located 53km south-west of the closest point along the Mexican coast. Over the next 48h, it is forecast to continue moving north-west. Its intensity will initially increase slightly, but it is expected to start weakening late on 6 June. BLANCA may approach Baja California Sur on 8 June, possibly weakened into a Tropical Storm.
• As of 5 June, NOAA has issued no coastal Warnings or Watches.
1) MEXICO - Tropical Cyclone BLANCA
• BLANCA is moving north-west over the Pacific Ocean, approx. 750-800 km south-west of the coast of Guerrero state (Mexico), as a Major Hurricane.
• Over the next 48h, it is forecast to continue moving north-west over the Pacific Ocean and start weakening. It may approach Baja California Sur on 8 June, having weakened significantly. On 6-8 June moderate to heavy rains and winds may affect some coastal areas of the states of western Mexico.
Haiti - Drought
• Due to below-average rainfall, Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) "Crisis" level has been reached in parts of Haiti, severely affecting 180 000 people. Between 60% and 80% loss of the main local crops and vegetables in these areas has been confirmed. • Difficulties in accessing water results in the reduction of daily meals or leads to community conflicts. • Livestock has been severely affected and pressure has been put on alternative food resources (fishery).


Marine Weather and Tides
5/20/2018 -- NOAA is having problems with the data feed that I use to draw the graphs. They are aware of the issue and working to resolve it. Sometimes changing the location by about a mile will give a correct graph. 3/3/2018 - There is a new GOES Satellite for the east coast that required rewriting that part of the code. Please report any issues.
|Sunrise 5:35AM||Sunset 7:47PM||Wednesday June 20, 2018 12:12 PM PDT (19:12 UTC)||Moonrise 1:00PM||Moonset 12:52AM||Illumination 49%|
EDIT (on/off)  Help
7 Day Forecast for Marine Location Near San Luis, AZHourly EDIT Help
Area Discussion for - Phoenix, AZ  (on/off)  Help NOTE: mouseover dotted underlined text for definition
|Fxus65 kpsr 201203|
area forecast discussion
national weather service phoenix az
503 am mst Wed jun 20 2018
Update Updated aviation and fire weather discussions.
High pressure will build across the region this week resulting in a
rapid warming trend with many lower desert communities exceeding
the 110 degree threshold both Thursday and Friday. Some cooling
is anticipated over the weekend as a weak low pressure system
passes north of the region. There are no signs of rainfall through
early next week.
A strong upper ridge, centered just off the northern baja ca coast,
has been slowly building and shifting inland into the desert
southwest; the recent 00z plots showed 594dm heights across southern
arizona. IR imagery at 2 am depicted clear skies area-wide. Model
guidance has been very consistent that the ridge will continue to
shift east and into arizona, and become centered over south-central
arizona by this evening with 500mb heights running around 594-595dm
over southern arizona. Very little changes through Thursday as the
ridge remains centered over central arizona. The result of the
strong ridge directly overhead will be very hot conditions, with
excessive heat possible over portions of the lower deserts. At this
time we will continue the excessive heat warning for Thursday and
Friday, although we do have slight reservations about just how hot
it will actually get on those days.
Latest efi (extreme forecast index)data for temperatures has most of
the CWA at less than the 90th percentile on Thursday and Friday, and
the naefs percentile data from the ensemble situational awareness
table is not overly impressive; although 500mb heights over
arizona far SE ca exceed the 97th percentile during the warning,
values at 850mb only reach a bit above the 90th percentile. Forecast
high temps for both days are well short of records - the forecasts
of 110-111 compare to records of about 116 for those days. Also, all
of the best performing temperature guidance from the latest model
run calls for highs to drop slightly with most of the hotter deserts
running about 110-111 with a few peaks near 112. The result of the
slightly cooler scenario is that heat risk guidance is not as
impressive and the areal coverage of high risk has been reduced a
bit. For now though we will keep the warning as is and not remove
any zones. Basically, forecaster confidence that we will see
excessive heat in all of the warned zones has gone down and is
moderate at best.
One final factor; on Friday the ridge starts to become suppressed
and shifted a bit to the south as short wave energy starts to pass
by to our north. 500mb heights over southern arizona trend slightly
downward, although it is possible that the boundary layer will
remain unaffected by the cooling taking place aloft.
Over the weekend, the aforementioned short wave drops to the
southeast and skirts by to the north of the four corners, bringing a|
bit of a cooling trend to the area. High temperatures fall below
warning criteria Saturday and actually drop a bit below seasonal
normals Sunday as the high for phoenix falls to just 104.
For the remainder of the forecast, next Monday through Wednesday,
guidance calls for the ridge to rebuild back across the desert
southwest with 500mb heights again climbing into the 594dm ballpark.
As such we can expect another typical june warming trend with hotter
deserts approaching and maybe exceeding the 110 degree mark by next
South-central arizona including kphx, kiwa, and ksdl and southeast
california southwest arizona including kipl and kblh:
no aviation weather concerns are anticipated through at least
Thursday morning. Light diurnal winds will prevail at all TAF sites
under clear skies.
Aviation discussion not updated for amended tafs.
Friday through Tuesday:
temperatures will peak Friday before readings drop back closer to
normal during the weekend. Another warming trend is expected early
next week as high pressure builds across the desert southwest.
Minimum afternoon humidity values will fall into the single digits on
Friday, then into the 10-20% range over the weekend and into early
next week. Overnight recoveries will be poor to fair. Occasionally
gusty winds can be expected Saturday ahead of a weak area of low
pressure passing by to the north, but otherwise typical afternoon
upslope gustiness will be common during the period. There are no
signs of rain through early next week.
Spotter information statement
Spotter activation will not be needed.
Psr watches warnings advisories
Az... Excessive heat warning from 10 am Thursday to 9 pm mst Friday
Heat advisory from 10 am Thursday to 9 pm mst Friday for azz563.
Excessive heat warning from 10 am to 9 pm mst Friday for azz532-
Ca... Excessive heat warning from 10 am Thursday to 9 pm pdt Friday
Excessive heat warning from 10 am to 9 pm pdt Friday for caz567-
fire weather... Hirsch
Weather Reporting StationsEDIT (on/off)  Help NOTE: Click on distance to see the station location on a map
Airport ReportsEDIT (on/off)  Help Click EDIT to display multiple airports
|Yuma, Marine Corps Air Station, AZ||70 mi||76 min||SSW 8||7.00 mi||Fair||93°F||43°F||18%||1010.3 hPa|
Wind History from NYL (wind in knots)
|1 day ago||Calm||NW||Calm||W||W||SW||S||S||Calm||SW||W||SW||SW||SW||S||S||S||SW||S||Calm||S|
|2 days ago||S||S||S||W||W||NW||W|
EDIT RT Ports Option Weekend mode (on/off) (on/off)  Help One Week of Data
|El Golfo de Santa Clara |
Click for Map
Wed -- 12:52 AM MST Moonset
Wed -- 03:10 AM MST -1.20 meters Low Tide
Wed -- 03:52 AM MST First Quarter
Wed -- 05:33 AM MST Sunrise
Wed -- 09:22 AM MST 0.73 meters High Tide
Wed -- 12:59 PM MST Moonrise
Wed -- 03:14 PM MST -0.96 meters Low Tide
Wed -- 07:46 PM MST Sunset
Wed -- 09:41 PM MST 1.48 meters High Tide
Tide / Current data from XTide NOT FOR NAVIGATION
EDIT (on/off)  Help One Week of Data
|San Felipe |
Click for Map
Wed -- 12:52 AM PDT Moonset
Wed -- 03:27 AM PDT 0.77 meters Low Tide
Wed -- 03:52 AM PDT First Quarter
Wed -- 05:35 AM PDT Sunrise
Wed -- 09:33 AM PDT 3.06 meters High Tide
Wed -- 01:00 PM PDT Moonrise
Wed -- 03:36 PM PDT 0.88 meters Low Tide
Wed -- 07:45 PM PDT Sunset
Wed -- 10:06 PM PDT 3.69 meters High Tide
Tide / Current data from XTide NOT FOR NAVIGATION
Weather Map and Satellite Images(on/off)  HelpWeather Map
GOES Local Image of Southwest EDIT
NOTE: East coast views moved to GEOS-16. They are experimental and not well supported by NOAA so they may not be correct so be warned. This change required redoing a large amount of the GOES code. If the image you are expecting is not showing, please let me know. You may need to use the EDIT function to update your location.
Link to Loop
Other links: Northern Pacific Contential US Full GOES-East
Wind Forecast for Phoenix, AZ (15,3,4,5)(on/off)  Help
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The information on this web site has not been checked for accuracy. It is for entertainment purposes only and should be independently verified before using for any other reason. There are five sources. 1) Documents and manuals from a variety of sources. These have not been checked for accuracy and in many cases have not even been read by anyone associated with L-36.com. I have no idea of they are useful or accurate, I leave that to the reader. 2) Articles others have written and submitted. If you have questions on these, please contact the author. 3) Articles that represent my personal opinions. These are intended to promote thought and for entertainment. These are not intended to be fact, they are my opinions. 4) Small programs that generate result presented on a web page. Like any computer program, these may and in some cases do have errors. Almost all of these also make simplifying assumptions so they are not totally accurate even if there are no errors. Please verify all results. 5) Weather information is from numerious of sources and is presented automatically. It is not checked for accuracy either by anyone at L-36.com or by the source which is typically the US Government. See the NOAA web site for their disclaimer. Finally, tide and current data on this site is from 2007 and 2008 data bases, which may contain even older data. Changes in harbors due to building or dredging change tides and currents and for that reason many of the locations presented are no longer supported by newer data bases. For example, there is very little tidal current data in newer data bases so current data is likely wrong to some extent. This data is NOT FOR NAVIGATION. See the XTide disclaimer for details. In addition, tide and current are influenced by storms, river flow, and other factors beyond the ability of any predictive program.


The 1st effects were already being seen on barrier islands Monday as unsafe rip currents and seawater flowed over the state highway.
Florence's projected path includes half a dozen nuclear power plants, pits holding coal-ash and other industrial waste, and numerous hog farms that store animal waste in massive open-air lagoons.
In this September 12, 2018 photo provided by NASA, hurricane Florence churns over the Atlantic Ocean heading for the USA east coast as seen from the International Space Station.
My people just informed me that this is one of the worst storms to hit the East Coast in many years. "When you stall a system like this and it moves real slow, some of that rainfall can extend well away from the center".
Hurricane Florence is packing maximum sustained winds of 140 miles per hour and higher gusts on Tuesday morning.
Florence was located about 410 miles south of Bermuda and 975 miles east-southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina, on Tuesday at 5 a.m.
"The centre of Florence will move over the southwestern Atlantic Ocean between Bermuda and the Bahamas Tuesday and Wednesday, and approach the southeastern coast of the U.S. on Thursday", the NHC said.
Forecasters are also tracking several other hurricanes in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
"Florence is a threat well beyond the coast, so inland counties need to be ready as well", he added.
"Concerns are growing for a large area of the South and North Carolina coasts, waiting on the arrival of Hurricane Florence".
The governors of North and South Carolina, Maryland and Virginia declared states of emergency ahead of the approaching storm.
Up to 30 inches of rain could fall in isolated pockets across North Carolina, Virginia and northern SC through Saturday.
Only three states have laws in place to enforce mandatory evacuations - California, New York and North Carolina, with violators facing misdemeanor charges.
- As the Carolinas undertake a final full day of preparation ahead of Hurricane Florence's landfall, it is still a risky, category 4 hurricane.
And just weeks after Hurricane Lane led to major floods in Hawaii, Hurricane Olivia could hit the state as early as Tuesday.
Liz Browning Fox was planning to ride out the storm on the Outer Banks, defying evacuation orders.
The first of the gusts could arrive in North Carolina at 8 p.m. Wednesday, the center said.
"Florence's upper-level environment is predicted to remain quite favorable while the storm traverses sea surface temperatures of around 29C over the next 48 hours".
What else should I know?
Another airline - ultra-low-cost carrier Allegiant - warned on its website that Florence-related disruptions were possible, but it did not say it was offering fee waivers for flights in the storm's path.
"We're preparing as we're playing the football game on Saturday with all of our travel plans and we'll be in constant communication with South Carolina", Hamrick said. "There is no way to be completely safe", but going inland might not be much safer.
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's evacuation order applies to about 245,000 people, including parts of the Hampton Roads area and Eastern Shore.


Western Washington's North Sound Meteorologist Ted Buehner offers Puget Sound region weather information beyond the forecast and addresses listener questions in each Weather Minute Podcast.
La Nina Confirmed In The Latest Winter Weather Outlook
A second consecutive La Nina has been confirmed in the latest winter weather outlook. This Podcast explains what that means for the North Sound as winter approaches.
Ready For Winter Weather Driving?
This Podcast offers tips to help get your car ready for winter weather driving. With another La Nina in store for this fall and winter, here are a number of steps to take in advance before nasty winter weather strikes.
The Great Shakeout - 2021
Have you registered for the Great Shakeout? It is this Thursday, an opportunity to practice your earthquake skills before the big one hits. The Podcast provides all the details on the event and how to register. Over 1 million in Washington state already have!
Listener Question - Did Fall Arrive Quickly?
The Podcast addresses a listener question about whether fall arrived quickly and what does that mean for the rest of this fall and winter.
October 12th Marks the Anniversary of the 1962 Columbus Day Storm
Where were you in '62? Many were not born yet or moved into the region since then, and are not aware of the strongest non-tropical wind storm to ever hit the lower 48 in American history. Learn more about this historic wind storm and its impacts on the region is this Podcast, and then share with others so they know and can better prepare for the next big wind storm.
October is the Peak Time for Fog
The month of October is the peak time of year for fog in the North Sound. Learn more about fog and how it forms, plus what you should do in fog. Stay safe!
A Look Back at 2021 Summer Weather
This Podcast reviews all the highlights from this past historic summer's weather in the North Sound.
Fall and Winter 21-22 Seasonal Weather Outlook - Time to Get Ready
The next seasonal weather outlook has hit the street and now is the time to get ready. Learn what the outlook is for this fall and winter, and why we all need to prepare in advance.
The Fall Equinox
This Podcast addresses the story behind the fall equinox. Check it out!
Ready For Rain?
The first healthy rainfall since mid-June is expected on Friday this week. Learn the details in this North Sound Podcast.


The National Weather Service is forecasting the Flint River to rise over the next few days. The current forecast predicts the Flint River as measured at Bainbridge to rise to 24 feet sometime on Sunday. Flood stage is 25 feet. We will continue to post updates on the rain and any possible flooding here at sowegalive.com
[jwplayer mediaid=”116″] THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE FLINT RIVER AT BAINBRIDGE (US 27). * UNTIL WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON…OR UNTIL THE WARNING IS CANCELLED. * AT 9:45 AM TUESDAY THE STAGE WAS 25.1 FEET. * MINOR FLOODING IS OCCURRING AND MINOR FLOODING IS FORECAST. * FLOOD STAGE IS 25.0 FEET. * FORECAST…THE RIVER WILL CONTINUE RISING TO NEAR 25.2… Read More »
From the National Weather Service: …FLOOD WARNING EXTENDED UNTIL MONDAY MORNING … THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE SPRING CREEK NEAR IRON CITY (CR 16). * UNTIL MONDAY MORNING …OR UNTIL THE WARNING IS CANCELLED. * AT 10:00 PM SATURDAY THE STAGE WAS 15.1 FEET. * MINOR FLOODING IS FORECAST. * FLOOD STAGE IS 16.0 FEET. * FORECAST… Read More »
The 2014 Mayhaw Festival events scheduled for Saturday, April 18 have been cancelled, a spokesperson for the Colquitt-Miller County Chamber of Commerce said Friday afternoon. The festival’s organization committee will meet next week to discuss possibly rescheduling some of the festival’s events at a later date.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE HAS ISSUED A * FLOOD WARNING FOR THE SPRING CREEK NEAR IRON CITY (CR 16). * FROM SATURDAY MORNING UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE…OR UNTIL THE WARNING IS CANCELLED. * AT 9:00 AM FRIDAY THE STAGE WAS 9.4 FEET. * MODERATE FLOODING IS FORECAST. * FLOOD STAGE IS 16.0 FEET. * FORECAST…RISE ABOVE FLOOD… Read More »


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Storms Kill 2 in Oklahoma, 3 in Arkansas - OzarksFirst.com
The storm system will then press forward into Georgia and the Carolinas overnight Friday and into Saturday morning.
What does "storm system" mean?
Re: storm system
storm system - definition of storm system by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.
A storm system is the weather pattern that contains the elements for rain/snow, thunder/lightning. A storm is just one period of rain. As a storm system moves through an area, storms will occur at various times in various places.
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JACKSON, Mississippi (AP) — There were record low temperatures in many parts of Mississippi on Tuesday morning — including the Gulf Coast — but officials say there have been few reports of major weather-related problems.
The low recorded along the immediate Mississippi coast was 18 degrees at Stennis Space Center in Hancock County.
Gautier, Moss Point, Pascagoula, Gulfport, and Long Beach all recorded lows of 19, while Ocean Springs and Biloxi were the “hot spots” with a low of 20 degrees.
A little further north in George County, Lucedale registered a low of 14.
All of those lows were new records — and the coast wasn’t alone in setting records Tuesday morning.
Joanne Culin is a meteorologist with the Jackson office of the National Weather Service, which covers central Mississippi. Culin said all the reporting cites in that coverage area broke daily low temperature records Tuesday morning, but the frigid temperatures didn’t break records for the month of January.
The lowest temperature reported was 4 degrees in Eupora.
Culin says there was a report of a broken water tower in Flowood and broken water lines in places, but she hasn’t heard of any major weather problems.
Greg Flynn, spokesman for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, says no major problems have been reported to MEMA.
In Biloxi, freezing temperatures caused a sensor at a city water well to malfunction this morning, which led to little or no water pressure at several high-rise hotels in east Biloxi this morning.
The drop in pressure was first reported at 6:30 a.m., and Public Works crews had all water pressure restored within a couple of hours.
Typically, water well sensors activate the wells when water levels drop in the city’s network of elevated storage tanks. This morning, a sensor at a well supplying a water tower off Oak Street in east Biloxi malfunctioned causing the loss in pressure.
“The real issue was for the high rise hotels,” said Biloxi City Engineer Damon Torricelli. “Their booster pumps that help maintain pressure to their upper floors shut down when our water pressure dropped.”
Exacerbating the issue, Torricelli said, is that as part of post-Katrina rebuilding, the electronics controlling the wells are elevated to avoid future storm damage. “While this protects them from water, it exposes them to the wind and makes them more susceptible to freezing temperatures.”
Torricelli said the equipment installers and manufacturers are being consulted to avoid future issues.
Said Torricelli: “We certainly apologize for this inconvenience, and we’re taking steps to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Mississippi Press Staff Writer Warren Kulo contributed to this report.


'Supermoon' to fill Iowa sky this weekend
The largest "supermoon" of the year is expected to fill the Iowa sky this Saturday and Sunday.
A supermoon is when the moon is full at its closest point to Earth on its elliptical orbit. This summer three supermoons are expected: May 24-25, June 23, July 22. The June 23rd event is the moon's closest encounter with Earth for all of 2013, earthsky.org reported.
The moon will look extra-big and extra-bright, which is how it earns the nickname "supermoon."
The moon will be at its closest point at 6:32 a.m. on Sunday. The moon will not be this close again until August 2014.
NASA said the moon will be about 29,000 miles closer to Earth than at the farthest point in its orbit. It will still be about 221,000 miles away from Earth.
The forecast is calling for partly cloudy conditions across Iowa.
Upload your photos of the supermoon to KCCI's u local page this weekend: http://ulocal.kcci.com


WATERTOWN, N.Y. (WWNY) - Saturday night’s broadcast entailed extensive coverage of the weekend’s rain and ice storm.
7 News weather caster Kris Hudson was live in Alexandria Bay, and reporters Keir Chapman and Keith Benman were out late Saturday night to give us a look at what has been happening outside in Canton and Massena respectively.
We’ll continue to watch the storm through Sunday.
Watch the video above to see their reports.
You can check the latest updates here.
If you see anything from icing and flooding to downed lines and trees, you can always contribute to our website and newscasts through Send it to 7.


(Reuters) - At least two people died in a tornado that swept through Lee County Alabama on Sunday, the Birmingham News reported, citing coroner Bill Harris.
“We’ve still got people being pulled out of rubble,” he told the newspaper early on Sunday evening. “We’re going to be here all night.”
Severe weather unleashed one of numerous possible tornadoes that threatened the Southern United States on Sunday afternoon. Tornado warnings and watches were in effect for parts of Georgia and Alabama through Sunday evening.
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey warned residents on Twitter that more severe weather might be on the way. She said the state was working to help families who had been impacted by the storms.
"Our hearts go out to those who lost their lives in the storms that hit Lee County today," Ivey wrote on Twitter.
"Praying for their families & everyone whose homes or businesses were affected."
The storm left more than 10,000 customers without power, the Birmingham News said, citing the utility Alabama Power.
(Reporting by Sharon Bernstein; Editing by Bill Berkrot)


Heavy thunderstorms packing winds of around 60 miles per hour and coin-sized hail blasted portions of Michigan and Ohio late Friday, knocking down trees, powerlines and leaving thousands of people in the dark. In southeastern Michigan during the peak of the storms, nearly 150,000 DTE Energy customers were without power.
Many reports of downed trees, hail and strong gusting winds were pouring into the National Weather Service’s offices in southern Michigan Friday. In Troy, a city located on the outskirts of Detroit, public work crews were prioritizing storm damage removal Saturday morning as there was widespread damage done by the severe weather. The first problems that were handled were fully blocked roadways as there were many roads completely inaccessible due to entire trees laying on them.
The severe weather collapsed a wall at Ursuline College in Pepper Pike, Ohio and caused flooding throughout Lake County. The storms ripped down a huge wall at the gym at Ursuline College, causing extensive damage and prompting officials to close the campus at least through Monday. Several roadways in the city of Mentor, Ohio were closed down due to flash flooding. Many of Mentor’s residential streets were flooded and closed to traffic. Officials in that city urged residents not to travel on city streets and told those who have to travel to do so using extreme caution.
In addition to numerous trees being knocked down all across southern lower Michigan, in that state’s upper peninsula, there also were many reports of downed trees and power poles. In L’Anse, strong gusting winds blew a roof off a barn and downed numerous power poles and lines that resulted in thousands of people being left without power there. The wind gusts in the upper peninsula were clocked at just over 60 miles per hour early Saturday morning which resulted in many homeowners having to spend their Saturday cleaning up tree limbs from yards.
People living in the Midwest are being told by the National Weather Service to expect more severe weather this week. There are more thunderstorms being forecast for the new week that may bring with them heavy downpours of rain to result in flash flooding. Embedded in the trough of moist warm air that’s taking over the eastern third of the country will be pulses of energy that will help spark showers and thunderstorms Monday through Wednesday in the Great Lakes, Mississippi Valley, Ohio Valley and the Northeast.
The Importance Of Cleaning Equipment After A Fire
Many individuals don’t realize the severity of the damage that a fire can cause. Sometimes, you will be lucky enough to catch a fire related problem before it damages most of your cost worthy items. Most of the time, you wont be able to salvage much. IN the event that you do have intense fire damage, not all has to be considered lost. From burnt and corrupted files on a computer, let alone the computer itself, to beautiful furniture and generations of passed down family heirlooms and sometimes you are lucky enough to save them. The clean up is devastating and can take months to finalize. While it is important to clean and take care of what has mattered most to you, make sure you pay close attention to the equipment in your home and garage as well.
You should know that there are many different important considerations when caring for the clean up of your equipment. Your equipment can and will range from electronics such as televisions, computers, VCR’s and DVD players, phone related objects and power tools that would be in your garage. Your tool box and other automobile equipment that might be of use to you as well. When you experience the casualty of a fire, make sure call your homeowners insurance company and document the remains. They will usually initiate a claim based on the damage. When it is safe to go back into the house (safe from hazardous smoke, debris, etc;), be sure to take a video and/or pictures of the aftermath. If you are worried about the smoke damaging the hard drive of your computer, most of the time the smoke will not ruin anything. 90% of electronics hardly takes smoke damage when there is a house fire.
When carpets, draperies, upholstered furniture and clothing are found after a fire, they can usually be refurnished, with the exception of scorched or severely water damaged items. A professional fire restorer can clean the soot and what is left of the damage after the fire is through and you have gathered your detailed documentation. They usually have the best equipment to take care of your items, in an efficient amount of time. If you decide to clean the equipment yourself, remember how important it is to keep safety your number one priority. While taking extra consideration in cleaning your equipment is very important, you must let all of the areas that have been engulfed in flames, cool down, making sure that all of the cleaning supplies that you are using are not fire hazardous or will not spark when hitting open vapors. Opening windows or even remaining outside while you clean your equipment is the safest. It is highly recommended to cleaning equipment such as lawn and yard mowers than may have been effect along with desks, chairs and tables that may be salvaged. Stoves, kitchen appliances and laundry units are important to clean right away because of the electrical outlets that take the most damage and should be dealt with first.
Early Tuesday morning the National Weather Service said that cold air coming down from Canada is mixing with warm moist air coming up from the south to make conditions very favorable for thunderstorms. These storms moving into the Midwest could produce very heavy down pourings of rain, large damaging hail the size of golf balls and could even trigger flash flooding.
Who in the Midwest is at threat for severe weather? The NWS says that the areas sure to see bad weather today through Wednesday morning are those people living in an area that stretches across an area covering the eastern half of Iowa, all of Minnesota, most of Wisconsin, the northern half of Indiana, Illinois & Ohio and most of Michigan’s lower peninsula.
The National Weather Service issued a statement Tuesday morning that said that low pressure over the Plains and Midwest is leading to the formation of thunderstorms. These storms are expected to grow into a line that will move into Michigan’s lower peninsula Tuesday night and that they could trigger very heavy rainfall that could lead to flash flooding. Areas most prone for flash flooding are those along streams and rivers and those in low-lying spots.
The Service is also telling state officials in northern Indiana, northeastern Ohio and southern lower Michigan that tornado spotters may need to be activated Tuesday and especially during the evening hours as conditions in those areas will be right for the formation of twisters.
In all, about 36 million people in the Plains and Midwest are at risk for severe weather through Tuesday night. A few of the major metro areas which could see damaging winds and large hail include Chicago, Madison, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Cedar Rapids and Detroit. The severe weather that’s moving across the nation could cause real headaches for rush hour commuters as there could very well be traffic delays due to flash flooding and other weather related problems such as large hail and blinding down pourings of rain.
In the Corn Belt area of the nation that stretches from northern Missouri to Michigan, the rain associated with this weather pattern will be welcomed by farmers growing corn and soybeans. However, if very heavy rain falls for several hours in a row, crops could be negatively affected as too much water is never a good thing from a farmer’s standpoint. Forecasters across the Midwest are reminding people that they should always take stock of the weather and be very careful when traveling when there is a threat of flash flooding. Places to be very careful around include low-water passageways, viaducts, small streams and culverts as these are the first to go if a flash flooding even occurs.
The massive blizzard hitting the heartland of the United States has been called “truly historic” by the National Weather Service. Once again, people living in the middle of the country and as far south as the panhandle of Texas are dealing with heavy blowing snow and slippery driving conditions. The storm has been blamed for two deaths in the United States thus far. One death occurred when a man lost control of his vehicle on an icy roadway in Kansas and the second was due to a roof collapsing on a person in Kansas.
Early Monday, blizzard warnings were in effect from Oklahoma into Texas and southern Kansas. Most of those warnings did expire Monday evening. The areas being hit by the massive snowstorm are already under significant snowpack from last week’s snowstorm.
Several drivers in Texas had to be rescued from their vehicles Monday when they became stranded on a major interstate. In Amarillo, 19 inches of snow fell which is just short of the record 19.4 which fell in that city several years ago in the same period of time. The snow was being blown by hurricane-force winds in Texas that reached speeds of well over 70 miles per hour at times, making driving extremely dangerous and nearly impossible.
The National Weather Service is warning people that the storm will continue to cause a variety of hazards Tuesday as it treks across the country, heading for the Midwest. In addition to slippery roads, the heavy snow also can cause homeowners grief as it can result in ice dams on roofs. If not dealt with, an ice dam on a home can damage roofing material as it slowly melts, allowing the water makes its way into the attic. There are also flooding concerns in the Midwest as the temperatures will be above freezing during Tuesday’s storm. Homes and businesses located in low-lying areas are the most vulnerable as are those who do not have proper drainage around the foundations.
The snowy mess that has occurred in the Plains states and which is heading into the Great Lakes region is putting a lot of stress on road crews. Many states in the line of this week’s storm are still digging out from the snow that fell last week. While it’s been a rather tame winter thus far in many regions of the country, February is shaping up to be a month that many soon won’t forget as three major winter storms has struck thus far this month.
As arctic air blows in some of the coldest air seen in over four years, homeowners all across the midwest are bracing themselves for what could be a serious disaster. Plumbing is designed to be functional at a certain temperature, but it is getting to be far below that temperature in the next few days.
These record low temperatures are serious. In some areas of the midwest, highs are not going to be above zero degrees, which means the incredibly cold temperatures penetrate deep into the ground. This creates a huge problem when it comes to buried plumbing, as if the plumbing is not deep enough, the water in the pipes will freeze.
Homeowners are bracing themselves for such a thing, because frozen pipes means much more than not being able to get water during that time. The problem is in the chemistry. As water freezes, the molecules are farther apart, which means that it expands significantly as it turns into ice. This puts terrible strain on the pipes and can, in many cases, cause burst pipes. If this happens outdoors the problem is awful, as it means water leaks everywhere and saturates the ground as soon as it defrosts. However, if it happens indoors it is even worse.
The burst pipes indoors can cause severe flooding, which can be responsible for a large amount of property damage. The flooding is very serious, and the extreme cold temperatures can delay any sort of response as well. That means that such extreme cold temperatures can prove very costly to homeowners in any area. Many homes in the midwest have plumbing that is sufficiently insulated to withstand such temperatures, but some homes, especially those with older cast iron plumbing systems are not.
Some home insurance policies cover damage caused by freezes such as this one, however it is important to check for specifics in each individual policy before assuming anything. As the temperatures drop significantly, pipes are going to be bursting in many areas, including public buildings. Response times may be delayed simply due to the weather or because the emergency responders and plumbers are swamped with other reports of burst pipes. There is also not much to do about frozen pipes until the temperature raises back up. One thing to consider would be finding some form of insulation for pipes, as that can increase the temperature tolerance of any given pipes and lower the freezing point, perhaps even far enough that this cold spell will not cause problems.
With as serious a drop in temperatures as is coming to the midwest, homeowners are going to need to be cautious and patient. Households are advised to keep enough drinking water to last several days or even a week on hand, in case plumbing freezes or bursts during the cold snap.
Christmas Day Storms Wreak Havoc on US
The 2012 holidays are going to go down in history as being a very stormy time in the US as severe weather has prevailed in many parts of the country. At least 30 tornadoes struck across the South, blizzard conditions were reported in several states in the middle of the country and the Midwest is bracing for snowstorms the day following Christmas. Heavy snows, ice and sleet are expected to make travel very difficult for people trying to get home after the holiday in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio where up to 10 inches of precipitation is being forecast.
The National Weather Service is urging people to either stay out of the weather altogether in the Midwest or to postpone their travel plans for at least a day. It is warning that heavy ice accumulations can cause tree limbs and powerlines to fall, which could take out power for many. Tornadoes touched down on Christmas day in four states: Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas destroying scores of homes and leaving tens of thousands without power. The big storm system also caused winter weather conditions in Oklahoma where a multiple car pileup occurred on an Interstate, injuring several.
The biggest tornado reported struck Mobile, Alabama Christmas day. The twister which struck at about 5pm, touched down a total of five times just outside the downtown area. Several businesses and homes were damaged and power was knocked out to over 20,000 people. A Mobile high school sustained serious damage from the twister as did a church. Meanwhile, blizzard conditions hit the midsection of the country causing vehicular accidents in many areas as well as downed trees and powerlines due to high winds. Hundreds of flights in the US were canceled by evening on Christmas due to snow, wind, ice and sleet.
The National Weather Service has Winter Weather Advisories in effect for the Midwest on Wednesday as they severe weather is forecast to move into the region. Some areas in southwest Pennsylvania could get a foot of snow while other areas are expected to get anywhere from 5 to 8 inches. Freezing rain may also fall across the Midwest where temperatures will be hovering right around the freezing mark.
A powerful storm blasted its way into New York and New Jersey Wednesday, bringing with it high winds, rain and heavy wet snow. Many homes were plunged back into darkness, commuter trains were stopped and another round of misery was inflicted upon thousands of residents who have been in the process of trying to recover from superstorm Sandy’s horrendous blow more than a week ago.
The new storm, a nor’easter, is not a big concern under normal circumstances but because of Sandy, many trees are vulnerable as is the electrical system. And, scores of storm victims have spent the last week shoveling mud and pumping water out of their homes and businesses only to possibly have to repeat it again. There are many people still without power whom have been trying to deal with the shivering cold temperatures, making this new storm all that more unwelcome.
As the new system drew closer, thousands of people living in low-lying areas were told to get out of their neighborhoods. Work crews in New Jersey were busy building up sand dunes ahead of the new storm so that they could protect the ravaged coastline there. In New York City, police officers headed into neighborhoods with loudspeakers, telling residents to evacuate ahead of the storm. While it was not mandatory that people leave, many said they would refuse to abandon their homes if ordered to because they fear looting – something that has been taking place all across the storm-ravaged city.
All construction in the Big Apple was put on hold Wednesday as a safety precaution. The decision to halt construction was partially brought on by the gigantic crane that broke during Sandy and which was left dangling precariously over the streets of Manhattan.
At least 1,2000 flights coming into and leaving the New York metro area were canceled ahead of the storm, causing even more travel chaos.The storm dumped 4 inches of wet, heavy snow on New York by Wednesday night. Some regions such as areas in Connecticut, upstate New York and New Jersey received over 7 inches of snow with more promised to come.
The good news is that there is relief on the way for the millions of weary residents of the East. The unwelcomed rain, ice, snow and high winds are slowing moving out of the region and temperatures are being forecast to climb back up to tolerable levels for those without power as the highs for the next couple of days will hover in the 50s.
A very active weather pattern took shape in the center of the US at the end of last weekend. That weather pattern has set the stage to bring significant rainfall and thunderstorms to areas of the Ohio and Tennessee Valley Thursday and Friday. The greater part of the central portion of the country was wet and windy Wednesday with periods of heavy rainfall and thunderstorms. The unstable weather system moving across the country’s midsection is meeting a cold front as it pushes northeast to increase the risk of severe thunderstorm activity for the Midwest.
Some portions of the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys could see isolated large hail, damaging winds and even a few tornado outbreaks Thursday and Friday. Steady rain put an end to the ALCS playoff game in Detroit Wednesday afternoon. The game was rescheduled for Thursday but forecasters are saying that the Motor City may be in for more steady rain to further push back Game 4.
The weather system that is moving into the Central and Midwest states is delivering a shot of chilly air which will be somewhat of a shock for some areas that have seen highs in the 70s and 80s. Temperatures will be around 30 degrees cooler in some areas Thursday and Friday compared to earlier in the week. Conditions can be downright miserable from the eastern Dakotas into the northern portion of Iowa with strong winds, cold temperatures and periods of heavy rainfall. To make things even worse, the cold temperatures, rain and high winds moving eastward into the Great Lakes could be accompanied by a combination of hail and snow.
Wind gusts nearing hurricane strength hit the Plains earlier this week. That storm system is spreading blustery, chilly conditions into the Ohio Valley. Some areas in Ohio and Michigan could see winds gusting as high as 60 miles per hour Thursday along with steady rain to make being outdoors very unpleasant to say the least. Winds of that strength can easily take down tree limbs and cause power outages. Some of the crosswinds could cause airport delays as well.
Rain is desperately needed by farmers but it will not be enough to make a dent in the overall drought conditions heading into winter. What the rain will do instead is slow down harvesting of soybeans and corn. On the bright side, the temperatures will not dip below freezing so farmers will have time to work the fields before real winter weather sets in.
Winter will be here soon! If you are smart you will begin the winterizing process sooner rather than later. By making sure that your home is ready for winter you can be sure that your house and it’s contents are safe. Winterizing is a great way to save on your energy bill. With the economy and rising fuel prices we need to save any way we can. Your family will stay comfortable without having your heater work overtime.
Right before the temperatures start to get below freezing is a great time to start the winterizing process. If you start then you will have ample time to get your house sealed up without having it freeze over.
There are many areas that you need to think about sealing up. Depending on what type of home you have there may be more or less. You can get most of these jobs done yourself. If you are having doubts about being able to do it yourself then contact a professional.
Now let’s go over the main areas you need to worry about getting ready for winter.
The first is the plumbing. There are a couple situations where winterizing your plumbing is essential. If you won’t be living in your house during winter, and if your home does not have a strong heater. You will need to drain out all the hot water from your water tank once you turn off the power. You’ll also need to make sure that all your water pipes are drained. That’s goes for both the cold and hot water. At the lowest point on the lines you should be able to drain the pipes. Finally you need to add antifreeze that won’t hurt the environment to your sewer and water pipes.
The next thing you need to winterize is your fireplace. You will want to make sure that they are well cleaned and then seal them from top to bottom. Using a sheet of plastic is a great choice.
Your doors and windows also need to be looked at. The edges of all your windows and doors need to have weather stripping added. Also you need to make sure the bottom of your doors are sealed with a door sweep. Any cracks you see also need to be sealed. Even the small ones!
Your roof is another spot that needs to be looked at. Depending on your health you might want to call in a professional on this one. Any broken or missing tiles or shingles will need to get replaced. Any other damage that may be present like small holes will need to get fixed as well.
Make sure that your gutters are clean too. Gutters that are filled with twigs and leaves could cause water to leak into your home. Additionally, check that all your gutter spikes are well fastened. Make sure that your downspouts are draining correctly.
Those are most of the key areas you need to check to get your home ready for winter. Make sure to look for any leaks both on the inside and outside of your house. By taking the time to make sure your home is ready for winter you will prevent damage and save money on your electric bill!