Weather Pulse Blog

Meteorologist Samantha Davies

The active weather continues… today’s big story is a developing winter storm. This storm will bring everything from heavy snow, freezing rain, and severe weather. The worst weather will happen Thursday afternoon through Friday.

Severe thunderstorms will be possible in East Texas and along the Gulf coast into the Florida panhandle. The biggest concern with these storms is the potential for large hail. Damaging wind gusts and isolated tornadoes are also a possibility. Why? There is an abundance of moisture streaming northward from the Gulf of Mexico. As a cold front smashes into the moist air, strong storms will fire up. Cities at risk include: Galveston, Lake Charles, Montgomery, and Pensacola.

Sleet and freezing rain will be possible in the Ohio Valley and in the Mid Atlantic states. Ice storm warnings are in effect for parts of Virginia and West Virginia. Ice accumulations will range from ¼- ½”. Sleet and freezing rain will be possible in the Ohio Valley. On Friday the wintry mix should change over to rain. Cities at risk: Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, and Roanoke.

Now for the snow… I mentioned earlier there is a ton of moisture streaming northward, as this moisture interacts with all of the cold air in place, heavy snow is possible in the Midwest and Great Lakes region. The heaviest snow will fall in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Northern Ohio. Snowfall totals here will range from 6-12”. In Western Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kansas 2-4 inches of snow will fall. Cities that will see the most snow: St. Louis, Detroit, Toledo, and Ft. Wayne.

The forecast models are fairly consistent with the track of this storm; however, a few computer models have the center of the storm tracking a little bit farther South than the official forecast. Any change in the track of the storm can alter the forecast (who gets the most snow and when). Check out the video below for a closer look at the track of the storm.

Click the image to view the video

Posted by Samantha Davies at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Meteorologist Samantha Davies

Wow, where do I begin… one cold front sweeping through the country is causing several weather headaches! Here is a look at the power of this week’s cold front:

First the cold air- Artic air has been in place for the upper Midwest for the past few days, but now the Midwest, Ohio Valley, and interior sections of the Northeast are feeling the chill. In the past 24 hours Chicago has seen a 45-degree temperature drop, and Dallas saw a temperature drop of 34 degrees! Bismarck will see highs below zero today, while Minneapolis will see a high of 2! Wind chill warnings are still in effect for these areas, with the “feels like” temperature as much as 40 below zero.

The cold air has made it to the Northeast, although it isn’t as frigid. Pittsburgh and Buffalo will se highs in the 20s. On the flip side costal areas will stay relatively mild. Boston and New York City will see highs in the mid to upper 40s.

Next story, the severe weather- Parts of the Midwest and Ohio Valley saw damaging wind gusts, Tornadoes, and hail. There were several damage reports of trees and power lines downed, mobile homes destroyed, 2 fatalities, and some injuries. Parts of Indiana saw hurricane force wind gusts. Today it will stay windy for much of the Nation. Cities such as Boston, New York, Atlanta, and Dallas/ Fort Worth will see high winds gusting up to 50 mph.

Texas Fire Danger continues- On Tuesday strong winds caused grass fires, flight delays and power outages, mostly in North Texas. Several fires broke out yesterday and conditions remain favorable for that to happen again today. Wednesday, Red Flag warnings remain in effect for much of Texas and Oklahoma, meaning that the combination of high winds, low humidity, and dry vegetation pose the threat for potential fires. Humidity will be less than 25%, and the winds will gust near 35 mph.

Click on the video link below for a closer look at what this week cold front has caused.

Click the image to view the video.

Posted by Keith Davis at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Meteorologist Samantha Davies

Bitterly cold air is settling into the Northern Plains and Rockies, and will soon invade the Central Plains and Midwest. The computer models this morning are showing an intense wall of arctic air that will rapidly spread southeast. Morning lows over the next few days will be as much as 30 below zero, with daytime highs struggling to reach zero.

I know what you are thinking… wow that’s cold! However, the frigid temperatures are just part of the weather story. Behind a sharp cold front, winds will be gusting near 50 mph, causing dangerous wind chills. At times the wind chills will be as much as 40 to 50 below zero. Dress warm and try to stay indoors as much as possible, frostbite can begin in less than a half hour!

To check the wind chill in your area, just click here and enter your wind speed and temperature in our wind chill chart.

This cold front is also going to bring snow. Snowfall totals will range from 1-3 inches. While that may not seem like a lot of snow, the persistent winds will create periods of blowing snow and reduced visibilities. That is where the travel headaches will originate.

Click on the video below for a closer look at this week’s arctic blast:

Click the image for the video

Posted by Samantha Davies at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Meteorologist Jeff Ranieri

While I was very aware of the forecast for this week (of course), it didn't matter this morning as I stumbled out of bed. I think I was still in a state of sleep when I was blinded by the sunshine pouring into my hallway. Even though I knew the forecast, the sunlight provided some hope and promise that maybe, somehow I was transported to a tropical climate. I put my hand on the handle to open the window. I turned the knob and was quickly chilled out of my delusion. The wind blasted on my face, and lets just say I didn't need that cup of coffee nearly as quickly. It was of course another day for the heavy jacket and gloves.

While I'm complaining here in NYC and was hoping to transport myself this morning to a tropical climate, it has clearly been much worse elsewhere. The Midwest has been hit particularly hard with wind chills in Minneapolis at -30 this past weekend. The chill is still a top story across the nation but it might of overshadowed a direct effect coming from the polar blast. Any guesses where the frigid air is only adding to the trouble lately???

*Answer: LAKE EFFECT SNOW, UPSTATE NEW YORK !

The cold air in place and NW winds funneling over the lakes the past few days have stacked up totals incredibly high in New York. Oswego County ranks among the top.

Fulton , NY 37"
Mexico, NY 36"
Oswego, NY 34"
Palermo, NY 33"
Pulaski, NY 30"

So, while it's incredibly uncomfortable for many this week it's not as bad as the double whammy hitting the lake effect regions. I bet instead of waking up and hoping it's warmer, people are probably trying to wish and hope that all the snow somehow gets magically shoveled! Good luck on that and let me know if you find a technique that works *-)

Talk with you soon - Jeff

By the way snow is expected off and on through the week in the Great Lake snow belt. Warming may not come in the forecast across the Nation till Sunday. Hold on and stay warm!

Posted by Jeff Ranieri at 02:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Meteorologist Jackie Meretsky

Space Weather…and Weathering Space!

If you think snowstorms and hurricanes are your biggest concern over the next few years, think again! We are now entering a heightened period of solar activity, which could last 11 years and cause power grids, cause disruptions to GPS signals, cell phones and ATM machines and critical airline communication systems. How do we know this? The solar cycle’s first sunspot appeared in the sun’s Northern hemisphere a few weeks ago, which is a sign of solar activity.

Because of our dependence on sophisticated space based technologies, we are now increasingly vulnerable to space weather including solar disturbances. Although this type of sunspot appears on the sun’s surface as opposed to the kind that shows up on your arm after a trip to Cancun, they actually look quite similar when viewing images of sunspots from NASA’s Solar and Atmospheric Observatory. Starspots exist as well, and not just in the pages of US Magazine and Page Six.

From a mortal earthlings perspective, the sun looks calm and bright and you can’t really see what’s going on up there. Magnetic mayhem is the best way to explain what is going on with bubbles of gas ejecting out of the solar atmosphere at times which in turn expands in to a huge cloud that can engulf any planet in it’s path. These ejections can strike the earth’s magnetosphere (the magnetic field surrounding the earth) which can disrupt satellite orbits, power and communications systems. An example of this occurred in Quebec in 1989 when the province’s power grid was knocked offline during a solar storm.

So from my own perspective, the increased solar activity certainly adds a new dimension when I look up into the sky. It is also a reminder that Mother Nature often trumps technology and ultimately runs the show – like the weather anchor at any station. Kidding, sort of!

Posted by Jackie Meretsky at 02:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Meteorologist Samantha Davies

In Southern California and Western Arizona, the Santa Ana winds have made a comeback, and it will stay windy through the start of the weekend. An area of high pressure in the 4 corners region is creating a strong off shore flow. At times, winds could gust in excess of 80 mph. Here are some areas that will be impacted by the windy set-up and their winds forecasts through the weekend:

Los Angeles, CA: 35-45 mph, with peak gusts of 60 mph

Palm Springs, CA: 20-25 mph, peak gusts 40 mph

Santa Monica, CA: 35- 40 mph, peak gusts of 80 mph

San Diego, CA: 20-25 mph, peak gusts of 30 mph

Yuma, AZ: 25-35 mph, peak gusts 40 mph

Phoenix, AZ: 25-35 mph, peak gusts of 40 mph

Here are the big concerns with these strong winds:

Winds this strong will create hazardous travel conditions, especially in high profile vehicles.

Blowing dust and sand will reduce visibilities to less than a mile in the dessert areas.

There is a risk of fire danger for southeastern California, and extreme Western Arizona. Humidity over the next few days will be below 15%. The combination of northerly winds and very low humidity will result in hazardous fire conditions. Red Flag warnings are in effect for these areas.

The winds will lessen on Sunday, and the fire danger risk will go down. Expect a rapid return to an onshore flow, and by Monday a fairly deep marine layer will become reestablished. I'm also watching an area of low-pressure in the Gulf of Alaska. This could bring some much cooler temperatures on Monday and the chance of rain. The forecast models are showing some uncertainties, so I'll keep watching!

Posted by Samantha Davies at 03:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Global warming concerns are far-reaching - literally - the term “global” is apropos for a good reason. Our attention in North America has been, in part (for North Americans), focused on the industrial and commercial impact of consumption; greenhouse gas emissions, energy usage, deforestation, ozone layer depletion and the like - significant factors that have a contributing affect on the delicate ecosystem we call planet Earth. Let us turn our eyes elsewhere and acknowledge readily the events that are signaling concerns of global warming trends. Now, Antarctica beckons, as there too, indications of destabilizing ice forms and sheets reinforce the notion that even in the so-called "remote places," climatic change is evident and a cause for study, investigation and concern.

Scientists have recently examined this relatively small loss of Antarctic ice cover noting that even this tiny amount of ice loss is significant because until now, researchers have found that ice loss had been limited to the most northern extent of the frigid, southernmost continent.

In this AP photo from 2002, The Larsen B ice shelf, which has existed since the last Ice Age, is beginning to collapse.

The rate of ice loss that has ramped up in this area has also piqued the interest of scientists, although temperature fluctuations have stayed within seasonal norms. With this ice loss, sea levels rise and could have a devastating impact on coastlines in the Southern Hemisphere. Flooding, mudslides, and the effect of coastal erosion and on agriculture in developing nations are very real disasters that have occurred and are ripe to occur with perhaps heightened future examples – perhaps on a very short timeline.

The cause and effect relationship here is one that has motivated supporters and detractors on both sides. More important than the discussions and arguments that have inundated the media is whether or not these findings by scientists will motivate those who have an interest in protecting this planet, and those who are in positions of power to do so will in fact turn their efforts to a proactive end. Will it take a catastrophic degeneration of BOTH ice caps and blatant chaotic repercussion that affects humankind, before a region, localized, or far-away climatologically event re-shapes attitudes towards our world’s dynamic health complex?

Look close and far for the evidence knowing that with this latest finding, the notion of global warming is apparently far-reaching, far beyond the horizon…at the ends of the Earth.

Posted by Gary Archibald at 02:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Michelle Grossman, Weathercaster

Well guys where do I start?

The bad news first... I'm headed off to a new frontier and will be dishing out plenty of "brotherly love" on the weekends at a new station. Can you guess where? (I kinda gave it away!)

If you didn't guess by now, I'm off to Pennsylvania and will be doing the weather for none other than Philadelphia's own WCAU. I can't wait to join none other than Hurricane Schwartz and Dave Warren!

And the good news? To my surprise, the guys and gals here at Weather Plus were kind enough to bring in cake (yummy!). What a sweet surprise it was! Here are a few photos from the event. Check them out.

Who doesn't love cake?

I'm going to miss Jackie!

Doesn't this look delicious?

There's enough for everyone

Special thanks to Jessica and Regina

Thanks to all!

Posted by Lindsey Lader at 02:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Bill Karins, Meteorologist

Things are looking quite stormy for California heading into the weekend.

Three storms will move into the West Coast over the next three days causing numerous problems through all of California. The weather will also be nasty in WA, OR and NV but the worst damage and power outages will be in CA.

The first storm will move in today and tonight and only cause minimal problems with rain and wind.

The second storm on Friday will be the most powerful and cause significant disruptions for residents. The heavy rain will cause flooding of small streams and poor drainage areas everywhere. Los Angeles is expected to get 2-4 inches of rain; they only had 5.5 inches all last year. The wind gusts in the cities will be at tropical storm strength (>39mph) and in the mountains hurricane strength. (>74mph) The snow will be incredible above 7000 feet.

Areas that remain all snow will likely end up with 4-8 Feet! Areas like Truckee, Tahoe and Yosemite will see 2-4 feet (all near 6000 feet). The hurricane force wind gusts will accompany the snow making for impossible driving conditions. Interstate 80 will likely be closed for much of Fri and Sat. The strong winds with Friday/Friday Night's storm will cause scattered power outages from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

After the second storm moves ashore, very large swells will pound the coast Friday night into Saturday morning. The waves will peak Sat am at 25-30 feet. These will make for great pictures but should only cause minor coastal flooding.

The third storm will move through Sat night. This storm will be much like the first storm but it will have colder air to work with. More heavy snow is expected in the mountains. The mints outside of L.A. will likely see snow above 4000 feet. The rain and snow from this final storm will move out of the west and into the Central Rockies on Monday.

Posted by Bill Karins at 02:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)