…FROST AND FREEZING CONDITIONS LATE TONIGHT… .CLEARING SKIES AND DIMINISHING WINDS WILL SET THE STAGE FOR TEMPERATURES TO DROP INTO THE LOWER 30S ACROSS THE REGION. IT WILL BE THE COLDEST ALONG AND EAST OF A CASSOPOLIS TO WARSAW TO MARION LINE…WHERE LOW TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY PLUMMET INTO THE UPPER 20S TO AROUND 30. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR WIDESPREAD FROST TO
View the full statement on the NWS website.
Monthly Archives: October 2014
Freeze Watch issued October 18 at 11:57AM EDT until October 19 at 8:00AM EDT by NWS
…FREEZE WATCH TONIGHT… .CLEARING SKIES AND DIMINISHING WINDS WILL SET THE STAGE FOR LOW TEMPERATURES TO DROP INTO THE LOWER 30S ACROSS THE WATCH AREA WITH SOME LOCATIONS POSSIBLY DROPPING TO AROUND 30. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR WIDESPREAD FROST…ESPECIALLY IN FAVORABLE DRAINAGE LOCATIONS.
View the full statement on the NWS website.
Freeze Watch issued October 18 at 3:52AM EDT until October 19 at 8:00AM EDT by NWS
…FREEZE WATCH TONIGHT… .CLEARING SKIES AND DIMINISHING WINDS WILL SET THE STAGE FOR LOW TEMPERATURES TO DROP INTO THE LOWER 30S ACROSS THE WATCH AREA WITH SOME LOCATIONS POSSIBLY DROPPING TO AROUND 30. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR WIDESPREAD FROST IN SOME AREAS…ESPECIALLY IN FAVORABLE DRAINAGE LOCATIONS.
View the full statement on the NWS website.
Facebook announces disaster communication tool
Facebook has announced implementation of a new communication tool designed to help people learn quickly whether a disaster has harmed their loved ones.
The tool, called “Safety Check,” will help users:
- Let friends and family know they’re safe
- Check on others in the affected area
- Mark their friends as safe
Only the user’s friends will see the user’s safety status and the comments the user shares.
Safety Check will be available globally on Android, iOS, feature phones and desktop.
Facebook will activate the tool after any major disaster. When Facebook does so, any users who Facebook’s servers believe might be in the disaster area will receive a message through their Facebook accounts, asking if they’re safe.
Users may then indicate that they’re safe, or, if Facebook got their location wrong, that they’re outside the disaster area.
Whenever users mark themselves as safe, Facebook will send a message to all of the users’ Facebook friends to inform them.
Another way people can inform their loved ones that they are safe after a disaster is the American Red Cross’ “Safe & Well” program. Everyone who has access to the Web may go to the Safe & Well website and list themselves as safe and well. Users outside the disaster area may use the same website to search for registrants by name, phone number or home address.
How useful do you think such tools are? Add your comments using the comment link under the title of this post.
Annual NWS winter outlook: Normal temps, below normal precip in Great Lakes
If you live in the Great Lakes states and don’t want another winter like last year’s you’re in luck. But if you’re a fan of winter sports, you might not be so happy with the annual winter outlook that the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center issued today.
The outlook came out today And you can see on the maps above, the CPC predicts normal temperatures and below normal precipitation for the Great Lakes region.
Meteorologists are still watching for El Niño, an ocean-atmospheric phenomenon in the Tropical Pacific that affects global weather patterns. They say it has not yet shown up. If it does, it could affect the winter outlook.
Special Weather Statement issued October 16 at 4:02AM EDT by NWS
…AREAS OF FOG WILL PERSIST IN MANY AREAS THROUGH SUNRISE… AREAS OF FOG WILL PERSIST THROUGH SUNRISE ACROSS MUCH OF NORTHERN INDIANA…SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN AND NORTHWESTERN OHIO. PATCHY DENSE FOG CAN BE EXPECTED IN MAINLY RURAL AREAS WHERE VISIBILITIES WILL FLUCTUATE AROUND ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS AT TIMES. MOTORISTS SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING THE REMAINDER OF THE NIGHT
View the full statement on the NWS website.
NWS: Isolated/damaging gusts possible, watch unlikely
Isolated strong or even damaging wind gusts are possible in north-central and northeastern Indiana and southwestern Lower Michigan overnight, according to a mesoscale discussion that the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center (SPC) issued at 8:26 p.m. EDT. The SPC does not expect to issue a watch, however, because the overall threat is too low.
The loss of daytime heating has resulted in insufficient atmospheric instability to support widespread severe thunderstorms.
Meanwhile, a tornado watch remains in effect for parts of central, southern and extreme northwestern Indiana.
NWS tweet: Line of storms won’t arrive in NE Indiana before 10 p.m.
Timing of the line of storms as it moves towards our area tonight. pic.twitter.com/mcuCR6aP5a
— NWS Northern Indiana (@NWSIWX) October 13, 2014
Latest outlook: More of Indiana at slight risk of severe weather
A larger part of Indiana has a slight risk of severe thunderstorms, according to an updated “Day 1 Convective Outlook” that the National Weather Service (NWS) Storm Prediction Center (SPC) issued at 3:45 p.m. EDT.
As compared to the SPC’s midday update, the latest outlook extends a slight risk area to include north-central and northwestern Indiana and part of northeastern Indiana. The outlook covers the period from 4 p.m. EDT today to 8 a.m. EDT tomorrow.
The slight risk area now includes all of IMO SKYWARN quadrant three and Huntington County of quadrant two.
The greatest threat is damaging straight-line thunderstorm winds of 58 mph or greater, but meteorologists cannot rule out a tornado.
People in the slight risk area should keep a reliable source of weather warnings accessible through the night and SKYWARN storm spotters should prepare for possible activation.
The SPC will next update its severe weather outlook for today and tonight by 9 p.m. EDT.
Little change in Indiana severe weather threat
Much of western and southern Indiana continue to have a slight risk of severe weather between 12:30 p.m. EDT today and 8 a.m. EDT tomorrow, according to an updated “Day 1 Convective Outlook” that the National Weather Service (NWS) Storm Prediction Center issued at 12:34 p.m. EDT.
The main changes since the previous convective outlook are:
- Removal of the “significant” damaging wind risk.
- Expansion of the moderate risk area eastward to cover more of Mississippi and part of Alabama.
In most of the counties served by the northern Indiana NWS office, strong storms remain possible, with a heavy rain threat. But as of the time of this writing, the risk of a severe storm in that area is very small.
The SPC plans to update its convective outlook again by 4 p.m. EDT.