Rukavina's Extreme Weather and Climate Blog

Sat Afternoon Update:  New winter weather alerts that into effect tonight. Start wrapping up preparations!  Fri PM Update: Confidence continues to grow and point toward the winter storm threat of icing. Winter Storm WATCHES were issued by the National Weather Service this morning and afternoon including all of the Local 6 area now. The timing below still looks fairly in-line with the forecast that we have been showing for a couple of days. Here is a closer look at ice accumulation totals and the impact index of ice. Be sure to continue your preparations tomorrow before the winter storm really moves in on Sunday and look for additional updates here. There may be a few small changes but the weather models have been pretty locked in on the Ohio River counties for higher totals for several cycles now. In addition to ice accumulation, snow and sleet will also accumulate making for an icy mix on roadways. While sleet and snowfall will be a secondary concern to the i...

Did you know that the Floods are the #1 natural disaster in the Unites States and nearly 20% of all insurance claims due to flooding come from moderate to low risk areas? We've seen this happen in our own communities as recently as 2011 when collectively the Ohio, Mississippi, Cumberland, Tennessee, and Clarks Rivers experienced "100 yr" floods. Even areas that had never seen major flooding were inundated by an overly active winter rainy season that did not relent while transitioning into Spring. We are entering a delicate time of the year where Winter transitions to spring and several factors can play a part in our flooding risk. Snow melt, spring thaw, heavy rains, and even ice jams (rarely) can contribute to the cause. To evaluate exactly what your risks are where you live (here in the Local 6 area or elsewhere) check out this interactive panel below. In general the Local 6 area is prone to flooding from the Spring thaw and heavy thunderstorms. Snowfall becom...

THURSDAY is a Weather Authority Alert Day for the WPSD Local 6 Area. Thursday Morning Update: The Storm Prediction Center has elevated the area of Western Kentucky and NW Tennessee to a Moderate Risk of severe storms today. The information below remains the same.  Wednesday Evening Update: As of Midnight, the Storm Prediction Center has continued the slight risk area over our region but has highlighted the greatest potential for damaging winds and isolated tornadoes. See the map below.    An organized line of severe thunderstorms is expected to move across the Local 6 area starting sometime around Noon and exiting by about 6pm. There is a look at that timeline below with each yellow line representing what time we expect the squall line to be at those given locations. Our greatest risk for severe weather will be centered over Western Kentucky, Extreme Southern Illinois, and NW Tennessee. Destructive winds are a big concern with this particular storm system and with ...

  On the heels of a pretty feisty winter weather event on Sunday, the next round is already set to move in during the day on Tuesday and wrap up late Tuesday night. This time, ice/glazing will be more of a concern. To the right shows the breakdown of the different types of precipitation we are expecting from one end of the Local 6 area to the other. Areas along the Ohio River will see temperatures hover between 31-33 degrees all day/evening and any degree change will determine the difference between rain/sleet/freezing rain. Areas in the blue area will see a mix of sleet and snow and possible accumulations up to 4". The further south you move into the pink and green, the greater chance you will see an icy mixture to all rain into Middle TN and Southern Lakes area. The graphic below shows the impacts each will have on a given area. The following three maps are an idea of where the snow/sleet/freezing rain/rain will fall and how much will accumulate. Areas along and no...