Rukavina's Extreme Weather and Climate Blog

Sunday Morning Update: A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for much of the WPSD Local 6 area with a handful of counties just reaching Winter Storm criteria. Here is the latest map. They are in effect until early Monday. Snowfall totals have not changed much from last nights posting and I really feel this will still just be a road impact for Monday morning. Here is the projected snowfall total map: Sorry, TN. Looks like another near miss on the snow for you. :( Saturday Night Update: A Winter Storm Watch has been issued by the Paducah National Weather Service for most of the WPSD Local 6 area. Portions of NW TN and MO Bootheel have been placed under a Winter Weather Advisory all for winters weather on Sunday as colder air begins to arrive.   Rain will switch over to freezing rain, sleet, and snow during the day on Sunday eventually leading to accumulations in the watch/advisory areas. Initially any frozen precip will melt thanks to Saturday's mild temps and warmer pavement surfac...

It's been talked about ever since it was announced that the Superbowl was going to be held in an open stadium, open to the possibility of Mother Nature's worst. While it looks somewhat cold, only a minimal chance of ANY snow is part of the forecast on this game day in New Jersey. To see how this particular stadium and others rank amongst the coldest and snowiest historically, check out these graphics below....and Happy Superbowl Watching! P.S. I'm proud to see Cleveland Browns Stadium ranking too (Bad to the Bone!). :)

I just wrapped up the 2013 Western Kentucky Rainfall Summary. See how your area ranked among the others in WKY.

FIRST : Let me assure you that icequakes and earthquakes are completely different. Icequakes don't typically measure on a Richter Scale and  faults along the New Madrid Seismic Zone are not moving because of them. Icequakes are very rare and while they may have also occurred within a relatively short period of time to one another, they are unrelated. Microquakes (3.0 magnitude or less) occur frequently along the New Madrid Seismic Zone, even dozens per year. You may not realize it because they are rarely felt or noticed because typically the event happens at a deeper depth. The microquake that rumbled parts of the area on Sunday only registered 2.6 on the Richter scale but was very shallow, making it possible to feel or hear. About 5 years ago, I made the trip to Memphis to visit the USGS Earthquake Center and take our viewers greatest concerns and questions to the experts. I learned about how the New Madrid Fault behaved and about the historical releases of ...

Wednesday Evening Update: Here is my full interview with Geologist Dr. Thomas Schmidlin from Kent State. He explains the process and conditions favorable for frost (ice) quakes to occur in the WPSD Local 6 area. He does believe that frost quakes are one possibility or explanation for all of the "booms" being heard last week and says we may hear more in the coming very cold days. Rather than giving you a short snippet of his interview, I felt it was more beneficial to allow you to hear his entire explanation to help you understand the science behind this rare phenomenon.   Photo by viewer Mike Cornwell Monday Evening Update: Did a little more "digging" today and found almost an exact same story on these ice quakes published by Wayne Hart at the Evansville TV station. He interviewed Dr. Thomas Schmidlin, a former geology professor of mine from Kent State University, confirming the thoughts both Wayne and I were having concerning the loud booms...

SATURDAY AM UPDATE: TODAY IS A WEATHER AUTHORITY ALERT DAY! The Storm Prediction Center has upgraded most of Western Kentucky and NW Tennessee to the Moderate Risk outlook for severe weather, including the threat for damaging winds and tornadoes. Here is the latest map from SPC: Storm Prediction Center Outlook for Severe Storms on Saturday The National Weather Service in Paducah, KY has posted this very informative web video discussing the timing and threats associated with storms headed our way this afternoon along with flooding details. FRIDAY PM UPDATE: A WEATHER AUTHORITY ALERT DAY has been declared starting Friday night running through Sunday Morning.   Projected rainfall totals are holding pretty tight and havent changes a whole lot since yesterday. Below is a little more refined map updated Fri evening concerning total rainfall expected from Friday night ending Sunday morning. Isolated areas of 5-6" will be possible, especially...

From multiple flash flood events to a dramatic recovery of the worst drought in Western Kentucky's history, our changing seasons are seemingly becoming more extreme. The 2013 National Climate Assessment shows that extreme heavy precipitation events are becoming more common across the SE Unites States. In June alone, the WPSD Local 6 area was impacted by 4 flash flood events and June 2013 became the 5th wettest on record. South Fulton, Tennessee, Paducah, Kentucky, and Madisonville/Mortons Gap, Kentucky all suffered damage from short duration heavy precipitation events. One of the wettest June's on record was anything but expected after one of the country's worst droughts devastated most of Western Kentucky's corn and soybean crop. As we begin the month of July, the USDA reports that the corn & soybean crops of Kentucky and Tennessee rank as the best in the US. Thanks to a wet and mild spring/summer farmers are staying positive for a bumper crop to recoup 201...