Dangerous Saturday Storms

SATURDAY IS A WEATHER AUTHORITY ALERT DAY!

Friday PM Update:

Looks like another stormy start to the weekend with a heightened risk for severe weather as well for Saturday. The Storm Prediction Center has included the entire Local 6 area in the SLIGHT RISK and even put most of Kentucky in the elevated ENHANCED RISK for Saturday, mainly for the afternoon and evening hours. Continue to monitor the outlook updates starting Saturday morning. The National Weather Service in Paducah has confirmed that the Storm Prediction Center may upgrade part of the area to a MODERATE RISK.

Here is the Friday forecast timeline from the Paducah Bational Weather Service:

MID-HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS STREAMING ACROSS THE AREA EARLY THIS MORNING AND SATELLITE SUGGESTS PATCHY MID-HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MOST OF THE DAY. SEVERAL SMALL PIECES OF ENERGY HEADED OUR WAY TODAY. HRRR MODEL PRODUCING ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE WESTERN SECTIONS LATER THIS MORNING AND THESE ARE SLOWLY EXPECTED TO SPREAD EAST LATE THIS AFTERNOON.
BY TONIGHT A WARM FRONT WILL DEVELOP TO OUR SOUTH. CURRENT WATER
VAPOR IMAGES DEPICT MOISTURE STREAMING NORTHEAST OUT OF OLD MEXICO
AND TEXAS. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD
TONIGHT ACROSS THE AREA.

ON SATURDAY...THERE SHOULD BE A LULL IN THE ACTION DURING THE
MORNING HOURS AS THE MAIN PRECIP ENDS FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST.
THE CLOUDS ARE EXPECTED TO BREAK UP FOR SEVERAL HOURS DURING THE
MORNING HOURS ESPECIALLY OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SECTIONS.
AS THIS HAPPENS, MOST OF THE AREA WILL BECOME VERY UNSTABLE AS
WIND FIELDS BECOME MORE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE WEATHER DURING THE
AFTERNOON HOURS. SPC HAS A MAJORITY OF THE AREA IN AN ENHANCED
RISK AND THIS SEEMS PRUDENT AS CONFIDENCE LEVELS CONTINUE TO
INCREASE FOR SEVERE WEATHER. VERY FAVORABLE LAPSE RATES SHOULD
ALLOW DEEP CONVECTION TO BEGIN BY EARLY-MID AFTERNOON. 0-3 KM
BULK SHEAR VECTORS WILL RANGE FROM 35 TO 40 KTS AS LOW LEVEL WINDS
INCREASE...ESPECIALLY OVER WEST KENTUCKY.

THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND A FEW
TORNADOES TOMORROW AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING ESPECIALLY OVER
WESTERN KENTUCKY.

Comments

Planting Zones Heading North

As our global climate changes, so does our planting zones, helping us determine which flowers/shrubs/trees are hardy in specific areas. The Local 6 area has always been split by 2-3 growing zones so placement becomes very important to those in the agricultural community. The image below represents the average over the past 30 years. Climate Central published the following information: "What kinds of flowers, shrubs and trees you’ll find at your local nursery depends on your climate — how warm it tends to get in summer, and how cold in winter. A plant that’s happy in Wisconsin might be miserable in Alabama, and vice versa. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has formalized these differences into " hardiness zones " — strips of similar climate that run more or less east-to-west (except in the high mountains), where particular plants should do especially well. But as the planet warms under its thickening blanket of greenhouse gases, those zones are shifting northward. Th...

Longer Allergy Seasons

The National Phenology Network is showing the early arrival of leaves on trees in the Ohio Valley, the Midwest, and Western United States this year. This trend has become more of a norm over the past past 50 years. Climate Central published data this week showing the same trend since 1970 with notable attention to the West where states are seeing as many as 17 more frost-free days, extending the growing season. Here in the Local 6 area, the growth is not as notable but still averaging between 4-9 days additional to the growing season. Why does this matter? Aside from having an influence on which plants are suitable for planting zones, it has a much higher societal impact by extending the allergy season. "As the climate warms from the increase of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, the last spring freeze is trending earlier and the first fall freeze is coming later. This means the growing season is getting longer, and so is the pollen season— whether it i...

Tri-State Tornado Double Take

Credit: Chris Conley, Spotter A well-forecast severe weather event unfolded Tuesday night starting in Southeast Missouri then blowing east into Southern Illinois, The Paducah National Weather Service along with local media gave people in Perryville, MO the early alarm that a large tornado was barreling their way. Storm spotter Chris Conley captured power flashes (right) from the violent tornado hitting power lines as the storm traveled from Perryville across the Mississippi River into Rockwood, IL after claiming one man's life on Interstate 55 and injuring 12 in Perryville. Credit: John Humphress, Spotter The supercell thunderstorm parent to this tornado was only getting started. Confirmation of a tornado and a trail of damage was reported in Rockwood, Ava, Elkville, Christopher, Buckner, Enfield and Crossfield, IL. Storm spotter John Humphress captured the wedge tornado (left) that struck Crossville where a man was killed trying to take shelter. Humphress recal...

Rukavina's Extreme Weather and Climate Blog

Search This Blog