Rukavina's Extreme Weather and Climate Blog

Monday Evening Update: Not much has chanced with previous updates concerning the severe weather threat but now that we are closer to the actual event, I wanted to reinforce a few points. An unusually strong cold front will be crossing the area during the overnight hours Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.  Winds will be quite strong, even outside of thunderstorms, ahead of the cold front leading to areas of wind damage.  Main severe parameters with any storms will be destructive winds and even an isolated tornado, along with heavy rainfall and possible flash flooding.  I encourage everyone to review severe weather safety with your family and make sure to know where to take shelter at a moments notice if you are awakened by the storm or weather radio in the middle of the night. Here is the latest risk map from the Storm Prediction Center which may still change a little with their Tuesday morning update. On a self-promotion note....Meteorologist Trent Okerson an...

From time to time, I come across some very cool space weather video. This was passed along by NASA and shows 2 coronal mass ejections, the second one being directed toward Earth, not likely to cause much interference. These eruptions can often send particles of interference toward Earth disrupting communications/GPS devices and allow for brilliant displays of Northern Lights over the poles.     This movie shows two coronal mass ejections (CMEs) erupting from the sun on Jan. 23, 2013. The first was not directed at Earth; the second one is, but is not expected to have a strong impact. The movie was captured by the joint ESA/NASA mission the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), beginning at 7 p.m. EST on Jan. 22 and ending at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 23. Credit: ESA, NASA/SOHO/Goddard Space Flight Center

One of the most amazing videos I have ever seen as it relates to Arctic ice loss. I was first shown this video last year at the Glen Gerberg Weather & Climate Summit. It was shown again this year and I thought it was time to share with viewers. Jennifer Francis (Rutgers University Research Professor of Arctic Climate Change) joined me for my live weather show from Breckenridge, CO to explain how and why this video is important. To watch the video of Arctic ice loss in high quality, click here: To quote the article from Climate Watch Magazine, "The loss of thick, melt-resistant, multi-year ice can easily become a self-reinforcing process. When multi-year ice melts away—or when young ice fails to survive any melt seasons—the ice that remains in the Arctic will be predisposed to melt quickly during the following summer."

Thursday Evening Update: The going forecast has not changed very much but confidence is growing that the Friday morning commute will become messy and slick as freezing rain develops overnight. Here is a look at the latest accumulation map: Main areas of concern will be along I-24, HW 45, HW 60, the Pennyrile Parkway, the Purchase Parkway, HW 641, HW 79, and I-55 south of Cape Girardeau. While major roadways have been pretreated, surface temps will already be below freezing, so anything that falls will stick to secondary or untreated surfaces. Wednesday Evening Update: Computer models are starting to really focus more of the glazing event in Western Kentucky and NW Tennessee. Although the accumulation amounts seemingly look low, it only take a small accumulation of ice to create dangerous road conditions. Road crews have been out early proactively treating area roadways in preparation for the event. Here is a look at the latest ice accumulation projections. Tuesday Eveni...

2012 brought a year of extremes across the Local 6 area and also took with it the precious lives of 8 community members and devastated a river/agricultural industry. Here is a preview & list of events that rank as the Top 6 weather stories of 2012 on WPSD Local 6: Graphic Produced by WPSD Meteorologist Kyle Mounce 1. Leap Day Tornadoes - Harrisburg EF-4 Tornado: I felt my stomach drop the moment I saw the EF4 tornado damage as I pulled into Harrisburg the following day. I knew it was going to be bad and I couldnt imagine going through the terror of waking up in the middle of the night as a powerful tornado raced my way. Daylight brough a scene of devastation to the south side of Harrisburg and disbelief spread across this close-knit town. Eight of their residents lost their lives to the storm.   News quickly traveled to the national media and hundreds of volunteers converged on the heartbroken town to assist those ...

Snow Depth as of December 30, 2012 with additional snow expected New Years Eve night. (Reports from viewers) It is becoming quite clear where the jet stream has set up for the start of winter. People in Southern Illinois and neighboring MO counties along the Mississippi River can barely keep the roads clear while everyone south of the Ohio River is wondering if we'll ever see snow this winter! :) New Year's Eve night is when we are expecting another (although light) snow event across the same areas where you see higher snow depths above. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY begins Monday at Noon and continues through Tuesday at 6AM for most of Southern Illinois and SEMO. The latest advisory map is below.  Winter Weather Advisory - Paducah/St. Louis National Weather Service Snow totals are not expected to be significant but with icy snow pack across much of the advisory area, any additional snow/sleet may make for hazardous conditions again for New Year's Eve night and New...

Snowfall Totals 11PM Friday: Friday PM Update: A WINTER STORM WARNING has now been issued for much of Southern Illinois and SE Missouri with Winter Weather Advisories continuing elsewhere. Here is the latest map and forecast accumulations for the Local 6 area. Road will become slushy and slick by Saturday morning. Motorists are encouraged to use extra caution and don't forget to carry along a winter weather kit for your vehicle. Friday Afternoon Update: Snowfall totals have been adjusted a bit to reflect the slightly stronger storm system. Just like the last storm, highest totals are expected north of the Ohio River back into SE Missouri. Lighter accumulations are expected and winds will not become so hazardous. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY is in effect for those in the second map below. Snow Totals Friday PM - Sat AM - RPM Computer Model Winter Weather Advisory - Paducah National Weather Service Thursday Night Update: Sitting here sifting through the ...