Rukavina's Extreme Weather and Climate Blog

EAGLE WATCH 2016-2017!   As of Tuesday morning, people across the country have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of 2 eaglet chicks, while parent eagles Harriett and M15 (replaced Ozzie) take turns incubating them. This camera is live from Southwest Florida through Dick Pritchett Real Estate.   To view more and chat with experts, click here:  http://www.swfleaglecam.com/ 2PM Thursday Update:  The babies are almost here! Cracks have been identified on one, maybe both of the eggs! Here is picture I captured while mama was up moving around. When the eggs start to hatch, she stays up off of them more often! 2:00 PM Wednesday Update:  Still waiting for the eggs to hatch. Caught another glimpse off the eggs today at M15 got up to  stretch and roll the eggs.  2:00 PM Tuesday Update: I caught this view of Harriett this afternoon as she took over the nest and incubating the eggs for a while. She likes to lay with her ...

Wednesday PM Update:   A fast moving storm system will bring messy weather for the upcoming and last full Christmas shopping weekend. There is a small chance that it will include wintry weather for parts of the Local 6 area but most of the precipitation will come in the form of rain showers and a few thunderstorms.  Very cold air will be in place Thursday but then milder air will begin to push in Friday during the day giving us highs in the 40's. By sunset Friday, temperatures may briefly drop into the 30's and lead to the advancing rain mixing with a little sleet, mainly in Missouri. All precipitation will turn to rain as temperatures then rise to near 60 degree during the day on Saturday. The cold front will then approach Saturday evening bringing the highest chance for showers and thunderstorms, then arctic air to follow. This is when rain showers may turn to snow showers as the colder air arrives behind the front overnight. Where snow showers persist, a coating wi...

Sunday AM Update: In addition to the information posted Friday night, here is a look at the latest rainfall projections. Some areas may see locally a little more that what the computer model is showing but this gives you an idea of what to expect as rain moves in late tonight and Monday.  Right now there is a threat for storms to become severe to our South but we will be keeping an eye on NW Tennessee and the MO Bootheel to see if any of those storms drift northward amidst the axis of greatest warmth and moisture. I've included the severe storm outlook from the Storm Prediction Center below the rainfall totals. Preparedness reminders are also posted below.  Friday PM Update: Moderate drought conditions have plagued the Local 6 area for most of meteorological Fall (Sep-Nov). As we wrap up the month of November we'll also be in the midst of a heavy rain event set to begin late Sunday and Monday and continue through Tuesday. There is also a small chance of rain on ...

By the end of March 2013, we were more than ready to put Winter behind us after bitterly cold temperatures hanging on and periods of snow blanketing the area. We were influenced by a weak La Nina episode and arctic air was readily available to the Eastern United States. Currently the Climate Prediction Center is in "La Nina Watch" mode with a 70% chance of development this Fall and continuing into Winter 2016-2017. A record El Nino episode came to an end early in the Summer and we have been in a neutral period for a couple of months now. Signs of continued cooling in the Pacific waters off the coast of South America points to the likely development of a weak La Nina episode for the cool season. The reason we look at El Nino and La Nina episodes is because it has a direct impact on the overall weather pattern across North America. It gives us guidance. During La Nina, we tend to see colder winters and a higher likelihood of stormy (wintry) weather. Temperatures d...

Many of you have been sharing with us your photos of the great Winter predictor....the Woolly Bear! You've probably noticed a wide variety showing up in your own backyard. Not all "woolly-looking" caterpillars are Woolly Bears. Even the all-black versions are actually a different type of caterpillar. Below shows a good photo of what a TRUE Woolly Bear Caterpillar looks like. They have very full, thick bristles and have both orange and black segments.The other three caterpillars are often mistaken for the true Woolly Bear. Both the blond and tan colored caterpillar are the Yellow Bear Caterpillar.  The all black caterpillar with faint red stripes on the segments is the Giant Leopard Moth Caterpillar. They all have that bristled look but the one on the far right is the Woolly Bear. Now let's get to specifics....The folklore says that the Woolly Bear Caterpillar is a predictor of the upcoming winters' harshness. Each Woolly Bear has orange and black segments (...

Thursday September 22, 2016 at 9:21 AM Central marks the beginning of fall here in the Local 6 area. While temperatures are still very summer-like I wanted to give you a peak at how quickly our weather will change in the next couple months. The seasonal start represents equal parts daylight and darkness and we'll see a decline in daylight hours until the Winter Solstice in December. With less daylight comes less warmth in the Northern Hemisphere along with a migrating jet stream that often brings harsh storms both of the severe and winter variety. A look at the graphic to the right shows that decline in temperatures from September to November. Hot and humid conditions with highs in the 80's and 90's are usually ongoing as we first embark on Fall but a chill in the air is rarely far behind. By October frost is threatening to bring an end to the growing season and November ushers in a higher chance of a first snow and daily jacket-wearing. Seasonal allergies begi...

Credit: Midwest Regional Climate Center. Click for larger view. Tuesday PM Update: The heaviest rain has come and left it's mark over the past weekend bringing flooded out roads and forcing people from their homes in parts of Missouri and Illinois. The slow, steady rain is starting to wind down and a break in the weather is expected for a day or two. Epic rainfall totals have made headlines for the past few days and record-breaking numbers are becoming more likely as we wrap up Meteorological Summer and the month of August. a fairly large swath of more than 6" of rain has been measured from Southern Indians down through Southern Illinois and into Southeast Missouri just over the past 7 days as see in the graphic above. Even a few specks of white appear in IL/MO which indicates more than 10" or rain during that 7-day period of time (mainly Sat-Tue). Here are a few official 4-Day totals listed by the National Weather Service in Paducah, KY and weatherunderground.com. ...