Rukavina's Extreme Weather and Climate Blog

The beauty of fall can also bring indicators of how the surrounding environment is preparing for the winter ahead. There are two popular folklore that people tend to look for this time of the year. The first being the woolly bear (Isabella tiger moth caterpillars). Their striking appearance usually catches your eye by late summer, thus spreading fears of an overly warm or particularly snowy winter. The fascination is fun but usually doesn't prove scientific unless you happen to find "the one" that lines up with the actual outcome of winter. They vary from region to region and are part of the bristled species of caterpillars which can lead to mis-identification. The image above shows how you can be sure you are spotting a true woolly bear and not an impostor.  To have some fun with the folklore of the little guy, here are a few tips:  Woolly bears have 13 segments made of black and orange and are known to represent the 13 weeks of winter. The front segment represen...

This video gives you an all-in-one look at how to safely view the total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017! It will also feature all the amazing moments you don't want to miss! Courtesy: NASA Goddard Be sure to set your DVR or join us on Saturday August 19th at 5pm on WPSD Local 6 for a half hour special devoted to the eclipse experience here in our region.

Thursday Evening Update: A Flash Flood WATCH has been issued and includes all of Western Kentucky, NW Tennessee, MO Bootheel, and the Ohio River counties in Southern IL. The heaviest rain is expected to start moving in very late Thursday night and during the day on Friday. Highest rainfall totals are still expected to sit along the Ohio River counties back into the Bootheel. The specific placement of the highest rainfall may shift northward or southward depending on exact path of low pressure moving across our area and how fast the cold front to our north will advance tomorrow. Wednesday Evening Update: The remnants of Tropical Storm Cindy will begin to quickly impact the Local 6 area starting Thursday morning across the south half of the area then spreading northward. While we may see some periods of gusty winds, even a quick, short-lived tornadic spin-up, but the overwhelming threat to the entire are will be very heavy rain and flash flooding from Thursday into Friday ...

SATURDAY IS A WEATHER AUTHORITY ALERT DAY A rather strong storm system will take aim on the Local 6 area Saturday and Saturday night. The Storm Prediction Center has issued a MODERATE RISK for an outbreak of severe weather. Several rounds of storms will be possible and as many people are looking to get outdoors for the long holiday weekend, storms may threaten at times.  A first round is expected to moving through during the overnight hours Friday night into early Saturday morning with a low risk for severe. This changes dramatically Saturday afternoon and evening as a complex of storms develops over Missouri during the heat of the afternoon, while the atmosphere becomes highly unstable and ripe for widespread outbreak. This second round should move out by sunset while a third possible complex of storms develops again over Missouri and moves east from around 10pm into the very early morning hours of Sunday.  The weather may change very quickly wherever you are tomorrow ...

With an increase in heavy downpours across the Midwest and Southeast over the past 50 years it has become vital that we continue to look for advanced ways to track the threat of flooding events. The main goal is to give people as much advanced notice as possible so that they can prepare for rising water and be allowed time to get out of harms way. In December of 2015, I wrote an article featuring the products shown here and how they may become part of our future for flash flood forecasting. The National Severe Storms Laboratory has been conducting research (FLASH) focused on using simulated water flow to help better predict the likelihood of water rises along rivers and associated tributaries.  Below is an example of one of the products that the NSSL can display and it's archived data from the July 2015 flash flooding in the Paducah area. This particular product shows simulated surface water flow between 30 minutes before and 12 hours after a designated time. At the very start...

The dangerous high waters of the Mississippi have returned to threaten properties in the delta of this great river. For one area, the idea of taking on more water has become more and more a reality some are not willing embrace. In January of 2016 a three quarter mile section of the Len Small Levee was breached and then collapsed by flood waters from the Mississippi River. Water inundated farmland and left behind 10-foot sand deposits after it receded. Alexander County officials appealed to the St. Louis District Army Corps of Engineers and were denied the assistance to make the $16 million estimate cost of repair. Just this past month farmers considered a plan to rebuild the levee with their own equipment to take place in June. Time has now run out to repair the collapsed section of levee as the water rises quickly on the Mississippi River after a record amount of rain fell across many of its tributaries to the north.    I spoke to one resident in that area today who says...

Tuesday Evening Update: A few showers may make their way into our region early on Wednesday as the leading edge of moisture arrives from the west but the bulk of higher storm chances will enter our area by late afternoon and evening as a cold front draws closer. The areas drawn below also still look reasonable for storm chances this upcoming weekend with a heavy focus on a flooding threat Fri-Sun with repeated rounds of heavy rain expected. Monday Evening Update: A period of stormy weather is set to unfold for the second half of this week beginning late Wednesday night. Additional storms are then expected over the weekend. Here is a preliminary look at the timing and areas impacted. While the Spring severe weather season started early with the return of warmer weather in February, we've historically seen the most severe weather and tornadoes during the months of April and May. Along with the timeline you can find ways to keep your family prepared with a checklist at the botto...