Weather Update – January 26, 2012

Northeast:

* A mix of precipitation types is expected overnight for eastern and northern New York and much of New England

* Winds should be on the increase across the region overnight as low pressure begins to move through the region

* Milder than average temperatures are expected across the region, ranging from the teens in northern Maine to the 60s in southern West Virginia

South:

* Rain and thunderstorms will spread from the Lower Mississippi Valley across the Southeast by tonight

* Winds should be on the increase in the Southeast as low pressure moves through the region

* Warmer than average temperatures are expected in the Southeast and much of Oklahoma

* Highs will range from around 50 in northern Arkansas and western Virginia to the 80s on the Florida Peninsula

Mid West:

* A mix of precipitation types, changing to a mix of rain and snow, is expected from northeastern Ohio to northern Indiana

* Some snow showers are possible in the Upper Mississippi Valley and western Great Lakes today

* Snow showers should spread into the Northern and parts of the Central Plains overnight tonight

* Mild temperatures for January are expected across the region today, with highs ranging from around 30 in northern Minnesota to the 50s in the Central Plains

West:

* Rain and mountain snow from the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies will spread into Northern California, the Northern High Plains, and the Great Basin by tonight

* Avalanche danger remains high in the Uinta Mountains of Utah

* Mild temperatures are expected across the region

* Highs will range from the teens in the higher elevations of the Cascades to the 80s in Southern California and southwestern Arizona

www.weather.com

Weather Update – January 19, 2012

Northeast:

* Snow moves into the interior today, spreading towards the coast and into New England overnight

* Snowfall should transition to a lake-effect snow near Lakes Erie and Ontario overnight

* Highs will range from the single digits in northern Maine to the 40s in West Virginia and near Chesapeake and Delaware Bays

 

South:

* Dry and mild conditions are expected across the region

* High temperatures will be between 15-20 degrees above seasonal averages for much of Texas

* Highs will range from around 40 in western Virginia to around 80 in South Texas and South Florida

 

Mid West:

* One system will bring some snow to the Great Lakes and the Ohio Valley today and tonight, with some lake-effect snows developing near the Great Lakes behind it tonight

* A second system will move into the Plains and Upper Mississippi Valley tonight, bringing a chance of snow to these areas

* Bitterly cold wind chills are expected this morning in the Northern Plains, Upper Mississippi Valley, and the western Great Lakes, with colder than average temperatures expected in these areas today plus into the Central Plains and the Mid-Mississippi Valley

* Highs will range from single digits below zero in northern Minnesota to around 50 in western Kansas

 

West:

* Rain and snow will begin to shift southward into California and spread inland to the High Plains today into tonight

* Heavy snowfall is possible in the Cascades and the mountains of Idaho, western Wyoming, and northern Utah

* Windy conditions are expected at times in the Northern High Plains; combined with very cold temperatures, this will lead to bitterly cold wind chill values

* In contrast to the cold in the Northern High Plains, very warm (for January) temperatures are expected in the Four Corners and the Great Basin

* Highs will range from around -10 in northwestern Montana to the 70s in the Lower Colorado Valley and in eastern New Mexico

www.weather.com

 

Weather Update – January 12, 2012

Northeast:

* Rain should mix with and change to snow overnight tonight from southwestern New York southward through western Pennsylvania and into West Virginia

* Gusty winds are expected across the region today and tonight, with some coastal flooding possible along the coast

* Temperatures are still expected to be warmer than average for much of the region, with highs ranging from around 20 in northern Maine to around 60 near Chesapeake Bay

South:

* Rain showers are expected in the Piedmont and coastal plains of Virginia and the Carolinas tonight

* Windy conditions are expected for much of the region, most notably in the Southeast

* Warmer than average temperatures are expected for the Southeast Coastal States, with colder than average temperatures expected in the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley

* Highs will range from around 30 in northern Arkansas to the 80s in South Florida

Mid West:

* Rain is expected today for eastern Kentucky, much of Ohio, and southeastern Michigan, mixing with and changing to snow overnight tonight

* Snow, sometimes heavy, is expected today and tonight in the Upper and Middle Mississippi Valley and the western Great Lakes

* Warmer than average temperatures are expected for much of Michigan and Ohio, with colder than average temperatures in the Plains and Mississippi Valley

* Highs will range from the single digits in northern Minnesota and northeastern North Dakota to around 50 in eastern Kentucky and southeastern Ohio

West:

* Mild temperatures are expected in California, with colder than average temperatures in parts of the High Plains

* Code orange air quality expected in parts of the Central Valley of California and parts of the San Francisco Bay area (including Chico, Sacramento, San Jose, Bakersfield, Fresno, and others)

* Highs will range from the teens in the higher elevations of the Rockies to the 70s in parts of Southern California and southern Arizona

www.wsi.com

 

Weather Update – January 5, 2012

Northeast:

* Snow showers and flurries are expected in the interior from northern Maine to the mountains of West Virginia

* Temperatures should not be quite as cold as recent days, with highs expected to be near seasonal averages

* Highs will range from the 20s in northern New York and Northern New England to the 40s in West Virginia and near Chesapeake Bay

South:

* A few showers and thunderstorms are possible along the Texas Coast and in South Texas

* Milder temperatures are expected in the Southeast, with much warmer than average temperatures expected in the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley

* Highs will range from the 40s in northern Virginia to the 70s in South Texas and South Florida

Mid West:

* A few snow showers or flurries are possible near the Great Lakes today, and in far northern Minnesota tonight

* High fire danger conditions are possible in parts of North Dakota

* Very warm temperatures for early January are expected across the region, with some record highs being threatened

* Highs will range from around 30 in northern Michigan to the 60s in the Central Plains

West:

* Rain and mountain snow in the Pacific Northwest and the Northern Rockies should slowly taper off by tonight

* Windy conditions are expected in the Northern High Plains

* Very warm temperatures for early January are expected, with some spots threatening record highs

* Poor air quality expected in parts of the Central Valley of California (code orange air quality forecast in Chico, Fresno, and others)

* Highs will range from the 20s in the higher elevations of the Cascades to the 80s in southern parts of California and Arizona

WSI: Cooler Atlantic, Waning La Nina Suggest Relatively Tame 2012 Tropical Season

Andover, MA, December 21, 2011 — In its first tropical forecast for 2012, WSI (Weather Services International) predicts 12 named storms, 7 hurricanes and 3 intense hurricanes (category 3 or greater). The 2012 forecast numbers fall between the long-term (1950-2011) averages of 11 named storms, 6 hurricanes and 2 intense hurricanes, and the averages from the more active recent period (1995-2011) of 15/8/4.

“After back-to-back La Nina winters, most models are suggesting an end to La Nina or possibly an emergence of El Nino by late next summer,” said WSI Chief Meteorologist Dr. Todd Crawford. “This outlook, combined with the fact that the North Atlantic Ocean has recently cooled to levels not observed in a decade, is suggestive of a less active tropical season in 2012, at least relative to recent active period (1995-2011) normals.”

Crawford also indicated there was no particularly strong landfall signal for 2012 at this point. “After a three-year respite for the US coastline, Hurricane Irene moved ashore along the East Coast during late August. Irene was a wake-up call after an historically unusual lull in hurricane landfalls. For 2012, our landfall model depicts close-to-normal probabilities of landfall along the US coastline, slightly elevated chances in the Gulf and Florida and slightly reduced chances along the East Coast.”

Energy traders, insurance professionals and risk managers look to WSI for accurate, timely weather information around the clock and across the globe. The next seasonal forecast update, which will include forecasts for late winter and early spring temperatures, will be issued on January 24. The next update for the 2012 tropical season will be released on April 20.

www.wsi.com

Weather Update – December 29, 2011

Northeast:

* Snow showers are expected in the interior today, spreading into western New England tonight

* Snow should mix with and change to rain in parts of western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia

* Windy conditions in Northern New England this morning should taper off, but bitter wind chills are still possible in parts of Northern New England and northern New York: the spot in the country expected to be colder than average

* Highs will range from around 10 in northern Maine to around 50 in western West Virginia

 

South:

* Dry and mild weather expected across the region this afternoon

* Highs will range from the 40s in northern Virginia to the 70s in South Florida and the Rio Grande Valley

 

Mid West:

* Snow, with a mix of rain and snow for parts of the Ohio Valley, expected near the Great Lakes today from a system that will move into the Northeast by tonight

* A mix of precipitation types is expected in the Northern Plains today, spreading east through the Upper Mississippi Valley and Great Lakes tonight

* Mild temperatures for late December are expected across the region, with the greatest departures from average (20+ degrees above average) expected in the Plains

* Highs will range from the 20s in northern Minnesota and Upper Michigan to the 60s in the Central Plains

 

West:

* Rain, mountain snow, and wind are expected from the Pacific Northwest to the Northern Rockies

* Avalanche danger is high in some mountain areas, with an avalanche warning posted in the Tetons, Gros Ventre, and Wind River Mountains of Wyoming

* Poor air quality continues in the Central Valley of California

* Mild temperatures for late December are expected, with highs ranging from the 20s in the higher elevations of the Cascades to around 80 in some spots in Southern California

www.weather.com

 

 

Weather Update – December 22, 2011

Northeast:

* Rain will begin to move into West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania later, spreading throughout the Mid-Atlantic and as far north as Southern New England by tonight

* A mix of rain and snow is expected tonight for much of the southern half of New York into Massachusetts, with snow expected over parts of Upstate NY New York and Northern New England

* Mild temperatures for late December expected across the region, with greatest departures (about 15 degrees above average) expected in the Mid-Atlantic

* Highs will range from around 30 in northern Maine to around 60 near Chesapeake and Delaware Bays

South:

* Much of the Southeast should see rain and some thunderstorms overnight tonight

* Snow will begin to move into the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles by late day, spreading into West Texas overnight

* Very warm temperatures for late December are expected across the Southeast, with some spots threatening record highs

* Chilly temperatures are expected in the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles, as well as parts of western Oklahoma

 Mid West:

* Rain, some heavy, is expected in the Ohio Valley today and tonight

* Snow expected today from the Central Plains to the Great Lakes, including parts of the Upper Mississippi Valley

* Some snow showers are possible tonight near the Great Lakes and in northern Minnesota

* Mild temperatures are expected near the Great Lakes, in the Ohio Valley, and in North Dakota, while chilly temperatures are expected for much of Nebraska and Kansas

West:

* Snow will slowly taper off as the day and evening progress in Colorado, but ramp up in New Mexico

* Another system should begin to bring some rain and mountain snow showers to the Pacific Northwest Coast tonight

* Gusty winds are expected for much of the Southwest into tonight, including in Southern California

* Chilly temperatures are expected for the Four Corners northward into Wyoming and eastern Idaho

Weather Update – December 15, 2011

Northeast:

* Rain in northern New York should transition to a mix of rain & snow tonight

* Rain expected elsewhere across the region, with some thunder in West Virginia today

* Windy conditions are possible today and tonight, especially in the interior

* Warmer than average temperatures are expected across the region

 

South:

* Rain chances will stretch from the Rio Grande Valley through the Tennessee Valley and into the Southern Appalachians today into tonight

* Warm temperatures for mid-December are expected from South and East Texas through the Mississippi Valley and points eastward, with a few spots threatening record highs (including Charleston, South Carolina; Mobile, Alabama; and Brownsville, Texas)

* Highs will range from the 40s in the Texas Panhandle and northern Oklahoma to around 80 in Deep South Texas and western Florida

 

Mid West:

* Rainy & windy weather is expected for the Ohio Valley today and tonight

* Some snow showers should move into the Northern Plains tonight

* Mild temperatures for mid-December are expected from the Mississippi Valley eastward, with near-average temperatures in the Plains

* Highs will range from around 20 in northern North Dakota and northern Minnesota to around 60 in the Ohio Valley

 

West:

* Rain showers expected to spread from the Pacific Northwest and Northern California Coast southward to Southern California and the Lower Colorado Valley tonight

* Snow showers are expected to spread from the interior Pacific Northwest through the Northern Rockies into the Northern High Plains by tonight

* Winds are expected to pick up tonight in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and in Southern California

* Highs will range from the teens in the higher elevations of the Cascades to the 60s in the Southwest

 www.weather.com

www.wsi.com

Weather Update – December 8, 2011

Northeast:

- Some light lake-effect snow showers develop from northwest Pennsylvania through western New York.

- Accumulations through tonight should generally be an inch.

- Accumulating lake-effect snow likely to develop in western NY from Buffalo northward by early Friday

- A heavier lake-effect event is expected late Friday night and Saturday, especially east of lake Ontario

South:

- Sunny to partly cloudy skies with seasonably chilly temperatures for the region.

- It will be breezy across Texas and Florida with winds of 10 to 20 mph and a few gusts over 25 mph.

- Highs reach the 40s and 50s from Oklahoma and northern Texas to the Carolinas.

- Warmer highs in the 60s to lower 70s are expected in southern Texas and central and southern Florida.

Mid West:

- Snowfall of 1 to 5 inches is possible through tonight.

- Winds of 15 to 25 mph with a few higher gusts are expected.

- A disturbance moving out of the Rocky Mountains spreads a narrow band of light snow through the central Plains.

- Tonight the snow rapidly pushes through Iowa, Missouri, northern Illinois and northern Indiana with accumulations up to 1 inch possible.

- Highs range from the 10s and 20s in the Dakotas and Minnesota to the 40s from Kansas to the Ohio Valley.

West:

- Skies should be sunny to partly cloudy over interior areas of the Northwest, although light winds in the atmosphere could lead to increased pollution.

- It should be sunny to partly cloudy across the Southwest and southern Rockies.

- Highs in the Northwest should be in the 20s to 40s.

- Highs in the Southwest range from the 30s in the mountains to the 50s and 60s in California, southern Nevada and southern Arizona.

www.weather.com

 

Weather Update – December 1, 2011

Northeast:

* The entire region will see sunny skies today

* Next chance of light snow arrives Friday and will be confined mainly to western areas of Pennsylvania and New York State

* High temperatures in the 30s from the Adirondacks into northern Maine

* Highs in the 50s in the southern parts of the region with mostly 40s Pennsylvania into Southern New England

South:

* Sunny skies expected over the vast majority of the area

* A few passing showers are possible along the eastern peninsula of Florida

* Highs mainly in the 50s and 60s elsewhere across the region

Mid West:

* A little light snow is possible from Minnesota and Iowa into Wisconsin

* Coldest highs near 20 in Northern Minnesota

* Highs in the 30s across most of Iowa and Wisconsin

* Highs in the 40s and 50s Missouri, Illinois and into southern Michigan

West:

* Snow will move southward into the central Rockies and Great Basin today

* Winds will also be on the increase across the region as low pressure strengthens in Arizona and high pressure moves into the Northwest, with Santa Ana winds beginning to crank up again in Southern California. High winds will be prevalent over much of the Southwest. Winds gusts in favored Santa Ana regions will be in the 70-90 mph range

* Rough surf is expected along much of the Pacific Northwest Coast

* Highs in the north will range from the 20s to the 40s

* Highs in the Deserts of the Southwest will be in the 60s

Active 2011 hurricane season breaks ‘Hurricane Amnesia’

The  2011 Atlantic hurricane season officially ended Wednesday, having produced a  total of 19 tropical storms of which seven became hurricanes, including three  major hurricanes. This level of activity matched NOAA’s predictions and  continues the trend of active hurricane seasons that began in 1995.

The 19  tropical storms represent the third-highest total (tied with 1887, 1995, and  2010) since records began in 1851 and is well above the average of 11. However,  the number of hurricanes and major hurricanes is only  slightly above the average of six and two, respectively. This year’s totals  include a post-storm upgrade of Tropical Storm Nate to hurricane status, and  the addition of a short-lived, unnamed tropical storm that formed in early  September between Bermuda and Nova Scotia. This unnamed storm, along with  several other weak, short-lived named storms, could have gone undetected  without modern satellite technology.

Irene  was the lone hurricane to hit the United States in 2011, and the first one to  do so since Ike struck southeast Texas in 2008. Irene was also the most  significant tropical cyclone to strike the Northeast since Hurricane Bob in  1991.

“Irene  broke the ‘hurricane amnesia’ that can develop when so much time lapses between  landfalling storms,” said Jack Hayes, Ph.D., director of NOAA’s National  Weather Service. “This season is a reminder that storms can hit any part of our  coast and that all regions need to be prepared each and every season.”

As far  as landfalling major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5 with top winds of 111mph  and greater) are concerned, the lull continues. 2011 marks a record six  straight years without one hitting the United States. The last one to do  so was Wilma in 2005. Nonetheless, wind is not the only threat with tropical  systems as proven by Irene and Lee, which caused deadly and destructive  flooding. On average, more than half of the fatalities related to tropical  systems are due to flooding.

Hurricane  Irene is an example of increasing accuracy in forecasting storm track. Its  landfall in eastern North Carolina and path northward were accurately predicted  more than four days in advance by NOAA’s National Hurricane Center using  information from weather satellites, hurricane models, aircraft observations,  and other data. NOAA’s delivery of critical environmental forecasts provided  essential advance information that allowed emergency officials to plan  necessary evacuations and sparked individuals to take safety precautions. But a  weaker-than-anticipated Irene at landfall also highlighted the challenges that  remain in forecasting storm intensity.

“Improving  intensity forecasts is a focus of ongoing research and is part of NOAA’s  Hurricane Forecast Improvement Project,” said Frank Marks, Ph.D., director of  NOAA’s Hurricane Research Division. HFIP bridges research and operational  components to better anticipate rapid changes in storm intensity and its goal  to extend track forecasts from the current five days to seven days.

“Although  the 2011 hurricane season has ended, our need to prepare for disasters hasn’t,”  said Craig Fugate, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.  “Being prepared for all kinds of hazards, from hurricanes to blizzards to  tornadoes, is a year-round activity. We encourage all members of the team,  especially the public, to continue to prepare for emergencies by staying  informed of forecasted weather events, making an emergency plan, and building  your emergency preparedness kit. Visit Ready.gov to learn more.”
www.noaa.gov

www.weather.com

www.wsi.com

Weather Update – November 17, 2011

Northeast:

* Rain and snow showers will linger into tonight across New England

* Near the Great Lakes, lake-effect snows should begin to crank up in the wake of the departing system

* Greatest snowfall amounts are expected in snow belt areas of northwestern Pennsylvania, southwestern New York, and the Tug Hill Plateau east of Lake Ontario

* Highs will mostly be in the 30s & 40s

South:

* Some snow is possible in the mountains of western North Carolina and western Virginia

* Breezy conditions are possible across the Southeast, with winds tapering off late in the day

* Highs should generally be cooler than average across the region, and much cooler than the last few days in the Southeast

* Highs will range from the 40s in the Southern Appalachians to the mid 80s in South Florida

Mid West:

* Lake-effect snow showers are possible around the Great Lakes today and tonight

* Some light rain and snow showers should move into western North Dakota late today and move into northern Minnesota tonight

* Cool temperatures are expected for areas east of the Mississippi River and in the Ozarks, while warmer than average temperatures are expected in parts of the Western Plains

* Highs will range from the 20s from northern North Dakota to Lake Superior to around 60 in western Kansas

West:

* Rain, snow, and wind will begin to move into parts of Northern California tonight as a second upper level system moves ashore

* Strong winds are expected in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and its passes beginning tonight

* Rough surf is expected along parts of the Pacific Northwest Coast

* Highs will range from the 20s in the mountains to around 80 in the deserts