Stormy Setup for New Year’s Eve
Gulf Low Develops, Image: Unisys Weather
Happy Holidays Everyone! I hope you enjoyed your Christmas. It was a stormy Christmas across the Midwest. The weather has finally quieted this Sunday.
Look at the computer model forecast for the storm setup this Thursday. Another low pressure system will develop in the Gulf of Mexico. Tuesday, coastal Texas will be doused with heavy rain. The thunderstorms will then move to Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. On Thursday, Georgia and the Carolinas will be feeling the brunt of the storm.
What happens next is a long way off, but the East Coast may be preparing for a stormy New Year’s Eve.
Low Develops off East Coast, Image: Unisys Weather
Currently, the main thunderstorm activity will be off the coast, but by Friday and Saturday, the low tries to redevelop just off the coast of New Jersey, and it could be another snowmaker for parts of the Northeast next weekend.
-Dawn Brown
Dense Fog Seeps into Gulf States
US Watches and Warnings, Image: NOAA
Click for the latest national watches and warnings.
As you can see from the map above, dense fog advisories extend from central Texas to North Carolina. Advisories are posted when the visibility is 1/4 mile or less. That’s about 1300 feet. Dense fog can be a persistent problem along the Gulf South this time of year after a spell of cold weather. A warm, tropical air mass will override that cold air, and create a perfect setup for fog. Fog is a winter hazard. Here’s the link to my previous blog about fog.
Today's Temperature Forecast, Image: NOAA
Heavy rain is expected across portions of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama later today.
Snow is forecast for parts of Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa. And, a winter storm is crossing the Cascades in the West.
-Dawn Brown
More Snow for the Rockies!
National Infrared Satellite, Image: NOAA (Image is OLD!)
Click for the latest satellite image.
More snow for the Rockies! Winter storm warnings are in effect for New Mexico, Colorado and Kansas this Sunday. Winter weather advisories stretch into Texas and Nebraska from the same storm system. Heavy rain out ahead of the cold front has created flash flood warnings in Missouri.
This storm system is expected to continue tracking east by tomorrow.
Another storm will begin to slide into the Pacific Northwest by Monday. Avalanche warnings are in effect for areas outside of Seattle. Another round of heavy rain and more snow is a set up for avalanches in the mountainous West. Portland can also expect heavy rain Monday into Tuesday.
The West Coast is cold! Check out the inland and valley freeze watches and frost advisories for Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Have a beautiful Sunday.
-Dawn Brown
Line of Storms Moving East
National Weather Service Radar (Old) , Image: NOAA
For the latest radar imagery, go to National Weather Service Radar, or click on the tab for GET YOUR LOCAL TV FORECAST! on the right hand side of this website.
Heavy rain is crossing Southern Texas into the Lower Mississippi River Valley this Monday. Flash flood watches are in effect from central Texas to central Louisiana. For the latest radar imagery, click on this link for Houston weather. The line of storms is now moving toward Lake Charles, Louisiana.
National Weather Service Radar (Old), Image: NOAA
The biggest threat from these storms appears to be heavy rain. The cold front is expected to advance through the Mississippi River Valley today, with the heaviest rainfall concentrated in East Texas and Western Louisiana.
National Forecast Map, Image: NOAA
Tomorrow, a portion of the cold front breaks off to the North, and another front and associated low forms over the Lower Mississippi River Valley in Louisiana. This will bring a fresh round of showers and thunderstorms to the Gulf Coast.
Forecast Map, Tuesday, Image: NOAA
It looks like the Central and Southern Plains will see a brief break in the middle of the week before another storm sets up for the weekend.
-Dawn Brown
Heavy Rain Forecast for Central Plains
National Forecast, Image: NOAA
A large storm is brewing over the Central Plains. The Storm Prediction Center isn’t currently forecasting any of the storms will become severe. You can see that heavy rains may produce flash flooding in portions of Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas.
Rick has now dissipated over a mountainous region of Mexico. An influx of moisture from the Pacific, including Rick, will aid in the storms over the Midwest.
Friday Forecast, Image: NOAA
Friday, the storm system will advance east, bringing heavy rain to the Lower Mississippi River Valley. Areas across the Southeast that have warmed up over the last several days will cool down starting Friday night into Saturday.
-Dawn Brown
The Pacific is Getting All the Action!
Tropical Storm Marty (courtesy NOAA)
Tropical Storm Marty formed off the Mexican coast last night, and Baja California could once again be affected by a tropical system in the few days. It’s expected to weaken once it gets close to Baja, and it doesn’t look like it will be close enough for Baja to even experience tropical storm force winds. However, wave action from the system could affect swells off the Pacific coast, check out Surfline’s Hurricane Tracker forecast for the latest on the swells from this tropical system.
Remnants of Fred (courtesy NOAA)
On the left hand side of the page, I have the latest satellite imagery from the Atlantic Ocean, which shows the remnants of Hurricane Fred. Fred was the second major hurricane of the season after Hurricane Bill. In this satellite picture, the remnants of Fred are an area of showers and thunderstorms on the far right. At least one reliable computer model has Fred regenerating close to the Bahamas. But I have to remind readers once again that these computer models have trouble forecasting the intensity of a storm. If Fred did regenerate close the Bahamas, another upper level trough sweeping across the continental United States would carry Fred on a more northerly track once it moved close to the Bahamas. Keep in mind, though, the National Hurricane Center is giving the remnants of Fred a low (less than 30%) chance of redeveloping.
Meanwhile, rain from a STUBBORN area of low pressure continues to plague the Midwest. The US Radar Map shows stormy conditions over Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi from that area of low pressure that dumped heavy rain over Texas and Louisiana this past weekend. Forecast maps show that low persisting over the central United States through next week, when that large upper level trough finally moves through, changing the weather pattern. Remember, you can watch any TV broadcast anywhere across the US by clicking on my link, GET YOUR LOCAL TV FORECAST!. The link is in the right hand column, scroll down to the bottom. Today, a lot of the weather action is in Nashville, Tennessee. You can look at the local radar, and watch the ABC Nashville TV Weather for more information.
Hurricane Ike’s Anniversary was a couple of days ago. A friend sent me this link. It’s pretty cool to see the before and after pictures compiled. I remember watching KHOU, the CBS affiliate in Houston’s, broadcast online all night.
-Dawn Brown
No End to the Rain for the Gulf South
Texas and Louisiana continue to suffer heavy rain from a large and persistent area of showers and thunderstorms in the Gulf of Mexico.
Latest Gulf South Radar Imagery
The showers and thunderstorms aren’t likely to develop into a tropical system, but flash flood watchings and other weather warnings have been posted because of the large batch of rain that continues to make it’s way onshore. For the latest forecast from your local TV affiliate, click on this link: Get Your Local TV Weather!
While some areas will see a bit of a break for a few hours during the day, expect the chance of rain to continue for the next 5 days. Most computer models show the persistence of disturbed weather off the Texas/Louisiana coastline through the middle of next week.
-Dawn Brown