Merry Christmas Everyone!! Although many states and even regions didn't experience a White Christmas, many did! According to the National Weather Service, today 41.7% of the Continental United States is covered in snow with an average depth of 3.6 inches!

http://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/nsa/

Even though we didn't experience a White Christmas, we certainly are experiencing the winter weather. This past cold front that moved through Sunday and Monday dropped the temperature over 35 degrees and the prevailing Canadian High Pressure System is allowing for clear skies and very cool temperatures.

Temperatures should remain cooler for the next few days before warming up again into the 50s this weekend but long term models are showing another decrease in temperature early next week! For now though, temperatures should stay in the 40s for the rest of this work week (even though many of you are on vacation) and lows will be in the upper 20s with cloud cover increasing up to the weekend. Winds should also stay fairly calm between 5-10 mph through Friday as well.

More updates soon to come! I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and got to spend some time with your families! Remember the real reason for this season! Happy Birthday Jesus Christ and Thank you for coming to this earth to die as a way for us to be with You for eternity! If you did wake up to a White Christmas, please enjoy some of that snow for us down here in the Southeast!

Temperatures have been unusually warm for this time of year in the Southern half of the United States but they should cool a bit as the Canadian High pressure system moves across the North, all of the southern states will experience a temperature drop. Here in RDU, we are forecasted to reach temperatures in the mid-high 70s on Sunday with temperatures dropping to a high in the mid-40s on Monday. Asheville-Boone region should experience a similar temperature shift with a high on Sunday in the low 60s and a high on Tuesday in the mid-upper 30s. Wilmington is expected to experience a high on Sunday in the mid 70s and a high on Tuesday in the mid 50s. Rain will follow on Wednesday night/Thursday as the low pressure system in front of the upper level trough moves through, but no snow will be seen in the Piedmont or Coastal regions of NC because of increased temperatures after Christmas.

Below is a temperature map which should update through the following days to show the lows and highs forecasted by our models. The purple/white and blue is the colder temperatures as a result of the Canadian High pressure system moving across the Northern Hemisphere.

The northern Midwest is currently witnessing what could turn into a rather disastrous winter storm system. There is not much precipitation being created from the storm but the mid-Mississippi River Basin could experience flooding from upper-basin precip. over the next couple of days.

Winter weather advisories, freezing rain advisories, flood watches, and even some lake effect snow advisories have been issued for counties across the Northern United States. We will see how these change over the next few days. 

For all those experiencing winter weather, here is a link provided by the National Weather Service explaining to citizens things to watch out for and how to react to different weather updates throughout the winter season: http://www.noaa.gov/features/03_protecting/winter.html.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season and that everyone is getting in the Christmas spirit! 

Flurries have reached the triad!!

At approximately 5:00 EST, there were reports of snow flurries in Greensboro and the system is currently moving toward the SE. There is a cold air high pressure system moving over the Midwest right now and it's pushing the moisture out in front of it. This cold air from the Northwest is allowing for us to see some wintery weather in the NC Piedmont relatively early in the year. A cold front moved across the Eastern Seaboard yesterday and the moisture behind it is experiencing cooler temperatures than some may be used to this time of year.

Temperatures have dropped across the United States. Here are forecasted high/low temperatures for different major cities across the U.S. for Wednesday, 11/13 (in degrees Fahrenheit):

New York City, NY:  40/29
Washington D.C.:       44/29
Kansas City, MO:      47/22
Chicago, IL:               40/22
Philadelphia, PA:        42/27
Tallahassee, FL:          58/39
New Orleans, LA:      54/41
Dallas, TX:                 50/29
Raleigh, NC:               43/22

(Explanation of Forecast Map below image)

In addition to these cooler temperatures, there is currently a Freeze Warning for the states surrounding the Gulf of Mexico including most of Georgia, the Florida Panhandle, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and the middle third of Texas. There is also a Hard Freeze warning issued for the state of Oklahoma and parts of Northern Arkansas and Mississippi along the Mississippi River. The Gulf Coast of Louisiana is under a wind advisory for tomorrow and the entire coastline from Texas to Washington, D.C. is currently under a winter storm warning.

We will see temperatures rise again later this week, but as the Sub Tropical Jet Stream continues shifting southward, we can expect to see more of these cooler temperatures and winter weather. For now, enjoy what you can from these flurries! The affected area is growing quickly as the temperature drops!

Check out and like my boy Chris Michaels' Facebook page for a day-to-day update on temperature, cloud cover, and weather!

Weather warming up a bit for the duration of this week on the Eastern Seaboard!

We had some beautiful fall weather last week and over the weekend with high temperatures in the 60s and lows in the 30s and 40s in the Raleigh area, but throughout the rest of this work week we can expect warmer highs and lows until the cold front moves through on Friday. Today the high is looking to be in the low 70s and the low temperature to be in the low to mid 50s. We can expect fog this morning with decreasing cloud cover throughout the day and only about a 10% chance of precipitation for the duration of the afternoon. We can also be expecting a breeze to the SW, SSW at about 5 mph in the mid afternoon.

Here is the current Radar for NC:


Winter seems to have replaced fall in the northern Midwest as cold temperatures and winter weather are now seen on a daily basis. NW Nebraska and SW South Dakota are currently both under a winter weather advisory, and a few central counties in North Dakota are under a freezing rain advisory.

Here is the national forecast loop for the next 7 days: http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/day0-7loop.html

I would say that it's all quiet on the western front, but Tropical Storm Raymond is still dumping rain in the Pacific off the coast of Mexico. It is expected to weaken to a depression today though and die out soon after that. The hurricane season is just about over, and because of the cooling mid-latitude and tropical waters, chances of seeing a late-season storm is increasingly unlikely, but still possible.




If you would like to see more forecasts for the coming days and on a daily basis, one of my good friends Chris Michaels has a facebook page on which he posts regularly. Just look up "Chris Michaels" on facebook and you should see a picture of a classy looking fellow wearing a suit; that's him! Like his page and I can assure you that you will know the weather for the day, even on the days I don't post.

Summer in some states, but winter is here for the Northwest!

Fantastic weather today in the Piedmont of NC! Highs are going to be around the upper 80s and the lows around 60. Partly Cloudy skies and a gentle breeze will be prominent throughout the day as the Wolfpack travels to Winston-Salem to take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons!

Weather should be good tomorrow as well although the temperature will not quite get as high (high in the mid -low 80s) and the low should be in the the mid 60s due to mostly cloudy to overcast skies throughout the day. Bring an umbrella with you tomorrow in the afternoon as we cannot yet rule out a few widely scattered showers due to some of the outer bands of Tropical Storm Karen.

On Monday we will be experiencing a Cold Front moving through as well as the remnants of Tropical Storm Karen so please be prepared for some potentially severe weather.

Tropical Update!

Tropical Storm Karen was given a name and declared a tropical cyclone Thursday morning (10/3). She is currently getting ready to make landfall in Louisiana at around 7:00 am EST on Sunday, and will turn to the NE after making landfall and weakening a bit. We should feel the full effects of her rain bands on Monday but we can't yet rule out possible showers Sunday afternoon and evening.

Continental US:

Cooler weather is assuming position in the Northwestern United States and is causing some early winter weather for the Northwest and the Northern Plains states! Freeze and Hard Freeze warnings have been issued scattered across the Northwestern States, Plains states ranging from North Dakota all the way down to Northern Texas. Blizzard warnings have been issued in central counties of North and South Dakota, and many winter weather advisories have been issued in N/S Dakota, Northern Nebraska, and Northern Texas.

All those on the East Coast be prepared for rain over the next few days!

Temperatures are increasing as we get into October? Well, that's out of the ordinary. Average temperatures for the first couple days in October are upper 70s. These couple of days though temperatures are going to reach low to mid 80s! Still not the record high temperatures (let's hope we don't reach the 90s in October again), but a little bit warmer than the brisk fall weather we have been experiencing. Much of the weather in the coming days is going to be sunshine with temperatures in the low to mid 80s during the day and lows in the mid to low 50s at night. Due to this lingering high pressure system, only partly cloudy skies will be experienced throughout the next few days.

From a National standpoint, not too much is occurring that needs to be pointed out (or at least I was not able to get much general information due to the government shutdown). There is a Red Flag warning for a few western counties in Nevada and a Frost Advisory for the southern counties in Montana.

Tropical Activity!

I was watching News 14 this morning and saw meteorologist Lee Ringer discussing the possibility of a tropical cyclone forming in the southern Caribbean Sea within the next 48 hours. Tropical Storm Jerry is currently working itself out in the mid Atlantic but should be turning toward the NE and dying out in the next few days. Other than these two updates, there is not much to call home about.

I hope everyone is having a great second week of fall and a fantastic first week in October!

Fantastic weather here in the Triangle, especially for game day! Today's High it around 80 with a low in the upper 50s tonight and variably cloudy skies throughout the day. Humidity should be at comfortable levels again today as well. It looks as though this weather will continue for a couple of days too as rain is not showing up in the models until about Sunday afternoon.

An interesting observation for this post is that there are numerous counties in the West, located in the Rockies, that are under freeze watches/warnings and frost advisories.

Tropical Activity:

There is not too much going on right now. Hurricane Manuel, now a Cat 1, is still moving up the Mexican coast toward California.

Tropical Depression Humberto is still moving to the north in the Atlantic Ocean and may be dying out soon.

There is about a 70% chance of a storm forming in the southern Gulf of Mexico and about a 10% chance of a tropical cyclone forming in the Bermuda Triangle within the next 48 hours.

I just wanted to make a short post today about Hurricane Ingrid. Ingrid is currently moving West Northwest at 6 mph. She has max sustained wind speeds of 75 mph and as a Cat 1 her eye should be making landfall by 7:00 tomorrow (Monday) morning.

You can find the public weather advisory for Mexico at this link: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT5+shtml/151751.shtml

There is now a high chance of a tropical system forming in the Mid Atlantic over the next couple of days. I will keep all of you posted with that development as information is received from the models.

I would also like to inform all of you that Tropical Storm Manuel is working his way up the Central American coastline and will be dumping rain throughout the region over the next couple of days.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and enjoyed this first taste of fall weather!

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to hurricane season!

It's been a pretty slow season this year up until the last couple of days:
- Hurricane Humberto gained strength a couple days ago and is moving a little faster to the north into the southern mid-Atlantic as a Cat 1 with max sustained winds at 75 knots (~86 mph). Forecasts are showing that Humberto will be weakening over the next couple of days and will return back to a tropical storm late Friday night. For more information on Hurricane Humberto visit the National Hurricane Center's web site: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/.

- Tropical Storm Gabrielle is taking center stage! The offshore waters of the Western Atlantic are under a Tropical Storm Warning! Tropical Storm Gabrielle is moving up the coast offshore and is taking it's time to stir up the Northwest Atlantic. There are currently no coastal watches or advisories but watercraft in the area should be careful. The center of Gabrielle was last located near [latitude 33.9 north, longitude 67.7 west] with max sustained winds at 35 knots (40 mph) extending outward up to 105 miles. She is moving north northeast at about 7 knots (8 mph) and will be speeding up and weakening over the next few days. For more information on Hurricane Humberto visit the National Hurricane Center's web site: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/.

- May I also inform you that there is a 60% chance of a tropical cyclone developing in the Gulf of Mexico over the next couple of days. The upper level jet stream is way north near the great lakes so the air is relatively static near the Gulf. Only some 17-25 kt easterlies will be experienced in this region over the next couple of days allowing for moisture to gather in the atmosphere.

US Forecast

Raleigh is going to be experiencing some wonderful early fall weather this Saturday as the high is only supposed to reach the mid 70s. For the rest of Thursday into Thursday night there are possible isolated to widely scattered thunderstorms for the area.

Many of the New England States are under a severe thunderstorm watch right now and these could develop into warnings over the next 24 hours with the effects of Gabrielle and the Low Pressure System that is moving through.

Careful of flooding out in the West! Flash flood watches in effect for about 2/3 of the counties of New Mexico and much of Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, and Colorado as the front passes to the east.

Central North Carolinians can expect more consistent weather this weekend and through the beginning of next week. Temperatures will be fluctuating a little bit throughout the next few days. Highs will be staying in the mid to upper 80s and partly cloudy conditions will ensue the Piedmont region. This is perfect weather for this weekends game for the Wolfpack against the Richmond Spiders!

http://www.wral.com/weather/7day/

Heat advisories are in effect for most of the Dakota counties. Also, there is an air quality alert for the Dallas/Fort Worth Texas region.

As patterns have changed over the past couple of weeks, rain has come to the Northwestern US. There are many counties in Washington State and Oregon that are experiencing heavy rain and are under flood watches. Alaska also has a few advisories. Anchorage is under a flood advisory and most of the coast between Anchorage and Dutch Harbor is under a storm advisory with forecasted winds between 30 and 40 knots (26-35 mph) and seas of about 13 feet. 

Tropical Activity! 

Gabrielle is still dumping rain on Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. There is also a low chance of a tropical storm forming in the Atlantic. 

New storm categorized as a Tropical Storm, Tropical Storm Lorena, is formed in the Eastern Pacific and is currently approaching Baja, California. 

 

We had much better weather today in the triangle than was forecasted. The potentially inclement weather moved around the triangle and the rain fell elsewhere.

Tonight we should have fair and mild weather with isolated showers. Weather is looking very promising for the first half of the weekend! Perfect weather for the opening game of Wolfpack football! Friday should be mostly sunny and less humid with a high of around 86, and Saturday should be mostly cloudy with a high around 88 and a bit more humid than Friday. WRAL's forecast for Sunday? Cloudy with a chance of meatballs... not really. It's "Partly sunny, hot and humid with scattered afternoon storms." So, as students and families are getting geared up for fall, here comes the normal summer weather.

There is currently a severe weather statement in effect for the Southwestern United States, and a tornado watch in effect for the northern half of Wisconsin.

There is finally more of a tropical update for this unusually slow hurricane season! Post-tropical cyclone Juliette has been declared a remnant low for coastal risk and there will be no more advisories concerning her as a storm. There is some better news (or worse news depending on who you are and how you look at it) for the Atlantic! For the mid-Atlantic, there is a 30-50% chance, and for the African coast there is >50% chance that a tropical cyclone will be born within the next 48 hours. I will try to keep you all updated as best I can on this front.

For now, enjoy the weekend!

Hazardous weather outlook for Central NC today and tonight!

Severe thunderstorms possible for Central NC throughout the afternoon and evening! Storms with heavy rain and wind gusts up to 50 mph possible in some areas

http://forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.php?warnzone=NCZ041&warncounty=NCC183&firewxzone=NCZ041&local_place1=&product1=Hazardous+Weather+Outlook#.Uh4It5LDyQw

Everyone prepare for the worst but hope for the best! If you don't have to be outside or on the road this afternoon, please stay at home! Flooding has not been mentioned in the forecasts but with the wind gusts forecasted up to 50 mph, some limbs and small trees could be taken down onto the road or houses.

North Carolinians have had some wonderful weather this past week but it looks as though the next couple of days are going to bring some rain back into the picture as well as some warmer temperatures. The 7 day forecast is showing temperatures getting back up to the 90s and a bit more cloudy rather than sunny weather for the next few days. Scattered afternoon showers and t-storms can be expected for tomorrow and Thursday and temperatures will remain fairly constant with highs in the upper 80s and lows around 70. We have had such a mild summer here in NC!

Weather in the midwest and west has shifted 180 degrees from earlier this summer. Now, the southwestern region of the United States (Southern Nevada, Northern Arizona, and central and southern Utah) is actually under a flash flood watch, most likely because the ground is so dry that even the smallest amount of rain, rather than being absorbed into the soil, actually runs across the ground as if the ground were a non-porous surface. Also, now the northern midwest (South Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota)  is under a  heat advisory an a red flag warning.

There is no tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, or the Caribbean at this time.

I hope everyone is having a fantastic first full week back to classes! I am thoroughly enjoying my classes this semester and will be integrating some of my Spanish into future posts! I will also be updating my blog every Tuesday and Thursday each week, with other posts providing that an important meteorological event occurs. :D

Today is the first day of classes for students at NC State and we sure do have a beautiful day for it. The temperature will be staying mild throughout the day and sprinkles will be experienced into the afternoon. As moisture continues to increase in the atmosphere throughout the day, storms will be possible in the later afternoon and into the evening. 

More red flag warnings have been set in place for southern Oregon, southern and mid Idaho, and northern California, and Heat advisories are issued for places in the northern midwest. 

Some flooding has been reported in the southeastern United States due to this stationary front parked over the southeast. 

Classes are going well so far and I'm getting into my Atmospheric Dynamics class.

Let band camp at NC State begin!! Such a nice day to start band camp! High temperatures today reached the mid 80s and the temperatures are looking great for the next few days!

Rain and cooler temperatures, those most unusual for a North Carolina August, can be expected over the next few days as this front begins to move through the Southeastern United States and parks itself over the Carolinas. Highs will be in the upper 70s lower 80s.

The national outlook is similar to previous days. Western South Dakota is under a severe thunderstorm warning throughout the evening and there are more Red Flag warnings issued for Southeastern Idaho and Northwestern Utah.

Tropical Activity

Weather looking pretty good for the Triangle this afternoon as although isolated t-storms are possible throughout the day, the air will stay warm and winds should stay calm for the duration of the afternoon. Today's high was forecast to be 90 degrees Fahrenheit and we're getting pretty close to that so far.

The low pressure system just out front of the upper level trough is being squeezed between the Bermuda High and the Canadian High and is continuing to traverse the Appalachian Mountain Range on it's rare northward trek. Rain can be expected for the next few days in the mountains and surrounding areas.



WE HAVE MORE TROPICAL ACTIVITY!

Exciting right? Currently staff at the National Hurricane Center are keeping themselves busy with Tropical Storm Erick off the west coast of Mexico, and the port at Manzanillo, Mexico (Mexico's largest port) has been closed temporarily due to forecasts of between 3 and 5 inches of rain for the area and winds up to 60 mph.

More activity beginning to stir in the Eastern Atlantic as well as a tropical wave is beginning to make its advance on the Caribbean nations. Stay tuned for more information on this system over the next couple of days as it has the potential to be another one of our named tropical cyclones.

RED FLAG ALERTS!

I am pleased to inform you that there are currently no excessive heat or red flag warnings out in the west as Firemen and other emergency personnel have the flames under control and a small pocket of showers is moving across the region (Seen above on the radar). Thank you again to all the Emergency personnel who put their lives on the line for the safety of our citizens!

Independence Day

So, it's been about a week since my last post. Sorry about the length of time between posts. I hope everyone enjoyed the 4th yesterday as we remembered not only 237 years ago on this day in 1776, but also since then all of the troops who have given their lives to protect our rights and our freedom!

Weather down here in Florida has been pretty nice over the past couple of days. I understand that in NC there has been much rain and even a good bit of flooding in some places. The forecasts are looking like more of the same for both regions today: Showers and isolated afternoon t-storms with chances dying off in the evening after sunset and isolated t-storms here in Cocoa Beach this morning. Radar is looking pretty clean so far this morning for both places but with all the moisture, expect convection to take over this afternoon in forming the storms mentioned earlier in the forecasts.



Red Flag warnings diminishing throughout the southwest in NV/CA region as a bit of rain moved through and winds are beginning to die down in the region. Hopefully firemen will be able to get the fires under control before the next wave of fire-spreading dry winds moves through. Thank you so much for the group of 20, 19 of whom did not return, for fighting the flames in an attempt to get the fires under control. Your families are being prayed for and your services are more than appreciated. The amount of lives they saved by giving your own far surpasses the 19 that had to perish in the flames.



With Independence day having been yesterday, let us all remember our servicemen/women: military, national guard, police force, firemen/women, EMS. All protect our freedoms and help keep the domestic sector safe from natural disasters, diseases, and imposing international threats. Thank you to our servicemen/women!

Weather looking good today for the early afternoon as we will be seeing the typical hot 'n humid NC weather in Wake and surrounding counties. Thunderstorms still possible into the late afternoon and evening hours today as convective lifting will be causing a good amount of instability in the mid troposphere.



If you'll notice today there is a lot of different shades of pink on the map. In the southeast and mid-Atlantic regions, that lighter shade of pink is indicating a severe thunderstorm watch meaning that conditions are right to produce a monster thunderstorm capable of producing hail, heavy downpours, and wind gusts in excess of 58 mph.

Out in the west we notice darker shades of pink and red. These are indicating heat/excessive heat warnings and more Red Flag Alerts indicating wildfires are on the loose.

Blobs of storms are also moving through the New England states this afternoon as we can see below on the radar image. If you live in this region, be careful of flash flooding which is likely to occur with the amount of rain the ground is receiving.

Congratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks on winning the Stanley Cup in a last minute 16 second miracle! You should have nice weather in Boston to celebrate over the next couple of days.

Weather in Wake county looking up a bit from the last couple of days. We can expect blue skies and sunshine intermittently throughout the day even though widely scattered t-storms are in the forecast. Be careful if you happen to get caught in one over the next couple of days as these have the potential to produce brief, heavy downpours

Storms still moving across the northern midwest bringing rain and heightening the potential for floods in numerous areas.

 

We can expect more of the same weather from yesterday as spotty afternoon showers can be expected throughout the day. Today's forecast includes a high of 85, just a bit warmer than yesterday for the Wake County area.

Storms still moving across the northern midwest and will continue to do so over the next couple of days. This storm is moving slowly and dumping a lot of rain so be wary of flash flooding in areas affected by the storm.



If you didn't get a chance to see the supermoon last night, then I would highly recommend searching for "supermoon 2013" on google images to see the awe-striking images of our seemingly-massive moon.

Looks like the forecast for today is pretty similar to yesterday only with a bit more clouds and higher chance of rain. Today's high should be around 80 with possible showers and scattered t-storms throughout the day. There isn't too much on the radar right now but we should see an increasing amount as the temperature warms up.

Storms are still moving through the Illinois/Wisconsin area and flash flood/flood warnings are running rampant. If you live in that area, be careful while driving as there could be some deep water in parts of the road.

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Fire warnings moving slightly east as they follow the increasing heat into the central time zone.

Happy first day of summer!! Much different and more bearable from last year as today we should see a high of only about 83 degrees!!

We should have pretty nice weather today in the triangle but as the low pressure system closes in, expect rain, rain, rain. The forecast is calling for rain for the next week so I hope everyone is able to get out today and enjoy this beautiful first day of summer.


Strong system moving through the northern midwest this morning and into this afternoon bringing heavy rain, strong wind, and potential hail along with it. Anyone currently residing in Illinois, or who will be in Michigan, Indiana, or Ohio can expect to be affected within the coming hours. (http://radar.weather.gov/Conus/centgrtlakes_loop.php)

Yesterday's storm was a bit stronger than I realized. Not only were there reports flooding in Raleigh, but there were  unconfirmed reports of a tornado actually touching down near U.S. 401 and Hwy 98 in Franklin County (~45 minutes northeast of Raleigh). Also, "Trained weather service spotters reported a funnel cloud at Frasier Road near the Nash and Franklin County line at 7:05 p.m." states www.wral.com's web editor Derek Medlin.

More of the same can be expected throughout the day today. This patch of high pressure and nice weather we see this morning could be a bit misleading as last night was the first of a series of two cold fronts. The second will be moving through this afternoon and into the evening, so don't discount the possibility of a stray thunderstorm or two this evening bringing heavy rain and strong winds.

Don't be fooled by the lack of rain on the west side of the Appalachian Mountains.  The lifting caused by the mountains will produce condensation. 

More Red Flag Warnings persistent throughout the west but today we see some advisories we have not yet seen since making the blog. We have a dense fog advisory in Louisiana and Texas as well as flood warnings and flood advisories in Northeast Texas.

It's not a well defined front like the beast we had last Thursday, but we have a relatively strong low pressure system moving through today which will bring periods of rain, wind, and possible thunderstorms to the area this afternoon and this evening.

Red Flag (Fire) Warnings still active throughout the west as dry air and sustained low-level winds make for the perfect scenario to spread the persisting fires in the area.

Happy Father's Day!! Go enjoy some fantastic summer weather with your dads and husbands! Today we should see temperatures in the upper 80s with mostly sunny skies throughout the day in the Wake county area! Go take advantage of it!

Sorry about the delay on this post! I was intrigued by the fantastic weather we were experiencing!.

A very intense cold front is what caused the devastation yesterday and the damage was very widespread and more devastating that some of us might realize. As I was watching the news at work tonight I overheard that three people had been killed (at least that's all we know of so far. Hopefully it's not more than that). One senior at UNC was in her car when a tree came down and smashed into it on Franklin Street. Another man, age 76, was in his yard when the tree came down on top of him. The third was a firefighter who was on his roof when the power lines fell down and electrocuted him. Not a good day at all from that standpoint.

As a meteorology student though, this storm was fascinating. Not only was it a very strong cold front, but it was moving very fast across the continental United States and it was very long reaching from D.C. all the way down to South Carolina. The temperature gradient across the front was about 30 degrees which is part of the reason some counties, such as Person County, North Carolina, experienced winds topping 70 mph. Power lines were taken down across the state and thousands of people are without power, but the power companies are working hard to fix that as soon as possible.

In all honesty, I'm amazed we did not have a tornado warning in some parts of the state. The conditions were right and the storm had a fantastic amount of CAPE (Convective Available Potential Energy) which is essentially the amount of energy a storm has.

We should see some beautiful weather these next couple of days making for a wonderful Father's Day weekend as the High Pressure Center will be directly overhead tomorrow afternoon.

Good morning! Looks as though Wake and surrounding counties should see more of the inviting summer weather we were expecting. Today the high is supposed to reach the mid 90s, breaking the 90 barrier for the first time this year just three weeks from breaking the record for the latest day without breaking 90 (July 9, set in 2001). We should see mostly sunny skies today so if you can, try to get out and enjoy this wonderful summer weather!

Interesting situation today: Due to all of the rain we have had from the cold front and lingering  storms in the northwestern midwest, there are multiple flood watches throughout the northeastern United States as well as in central and southeastern Montana. Flood warnings have been reported in northern Montana and central N. Dakota. Down-river the affects of this rain are being felt as well with flood advisories being sent out throughout the lower Mississippi River and M. River Basin.

Precipitation radar across the Continental United States at 11:20 EST (GMT -4)

Finally, on the opposing side of these multiple deluges in the north, fire weather warnings continue for most of Nevada, northwestern Arizona, and western Colorado as arid conditions and high wind gusts make for the perfect scenario for a single spark's devastation.

Warnings and advisories across the Continental United States 11:20 EST (GMT -4)

Lots of rain for the New England States today as the front continues to roll through. Here in the 919 we should be seeing more inviting summer weather as the sun will be out for most of the day now that the cold front has passed through.

As I was looking at the NWS advisory chart, it looks like there may be some forest fires out in the region containing Southern CO, northeastern NM, and western KY. The same conditions are also appearing in southeastern NV and northeastern AZ.

Red flag warnings across the midwest and western states this morning 9:49 EST (GMT -4)

So, this is going to be my weather blog. I will try to update it as regularly as I can with weather updates from Wake County (current residency), NC, and the United States.

Severe weather threats for the Carolinas and Virginia today with the Cold Front moving through. Motorists be aware of possible moderate wind gusts and heavy rain throughout the day and into the evening.
-http://radar.weather.gov/radar.php?rid=rax&product=N0R&overlay=11101111&loop=no