April Review, Etc.
* Before we get to the review of April, let's talk today...The large mass of heavy rain is now crossing the Mississippi River, and is moving eastward. Based on radar, I would expect that to start impacting western parts of our area (along and west of Miss. Hwy 15) sometime around or just after sunset.
The shield of heavy rain and thunderstorms will likely reach the Highway 45 corridor between 8pm and midnight, pushing into west Alabama after midnight. These are rough estimates, so keep in mind they could change. Also, these estimates are taking into account my opinion that the mass will begin to slow as the upper trough becomes cut off.
* As we start to approach May, let's look back at April...What a warm month. 24 days (out of 28 so far) saw temperatures reach the 80 degree mark. We broke 90 twice, both of which were new record highs for those dates (April 18 and 19). Also, it was rather dry (up until tonight)...22 out of the first 28 days of April featured no rain at all...
* Before going, I would like to sincerely thank the great folks with the Naheola Pride BBQ team for their wonderful hospitality to some of our weather crew yesterday evening. They let us sample some of their FANTASTIC ribs, and even taught me how to properly eat crawfish. Great stuff!
Rain Delay?
* We are evaluating evidence that suggests that the majority of the rain may hold off until after sunset Saturday...The afternoon run of the computer model guidance seems to slow things down, and given the deep, cutoff upper low forecast to develop, this makes sense.
* So, we are going to go with the idea that the daytime hours tomorrow will feature mostly dry weather...Rain chances increase greatly after 4-5 pm. Hopefully, the rain will hold off until after the Jimmie Rodgers Days festivities in downtown Meridian tomorrow...It will be close, so bring along the rain gear just to be safe.
* The rain will be heaviest Saturday night and during the pre-dawn hours of Sunday...lingering until early Sunday afternoon, when rain will begin to taper off.
* Rainfall amounts could be heavy Saturday night - some places will likely end up with well over 1 inch of rain. The rain is needed; our rainfall deficit for April is over three inches!
Podcast: Friday Edition
* This is the Newscenter 11 Podcast - a forecast designed for the increasingly popular IPods! This product can also be played on most personal computers. It's a great way to get extra forecast and weather content at your convenience.
* Today's podcast includes a in-depth discussion about our weather this weekend and how it may effect the numerous events going on around here...Check it out:http://media.graytvinc.com/audio/Podcast1.mp3* You can point your IPod or MP3 receiving program to this RSS feed in order to subscribe:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/11Podcast
Storms Likely This Weekend
* A difficult and unsettled forecast is shaping up over the weekend. A surface low will form under a deep, phased upper trough and track from the southern Plains towards the mid-Mississippi Valley. The upper wind fields are supportive of severe thunderstorms, but the amount of instability available remains uncertain. We must note that the NAM brings surface dewpoints up above 65, which suggests that there will be plenty of warm, moist air near the surface.
* I get the idea that this weekend will offer up plenty of surprises and changes to the forecast. Systems like these are notoriously hard to time - so we may be adjusting the expected timeframe of thunderstorm chances. If instability can get high enough, we will be dealing with some severe weather issues when the thunderstorms push through.
* All of that being said, this is a very active weekend...We have the Jimmie Rodgers Days in downtown tomorrow night and Saturday, and the big NASCAR race at Talladega, AL is this Sunday. So, we'll try to be as specific as possible...Just know that adjustments will likely be made to this forecast, so check back often:
* TOMORROW: Looks dry and warm. Highs near 80, plenty of sun.
* TOMORROW NIGHT: Clouds gradually increase. We will be dry for the big Jeff Bates concert in downtown Friday night.
* SATURDAY: Showers and thunderstorms will overspread our area by late afternoon and lasting through much of Saturday night. Some of the storms could be severe, and heavy rainfall seems likely in many places. I would imagine some places will pick up well over one inch of rain.
* SUNDAY: Rain and thunderstorms are possible for the first half of the day, but we should begin to see the rain taper to showers by early afternoon Sunday.
* Big thanks to Rachael Clatterbuck from Northeast Elementary...She was at the station today and completed a job shadow assignment with me...She helped build some graphics and even did a weathercast on tape! Fun stuff.
Want To Be A Meteorologist?
* Forgive the late nature of the podcast today, but I wanted to take the time to discuss the field of meteorology. As graduation approaches, many high school students are searching for a college major. And, some of those people are likely interested in meteorology. For that reason, this blog post and podcast are dedicated to providing information to those who are interested. I want this to be a very frank and honest discussion for those interested in entering this field...
* Where should you go to college?There is no right or wrong answer to this question. There are many good meteorology schools across our country, but we are pretty lucky to have two of the best within a 3 hour drive.
Mississippi State University is located in Starkville, and they have a great program for broadcast meteorology. Also, they are expanding their curriculum to include more operational weather classes, for those interested in government or private sector forecasting careers.
If you're interested, check out these resources on the web:
MSU Broadcast Meteorology
MSU Operational Meteorology
E-Mail Professor Mike BrownThe University of South Alabama is located in Mobile, Alabama. They have a growing broadcast meteorology program, and an established operational meteorology program. Both of their programs have placed people into great jobs over the last few years.
For information on South Alabama's program, check out these links:
USA Meteorology
USA Meteorology Contact Page* What kind of classes should you take in high school and early college?Load up on math (especially calculus) and physics. Both of these will be required at most meteorology schools. I would strongly recommend some web programming and computer coursework as well.
* What are a few pros and cons about the field of meteorology?PROS:
Job satisfaction
Challenging
Diverse workplace environments
CONS:
Hours
Starting salaries can be low in some cases
Job security is low in some cases
The pros outweigh the cons, but I believe those entering this field should have a deep passion for weather. If you just want to be on TV, consider a different career choice.
* How will the field change in years to come?The television weather business is undergoing some rapid and important changes. The growing popularity of the internet is changing the flow of advertising dollars, and TV stations are responding to this trend. If you plan on becoming a TV meteorologist, you should know up front that you will be more of a "content provider" than simply a broadcaster. You will be doing a lot of internet work, so some web programming coursework is strongly recommended.
* If you have questions about the field, shoot me an email:
josh.johnson@wtok.com* Today's podcast includes some advice for high school and college students entering meteorology. And, of course, we talk about your latest forecast...Check it out:
http://media.graytvinc.com/audio/Podcast1.mp3* You can point your IPod or MP3 receiving program to this RSS feed in order to subscribe:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/11Podcast
Storms Building West
* Thunderstorms have developed to our west - across parts of southern Arkansas and northern Louisiana...Some of these storms have been severe this evening, and they show signs of maintaining their intensity...
* These storms will continue tracking eastward, and will likely arrive here during the pre-dawn hours tomorrow morning. Some of the storms could be strong or severe, but we don't expect a full-fledged outbreak of severe weather.
* The good news in all of this is that we will receive some much needed rainfall. We are still running over two inches below normal for April, so we could use the rain...
Storms Approaching
* These thunderstorms are running a bit ahead of schedule...Storms are approaching the Highway 45 corridor across east Mississippi...We've had a few severe thunderstorm warnings, but so far, we haven't had much widespread severe weather. These storms are riding along outflow boundaries from last night's thunderstorm activity across Arkansas.
* Heavy rain and thunderstorms will overspread much of our area over the next few hours, with more rain and storms likely tonight. A few of the storms may be briefly severe, but we do not anticipate a widespread severe weather episode.
Podcast: Tuesday Edition
* This is the Newscenter 11 Podcast - a forecast designed for the increasingly popular IPods! This product can also be played on most personal computers. It's a great way to get extra forecast and weather content at your convenience.
* Today's podcast includes some talk about tornadoes in Oklahoma. And, of course, we talk about your latest forecast...Check it out:http://media.graytvinc.com/audio/Podcast1.mp3* You can point your IPod or MP3 receiving program to this RSS feed in order to subscribe:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/11Podcast
Podcast: Monday Edition
* This is the Newscenter 11 Podcast - a forecast designed for the increasingly popular IPods! This product can also be played on most personal computers. It's a great way to get extra forecast and weather content at your convenience.
* Today's podcast includes discussion a historic tropical cyclone bearing down on Australia. And, of course, we talk about your latest forecast...Check it out:http://media.graytvinc.com/audio/Podcast1.mp3* You can point your IPod or MP3 receiving program to this RSS feed in order to subscribe:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/11Podcast
A Bid Farewell
* Well it is a sad day for me. This is my last day as weekend meteorologist at WTOK. It has been an incredible experience for me over the past months. I started in July with Hurricane Dennis and got a very fast introduction into severe weather/hurricane coverage. From there it was just one month and one week later that Katrina made her name a memorable one. That is a stretch of days I will never forget. From filling in for Josh on Friday when it became apparent we would feel her wrath, to staying up all night long Sunday night with Chris and Emily doing cut ins every half hour, to spending 16 hours of wall-to-wall coverage and fearing that lights may come crashing to my head. It was just another 3 weeks later and I was thrown into the mix with Hurricane Rita. Numerous tornado warnings, several reports of tornadoes, one near Marion and another in Starkville on the campus of Mississippi State. There's been other severe weather events, blazing heat, and even snow flakes! All in all, I've had the pleasure of forecasting unique weather for the fine people of East Mississippi and West Alabama.
* I need to say thank you to a lot of people. First is Tim Walker and John Johnson for giving me my first opportunity in television. Next, the groves of people I've had the pleasure of working with. Each and everyone has worked hard and it really has been a pleasure working with everyone. I also want to say thanks to the people in our viewing area who have emailed, called, or stopped me on the street and said hello. Everyone has been very supportive and welcoming. As a kid from Nebraska, I can say I've been greeted by the Southern Charm.
* Last but not least, I need to say thanks to Josh Johnson. Over the last couple of years, Josh has become one of my best friends. He was the first person to contact me about the opening and has helped me and taught me so much over the last year. It is a sincere honor to say I had the pleasure to work with him, especially during Katrina. Josh is an incredible guy and I will miss him greatly.
* Thank you for the opportunity to forecast your weather. I'm sure I missed a few here and there, but I always did my best. I'll miss everyone. Farewell!
Feel free to contact me at rjv16@msstate.edu
