Rain, Rain, Don't Go Away!
Showers were welcomed into our forecast after the long drought and should linger for the next couple of days. A very warm and humid air mass is situated across the southeast which will aid in the development of afternoon showers and thunderstorms through Tuesday. Unfortunately, these showers aren't going to bring us much heat relief as temperatures the rest of the week will remain in the lower 90's. The next couple of days will be very humid with the additional moisture across the area, so carry plenty of water if you will be taking part in outdoor activities!!
To all fathers: HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!
Wet At Times...
* It still looks like we'll be dealing with scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms tomorrow...Will it be enough to wash out the State Games? Impossible to say. There will likely be some real downpours in some places tomorrow, it's just a matter of which city, and in some cases, neighborhoods, are affected.
* For now, we will stick with the idea that most places will get wet at some point tomorrow. Be sure to check out Lauren Raymer's forecast Saturday at 6 and 10pm for the latest on weekend rain chances.
* I sure had a great time visiting with my friends at AM 1010 WMOX this morning. I was even lucky enough to learn a bit about how water levels are expressed for lakes...That's an entry for another day.
* If you are driving and rain begins to fall, be sure to slow down. We heard the tragic story of a woman from Biloxi losing her life in an accident Friday afternoon, and we sure don't want any repeats. So, please slow down and be careful when rain begins to fall! Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the woman who lost her life in the crash.
* Have a great weekend, and be sure to tell Dad how much you appreciate him!
Watching the Radar..
* We continue to closely watch the radar this afternoon. With the State Games getting underway later this evening, we are hoping that the weather will stay dry at Meridian's Ray Stadium.
Here's the latest radar image:
* As of this writing (430 pm), the majority of the heavy rain is diminishing. The heaviest showers are over northeastern Lauderdale County, and are slowly drifting northward. So, we'll continue with the idea of dry weather for the Opening Ceremonies, but it will be close. Refresh this page, and the radar image above will update automatically.
Storms Popping..
* Storms are firing across parts of east Mississippi...The
NWS just issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Clarke County (MS) until 2:15 pm...* The main threat from any storms today will be small hail and/or gusty winds...Plenty of lightning as well. If you can hear thunder, you're close enough to be struck by lightning...
Four Years of Fun
* Today marks the fourth anniversary of my first ever TV broadcast...It happened right here at WTOK TV, on Newscenter 11 at Six on Saturday, June 15, 2002. It's hard to believe it has already been four years. The story of how I got my first job is a pretty interesting one.
I was hired here to do weekend weather the summer after my sophomore year in the meteorology program at Mississippi State. I had been searching around Starkville for a summer job; I had applied at movie rental stores, grocery stores, golf courses, you name it. But, I had waited a bit too late to find a summer job - most all of them were already taken by people who had applied back in April or May.
It, like most June days in Mississippi, was a very hot affair. So, I rode to the weather building, Hilbun Hall, to see a friend of mine. I talked to her about my job search and lack of success. She was a good listener as I complained and moaned and groaned. I was getting desperate, the bills were piling up and I had no way to pay them!
I walked out of her office, and only a few moments after I left, the phone rang in the lobby. I didn't know it at the time, but the phone call was none other than former WTOK Chief Meteorologist Wes Wyatt. He was looking for someone to do weekend weather, and it just happened that my friend answered the lobby phone! Talk about being in the right place at the right time.
So, she recommended me to Wes, and Wes called me later that week. I sent him a tape, and John Johnson called me a couple of days later. I came down to Meridian, interviewed, and was hired. God sure has a funny way of making things happen!
Here I am, four years later, and still having fun doing the weather in Meridian. I love my job, and I'm glad to have the opportunity to serve this community!
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.
* In today's podcast, I give a brief update on the chance of rain over the weekend..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: Thursday 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.
* In today's podcast, I talk about the chance of rain this weekend...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
Cool Hurricane Link
* This is a great interactive simulation of hurricane intensity...You can control the intensity of the storm, and see firsthand how it affects a home in its' path...Check it out:
http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/_national/hurricanes/index_categories.html
Global Warming...
* I saw this GREAT read in the Canada Free Press earlier this week..This should be mandatory reading material for all news media people and weather enthusiasts...
http://www.canadafreepress.com/2006/harris061206.htm
Podcast: Wednesday 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.
* In today's podcast, I discuss the recent hype of Alberto...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: 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.
* In today's podcast, I discuss Alberto and the storms that affected some of us yesterday...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
Alberto Approaching Florida...
* Tropical Storm Alberto is bearing down on the West Coast of Florida as of this writing...
* Alberto is a strong tropical storm, with maximum sustained winds at 70 mph. Movement is to the NE at 10 mph. This movement will take Alberto inland sometime during the early morning hours of tomorrow morning.
* Florida Impact: Storm surge flooding, gusty winds, and heavy rains will be possible along and to the east of the track of Alberto. The Big Bend area of Florida is a natural funnel, so the storm surge aspect will likely be enhanced a bit by the local geography.
* Impact here: Minimal. If anything, our weather will be a bit nicer tomorrow - slightly cooler and drier air will come in on the backside of Alberto's circulation. After yesterday's scorching temperatures (our official high was 100 degrees), most will enjoy the break from the heat.
* Some communities saw some fairly fierce thunderstorms yesterday. Sporadic wind damage was reported across parts of eastern Lauderdale County and Clarke County, Mississippi. While we don't like to hear of wind damage, the rain from these storms was very needed and very beneficial.
Widely Scattered Storms
* A weak front moving south through Mississippi and Alabama is bringing a few showers and thunderstorms to parts of our area. The rain is heavy, but won't last very long at all.
* Right now, the showers and storms are dropping southward along the Highway 45 corridor from Kemper into Lauderdale counties...More showers and thunderstorms are across western Alabama, in parts of Sumter County..
Tropical Storm Alberto
Tropical Depression 1 strengthened earlier this morning and officially became Tropical Storm Alberto. As of right now, the actual center of circulation is a bit obscure because it is so disorganized. Sustained winds within the storm are near 45 mph with higher gusts. The main concern about this system isn't necessarily the wind, but the amount of rainfall. Overall, Alberto is beginning to slow down a bit, moving to the north at 7mph which has the potential to cause flash flooding in some areas. Alberto should begin to turn to the NE later on this evening, making landfall Tuesday afternoon along the Florida coastline. There is quite significant wind shear aloft that should prevent the system from strengthening. A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for much of the Florida Gulf Coast. Unfortunately, we won't be experiencing any shower activity from this system........
Alberto is Born
* We have our first named storm of the year: Tropical Storm Alberto has formed in the southern Gulf of Mexico. Here is a satellite image of Alberto:
* This is an enhanced IR image, meaning that the colors are used to show temperature. The colder the temperature, the brighter the color - and colder temperatures mean higher cloudtops, which indicates a strong area of thunderstorms. So, bright colors = strong thunderstorms.
* The most notable thing from the satellite image above is that all of the thunderstorms are removed from the center of circulation. This is almost a guarantee that Alberto will not strengthen. Tropical systems need those thunderstorms to be located over the center of circulation in order to get organized properly and intensify. So, that is good news.
* Where it going? It sure looks like it will still turn northeast and strike the Florida coastline - somewhere between Apalachicola and Tampa. Even there, this will be more of a nuisance than anything else...A lot of rain, a little wind. We could use some of that rain, but we will likely stay on the dry side of the storm.
* More updates as things change...
