This is footage from a tornado that happened Monday afternoon near Hammon, OK. After a period of relative calm severe weather in the country, this footage confirms that spring severe weather season is right around the corner. Although this was in Oklahoma, severe weather can happen closer to come in the coming months. Now is the time to get that weather radio and make a plan of action should such an event happen near home.

Posted under tornado, weather

Can you believe that today marked the 97th consecutive day that Rockford has not reached 50 degrees? This is insane! 97 days is the 12th longest streak of below 50 temperatures. The longest streak is 125 days. To reach the top 5 list we will have to keep this streak going for a total of 111 days. Let us hope we hit 50 before Friday. Come on 50 degrees!

Unfortunately, the way the 7 day is looking it appears that we might just make the top 5 list. These back-to-back low-pressure systems are giving us the chance of rain starting Tuesday afternoon and lasting into the weekend. Which means thick overcast skies. Bummer… I know.

Posted under weather

A 6.2 magnitude earthquake was reported in eastern Turkey tonight. The shaking occured 6.2 miles below the ground with an epicenter of about 25 miles west of Bingol, Turkey.

Posted under earthquake/tsunami

Fog is already beginning to overspread the area and will stick with us into early morning

Posted under fog

An area of low pressure will become stalled out to our south and eventually again to our southeast through the midweek. Energy will rotate back toward the Stateline and provide heavy rain chances. Although I have doubts that we will actually see 2″ of rain at this point, the possibility for flooding is certainly there with our recent snowmelt. Cyndi and I will  be in through the week to monitor this situation.

Posted under flooding

After many days of sunshine and warm temperatures, we will return to a more cloudy and rainy period. A weak low will provide a shot of rain for Sunday followed by a mostly clear day Monday, then the pattern becomes a bit backed up. The type of block that will halt our weather pattern midweek is called an Omega Block as its flow resembles the shape of the greek letter. The low to the east will become stalled and continue to stream energy toward the stateline Tuesday through Thursday. While we will have daily rain chances, the showers will be scattered with imbedded dry periods.

Posted under weather

Last night at ten and on Facebook I asked for some signs of spring. Low and behold, I got some today! Thanks Scott and Marilynn for sending these in.

Spring, here we come!

Posted under weather

It is unclear how long this has been going on, but large amounts, about 8 million tons of greenhouse gases, such as methane, are emerging from a frozen seabed just North of Russia. This is causing commotion that this seabed could be a threat and contributing to global warming.
This frozen seabed has trapped permafrost underneath it. The vegetation is rotting due to rising water temperatures and the methane gas is seeping in to the water and air. Scientists wonder if these leaks have been occurring all this time, possible since the last Ice Age. If this finding is new, the scientists are wondering how much 8 million tons of methane can affect the planet when global emissions are about 440 million tons.
About 60 percent of methane comes from human activities such as landfills and cattle rearing. Natural sources such as wetlands make up the rest.

Posted under climate/climate change

Shortly after 6pm today at Cape Canaveral, NASA launched a Delta IV rocket containing a new satellite that will help us forecast the weather with higher accuracy. The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-P (or Goes-P) will “keep a watchful eye on our world,” says NASA, noting that all systems were performing “exactly as expected.”

Once it reaches its orbit, GOES-P will collect and send back information scientists to monitor weather, make forecasts and issue warnings, especially for tropical storms and hurricanes.

GOES-P is the latest in a long line of GOES satellites, the first of which was launched in 1975.

Posted under space, weather

 The latest medium range outlooks are in from the Climate Prediction Center. The left map is the 6-10 day outlook for temperatures. It shows a large area that will remain below average towards the deep south as our jet stream pattern has finally shifted with the exit of our blocking low.  This will bring some much anticipated warmth into the upper midwest as we will see temperatures in the upper 40’s this weekend with a few spots reaching 50. The pattern will eventually shift into a more zonal flow as we go into the middle part of March which will bring below normal temperatures to a majority of the country once again.

Posted under weather