Mississippi Tornadoes

The mild weather experienced during this past Christmas week has exited the region with the start of a new work week. The Christmas storm was responsible for several tornadoes from Louisiana to Georgia that killed five(5) people; all in Mississippi. The tornadoes were not a part of a large outbreak of tornadoes but the stronger storms hit populated areas resulting in a large amount of damage and the loss of life. Today an apparent tornado struck near Valdosta, Georgia causing damage and several injuries. The cold front that moved the through the region early Sunday was the start of much colder air moving into the area. Temperatures today were near normal but will step lower through the middle part of the week. Milder air appears to on tap for the region as we move into the weekend. 

The strongest and deadliest tornadoes on December 23, 2014 struck southern Mississippi. A total of a five (5) fatalities occurred in the EF2 and EF3 tornadoes. 

Currently seasonable cool and quiet weather has moved into the region. High temperatures today remained in the lower thirties. An apparent tornado touched down near Valdosta, Georgia ahead a cold front moving through. 

On Tuesday colder air will moved into the area keeping high temperatures in the twenties.  Snow will be possible to our south as a storm system moves off the coast.  Temperatures will fall further on Wednesday with high temperatures rising at most into the lower twenties. On Thursday high temperatures may be a few degrees warmer. Overnight temperatures on both days will be in the lower to middle teens. Quiet weather should be the general rule during the period but light snow totaling a couple inches may impact the favored Lake Erie snow belt communities east of Cleveland. 

High temperatures on Friday and Saturday should rise back into the middle and upper thirties ahead of the next storm system.  Much model discrepancy is occurring with the storm system which has an impact on its strength and track. At this time it appears the storm will remain weak with a chance of rain showers occurring on Saturday as the system approaches. 

On Sunday a cold front will move through sending the high temperatures back down into the twenties for Monday with a chance for snow showers. The seasonably cold weather appears to hold firm for the next week or two as arctic air masses moving out of Canada will mostly glance the region as they push off to the east.

A Christmas Storm but not Much Snow

Cleveland’s December snowless streak ended on Friday when an inch of snow officially fell at the airport. If less than 1.8 inches fall the rest of the month, December 2014 will be in the record books for the top ten least snowiest Decembers on record. Currently the region is finally on the backside of a high pressure system and temperatures have risen into the middle forties (40’s) under veiled sunshine.  The much advertised storm system is beginning to organize over the mid-section of the country. This system will developed in to a pair of strong low pressure systems that will track to the west of the upper Ohio Valley leaving northern Ohio on the warm and wet side of the storm. Later in the week temperatures will fall but not to drastic low levels.

Currently the storm system is organizing over the middle part of the country. A warm is organizing along the Ohio River Valley. This front will move north overnight bring a threat of rain with it.

On Tuesday early morning rain should give way to dry conditions by the afternoon. The initial low pressure system to our west will begin to weaken as it moves north. High temperatures for the area will rise into the lower fifties (50’s).

The region will remain in the warm sector on Christmas Eve as a secondary lower develops and strengthen as it moves north out of the Gulf of Mexico. Conditions will become increasingly windy and wet as the low pressure tracks to the west of northern Ohio. High temperatures should again rise well into the fifties (50’s). Areas in Indiana and Michigan may have some light accumulations of snow to deal with

On Christmas the strong storm system will be located north of Lake Huron. Windy and cooler conditions will be affecting the area at this time. Rain showers should eventually change over to snow as temperatures remain in the thirties (30’s) during the day after the frontal passage.

On Friday, another system will quickly organize over the middle part of the country.  In response mild southerly winds will push high temperatures back to near fifty (50) degrees.

On Saturday the system will track northeast leaving the area in the warm sector yet again. Rain showers and eventually snow showers will affect the area much of the day. High temperatures will be in the lower forties (40’s) A cool front will pass through later during the day dropping high temperatures into the lower thirties (30’s) for Sunday. 

Major Christmas Storm??

Atypical weather for this time of the year has continued for the region. It has been more than twenty (20) days since the last measureable snowfall in Cleveland.  After the November the region experienced, that is quite a turn around. Weather the past several days has been very mild with high temperatures reaching into the lower 50’s. A cold front moved through this morning allowing more seasonable temperatures to return to the region. While the next couple of days will be seasonably cold, the arctic air remains bottled up in Siberia, for now. Temperatures will remain chilly the next couple of days before moderating to above seasonable levels early next week. The real action for the region and the Eastern USA begins on Tuesday as a strong storm system potentially takes shape over the lower Mississippi Valley.

Currently seasonably cold air is moving south into the area. A few light snow showers are falling from time to time and late Wednesday night there is chance for light snow across the snow belt in Northeastern Ohio.

Friday high pressure will remain in control of the weather over the area. A weak system will develop to the south and will begin to move through the southern tier of the country. This system has the potential to generate severe weather along the gulf coast where warm moist air moves inland.

On Saturday the system will be moving through the Southeast and attempt to spread snow into Ohio. Northern sections of the state should remain precipitation free as high pressure provides a dry northerly flow. Temperatures will remain at seasonable levels all weekend.

Monday the area will be under flow out of the south and temperatures will moderate into the lower 40’s. This is in advance of a potent storm system that will be developing in central Plain states.

On Tuesday the system to our west will deepen further as it begins to combine with energy moving south out of Canada. The area will be on the warm and increasingly windy side of the storm during the day. Rain chances will also be increasing throughout the day.

On Wednesday the system is forecast to undergo explosive development. The track of the low is uncertain at this time but it may move directly over Ohio. As it does the region will begin in the warm, windy, and wet sector of the storm. During the day the cold front will sweep through the area ushering in much colder air. Rain showers will change to snow later during the day and into the overnight. Accumulations at this time are expected to be heaviest to our northwest but enough may fall over northern Ohio for a white Christmas. Stay tuned for more details and specifics as we approach this high impact storm!

Winter 2014-2015 Outlook

The seasonable weather has continue for much of the region during the past week. A cold front did move through the area early last week but temperatures quickly moderated over the weekend. The weather for the region is generally quiet as a strong coastal low pressure system is currently moving into Southern New England. A weak cold front is slowly moving through Ohio and could eventually lead to some snow showers Wednesday into Thursday. Once this system moves away milder air will return for the weekend.

Currently a weak cold front is moving through the area as a strong coastal storm is affecting New England. Most precipitation with the costal storm is in the form of rain except for locations well inland and high in elevation. Rain showers will be developing overnight for Northern Ohio and will change over to light show showers.

On Wednesday Northeast Ohio will be under the influence of the costal low with a colder northerly flow affecting the area. Light snow showers will persist as temperatures hold in the lower 30’s. Similar conditions will continue for the region on Thursday. Snow accumulations will be light with perhaps one or two inches locally.

On Friday the costal storm will be moving away and drier air will start to move into the area. Temperatures will warm up a few more degrees into the upper 30’s as sky conditions begin to clear. Temperatures continue to moderate over the weekend with temperatures generally in the lower to middle 40’s.

On Monday the region will still be under a mild southerly air flow. Temperatures will rise to near 50 degrees as a storm system approaches from the south and west.

Looking ahead the arctic air appears to stay locked up though the week before Christmas. Probabilities are that temperatures will general average above normal for the next 8-14 days.  At this time a white Christmas may be in jeopardy

Now it is time for my winter outlook which I really do not like to do or put much trust in. After last winter’s harsh cold and snow assault people are thinking this winter will be repeat. A local television station is predicting a consistently cold winter for Northeast Ohio. Accuweather  and the Old Farmer’s Almanac  also are predicting a cold and snowy winter for the region. While these predictions line up with one another, I believe the odds of a repeat cold and snowy winter are low for Northeast Ohio. I believe temperatures this winter will be near normal to slightly above normal. Snow fall has gotten off to a fast start but I do not believe that pace will last and we will end up with near to slight below normal snowfall amounts. As a side note NOAA is predicting a near normal winter. 

Seasonable December

Hello December and goodbye cold and snowy November! We have just closed the door on a top 10 coldest and snowiest November on record in Cleveland. That combination has led many in the region to have nightmare flashbacks of last winter and others to predict a repeat of a similar weather pattern this winter. While I will not be making predictions of the winter season in this posting I will say in the short term the weather pattern is looking nothing like last winter or the recently concluded November. A weak system is currently moving through the Ohio valley at this time. Another cold front will move through tomorrow before a more zonal weather pattern takes hold across the nation for the remainder of the forecast. This will provide a milder weather pattern for the country albeit a wet one for the West Coast.

Currently a weak system is moving through the Ohio Valley. It is producing a light wintry mix as it interacts with a cold air mass that is retreat to the north.

Wednesday temperatures will rise to near 40 ahead of the next weather system. It will push through late Wednesday with a threat of light rain. High temperatures will fall into the lower 30’s for Thursday.

Return flow out of the south will be getting establish on Friday. Temperatures will rise into the lower 40’s.

On Saturday another storm system will be moving up the Ohio Valley. It may spread light rain across the area much of the day with high temperatures remaining in the lower 40’s.

The next weak system should be tracking through the Ohio Valley on Monday. With no artic air in sight and temperatures in the 40’s, rain seems like the precipitation of choice.