WKU Meteorology

I did a short segment on the Bowling Green ABC affiliate WBKO this afternoon. To see my broadcast TV debut, click here. I acquitted myself well except for one small goof. Houses are generally not completely destroyed until winds reach 200 mph, not 100 mph as I said in the video. Actually, most modern houses are structurally designed to withstand winds of up to 100 mph (they should only lose windows and parts of the roof to this point). Beyond 100 mph is when they start to break apart. At 200 mph, nothing will be left but the slab.

For an excellent discussion on the differences between the old F-scale and the new EF-scale, click here.

After a two week absence that has kept the Southeast free of severe weather, the subtropical jet stream will make a return next week, which should help to alleviate developing drought conditions in this region. A look at the current upper level flow shows a ridge over California and the polar jet stream riding over the ridge and diving into the Midwest, which is the source of our cooler than normal weekend weather. This West Coast ridge has pushed temperatures to near the century mark over Arizona. A strong Pacific storm will lower heights along the West Coast and raise heights over the central plains, which will push temperatures into the 70s and 80s in that region. (more…)

A significant change has occurred since my last post. I believed that the remnants of the upper level low currently over the southern Plains would merge with the clipper moving down from Canada Thursday, which would bring a heavy rain event to New England.

Boy, was I wrong. (more…)

In my last post I outlined the likely scenario for the Northeast for the upcoming cold shot. The questions I had appear to be answered, and it looks as if much of the Northeast will miss out on what could be the last good shot at another snowstorm. (more…)

While the CPC is showing mild weather across the U.S. through 3/22, I expect this to be changed radically in the coming days. Both the GFS ensembles and the ECMWF show the return of a wintry pattern to the Great Lakes and Northeast. As mentioned yesterday, some of the ensembles had been hinting at a cold clipper breaking down the flat ridge over the midsection of the country. Today, nearly all of the GFS ensembles and the European suggest that winter is not over yet. (more…)

NOTE: If you’ve noticed I haven’t had a weather post in over a week that would be because were are in a very tranquil weather pattern. March may have come in like a lion but it is definitely coasting through mid-month like a lamb, as I predicted back on February 26th (see the last sentence). Quiet times like this give me the opportunity to post on statistical climatology and global warming.

College students everywhere will be flocking to beaches over the next few days so I thought I’d produce a Spring Break forecast for popular vacation hotspots. If you are going to a place that I don’t mention, add a comment and I will update the forecast with the new location. (more…)