New Blog--Check it out!

Hey everyone!

Just wanted to let you all know that my new website, www.shelbylatinoweather.com, is up and running and will now be the host for this blog as well as my new Tropical Update Blog. Please feel free to take a look and send me any weather questions, pictures, videos, or comments you may have! Thank you so much for your support.

--Shelby

Heat Awareness Day

So, for the answer to your question-- Heat! Heat is the number one weather-related cause of death in the United States. That means on average it is responsible for more fatalities than tornadoes, hurricanes, lightning, and other weather phenomena. Here in the South we expect the heat and humidity, but sometimes we forget how taxing it can be on our bodies!

Hydration and frequent breaks from strenuous activity are the best ways to combat the effects of heat. Children and older adults are at a higher risk, and some other factors that enhance the effects of heat are: obesity, fever, heart disease, mental illness, poor circulation, prescription drugs, and alcohol use. In these hot summer months, it is important to be aware of when to take those breaks and when your body has just had enough. Heat cramps and heat exhaustion are two heat-related illnesses that can lead to heat stroke. Heat stroke, untreated, can lead to death. It is so important to take cues early and seek medical attention if you or a friend begins to experience any of the following symptoms:

• Painful Muscle Cramps/Heavy Sweating
• Weakness/Dizziness/Fainting
• Nausea or Vomiting
• Altered Mental State
• Excessively Weak or Rapid Pulse
• Unconsciousness 

There are many other reasons to be mindful of hot summer days, including sunburn! Did you know that sunburn actually hurts your body's ability to remove excess heat? So, not protecting yourself from harmful UV rays will increase your chance of skin cancer AND make you feel hotter in this already blistering heat! Who wants that? Not me! The best ways to protect from sunburn are applying sunscreen often and making use of shady spots. 

Below is your forecast for today's UV Index. We're looking pretty high across the the Southeast, so be careful out there and wear lots of sunscreen!

Information and images found at: 

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/heat/index.shtml

http://www2.epa.gov/sunwise/uv-index

Ahhhh- Choo! Allergies & Pollen...

Today's "Allergy Level" was a 9.9 out of 12 in Columbus, MS! Nationally, that put us up there with some of the worst in the nation. Yikes.

So what does this have to do with the weather? A lot! Certain weather conditions throughout the year can impact the production and prevalence of pollen, a prime allergy source. For example, windy conditions can play a big role in causing allergies to act up simply because all of that pollen gets kicked up. Combine that wind with dry conditions (low dewpoints), and it is even worse. Another big weather player is the temperature. Mild or warm winters can cause the plants and trees to pollinate sooner, and, if that warm weather continues through the spring, pollen counts will continue to rise.

Luckily, weather isn't all bad-- a good heavy rain can actually ease the effects of pollen allergies by washing it away! Exciting news, right? Unfortunately, there's a little more to it. While rain can bring some relief for a few hours, those wet conditions actually encourage plants, trees, and grass to grow leading to more pollen.

There is some legitimate good news, though! We are expecting a drop off in pollen by Friday.Here's your pollen forecast from Columbus, MS for the rest of the week:

Forecast from Pollen.com

--Shelby

4/10/13- Severe Weather

As the surface low pressure system presently over Missouri continues to move eastward, we will begin to feel its effects today. We will see winds of 20-25 MPH with gusts possible up to over 35 MPH through the morning and afternoon. Temperatures ahead of the approaching cold front will reach the 80° mark today. I'm not counting out a shower here or there, but we shouldn't see the bulk of the heavy rain and severe weather until tonight.

Tonight, heavy rain is expected to begin late in the evening and continue through noon on Thursday. Expect the line to move relatively slowly through the area allowing for rainfall totals to reach up to 2 inches. Thunderstorms will likely occur tomorrow between 4 am and noon. Strong winds and isolated tornadoes, if they occur, can also be expected during this time frame.

So, be especially weather alert tonight through tomorrow afternoon. It's a good idea to go ahead and check the weather radio's batteries and make sure it is set up and working. If you don't have a weather radio, the NOAA Radio app is a good substitute. Just make sure that you turn the volume on your phone all the way up!

As soon as this nasty weather gets through, we will see temperatures drop off into the 70s, and the sunshine will return for the weekend!

--Shelby

Did You See Those Clouds Yesterday?

Well, call me a weather nerd, but I was fascinated with all of the cool looking clouds we saw yesterday! Below is one of the pictures I took!

Okay, now for the part you didn't know...The "speckled" clouds at the top of the picture are a perfect example of what we call a Mackerel Sky. Have you ever heard "Mackerel in the sky, three days dry"? The science isn't exact, but it can be a good rule of thumb. These altocumulus clouds usually indicate an approaching frontal system or convergence zone. On days when you see these clouds, you may also see "Mare's Tails" and jet contrails like the ones below!

Photo taken from contrailscience.com

In our case, the old saying is about right because we are expecting heavy rain to move in Wednesday evening. Check back here for more updates throughout the week!

MSU's Severe Storms Symposium

The East Mississippi Chapter of the NWA/AMS hosed the eleventh annual Severe Storms Symposium, and it was a huge success! We had distinguished speakers like John Gordon and Kevin Knupp and many other informative and insightful guests.

I was also lucky enough to be asked to design a weather cake for the event, and here it is. This is what we call a "four-panel". It shows different products of RADAR such as Base Reflectivity (top left), Base Velocity (top right), Vertically Integrated Liquid (bottom right), and Correlation Coefficient (bottom left). All of these products are used by meteorologists during severe weather events to locate potential tornadoes and hail.

It took a little over 10 hours to complete, but it was so worth it. I was very thankful for all of the kind remarks from the NWA, AccuWeather, MemphisWeather.net, and personal accounts on Twitter and Facebook.

Hope everyone has a great week! See my next post for an update on this chilly, winter-like weather we've been seeing across the Southeast this week.

Springing Forward

I hope all of you had a smooth transition this past Saturday from Standard Time to Daylight Savings time. For me, this time of the year is bittersweet. After I get over that hour of lost sleep, I really enjoy all the extra sunshine!


Okay, I'll admit it. I'm not a photographer, but who can resist this much sun?!

We've had a perfect start to this beautiful time of year in the Southeast with abundant sun and warming temperatures. Many students, including those at Mississippi State, are enjoying their Spring Break in the sun after several weeks of rainy, cold, and temperamental weather patterns.

For the next few days, I expect it to stay that way too. Rain chances don't return until Sunday, so get out there and enjoy it while it lasts!

--Shelby

Could we have a Flurry Friday?

Hey, everyone! I've been away for a while and I apologize, but I promise this time I'm back for good.

In the forecast for Friday, we have possible snow as a cool pocket of air moves southward. Low temperatures will be in the 20s this weekend, so the slight chance of precipitation Friday night and Saturday morning poses the possibility of snow. No impacts as far as driving or business operations are expected, but we might see some giddy Southerners if we do see a dusting of snow this late in the season!

No fun pictures this time, but I do have a snow joke for you!

What kind of math do Snowy Owls like?

Owlgerbra, of course!

Hope everyone has a great week!

Severe Weather Driving & The Devastation in Hattiesburg

After an enjoyable weekend of Mardi Gras festivities back home in New Orleans, I began my drive back to Starkville, MS around 2:00 yesterday afternoon. Though I knew I would encounter severe weather along my drive,  I did not expect it to seem so gloomy. As I got on the interstate, I immediately hit traffic. Eventually, I passed a devastating wreck that police and medical personnel were working hard to clear. Then, when I thought I was clear of the traffic, there was more! Another wreck, this one less severe than the first. I proceeded to see four other cars along my drive that spun off the slick roads. 

The difference between life and death when driving in a severe weather situation is your full attention and awareness of your surroundings. Go slow, and don't text and drive. Also, turn on your radio and listen to the NWS cut ins about the present weather situation. 

There is still a lot of questions surrounding the tornado that hit Hattiesburg, MS. The tornado received a preliminary rating of EF-3, but the NWS in Jackson will determine a final rating this week. No deaths have been reported, but  83 injuries came as a result of this storm. 

Tornado Damage on campus of The University of Southern Mississippi.

(Picture courtesy of blog.gulflive.com)

If you're interested in a video of the event, this one was taken by storm chasers in the area yesterday.

Speaking of driving safely... usually it's best to drive away from the storm ;)

Finally, for more information on the tornado and future updates, please go to http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jan/?n=2013_02_10_11_tor .

--Shelby

Groundhog Predicts...

Well, "Punxsutawney Phil" did not see his shadow. What does that mean for us? Hopefully that springtime is coming soon! Weather sources disagree on Phil's accuracy, with his official website claiming "100% accuracy, of course!" Unfortunately, just last year Phil's prediction of six more weeks of winter did not come true as many states had temperatures among their warmest following Phil's prediction. Though I'm a skeptic, I really hope Phil is right on this one!

Credit: Washington Post

For the Starkville area, highs will stay in the upper 60s for the rest of the week with a chance for some showers Monday and Thursday. Here's hoping that Phil was right and spring is on the way!

Gloomy Outlook

The SPC has issued a Slight Risk for their Day 3 Severe Thunderstorm Outlook and another good chance for severe weather in the area on Day 4. This means that from Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday morning, severe weather is likely to occur within the yellow swath shown below. 

The reasoning behind this prediction includes the existence of an upper level trough and strong cold front at the surface. A look at Surface Temperatures from the NAM 54 hours out reinforces the presence of the tight temperature gradient surrounding that cold front. 

As details become clearer closer to Tuesday, an upgrade to Moderate Risk may be necessary. For now, though, we're paying special attention to the next few days and the severe weather they are sure to bring. 

Sunshine-y Week Ahead

A dreary week of rain finally turned into a fun day in the snow last Thursday for many across the Deep South including here at MSU.

Photo by Megan Bean/ Mississippi State University

As a high pressure system moved into the area Friday, the area began to see some much appreciated sun, and it hasn't left since. Clear skies are expected through Thursday with temperatures dropping slightly as a dry, cold front moves through the area on Monday evening. While highs will be reasonable in the forties and fifties throughout the week, lows are expected to drop to the mid-twenties for both Monday and Tuesday evening.

So, get out there and enjoy it while you can because the next couple of days will be like the last couple-- sunny and beautiful!