Saturday, January 31, 2009

Beautiful Weekend Evolves into a Rainy Monday

Beautiful sunshine impacted a majority of the Southern U.S. today as we saw highs topping out in the mid-60's, and tomorrow will also bring forth afternoon temps in the upper 60's. Although we are set to see a rainy start of the work week. Actually, make that a rainy monday morning to start our work week. A cold front will dig into Hatt/Laurel Monday morning to usher in light to moderate rainfall. This timing looks to fall right in line with most of our morning drives before work, and then the rain will exit east relatively quickly as the day progresses. Dry air will also move into the Pine Belt to hinder any chance of precip after Monday's rainfall.

Monday's front won't bring the coldest temperatures of the week immediately, but the front will allow the cold air to beginning to seep into South Mississippi. My forecast reflects Wednesday/Thursday mornings being the coldest temps of the week. After Wednesday things look to warm. Most long-range forecast models tend to agree Thur/Fri/and Sat. will slowly warm and progress into temps near the 70's by next weekend.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

The dreaded "S" word!!!!

A low pressure area is forecast to develop in the Gulf south of New Orleans Sunday or Monday. Will it bring snow to south Mississippi? Although it is much too early to tell, there is a possibilty for some snow Monday afternoon and Monday evening. We will have to watch future model runs to see if this thing comes together. Don't get the snow plows out just yet-but at least keep up with us here at WDAM and we will let you know what may happen over the course of the next five days! Rex

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Colder air moving in

A cold front is sweeping through the Pine Belt this morning. Temps are expected to fall into the 40s by the afternoon. Skies will gradually clear tonight with lows in the mid 30s. Sunny skies will return on Thursday with highs in the 50s. Rex

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

It Could Be Much Worse....

Overnight and into tomorrow we should get our share of rain along with cold air in the Pine Belt. In fact, tomorrow will be cold, wet, and somewhat of a miserable day. However, it could be much worse. Places as close as North Mississippi may see a mix of sleet and freezing rain.

Isolated showers will be possible tonight, but expect the bulk of our rain to start in the morning hours.

-Nick

Monday, January 26, 2009

Freezing Rain in North MS but Rain for Pine Belt

Forecast Models have finally come together on a story I was studying yesterday. Model Consensus has finally shown a progressive cold front running through the country for the short-range forecast. Currently, South Mississippi is in a warm sector before the progressing cold front. Tomorrow afternoon we could easily see temps in the lower 70's, but the cold front will begin to impact North Mississippi on Tuesday night with some mixed precip into Wednesday morning. Tuesday we should also see a big temperature gradient with freezing temps in Southaven but 70's in Jackson and Hatt/Laurel.

The cold front will move through the Pine Belt by midday on Wednesday and deliver most of the needed rainfall during the day on Wednesday. Some morning travel on Wednesday could be hindered by rain, but I expect a majority of the rain to trail into midday. After the front progresses through I expect afternoon temps to fall into the 50's, and the mild 50's temps could easily last through the rest of our 7day forecast.

Long term: 8-10 day models show a slight warming in our forecast, but the North Atlantic Oscillation and Arctic Oscillation, which help allow cold air to flow into the South and East U.S., become below neutral as we start February. Actually the AO is trending stronger negative for a greater chance of cold air filtering into the south. Although I must be mindful of how far south we are in relation to the rest of the country, and I often notice cold air into the Eastern Corridor of the country but not falling into South Mississippi. Take it or leave it....that is my tid bit on our long range forecast. Enjoy your week! -Tanner Cade

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Unusual Weather Pattern In Our 7Day Forecast

Big changes today in our weather forecast. An unusually system has developed across the nation today. Have you noticed how the clouds have continued to stick around? Well the passing cold front yesterday and upper level flow hasn't been strong enough to clear out our sky. The weather pattern is very "flat" right now with major west-to-east movement. Usually we have amplified High and Low pressure areas this time of year, which makes for strong cold fronts and possible severe weather, but we aren't seeing a strong cold front or severe weather event with the current pattern. Why am I discussing this with you? Well our setup is so unusually that it's making our 7 day forecast very challenging. Several meteorologist across the nation are finding this week's outlook rather difficult, but I do know I am able to pull a few good points to lead my forecast. At about midweek (Tuesday night) I expect a cold front to move through. This front will deliver light to moderate amounts of rain with most of the rainfall/activity remaining to our North. Temps are still expected to warm going into tomorrow and Tuesday, but the front will knock temps down into the 50's on Wednesday.
Enjoy the last week of January! tcade@wdam.com

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Zonal Pattern? Yep, that's us.

Light showers are still slowly moving through South Mississippi. Rain totals today have maintained the expected "light shower" title with everyone at about 0.10" of an inch. I expect most of the rain to finally start exiting east as we roll into the overnight hours. The cold front that passed through this afternoon will continue to move out of the region, but I expect the front to stall a few hundred miles south of the coast. The upper level setup will help keep clouds in our weather scene for a majority of our Sunday forecast.

So what weather pattern are we in? Good question. Well we are currently in a Zonal pattern. This pattern basically means everything is moving west to east without any major north/south movement. This zonal pattern will relatively stick around till about midweek. The Western U.S. will have a large trough develop, which will allow plenty of precip (mainly snow) through midweek. This trough will slowly move eastward on Wednesday and Thursday to give us our next best shot at rainfall. From today's model runs, I'm trending more towards the Canadian forecast model of a cold front coming through on Friday morning.

Thanks for reading! And check back tomorrow as I will break down the last full week of January. -Tanner Cade

Friday, January 23, 2009

Forecast Update!

Breezy conditions can be expected this afternoon with highs in the 70s. Clouds will increase tonight with showers developing after midnight. Lows tonight will be around 50. Showers are possible on Saturday with highs in the 50s. Have a great weekend! Rex

Nice day today!!!

We are going to have a very nice day here in the Pine Belt with highs in the lower 70s. Clouds will increase tonight with a chance for showers developing after midnight. Showers are likely during the day on Saturday with highs in the lower 60s. The rain is forecast to end early Sunday with highs in the low to mid 50s. Have a great weekend! Rex

Thursday, January 22, 2009

70's Tomorrow!

After what felt like a chronic chill, we now are thawing out. Today we got up to 67, and Friday I'm calling for a high of 73. Through much of this afternoon we have experienced a comfortable south wind, which will continue into the evening.

Friday evening, look for an increase in clouds and a chance of rain late Friday into Saturday.

-Nick

Warmer weather on tap for today and Friday

Warmer temps are in the forecast for the next few days. Look for highs today to reach the mid 60s. Lows tonight will be in the mid 40s-no freezing temps are expected for a change !!!!!!. Highs on Friday are forecast to be in the low 70s!!!! We will have a chance for showers and a possible thundershower on Saturday and a slight chance for a shower early Sunday. The next week are so should be much milder. More cold weather is possible around the first week of February so we may not be done with Winter just yet. Rex

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Feels Cold But still normal

I know you might think this month has been below our normal temperature value for January...but what do the numbers show? (drum roll please) ....My calculations are in..and... we are Average! Yes, for the first 21 days of the month we are right on our normal numbers for this time of year. Our average high temp so far is 59.8. Our average low temp so far this year 38.0. Give or take a degree with your exact location, but those values are right on the average for us here in Hattiesburg/Laurel. The overlooked story to back up these results prove we have been either way above or way below our normal, which gives us a value on the average.

On the national weather news, NWS just came out with some totals for last year. Results show 2008's national temperature was near normal for the first time since 1997. December 2008 was below normal for a majority of the country except for a few states including Mississippi. The magnolia state was slightly above normal for December. Take it or leave it, but that's a look at some climatology. -tcade@wdam.com

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Cold Inaguration Day

Today's High temperature will be about 15 degrees below our normal high for this time of year, but things are set to change. I am agreeing with model consensus with a nice warm return flow starting Wednesday night, which will setup for a warmer Thursday and Friday. Although models are agreeing on our forecast 3 to 4 days out, most meteorologist have slight disagreements on this weekends forecast. I expect a cold front to move through late Friday night and into Saturday morning, but how cold will the front be? As I look at all of my data today I'm expecting our weekend forecast to be in the 50's with a few showers on Saturday. Sunday will be a little drier, but I must keep a slight chance of showers in the forecast. One thing I see is a small warming trend in the long term forecast. Climate Prediction of the North Atlantic Oscillation details a more "neutral" climate conditions as we transition into February. Enjoy this cold day as we might not see these cold temps for a long time. -Tanner Cade

Monday, January 19, 2009

One More Cold Night

I invite you to step outside right now and experience the 30mph wind gust. The bitter cold NW wind is definitely a conversation point. Why the wind? The expected cold front has just pushed through Laurel/Hattiesburg this afternoon, and now we are left with a cold and dry air mass. This air mass will stay in place through Wednesday as Tuesday will almost be a replica of this past Friday. Wednesday is still considered a "Transition Day" as the cold air mass finally loosens it's grip on the eastern portion of the nation. Yes, finally we will see temps well into the 60's on Thursday and Friday, but another more mild front will move through Friday night to give us another shot at some showers. **A side note: I believe it was warmer in Cochrane, Alberta than Memphis, TN today. The West is definitely experiencing warm spring time conditions here in mid-January. -Tanner Cade

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Cold Air loosens grip by midweek

Even though today was relatively warm, the majority of the Eastern U.S. is still trapped under the influence of Continental Polar, cP, air mass. Temps across the region today quickly jumped past the 60 degree mark, which turned out to be a beautiful clear day for much of Mississippi. How will things fair to start the week? Monday's forecast involves a strengthening trough digging down into the Eastern U.S. throughout the day, but we should see our main cold front move through in the afternoon. The cold front will influence our actually high temp, but I am expecting highs topping out in the mid-50's. Tuesday will most likely be the coldest day of the week with highs struggling to reach the upper 40's, which will be the consequences of Monday's cold front passage. Now in my forecast I'm labeling Wednesday as a "Transition Day". Why? Well we will start to see a warm return flow bringing a slight pattern changer. We will finally be able to push the Cold Air mass out of the way and bring in a little warmer air mass for a couple of days. Thursday and Friday we should finally see temps well into the 60's. A cold front is influencing my forecast for this upcoming Friday/Saturday, but as of now I am expecting the highest chance of rain on Saturday. Models are forming to their biases for this Friday/Saturday event, but I'll continue to study next weekends forecast. Thanks for reading and please check-in tonight at 10pm as I will be able to graphically summarize your Pine Belt forecast. -Tanner Cade

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Light Showers in Forecast

Overnight temps look to be near 20 degrees warmer than the past few nights, but tonight a sinking trough will deliver a slight shot of some showers through tomorrow morning. Clouds should hang around through Sunday evening where we might see another beautiful sunset. Although another cold front will pass through overnight Sunday to keep our temps in the "cool" range. Monday and Tuesday will deliver a few more days of highs in the lower 50's, but we will finally see the large trough in the eastern corridor of the U.S. exit stage left. This means a ridge, High pressure system, will move over MS on Wednesday to allow temps to warm a bit. Thursday and Friday we will finally reach the 60 degree mark again. But, of course, we can't see a rise in temperature without a chance of showers. As of now, Friday looks like the next best chance of rain. Stay tuned to my forecast tonight at 6p and 10p for a detailed weather wrap-up. Thanks for reading! Tanner Cade

Friday, January 16, 2009

One More Night

Tonight is the last night of extremely cold weather for at least a little while. However, it does not mean tonight will be a cake walk. It may get down to 20 degrees and we are still under a hard freeze warning. Today there was not much relief. We got into the lower 40s during the day, but it was only for a handful of hours.

Tomorrow, a slight warm up as we get into the 50s with a chance of rain late Saturday night into Sunday Morning.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Cold Sinking South

Just to our North, Tupelo Mississippi, received the full strength of the arctic blast today. The airport there did not get over the 30 degree mark all day! Here in the Pine Belt we made it to 47 degrees....and we'll take it, because within hours we will begin feeling what Tupelo has felt all day. Overnight tonight lows will drop into the teens and winds will increase giving us a wind chill that reaches the single digits at times. Tomorrow, I will consider us lucky if we make it to the 40s. So bundle up.
-Nick

Big Blast Of Cold Arrives Today!

A big blast of Arctic cold air is forecast to arrive in the Pine Belt today. Temps tonight will plumment to the 18-20 degree range producing a hard freeze. Temps will only warm to the 30s during the day Friday and then fall back into the teens Friday night and early Saturday. Take precautions now to protect exposed pipes, tender vegetation. Make sure to check on the elderly and the pets. Warmer weather is expected by the next week. Rex

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Brutal Cold Thursday... and Friday

Before noon tomorrow, we should be feeling the effects of cold arctic air bearing down on the Pine Belt. If you've been following the forecast any within the past week, everything has stayed right on track. However, there is one new development worth pointing out....

It appears that there's a good chance that the cold air may linger through all of Friday. That means Friday will feel much like Thursday, maybe even colder.

From Thursday evening until Saturday morning we will be under a hard freeze watch. A hard freeze watch is usually only issued when lows are below 20 degrees and highs do not get above freezing. While we will get below 20, I also believe we will climb above the freezing mark. However, because this "warm up" will only happen for a short period of time, the NWS, went ahead and included us in the watch.

Stay Warm
-Nick

Very cold weather still on tap for Pine Belt!

A new blast of Arctic air is still forecast to invade South Mississippi on Thursday. A hard freeze is likely Thursday and Friday nights. Make sure exposed pipes are wrapped and please check on the eldery to make sure that they have plenty of warmth. Also pets should be protected as well. Stay warm! Rex

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Chilly today then much colder Thursday!

A cold front will move through our area today with highs in the low 50s and possible breezy conditions. Cold tonight under clear skies with lows in the mid 20s. By early thursday morning the coldest of the fronts will arrive with highs on Thursday in the 40s and lows in the teens by Friday morning. Make sure to check on the elderly to make sure that they have plenty of heat. Also protect exposed pipes and don't forget your pets! Stay warm! Rex

Monday, January 12, 2009

Pine Belts Coldest Week in Recent Memory

If you crawled out of bed this morning thinking it was a cold day, you were right... it was 27 degrees outside. However, hold on to your hats, cause we are just getting started! Tomorrow, we may briefly reach the lower 50s but a cold front will push through during the afternoon dropping temps back to the 40's.... and ultimately giving us an overnight low of about 20.

And it gets worse....Thursday, I'm calling for a high of 38 and a low of 18. When you factor in the wind, it may never feel above freezing... all day! To top it off, the warm up Friday is minimal, so we are talking about 48 hours of extreme cold. Enjoy...
-Nick

Cold weather here for awhile!

A series of cold fronts will sweep through the pine Belt this week keeping us on the chilly side through Sunday. No snow is in the forecast at this time. Make sure that your pipes are protected especially on Thursday night and early Friday as we are forecasting temps to be in the teens. Rex

Sunday, January 11, 2009

What season is it? Winter, of course

We have finally experienced a cold day and a 7 day forecast that reflects the season we are in. Days like today and this upcoming week's forecast are a prime example of why I am in this career. I love meteorology because every day is a different day, every season is a different season, and every sunset in south mississippi is unique. The bite of the cold winter temps is a nice pace-changer to experience this time of year, and we will definitely get two re-enforcing shots of cold air this week. Now keep in mind our temperature forecast reflects climatology as we normally see our coldest days in the 2nd and 3rd weeks in January. Tuesday a 1030mb High will sink the coldest blast of canadian air into South Mississippi this season. But, not to be out done, Thursday a 1042mb High will barrel down in Mississippi which should be an even cold shot of air. Friday morning surface temps will be a very chilly -4C to -8C temps, which translates into a Fahrenheit temps in the Upper Teens and Lower 20's. Please stay tuned to my forecast tonight at 10pm as I will expand on our cold forecast. Have a wonderful evening! -Tanner Cade

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Multiple Cold Fronts

Yes, we have talked about this all week and we are finally here. Tonight a first cold front has pushed through our region to deliver us temps in the 40's tomorrow. Our next front will move through on Tuesday to deliver overnight lows in the lower 20's. The third cold front will push through on Thursday and deliver, yet again, another cold shot of overnight temps in the upper teens. Did you follow that? Well just remember we are in the middle of 3 deliveries. 3 shots of cold air. Have a good night! -Tanner Cade

Still watching Greene County

Right now I am still watching Greene County. The county to the east of Green County has already seen 2 tornado warnings...make that 3 this afternoon. I think I've heard of some damage reports as well. A narrow line of moderate/high shear exist over Greene, MS and Washington, AL. But only a few hours till the main severe activity will be out of our region. At this point the main instability (Surface Based CAPE) exist between Hattiesburg and the Coast, and the main moisture tongue has drifted into Alabama as we are about to decrease in all areas of severe indices throughout the PineBelt. The front currently sits over Jackson, and I expect the front to move through the entire viewing area by midnight. Stay safe. -Tanner Cade

Alabama Tornado Warning

NWS office in Mobile just issued a Tornado warning for south central Washington County in Alabama, which is just east of Greene County Mississippi. The variables of instability, wind shear, and moisture are definitely increasing here in South Mississippi. A cold front is pushing through NW MS at this moment, and I am seeing a very strong temperature gradient along the front. Greenville is 48 and Jackson is 72 right now. There is a also a strong line of storms along the cold front to help depict the frontal movement. Current Obs in Hattiesburg: 71 temp/66 dewpoint/Southwest @ 7mph. I'll keep you update as the front continues to move through MS, and, of course, I will be watching our region in front of the cold front for any severe activity. -Tanner Cade

Friday, January 9, 2009

Big changes on the way!!!

Enjoy the relativley mild weather today and Staurday as this will most likley be the warmest weather that we will see for awhile. Showers and a stray thunderstorm are likely on Saturday as the first in a series of cold fronts blast through our area. It appears that by late Wednesday night or early Thursday a massive outbreak of arctic air will move into South Mississippi possibly bringing with it some of the coldest air that we have seen in years! It is best to prepare now for a very hard freeze for late into next week! Stay tuned as we will continue to monitor this developing weather situation. Have a great weekend! Rex

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Cold Enough For Ya?

It's still way down the road, in fact, not even on our 7 day forecast yet, but Friday may be something to write home to mom about. A series of cold air blasts, beginning this weekend, may result in extreme cold temperatures towards the end of next week. Not all models agree with this prediction, so we will have to continue to watch.

This Saturday, rain seems likely as a fast moving front brings the wet stuff through on the first half of the day. At this point there is not even a slight risk for severe weather, but stay tuned.

-Nick Ortego

Colder weather by next week!

Our weather today and Friday will be sunny. Todays highs are forecast to reach the mid 60s with lows tonight around 40. Highs on Friday should top out in the lower 70s. A cold front will bring a chance of rain and thunderstorms on Saturday which will signal the beginning of a series of cold fronts next week resulting in much colder weather for our area. Rex

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Wet start to 2009

This afternoon I have been able to summarize the first 7 days of our new year of 2009. What has happened so far? Well one thing is our main story: rain. Although we must recognize this month is normally our wettest month of the year. Year-to-Date totals so far...WDAM-TV: 2.58", PIB Airport: 2.40", HBG Airport: 1.63", Jackson: 2.83", McComb: 1.57", Meridian: 2.45".

Besides the rainfall, another story deals with the weather forecast for next week. Here in the weathercenter we are studying a possibily very cold weather pattern for the mid-week. Although a lot could change between now and then, I believe we could easily see a strong push of Cold Polar air into the Central portion of the United States. And when I think Canada, I often look at the predicted temperature anomalies for the next 10 days within Canada. These numbers will help me determine the type of canadian air we will see. I find that temps will be slightly above standard deviation in Canada, but I also bet the ground over the Central Plains will be covered in snow. The cold air will definitely filter quickly over the snow and be able to drop into the South, but how far will the cold air come? I'm banking on cold temperatures, but right now I don't think we will set any major records. I also recognize the GFS is a main player in this prediction and this model usually overestimates the advancement of cold-air from 7-8 days out. Will all this said, you should stay tuned within the next few days as we will continue to fine tune this forecast. Thanks for reading and thanks for watching! We are here to serve all residents here in the Pine Belt so please feel free to send us your thoughts and comments. Take Care, Tanner Cade - tcade@wdam.com

Bitter Arctic Air?

Some of the reliable computer models indicate that we could see some extremley cold weather in the Pine Belt beginning the middle of next week. Almost hard to beleive are some of the temps forecast-low in the lower teens to single digits and highs in the 20!!!!! Stay tuned! If this would happen to actually take place, we would be looking at pipe bursting weather!! Stay tuned for the latest forecasts on that possible event. At any rate, it does appear that we are for certain in for some colder weather next week even if it does not get quite that cold! Brrrrrr!!! Rex

Mr. Sun returns today!

Sunshine will return today and be with us though the rest of the work week. Todays high will be around 60 with upper 60s to near 70 for Thursday and Friday. We will start to seen an increase in clouds for the weekend with a chance for rain. By next Tuesday much colder air will arrive with highs expected to only be near 50. Rex

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

WDAM-TV: 1.13"...so far

Heavy Rain still remains in the area tonight. Real quick I wanted to discuss the rain totals as we have them at 6pm. WDAM-TV: 1.13", PIB Airport: 0.90", Jackson: 1.7", McComb: 0.61", Meridian: 1.22" (unofficial totals) - tcade@wdam.com

Almost in the Clear From the Severe

(5:50pm Tuesday) Cold air was a welcomed spoiler for severe weather development today. As I write this, the rain is still pouring at a steady rate all around the Pine Belt, but the chance for severe weather is shrinking by the second. While we did reach a record high temp of 77 degrees in Hattiesburg, a blast of cold air was just behind the leading edge of the squall line. In fact, we saw temps drop about 15 degrees in less then an hour as the showers got here.

Officially, George, Perry, Greene and Stone counties remain under a Tornado watch that will not expire until 7:00pm. However, I think Perry county is already in the clear.

The coming days promise sunshine, but Wednesday should be a little cooler with highs in the upper 50s.

Nick Ortego

Some Good News

The Tornado watch has been canceled for Clarke, Covington, Jones, and Marion Counties. However it continues for Lamar, Forrest, Perry, Greene, George and Stone and Wayne Counties. Part of the reasoning behind this, deals with cold air creeping into the Northwest side of this line of showers. This colder air makes it less likely for severe development.
-Nick Ortego

Tornado Watch Issued

(2:05pm Tuesday) As expected the NWS just issued a Tornado watch for part of the WDAM viewing area. The counties included are Clarke, Covington, Jones, Wayne, Marion, Lamar, Forrest, Perry, Greene, Stone, and George.

If you have been watching a radar most of the afternoon, you may have noticed that there has not been a whole lot of severe weather so far. However, it is much warmer in the Tornado watch area, therefore conditions are more favorable for severe weather here. This Tornado watch will expire at 7:00pm.

Tornado Watch Likely

We are expecting the Storm Prediction Center to issue a Tornado Watch for portions of our area shortly. Severe thunderstorms are possible this afternoon and tonight as a strong storm system approaches from the west. Some of these storms may be strong enough to spin up a tornado or two. Heavy rain and gusty winds will likely accompany some of the storms as well. The system and associated cold front will sweep through the area before midnight bringing and end to the threat of severe weather. Much cooler and drier weather is in the forecast Wednesday thru Friday. Stayed tuned to WDAM-TV and wdam.com for the very latest weather updates. Rex

Rain Likely today!

Showers and thunderstorms are in the forecast for today. Some of the storms may reach severe limits and we will issue watches and warnings if needed. Highs today will be in the 70s. Cooler and wet weather is on tap for tonight with lows in the upper 40s. A drying trend will begin on Wednesday and last thru Friday resulting in cool nights and mild days. Rex

Monday, January 5, 2009

Active Tuesday Weather

This afternoon Nick and I have been planning for a very interesting outlook for Tuesday. Forecast models have definitely come together for a possible severe weather event. First of all, tomorrow afternoon you should expect a heavy line of rain. On top of this rain forecast, we anticipate an above normal chance of severe weather. The Storm Prediction Center, SPC, still has our whole viewing area in a Slight Risk. My thoughts on the severe weather forecast...The orientation of the main upper-level trough, which is creating this weather event, will not be persumably setup for a normal strong severe setting, but several factors still come in store for severe weather. My severe indices have definitely increased in South/Central Mississippi for midday/afternoon tomorrow. What do the indices show me? Isolated areas of rotation might be able to be found along the main line of rain, but the most likely outcome will be a squall line producing high winds. Also we must help each other on watching for sunlight and temperature reaching into the 70's. The more sunlight we get, then the more instability we will have, which will aid in stronger thunderstorms. I am also going to watching the area just in front of the main cold front of heavy rain. Not expected, but we might see isolated supercells in the area by 11am and into the afternoon. Please stay tuned to Nick tonight at 10pm and Rex tomorrow morning for more updates. -Tanner Cade

Foggy morning-then rain

Dense Fog is occuring across much of the Pine Belt this morning. The fog should lift by 10:00 am and then rain will be likely this afternoon into tonight. Highs today are forecast to be in the mid 60s with lows tonight in the upper 50s. Rex

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Severe Tuesday

Tis the season...even though we are in the winter month of January, we still must always keep track of severe weather. Here in Mississippi we experience a lot of severe activity in Jan, Feb, and Mar. Last year Mississippi had about 3 major events in the month of January, and February brought a very serious February 5th outbreak in the South. So now we must talk about this upcoming Tuesday. NWS' Storm Prediction Center has the Pine Belt in a Slight Chance for severe weather. This event is setup by a major trough sweeping through the country and pulling in plenty of moisture and severe dynamics. Different Severe Indices will be on the moderate to high range for Tuesday afternoon and night, but I am concerned about the interaction between tonight's stationary boundary and Tuesday's cold front movement. For Tuesday, upper-level energy will most likely be available, but my thoughts wonder how surface impact of the previous system will hinder the initiation of large-scale severe activity. Lapse Rates for rapidly rising air parcels seems to be on the low side, but I will still expect Tuesday afternoon and evening to package in severe thunderstorms with wind and hail. The threat of a tornado is a concern, but please stay tuned to this blog and our weathercast for more updates leading into Tuesday. -Tanner Cade

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Rain Diminishes later followed by areas of fog!

Showers and isolated thunderstorms are possible for the area tonight but should diminish around midnight. Areas of fog are expected to develop overnight into the early morning hours of Sunday. Lows tonight will be around 60. More showers and thunderstorms are in the forecast Sunday afternoon with highs in the mid to upper 70s. Heavy rains are possible Monday night into Tuesday. We will continune to monitor that developing weather situation. Finally by midweek cooler and drier weather will return. It still appears that the second week of January could be quite chilly and dry. Of course those long range forecasts can change, but we will update as needed. Have a safe and great weekend! Rex

Severe Weather Threat Has Dimished!!

The Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been cancelled by the National Weather Service. We will continue to see a few showers and thunderstorms for awhile longer in the Pine Belt but they are not expected to reach severe limits. I will have a new blog with an updated forecast coming in about an hour! Rex

A few severe storms possible this afternoon!

Good afternoon! A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for much of South Mississippi until 5:00 PM. We will monitor the situation and will issue warnings on our station and through our website if neccesary.We expect the activity to decrease before or around midnight. Rex

Friday, January 2, 2009

Cloudy day and foggy night expected!

We have a slight chance for a shower or thundershower this morning, otherwise expect cloudy skies today with highs in the mid to upper 60s. Fog is forecast to develop after midnight with lows in the upper 50s. A good chance for showers and thunderstorms are in the forecast for Saturday and Saturday evening. Some of the thunderstorms could be on the heavy side. Don't expect much sunshine for the weekend and temps will be rather mild. Colder and drier weather is expected by mid week. Rex

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Rain is near

The temp just dropped down to 30 here at the station at 5:30am. Temps were relatively chilly last night for a seasonable weather experience. Happy New Year! It's an honor to be able to sit in the weather seat this morning, and I'm very thankful to be with you guys. Our forecast today will foreshadow our 7day forecast. My main point is found in looking at the wind changing from the South, which will usher in more moisture from the Gulf. This moisture will certianly help in aiding temps in the 70's by Saturday and Sunday, but we will also see a good shot at rain on Saturday and the start of next week. Saturday we will see a LLJ, low level jet, bring in rain and the chance of thunderstorms as severe indices will be a mild consideration. Although I only expect the possibility of moderate to heavy rain Saturday night into Sunday morning. A cold front will push through Monday morning to deliver another shot at rain, but we will also see temps dropping back down into the 50's. Several models are also agreeing that we will have several cool days ahead in the next 5-10 days. Have a wonderful first day of 2009! Happy New Year! tcade@wdam.com