Flood in Port Clinton

Heavy rains drenched Port Clinton this past weekend with as much as 6 to 7 inches of rain on Sunday.  Hydrologist are calling this a one in 500 year rain and flood event. 

Click on the radar animation below to see from the early afternoon hours capturing the moist onshore flow around a closed upper level low that moved over north central Ohio Sunday causing the repeated heavy rains:



(Notice the cyclonic or counter clockwise circulation around the upper level low)

More information on the floods and the perspective from the residents of Port Clinton can be found Here.

Waterspout Spottings

Ottawa County dealt with some excitement this morning after a series of waterspouts were spotted on the water near Catawba Island between 9:30 and 10:30AM.



For most people, the question was -- What is a waterspout?

Waterspouts are similar to tornadoes in their funnel shape and general behavior, but they may not be what they seem. 

First, water is not being pulled up from the surface of the lake. The funnel you see is a visible weak rotating column of air surrounded by condensation being created by an influx of warm air.

Second, they typically form overwater, beneath a cumulus cloud, but the circumstances for development can vary in each sittuation.

Third, the intensity and potential danger of each waterspout is different. In today's case, waterspouts were a big concern to boaters and marine life, but once these particular storms hit land, they fell apart. It takes a pretty strong storm and lots of warm air to support a waterspout onland for very long.

All in all, it's just a really amazing weather feature to admire -- just don't get too close! :)

Streak of Record Heat Broken

After 40 consecutive 100 degree days in Dallas, Texas the temperature yesterday fell short of the mark topping the thermometer at 97 degrees.  This record breaking heat wave was only eclipsed by the summer of 1980 when 42 consecutive days of 100 degree heat were observed at Dallas.  We did feel some of this heat earlier this summer, but the good news for us now, no heat like this in the near future.  Temperatures over the next week will be near normal with highs generally in the lower 80s. 

Who's Got a Case of the Sniffles?

It seems like everyone was suffering from some sort of sneezing, coughing, or runny nose spell at this morning's meeting here at WTOL. I did my best to keep my distance, until everyone found that they had something in common... Allergies. Immediately, several curious sets of eyes turned to me for answers. Well folks, here ya go.



While pollen levels are not at their peak, several factors are going into the role allergens are playing this summer. An allergy forecast discussion on pollen.com says:

"The pollen levels for Thursday will remain relatively stable in the high range. The pollen producing plants are delivering a fairly constant level of pollen into the air."

During my time spent in Georgia, i was able to learn a lot about pollen and the havoc it wreaks on the entire southern region.

Yikes. Check out that haze.

While working in Macon, i spoke with an allergist (for stories and my own personal well being!) and his little nugget of information that i always refer back to is that rain is the enemy for pollen and allergens. The more it rains, the clearer our air is because showers knock allergens out of trees and 'wash-out' our atmosphere, so to speak. So the day after a good rain shower is always a good day for allergy sufferers. Two to three days later, the allergens return, and we're left with a haze of green and an increased concentration of allergens. You can see the evidence of that indicated on our pollen chart. Up until Saturday, we're experiencing high levels of pollen. Saturday brings us the next chance of rain, so we're looking at a more moderate concentration.

Also, allergen types can affect different people in different ways. Grass is a number one allergen and it's present all summer long. other types, such as Chenopods and Nettle (which are currently high in concentration) can only appear at certain times of the year, giving some folks a real problem only for a few weeks at a time.

Taking a larger view, across the US, you can see how clearly our region sits right in the thick of it.

So for now, grab an extra handful of tissues and prepare for some allergen infused weather.

Weekend Forecast Discussion

Maybe the weather is reacting to the recent stock market changes? Either way, we're in store for some significant changes around the region.

Since the beginning of August, temperatures have already varied drastically from July's. A high of only 82 degrees Thursday felt seasonable, but cool in comparison to recent highs in the 90s (the last time we saw a temperature of 82 degress was July 13th!).



Even my apartment pool looked deserted because people didn't want to swim in 80 degree weather! C'est La Vie, I say! More room for me :)

Now as we move into this weekend, temperatures rise back into the upper 80s, and that warm weather is accompanied by a chance of some thunderstorms. For Saturday, showers are likely throughout the afternoon and early evening hours. Then, Sunday, the exact timing is still unknown, there is definitely a chance of showers, with a risk of some severe weather in the form of gusty winds and hail at times as well.



Beyond that, we're looking at temperatures in the LOW 80s! ::Gasp:: and less humidity. Hmm. I think it's about time we get back to normal around here. Don't you?

Tropical Storm Emily

Tropical Storm Emily has entered into the Caribbean and is expected to bring topical storm force winds and very heavy rains to Haiti and the Dominican Republic tonight and into tomorrow morning.  Currently winds are at 50 mph.



Here is the projected path of Emily:



There still is uncertainty on the strength and track of Emily.  Model consensus keeps her at tropical storm strength with a path just off the coast of Florida.   A modest amount of shear around 15 kts continues to hamper a more rapid intensification of Emily.  This tropical system will gradually turn more northwesterly under the influence of a subtropical ridge.  For the complete details check out the official National Hurricane Center discussion here.  Check out the forecast track eight computer models commonly used in forecasting hurricanes.  Notice the "uncertainty" and the path of greatest "agreement" between the model runs.

July's Record Heat Wave

Record high temperatures on several occasions along with persistent heat brought the 2nd warmest July on record!  Now that the month has come to a close, the average monthly temperature was 78.8°.  This mark is +5.8° above normal and is only eclipsed by July of 1921 where the average monthly temperature was 79.0°.

 

The warmest day was 102° on July 21st.  Now imagine this...Dallas Texas is currently on a streak of 30 consecutive days of temperatures ABOVE 100° for a total of 37 days of triple digit heat this year.  I expect some of the warmest weather of the season remains over the central and southern plains through the first week of August continuing the schortching hot weather.