(Sunday, November 22, 2009) – Thanksgiving week will see us go through a large scale pattern change.  Low pressure near New Orleans this morning will scoot east to off the Carolina coast on Monday morning. Weak high pressure will settle into our region for Monday.  This will be short lived as an upper level disturbance works through the northern Rockies and becomes a closed upper low over northern Missiour/southern Iowa by Tuesday evening.  This will result in Tuesday night seeing the first of at least two cold fronts sweeping through the area.  The second front comes through on Wednesday.  The upper low will spend the Thanksgiving holiday over Missouri River valley and slowly work out of the area for the weekend.

Here is the break down of the weather for Thanksgiving week:

TODAY/SUNDAY…Clouds will dominate with are sprinkles possible.  Higher chances for light rain are expected over the TN River region. Temperatures will likely stay in the 50s today.

MONDAY…I’m optimistic for a few peeks of sunshine. This will allow temperatures to try for 60 or so.

TUESDAY…A mix of sun and clouds in the morning, followed by clouds and some scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs should manage the lower 60s.

THANKSGIVING EVE/WEDNESDAY…Another cold front comes through.  It should come through dry, though.  Highs in the mid-50s.

THANKSGIVING DAY…Here is the way I see Turkey Day:  Upper low will be near
over the Midwest and I believe we will see a mainly cloudy and chilly day.  I’m expecting highs to remain in the 40s. There could be some sprinkles during the morning.

(Black)FRIDAY…Right now I’m looking for the weather on Friday to be basically the same as Thursday.  Mainly cloudy and chilly with highs in the 40s.  The “feel” of  January should put all into a Christmas shopping mood!

SATURDAY/SUNDAY…High pressure at the surface and aloft will bring sunshine and milder weather in for the weekend after Thanksgiving.  Highs 55-60 degrees.

Satellite Image at 4:32 AM CST

(Wednesday, November 18, 2009) – Another day of low clouds and spotty light rain, north of I-40, can be expected.  This as an upper low near St. Louis spins its influence around the Mississippi Valley region.  Colorized satellite image shows the extensive area of low clouds which extend as far west as Kansas and Oklahoma. Closer into the low, higher clouds are also noted and some pockets of light rain have been outlined from radar data to depict the fact that some light rain could impact at least the northern areas of West TN.

Daytime highs Tuesday were in the 40s and it appears today will be about the same with the low clouds holding firm through the day. The upper low will lift out of the region and allow sunshine to return on Thursday.  Temperatures will responds by being at least 10 degrees warmer.  Normal highs for mid-November are around 60 and normal lows are near 40.

Looking for another system to begin to affect West TN by the weekend.  Looks like the weekend before Thanksgiving will include some rain chances.

Holmes

November 10, 2009

The October 2009 average temperature for the contiguous United States was the third coolest on record for that month according to NOAA’s State of the Climate report issued today. Based on data going back to 1895, the monthly National Climatic Data Center analysis is part of the suite of climate services provided by NOAA.

The average October temperature of 50.8 degrees F was 4.0 degrees F below the 20th Century average. Preliminary data also reveals this was the wettest October on record with average precipitation across the contiguous United States reaching 4.15 inches, 2.04 inches above the 1901-2000 average.

For more details click here.

NOAA’S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAYS:
KNOW YOUR WINTER WEATHER TERMS

NOAA’s National Weather Service urges residents to keep abreast of local forecasts and warnings and familiarize themselves with key weather terminology.

Winter Storm Warning: Issued when hazardous winter weather in the form of heavy snow, heavy freezing rain, or heavy sleet is imminent or occurring. Winter Storm Warnings are usually issued 12 to 24 hours before the event is expected to begin.

Winter Storm Watch: Alerts the public to the possibility of a blizzard, heavy snow, heavy freezing rain, or heavy sleet. Winter Storm Watches are usually issued 12 to 48 hours before the beginning of a Winter Storm.

Winter Storm Outlook: Issued prior to a Winter Storm Watch. The Outlook is given when forecasters believe winter storm conditions are possible and are usually issued 3 to 5 days in advance of a winter storm.

Blizzard Warning: Issued for sustained or gusty winds of 35 mph or more, and falling or blowing snow creating visibilities at or below ¼ mile; these conditions should persist for at least three hours.

Lake Effect Snow Warning: Issued when heavy lake effect snow is imminent or occurring.

Lake Effect Snow Advisory: Issued when accumulation of lake effect snow will cause significant inconvenience.

Wind Chill Warning: Issued when wind chill temperatures are expected to be hazardous to life within several minutes of exposure.

Wind Chill Advisory: Issued when wind chill temperatures are expected to be a significant inconvenience to life with prolonged exposure, and, if caution is not exercised, could lead to hazardous exposure.

Winter Weather Advisories: Issued for accumulations of snow, freezing rain, freezing drizzle, and sleet which will cause significant inconveniences and, if caution is not exercised, could lead to life-threatening situations.

Dense Fog Advisory: Issued when fog will reduce visibility to ¼ mile or less over a widespread area.

Snow Flurries: Light snow falling for short durations. No accumulation or light dusting is all that is expected.

Snow Showers: Snow falling at varying intensities for brief periods of time. Some accumulation is possible.

Snow Squalls: Brief, intense snow showers accompanied by strong, gusty winds. Accumulation may be significant. Snow squalls are best known in the Great Lakes region.

Blowing Snow: Wind-driven snow that reduces visibility and causes significant drifting. Blowing snow may be snow that is falling and/or loose snow on the ground picked up by the wind.

Sleet: Rain drops that freeze into ice pellets before reaching the ground. Sleet usually bounces when hitting a surface and does not stick to objects. However, it can accumulate like snow and cause a hazard to motorists.

Freezing Rain: Rain that falls onto a surface with a temperature below freezing. This causes it to freeze to surfaces, such as trees, cars, and roads, forming a coating or glaze of ice. Even small accumulations of ice can cause a significant hazard.

MONTHLY CLIMATE SUMMARY
West Tennessee Weather Online Jackson TN
910 AM CST Mon Nov 2 2009

…A Cool, Wet October…

…TEMPERATURE DATA…

October 2009 had an average temperature of 57.6 deg at the McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport.  This was 3.5 deg below average and ties 2006 and 2001 as the 6th coolest October on record. The average high was 67.5 deg and the average low was 47.6 deg.  The highest temperature recorded was 86 deg on the 8th and the lowest was 32 on the 18th.

…PRECIPITATION DATA…

October is typically the second driest month for Jackson, however this year is has been the second wettest so far. Total rainfall was 7.35 inches.  This ranks as the third wettest October on record.  The greatest 24 hour total was on the 30th when 1.79 inches of rain fell.

…MISC. DATA…

The highest wind gust was 33 mph on the 9th.

…DATA FROM OTHER CLIMATE STATIONS IN JACKSON/MADISON COUNTY…

NORTH JACKSON

Total Precipitation:1.99″
Greatest 24-Hr. Amount: 1.99″ on the 30th

WEST JACKSON – Experiment Station
(There were two days of missing data)

Total Precipitation: 8.04″
Greatest 24-Hr Amount: 2.00” on the 30th

SOUTH JACKSON – Bemis

Additional information from South Jackson-Bemis is available at:  http://monthlyclimate.wordpress.com
Eddie Holmes, Meteorologist

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
WEST TENNESSEE WEATHER ONLINE JACKSON TN
910 AM CDT SAT OCT 31 2009

…24-HOUR RAINFALL AMOUNTS & PRELIMINARY OCTOBER 2009 TOTALS…

JACKSON’S MCKELLAR-SIPES REGIONAL AIRPORT OFFICIALLY RECEIVED 1.79 INCHES OF RAIN, SHATTERING THE RAINFALL RECORD FOR THE DATE.  THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 0.95 INCH SET IN 1972. YESTERDAY’S RAINFALL PUSHED THE TOTAL FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER TO 7.35 INCHES WHICH MAKES OCTOBER 2009 THE THIRD WETTEST OCTOBER ON RECORD.

BELOW IS A TALLY OF RAINFALL REPORTS FROM MADISON COUNTY COCORAHS OBSERVERS (www.cocorahs.org) FOR THE PAST 24 HOURS AND FOR OCTOBER 2009.

STATION               24 HOUR     OCTOBER ‘09

JACKSON 8.5 ESE    2.15″        8.16″
MEDINA 3.0 SE      2.05″         N/A
JACKSON 4.0 NE     1.99″        7.99″
JACKSON 4.3 N      1.97″        7.84″
GADSDEN 4.9 SSE    1.88″        8.07″
JACKSON 5.0 SSE    1.82″        7.28″
AIRPORT                    1.79″        7.35″
JACKSON 5.6 NE     1.73″        7.68″
JACKSON 1.4 SW     1.38″        6.87″

EH

RECORD REPORT AND PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
WEST TENNESSEE WEATHER ONLINE JACKSON TN
518 PM CDT FRI OCT 30 2009

…RECORD RAINFALL IN THE AREA TODAY…A VERY WET OCTOBER…

AS OF 5 PM, JACKSON’S MCKELLAR-SIPES REGIONAL AIRPORT HAS RECEIVED 1.21 INCHES OF RAIN.  THIS SETS A NEW RECORD RAINFALL RECORD FOR OCTOBER 30TH AND THE
RAIN IS NOT OVER YET.  TODAY’S 5 PM TOTAL PUSHES THE MONTHLY TOTAL TO 6.77 INCHES.  THIS MAKES OCTOBER 2009 THE 4TH WETTEST OCTOBER ON RECORD AT THE
AIRPORT.

AS OF MID-AFTERNOON, OTHER RAINFALL AMOUNTS AROUND JACKSON INCLUDE BEMIS WITH 1.26 INCHES AND NORTH JACKSON 1.37 INCHES.  THIS BRINGS MONTHLY TOTALS AT THESE LOCATIONS TO 6.72 INCHES AND 7.37 INCHES RESPECTIVELY.

HOLMES

From the NWS:

* A SLOW MOVING LINE OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL
PRODUCE A PROLONGED PERIOD OF HEAVY RAINFALL.

* STORM TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL RANGE FROM 3 TO 6 INCHES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD
TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION
SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.

(Friday, October 30, 2009) – GRLevel3 Doppler Radar showing large are of showers and thunderstorms associated with frontal systems affecting our area.  The leading edge of the rain, just after 5 AM, was from roughly Greenfield to Gadsden to Stanton to Germantown.  The cold front across AR will push to the Jackson area by early afternoon.  The flash flood watch has been extended to include another column of counties.  The watch includes the following counties:  WEAKLEY-GIBSON-HAYWOOD-CROCKETT-FAYETTE-LAKE-OBION-DYER-LAUDERDALE-TIPTON-AND SHELBY. It will be in effect through Saturday morning. Rainfall totals in the watch area could easily fall in the range of 2 to 5 inches, perhaps 6 inches in some isolated spots. Most counties in Eastern AR are under a Flash Flood WARNING so West TN residents need to be ready to take action should a warning be issued as well.