Northeast Ohio setting up for a rainy week; cooler weather will arrive Thursday

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Forecasters with AccuWeather last week warned us about the "Omega block," and it appears they will be correct. Predictions of wet and cool conditions caused by the weather pattern during the first week of May are right on schedule: After reaching 68 degrees on Wednesday, the predicted high for Thursday, May 1, is 56 degrees with a 50 percent chance of rain. The normal high on May 1 is 65 degrees.

Below normal has been the theme for this winter and spring. It will continue today with showers and a high of 57 degrees, seven degrees below normal. It's going to be blustery today and there's a chance of thunderstorms during the afternoon. However, the storms will not approach the intensity of the severe weather that moving through the Midwest, which resulted in deadly tornadoes Sunday in Arkansas and Oklahoma.



http://www.cleveland.com/weather/blog/index.ssf/2014/04/northeast_ohio_setting_up_for.html

Build yourself an ark: 3-5 inches of rain possible for D.C. area through Thursday

Rain is coming to the D.C. metro area, and lots of it.   The National Weather Service has declared a flash flood watch for the entire region Tuesday evening (10 p.m.) through late Wednesday night (6 a.m. Thursday morning). Computer model forecasts generally simulate 3-5 inches for the D.C. area between late this afternoon and Thursday afternoon, with the heaviest rain favored Tuesday late afternoon and night, and Wednesday late afternoon and evening.

“We are concerned about the potential rainfall amounts tonight through Wednesday,” writes the National Weather Service office in Sterling, Va. The rain is unlikely to fall continuously over this coming three-day period, but will come in waves. Nailing down the exact timing of these rainfall surges is close to impossible, but we tend to favor the afternoon and evening hours for the highest chance of heavy rainfall. Note there may well be windows when no rain falls or just widely scattered, intermittent showers.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2014/04/28/build-yourself-an-ark-3-5-inches-of-rain-possible-for-d-c-area-through-thursday/

Winter weather didn't hurt Starbucks' profit

While much of the fast-food industry complains about how hard restaurants were hit by the lousy winter weather, Starbucks - which posted record quarterly results on Thursday - is lovin' it. The world's biggest coffee chain said that sales at stores open a year or more rose a record 6% globally for its fiscal second quarter and 6% in the U.S, too. The company said it earned $427 million, or 56 cents a share, in the quarter.



But even in lousy weather, Starbucks seemed to remain something of a beacon for folks looking for a place to warm up - and drink up. Earlier in the quarter, the company announced a revamp of its Teavana tea business. That included an unusual partnership with Oprah Winfrey - who even got a tea named after her. Also, last month Starbucks and Keurig Green Mountain updated their multiyear agreement under which Starbucks now will expand its range of K Cup offerings for the single-serve machines.

http://archive.pnj.com/usatoday/article/8109723

Tornado Destroys Brand New Arkansas School

A brand new, $14 million school is among the wreckage after a half-mile-wide tornado swept through the Little Rock suburb of Vilonia, the Associated Press reports. The tornado was described as leveling the school, which had been set to open this fall. "There's just really nothing there anymore,” Vilonia Schools Superintendent Frank Mitchell said. “We're probably going to have to start all over again."

KHTV reporter Dustin Wilson shared this photo of the destruction.



The school was intended to serve students in the fourth, fifth and sixth grades and covered 10 acres of land. The district had applied to FEMA for funds to build a “safe room” at the school, designed to protect students from tornadoes and other severe weather. The tornado that hit Vilonia and nearby Mayflower could be rated as the nation's strongest twister to date this year. It has the potential to be at least an EF3 storm, which has winds greater than 136 mph, National Weather Service meteorologist Jeff Hood said.

http://www.weather.com/news/tornado-central/tornado-destroys-brand-new-arkansas-school-20140428

5 weather-related crashes cause Utah officials to warn drivers, offer advice

ST. GEORGE — The Utah Highway Patrol responded to two minor crashes Saturday morning, in Washington County, both of which happened after vehicles hydroplaned on wet roads. Three other crashes, one in Davis County, one in Parleys Canyon and one in Tooele County also involved vehicles losing control on wet roads. Hydroplaning happens when tires lose contact with the road in wet or slushy conditions. When water collects on roadways, a vehicle can begin to hydroplane, similary to water skiing, at speeds as low as 30 mph.



Hydroplaning makes it difficult to steer or brake safely. We recommend that drivers slow down in wet conditions. The posted speed limit may be an unsafe driving speed, depending on conditions. Motorists should also inspect their tires, which are designed to divert water as they roll. Worn tires are ineffective at diverting water. New tires are much less expensive than a new car or medical bills.

http://fox13now.com/2014/04/26/5-weather-related-crashes-cause-utah-officials-to-warn-drivers-offer-advice/

This summer will be miserable, Farmer's Almanac says

New Yorkers who have been praying for relief from this year’s brutal winter will soon be getting exactly what they wished for — in the form of an oppressive summer of stifling heat and humidity. The 2014 edition of the Farmer’s Almanac predicts the New York area will be socked by a wet, hot summer that’s set to dump a higher-than-average amount of rain across the five boroughs.

“It looks like it’s going to be an oppressively hot and humid summer for the New York area,” said Sandi Duncan, the almanac’s managing editor. “It’s going to be very humid and thundery,” she added. Things will start heating up in mid-June, just as heavy rainfalls begin to move into the area, soaking city dwellers. The heat and heavy rainfall will endure through the month of July and some of August before things begin to cool off and dry out.



http://nypost.com/2014/04/14/stifling-heat-heavy-rains-to-hit-nyc-this-summer/

Chicago weather: Storms could bring lightning, hail, winds - even a tornado

Chicago will finally see some springlike weather Monday, though it's probably not the kind residents looked forward to during the polar vortex.  ABC7 Meteorologist Phil Schwarz says the greatest threat of severe weather Monday afternoon is far southwest of Chicago. A hazardous weather outlook issued by the National Weather Service warns that rain, lightning, hail, damaging winds and even a tornado are possible Monday. 



A strong warm front will "bisect" the area Monday afternoon, bringing temperatures into the 50s near Chicago and as high as the 70s south of Interstate 80, according to the weather service. As a result, scattered thunderstorms are expected to develop over central Illinois and move north into the Chicago area Monday afternoon, possibly including hail the size of a half-dollar, damaging winds and even a tornado, according to the weather service. The intensity of the storms should wane by Monday evening, according to the weather service, though thunderstorms could return Tuesday afternoon and early evening.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local/chicago_news&id=9519071

11-month-old boy dies after severe weather in North Carolina

An 11-month-old North Carolina boy died Sunday from injuries that he suffered when weather and tornadoes tore through the state on Friday, his family says. Gavin Soto’s family in Edenton told WAVY that the child was set to turn 1 year old on May 1.

 

On Sunday, North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory visited Soto’s house – which he said “fell on top of the family” during the severe weather.



Residents, meteorologists and emergency officials in eastern North Carolina also were surveying the damage Saturday from multiple tornadoes that damaged more than 200 homes the previous day and sent more than a dozen other people to the emergency room. Meteorologists said Saturday that tornadoes with winds of more than 111 mph touched down in Pitt and Beaufort counties on Friday, and they were continuing to investigate storm damage.

http://www.foxnews.com/weather/2014/04/27/more-than-200-homes-damaged-by-north-carolina-tornadoes/

Weather Service hits bull's-eye with tornado forecast

The National Weather Service's detailed forecast of a deadly tornado outbreak across the central USA proved highly accurate. Late Sunday, one or more deadly tornadoes hit Arkansas, killing at least 14 people as the storms roared on the ground for about 80 miles.



On average, the tornado warning lead time – the time between when a warning is issued and when the tornado hits ground – is now about 13 minutes, the weather service reports. Warnings are issued for about 75% of all tornadoes, the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society reports. As recently as 1986, average tornado warning lead time was approximately five minutes and warnings were issued for only 25% of tornadoes. False alarms remain an issue. Only one of five tornado warnings actually are followed by a twister, according to a 2011 study in the journal Weather and Forecasting.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2014/04/28/tornado-warnings-arkansas/8419959/

Largest Severe Weather Outbreak of 2014 Could Happen Over Next Few Days For U.S.

This weekend and into the first part of next week could see the largest severe weather outbreak of 2014 so far for the U.S. Large hail, destructive winds, and tornadoes are an expected possibility the next few days. This chance for hazardous weather ranges from Alabama and Texas all the way up to South Dakota and over into areas of the Midwest. If it does happen, this outbreak will happen exactly three years to the date of the largest tornado outbreak the nation ever had. That tornado outbreak went on for four days which would be similar to this one, and spawned the infamous Tuscaloosa tornado which went all the way into suburban Birmingham, Alabama on April 27, 2011. By putting the word out, meteorologists are hoping that news releases might help to keep the counties residents from being caught off guard. They also want to remind individuals to keep their NOAA emergency radios handy and listen to them throughout the weekend.



One of the main reasons for extra concern this weekend is that tornadoes have been basically nearly non-existent this year as of yet and people can forget what they learn from one year to the next.
Just because the tornado season for 2014 has been fairly silent so far does not mean that could not turn on a dime. In 2013 55 tornado-related fatalities happened in the states of Mississippi, Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Illinois and Arkansas. In 2011 there were 553 people killed by tornadoes in what was considered the most deadly tornado season since 1936. Repeating: this weekend and into the first part of next week could see the largest severe weather outbreak of 2014 so far for the U.S. Large hail, destructive winds, and tornadoes are an expected possibility the next few days. This chance for hazardous weather ranges from Alabama and Texas all the way up to South Dakota and over into areas of the Midwest.

http://guardianlv.com/2014/04/largest-severe-weather-outbreak-of-2014-could-happen-over-next-few-days-for-u-s/

Using Science To Analyze Crime/Weather Relationships In Chicago

Mayor Rahm Emanuel made waves earlier this week when he said about violence in Chicago “it’s whether you have values.” Emanuel also made the rare admission that maybe warmer temperatures might have something to do with the spikes in homicides, assaults, arsons and other major crimes in Chicago.

That was followed by Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy saying Emanuel’s mandate for Chicago Public Schools to install air conditioning in schools with no or partial air conditioning may help lower the city’s violent crime rates. Per the Sun-Times’ Michael Sneed, 42,000 CPS students attend CPS summer school and other programs during the summer months. “Summer programming in a cool environment provides young people with positive ways to focus their energy, and is an important part of preventing violence and protecting public safety,” McCarthy said.

http://chicagoist.com/2014/04/24/using_science_to_predict_crime_in_c.php

Northeast, Midwest: Cool Weather for End of April

Although people will be getting ready to turn their calendars over to May, a slow-moving low pressure system will delay any prolonged warmth over the Northeast and Midwest. The same system responsible for severe thunderstorms in the Plains this weekend will transition eastward early next week and stall out over the Midwest. This will result in several days of cloudy, cool and wet weather from Minnesota to New Jersey.

Those from New York City to Washington, D.C. and westward to Chicago will make good use of their umbrellas with over 2 inches of rain possible through the end of the week.
Despite several inches of rain on the way, no widespread flooding is expected due to the long duration of the rain as opposed to it falling in just a few short hours.



This prolonged period of wet weather will impact a plethora of outdoor events, including multiple MLB games set to be held across the regions. Some baseball games may turn into washouts on days when the steadier rain is forecast to fall. This includes games set to be held in Philadelphia, Baltimore, New York City and Chicago. A few rumbles of thunder may also lead to game delays on Tuesday and Wednesday.

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/northeast-midwest-cool-weather/26144332

Rare Solar Eclipse Coming April 29

The solar eclipse set to occur April 29 will only be seen by an exclusive group.

Only those in Australia and parts of Antarctica will see Tuesday's annular solar eclipse, which will transform the sun into a ring of fire, according to Space.com. This eclipse will be an annular eclipse because the moon will be close to its furthest distance from Earth, making it too small to create a total eclipse. So instead of a brilliant blackout of the sun, people who view the eclipse will see a reddish-yellow ring around the moon.



Universe Today explains that even though Australia will be in the viewing area for this eclipse, no part of the continent will see it in totality. Only a sliver of Antarctica will have a chance to witness the entire event. Parts of Australia will see as much as 55 percent of the sun eclipsed, and some smaller islands in the Indian Ocean may see the eclipse to the same extent. Other islands, like Bali or Indonesia, will see a small chunk of the sun eclipsed by the moon. There are only two solar and two lunar eclipses in 2014, the minimum that can occur in a single year, according to Astro Guyz.

http://www.weather.com/news/science/space/solar-eclipse-april-29-20140424

Midwest, South brace for wild weekend weather; North Carolina cleans up

As parts of North Carolina dug out from the impact of powerful tornadoes, much of the central United States is bracing for even more severe weather this weekend in the form of tornadoes, damaging winds and hail. The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center, which monitors severe weather across the United States, noted only a slight chance of severe weather for Saturday. But things should get much more dangerous over the three days following. That's all due to a storm that's moving eastward from the Rockies.

 

CNN meteorologist Matt Daniels predicts a slight risk of severe storms Saturday evening from central Texas into southeast South Dakota. This may include damaging winds and large hail, but does not rule out a few tornadoes. On Sunday, most of Arkansas and neighboring areas -- including Shreveport, Louisiana, and Springfield, Missouri -- face the highest chance of severe weather, though states as far north as North Dakota, and southeast to Georgia, also could be in harm's way.

 

 

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/26/us/us-midwest-south-severe-weather/

Record Hot In West, Near-Record Cold For Midwest

Much of the East was much colder than average during the first three months of 2014. Conversely, the Desert Southwest was much warmer than average.

The first three months of 2014 were among the coldest January-to-March periods on record in several states, according to the federal government's quarterly State of the Climate Report, released Tuesday by NOAA's National Climatic Data Center. Wisconsin and Indiana shivered through their third-coldest first quarter of any year on record, while Ohio, Michigan and Illinois chalked up their fourth-coldest January-to-March periods. Eight other states – Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and West Virginia – each experienced a month among their top 10 coldest ever during first three months of the year. Statewide temperature records through NOAA's National Climatic Data Center date to 1895.

On the other end of the spectrum, the January-to-March 2014 period was the warmest on record in Arizona and California, while near-record warmth prevailed in Nevada (which had its third-warmest March), Alaska (third), Oregon (ninth) and Utah (fifth).

http://www.weather.com/news/science/january-march-cold-midwest-hottest-california-arizona-ncdc-report-20140415

Plane Crashes in Saltillo, Mexico in Heavy Fog; 8 Killed

A private plane crashed in the northern Mexico city of Saltillo during heavy fog on Saturday night, killing all eight people on board, the Associated Press reports. Civil Protection official Francisco Contreras says the Hawker 800 luxury jet slammed into the roof of a warehouse as it approached the Saltillo airport in foggy conditions. It burst into flames, crashed into the ground and broke into pieces that scattered over 400 meters (437 yards).

"Visibility was 1/2 mile at Saltillo about an hour before the plane crash, when the airport stopped reporting for the night," said weather.com meteorologist Nick Wiltgen. "The ceiling, or cloud base, was only 200 feet above the ground. It's likely the conditions were as bad or worse at the time of the crash." The cause of the crash was not yet known, but Contreras say the thick fog likely contributed.
http://www.weather.com/news/plane-crash-saltillo-mexico-heavy-fog-20140420

No Tornado Deaths in 2014: One of Safest Tornado Years So Far on Record Continues

Even as we push deeper into the heart of spring tornado season, 2014 has so far completely spared Americans the agony and grief of tornado-related deaths. The year's long early safe streak has put 2014 in rare territory, historically. The modern era of tornado records began in 1950 with the advent of the storm database maintained by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center. In that era, only one year has gone on longer without a tornado death than the current one (as of April 20, 2014).

It is likely also true that modern technology – with powerful Doppler radar systems and instant communication – have helped to keep this year's relatively weaker tornadoes from turning deadly. While we are in impressive company when looking at calendar years – resetting the count at January 1, so to speak – we are nowhere near the longest streak of consecutive days without a killer tornado. That record was just broken in 2012-13, when a string of 219 consecutive days passed without a killer tornado. That streak ended with the Adairsville, Ga., tornado on Jan. 30, 2013. Like the other streak-ending twisters mentioned above, it rated a 3 – in this case, an EF3. Currently, the most recent killer tornado is an EF2 that killed one person on Dec. 21, 2013, in Coahoma County, Miss. That means there have been 119 consecutive days without a tornado death through and including April 19, 2014 – 100 days shy of the modern record.

http://www.weather.com/safety/tornadoes/no-tornado-deaths-safety-streak-record-20140420

Rain Coming to Chicago with Roller Coaster Temperatures

A showery pattern with up-and-down temperatures is coming this week to Chicago. Monday will stay warm with a high in the low 70s. Thunderstorms will arrive mainly late in the day Monday but they could cause problems for the Chicago Cubs-Arizona Diamondbacks game at Wrigley Field. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. CDT.

The storms could disrupt any other outdoor activities. Golfers should quickly exit courses if they hear thunder; the same will apply for other outside sporting events. Motorists should be on the lookout for high water on highways.

Behind the thunderstorms, it will be noticeably cooler on Tuesday with a high in the upper 50s. Temperatures will warm up again, this time in the upper 60s, by the end of the week but another chance of rain and storms is possible Thursday.
http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/warm-easter-day-in-chicago-but/25877329

The Masters weather: A forecast unlike any other – picture perfect golfing

When the field of 97 golfers takes to the fairways in Augusta, Georgia Thursday through the weekend, they’ll battle nerves and the challenges of one of the game’s greatest tests. But weather will not be an obstacle at Augusta National: the forecast for the Masters is as good as it gets.

Golfers and patrons can expect sunny skies each day with highs on balance around 80 (upper 70s Thursday to low 80s Sunday). Morning lows moderate from the 40s Thursday to near 55 Sunday. Humidity will generally be low but may edge into the moderate range Sunday. Winds will be light for the duration of the tournament, generally no stronger than 10 mph from the south and southwest.



A big area of high pressure sitting off the East Coast is to thank for the pleasant stretch weather forecast during the tournament. It will extend far enough inland to block any disruptive weather in the Southeast U.S. through Sunday.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2014/04/09/the-masters-weather-a-forecast-unlike-any-other/

Chicago Just Had Its Coldest Winter In History. Here's Proof.

We knew it was a doozy, but new numbers make it official: Chicago's seemingly endless winter was also its coldest since records began in 1872. According to a statement released Tuesday by the National Weather Service -- it was not, unfortunately, an April Fool's joke -- Chicago experienced its coldest four-month period on record between December 2013 and March 2014.

Though meteorological winter ended weeks ago, cold weather has not loosened its grip on the Windy City. The month of March was Chicago's 19th coldest ever, contributing to an average temperature of just 22 degrees over the four months -- the chilliest average temperature for that period since tracking began 142 years ago. The next coldest December-March in Chicago came during the winter of 1903-1904 (22.3 degrees) followed by the winters of 1977-1978 and 1892-1893 (tied at 22.5 degrees).



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/02/chicago-coldest-winter-ever_n_5078201.html