Winter Storm Cleon: Heavy Rockies, Midwest Snow; Icy Mess to South; Snow to Ohio Valley, Northeast

Cleon, the third named winter storm of the 2013-14 season, is already producing areas of heavy snow, and is poised to spread both snow and ice into the South and Midwest through the end of the week.
Let's delve into the forecast details, starting with the snow forecast in the Rockies.

Snow Forecast: Rockies

Current Radar

Snow will continue in the Rockies on Wednesday from central/southern Utah and northern Arizona into northern New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming. Storm total accumulations of up to 2 feet are possible in the high country of Colorado.
(SKI: Latest conditions | Deepest Snow)
Snow accumulations in the Denver area will likely skew very heavily toward the foothills, where amounts could reach over 6 inches. Eastern sections of the metropolitan area, including the airport, will probably see 1 to 3 inches of snow. The Wednesday morning commute will be heavily impacted by the snow and frigid temperatures in the single digits.
Expect difficult travel conditions on I-70 over Vail Pass and the Eisenhower Tunnel and over much of western Colorado and eastern Utah, as far east as the Denver metro
(MORE: Arctic Blast Ahead)

Snow Forecast: Plains/Midwest 

Wednesday Forecast

Thursday Forecast

Potential Snowfall Totals

Winter Storm Cleon will also continue to dump snow from the northern High Plains to the northern Great Lakes into early Thursday.
Wednesday, a broad area of snow will continue to fall from the Dakotas and northern/western Nebraska to Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and northern Michigan.
As low pressure intensifies in the upper Mississippi Valley, snow will also intensify over much of eastern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and the western U.P. of Michigan. Blustery north to northeast winds of 15 to 30 mph will lead to areas of blowing and drifting snow and reduced visibility. While this is unlikely to reach blizzard criteria, driving conditions will still be quite treacherous.
(MORE: Blizzard Alley)
As you can see in the snowfall forecast at right, the heaviest snow totals, up to one foot, are expected in the Arrowhead of Minnesota and far northwest Wisconsin – and that's on top of the 1 to 2 feet of snow that had already fallen by late Tuesday in parts of that area!
Surrounding that area, snowfall accumulations of up to 6 inches are possible in an arc from eastern North Dakota through the Twin Cities and into parts of northern Michigan.

http://www.weather.com/news/weather-winter/winter-storm-cleon-forecast-20131201

Oklahoma City Fog Creates Flight Delays, Diversions, and Spectacular Photos

Iron Men: Morning Fog

Extremely dense fog choked air travel in and out of Oklahoma City Sunday night and Monday morning, leaving hundreds of people waiting for severely delayed flights to and from Oklahoma's largest city.
Cool, moist air and a lack of wind allowed the fog to form quickly Sunday evening. By 9:14 p.m. CST, the city's main airport, Will Rogers World Airport, reported visibility of one-quarter of a mile.
The visibility remained that bad or worse all night and most of Monday morning. Visibility dropped to one-sixteenth of a mile shortly before midnight and stayed that way until just before 10 a.m. local time.
Because of the extremely low visibility, most flights in and out of Will Rogers World Airport were severely delayed, and in some cases, canceled. Some incoming flights were diverted because the fog made it too dangerous to land.
The airport's official website showed departure delays of more than 5 hours for most early morning flights – that is, the ones that weren't canceled outright.
Arriving flights faced severe difficulties as well. For instance, United Airlines Flight 5902, scheduled to leave Denver International Airport at 9:04 p.m. Sunday, did not leave Denver until more than 11 hours later; it was then diverted to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport because of the weather in Oklahoma City.
http://www.weather.com/news/oklahoma-city-fog-skyline-flights-delayed-diverted-20131202

Allergic to the Cold: How Winter Temps Can Kill

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You Could Be Allergic to THIS

For some people, the seasonal shift in temperature can cause a lot more than the winter blues — it can kill, thanks to a rare allergic reaction to cold weather called cold urticaria.
In a person with cold urticaria, exposure to cold air will cause hives, as the person readjusts to a warmer temperature.
It's rare, but it can be life-threatening if there is a "total-body cooling," such as a plunge into a cold swimming pool, which produces a deadly anaphylactic reaction, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
(MORE: Achluophobia to Thermophobia: 19 Wild Weather Phobias)
For Grant Schlager, 12, of Minnesota, even drinking an icy soda can produce hives, his family told USA Today. So just to be safe, he takes a twice-daily antihistamine, and carries an EpiPen, which delivers an emergency dose of epinephrine during an life-threatening reaction.
A similar phenomenon can happen with the heat, too — after sun exposure, according to the AAAI. Solar urticaria causes hives within a few minutes of time spent in the sun.
Why some people have such extreme reactions to changing temperatures isn't entirely clear. But research from the National Institutes of Health published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that it may come from a genetic mutation paired with other immune system abnormalities and disorders.
(MORE: Your Body on Weather: How Climate Affects Your Health)
It's also not known how many people have the condition — a European study published in 1996 found that one in 2,000 people have it, the author of the NEJM paper, Dr. Joshua Milner, told USA Today.
Cold urticaria is most common in children, and it can go away over time, according to the Mayo Clinic, which is where Schlager was diagnosed with the condition. To test for it, Mayo Clinic doctors place an ice cube on exposed skin for several minutes. In cold urticaria patients, a hive will form after the ice cube is removed.
There's no known cure for the condition, but medications can ease symptoms, and prevent severe reactions, according to the Mayo Clinic.

http://www.weather.com/health/allergic-cold-how-winter-temps-can-kill-20131118

Midwest Tornado Outbreak: Death Toll Rises as Officials First Real Look at Damage

Death toll rises from Sunday's outbreak:

• Death toll rises to 8
• A preliminary rating of EF4 has been given to the tornado that hit New Minden, Ill. (170-190 mph)
• Two preliminary EF4 tornadoes hit Washington, Ill. (166-200 mph)
• Preliminary EF2 tornado hit near Coal City, Ill. (111-135 mph)
• EF0 tornado confirmed in Portland, Tenn.
• EF0 tornado confirmed in Otsego County, Mich. (65-75 mph); northernmost tornado this late in the year for the state
• EF1 tornado in Butler County, Ky. (105 mph max.)

WASHINGTON, Ill. -- As a powerful tornado bore down on their Illinois farmhouse, Curt Zehr's wife and adult son didn't have time to do anything but scramble into their basement.
Uninjured, the pair looked out moments later to find the house gone. Their home on the outskirts of Washington, Ill., was destroyed Sunday by one of the dozens of tornadoes and intense thunderstorms that swept across the Midwest in a swift-moving line of violent weather that killed at least eight people and unleashed powerful winds that flattened entire neighborhoods, flipped over cars and uprooted trees.
"They saw (the tornado) right there and got in the basement," said a stunned Zehr, pointing to the farm field near the rubble that had been his home.
(MORE: Midwest Tornado Outbreak Interactive Map)
Washington Mayor Gary Manier estimated that 250 to 500 homes had been damaged or destroyed. It wasn't clear when residents would be allowed to return.

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Tornadoes Rip Through Midwest

"Everybody's without power, but some people are without everything," Manier told reporters in the parking lot of a destroyed auto parts store and near a row of flattened homes.
"How people survived is beyond me," he said.
The unusually powerful late-season wave of thunderstorms brought damaging winds and tornadoes to 12 states: Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and western New York.
Illinois was the hardest hit, with at least six people killed and dozens more injured. Authorities said Monday that two other deaths occurred in Michigan.
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn promised all the assistance the state could provide to victims of what he said were the deadliest November tornadoes in state history.
"We're all in this together," Quinn said.
"Sunday was the second most active severe weather day of 2013, with roughly 500 total reports of wind damage, high winds, tornadoes, and large hail," said weather.com Senior Meteorologist Jon Erdman.
"Damage surveys will be conducted to confirm final tornado counts, but this could be the largest November tornado outbreak in the U.S. in almost eight years."
http://www.weather.com/news/tornado-central/midwest-tornado-outbreak-20131118

Tropical Depression Zoraida Moves Through as Haiyan Relief Continues

Even as relief efforts ramp up in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Haiyan, another tropical disturbance is crossing the Philippines.
Tropical Depression Zoraida, as named by the Philippine weather agency PAGASA, has brought locally heavy rain to parts of the southern and central Philippines. Davao City, the largest city on the main southern island of Mindanao, reported 82 mm (3.2 inches) of rain in the 24-hour period ending at 8 a.m. Philippine time Tuesday. The Philippines are 13 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time.
Davao is one of the largest cities in the Philippines, with over 1.4 million people in the city and 2.2 million people in its metropolitan area.
Weather reports from the hardest-hit areas of the central Philippines are limited as most of the infrastructure was wiped out by Super Typhoon Haiyan.

Philippines Satellite

PAGASA downgraded Zoraida to a remnant low at 3:30 p.m. local time Tuesday, but the Japan Meteorological Agency – the official tropical cyclone forecasting center for the western Pacific – has maintained it as a weak unnamed tropical depression. The center of the system was, as of Tuesday afternoon U.S. time, centered over the Sulu Sea, between Mindanao and the narrow southwestern island of Palawan. Movement was to the west at 22 mph, according to the JMA.
However, most of the rain and thunderstorm activity is well north and west of the center of circulation. This means that a large amount of the thunderstorm activity is already starting to push west of the Philippine island chain.
Little if any intensification of this system is expected as it emerges west of the Philippines in the coming days.
Stay with The Weather Channel and weather.com as we follow the aftermath of Super Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.


http://www.weather.com/news/weather-hurricanes/tropical-depression-zoraida-philippines-storm-typhoon-20131111

Typhoon Haiyan Update: Aid Trickles Into the Philippines as Massive Cleanup Effort Begins

Haiyan is no longer a typhoon, but the destruction it left in the Philippines will take months or even years to overcome.The typhoon-ravaged Philippine islands faced an unimaginably huge recovery effort that had barely begun Monday. As the official death toll rises to 942, many more bodies lay uncollected and uncounted in the streets and survivors pleaded for food, water and medicine.
Military spokesman Lt. Jim Alagao said 275 others were confirmed missing from the storm. The death toll is expected to rise considerably. Two provincial officials predicted Sunday that it could reach 10,000 or more.
(MORE: How You Can Help Typhoon Victims)
Police guarded stores to prevent people from hauling off food, water and such non-essentials as TVs and treadmills, but there was often no one to carry away the dead - not even those seen along the main road from the airport to Tacloban, the worst-hit city along the country's remote eastern seaboard.
At a small naval base, eight bloated corpses - including that of a baby - were submerged in sea water brought in by the storm. Officers there had yet to move them, saying they had no body bags or electricity to preserve them.

Typhoon Haiyan: How You Can Help

Two officials said Sunday that Friday's typhoon may have killed 10,000 or more people, but with the slow pace of recovery, the official death toll remained well below that. The Philippine military confirmed 942 dead, but shattered communications, transportation links and local governments indicate that the final toll will take days to be known. Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said "we pray" that the death toll is less than 10,000.
"Haiyan is now just a remnant low over southern China, after coming ashore south of Hanoi, Vietnam Sunday afternoon (U.S. time)," said weather.com Senior Meteorologist Jon Erdman. "This ended an over one-week journey, from Micronesia to Palau to the Philippines and finally to northern Vietnam and China."
 

http://www.weather.com/news/weather-hurricanes/typhoon-haiyan-update-victims-aid-20131111

Dangerous Rip Currents, Flooding, Wind Expected for Coastal Florida, Georgia, South Carolina

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Dangerous Waves In Florida

Despite the lack coastal storms and tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Basin, dangerous surf, strong rip currents and coastal flooding have become a nuisance along the coasts of east Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.Strong high pressure is swirling off the Canada Maritimes coupled with lower pressure in the Caribbean Sea have left the Florida and Georgia coasts caught in the middle with strong easterly onshore winds, which will make for an ugly few days in the Sunshine State.

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Southeast Forecast

“Most of the beach where we're standing will be covered with water during high tides through Wednesday morning,” said meteorologist Mike Seidel of The Weather Channel, reporting from Daytona Beach, Fla.
“High tides here at Daytona Beach are 8:41 a.m. and 9:02 p.m. and close to those times from Charleston to Vero Beach where the high surf advisory is in effect. There will be minor coastal flooding and minor beach erosion.”
Minor coastal flooding is already occurring in some locations.

• Dune erosion – south of Sebastian Inlet, Fla.
• Dune breaches – near Waveland Beach in St. Lucie County, Fla.

From a public safety perspective, there will likely be fewer visitors to the beaches since the height of tourist season is over.
“It's the off season here, but with water temperatures still in the low 70s, visitors from up north will still go in the water,” said Seidel. “But not most of the locals. It’s too cold for them. But the lifeguards will keep everyone out today because of the rip currents.”

http://www.weather.com/news/dangerous-rip-currents-coastal-flooding-florida-20131105

Chicago 'Earthquake' Turns Out to Be Quarry Blast

The earth rattled in the Chicago area Monday afternoon, but it turned out the fault (so to speak) was with man and not nature.
WGN-TV reports that a "shot" blast at Hanson Materials in suburban Hodgkins, Ill., was to blame for what the U.S. Geological Survey recorded as a magnitude-3.2 earthquake at 12:35 p.m. CST Monday. Initially, the USGS had rated the magnitude as 3.7.
The USGS website received reports of shaking across many of Chicago's western and southwestern suburbs, as well as parts of the city itself, generally within a 15-mile radius of the quarry blast. Most of these reports were characterized as weak or light. A few spotty reports of shaking came in from the northwestern suburbs as well. No serious damage was reported.
Two major quarries operate in the vicinity of the reported epicenter. According to Google Maps, less than a mile separates the Hanson Materials site from the larger McCook Quarry, both located about 15 miles west-southwest of downtown Chicago.
Jeff May, senior area operations manager for Vulcan Materials Company, which operates the McCook Quarry, confirmed his company did not conduct any blasting activity Monday.
(WATCH: Chicago Forecast)
Joshua Robbins, spokesman for Vulcan, said that quarries typically keep close tabs on the impact of their blasts, which in the industry are called "shots."
"The shots are all measured. There are seismographs. Quarries typically measure it at multiple locations," Robbins said. "Each shot is recorded ... usually at multiple points."
He explained that quarry shots are typically done by drilling holes into the limestone rock and using ammonium nitrate fuel oil mixture to do the blasting. He noted that most states have a Department of Natural Resources that regulates such activity.
Robbins said it would be hard to imagine a quarry blast being large enough to cause structural damage. "In my company, we send out structural engineers to evaluate claims of blast damage."

http://www.weather.com/news/quarry-blast-earthquake-20131104

Rare Hybrid Solar Eclipse Over North America This Weekend: How to See It

The cosmos have saved a special treat for the final eclipse of 2013.
On Sunday, Nov. 3, a "hybrid" solar eclipse will be visible from the eastern coast of North America to Europe all the way to parts of Africa and the Middle East, according to an EarthSky.com report. The eclipse will begin over North America at sunrise and will move east through sunset on Sunday evening.
(MORE: Is This the Coldest Place in the Universe?)

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Martian Eclipse

This eclipse is known as a hybrid because it will start as an annular eclipse before the Moon's orbit gets close enough to Earth to become a total eclipse, reports Universe Today. Of the nearly 12,000 solar eclipses that have occurred since 1999 BC, fewer than five percent are hybrid eclipses, the report also states.

According to the Washington Post, Washington, D.C. residents can expect to see the annular eclipse begin at 6:38 a.m. and will last for about 30 minutes. Areas to the east can expect the eclipse to last a few more minutes, and they will see slightly more of the sun's area covered by the annular eclipse.
As for the solar eclipse, only the easternmost points of North America will briefly see it, which excludes all of the United States.
Also, remember to turn back your clocks on Saturday night with Daylight Saving Time ending early Sunday morning, before the eclipse begins, to ensure you don't miss the celestial event.
This will be 2013's fifth eclipse overall and the second solar eclipse of the year, Universe Today says
.
http://www.weather.com/news/science/space/hybrid-eclipse-coming-november-20131029

Port Hueneme, Calif.: Beaches Disappearing, Send Us Your Sand

PORT HUENEME, Calif. -- For one California beach city, every grain of sand counts.
Port Hueneme, home to a naval base and about 20,000 residents, is starved for sand because Congress has not allocated enough money to help repair the city's badly eroded beaches, according to the Ventura County Star.
The city is supposed to receive extra sand every two years through nearby dredging by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. But the most recent effort to pump 2.5 million cubic yards of sand - enough to bury 40 football fields almost 30 feet deep - wasn't done because of federal budget restraints.

"The solution to this problem is simple," said Mayor Ellis Green. "The federal government needs to fulfill its obligation and pump the sand that is now in the sand trap to our beaches."
The erosion problem is so bad that the ocean comes right up to a street on the west end of town, city officials said. The city's pier is about 6 feet below where it should be and could be damaged by powerful storms.
Last month, Gov. Jerry Brown signed two bills that would provide $2 million to help Port Hueneme fortify its beaches, but it's unclear if the funding will provide assistance this winter.
On Wednesday, a 4-pound bag of sand arrived at City Hall from Stockholm, Sweden, sent by a family who recently visited Port Hueneme. The family also posted a video online, hoping to inspire others to send sand.
Some city officials, however, were cautious the campaign might bring a granular avalanche.
"I sure hope this video doesn't go viral," the city's mayor pro tem, Jon Sharkey, told the newspaper. "I can just envision truckloads of sand coming up to City Hall."
MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Malibu Beach Erosion

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http://www.weather.com/news/science/nature/port-hueneme-calif-beaches-disappearing-send-us-your-sand-20131028

Record Rainfall, Widespread Warmth Highlight September Climate Report

September was the sixth warmest and 12th wettest of the past 119 years nationally, according to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), which releases its State of the Climate report every month.
The federal government’s climate agency released its analysis of September temperature and precipitation data for the U.S. on Monday, more than a week later than usual, after the partial government shutdown prevented the information from being released on time.

Temperatures Compared to Average

Widespread Warmth

The warmth was widespread, with 26 of the contiguous 48 states logging above-average September temperatures. Most of these states were in the western two-thirds of the country. Seven states – Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, North and South Dakota, and Nebraska – registered a top-10 warmest September on record.
Only four states – New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland – were labeled cooler than average. The Empire State had the coolest state-by-state ranking, logging its 33rd coolest September of the past 119 years.
The NCDC defines above-average temperatures and precipitation as readings placing in the top one-third of the historical record for a given area, and below-average temperatures and precipitation as those placing in the bottom one-third.

Precipitation Compared to Average

Record Rainfall

September’s historic Colorado flood disaster was reflected in the official data, with the Centennial State logging by far its wettest September on record. The statewide average of 4.09 inches was 40 percent wetter than Colorado’s previous September record of 2.93 inches set in 1961.
In fact, only two other months in Colorado recordkeeping have been wetter – April 1900 (5.51 inches) and April 1942 (4.20 inches).
The state record was driven by extreme rainfall in mid-September, particularly over the northern part of Colorado's Front Range. Some locations near Boulder picked up well over a foot of rain in just five days, leading to destructive flash floods.
An unusually early bout of heavy rainfall also pushed Washington and Oregon to their wettest Septembers on record. Oregon crushed its 1986 record by a margin of 30 percent, while Washington was about 4 percent wetter than its previous 1959 record.
Seattle received 6.17 inches of rain on the month, eclipsing a 35-year-old record. It was also the wettest September on record in Portland, Ore., where 5.62 inches of rain last month crushed the old September record of 4.30 inches set in 1986.
Such heavy rainfall is more typical of November, December, and January in the Pacific Northwest.


http://www.weather.com/news/record-rainfall-widespread-warmth-highlight-september-climate-report-20131023

Super Smog Hits China; Flights Cancelled

BEIJING  -- Visibility shrank to less than half a football field and small-particle pollution soared to a record 40 times higher than an international safety standard in one northern Chinese city as the region entered its high-smog season.
The manager for U.S. jazz singer Patti Austen, meanwhile, said the singer had canceled a concert in Beijing because of an asthma attack likely linked to pollution.
Winter typically brings the worst air pollution to northern China because of a combination of weather conditions and an increase in the burning of coal for homes and municipal heating systems, which usually start on a specific date. For the large northern city of Harbin, the city's heating systems kicked in Sunday, and on Monday visibility there was less than 50 meters (yards), according to state media.
"I couldn't see anything outside the window of my apartment, and I thought it was snowing," said Wu Kai, 33, a housewife and mother of a baby boy, said in a telephone interview from Harbin. "Then I realized it wasn't snow. I have not seen the sun for a long time."

She said her husband went to work in a mask, that he could barely see a few meters ahead of him and that his usual bus had stopped running.
"It's scary, too dangerous. How could people drive or walk on such a day?"
The density of fine particulate matter, PM2.5, used as an indicator of air quality was well above 600 micrograms per cubic meter - including several readings of exactly 1,000 - for several monitoring stations in Harbin, according to figures posted on the website of China's environmental protection agency. They were the first known readings of 1,000 since China began releasing figures on PM2.5 in January 2012, and it was not immediately clear if the devices used for the monitoring could give readings higher than that.
A safe level recommended by WHO is 25 micrograms per cubic meter.
Primary and middle schools and some highways were closed, said authorities in the city, which is in China's northernmost province bordering Russia. At least 40 flights flying to destinations in southern China and Beijing among others had been cancelled or postponed at Harbin's Taiping International Airport on Monday morning.
Austin's management team said the 63-year-old singer had been treated in hospital Friday morning for the asthma attack in combination with respiratory infection. She returned to her hotel later Friday to rest, but she was unable to physically perform at her concert scheduled for Beijing on Friday evening. Her Saturday night concert in Shanghai went ahead.
Her manager, Barry Orms, said Monday that Austin, as an asthma sufferer, would have been "affected by the amount of pollution." He said that it wasn't their goal to place blame, and that "Patti has expressed our belief that the Chinese government can be a leader in this very important issue."
On the morning ahead of her concert Friday, Beijing's air was visibly polluted, with the city's environmental monitoring center warning children, the elderly and those with respiratory illnesses to reduce outdoor activity.
China's major cities have some of the world's worst smog. The government was long indifferent to the environment as it pursued economic development, but has begun launching some anti-pollution initiatives after mounting public frustration.
Last month, China's Cabinet released an action plan that aims to make a small reduction in the country's heavy reliance on coal to below 65 percent of total energy usage by 2017. According to Chinese government statistics, coal consumption accounted for 68.4 percent of total energy use in 2011.

http://www.weather.com/news/super-smog-hits-china-flights-cancelled-20131021

Tornadoes in October, November: Fall Considered Second Severe Season

Spring is known for its strong storm systems that can create violent twisters. However, it's not the only season known for tornadoes. Autumn is considered the "second" tornado season.
"The second half of October and especially November can often be a second season for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms," said tornado expert Dr. Greg Forbes. "In many ways, this is the counterpart to spring, when strong fronts and upper-air systems march across the United States. When enough warm, moist air accompanies these weather systems, the unstable conditions yield severe thunderstorms and sometimes tornadoes."

 

 

While most of the largest tornado outbreaks still occur in spring, autumn has its share of storms as well. Dr. Forbes examined the storm statistics and found six of the largest 55 known tornado outbreaks occurred in October and November.
May is still the peak month for tornadoes. Up to 52 percent of September's tornado outbreaks are due to landfalling tropical storms and hurricanes. October and November's tornadoes are caused by strong cold fronts and low pressure systems affecting the South and sometimes the Midwest.
So far, 2013 is on pace to be a record low tornado year. January was the only month that's been above average for tornadoes. It had 74 tornadoes, 2.3 times the average number of tornadoes.
The numbers don't mean it has been an easy tornado year. At least 46 people have died in the U.S.from tornadoes this year. Two extremely destructive tornadoes devastated towns in Oklahoma in May. A severe storm system Oct. 2 may have spawned as many as 12 tornadoes, according to preliminary estimates.
"It's a been a year with some notorious tornadoes," said Forbes said.
http://www.weather.com/news/tornado-central/fall-second-tornado-season-20131002

Tropical Cyclone Phailin Slams India

India was hammered by powerful Cyclone Phailin over the weekend, forcing nearly a million people to evacuate from their homes near the coast. Though at least 25 people have been reported killed from the storm, it hit the same coast as a 1999 cyclone that killed 10,000 -- a testament to the lives saved from a mass evacuation.
Thousands of homes were destroyed by Phailin and the coastline has been heavily damaged. Pictured above is a gallery of the destruction left behind by the storm's incredible winds and surge.
http://www.weather.com/news/weather-hurricanes/photos-tropical-cyclone-phailin-20131012

Tropical Storm Narda Spins in the Eastern Pacific

Tropical Storm Narda, which formed as Tropical Depression Fourteen-E Sunday afternoon, is spinning over 1,200 miles west-southwest of the tip of Mexico's Baja California.
Narda is no threat to land as it moves in a generally westward direction over the next few days. It will eventually reach colder waters and dissipate later this week or this weekend.

Projected Path

Projected Path

The latest forecast path and wind speeds from the National Hurricane Center.

Storm Information

Current Information

So, where exactly is the cyclone's center located now? If you're plotting the storm along with us, click on the "Current Information" map below to get the latitude/longitude coordinates, distance away from the nearest land location, maximum sustained winds and central pressure (measured in millibars).

Satellite

Satellite

How does the system look on satellite imagery? Click on "infrared" satellite imagery, to see how "cold" the cloud tops are. Brighter orange and red shadings concentrated near the center of circulation signify a healthy tropical cyclone.

http://www.weather.com/news/weather-hurricanes/tropical-depression-fourteen-storm-hurricane-narda-20131006

Tornado Cleanup Continues in Nebraska and Iowa

WAYNE, Neb. — The tornado cleanup continued Sunday in northeast Nebraska and northwest Iowa as residents worked to clear the debris the storms left behind.
Officials say the storms caused significant damage to dozens of businesses and a number of rural homes as several tornadoes touched down Friday. The most severe damage was in Wayne, Neb., but storms also damaged homes near Macy, Neb., and into rural areas of northwest Iowa near Sloan.
Tornado expert Dr. Greg Forbes says he estimates a total of 12 tornadoes touched down Friday in Nebraska and Iowa. However, he stresses these are preliminary numbers and could change as the National Weather Service finishes its damage surveys Monday, Oct. 7.
The losses around Wayne are expected to cost millions of dollars to repair because the tornado decimated the city's industrial area near the airport, but officials haven't put a figure on the damage. Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman said after touring the damage Sunday that he expects the area will qualify for federal disaster aid.

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Heineman said he's grateful no one died in Friday's storms. But at least 15 people were injured, including one critically.
"People in this community are resilient and they are going to rebuild," Heineman said.
Businesses and homeowners are just starting to get an idea of what it will take to rebuild. Representatives of Seattle-based Pacific Coast Feather were in Wayne Sunday to assess what can be salvaged from the company's feather-bedding plant there.
"Our message to the affected businesses is: we want to help you get back up and running," Heineman said.
Wayne Mayor Ken Chamberlain said many homeowners who lost nearly all their possessions in the storm appear resilient.
"It's been heart wrenching. Considering what happened, these people are not broken. They got knocked down, got up and brushed themselves off and began working on recovery," Chamberlain said.
The National Weather Service says the tornado that struck Wayne had peak winds up to 170 mph, so it as an ranked EF4. That's near the top of the five-point Enhanced Fujita scale for tornadoes.

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Aftermath of Tornadoes in Nebraska

The Weather Service said October tornadoes are unusual, but not unheard of. Nebraska averages about one tornado every October, and last year, there were 41 tornadoes nationwide in October.
The Wayne tornado left a trail of damage over 19 miles starting eight miles southwest of the city, but fortunately it missed the downtown and residential district. The campus of Wayne State College was also largely spared although the college's chief information officer, John Dunning, was critically hurt.
Outside of Wayne, a different tornado damaged at least 12 homes and one business in an area stretching between Macy and Sloan.
Near Pierson, Iowa, Bud and Patricia Herbold took cover under a basement staircase as a tornado tore apart their house and destroyed three grain bins, livestock buildings and a barn. But Bud Herbold said he's family would persevere.
"I've been through worse than this," said Herbold, whose 11-year-old daughter, Laura, died in a snowmobile accident in 2003. "My dad told me, 'Just do what comes naturally.' So that's what we're going to do."
Officials expect volunteers to help with the storm cleanup, but they are asking people who want to help to call 211 to register so they can coordinate efforts.

http://www.weather.com/news/tornado-central/tornado-cleanup-continues-nebraska-and-iowa-20131007

Tropical Storm Jerry in the Central Atlantic

Jerry, the tenth named storm of the season, continues to move very slowly in the central Atlantic Ocean well away from land.
Jerry is not expected to strengthen appreciably and has begun its track toward the northeast. Jerry, or its post-tropical remnant low, may reach The Azores this weekend with some showers and wind gusts, but otherwise should be of little impact.
Jerry is no threat to the United States or any other land areas.
Below we have maps with additional information on Jerry.

Projected Path

Projected Path

The latest forecast path and wind speeds from the National Hurricane Center.

Storm Information

Current Information

So, where exactly is the cyclone's center located now? If you're plotting the storm along with us, click on the "Current Information" map below to get the latitude/longitude coordinates, distance away from the nearest land location, maximum sustained winds and central pressure (measured in millibars).

Satellite

How does the system look on satellite imagery. Click on "infrared" satellite imagery, to see how "cold" the cloud tops are. Brighter orange and red shadings concentrated near the center of circulation signify a healthy tropical cyclone.


http://www.weather.com/news/weather-hurricanes/tropical-depression-11-storm-hurricane-jerry-20130917

Midwest to See Huge Temperature Drops, Thunderstorms and Possible Snow

Enjoy the mild temperatures and calm weather conditions right now if you live in the Midwest, because big changes are on the way to end the week.
(MAP: Current Temperatures)

Midwest Storm Setup

The culprit is a potent jet stream dip that will move across the northern Rockies and into the Plains. This will help to propel a strong frontal system through the Midwest Thursday through Saturday.
Impacts will range from huge temperatures drops to gusty winds, thunderstorms and perhaps even some snow.

Potential Late Week Storm Impacts

Mild Tuesday

Much Cooler Friday

Impact #1: Huge Temperature Drops
The most certain impact from this frontal system will be the very large temperature drops. In some places, high temperatures will drop 25 or more degrees from the start to the end of the week.
Here's a few examples:

• Denver and Rapid City, S.D.: After starting the week with temperatures in 60s, 70s and even low 80s, highs may not get out of the 40s and low 50s in these areas on Friday.
• Minneapolis: Highs in the upper 70s to near 80 through Wednesday will plummet into the 50s by Saturday.
• Kansas City: Highs in the low 80s through Thursday will crash into the 50s and 60s this weekend.
• Chicago: Afternoon temperatures in the 70s and low 80s through Friday will be replaced by 60s this weekend.

http://www.weather.com/news/weather-forecast/midwest-cold-snow-thunderstorms-20130930

Pakistan Earthquake: Hundreds Dead, Hundreds More Injured After 7.7-Magnitude Tremor Shakes Pakistan

QUETTA, Pakistan -- Rescuers struggled Wednesday to help thousands of people injured and left homeless after their houses collapsed in a massive earthquake in southwestern Pakistan the day before. As of Wednesday morning, at least 328 people were confirmed dead and another 470 were injured.
The earth moved with enough force to create a small island visible off the southern coast after the huge tremor, said Pakistani officials.
The magnitude 7.7 quake struck in the remote district of Awaran in Pakistan's Baluchistan province on Tuesday afternoon. Such a quake is considered major, capable of widespread and heavy damage.
It was felt as far away as New Delhi, the Indian capital, some 1,200 kilometers (about 740 miles) away, but no damage or injuries were immediately reported there.
The quake flattened wide swathes of Awaran, the district where it was centered. Most of the victims were killed when their houses collapsed.

Did Quake Form New Island?

Local Pakistani TV channels showed images of devastated villages in remote areas. Houses made mostly of mud and handmade bricks had collapsed, walls and roofs caved in and people's possessions scattered on the ground.
An unidentified man who appeared to be injured in his leg was shown supported by two men helping him walk. He said he was drinking tea when he heard a loud bang: "It shook everything."
In Pakistani cities such as Karachi and Quetta people ran into the streets in fear, praying for their lives when the quake hit.
The Pakistani military said it had rushed almost 1,000 troops to the area overnight and was sending helicopters as well. A convoy of 60 Pakistani army trucks left Karachi early Wednesday, carrying supplies for those affected by the quake.
Local officials said they were sending doctors, food and 1,000 tents for people who had nowhere to sleep as strong aftershocks continued to shake the region.


http://www.weather.com/news/pakistan-earthquake-20130924

New Mexico Flooding Update: Man's Body Found in Flood Debris

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A hiker found the body of a man amid debris from flooding that brought widespread damage to the state this month, authorities said as areas of the storm-weary region faced more thunderstorms.
Catron Country Sheriff's Office said the man was found Saturday in a sand bar off the San Francisco River near Alma in the Gila National Forest. It appears he died in the flood.
Under Sheriff Ian Fletcher said Sunday that it was not known if the body was that of 83-year-old Howard Bassett, the Arizona man reported missing last week after he was evacuated from the Silver Creek Inn in Mogollon on Sept. 14 and did not return to collect his belongings.

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The sand bar where the body was found had debris from the flood. The body has been sent to the Officer of Medical Investigators for identification.
State Police said aerial searchers found Bassett's truck Wednesday night, and it was wrapped in mud and flood debris in Silver Creek off State Road 159.
Bassett was staying at the Silver Creek Inn when heavy rains hit.
The National Weather Service said early Sunday northwestern and north central New Mexico could see "strong to severe" thunderstorms. By evening, a flood advisory was in effect for the Albuquerque, where thunderstorms also were reported.

http://www.weather.com/news/new-mexico-flooding-update-20130918