A whole new definition

This certainly ranks right up there with the most counties I've ever seen included in one severe weather warning. It gives an all new definition to the term "blanket warning!" This is just crazy...

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
658 PM EST TUE JAN 29 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN INDIANAPOLIS HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF COLUMBUS...
BOONE COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
CLINTON COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF FRANKFORT...
WESTERN DECATUR COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
HAMILTON COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
HANCOCK COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
HENDRICKS COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
HOWARD COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF KOKOMO...
JOHNSON COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
MADISON COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF ANDERSON...
MARION COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS...
MORGAN COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
WESTERN RUSH COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
SHELBY COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF SHELBYVILLE...
TIPTON COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
WESTERN DELAWARE COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL INDIANA...
WESTERN HENRY COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL INDIANA...
EASTERN CARROLL COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL INDIANA...
BROWN COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA...
JACKSON COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA...
THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF SEYMOUR...
LAWRENCE COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA...
THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF BEDFORD...
MONROE COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA...
THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON...
JENNINGS COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST INDIANA...
EXTREME NORTHEASTERN OWEN COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL INDIANA...
EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN PUTNAM COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL INDIANA...

* UNTIL 745 PM EST

* AT 653 PM EST...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DESTRUCTIVE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 10 MILES NORTH OF FLORA TO 25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MITCHELL...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LOGANSPORT TO 23 MILES EAST OF PETERSBURG...AND MOVING EAST AT 80 MPH.

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
WHITESTOWN BY 705 PM EST...
ZIONSVILLE BY 710 PM EST...
WINDFALL BY 715 PM EST...
WHITELAND BY 720 PM EST...

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 65 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 37 AND 156.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 69 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 0 AND 52.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 70 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 48 AND 121.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 74 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 47 AND 135.

FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS. THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY AND SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO PROPERTY.

THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING DESTRUCTIVE WINDS AND LARGE DAMAGING HAIL. SEEK SHELTER NOW INSIDE A STURDY STRUCTURE AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS!

THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING WIDESPREAD WIND DAMAGE ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA WITH WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 TO 80 MPH REPORTED. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SEEK SHELTER NOW INSIDE A STURDY STRUCTURE AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS!

That's 25 counties whole or partially included in this warning! Granted, we're dealing with an intense squall line here. Also of particular note is the forward progression! Moving east at 80 mph!?! The line itself, isn't moving eastward quite that fast. I'm assuming the NWS caught the 80mph out of some SCIT information for an embedded cell in the echo wave pattern. Either way, seems like folks in Illinois and those back home in Indiana are dealing with some damaging winds this evening.

Soon enough, they'll find themselves at 10° or 20° F with snow falling... and winds at 30 mph! Pretty incredible system...

Plummeting, once again!

Temperatures outside this morning are dropping like a rock, once again. It's days like this that really make me look forward to those 90 and 100° days in June and July! Hopefully, they're not too far away...

 Site      Time      Tmp Dpt W/H Wdr Wsp Wgs   Vis  Wx
-----------------------------------------------------------
 KGFK Jan 29 0705UTC  -0  -8 -26  NW  33  44  0.50 BLSN  
 KGFK Jan 29 0721UTC  -2  -8 -28  NW  32  40  0.75 BLSN  
 KGFK Jan 29 0753UTC  -3 -10 -30  NW  32  46  0.75 BLSN  
 KGFK Jan 29 0800UTC  -2  -9 -26 WNW  25  39  3.00 BLSN  
 KGFK Jan 29 0813UTC  -2  -9 -27  NW  28  39  1.50 BLSN  
 KGFK Jan 29 0816UTC  -2 -11 -29  NW  33  40  2.00 BLSN  
 KGFK Jan 29 0839UTC  -4 -11 -32 WNW  34  44  1.00 BLSN  
 KGFK Jan 29 0853UTC  -5 -11 -32 WNW  30  43  1.00 BLSN  
 KGFK Jan 29 0930UTC  -6 -15 -33  NW  30  44  3.00 BLSN  
 KGFK Jan 29 0948UTC  -6 -13 -33  NW  31  40  1.75 -SN BLSN 
 KGFK Jan 29 0953UTC  -6 -13 -34  NW  32  40  1.25 -SN BLSN 
 KGFK Jan 29 1004UTC  -8 -15 -35  NW  28  45  3.00 BLSN  
 KGFK Jan 29 1020UTC  -8 -15 -37 WNW  33  43  1.75 BLSN  
 KGFK Jan 29 1028UTC  -8 -15 -35  NW  29  43  3.00 BLSN  
 KGFK Jan 29 1053UTC  -7 -16 -32 WNW  25  37  6.00 BLSN  
 KGFK Jan 29 1153UTC  -8 -17 -36 WNW  30  41  4.00 BLSN  
 KGFK Jan 29 1253UTC  -9 -19 -35  NW  25  38  8.00   
 KGFK Jan 29 1353UTC -11 -22 -38  NW  25  37  7.00   
 KGFK Jan 29 1453UTC -12 -22 -42  NW  31  38  4.00 BLSN  
 KGFK Jan 29 1553UTC -13 -22 -42 WNW  28  36  3.00 BLSN

Super-Saturation

A rather unique observation from early this morning:

 Site      Time      Tmp Dpt %RH  Wgs Cld Ceilg  MSLP  Wx
----------------------------------------------------------
 KLGC Jan 27 0900UTC  28  30 109    0     CLR   UNL   5.00   

You don't see surface RH's at 109% very often!

Colder than a Bi-otch!

That's right... Not only is it 16 below zero outside at this hour, but with the wind, it feels like -35° F. That's flipping cold, folks! Definitely reason enough to have Wind Chill Advisories in effect for a good portion of the Midwest.

But just wait... The 00z GEM this evening has temperatures across much of eastern North Dakota and Minnesota with temperatures well below -20 Sunday morning. In fact, it had -34° F at 12z on Sunday. The NAM and GFS were considerably more mild, but take that as a grain of salt. (heh, pun!) They're not much better. I mean, really... what's the difference between -15 and -34°? Let's assume no wind.

We'll see how things pan out this weekend. I'm done for the weekend, work-wise, so I'm going into hibernation mode for a couple of days. I'll check in sporadically for temperature reports and will verify what I observe.

A lot of us across the Midwestern and Eastern US are in for a crisp week and a half. So, keep warm out there, folks!

heat burst!

I'll have to go back and check on this, but we may have busted through the freezing point for the first time in nearly 2 months this morning!

  Site      Time      Tmp Dpt %RH W/H Wdr Wsp Cld   MSLP 
----------------------------------------------------------
 KGFK Jan 06 1053UTC  27  23  85  18   S   9  BKN   994.9 
 KGFK Jan 06 1153UTC  32  26  78  23 WSW  12  OVC   995.4 
 KGFK Jan 06 1204UTC  34  27  75  27 WSW   9  OVC        
 KGFK Jan 06 1253UTC  32  27  82  24  SW   9  OVC   995.2 

I'm sure the sub-zero temps aren't completely done for the season, but this is definitely a nice rebound...