Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Nature Cranks Up the Heat In Time for August


Good Morning! I have just looked at the latest maps and there is no doubt about it and that is we are going to add to our official 90 degree days even at the Lafayette airport. We have only had just one day of 90 or above and by now we usually should have had 10. Last week we just missed 90 degrees in Lafayette AT THE AIRPORT last week when most of our weather watchers had 3 or more days of 90 or above. At WLFI we hit 91 three straight times. Since most of us do not live at the airport I still called it our official first heat wave of the season. I have issues with the thermometer location and remember it is location, location, location that really matters. If you put that same thermometer where most of us in Lafayette live our average number of 90 degree days would go from 16 to at least 21. This would be a great weather conference topic!


This discrepancy is due to the heat urban island effect in which all the concrete and manmade structures are prone to hold a lot of heat and of course heat up much more quickly than a grassy meadow or farm field. This same heat urban island effect has been proven to cause bigger storms to flare up on the outskirts of Lafayette in southern Tippecanoe County, the Dayton area and Harrison High School with unusually high numbers of tornadoes. The warmer air acts like a frontal boundary and where it meets the cooler air the contrast can cause storms to explode! This heat island effect has also caused much warmer temperatures in Lafayette not just during the day, but at night. We have seen temperatures stay much warmer at night in Lafayette with an east to southeast wind coming over the city. By time those warmer breezes reach the airport you have a temperature bust! Only this time our forecast temperatures would be too low.


Now we are getting ready for our second heat wave as we head into August and there is no doubt about it this time. Nobody, even the airport at Lafayette should have trouble reaching 90 degrees for several days starting this weekend. We may even reach heat index advisory criteria by the weekend. I will have more on this during tonight's weather. Teri brought up that early snow in 1989 and believe it or not that year also matches up well with this one. I will let you know how much snow that year brought us to try to keep you cool.

We also need to keep our guard up for thundersorms! Remnants of what once was Hurricane Dolly will increase our chance for heavy downpours and localized flooding starting late tonight and continuing through Wednesday night. Luckily it has been much drier the past 3 weeks and this should keep the Wabash from flooding. Some areas could easily see one to three inches of rain with locally higher amounts. Our severe risk over the next couple of days will likely be damaging wind gusts of 60 mph. But right now the biggest threats are lightning and flooding.

But be ready for anything! I am heading on vacation tomorrow and the meteorologist jinx will take full effect. Something big always happens when I take off work. I will still try to check in with you as much as possible while I am out of the office through August 10th. Make sure to take care of the weather team while I am gone. I want to thank Brian and Steve for helping to cover for me so I can keep my priorities in line and go spend some good quality time with my family. The great news is we can keep in touch on this blog. I will write soon and I expect you all to keep the big stuff away while I am gone! :) Where am I going? Hint: This state has been hit by two category five hurricanes and is known as the lightning capital of the world. It is also where my wife graduated from high school 20 years ago and we have a big reunion to go to.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mike have a wonderful time in FL?
We know we are in good hands with Brian and Steve, all of you are a wonderful weather team not to forget Kelly!!!! she is great!

Teri in Laf.

Anonymous said...

Have fun Mike!!! Enjoy the weather down there.

Justin.

Anonymous said...

The weather out look does not sound good. I am watching storms in Il moving NE they are strong babies

Anonymous said...

LOL...yes, MIke...enjoy your time with family in FL. that great lightning capital of the nation! Let's hope we can keep the severe stuff away at least until you return. Maybe we will just have hazy, lazy summer days while you are absent. YOU deserve a break, friend to us all, go enjoy....

MA in REM

bloggers, we need to keep in touch here while he is gone. The other members of the wx team will be our eyes, we can be the ears...how does that sound??

Anonymous said...

It is kinda steamy out there isn't it? :)

Yeah I see that cell on the outside of IL right now...it'll be after 10ish tonight is my best guess.

Anonymous said...

Brow, Steamy is right:) I have been running in and out of the house all day and my glasses keep steaming up when out! just wait for the weekend heat! Hope we wont be in for a long night with those storms in IL

Anonymous said...

Dont like to bring this up but Mike but who is going delete the spam that has been on your blog while you are gone?? hope someone watches out for rude comments too?

Anonymous said...

Hey Justin where have you been??? are you watching the storms?? Looks scary!!

Anonymous said...

Wow, Brow your math is very good! There are warnings out now for Iroquois County until 9:00 which means that is about the time they will hit me...and then move your way. I dont see them dying out, either. That line is a huge bow echo headed right at us.

Justin, are you watching this line move in>

hey Teri, will tell my age now...i REMEMBER that snow in October 1954! it was on my b'day, we were having a Halloween hayride and it was snowing to beat the band. We sang Christmas songs and there had to be at least 4 inches snow on the ground!

Well, I will report in after the storms have passed...IF I have power :-(

Hang on for the ride all!

MA in REM

Anonymous said...

Yes everyone Im here I will be back with a weather report!

Justin.

Anonymous said...

LOL Mary Anne! Nice of you to share your memories:) Love Mikes music video of the day Foreigner! Shows my age:)(
The storms are ugly looking!!!

T

Anonymous said...

You all put a little too much trust in these baboons! The "Live doppler radar" is a joke. Go to weather.com if you want to see a real image of what is happening here and the radar is within 5 minutes so you can update it and see where it is going. Not trying to be negative but give me a break, I can watch National news and give you the weather just as good as anyone here. It's like I have always said, being a weather man is the only job you can have and be wrong half the time and STILL keep you job. You people give WAY too much credit to Mike Prangley that gets his info off of other sites.......sorry to break the news!