Friday, December 19, 2008

Lightning & Small Hail Possible by 4 a.m.


You can see lightning strikes just before 2 a.m. in the Champaign area these storms have been moving off to the northeast. The good news is that by time they move into our area our temperatures will be near freezing and most of the rain will likely not freeze.

There are three things working in our favor right now saving us from a major ice storm.

1) Our freezing temperatures only extend about 1,000 miles high into the atmosphere. You couple this with temperatures approaching 50 degrees at 5,000 feet and the rain just is not able to freeze in our thin frozen layer. Amazingly, it is a warm rain and as a result most of it is not accumulating.

2) The rain has been heavy enough the last couple hours that this also tends to drag warm air down with the raindrops and gives off heat in the atmosphere. So this also acts like a barrier to raindrops that are trying to freeze on trees and powerlines.

3) Our thin layer of freezing temperatures continues to erode as temperatures are now up to 30.8 degrees here at WLFI. This is also making it more soggy than icy out there.

So we will continue to take it hour by hour but we have three reasons to be optimistic at this point. I do think some of us will here thunder between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. so do not be surprised. Our ice storm warning continues until 9 a.m. so even if the news is better we have to be very careful on the roadways. I will check back with more ice measurements shortly. If you get a chance send some of yours in as well. I will try to do an update on the ice potential here shortly along with an amazing shot of hail in some of the clouds in Tippecanoe County. We can't rule out hail here tonight! WOW!

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for keeping us updated Mike!

Anonymous said...

This has been some night!! I have never been running so much around the House in my life! :)

I like it!!!!! LOL I know I'M NUTS!
:) MIke I currently have .28" of rain and it is adding up fast!!! and only a Tenth inch of ice! I think the rain will melt some of this ice as the temperature get warmer!

There sure is a lot of puddels though!

Justin in Lafayette

Anonymous said...

How do you measure the ice, Justin?

Anonymous said...

I'M sorry Mike I ment .48" of rain my bad this late typo! ;)

I have a board I put out before the storm hit's and I measure it that way!

Justin.

Anonymous said...

still freezing rain in monticello think i need to get one of those boards to measure!!

Anonymous said...

Just South of Remington. I have no idea how to measure ice and do not want to go out to do so, but we have quite alot of ice accumulating on power lines and the grass is all frozen. The rain is coming down good and freezing fast.

Anonymous said...

Wow WET WET WET!!!!!

I had to get me a soda! This late I need a sugar buzz!!!!!!!!!! :-} lol!

Justin

Anonymous said...

I ca no longer see out the windows on yhr East side of my house they are to iced over. Uggh!

Anonymous said...

Just south of Remington you have another Heavy band of rain coming your way! Do you have any idea what your current Temperature is?

Justin in Lafayette

Anonymous said...

about 1/16th inch of ice in Northern Cass County right now. winds have picked up and you can hear the ice straining the tree limbs

Anonymous said...

What town are you in Cass County? Im in monticello in white county. We have alot of ice on trees, powerlines & still raining yard looks like a white ice rink!

Anonymous said...

I think its bedtime for me, raining hard again here. Guess i will get up in a few hours and check the closings! Happy Weather Watching Everyone! Thanks Mike!

Anonymous said...

Just north of Remington - really raining, wind is picking up and you can hear the limbs rattling with the ice coating - it is 29F - looks like a potential 1991 storm

Anonymous said...

Pam, We are North of Logansport just south of State Road 16.

Anonymous said...

Mike I'M now up to .62" just over a half inch of rain!!!!! You see it is adding up FAST!!!!!

Justin in Lafayette

Anonymous said...

Stay safe and warm! I just read the forecast bitter cold and snow possible by sunday brrrrr!!! Night everyone im going to crawl under alot of covers now :)

Anonymous said...

Mike you holding up OK??

This has been a long night!
But we all got through it! and or are Getting throught it!

Justin.

Anonymous said...

The tempuature just southof Remington now reads 31.We have alot of puddles,but still alot of ice.

Anonymous said...

Ice on power lines is getting pretty thick if I had to guess I would say close to half an inch. It isn't looking good just South of Remington. Wind has picked up even more. Still raining hard. Power is flickering.