Put Away the Snow Blowers and Prepare for Possible Strong Thunderstorms

Here in Indiana we have recorded severe weather and even tornadoes in every single month of the year. Last year on February 5th we had a tornado warning in the Lafayette viewing area for Montgomery County. While Montgomery County dodged the worst of the weather, Putnam County wasn't so lucky. Here is an excerpt from last year Lafayette Weather Blog.

Here in Indiana: A possible tornado hit 10 miles south of Montgomery County last night in Bainbridge. We picked the rotation up on Live Doppler 18 and luckily it weakened as it moved into Clinton County. There were reports of trees down and damage to barns and mobile homes. There was also an 82 mile per hour wind gusts near Terre Haute brought down numerous trees and powerlines.

There were over 100 reports of tornadoes from Texas to Ohio on February 5, 2008. The Storm Prediction Center shows us all the storm reports above. It looks like something you would see in March or April. But here at home we can easily go from snow in the forecast yesterday to a chance of severe weather next week. We have a better chance of seeing thunderstorms on our Live Doppler 18 over the next seven days than snow. What a change! Some of the latest data just in does show a possibility of strong storms as close to home as Missouri by next Monday and this could easily swing our way. We will have to keep a close eye on it. Make sure to review your family safety plan for severe weather. In Florida, they had their tornado drills yesterday in accordance with severe weather awareness week and even here in Indiana we need to be reminded that tornadoes can and do happen even here at home this time of year. You can see why below.

We have a clash of seasons that sets up this time of year. I am showing the lion and the lamb because here in the Hoosier state our March Madness weather patterns usually come early. Nature goes by its own calendar. This is the time of year we can have picture-perfect weather and it can be as calm as a lamb but it doesn't last very long and that lion roars back in the form of a blizzard like we saw in 2007. We also have to be on guard for ice storms and supercell thunderstorms. Sometimes we get everything in one day. We have been known to have snow and tornadoes on the same day like we saw in the winter of 1996. The frenetic February weather is punctuated in our almanac that has an almost 100 degree difference between our record highs and lows. That is incredible! This fact should be in Ripley's Believe it or Not! LOL This is the biggest record temperature range of the entire year and this week alone we will go from sub-zero weather tonight to temperatures 66 degrees warmer by the middle of next week.

Look at the huge spread of temperatures on today's weather map. You see the clash of seasons already setting up with Spring-like 60s in Oklahoma to sub-zero weather in Upstate New York. The bigger those temperature differences, the stronger our low pressure systems that form, and the higher risk of severe weather. I still think we will hold off on any strong storms until next week and of course we will watch the flooding situation closely. I will have an update on that potential during tonight's newscasts. Hopefully we can keep the strongest thunderstorms away so we can enjoy our warmest weather of the year on the way. You see it being ushered in by our strongest warm front of the year. Get out the short-sleeves.

Yes, I finally have warm weather to talk about tonight after we just got through our coldest January since 1994. We can thank that stronger sun angle and those longer daylight hours. We can actually take a walk outside after dinner and catch up with neighbors we have not seen in weeks. A nice break in our winter weather is on the way and I do not see it returning until at least late week. Today be ready for transition weather! We could still see some blowing and drifting snow with a south wind gusting near 30 mph. Be careful on those East-West roads so you can enjoy our milder highs in the middle to upper 20s. The wind will let up tonight setting the stage for a beautiful Friday with highs back in the 40s. Have a great day!!

Strange Weather & A Bitter Pillar of A Pattern in Lafayette

Indiana is known for its strange weather that changes every few minutes and last night that was certainly the case and it also changed drastically every few miles. Folks that were driving on state road 28 from Tippecanoe County into Clinton County went from starlit skies to heavy bands of snow in an instant. In fact, there were reports of clear roadways giving way to one to two foot snow drifts with visibilities reduced to near zero. The same sort of stories were called in on Highway 24 from Logansport to Monticello. The reason for this wild weather were those very narrow lake-effect snow bands coming off of Lake Michigan. It only takes a slight wind shift for those bands to move and you can go from the all clear to white-out conditions in an instant. It does look like the roughest travel today will be in our northern counties. I did my best in this tough set-up to pinpoint the worst of the roads for you this morning below.

Areas near Medaryville and Francesville could easily see 4 to 6 inches so it looks like Highway 421 in Pulaski County leads the pack for our worst travel weather. The good news is these heavy bands of snow should quickly shift farther north and east early this morning. But we will still have plenty of wind and blowing and drifting snow to contend with until high pressure builds in which will not be until later this afternoon. We have snow to liquid ratios of 30 to 1 which means the snow is extra light and fluffy and it will not take much for it to blow around. Areas near Michigan City could end up with close to two feet of snow before all is said and done!


Speaking of impressive, how about those lights in the night sky last night. A lot of folks saw them when they were walking their dogs. They looked up and did a double take. The big question of the day is could it have been the aurora borealis. Well take a look below at some more great pictures sent in by Laura Mark.

Here is yet another one to help you make your decision on exactly what you are looking at. No you are not looking at UFO's. We can rule that one out already. I do not see any green men or flying saucers. It does look like beams of light you would normally see at Disney World at night.


Remember here in Indiana we have tons of optical phenomena, including the aurora borealis. But last night we were seeing something different. Here is why. The sun is quieter now than it has been in almost 100 years with very few solar storms or sunspots. Look at how clean it looks on space weather.com!


Usually you have a few black spots or what are called magnetic storms that can cause huge solar flares. This disturbance reaches the earth via an extra strong solar wind causing electrons to ignite like neon signs. But with no sunspots and a much lighter solar wind our chances here in Lafayette of seeing the aurora borealis are almost nil. In this pattern the aurora borealis is only visible at the high latitudes and that was the case last night. What we were seeing here in Lafayette were actually LIGHT PILLARS. LIGHT PILLARS are more commonly found in Canada and Alaska this time of year. If you notice their light takes on the same color as the lights below because they are actually reflections of light from below off of flat and fluttering ice crystals in the atmosphere. These ice crystals are usually found at 30,000 feet in the very cold air. But last night that very cold air was hovering near the ground along with those ice crystals with temperatures only near 10 degrees. This resulted in a beautiful display of light pillars. This can also happen with sunlight and in that case it would be called a sun pillar.

Now if you can hang in there for one more day and night the good news is that this bitter pillar of a pattern to swallow will be a thing of the past. This is the great part about February. Usually our bitter cold outbreaks do not last all that long with the higher sun angle. Those longer days are starting to make a difference. I will have more on this on tonight's newscasts. I look forward to seeing you soon and if you need an uplifting story to help make you feel warmer here is just the one, all the way from SIBERIA!

Hi, Mike.

I thought you might be interested in this. My son, Cole, is doing missionary work in Russia and is currently located in the western edge of Siberia. Here's something he wrote me via email this morning; I've highlighted the weather portions but left some of the other to give you some context.

Needless to say, I am glad we don't get these kinds of temperatures!! (And having a son in Siberia is a good impetus to pray!! LOL)

Lynn Isenbarger

West Lafayette

--

I got on a train to Surgut. It was about a 17-hour trip. It was a good opportunity to catch up on some sleep. When we left Tyumen, it was about -8 C. Upon our arrival to Surgut, we discovered a crisp -39 C. It was very interesting to be in that kind of cold. The thing is, our thermometer was showing -32, and the whole time it was off by 7 degrees. We didn't find that out until the day I left, and as you'll see, we made some dumb decisions based off of that misinformation. With our thermometer showing -35, meaning -42, we decided to go contact. We actually had a surprising amount of success. After that, we stopped a man who politely informed Elder Mizin that his "nose was about to fall off." We both were a tiny bit frostbitten so we decided to return home and eat, and also decided that we wouldn't be doing that again if we could help it. The next day was very interesting too, of course. We had a meeting set up in a tiny neighboring town. We had to take a bus an hour outside of Surgut to get there. It was -45 C. When we got off the bus and Elder Mizin pointed to the house we were going to in the distance, my heart sank. It was only about a ten minute walk, but long enough to be colder than I ever thought possible. Especially because it was windy and there weren't any surrounding buildings to break the wind. We got there and the couple had decided they weren't interested anymore. It was sad, but I left Surgut behind. Going out to the train station was an interesting experience. I was traveling by myself since I was the only one to come back, and seeing the platform at 1:00am with NO ONE around was an interesting sight. When it gets this cold, the air kind of freezes in a way, it's like there's a fog. It's so cold that you can't see through the air well, or something like that. That and the platform at that time of night was a sight I won't forget. I spent all day yesterday traveling home. The Palmers picked me up at the train station, and we went back to their apartment and they fed us. It was good. I also wanted to say that you don't have to worry about snow/cold stuff. It's been freezing, but I'm back in Tyumen and things are warmer here. Plus, even in the -45, I was able to be okay. It's funny to be constantly praying to be warm though! Love, Cole

Thanks Cole and Lynn. There have been a few complaints about our rough weather to our weather team over the past week. But after reading this I cannot see how anybody would complain. We can all be thankful for today's high near 12. Yes, it could be a lot worse and now we are getting ready for 40s and 50s in the seven day forecast. We look forward to hearing more of your intriguing stories here on the weather blog. Keep in touch and if we could we would send you some of our warmer weather.

Blowing & Drifting Snow Hampers Travel Once Again

It was quite a rude awakening for many this morning. We went to sleep feeling pretty good with little wind and temperatures hovering near 20. This morning we wake up to wind chills near 10 below with blowing and drifting snow. We have about an inch of snow in Lafayette and with gusty northwest winds of 20 to 30 mph there is plenty of blowing and drifting snow. Look for the snow to taper off by 10 a.m. across much of the area and if you are traveling toward Indianapolis keep in mind there is a lot more snow down there with close to three inches expected and it will likely not let up until closer to noon. If you have any flights out of the Capital City make sure to leave nice and early. The wind will not let up until tomorrow afternoon so despite a break in the snow on the way road conditions will remain slick. Temperatures will also make the road salt less effective as they stay stuck in the teens.

Another band of lake-effect snow will develop by later this afternoon and tonight. This means if you are traveling tonight the farther north and northwest you go the worse the traveling conditions and the more snow you will see. Make sure to tune in for the latest on our ever-changing weather conditions and how much more snow is on the way. Be safe.

A Frenetic February Forecast As We Become Nature's Prey

Richard Beedle has sent me a wonderful collection of American Eagles spotted around the Lafayette area. We will use many of these outstanding pictures to tell our weather story on the blog for much of this week. Thanks Richard and all our great bloggers for making it another fun week on the blog. I have so much to post I need more than 24 hours in a day! Let's start with this one since the eagle is feeding on the ground despite the blowing snow. Expect plenty of blowing snow back in the forecast through Wednesday morning. The East-West roads will be especially challenging with a north-northwest wind gusting at times to 30 mph this afternoon.


What a difference a couple of days really make. This weekend we had high temperatures on Sunday in the lower 40s and it was like a walk in the park. Your can see how Michael Wiltgen spent his Super Sunday. He lounged outside on his snow couch and didn't even need the heavy coat. Snow couches are in that is for sure this winter. This is the second snow couch picture sent in during the last few days. I have never seen or heard of these before last week. You even see the snow entertainment center which is also a first for me. Today Michael will need plenty of layers on his snow couches with wind chills falling to near zero. Paul Ely sent in this picture of that may hold the title of Lafayette's biggest snowman. His kids were finally able to get outside and spend some quality time in the snow. This snowman is quite impressive and it looks like he would be a great addition to the Purdue basketball team

!

The amazing part is this gigantic snowman may be all gone by late weekend with not just 40s but 50s back in the forecast. We are talking about our warmest weather in over 5 weeks on the way. Is this a sign of things to come. I think so. Let's take a look at what you can expect in February. Diana Marion sent in this snow angel picture and nature will certainly be devilish at times.

I see at least one more big snowstorm but it may be after some significant flooding. We have a snow pack holding about 1 to 2 inches of water and the next two weeks are forecast to bring us at least 1 to 2 inches of rainfall. We will have to watch the rivers carefully. Areas of most concern right now would be farther south in Central and Southern Indiana where they had the heavier snowfall and precipitation last week. Thunderstorms also become more prevalent here in Indiana. Remember severe weather can occur in any month of the year here at home. Temperatures will be all over the place. It will feel like Texas one day and Alaska the next. This week's seven day forecast is a perfect example of what you can expect. Our weather team has a forecast low of one below zero by mid-week and a highs in the 50s this weekend. It is a pattern you will want to monitor carefully that is for sure. This blog will be hopping and I look forward to all your reports and pictures to go along with your Live Doppler 18. It is a team effort and together we can all make a difference. Here is my temperature forecast for February and you can see the reason why it will be so volatile.


The colder than average temperatures will be across the northeast with warmer than average temperatures from Florida and the Deep South up and into the plains. More importantly here at home we will be near normal or in the main battle zone. The main jet stream will be forced unusually far to the south due to a blocking high pressure building in Canada and Greenland. The unusually high pressure to our north will naturally lower pressures to the South or in our neighborhood so nature can seek that balance. You add in a jet stream and the rest is history. We have a stormy month ahead. You will have to keep your sense of humor and I have just the thing for you.

COLD IS A RELATIVE THING. .

65 above zero:
Floridians turn on the heat.
People in Indiana plant gardens.

60 above zero:
Californians shiver uncontrollably.
People in Indiana sunbathe.

50 above zero:
Italian & English cars won't start.
People in Indiana drive with the windows down..

40 above zero:
Georgians don coats, thermal underwear, gloves, wool hats.
People in Indiana throw on a flannel shirt.

35 above zero:
New York landlords finally turn up the heat.
People in Indiana have the last cookout before it gets cold.

20 above Zero
People in Miami all die.
Hoosiers close the windows.

Zero:
Texans fly away to Mexico .
People in Indiana get out their winter coats.

10 below zero:
Hollywood disintegrates.
The Girl Scouts in Indiana are selling cookies door to door.

20 below zero:
Washington DC runs out of hot air.
People in Indiana let the dogs sleep indoors.

30 below zero:
Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.
Hoosiers get upset because they can't start the snow-mobile.

40 below zero :
ALL atomic motion stops .
People in Indiana start saying...'Cold enough fer ya?'

50 below zero:
---- freezes over.
Indiana public schools will open 2 hours late

Thank you Mary Anne and Teri for sending this in and I am sure it will keep us all smiling. I will have more on soaring temperatures tonight and here on the blog to help keep everybody warm. We just have to get through two more frigid days before things start feeling much better. Hang in there and be safe on the area roads.

Groundhog May be Right! Snow & Wind Return Tonight

Here is a picture of Chuckie Wheezer from this morning and you can clearly see the shadow which means six more weeks of winter on the way.

Here we go again....not one but two cold fronts are on the way between now and tomorrow afternoon. The wind will pick up and the snow will fly. Blowing and drifting snow will be likely with many areas receiving between one and two inches of snow between now and Tuesday night. More snow can be expected in Newton and Jasper Counties with 2 to 4 inches north of Rensselaer. The jackpot will be up near Michigan City where they could see a foot of snow. Here at home the travel advisories were finally lifted but it will not be for long. Make sure to tune in tonight for the latest. Here is a special treat or Groundhog Day recipe from Cathy Banes Kindergarten Class. Enjoy and I will see you soon!!

Cupcake (flavor of your choice)

Chocolate frosting

Mini vanilla wafers (for ears)

M & M's for eyes and nose

Mini marshmallows for teeth

Enjoy!

I will be back with your meteorological outlook for the rest of the winter on tonight's newscasts and post more fun stuff here on the blog for your shortly!

Delphi Ground Hog Predicts Six More Weeks of Winter

Happy Ground Hog Day! I am still checking on the Prairie Dogs out at Columbian Park Zoo, but the official ground hog for the Lafayette area has predicted six more weeks of winter. I will be back with more details and let you know if I agree. I wanted to wish a Happy Valentine's Day to my wife Julie. As you know this is a holiday in the Prangley family and we chose this day to tell each other how important we are to each other. It seems like yesterday when I first saw Julie walk past me at a television station in Jacksonville. She was absolutely stunning and I asked if she needed a weather forecast. Well she did and the rest is history. Three kids later she is the best of the best and she was one long-range forecast that came true. I called for a bright future and she has been everything and more. I need to run some errands. Have a great day and tune in today and tonight. Meteorologist Stefanie Davis has special in-depth coverage on our ground hog. Here are some more background facts on the Delphi Ground Hog.

While Pennsylvania has Punxsutawney Phil, locally we count on Chuckie Wheezer.The groundhog lives at the Wildcat Wildlife Center in Carroll County. Assistant Director Denise Hays says that the cute critter has a special name because of her interesting characteristics. Chuckie Wheezer is a ground hog that was brought to us, she was born in the summer of 2006 so this is her third Groundhog Day. She got her name, Chuckie-Wheezer, because the volunteers were split on a name they liked. Some of the volunteers liked Chuckles, because she made everyone laugh, and then some of the volunteers liked Wheezer because she actually has some respiratory issues, and she wheezes especially when she gets playing and running around and stuff like that. So they put it together and came up with Chuckie Wheezer.

Her forecast accuracy is an amazing 100% her first two years serving as our area Ground Hog. Her forecast of six more weeks of winter will always be remembered in 2007. The Blizzard of 2007 arrived within two weeks of her forecast. Can she keep the streak alive? Will the stratospheric warming and big block forming near Greenland verify her third consecutive forecast. I can say she went above and beyond this year by making a special visit to our WLFI weather studios this morning before her final prediction. That is one hard-working Ground Hog.

Developing....

Super Sunday Brings Super Start to February

Good afternoon! I am just getting the house all straightened up before we go to a Super Bowl party and I want to thank those that left some tasty recipes on the blog. Here is a couple of them!

This is good finger food and nice change from reg popcorn

Cajun Popcorn
1/2 quarts popped popcorn*1/4 cup butter, melted1 teaspoon paprika1/2 teaspoon onion powder1/2 teaspoon garlic powder1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper1 teaspoon lemon pepperPour butter over warm popcorn. Combine remaining seasonings and sprinkle over popcorn; toss to mix.

Bake in 300*F (150*C) oven for crispy popcorn. Makes 2 1/2 quarts.*1-ounce of unpopped popcorn kernels (2 tablespoons household measure) makes approximately 1 quart of popped popcorn.

This is yummy Baked Artichoke Dip.
Serving: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

1 box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (or 1 cup chopped spinach) 1 14 oz can quartered artichoke hearts, chopped 1 cup mayonnaise 1/4 package cream cheese, softened 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/8 cup dry bread crumbs 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated 1/8 tsp pepper 1. Preheat oven to 400°. 2. Combine all of the above ingredients and place in baking dish. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes and serve with crackers.I add hot crushed red peppers to mine.

Teri

Now that my mouth is watering I do want to say that we have great weather for traveling today and tonight if you are going to watch the big game with friends or family. Those southwest winds that helped to boost our temperatures into the low 40s late last night also created havoc on area roadways with blowing and drifting snow due to wind gusts in the 20 to 25 mph range. Today our wind speeds should be mainly light out of the northwest close to 5 mph as high pressure builds in. We are in nature's sweet spot to start February with temperatures close to 10 degrees above average. After our coldest January since 1994 we certainly earned it. But winter is not done by a long-shot. We have a huge East Coast storm winding up that could bury the big cities. Now while we will miss out on the snow we will not miss out on its cold backlash with highs by Wednesday struggling into the teens. Our snowfall should be mainly on the light side but with strong winds developing again Tuesday and Wednesday that will be enough to cause more travel troubles. So get out and enjoy our beautiful day while you can.

Super Bowl Weather Formula & Prediction: This formula was created when I was in college and has an accuracy rating much higher than the Farmer's Almanac. LOL
No, really it does surprisingly well. I cannot give you the complete formula but I can tell you it is based on extreme weather and atmospheric modeling. You match the two cities playing against each other and forecast the next 4 days starting tomorrow.

Pittsburgh jumps out big today and scores first. They seem to have the Cardinals on the ropes, much like the Denver Broncos had the Washington Redskins and myself a Redskin fan gasping for air back in 1988. The John Elway-led Broncose raced out to a 10-0 lead and my college buddies were very worried for me. But no worries! We all know how that game turned out. :) Hail to the Redskins! Pittsburgh's John Elway today will be the big East Coast storm that is developing but if you notice it will not be a direct hit on Pittsburgh. They will be brushed by the storm and this means hope is alive and well for the Cardinals no matter how bad the start. The Cardinal's version of Doug Williams today will be the Greenland block which is developing a little farther east turning the storm away from Pittsburgh and just maybe the game.

Arizona will be trailing but Kurt Warner's experience shines through like the hot desert sunshine. It becomes apparent in the second quarter that the Steelers could not deliver the knockout punch and they will pay dearly. A late field goal just before halftime gives the Cardinals some hope and momentum before Bruce Springsteen comes out and gives the best halftime show ever. The Boss brings back great memories and reminds me of a man that has made a great comeback. His music is timeless. Now it is Arizona's turn for a comeback as they get rolling in the 3rd quarter and heat up.

The announcers keep talking about Pittsburgh's dominance but in a New York minute it all changes. Phoenix will have highs near 80 by Wednesday and Thursday this week which is more than 10 degrees above average BOTH DAYS. This means the Cardinals will score at least 2 lightning-quick touchdowns in the second half with Larry Fitzgerald leading the way. Former Colt "the Edge" also takes it to the house. Pittsburgh's weather will be cold to start the week, but a warming trend closer to normal by Thursday is a sign that the Steelers peaked too soon. Should we blame Pittsburgh's meteorologists? Why not, it comes with the territory.

We start the 4th quarter wondering what happened to the really good commercials we grew up with during the Super Bowls and don't blame the economy. Things just seem out of kilter. Weird things are about to happen. Not only will Pittsburgh have a major mistake in the red zone in the 4th quarter (a reflection of poor weather models making more mistakes this week in the East) but there will be an unknown player that steps up for the Cardinals that will become a household name from here on out) The Cardinals will get their "Rolle on" and their defense finally earns some respect.

Don't go on your bathroom break too long....the score with 2 minutes left will be Pittsburgh 23 Arizona 20 and Arizona has the ball. Pittsburgh and its vaunted defense looks tired and Warner marches the Cardinals right down the field. Everybody is expecting overtime when the referees make a wild call that everybody will talk about for years to come. When does it ever end?Arizona pounces on it and punches it into the end zone for a 27 to 23 lead. This is the way it ends.

Arizona shocks the world! Nobody thought they could do it, nobody but themselves. They should give nature some credit too! The big high pressure ridge out west was just strong enough along with pressure changes over Greenland to keep Pittsburgh from getting the much bigger snowstorm that would have pushed them to victory based on our weather-sports prediction model. It is always a game of inches on and off the field and it is fitting that the Cardinal is the Indiana state bird. Bird, bird, bird is the word! Cardinals win Super Bowl 43. Moral of the story, never let your guard down with nature and in real life. You have to take advantage of all opportunities including today's great food, company, and weather. Peace!