Heaviest Rain Ends But Flooding Concerns Continue

Latest water levels on the Tippecanoe have leveled off close to 24,000 cubic feet per second. A one-hundred year flood is 32,000 cfs. The good news is that the heaviest of the rain is over . The bad news is that many areas have had 5 to 8 inches of rain from northeastern Benton County to Eastern Cass County. We could still see another quarter to a half-inch of rain the rest of today and tonight which may cause a second crest to move down the Tippecanoe River this evening. We will keep you updated. The worst of the flooding is located near Horseshoe Bend in the Springboro and Camp Tecumseh areas.

Severe Weather Update: The Mesoscale Convective System which brought record rains has zapped a lot of the energy from the atmosphere. It does look like we could still have a few showers and thunderstorms late today and this evening, but the better chance for severe thunderstorms will be from Indianapolis south and east. But we are not totally out of the woods. The atmosphere is still very unstable with plenty of wind to work with so any storms that do develop we will watch closely. Most of the thundestorms will take place between 4 and 8 p.m. Keep in mind even outside of thunderstorms we will have wind gusts near 40 mph. So another rough evening is on the way with the flooding concerns and wind.

I will have all of the rainfall totals tonight, the latest on Live Doppler 18, and some much needed sunshine in the forecast!

Latest from White County Emergency Management

I just got off the phone with Gordy Cochran of White County Emergency Management....here is the latest.

1) There has been no dam failure and it is holding up very well at this point.

2) But some areas that have had evacuations in White County include:

Diamond Point
Bluewater Beach
Brandywine
Buffalo
Bedford Bay in the Monon area

3) If you have trouble getting out of your residence due to high water please call 911, the White County Dispatch and help will be sent your way as soon as possible

Record Rains Flood the Area, Some Schools Close, & Evacuations May be Necessary

Flooding will top the list of our main weather concerns today as relentless rain overnight has deluged much of our northern viewing area. Latest rainfall amounts as of 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

Monon 5.25"
Remington 5.10"
Kentland 4.10"
Royal Center 4"
Monticello 3.50"
Rennselaer 3.20"
Logansport 2.0"

There are several flooded roads to our north. Make sure not to cross roadways covered by water and heed all road closing signs. Most people are killed by flash flooding in their cars trying to cross washed out roads. Remember to turn around, don't drown. This afternoon the main frontal system causing all of this rain will move through the area. Since we have had so much rain overnight and this morning our chances of widespread severe weather have decreased with the bullseye for severe weather. The highest risk areas are now from Indianapolis to southeastern Indiana.

Today's Main Weather Threats:

1) Flooding Rain

2) Isolated Wind Gusts Near 60 mph

3) Nickel-Sized Hail

We will still have to be on guard here at home this afternoon for a possible damaging wind gust and large hail. Things should settle down by late day as the cold front passes through the area. We will have a very small chance of tornadoes here at home but this may not be the case closer to Indianapolis so make sure to stay posted on severe weather throughout the day before traveling.

Here is the latest flood statement from the National Weather Service office in North Webster.

EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FLOOD SITUATION ON TIPPECANOE RIVER

100-year flooding is expected in the area of Norway and Oakdale Dam on the Tippecanoe River in north central Indiana. At 7 AM EST, record flows were being reported at Norway and Oakdale Dam. Oakdale flow was at 23,564 cubic feet per second (cfs), and Norway flow was at 22,883 cfs. At these flows, the dams are nearing capacity, and major flooding is occurring, regardless of the condition of the dams.

Flow at the dams will continue to rise through the day, and peak flows are expected around sunset this evening.

At this time (7:30 AM EST), dam failure is NOT expected. HOWEVER, it is important for residents to monitor the latest conditions as this extremely dangerous flood situation develops.

Right now evacuations are not necessary but residents need to monitor the latest just in case. If the dam does fail today which is possible...FLOOD CRESTS OF 20 TO 25 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TAILWATER FLOW DOWNSTREAM OF NORWAY DAM. COMMUNITIES THAT WOULD NEED TO BE EVACUATED INCLUDE NORWAY... MOTICELLO... EAST MONTICELLO... UPPER SUNSET PARK...GINGRICH ADDITION... RICHY PARK... SANDY BEACH... HORSE SHOE BEND... TIPPECANOE ESTATES... TECUMSEH BEND AND UNICORPORATED AREAS OF CARROLL ... WHITE... AND TIPPECANOE COUNTIES.

PEOPLE BELOW THE DAM SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION BY MONITORING LOCAL RADIO OR TELEVISION AND FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS FOR ANY REQUIRED EVACUATION AS OUTLINED BY LOCAL EMERGENCY OFFICIALS.

It's the Daffodils Before the Storm, Twin Tornadoes Hit Kenosha, Wisconsin

Thanks to Wendy Moore

Well, we have all heard of the calm before the storm...but how about the daffodils before the storm. That is exactly what is happening in West Lafayette on Division Road. The daffodils are confused and they should be. Today will be our third record-setting day in a row. Unfortunately, these daffodils will not make it to maturity and hopefully Wendy can cover them up with mounds of mulch and dirt to maybe salvage some of them for our real Spring which is still months away.



Last night we had several weather watches and warnings but no real severe weather reports. It was just a sign of things to come for later today. Take a look at these. The one thing that caught everybody's attention to our north yesterday was the vivid lightning and the heavy rain. The lightning was almost constant in Monon, Wolcott, and Remington and lasted well over an hour. Mary Anne reported over 2 inches of rain in Remington by midnight last night with 45 mph wind gusts in Monon reported close to 9:30 p.m. The frontal system causing this weather will not move our way until this afternoon. So if anything we will have more widespread thunderstorm activity and a much higher risk of having nickel-size hail or larger, 58 mph wind gusts or greater, flooding rain, and possible isolated tornadoes. Let's hope we do not see a repeat of what happened in Wisconsin. Here is what it looked like near Kenosha, Wisconsin just off Interstate 94.


Courtesy of NWS Milwaukee

You can see one of two funnels that formed in southern Wisconsin. There apparently were two tornadoes that danced around one another just off the interstate. These are sometimes called twin tornadoes and are rare occurrences even during the peak of severe weather season. It is a sign of intense shear and instability coming together in the atmosphere. Since I drive this route several times a year this really caught my attention. Racine, Wisconsin actually reported falling debris from the sky. An apartment complex had its roof ripped off in this area and at least a dozen homes were damaged. Luckily, I do not think anybody was hurt. But the news was not as good out of Missouri last night where at least 2 people were killed in tornadoes. Overall at least 31 tornadoes were reported last night across the country along with over 100 reports of damaging wind and large hail. It is part of the same storm we talked about here on the blog on Friday that caused over 1 million power outages out West.

This is a blunt reminder of how severe weather in the Midwest is possible any time of day and any time of the year. I think our biggest threat of severe weather at home today will move through in the afternoon. While tornadoes will be possible, I do think our biggest risk will be damaging wind gusts of 70 mph. We have a strong jet stream aloft and near the ground we have wind speeds close to 70 mph at about 2,500 feet that can easily be dragged to the ground during thunderstorms this afternoon. So make sure to have a plan B this afternoon and I will keep you updated as needed here on the blog and the tube. In the meantime, here is your timeline for our highest risk of severe thunderstorms today.

These storms should be quick-movers and race through the area at over 55 mph. Be safe and stay calm. We will get through this together, just like we did the blizzard!

Warmest January Readings on Record May Give Way to Severe Thunderstorms

A January Paradise at the Park

I had a great day with my kids at Armstrong Park but the latest maps in this afternoon are telling us this will be no walk in the park. My daughters and I enjoyed their last day of Christmas vacation by feeding the ducks. Amazing we did not need our coats as you see above! Lauren was a little scared of the Canada geese that hissed at us, but she really enjoyed feeding the mallards. These were the same ducks that were standing on ice just a few days ago. Today, there wasn't any sign of ice or winter. It is hard to believe just a few days ago we had a low of -1 in Lafayette and today we were nearly 70 degrees warmer! Nothing surprises me about our weather anymore.

We have to remember that this warm weather usually does not come without paying a price and we could see strong thunderstorms tonight and severe thunderstorms develop on Tuesday as a result. How do you get thunderstorms in January? Well, it is not unprecedented for a single isolated storm to pop up this time of year, but I have several thunderstorms in the forecast over the next couple of days. Something has to give when we are breaking not just records, but all-time record temperatures for the month of January. The low this morning of 61 degrees was the warmest temperature, I could find for nighttime lows in January for Lafayette dating back to 1896 or since records have been kept! If this was not enough, today's high of 69 smashed the old record of 62 set back in 1989. This was our second warmest January day ever recorded as you see above! Only one January day in 1950 was warmer than today. Today was warmer than 3,471 January days on record since 1896. This warmth is mind-boggling.



Our weather watcher numbers were amazing and the only thing keeping us from reaching 70 degrees today was all of the cloud cover. Today's highs were normally what we would have seen on May 7th. So what happens when you go from May weather back to January weather all in one day? Rough weather and possible severe thunderstorms. I will have more on this tonight on the newscast.

You can see the warning signs above on the national satellite and radar composite. Look at the nasty line of thunderstorms that extended nearly a thousand miles from Michigan to Oklahoma this evening. You can see the clash of seasons causing the trouble with huge temperature differences ahead of and behind the cold front. This squall line will move our way on Tuesday. Check back here on the blog for the latest timeline on our record-breaking warmth and severe weather. I think we will break another record high on Tuesday before winter returns late Tuesday night. Stay safe and stay tuned. Feed the ducks while you can! They were still hungry when we left.

The Mother of All January Thaws on the Way! But Winter is Far From Over!

It has been several years since we have seen temperatures in January go from highs near 10 to possible record highs near 60 as we head into next Tuesday. This volatile pattern is being caused by very chilly ocean temperatures in the Pacific Ocean also known as La Nina. This is causing a huge roadblock in the atmosphere and playing havoc with the jet stream and the world weather patterns. Portions of the Sierra Nevada near Lake Tahoe could see more than 6 inches of snow per hour today with wind gusts over 140 mph. Snowfall totals could easily exceed 6 feet by early next week.

What it means for us here at home is extreme swings in our weather pattern. I see huge ups and downs for the remainder of January. Our 50 degree warm-up in daytime highs may even bring strong thunderstorms. Now as we know in Indiana the transition can be bumpy. This weekend, despite the rumors circulating out there.... I do not see any big ice storms or significant icing. We could see a little patchy freezing drizzle and fog late tonight and Saturday morning. Temperatures should be near freezing and quickly rise above freezing during the day on Saturday keeping any ice accumulations to a minimum. I am more concerned about patchy dense fog developing as the warmer air moves in. It could be foggy for a good portion of the day especially for our counties to the north with the heavier snow cover. So fog is my number one concern this weekend, but by Sunday the fog should lift giving way to 50s.

Now the big question is just how strong those thunderstorms will be late Monday into Tuesday. Will there be tornadoes as close to home as Missouri? Could we have a repeat of severe weather like we saw in January of 1996? How much rain will we receive and how bad will the flooding be next week. I will answer these questions tonight on the newscast and post your answers here on the blog this evening.

Florida Freeze Update:

I did check into the falliing iguanas near Miami, Florida yesterday and it really did happen. Reports of iguanas falling out of trees and laying on the ground as if they were dead were running rampant yesterday morning. Since those lizards are cold-blooded the cold weather caused them to go into hibernation mode. They usually come back to life again once the sun heats them back up during the day. The good news for those iguanas is that is was a very short hibernation. Here at home winter is ready to go into hibernation, but it will likely spring back to life like those iguanas by later next week so enjoy the warmer weather while you can. Have a great weekend.

Next Chance of a Significant Snowstorm:

The 3rd Week of January

Strange Phenomena in the Indiana Sky & Snow Flurries Fly in Florida

Thanks to Kim Clute in rural Otterbein

Hello my name is Kim Clute. I took this picture standing out my back door today. Not for sure what it is but there were three of these on the horizon this morning, (spaced far enough from each other that I could not get them all in on screen), January 2nd, 2008. They were so pretty, I just happened to notice them as I was looking out the door.

Rainsville Sundog during Wednesday's Sunset

There have been several weather phenomena reported in the Lafayette skies since 2008 arrived. The two pictures above are examples of sun dogs and can be traced to our air mass originating from near the Arctic Circle. This very cold air mass produces millions of hexagonal or 6-sided ice crystals in the upper atmosphere. These ice crystals fall through the atmosphere like leaves face down causing sunlight to be refracted or bent producing amazing optical effects. These ice crystals are essentially acting like mirrors and that is why Kim saw 3 bright objects in the sky.

The one bright object was the sun while the two other objects were reflections of the sun on each side of it. Sun dogs are most common in the winter but you can see these phenomena during the warmer months as well here in Lafayette, although they are less common. The best time of day to look for sun dogs or mock suns is close to sunrise or sunset.

There have also been reports of sun pillars in the sky around the area which is more of a common sight for places like Alaska. These are formed by ice crystals that are formed closer to the ground in extremely cold weather. Usually you need single digit temperatures and sub-zero weather. These ice crystals not only flutter through the air like flat pancakes, but they are all lined up perfectly allowing the sunlight to be reflected straight up into the sky like a spotlight. Although my camera did not do a very good job capturing it i will make sure to post a picture from last year during one of our cold spells and even show it on the news tonight.

In the meantime, please bundle up. Nature is giving us plenty of signs in the sky to take care of ourselves.This is frostbite weather with wind chills from -10 to -20 frostbite is possible in as little as 40 minutes first thing this morning. Here is the frostbite chart below. Protect any exposed skin, your pets, and your pipes.

Talk about a cold pattern. Freeze warnings extend all the way down to Florida. Last night I called home and made sure my Mom and Dad in Jacksonville realized how close they were to seeing snow. Here was a radar snap shot just after 1 a.m. this morning.

I think the blue radar echoes depicting snow flurries in this picture will actually make it to the Florida coast between Daytona Beach and Cape Canaveral. I will have a Florida snow update here on the blog today.

Florida Snow Update:

My forecast of snow in Florida has been confirmed this morning check out the proof! It was the first report of snow in Florida since 2006. You can see the graupel snowflakes that fell on car rooftops in Daytona Beach and it was confirmed by an official National Weather Service storm report out of Melbourne, Florida.


Courtesy of Janet Wolfe
Tamoka Farms Rd. Daytona Beach, Florida

This type of snow you see in the above picture is formed the same way lake-effect snow is formed here in the Midwest. Very cold air going over the warmer ocean creates what is called ocean-effect snow. Temperature differences of an astounding 40 degrees was observed between the warmer ocean and the lower 5,000 feet of the atmosphere this morning near the Florida coastline. This created plenty of instability and it was the big reason Florida had snow this morning!

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL

912 AM EST THU JAN 03 2008..

VOLUSIA FL BROADCAST MEDIA

SEVERAL REPORTS OF SNOW FLURRIES FROM ORMOND BEACH TO DAYTONA BEACH AND PORT ORANGE. FIRST FLURRY REPORTS AT APPROXIMATELY 730 AM IN ORMOND BEACH AND STILL OCCURRING AS OF 905 AM IN PORT ORANGE. SNOW FLURRY REPORTS WERE RECEIVED FROM DAYTONA BEACH OBSERVER.

There are also strange reports of iguanas dropping out of trees near Miami due to the unusually cold weather. I will check into it. The one bit of good news is that the wind stayed up overnight in Florida keeping temperatures a little warmer and saving most of the produce crops. It was still the coldest night in 5 years in Tampa.

Developing.....