A Day to Remember Our Heroes As Ike Bears Down on Texas

McCutcheon high school students remembered 9/11 with a special flag tribute that included dozens of flags waving around in their trucks.

Even with a major hurricane about to hit Texas the weather is still more of an afterthought on a day like today. It certainly is a day to reflect about just how lucky we are to be Americans. We remember the victims of 9/11, the heroes of 9/11, and those heroes in our daily lives that help us to enjoy our freedom. This includes our military heroes serving our country and helping other countries all over the world. Some would rather us just keep to ourselves and not get involved in other conflicts far from home. Is this the American way? As leader of the free world we have always carried a heavier burden. Both of my grandfathers served in World War 2 and explained to me how being an American means to not be a follower but a true leader to help ensure liberty and freedom not only here at home but all over the world. Freedom is certainly not free and should never be taken for granted. To those that have tried to end the "American dream" like we saw in New York City and my hometown Washington, D.C. I can tell you they have failed miserably. Seven years later we are stronger than ever and more determined to be defenders and protectors of freedom. Today this is more true than ever and is something we can surely be proud of. We cannot thank those enough that have sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom. I do think the founders of this country would be proud and the American spirit lives on thanks to our strong foundation, today's heroes, and our kids that will be ready to carry on as the next generation of heroes. I saw plenty of future heroes at Glen Acres Elementary School today at the "Read with a Hero" program.

I had a great time reading to fourth graders in Mrs. Piggott's class. We even had a nice patriotic parade down the hallways and around the school. You can see the star-filled banner above. Of course I read a tornado chaser book to them and we also talked about Hurricane Ike and how it will bring us rain here at home by late Sunday into Monday. The kids have a bright future whatever they choose to be. They have a great teacher and by working hard in school it should provide many opportunities for them in the future. They were my heroes today!

Not only were the kids terrific, it was also great to honor our community's police, firefighters, military, health care providers, and our politicians that serve our community each and every day. I was very impressed by Anita Wood's tribute. She wrote and sang beautiful songs that really helped to sum up the day. Out of all the school talks I have done this day will surely always be remembered by me. It was very special. Thank you Glen Acres!

I mowed my lawn after the emotional tribute this morning and just in time. Take a look at the mackeral sky. What does this mean? Check back for more including how much rain is on the way. I will see you soon!

Watching Ike, the Woolly Worms, & the Wabash this Weekend

Here is a view of Ike from the International Space Station courtesy of NASA. This monster storm is still expected to hit the coast of Texas between Corpus Christi and Houston before re-curving up into the Midwest. It is already starting to gain steam once again now that it has moved away from Cuba and I do expect it to be at least a category 3 hurricane when it reaches the Texas coast on Friday night not too far from Corpus Christi. This monster storm will impact us even here in Indiana. Yes, I am expecting a lot of rain here at home starting Friday, although not all day rains Friday and Saturday since it will be associated with a stalled out frontal system. Sunday could be the wettest of the three days based on this latest track you see just in. This would be the day that Ike's actual remnants move over our area.

The concern here is that we will have a strong jet stream and stalled front interacting with Ike. This means we could have at least 2 to 4 inches of rain and maybe more between Friday and early Monday so make sure to stay tuned for the latest. The Wabash River will have to be monitored closely along with the Tippecanoe River and the creeks if this track comes to fruition. I will have more on this on tonight's newscast. My good news of the day is that the rain and wet field should slow down the mighty quick Oregon Ducks on Saturday and that we will not have all day rains on Friday and Saturday. Sunday could be a different story depending on the exact track of Ike. Now today was another strange September day with two seasons in one day. Take a look at this morning's lows.

These are some impressive numbers here at home. But at the Indiana Dunes State Park they were thinking it felt cold enough to snow with an actual low temperature of only 39 degrees. This was the coolest start to September 10th in our viewing area since 1999 and the earliest 40s since 1995. But those thoughts of snow quickly evaporated this afternoon as nature brought us some free heating. We jumped a good 30 to 35 degrees in most areas with highs in the lower to middle 70s. These dry air masses from Canada can heat up in a hurry that is for sure. Now come November the sun angle will be helpless when it comes to heating us up so enjoy these warmer days while you can.

Winter Tidbit: A November snowstorm is still in my forecast and we will not be able to count on a nice rebound like today. Hopefully you enjoyed every bit of it. Now here is your woolly bear update you have been waiting patiently for!

That is right the darker the woolly bear the snowier and colder the winter. As of right now my unscientific poll has the lighter worms winning by a landslide. These worms have done a heck of a job the last two winters. We remember the dark black worms everywhere in the fall of 2006 warning us to get out the big snow shovels. We certainly did on February 13th with our first blizzard since 1999. Last year the count was about even and we had one of the wildest winter's on record with plenty of snow, thunderstorms, flooding, and even icy conditions you could ask for. So the worms were telling us we would have a lot of variety and that we did! This year they are going for a mild winter. I think they make it three for the last three years. I looked at new data last night and my forecast of 19" of snow with above average temperatures stands. Just be ready for the early frost and snow this year.


Where does Chuckie Wheezer of Carroll County stand on all this? Well Chuckie is still recovering from her blown forecast of an early Spring for us. But I told her that this is a very humbling field. Chuckie did tell me she is readying for an early hibernation and that she will be well rested for a much better Spring forecast next year. Time will tell. Keep your head up Chuckie!!

Potent Front Brings Some Shake Rattle & Roll & A Warning Sign For Our Fall T-Storm Season

It was touted as the strongest front of the season....and it lived up to its billing. What a nice change this morning when Lauren and I left the house on the way to her pre-school. We didn't put the top down that is for sure. What happens this time of year is our shorter daylight hours are really starting to add up. It is amazing that areas near the Arctic Circle are losing 8 minutes of daylight a day. For us at home this means we watch cold fronts more closely and keep the jackets handy. This allows colder air to not only build but hold together much better as cold fronts sweep through the area. These fronts often collide with the warm, summer air mass still in place this time of year. This is exactly what stirred up some trouble last night. The good news is we did not have any damage around the area despite watches and warnings. There was a quick .75" of rain near Ladoga with pea-sized hail, otherwise most of the area saw less than .25" of rain. Larger nickel size hail fell in Marion County.

As we discussed on the 11 p.m. news this was like nature sending a warning flare into the sky for us all to witness. It was just a tune-up for our second severe weather season here in Lafayette. Notice it has been quite the year for tornadoes in our viewing area. This year ranks number 5 on the big tornado list for the most tornadoes in a season and we may not be done yet. This list dates back to 1952.

Winter Tidbit: Years with active tornado seasons usually bring us winters with normal to slightly above normal snowfall.

Abbey my daughter who called me between weather crawls and cut-ins last night was worried and asked if we were going to be okay. I told her she would not have to go running to our next door neighbor's house and she felt better. Of course I found her on my side of the bed when I got home. So she trusted in Dad for the most part. Like Abbey we need to always have a plan B this time of year. I try to tell kids at school talks to be wary of La Ninas (without scaring them) that add high octane fuel to thunderstorms thanks to a stronger and more amplified jet stream than normal. We have been in one of the strongest La Nina years in decades and we may not be done yet. This La Nina may have faded to neutral this summer but some of the new data coming in suggests the La Nina is not dead yet and could be making a comeback once again which may impact us with a very active fall severe weather season. Remember there are two severe weather seasons in Lafayette which includes late Spring and early summer. Then once again we see an increase in storms and severe weather again by late September and October.

You can see why above. The jet stream that adds punch to our storms is no longer camping out in Canada but starts to migrate like the birds this time of year from north to south. We all remember the September 20, 2002 Elletsville tornado that stayed on the ground for 112 miles with wind speeds over 200 mph at times. It ended up lifting just northwest of Muncie. Here closer to home we had an F2 tornado in Tippecanoe County on September 14, 1965. Now that tornado had wind speeds over 150 mph and it was a La Nina autumn, so be on guard. Now I am not trying to over-hype this but I just want you to be aware of the situation so if it arises you will have a plan B to keep you and your family safe. The bottom line is that Severe weather can occur at any time of year and it doesn't matter if it is a La Nina, El Nino, or neutral pattern. This year I see an increased risk with an early onset of autumn and wintry weather. I see plenty of clashes setting up and it might get ugly. Speaking of ugly you can take a good look at Ike below.

Hurricane Ike was the worst hurricane to hit Cuba since 1963 and even if it was downgraded to a category one I do expect it to re-intensify once it pulls away from Cuba. This could enhance our rain chances here at home this weekend. Tune in and check back here on the blog for more on this and a woolly bear caterpillar update that includes pictures!

Severe Weather Stays South, But Brace for an October Chill

Update as of 10:25 p.m.

We have the all clear and despite seeing warnings on other stations far from home you can get a little rest tonight. No severe weather reports have been received! Job well done bloggers!


Update as of 10:10 p.m.

Weather Team 18 Alert: SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY UNTIL 10:30 P.M. Thunderstorms near Ladoga and Roachdale will move to New Ross by 10:18 p.m. before exiting the county. The main threat continues to be nickel size hail. This storm could still put down an isolated 60 mph wind gust so make sure to get to your safe spot immediately in these areas.



Update as of 9:58 p.m.

Weather Team 18 Alert: SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY UNTIL 10:30 P.M. Thunderstorms will be near New Market by 10:02 p.m. and Ladoga by 10:02 p.m....New Ross by 10:09 p.m.....North Salem by 10:12 p.m. and Jamestown by 10:13 p.m. Isolated wind gusts of 60 mph and large hail are possible in these areas. Get to your safe spot immediately.


Update 9:52 p.m.

Weather Team 18 Alert: SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR FOUNTAIN COUNTY, MONTGOMERY COUNTY, AND SOUTHWESTERN TIPPECANOE COUNTY UNTIL 10:15 P.M. EDT. The areas of most concern for damaging thunderstorms is in SOUTHERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY. Storms will be near New Market by 10:02 p.m. and Ladoga by 10:14 p.m. Isolated wind gusts of 60 mph are also possible in these areas. Get to your safe spot immediately.


Update 9:20 p.m.

Weather Team 18 Alert: A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for Fountain, Warren, and Montgomery County. The main threats at this time will be lightning, nickel size hail, and wind gusts to 40 mph. The strongest of the storms will be near Veedersburg by 9:20 p.m.....Newtown by 9:35 p.m........Wingate by 9:42 p.m......and Linden by 10:00 p.m. Remember isolated damaging wind gusts and large hail cannot be ruled out in these areas.

Update as of 9 p.m.

Forecast Focus: Weather Team 18 Alert: A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for Fountain, Warren, and Montgomery County. The main threats at this time will be lightning, pea-size hail, and wind gusts to 40 mph. Live Doppler 18 is showing the higher risk of severe weather south of Interstate 70. Be extra careful if traveling tonight, especially south toward Indianapolis.

I hope you had a great weekend. I had a great time at the Purdue game. We had a wonderful sunny day and the temperatures were perfect. The only complaints I received were those that went home with some nasty sunburns. Always wear the sunscreen this time of year, especially to sporting events. Those stands might as well be a beach as they are angled right into the sun adding even more ultraviolet exposure than normal. Sometimes nature fools you with cooler temperatures and you think that means you will not burn, but unfortunately its the sun angle that really matters and it will be high enough to burn you even into early October. I found a nice shady spot and met some great advertisers in the WLFI booth.

You see Randy and I enjoying the Boilers. Randy Lynch is with Brenneco and I gave him a shout out from all the weather bloggers about how much we appreciate Brenneco advertising with us. We will continue to add more fun things in the future thanks to Brenneco. I also wanted to thank Fairfield, Miracles Fitness, Miracles Rehab, and Trent Johnson of State Farm for being a part of our WLFI web family. I had a great time with Trent's family, including Diane Johnson and her two kids at the game. His kids are already in high school so I was trying to see what I have to look forward to and yes that includes lots of good things after hanging out with them. There is nothing like a Saturday at a Big Ten college football game and the company made it even better.

The sun was not the only the thing burning. The Boilers were certainly burning the Bears on special teams. Since the Oregon Ducks are coming to town this week we will have to get ready to eat some duck soup. Any recipes? It is fitting that weatherwise we do have some soup weather on the way with the coolest weather since late May on the way. You will need the jackets as early as tomorrow morning. Today we do have a few scattered thunderstorms in the forecast but all of the latest guidance has the big stuff staying well south of us where they have more heating and moisture to work with. If you have soccer plans this evening or any other extra-cirricular activities you should be okay. I think we will see a break in the rain this evening with our next good chance of widespread showers and a few rumbles of thunder holding off until after 9 p.m.

Big Rain Gives Way to Interesting Caterpillars

Rainfall totals and what this caterpillar may mean for our winter....coming up!!

Here Comes Gustav With Wind, Rain, & A Few Strong Storms

The latest models are showing at least 1 to 3 inches of rain for most us before all is said and done. A couple spots may even break 3 inches! Make sure to be careful of ponding of water on the roadway. One other interesting note is that it will turn breezy with wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph developing late today and tonight. The Storm Prediction Center has our southern viewing area in a slight risk of severe weather but we will all have to watch for a strong storm or two late today and overnight. The biggest threat for us would be wind gusts near 50 mph and you can never rule out tornadoes when it comes to tropical systems. Gustav has already produced 50 of them so far in its 11 day lifespan. But the good news is our tornado risk here at home will stay at 5% or less. As this tropical system interacts with a baroclinic system or cold front sometimes strange things can happen and I do think some areas especially in southern Indiana and Illinois could in fact see a few tornadoes. There will be a strong low-level jet stream adding wind shear to a system that already has plenty of spin to it. I will keep you updated.

Alligator Weather Swamps Lafayette with Rain

Now I have heard of alligators down in Florida and Louisiana barking up a storm before hurricanes, but never here in Indiana. But that all changed on Wednesday ahead of our nice drenching of rain from the remnants of Gustav. We actually had somebody wake up to a hissing alligator probably trying to tell us the remnants of a hurricane are on the way. It felt like Florida too yesterday with our third consecutive day of 90 degrees or above which means we had our first official heat wave of the season. You can thank Gustav for this. These monster storms carry plenty of heat and humidity with them. Hurricanes and tropical storms have also been known to carry tropical exotic birds thousands of miles from home. They fly in the eye of the hurricane where it is a sunny, beautiful day. The problem is many cannot keep up. Take a look at the story below that was on WLFI last night at 11 p.m. Niccole, Mike, and I got a real kick out of it and with yesterday's tropical weather this alligator I am sure felt like he was at home. In Florida, gators have also been known to snack on small dogs so I am glad this story did not take a bad turn and instead had a happy ending. The tie in to the weather was just icing on the cake.

A Lafayette man couldn't believe what he found this morning at his doorstep. It was an alligator. Lafayette Police say a resident on Poland Hill Drive came out his front door to find a gator hissing at him.The reptile was 4-feet-7 inches long. Officers were able to capture the alligator.. and return it to its owner... who also lives along Poland Hill Road. The owner was ticketed for 'animal running at large.'

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