Suncoast Stormwatch

Sorry that I'm a day late with this, I was helping to put up Christmas lights yesterday.

This week in West Central Florida, we will have fluctuating temps from the high 70s to the low 60s at the end of the week.

We will have a chance of severe weather on Wednesday, with a passing cold front that will cause the temperatures to drop.

I'm getting ready to leave for the WCFLAMS  meeting so I don't have time to go into detail with the answer to last week's trivia question like I would like. I'll post the answer later.

Hurricane season is winding down, with only nine days left. So, what will you do to celebrate the end of hurricane season? Will you tell everyone that even if there had been a major storm heading for you, it would  have have turned or dissipated before reaching you, or will you quietly begin preparing for next year? 

Thanksgiving Forecast

Either way, Thanksgiving is only a few days away. With more people traveling by car this year than last year, I'm sure you'll want your Thanksgiving weather forecast.

Instead of giving a forecast just for the day of Thanksgiving, I'm going to give a three-day forecast for a few cities across the nation. 

New York:

On Wednesday, you'll have a high around 58 and a low of 46. Rain is to be expected, so if you are arriving in the city, make sure to pay attention to the cars around you and also watch the signs to make sure you are going the right way to your destination. I know from experience, and the Big Apple is not a place to get turned around in, especially in the rain and at night.
 
Thursday, you'll get more rain, a high of 56 (4 degrees from the record of 60) and a low of 43. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will go on even if there is a bit of rain, so if you plan to be in the streets watching the parade, make sure to dress appropriately because you're going to have to be out early in the morning to be able to get a spot for the parade. I've learned that it isn't the cold that gets to you, it's the wind. The buildings are basically wind tunnels, and unfortunately, you might not have any pumpkin pie waiting to take the chill off. 

Friday, you'll have a high of 47 and a low of 38. Now that's more like it.

West Central Florida

This week, we'll see temeratures in the high 80s with rain possible Wednesday and, of course, Thursday. It might cool down a bit towards the end of the week as drier and cooler air move into the area.

Weekly Weather Trivia

I see nobody took the time to answer last weeks question. :-(

Drum roll please..........

The answer to last week's trivia question of "The temperature is 295 degrees K (Kelvin). What is the temperature when it is converted to Celsius?" is 22 degrees. All you would've had to do is subtract 273 from 295....... How disappointing.

This week's question is below:

What is the latest formed tropical system in the Atlantic?

After one last cold night tonight, it should start to warm back up around here.  This week, daytime temperatures will be in the low 80s with no rain in sight.

I found a cool new feature of the National Weather Service's point and click forecast system. When you click a spot on the map, scroll to the bottom of the page where it gives the other options and you'll see "Quick Forecast". Click it and it will take you to a page like this one that will give you more than just the regular NWS forecast.

Also, earlier this week, the National Climatic Data Center released their monthly climate report for October.

NASA has announced that they have found a "signifigant" amount of frozen water on on the Moon.

The answer to last week's weather trivia question of "When was the American Meteorological Society founded" is 1919. This week's question is below:

The temperature is 295 degrees K (Kelvin). What is the temperature when it is converted to Celsius? Post a comment with your answer, and stay tuned for next week's Weekly Update when I reveal the answer.

I was out of town over the weekend so I wasn't able to update the blog.

This week in West Central Florida we can expect rain through Thursday. There is a High Surf Advisory currently in effect from Hillsborough to Lee counties through 7pm tonight.

Right now, Ida is expected to make landfall in Alabama near the Mississippi / Alabama border as a Tropical Storm. It should make landfall sometime around 6am tomorrow.

Prepare NOW

Even though Ida is only a Tropical Storm, you should still be prepared. The outer rain bands  are already affecting land, but you still need to make sure that you have supplies. There is a great hurricane preparedness guide from the National Hurricane Center that tells you everything you need to know about what to do to prepare for a hurricane.

Below is Ida's latest forecasted track: (Click Image For Larger View)

What was tropical depression 11 earlier today has now strengthened into tropical storm Ida. If it stays on it's current path and survives a possible second lanfall, it could hit the Gulf of Mexico and turn into a major storm. Click picture for larger view.

November is here, at last.

The weather looks to be cooperating at least for this week, as cooler air moves through the country. In the Northeast, NYC is going to dip down into the chilly zone of low to mid 50s  by mid-week.

The weather here locally will finally be in the low 80s this week, the result of a weak cold front that is trying to move through  the area. As of right now, it is predicted to be stationary through Tuesday.

I was checking things out in the Atlantic, as I do everyday, and the NHC is now watching a non-tropical low pressure system located 450 miles east of Bermuda. From the NHC:

 SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO BECOME BETTER ORGANIZED NEAR
THE CENTER OF A NON-TROPICAL GALE LOCATED ABOUT 450 MILES EAST OF
BERMUDA. THE LOW APPEARS TO BE ACQUIRING SOME SUBTROPICAL
CHARACTERISTICS...BUT IT IS STILL ASSOCIATED WITH A SURFACE FRONTAL
BOUNDARY AT THIS TIME. IF THE LOW LOSES ITS FRONTAL PROPERTIES...
IT COULD BECOME A SUBTROPICAL OR TROPICAL STORM OVER THE NEXT DAY
OR SO AS IT MOVES NORTHWESTWARD AND THEN NORTHWARD AT AROUND 10
MPH. THERE IS A HIGH CHANCE...GREATER THAN 50 PERCENT...OF THIS
SYSTEM BECOMING A SUBTROPICAL OR TROPICAL CYCLONE DURING THE NEXT
48 HOURS.

(Image is below, click for larger view.)

 The answer to last week's weather trivia question of "How many inches is one millibar?" is .3. This week's question is below: