Monthly Weather Review: September 2013 Much Quieter!

After the wettest summer (June-July-August) on record, September 2013 was much much quieter by comparison.  Temperatures through the month averaged out to be very close to the 30 year normals and we ended up being only a little under an inch below normal on rain for the month.  In fact, only 8 of the 30 days in September had rainfall of 0.1 inches or better.

October is off to a warm and dry start, but that will change next week behind the next cold front.  Overall though, the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) predicts above average temperatures for October and near normal precipitation.

October 2013 Temperature Outlook (Courtesy: CPC)

 October 2013 Precipitation Outlook (Courtesy: CPC)

In case you're wondering, the CPC predicted near normal rainfall for last month and above normal temperatures...so they were 1 for 2 locally on their predictions for September.  Enjoy what should turn out to be some beautiful fall colors the next few weeks!

Monthly Weather Review: August 2013 - Wet, Wet, WET!

If July was "wild" as I stated a month ago, I'm honestly not sure what to say about August.  The rainfall for the month is definitely the standout (and not in a good way).  We saw 3.02 inches of our monthly total on August 28th alone!  We'll have to wait to see if it goes down as the wettest August on record in Clarksburg, but if not, it will certainly rank high on the list.  Both our high and low temperatures averaged out to be slightly below the 30 year normals, but not by much.

We saw an impressive 20 inches of rain this summer (June-August), making it the wettest summer on record in Clarksburg.  Thinking back on the summer that was, I don't think that comes as much as a surprise.

After today, temperatures are expected to be slightly below average for the next week, but overall, temperatures over the next month according to the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) are expected to be near normal with precipitation over the next month staying above normal.

September 2013 Precipitation Outlook (Courtesy: CPC)

 September 2013 Temperature Outlook (Courtesy: CPC)

I mentioned it last month, but all of this wet weather should mean a nice show of fall colors in a few weeks!

Monthly Weather Review: July 2013 - Wet & Wild

I don't know if we can call July "wild" (maybe with all the rain we saw), but it certainly was a lot different than last July.  We saw only one week of big heat and humidity in the middle of the month followed by a string of unusually cool and unsettled days toward the end of the month.  Otherwise, temperatures through the month were right around where they should be this time of year...in the 80s.  Our average high through the 31 days in July 2013 was only a little over 2 degrees below the 30 year normal for July in Clarksburg.  Lows through the month averaged out to be a degree and a half above the norm for July.  In both cases, this is nothing to really write home about.  Rainfall for the second month though was significantly above the 30 year normal with over 6 inches of rain again in Clarksburg in July.

So, how do things look as we start August?  Well, we're starting on a cool note today, and it looks like that trend will continue for the first 2 weeks of the month.

8-14 Day Temperature Outlook (Courtesy: CPC)

It looks like the pattern we've seen for much of the summer (trough in the East, ridge in the West) is staying put to start off the month.  So, we can expect more of the same: unsettled weather at times with multiple storm systems and disturbances leading to wetter than average weather and a flow out of the north and west keeping us cooler than average.

8-14 Precipitation Outlook (Courtesy: CPC)

So, will this pattern ever break and will we see more summer-like weather before summer comes to an end?  The outlook from the CPC isn't looking good on that front.  The heat is expected to stay out west for the next several months.  The good news though is that if the wet weather continues, we should be in for a good show when the leaves change color come fall!

Get Local Weather Alerts 24/7 On My Social Media Sites & Sent Directly To Your Phone!

If you follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+ (or maybe on all 3), you've noticed I've been doing a LOT of testing lately to figure out the best way to have local weather alerts auto-post to my social media.  The good news is, I finally have things set up.  It's not ideal (you have to click a link or view summary in Twitter to see specifics), but as I've found this is the only way to post quickly and to all 3 social media sites.

Basically, I have local alerts published to a Tumblr blog for the 20 counties inside the orange line in the picture above and those posts are forwarded to Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.  When the alerts are passed along to Facebook, Twitter, and Google+, they will look something like this:

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More detailed information is available by clicking the link in the post.  This will direct you to the blog post for the alert in Tumblr, a blogging site.

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If you didn't see the summary for the weather alert (if you're on Facebook or Google+), you will now see a summary giving the counties in the alert and when the alert expires.  For more information, you can click on the "iNWS Alert" title near the top of the post to get more detailed information about the alert (similar to what you would see in a scroll at the bottom of your screen on WDTV or WVFX).

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The more detailed look shows a map of the area affected and gives more specifics below it.

Overall, it's pretty simple...you just have to remember that there are 2 links to click...1 in the social media post and 1 on the Tumblr post after you click the first link (if you want more detailed info).

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The cool thing about it being set up this way too is that you can easily receive these weather alerts directly on your smartphone or tablet via an RSS Reader with Push Notifications (don't let that scare you off, I have more instructions on setting it all up below).  iPhone users now receive weather alerts on their phones automatically, but they usually don't have very detailed info so the advantage to what I'm about to show you is that you can get the weather alert immediately after it is issued AND have a link to get more detailed information on it.

This works great on Android devices (I have personally tested it) and should work fine on iPhones, iPads, and iPods.  Theoretically, there is likely a way to do this on Blackberry and Windows Phone too, although I don't have enough experience with either to give a detailed tutorial (but maybe someone can help me out with that!).

Android:

1. Download and install the RSS reader "RSS Junkie" from the Google Play store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bitpowder.rssjunkie&hl=en

2. Once installed, open the program

3. Click the menu button (3 vertical dots) on the top right of the screen

4. Choose "Add Feed..."

5. Select "Manually add a feed address"

6. Type in the following: http://piercelegeion.tumblr.com/rss

7. Click "Add".

- This has added the weather alerts feed to the program.  Now, you'll want to make sure the program is set up to receive push notifications.

8. Click the menu button (3 vertical dots) on the top right of the screen

9. Select "More..." then "Preferences..."

10. Under "Notification Preferences", click "Enable Notifications", then select which types of notifications you'd like to receive (Vibrate, LED, and/or Notification sound).

- You're now set up to automatically be notified any time there is a weather alert in the area and will be able to click on the notification to see more information!

iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod):

1. Download and install the RSS reader "Blogkeen" from the app store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/blogkeen-rss-reader-for-blogs/id437002915?mt=8

2. Once installed, open the app.

3. Click the "More" tab at the bottom right of the screen.

4. In the search field, enter the following: http://piercelegeion.tumblr.com/rss

5. Select "Weather Alerts" and follow prompts to add to reader.

6. Go into the settings for the app and make sure push notifications are enabled or selected (sorry, I don't have an iOS device to test this out totally)

If you have any questions or if there is anything I missed, please let me know.  This is a service for you guys so I will do my best to work out any kinks that may still be left.  Also, if you have better instructions for getting the RSS feed going on iOS, Blackberry, or Windows Phone, please feel free to share with me.  Thanks!

Weather 101: Severe Thunderstorm and Tornado Safety

Monthly Weather Review: June 2013 - Wet & Steamy

If you thought that June 2013 seemed like a wet month, you'd be right.  In Clarksburg, rainfall was over 2 inches above the 30-year normal for June.  A good chunk of north central West Virginia had been on the verge of drought conditions if we didn't see some rain and this should certainly help out with that.

Temperatures in June 2013 were pretty close to the 30-year normals for both highs and lows, with our average high for the month being around 3 degrees below the 30-year normal for June and our average low for the month about 3 degrees above the 30-year normal.

More wet weather and near normal temperatures are on the way for the start of July.  There are indications in the long term (toward the middle of the month) that the big ridge of high pressure which is out over the western U.S. could shift eastward a little bit.  There is still some uncertainty as to how far east it could build, but with a trough in the East to start the month and a large high pressure system over the middle of the country by the middle of the month, things look to stay wet here across north central WV.

Severe Weather Today & Tomorrow: What Can You Expect?

We've been talking the past few days about the likelihood for severe weather the next few days, and now that it is just about here, I've got a more clear picture of what to expect.  Thunderstorms will get going this afternoon as a warm front just to our south moves north into NCWV.  A strong disturbance will be riding in along that front late this afternoon which will help provide some additional lift and wind shear to give us an elevated risk for severe weather this afternoon through the first half of tonight.

Storms will start south and west near Glenville, Harrisville, and Sutton first around 3pm and work north and east from there.  These storms don't look to clear the area entirely until about midnight, when they will be across southern PA, the eastern panhandle of WV, and western and central MD.  The storms today will be capable of producing heavy rain (which could cause flash flooding in spots), damaging wind gusts of 60+ mph at times, large hail the size of a quarter or bigger, and an outside shot at a tornado or two.  Winds may be strong enough to down trees and power lines in some spots, although I do expect widespread power outages at this time.  The threat level for each is shown below:

It's important to note that the graphic above shows the percent chance of each hazard within 25 miles of a point (your house for example).  Considering that, a moderate threat is pretty significant.  The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has actually cut back on the threat level for damaging winds and large hail to areas close to the Ohio River and west only early this morning, but that could once again change so I'll keep what I have here for now.

We quiet down a little bit after midnight tonight with a few scattered showers and a thunderstorm or two which won't be strong or severe.  As we head toward tomorrow morning though, round 2 of thunderstorms will move through the area with a cold front.  These storms are not expected to be as strong as what we'll likely see today, but there could be wind gusts of 40-50 mph and heavy rain as round 2 starts near the Ohio River around 6am and moves east from there, clearing the mountains by about 2pm.

In addition to the threat for gusty winds and hail, heavy rain may lead to flash flooding in some areas.  I'm expecting 1-2 inches of total rainfall today through late tomorrow, with much of that falling in a short amount of time with the 2 rounds of thunderstorms.  This is something else we'll be watching very closely through late tomorrow.  We'll keep you updated through the day on Channel 5 and online at WDTV.com.

For more info on preparing for severe weather, including getting an emergency kit together and how to find the safest place to take shelter from severe weather in your home, check out the links below.

Preparing For Severe Weather Part 1: One Item No Home Should Be Without
http://www.wdtv.com/wdtv.cfm?func=view&section=5-News&item=Preparing-For-Severe-Weather-One-Item-No-Home-Should-Be-Without9673

Preparing For Severe Weather Part 2: Finding Your Safe Place
http://www.wdtv.com/wdtv.cfm?func=view&section=5-News&item=Preparing-For-Severe-Weather-Finding-Your-Safe-Place9813