Interesting weather information pertaining mostly to south Florida.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

EF0 Tornado in Palm Beach County

Those of us in northeast Broward and southeast Palm Beach county saw some rain today. Here at the house we only had .02 inches of rain but a spotter in west Boca reported over four inches of rain.

In northern Palm Beach county the NWS has confirmed an EF0 tornado touched down. Also of this writing the Palm Beach Post is reporting 5300 people are without power. You can read the article here.

Off weather for a minute please check your anti-virus tonight and make sure that it is up to date. April 1 has always been a popular day for the launching trojan payloads associated with some viruses. If you do not currently have up to date anti-virus I would suggest the one I use, Avast Anti-Virus. It is free (with registration) for home use and has NEVER failed me. I know there are others out there but I have found this one to be very good.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Rip Currents

With a fairly warm Saturday still in front of us some of you may be heading to the beach. If so please beware of rip currents. Today's winds will favor the presence of these dangerous currents. The NWS has been issuing statements this morning and the latest is below.

COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
1115 AM EDT SAT MAR 28 2009

COUNTY SPECIFIC MESSAGE:

/O.CON.KMFL.CF.S.0014.000000T0000Z-090329T0000Z/
COASTAL PALM BEACH-COASTAL BROWARD-COASTAL MIAMI DADE-
1115 AM EDT SAT MAR 28 2009

...HIGH RISK OF DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR
ALL ATLANTIC BEACHES...

A SOUTHEASTERLY WIND OF 20 TO 25 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS...WILL
PERSIST ALONG THE ATLANTIC COAST BEACHES OF SOUTH FLORIDA THROUGH
EARLY THIS EVENING. THIS...COMBINED WITH A SMALL TO MODERATE
NORTHEAST SWELL...WILL RESULT IN A HIGH RISK OF DANGEROUS RIP
CURRENTS ALONG THE ATLANTIC BEACHES OF MIAMI-DADE...BROWARD...AND
PALM BEACH COUNTIES. SWIMMING IS NOT RECOMMENDED.

A RIP CURRENT IS A 10 TO 30 YARD WIDE CHANNEL OF WATER THAT CAN
PULL EVEN A STRONG SWIMMER FROM NEAR OR INSIDE THE SAND BAR INTO
DEEPER WATER. DUE TO THE LIFE THREATENING DANGERS THAT THESE
STRONG CURRENTS OF WATER POSE...SWIMMING IS NOT ADVISED.

IF YOU DO GO INTO THE WATERS...SWIM AT GUARDED BEACHES AND HEED
THE ADVICE OF THE BEACH PATROL. IF CAUGHT IN THE SEAWARD PULL OF
A RIP CURRENT DO NOT ATTEMPT TO MOVE DIRECTLY TOWARD SHORE.
INSTEAD...MOVE SIDEWAYS ACROSS THE RIP CURRENT UNTIL THE PULL
EASES.

AN ALTERNATE METHOD OF ESCAPE IS TO LET THE RIP CURRENT PULL YOU
SEAWARD 50 TO 100 YARDS...WHERE THE FORCE WEAKENS...AND THEN SWIM
TOWARD THE BEACH AT AN ANGLE AWAY FROM THE CURRENT.

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Record Rainfall for FLL Today

More rain in the area today as FLL sets a daily rainfall record:

RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI, FL
0521 PM EDT SAT MAR 21 2009

...RECORD DAILY MAXIMUM RAINFALL SET AT FORT LAUDERDALE...

A RECORD RAINFALL OF 1.16 INCH(ES) WAS SET AT FORT LAUDERDALE TODAY.
THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 1.04 SET IN 1961.

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Thursday, March 19, 2009

6.98 Inches of Rain

Just a quick update, yesterday we had 6.98 inches of rain from 7am Wednesday to 7am this morning.

Some drying is already occurring in the atmosphere so the rain chances are going down and as of now it looks like we have a very nice weather weekend ahead.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Rain Gauge

Here is a picture of my rain gauge I took when I got home tonight. There is several inches of rain in there. My official measurement will be done in the morning and I will have it posted here. Good night and stay dry.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Updated Rainfall Totals

Rainfall through 10:50PM:

7.88 COCONUT CREEK
6.10 POMPANO BEACH APT (PMP)
5.70 LAUDERDALE LAKES
5.08 POMPANO BEACH
5.06 OAKLAND PARK
4.81 FT LAUDERDALE NEAR SUNRISE BLVD AND 441
4.70 FT LAUDERDALE EXECUTIVE APT (FXE)
4.48 BOCA RATON
4.28 CORAL SPRINGS
4.00 HOMESTEAD
3.90 CUTLER RIDGE
3.79 DELRAY BEACH
3.54 BOYNTON BEACH
3.08 BLACK POINT
3.00 PLANTATION
2.68 LOXAHATCHEE NWR-EAST
2.31 PRINCETON
2.06 LEISURE CITY
1.91 SAWGRASS MILLS
1.64 WEST BOCA
1.63 DAVIE
1.60 NW LAKE OKEECHOBEE
1.60 JUPITER
1.57 NORTH PALM BEACH
1.45 LAKE WORTH
1.41 MIAMI INTERNATIONAL APT (MIA)
1.30 TAMIAMI TR AT KROME AVE
1.11 FT LAUDERDALE/HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL APT (FLL)
1.05 JUPITER FARMS
1.01 NORTH MIAMI BEACH
0.92 WESTON AT BONAVENTURE
0.90 PALM BEACH INTERNATIONAL APT (PBI)
0.64 BELLE GLADE
0.54 HOMESTEAD GENERAL APT
0.53 W LAKE OKEECHOBEE
0.42 SOUTH BAY
0.39 CLEWISTON FIELD

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Rainfall Totals

Here are some rainfall totals through 5:30PM from the NWS and SFWMD:

7.88 COCONUT CREEK
5.08 POMPANO BEACH
5.07 LAUDERDALE LAKES
4.97 OAKLAND PARK
4.14 FT LAUDERDALE NEAR SUNRISE BLVD AND 441
4.11 CORAL SPRINGS
3.90 CUTLER RIDGE
3.62 BOCA RATON
3.08 BLACK POINT
2.82 DELRAY BEACH
2.78 BOYNTON BEACH
2.33 PLANTATION
2.01 LOXAHATCHEE NWR-EAST
1.74 SAWGRASS MILLS
1.59 NW LAKE OKEECHOBEE
1.54 NORTH PALM BEACH
1.50 PRINCETON
1.40 WEST BOCA
1.25 TAMIAMI TR AT KROME AVE
1.18 LAKE WORTH
1.14 MIAMI INTERNATIONAL APT (MIA)
1.10 LEISURE CITY
1.03 DAVIE
1.03 FT LAUDERDALE/HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL APT(FLL)
1.02 JUPITER
0.93 JUPITER FARMS
0.89 PALM BEACH INTERNATIONAL APT (PBI)
0.59 WESTON AT BONAVENTURE
0.53 W LAKE OKEECHOBEE
0.39 BELLE GLADE
0.38 CLEWISTON FIELD
0.24 SOUTH BAY

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Rain Continues

So far over 4.5 inches of rain at PMP airport since midnight.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Friday, March 13, 2009

Continued Dry Weather Expected

The NWS in Miami issued a statement this morning updating our area rainfall values and explaining that we may not see as much rain as usual this Spring.

HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
0400 AM EST FRI MAR 13 2008

....BELOW NORMAL RAINFALL FORECAST FOR THIS SPRING ACROSS SOUTH
FLORIDA...

THE RAINFALL AMOUNTS FOR DRY SEASON OF 2008/09 HAVE BEEN BELOW
NORMAL...DUE TO THE LA NINA AFFECTS AND THE DRY COLD FRONTS MOVING
THROUGH SOUTH FLORIDA. HERE ARE SOME TOTALS FOR THE DRY SEASON OF
2008/2009.

AIRPORTS : TOTALS : NORMALS : DEPARTURES

MIAMI INTERNATIONAL : 1.71 : 10.52 : -8.81
FORT LAUDERDALE INTERNATIONAL : 0.98 : 13.89 : -12.91
PALM BEACH INTERNATIONAL : 2.90 : 16.33 : -13.43
NAPLES MUNICIPAL AIRPORT : 1.40 : 8.55 : -7.15

SECONDARY OBSERVATION SITES

IMMOKALEE : 2.11 : 9.34 : -7.23
DEVILS GARDEN : 2.07 : 9.61 : -7.54
CLEWISTON : 1.97 : 9.87 : -7.90
BELLE GLADE : 2.01 : 10.63 : -8.62
MOORE HAVEN LOCK : 2.42 : 10.19 : -7.77
FLAMINGO RANGER STATION : 1.85 : 9.04 : -7.19
MIAMI BEACH : 1.47 : 10.65 : -9.18

AS A RESULT...THE NATIONAL DROUGHT MONITOR PERSONNEL HAVE PUSHED THE
SEVERE DROUGHT STATUS (D2) WESTWARD TO INCLUDE ALL OF
MIAMI-DADE...BROWARD...AND PALM BEACH COUNTIES ALONG WITH SOUTHERN
MAINLAND MONROE COUNTY. REST OF SOUTH FLORIDA WAS STILL IN A
MODERATE DROUGHT STATUS (D1).

LAKE OKEECHOBEE WATER LEVEL WAS ABOUT 2 FEET BELOW NORMAL THIS
TIME OF YEAR AT AROUND 12.5 FEET. THE SOIL MOISTURE OVER SOUTH
FLORIDA WAS ALSO BELOW NORMAL.

THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER'S PRECIPITATION OUTLOOK FOR THE REST
OF THE DRY SEASON CALLS FOR AN INCREASED LIKELIHOOD OF BELOW NORMAL
RAINFALL...MAINLY DUE TO THE LA NINA CONDITIONS CURRENTLY BEING
EXPERIENCED AND EXPECTED TO LAST THROUGH REST OF THE SPRING.

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Stronger Worded Warnings

Interesting article from the Sun-Sentinel, sounds like the NWS will be a bit more aggresive in their language in warnings (tornado and hurricane) when lives are in danger.

sun-sentinel.com/services/newspaper/printedition/local/sfl-flbwarning0310sbmar10,0,7195240.story

By Ken Kaye

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

March 10, 2009

When hurricanes, tornadoes and severe storms threaten, there's one message forecasters want residents to know: If they don't get out of harm's way, their lives could be in danger.

For that reason, the National Weather Service plans to better describe the most perilous aspects of a storm, be they winds, rain or storm surge, and place them at the top of local forecasts.

"It's not necessarily an overhaul. It's just better focusing the information we want the public to really get," said meteorologist Robert Molleda, who is based in the Miami office of the weather service.

Molleda said the change stems from Hurricane Ike, which slammed Galveston and Houston last September. Some of the local weather advisories "buried" information urging people to evacuate, he said.

At least 12 people died along the Galveston shoreline where the system's storm surge hit, according to the National Hurricane Center.

In another weather disaster, the February 2008 Super Tuesday Tornado Outbreak, many residents failed to evacuate because they didn't believe they were under threat until they saw a twister. In all, 82 tornadoes killed 57 people, with most of the deaths in Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee.

After that outbreak, the weather service found that many residents don't sense peril based on forecasts alone.

The agency also discovered that many people minimized the threat because they had "optimism bias," thinking bad things only happen to other people.