It’s a gorgeous morning with a bright blue sky and comfortably cool temperatures in the 50s.  Check out the Satellite/Radar image, though, and you know things will change as the day goes on:

That storm system currently located over Missouri will head our way, and clouds will be on the increase today.  It looks like most of the daylight hours will be dry, with the slight chance of showers starting in the west this evening.  Then, the rain chances increase tonight:

Rain and thunderstorms become likely and some of them could produce heavy downpours.  The threat of severe weather is mostly south of us, and the Cincinnati metro area is included in an Elevated Risk for this evening/overnight:

We can’t rule out some hail or gusty winds, but the main threat of strong storms is south.  The rainfall forecast is anywhere from a quarter of an inch up to a half inch.  But if we get some good thunderstorms in the area, some spots could pick up near an inch of rain… a nice soaking.  I know our local farmers would appreciate that!  Here’s the latest update on our Fort Loramie corn crop that we’ve “adopted” (planted May 12th).  The rain we did receive this week has helped a bit!

Thanks to Amy & Jason for keeping us updated.

We still could see a shower or two Friday afternoon, but otherwise expect a mostly cloudy, breezy and COOLER day with highs in the mid-60s!

Jamie
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A cold front moved through yesterday, bringing some much needed rain to the area.  Here’s a look at some of the rainfall totals from the showers & thunderstorms that affected the area:

That may have been enough to perk up the flowers and green the grass a bit, but I know many of you would like even more rain.  We are still about 2.5″ below normal for the month and 4″ below normal for the year.  Good news… there is more rain in the forecast… it’s just not today.    Now that the cold front has cleared the area, cooler and less humid air is building into the Miami Valley.  The 90-degree, humid afternoons are gone, and we are left with morning temperatures dropping into the 50s in spots:

The afternoon looks quite pleasant, with highs in the upper 70s, low humidity and a lot of sunshine.  We have a very high UV Index of 10 today, so it won’t take long to burn. 

Thursday also starts dry and even cooler, as temps are expected to drop near 50-degrees by morning.  The afternoon will be pleasant with highs near 70… but then rain chances increase late-day.  Scattered showers and thunderstorms start to be possible by late afternoon/evening… and the rain chances increase Thursday night into Friday:

It looks like we could get another soaking with this storm system.  As it moves right over us Friday and Saturday, our high temperatures will struggle.  It looks like both days we top out about 10-degrees below normal… in the mid-upper 60s.  Then, drier conditions return for Sunday and temperatures will warm a bit.

Tonight is opening night for Wicked in Dayton!  I am so excited to see this show tomorrow… I may be a little tired Friday morning, but I am pretty sure it will be worth it.  As production crews came into town yesterday, the media got to go down and check out the set-up.  Two local DJ’s–Kristi Leigh from Mix 107.7 and Kim Faris from 94.5 Lite FM re-created the Wicked logo… I just love this picture…

Welcome cast & crew to town… here’s to a great run!!
Jamie
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It was an official heat wave, as we forecast… yesterday’s high in the lower 90s making it so (remember a heat wave is three days or more at or above 90-degrees).

And while none of those highs were records… we did hit a record high low temperature yesterday, the 28th, at 71-degrees.  The warmest low ever on that date!  Our friends at the National Weather Service Wilmington office put together this nice summary of just how warm it was over the holiday weekend:  WARM MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

Today, changes are finally here, as a cold front is moving into the region!  Scattered showers and thunderstorms are moving through the Miami Valley on Live Doppler 2X this morning… here’s the 7:50 am image:

(Click on the image above to link to the current loop)

Any thunderstorm today will likely produce some heavy rain, and ponding of water will be possible.  There’s also the chance for smaller sized hail and gusty winds, and quite possibly an isolated t’storm warning.  But the main threat of severe weather is actually east of us:

It will still be a warm day, with above-normal temperatures in the mid-80s.  But if you get under any given thunderstorm, it will be a lot cooler.  We will see the chance of scattered activity until shortly after lunch, and then will dry out for the latter afternoon hours after the front comes through:

Behind the front–cooler and less humid air!!  Relief!!    Highs for the rest of the week will be in the 70s, and it will feel quite pleasant.  The next storm rolls in Thursday night into Friday.  That will bring in another good shot of rain, and may even hold Friday’s highs in the upper 60s.

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Today’s forecast high of 90-degrees, if reached, will officially make this hotter-than-average period a heat wave!  It takes three consecutive days at or above 90 to qualify as an official heat wave, and with 90 on Saturday… and 91 yesterday… today would be day three.  I hope you have been staying cool!  Dew points are in the mid-upper 60s this morning… so while this is our coolest time of the day, it still feels QUITE muggy out there.  Whenever this is the case, our bodies don’t cool as efficiently… and we sweat more, trying to compensate.  So please remember to drink MUCH water today to stay hydrated… and re-apply the sunscreen, as excessive perspiration will reduce it’s effectiveness.  We do have an extremely high UV Index today:

And here’s your Memorial Day forecast for the picnics/bbq’s going on:

Let’s not forget what today is all about–honoring those that lost their lives for our freedoms… and thanking those that serve our country today.  Military families sacrifice so much!!

Notice on the graphic above–the low rain chance.  We could see a pop-up shower or thunderstorm this afternoon as we heat up.  Not everyone will see rain today, but we all have a pretty good shot of showers/thunderstorms tonight and through the first half of Tuesday.  Yes, RAIN is back in the forecast as a cold front heads our way:

This front will also end the heat wave, dropping temperatures significantly this week:

I’m looking forward to those 70s!!
Jamie
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We’re having a heat wave – a tropical heat wave.  Well not really but I like the song   So yes it’s been hot but not as humid as in other parts of the country.  Our dew point or the measurement of how much moisture is in the air has been staying in the lower 60′s.  While that’s a touch humid when the dew point reaches the middle or upper 60′s that’s when it really feels muggy.  However dew point aside it’s still HOT!

Here’s a look at today’s high in Dayton – yes another day with highs in the 90′s.

The theme for this Memorial Day weekend has been heat.  I hope many of you have been enjoying your time off by the pool or inside enjoying the air conditioning.  This entire weekend our highs have been in the upper 80′s and lower 90′s.  Keep in mind our “normal” high for this time of year is 75!

So why are we so hot?  There’s a strong ridge of high pressure in the upper levels of the atmosphere.  This high is blocking any storms and is baking much of the Midwest.

This ridge isn’t going to be in place for too much longer.  By late Monday and early Tuesday a front is going to move through and bring our temperatures back to normal.  Late in the week our upper level flow brings in much more cooler air – 70′s ahhhhh

Back to the heat – I was looking at the climate data for Dayton trying to figure out if any of this weekend’s highs would break any records.  While we’re not going to break any records, something stuck out in my research. I noticed that one year really stuck out.  In 1911 there were six records broken in May and four of them were consecutive.

I can’t even imagine what it must have been like to have that kind of heat for four days in a row in 1911.  It makes me appreciate air conditioning and all of the technology we have.

Tara
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I hope you are enjoying some pool time this weekend or maybe enjoying the refreshing feel from your air conditioner.  Memorial Day is usually the unofficial start of summer and this weekend is living up to the title.

Highs all over the Miami Valley were either at 90 or one or two degrees away.  The entire day has been warm and the temperatures begin to spike early.  Here’s a look at how quickly temperatures jumped today.

The heat isn’t going anywhere for a few more days – so hopefully you bear with it until the cold front gets here Tuesday.  The reason for this high heat is a huge ridge of high pressure in the upper levels of the atmosphere is centered right over Ohio.  This means our weather pattern is stagnant, the heat builds and it’s tough to break.  This patter is going to hold tight through the weekend.

Because we have high heat, humidity and light winds the air isn’t able to mix very well.  Because of the stagnant air mass there is an air pollution advisory in effect for a few counties in the Miami Valley.  During an advisory people with respiratory problems may experience difficulties breathing.  It’s a great idea during an advisory to stay indoors when possible and fill up your gas tank after sunset.  Why? The reason is because while you’re filling up your tank a small amount of vapor can be released into the atmosphere and in direct sunlight this mixes and creates air pollution.  It’s also a great idea to limit your driving and mow the grass during the early morning or evening. (it’s usually cooler around that time anyway – or you can always put it off for another day…

The heat and humidity are here until late Monday.  Finally a cold front is going to sweep through the Miami Valley bringing some much needed rain (my tomatoes plants love me for giving them a little extra water!) There’s a slight chance of showers late Monday evening but the better chance will come on Tuesday.  Of course with the rain also means lower temperatures.  Expect readings to drop into the 70′s for the middle and end of next week….say it with me….ahhhh

Tara
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Memorial Day Weekend is often called the “Unofficial Start of Summer”.  Well THIS weekend, it will officially FEEL like summer, as temperatures soar under an upper level ridge.  Before we get there, however, we do actually have the chance for some rain!  Here’s what’s happening…

This morning, a cold front sits off to our west.  There were scattered showers along this front yesterday, but as night fell and the atmosphere cooled, the showers dissipated.  You can see all that’s left this morning are areas of clouds:

We’ll be partly sunny today, and as we heat up this afternoon… we are probably going to see a few more showers (perhaps a thunderstorm) fire up along that front as it moves into the Miami Valley.  Not everyone will see the rain, however, and a lot of spots will continue to be dry… as we warm up into the mid-80s.  As I blogged yesterday, the front doesn’t really clear the Miami Valley.  It looks like it will stop in our southern counties late today, and then head back north as a warm front tonight.  This keeps us in the summer-like airmass… and as that upper ridge builds in over the weekend, we’ll be in the 90s for the first time this year!  We probably won’t hit any records, however… below I have compared the forecast high each day to the record on that date:

                               FORECAST…… RECORD           

SATURDAY:        90°………………..95°
SUNDAY:               92°………………..98°
MONDAY:             90°………………..98°

Most of the holiday weekend looks dry, with a 20% chance of a pop-up shower/thunderstorm on Memorial Day.  Best shot is in the afternoon, as we see daytime heating.  Then, thunderstorms look likely on Tuesday as a cold front moves through… and much cooler air will follow!  Tuesday’s highs are in the 80s, and the rest of the week, we’ll likely be in the 70s.

If you watched 2 News Today on Thursday, you saw the current Storm Team 2 Forecast Center for the last time!  Shortly after the show, demo began on this set… here’s how I left it:

And what I came into today…

We are very excited about going High Definition this summer, and we’re building an entirely new Forecast Center!  In the meantime, you will only see us on-air at the main anchor desk… and at the weather wall.  Our work area (which is actually part of the Forecast Center) has been moved to a temporary location.  If you watched 2 News back in the 80s/90s, you may remember the OLD old Forecast Center.  That is where we are set up now, until the new HD set is complete.  Before today, this space was not really used… and this is where the demo started last week.  Here’s the timeline of old forecast center demo…

The temporary office is not very fancy… but we still have access to all of our weather computers… so forecasting and graphics-making still run smoothly.  HOWEVER, this space is physically located BEHIND the news set.  So it’s tough to communicate with anyone–anchors, studio techs, etc.  And we’re a lot farther from the weather WALL, so it takes longer to get there.  If we creep into the shot a little late over the next few weeks, you’ll know why   We will keep you posted on things here, and I hope you all have a fantastic Memorial Day weekend!

Jamie
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We are starting off nice and mild, but the afternoon looks even warmer than yesterday!  With quite a bit of sun, we’ll climb into the low-to-mid 80s today.  Dry weather also continues.

There is a *slight* change to the forecast for Friday.  It looks like a weak front dropping into the Miami Valley will bring a low chance of a spotty shower or thunderstorm to the area.  We will see a mix of sun & clouds otherwise, and a lot of dry weather… but we can’t rule out a shower or two… as depicted on Futuretrac:

This front never really makes it all the way THROUGH the area, and lifts back north of us as a warm front over the weekend:

This, along with the strong upper level ridge building in, sets us up for a scorcher of a holiday weekend!  Highs will be near 90-degrees… and with the dew points coming up, our heat index values will be well into the 90s Saturday through Monday.  Pools will be packed, and I’m providing your first pool forecast of the year:

We’ll see some changes next week, however, with a front bringing our next REAL chance of rain on Tuesday… followed by a cool down and a drop in humidity.  From 90s over the weekend, to 70s midweek!  Yes, we’ve got it all!

Jamie
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Today is starting cooler, but will end a little warmer.  Still close enough to the storm system just east of the area to see some clouds this afternoon–although I don’t expect the coverage we had yesterday.  We will see plenty of sun, too, and have a very high UV Index of 8 to go along with it.

Enjoy the pleasantly warm afternoon, as we hit highs near 80.  This evening, we’ll drop back into the 70s, and it looks like a picture perfect night for the City of Kettering’s Community Block Party!

Last year, this event was cancelled because of severe weather– that was May 25th, when we were tracking baseball sized hail and a tornado in southern Montgomery County!  You can read more about that severe weather event here, May 25th 2011 Hail & Tornado.

While today will be nice, it might be difficult to enjoy the afternoons outdoors as we head into the holiday weekend.  The big weather story is going to be this large upper ridge building in… bringing in heat and humidity:

Highs will be near 90 starting Friday and continuing through Memorial Day.  Rain chances are also low under this ridge, so watering the flowers, gardens and crops will be a must during this mini heat wave.  There could be a few pop-up showers or thunderstorms on Memorial Day, but a better chance of rain will be with a front on Tuesday… followed by cooler temperatures.

Now for an update from the farm!  Amy & Jason frequently share what’s happening on their farm in Fort Loramie.  They planted some corn back on May 12th, and this is what it looks like today:

It’s slowly coming along, but they would like to see more rain to really get it going!  I am sure your gardens are the same way.  As I blogged about yesterday, we could definitely use a little moisture around here.  The last time we saw measurable rainfall was back on May 13th–10 days ago!  And it was only .02″ that day.  The last good SOAKING rain was almost a half inch on May 7th.  Other locations have seen more than this, however, with spotty thunderstorms on a few occasions.  During those events, most places did NOT see rain.  Hopefully we’ll get another decent soaking next week… we’ll keep you posted on the latest forecast.

Enjoy the day!
Jamie
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Today is the 1 year anniversary of the violent EF5 Tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri. The tornado struck in the afternoon hours, killing 161 people and injuring more than 1,000. The tornado caused $2.2 Billion Dollars in damage, making it the costliest tornado disaster on record.

The EF5 tornado rapidly strengthened as two storms merged as the storm approached Joplin. As the tornado approached the Southwest side of Joplin at approximately 5:40 p.m., the tornado strengthened to an EF4 mile wide tornado.

(Image Courtesy BaseHunters)

Radar shows extremely strong and even violent rotation as the storm approached the city. A large debris ball is also evident.

Here’s the path of the tornado, showing that the tornado cut right through the center of Joplin, producing EF4 and EF5 tornado along it’s path.

Here’s a neat graphic explaining the tornado from the National Weather Service:

From the National Weather Service: “It’s been one year since a supercell thunderstorm produced an EF-5 tornado over Joplin, Mo. The storm resulted in 158 fatalities and more than 1,000 injuries. The Joplin tornado is the deadliest since modern record keeping began in 1950 and is ranked 7th among the deadliest tornadoes in U.S. history. 2011 was the fourth deadliest tornado year in U.S. history.”

A cold front moved through yesterday, and brought with it scattered showers and thunderstorms.  Some were lucky enough to see this rain… others were not.  At my house, we were playing outside… and heard thunder.  I looked at my 4-year-old daughter and said, “When thunder roars… go indoors!”  She did not hesitate to get into the house!  Usually, it is a p-r-o-c-e-s-s to get her inside.   But hearing the thunder and that little rhyme did the trick!    Unfortunately, while we heard the thunder we did NOT see the rain.  I was hoping I would not have to water today, but it looks like I will!  I know many lawns, gardens and fields could use a good soaking right about now.  Here is where we stand on rainfall for the month and year:

While we are lacking in rain… we aren’t in any sort of drought… yet.  The drought monitor shows the driest places in the region to be parts of western Kentucky, southern Indiana, and even parts of north central Indiana:

Nationally, the Southeast US is one of the driest spots, also parts of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona:

While there is not a drought in our area now, the weather pattern setting up for the end of the week and the weekend might remind you of a drought!  Today and tomorrow will be quite pleasant, with highs in the 70s this afternoon… and near 80 for Wednesday.  Then the real heat starts to build Thursday as we reach 85-degrees… and expect highs near 90 Friday through Memorial Day!  Yes, 90s THIS early… ugh.  The pools will be packed, I’m sure.  The reason for the warm-up is a large ridge that will set up… see how things heat up underneath this feature:

Those are temps above 20°C… about 5,000 feet up… in other words… HOT!!  That sticks with us for several days, bringing the mini-heat wave for the holiday weekend!  So enjoy the cooler weather while it’s here!

Jamie
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Overnight, the showers and thunderstorms that were moving across Indiana dissipated as we lost daytime heating.  It’s pretty cool to see what the radar looked like just after midnight… and then compare it to this morning:

The rain cooled the air somewhat, and I watched a nice outflow boundary move across the Miami Valley this morning.  We also have a bit of cloud cover, which we will see on and off today… but we still have a very high UV index.  So you’ll need sunscreen AND umbrellas today, as our rain chances increase this afternoon.  This is all happening because of a cold front moving into the region:

We are still mild ahead of the front, but some more clouds and the rain chance will help to keep temperatures in check today.  Saturday’s high was 85 degrees… and we made it up to 87 degrees on Sunday!  But today we’ll only make it into the upper 70s to right around 80… not as hot as we have been, but still above normal.  While we are starting off dry, the rain chances do increase as the atmosphere heats up today.  Scattered showers and thunderstorms will become more likely as we head into late morning and the afternoon:

Overnight, we’ll dry out again as we cool off into the 50s.  Tuesday looks mostly dry, maybe a 10-20% chance of a spotty shower across the eastern counties.  Otherwise, a mix of sun and clouds and pleasant temperatures return as we cool off behind the front.  Highs will be in the mid-70s.  THEN comes a big warm-up for the second half of the week and into the weekend!!  Highs could be close to 90-degrees… open up those pools!!

I wanted to share a photo of my kids from our weekend adventures!  We went down to Kings Island, all slathered in SPF 50, of course   Luke rode his very first ride–the kiddie cars!  He absolutely LOVES anything with a steering wheel… so he was so happy to drive these cars.  He rode this ride five times in a row, and I still had trouble getting him off!

His face was so proud…awww!  His sister definitely enjoyed showing her little brother the ropes!  And Claire even rode her first roller coaster with Dad… she was so brave!

Looking forward to lots of summer fun!
Jamie
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I had a rough time coming up with a title for tonight’s blog because I want to cover a variety of topics.  There’s a tropical storm in the Atlantic, a solar eclipse out west, there’s a neat space phenomenon coming up in June and oh yeah — It’s HOT!

HOT:
Today we hit a high of 87° hopefully you were able to enjoy the fantastic day because a cold front is ready to move through tomorrow.  Ahead of this cold front we’ve seen highs in the 80′s but as it approaches us our rain chances go up and our temperatures fall slightly.  The best chance for rain will be in the early afternoon and evening.  Here’s a look at Futuretrac on Monday at 5pm.

Temperatures will fall into the 70′s for the first half of the workweek but they’ll jump back to the middle and even upper 80′s by the end of the week and next weekend.  Memorial Day weekend is always considered the unofficial start to summer and it looks like it’s going to live up to it!

TROPICAL STORM:
The Atlantic hurricane season doesn’t officially begin until June 1st but Tropical Storm Alberto is getting an early start. Right now Alberto is pretty weak and is creating some higher surfs along parts of the East Coast.  All of the computer models suggest this storm will stay away from the coast and not make land fall.

The storm formed Saturday and while it’s not really packing a punch it’s joining a small group of storms that forms in May. Here’s a look at the tropical storms in the Atlantic that formed in May from 1900-2012.

Only 16 storms have formed in the Atlantic since 1900 and Alberto makes 17.  The Atlantic hurricane season peaks in September so we’ll have to wait and see if Alberto is giving us an idea of what’s to come this year.

SOLAR ECLIPSE:
My mom works in downtown Chicago and sent me an email saying she read in the elevator there was a solar eclipse this weekend.  (I am always fascinated at how much fantastic information she can get by riding the elevator!)  I told her yes but we’re not going to be able to see it.  This solar eclipse is only visible in the Pacific and on the western part of the U.S.  I found this great website that shows where the best viewing will be.   If you know anyone along the west coast let them know!  There is another one expected this year however it’s going to only be visible near Australia. 

TRANSIT OF VENUS:
Finally, there’s a neat space scene that will be visible right here in Ohio.  On June 5th get ready for the Transit of Venus.  Around 6pm Venus will begin to move in front of the sun and will create a small dot that will cross the sun.  Now you can’t just “look up” at the sun because you will harm your eyes.  However the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery will have a special program on that day and are offering special glasses for only $1.  Here’s a link with all the details. I will try my hardest to make sure there is no clouds or rain that day.  I’m really looking forward to seeing this!

Tara
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It’s another cool morning with temperatures in the upper 40s/low 50s.  Great, refreshing bike-to-work weather!  But remember to do layers today, because it will be quite warm for the return ride:

There is a FREE pancake breakfast for bikers at Riverscape Metropark today… this goes through 9am.  Free pancakes!  AND you’ll be getting exercise and helping to save the environment.  I would totally bike to work if I didn’t come in during the middle of the night…. a bit of a safety hazard, I think.

The warming trend for the weekend is holding strong in our forecast.  We’ll be into the lower 80s Saturday, and mid 80s on Sunday.  Dry weather expected, too, with a lot of sun!  Karrie Rossmiller is a volunteer at Aullwood… and she’s been telling me about this great event coming up this weekend.  It’s Farm Babies Fest, and it’s a chance for everyone to come out and meet the new arrivals on the farm.  Not only will there be animals to interact with, but there’s also music, children’s activities, delicious Aullwood food, plant sales and other vendors.  It’s 10am-5pm, only $5/car, and the weather looks great!

The next rain chance is holding off until next week.  Still looks like later in the day Monday and into Tuesday we’ll see some scattered showers and thunderstorms.  But temperatures remain warm, in the upper 70s to right around 80!

Enjoy a summer-like weekend!
Jamie
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A cold front moved through yesterday, and cooler air is filtering into the Miami Valley behind this feature.  This morning, we’ve dipped into the 40s, and it’s feeling a little chilly out there:

High pressure will now dominate our weather for the next few days.  Wall-to-wall sunshine will warm us nicely this afternoon, and after the chilly start we’ll end up near-normal.  Highs will make it into the lower 70s.  As winds increase a bit this afternoon… that will combine with our dry atmosphere to enhance the fire danger today.  Please be aware of this increased risk of rapidly spreading fires… and perhaps put off burning anything outdoors, if you can.

Tonight is another cool one, with clear skies and lows in the 40s.  But as the high shifts east of us on Friday… our winds will also shift.  A southeasterly breeze will help bring in some warmer air Friday afternoon.  Really it looks like a good Bike to Work Day!

There will be a pancake breakfast at Riverscape Metropark tomorrow morning.  More info here:  Bike to Work Day.  And Hamvention also starts tomorrow!  It will be a big–and warm–weekend at Hara:

Enjoy the nice weather over the next few days.  The next rain chance starts early next week–looks like later Monday and into Tuesday.

In weather NEWS… the National Weather Service has announced it will begin issuing extreme weather warnings over a Wireless Emergency Alerts System (WEA).  Tornado warnings, flash flood warnings and several other types of emergencies will alert wireless devices–including mobile phones.  This goes into effect in June of this year.  For a list of warnings included, and for more information on the alerts… click here: NWS Wireless Emergency Alerts

Jamie
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A cold front sits northwest of us early this morning… and will move across the Miami Valley during the late morning hours:

There will be SOME changes to our weather with this feature… but not drastic changes by any means!  This morning, our dew points have dropped into the mid-40s… which shows how the atmosphere has dried out a bit under the influence of high pressure.  Soooo this means… not only is fog NOT a concern this morning, but there’s also not a great chance of rain with the front coming through.  Futuretrac is forecasting the best chance of any rain today to be in the southeastern Miami Valley:

But the chance is still low–maybe a 10-20% chance of a pop-up shower.  Temperatures will drop slightly today, too.  Yesterday’s official high climbed to 81-degrees… today we’ll top out in the low to mid 70s across the region.  The northern counties will be a bit cooler, because the front comes through these areas first.  Southern counties will have more time to warm, thus higher readings:

Quite pleasant, still!  It does get a bit chilly tonight, as we drop into the mid-40s by Thursday morning.  With high pressure building in behind this front… we return to full sunshine and very nice temperatures Thursday afternoon.  Highs tomorrow will be in the low 70s.  Then starts the warming trend!  The weekend is still looking to run 10-15 degrees above normal, with highs in the low to mid 80s.  Rain chances will remain low through the weekend, increasing slightly late Monday and into Tuesday as the next front drops in.  I know a lot of you have done your planting by now… and would probably like a little natural water!  Our friends up on the farm in Fort Loramie have just finished planting all of their corn.  Soybeans go in the ground today… and they are asking for some rain for the crops to speed up growth!  At least temperatures will be quite pleasant for chores around the farm… or garden!

Enjoy the day!
Jamie
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High pressure is our fair weather friend… and will be hanging out with us most of this week!    That means nice mostly sunny and warm afternoons… followed by clear and cool nights.  The one problem is that these clear, calm nights are perfect for fog formation… especially in those areas that picked up significant rainfall Sunday/Sunday night.  Those locations have more low level moisture to work with.  This morning, the worst of the fog is along/east of I-71.  A Dense Fog Advisory is in effect for these locations until 9am… this does include Clinton County:

Even those areas NOT in the advisory may still have pockets of low visibilities.  I have seen this in Clark, Greene and Butler Counties so far this morning.  Just be aware that you may it it between now and 8 or 9am.  As of this blog, there’s only been one school delay… you can keep tabs on any additional delays here: WDTN SCHOOL DELAYS/CLOSINGS

After the fog burns off, there is nothing but sun!  Highs will climb into the upper 70s today–just a couple degrees warmer than yesterday.  A weak cold front will drop in tomorrow, but as I mentioned yesterday… it is lacking moisture.  AND the time of day that it’s moving in (morning hours) are not very favorable.  Sooo I’m keeping just a 20% chance of a spotty shower in the forecast… otherwise, it should end up being a pretty decent day.

The front will drop temperatures slightly for both Wednesday and Thursday… but we’ll still end up in the low-mid 70s during the afternoon hours.  Warming is still in the works for Friday and the weekend as we make a run for the lower 80s!  Anyone opening their pools a little early?    I was working out in the yard yesterday, and did get some planting done.  I don’t have much of a green thumb, so this time of year always makes me nervous… will my flowers survive the summer??  We’ll see. As I’ve mentioned before… I have tried tomatoes in the past, and while they did great… the squirrels got to them!  I don’t even think they LIKE tomatoes, because each one would have a bite or two out of it… and that was it.  Grrr.  This year, I’ve planted some herbs and some flowers, so fingers crossed nobody gets to them!!

Have a great day!
Jamie
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Good Monday morning to all of you!  I hope you had a great weekend!  We had a lot going on, and MOST of the weekend weather cooperated.  Friday I did a Walk-a-Thon at my old elementary school, John F. Kennedy, in Kettering:

What a great group of 1st graders… we walked, did jumping jacks, windmills, and hula hoops… helping to bring awareness to heart health and the importance of staying active!  On Saturday, I participated in the Girls on the Run 5K with MY girl:

She rode in the jogging stroller most of the way, but actually ran the last 1/4 mile and crossed the finish line.  She was so proud!

On Sunday, the rain kept us inside… as we saw light stuff on and off all day in the southern half of the Miami Valley.  We started to get a little stir crazy in the afternoon, but that was fixed with a change of scenery and a trip to Grandma’s house to celebrate Mother’s Day!  I hope all the moms out there had a good one, despite the rain.

We’re starting off with some fog and clouds today, but as high pressure builds in from the northwest… things will improve for the afternoon.  Look for decreasing clouds and pretty pleasant temperatures once the sun pops out:

Tuesday looks beautiful, as the high settles over us and provides a lot of sunshine:

The next rain chance is Wednesday.  A cold front drops in, and brings the slight chance for a few spotty showers.  But it will not be a wash out, as moisture is limited with this system.  Temperatures remain nice, and will even warm towards the weekend!

Jamie
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The rain shield ended up panning out just like I thought it would.  Light rain fell from Dayton south east to Wilmington.  While the rain wasn’t heavy it was still a bit of a nuisance on this Mother’s Day.  However on this date 82 years ago it wasn’t just rain falling from the sky.

On Tuesday May 13, 1930 the first death due to hail was recorded.  J.C. Clack was in a farm field just outside of Levelland, Texas (which is near Lubbock) when a hail started falling from the sky.  He was unable to get to shelter before being hit by the frozen precipitation.   I was able to find a newspaper article from the Lubbock Morning Avalanche dated Wednesday May 14, 1930.  By the time the 39 year old Clack made it to shelter it was too late and he later died.  Here’s a quote from the paper “Physicians stated that the man was subject to heart trouble, the beating of the frozen pellets was directly responsible for his death.” It doesn’t say how large the hail was however the storm caused about ten thousand dollars in property damage.

While we didn’t have hail today we did have  raindrops falling from the sky.  But not a lot.  Many locations picked up less than a tenth of an inch.  It seemed like we had a lot more however it was rather light and was on and off throughout the day.  Here’s what was officially recorded at the airport.

The rain finally comes to an end by later tonight.  We’ll still keep the clouds around but will see them begin to break up later on Monday.  Here’s what it will look like for the start of the new work week.

Notice a lot of clouds but the rain should be east of us by Monday morning.  The clouds begin to break up by the afternoon.  Highs will remain in the lower 70′s which is a few degrees above normal.  Pleasant weather continues for Tuesday with highs a degree or two warmer.  However on Wednesday a weak front drops southward and brings us a slight chance for a few showers.  Precipitation amounts will be on the lighter side.

Enjoy your week!
Tara
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Hopefully you enjoyed the last couple of days because we’re going to see more clouds and even the chance of rain on Mother’s Day.  A cold front is going to push through the Miami Valley tomorrow and bring with it the chance for showers even a rumble of thunder.  It looks like the extreme northern sections may not see any rain at all.  Here’s a look at our Futuretrac model on Sunday morning.

Grab the umbrella if you are planning to go to brunch and keep it with you for the rest of the day.  On and off showers will continue throughout the day.  The rain finally begins to taper by Sunday evening.

Rainfall amounts will be less than a half inch in most locations.

The weather pattern becomes quiet after Sunday.  High pressure builds in for Monday and Tuesday so we’ll see lots of sunshine.  There’s a weak front that drops southward on Wednesday and may bring us a few light showers but that’s it for rain during the week.  It really looks like a great work week with sunshine and temperatures in the lower to middle 70′s.  Which is a few degrees above our normal high of 70.

I hope that all the mother’s out there enjoy Sunday even if we have a little rain around.  Here’s a photo of me and my mother at the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.  She’s wearing pink because she is a breast cancer survivor.

To see more photos of the WDTN family and their mothers check out this link.

Tara
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