We had a fantastic weekend across the Miami Valley!  The clouds ended up staying to our east today so we ended up with a mostly sunny day.  Of course that will change by Monday afternoon as a storm system heads northward.  Look for some sunshine early in the day but then clouds quickly thicken by the late morning hours.  The system is a little faster than computer models had it yesterday so I’m moving up the chance of rain to 2pm.

The rain will continue through the overnight hours and may even bring a few rumbles of thunder along with it.  The system really slows down and keeps the chance of rain in the forecast for Tuesday and part of Wednesday.

So keep the umbrellas handy for the first half of the workweek.

Skies tonight will be mostly clear with just a few high level clouds.  Should be great to see the full “harvest” moon.  The full moon closest to the fall equinox is called the harvest moon because farmers would use the light of the moon to help them harvest their crops.   We got a great photo from one of our viewers of the full moon.

Michele Shinlever

While on my drive into work I noticed the fall colors were really starting to pop!  Seems like it was just the other day it was summer.  I would love for you to send some of your fall photos as well.  You can use our reportit feature on our website.  I have a few I would love to share with you.

Englewood Reserve – Ta Ressa

And look at Frank’s mums.  I’m going to go out on a limb and say that he’s been using some miracle grow – or maybe he sings to them.  At any rate these are not your ordinary mums.  They look fantastic!

I hope you had a wonderful weekend and can get out and enjoy the wonderful fall colors starting to emerge.

Tara
Facebook
Twitter
Google+

I hope you had the chance to enjoy this fantastic day!  I saw a few people out riding bikes, motorcycles and one driving around in a convertible with the top down! Today we saw highs right around normal with lots of sunshine.

Right now we have a deck of clouds moving through the Miami Valley which means we’ll see partly cloudy skies overnight.  However the clouds will begin to increase as a weak cold front moves through tomorrow.

We’ll start out Sunday morning with some sunshine but expect the clouds to increase later in the day.  Here’s how it will look around 8am.

By later in the day the clouds increase so we’ll see more clouds than sun.  The question is will we see any rain?  Most of us will be dry.  However some of the models are painting a few sprinkles in the afternoon east of Dayton extending towards Columbus.

The better chance of rain will come Monday night.  A storm system will form in the south and gradually spread northward toward the Miami Valley.  Most of Monday will be dry but after 7pm or so is when the rain chances begin to increase.

I wanted to respond to something many of you were contacting me about via email, twitter and facebook.  Last Friday September 21st we had a batch of thunderstorms move through the area.  A few of the cells sparked the National Weather Service to issue severe thunderstorm warnings.  There were also numerous reports of the outdoor warning sirens going off in many communities.  Many were calling these “tornado” sirens.  They are really called outdoor warning sirens and the emergency managers decide when to sound them.  Some EMA’s sound them when there are tornado warnings, severe thunderstorm warnings or if there have been reports of strong winds.  These sirens are meant to warn people who are outside that dangerous weather is happening or will happen soon and they need to seek shelter.  There were so many festivals and outdoor football games and the emergency managers felt it was important that people know there was lightning and strong winds with these storms.

Now I also took several reports from Wright Patt Air Force Base of a tornado warning being issued there.  I want to stress I did do a cutin on tv during this and stated there was no official tornado warning issued from the National Weather Service.  (Some people asked why I didn’t – so I wanted to state that I did)  The Wright Patt Air Force Base has its own warning system in order to protect the expensive airplanes it has.  So if one of the meteorologists on duty sees a signature that could indicate rotation he/she can issue a tornado warning to put the base on high alert in order to move planes etc.

Here’s an official response from the base ” WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio – Wright-Patterson AFB employs highly-trained meteorologists who work around the clock providing weather forecasting support to the base’s 24/7 operations, it’s over 27,000 personnel, and several multi-million dollar aircraft. They are empowered to issue weather watches, warnings, and advisories independent of the National Weather Service if the need arises to protect critical base assets. Our team uses a Doppler Weather Radar for severe storm interrogation. Last night, one of these meteorologists identified a Tornado Velocity Signature (TVS) pattern in the radar pattern immediately upstream in a cell heading towards WPAFB. Although this cell was rather short lived in duration, it did produce winds of 64 mph on Wright-Patterson’s airfield. EF0 Tornados, the lowest and weakest on a scale ranging from EF0-EF5 using the Enhanced Fujita Scale for tornado identification, have wind speeds that start at 65 mph. Our team felt the warning was the prudent thing to do based on the localized conditions around the base, flight-line operations, etc.”

Now I do agree there needs to be some education for the public so everyone understands the outdoor warning siren system.  Also I would love to work with the emergency managers to come up with a system for sounding sirens.  IE: when the NWS issues a tornado warning, severe thunderstorm warning, when winds have reached 70mph etc.  Whatever the criteria YOU the public should be given this information so you know what’s happening.  I hope someday we can work together on this so there is no more confusion.

As always – Jamie, Brian and I will be here and will alert you of any dangerous weather.

Tara
Facebook
Twitter
Google+

We started the day with dense fog in parts of the Miami Valley… here are a few shots from around the region:

David Rd. at Marshal

Celina, Grand Lake St. Marys

The fog is lifting now that the sun is coming up and will continue to do so through 9am.  This afternoon actually looks pretty nice after the gloomy start… with some sunshine and highs near 70-degrees.  Tomorrow looks very similar… another nice fall day!  I don’t know how I got this gig, but I am helping to judge the chocolate recipe contest at the Chocolate Festival tomorrow!

Come on out for everything chocolate… admission is free, and there are lots of fun things to do with the kiddos!  A disturbance will drop down on Sunday, bringing some clouds, the potential for a sprinkle or light shower… and slightly cooler temperatures.  But most of the day will be dry!

I hope you have a great weekend!
Jamie
www.twitter.com/WDTN_Jamie
Google+
Facebook

Aaaaand we’re still dealing with scattered showers this morning!  No surprise there, as a slow-moving front continues to cross the region.  Active weather continues all along that boundary… you can see how unsettled it is on the morning Satellite/Radar image:

It finally pushes far enough south by this afternoon to end the rain chances over the area.  Scattered showers may linger as late as the early afternoon–especially across the southeast–but the trend will be to dry out:

As drier air filters in from the north, the clouds may break a bit later this afternoon, too.  It could actually end up being a pretty nice end to the day, as we top out near 70-degrees:

High pressure will build in for Friday and Saturday, bringing about some really nice fall weather–temperatures will be running near-normal in the afternoons with highs near 70-degrees.  Nights will be nice and cool with 40s to near 50-degrees.  We are watching a deepening trough over the Great Lakes for Saturday night into Sunday.  This looks like it will increase clouds, and possibly bring a few showers to the area.  The best chance of rain will be across the northeastern counties during this timeframe… we will keep you posted.

Thankfully this week has brought a nice, gentle rain to most of the area… nothing to strong/severe.  Our farmer friends up in Fort Loramie are loving the rain, but admit they are picky.  They need some dry weather to get things done on the farm; it’s harvest time and they have corn and (soon) soy beans to harvest.  Thankfully the dry weather Friday and Saturday will allow them–and the rest of us–to get out in the yard and do a little work.

Our other friends down the road at the National Weather Service in Wilmington issued some tornado numbers… and while the  year got off to a strong and deadly start, most of the nation has seen far fewer tornadoes than usual this year.   NWS Meteorlogists say that as of Sept 21st…  757 tornadoes have been confirmed in the US.  An average year sees about 1,300 tornadoes. The “active” trend peaked in mid-April and has thankfully been in decline ever since.  Our region did see strong tornadoes on March 2… these killed four people in northern Kentucky and southern Ohio.  It was part of a larger system that hit several towns along the Ohio River Valley.  But since then, tornadoes have been few and far between for the area, with only a handful of brief EF-0 twisters confirmed.

Jamie
www.twitter.com/WDTN_Jamie
Google+
Facebook

On and off showers and even a few thunderstorms remain in the forecast today, as mini-areas of low pressure interact with a frontal boundary.  You can see a stalled front across the area this morning, with small disturbances moving along it:

Each time one of those features moves over the area, the rain chance for us will increase today.  If we hear thunder today, the best chance will be during the afternoon hours.  Organized severe weather chances are low.  Today DOES have the highest rain chances this week… you can see how they taper off as we head towards week’s end:

For Thursday and Friday, the best chance of rain will be across the southern counties… as the front stalls near the Ohio River.  Most of this moves far enough away from us over the weekend to bring about a nice set-up… near-normal temps (highs in the 70s) both Saturday and Sunday with dry conditions.

Jamie
www.twitter.com/WDTN_Jamie
Google+
Facebook

A frontal boundary will meander across the region over the next several days, keeping an active weather pattern around the Miami Valley.  Today, it lifts north as a warm front, and will bring scattered showers and thunderstorms to the area.  We had one wave come through early this morning… with the rain falling mainly along/north of I-70:

This batch works out of here… and there will be a lull through mid-morning.  But rain chances go back UP during the late morning/early afternoon as a cluster of thunderstorms heads our way from the west.  Here is the 7am radar shot, showing what’s coming:

That will tend to weaken as it drifts our way, but the rain chance hangs in there… with on/off showers and thunderstorms today.  Rain chances actually become MOST likely overnight, as a wave of low pressure works in.  Futuretrac shows better coverage around 2am:

Wednesday will also be unsettled, with the cold front moving through the area.  Then the front stalls south of us through the end of the week.  While rain chances drop a bit for Thursday and Friday… they don’t completely go away.  It does look like the best chances will be in the southern part of the Miami Valley.  It is a very complex forecast this week, so stay tuned as timing/placement of heaviest rain will likely shift a bit.  It looks like some spots have the potential to get a nice soaking… we will keep you posted!  No big temperature swings… highs generally near 70… lows in the 50s.  No threat of frost/freeze this week!

Jamie
www.twitter.com/WDTN_Jamie
Google+
Facebook

I guess it’s really fall if we have temperatures in the 30′s this morning.  Got a call from one of our weather checkers in Tipp City.  He had a temperature of 32° with heavy frost.  I think the growing season is just about over.  Even at 8am temperatures were still in the 30′s with Springfield dropping down to freezing.

It’s no surprise that the Miami Valley was under a frost advisory this morning because of all the chilly temperatures.  But we weren’t the only ones.  Most of the Great Lakes saw temperatures in the 30′s.

These chilly temperatures are coming a few weeks early.  Our normal freeze dates are around Oct6-15th.  So it’s a little early to be near freezing yet however many city locations stayed in the upper 30′s and near 40.

The reason we are seeing the frosty conditions is all due to an area of high pressure nearby.  That brought us light winds, clear skies and a chilly air mass.  This same high pressure is going to give us lots of sunshine for the day and warm us into the middle 60s.

We’re going to see some changes for tomorrow.  Clouds thicken up by tomorrow morning so temperatures won’t fall into the 30′s like they did this morning.  A storm system will be on the way meaning we’ll see the chance for rain as early as mid-morning Tuesday.

Even though we’ll see the rain chances Tuesday and Wednesday temperatures will rise during the afternoon into the lower 70′s and nighttime lows will stay rather mild.

Tara

Facebook
Twitter
Google+

The weekend weather will feel like fall on the official first day of fall.  How did I set that one up?  No idea but I’ll take it.

For meteorological climate purposes we usually consider the beginning of September the beginning of fall but according to astronomy it officially begins Saturday.  (of course sometimes the weather doesn’t always play by the seasons but the planet and sun do!)

The Autumnal Equinox is when the sun’s rays are directed at the equator.   As the Earth revolves around the sun it’s tilted on an axis which is what gives us our seasons.  So as we head into fall and then winter the amount of daylight decreases. So naturally in the winter we see the least amount of daylight and the most in the summer.

Equinox means “equal” and refers to an equal amount of day and night. Here’s a look at the sunrise and sunset times for Saturday and for the end of September.

Now I already know what you’re going to say – if equinox means “equal” then why on the equinox do we not have 12 hours of daylight?  Well there are several factors that comes into play like geometry, atmosphere and language.

First geometry (which I HATED in high school.  I got my first and only “C” for a six week grade.  My mom called my math teacher who was also the football coach.  I was so embarrassed that I never got another C! lol) Sunrise occurs when the moment the top edge of the sun appears over the horizon and sunset when the last bit of sun appears to fall below the horizon.

Language:  Both the fall and spring equinox occur when the center of the sun’s disk crosses the celestial equator which is an imaginary line coming from the Earth’s equator.

Atmosphere:  The Earth’s atmosphere bends light making the sun appear to rise before it actually does.

So if you put all these three things together you’ll see there’s a bit of a difference when it comes to the equinox.  Sounds a little out of this world doesn’t it?  Well this is the reason why the sunrise and sunset doesn’t exactly equal 12 hours of daylight.

Oh and while we’re seeing the first day of fall this Saturday those in southern hemisphere are experiencing the first day of spring.  So if you want to skip a season fly south

Tara
Facebook
Twitter
Google+

A system approaching the area will have clouds on the increase today, and eventually rain will develop.  But we should stay dry through at least 3 or 4 pm, with a few showers in the area shortly after that.  Futuretrac can give you an idea of how initially, the coverage of rain will be sparse:

But the showers then fill in–especially in the late evening and early overnight:

So potentially WET for some Friday night football games.  Rainfall amounts should average out around a half inch, with some spots potentially seeing closer to one inch.  Most of this rain will be out of the area by Saturday morning, but as I mentioned yesterday, another disturbance will swing through Saturday afternoon… and that could kick off a few more showers.  While it won’t be a wash-out (and not everyone will even SEE a shower)… you may have to take cover for a short time as a shower or two moves through.  Good news: most of our local festivals have tents/shelter!  Meteorologist Tara Hastings will kick off the Germantown Pretzel Festival Saturday morning at 10am, and I will be pouring beer at the Dayton Art Institute Oktoberfest on Saturday night!  Karrie Rossmiller will be at Aullwood’s Applefest, too.   We hope you will stop by one of these events to say hello!  And be sure to bring jackets to these weekend events, because it will be cool:

And just in time, as Fall officially begins at 10:49am on Saturday!

Jamie
www.twitter.com/WDTN_Jamie
Google+
Facebook

We will see more clouds today than yesterday, as a weak cold front moves through the area.  There’s not a lot of moisture with this front, and most will see it come through dry.  BUT we can’t rule out a spotty light shower or sprinkle, either.  The best chance of this will be across the north… looking at Futuretrac, you can get an idea of how sparse the coverage will be:

High pressure briefly builds in behind this front for tonight and the first part of Friday.  That means a dry forecast… but not for long.  The rain chance quickly returns–and looks even more likely–for Friday afternoon, evening and overnight.  We’ve been talking about the potential for wet football fields Friday night, and that is still looking likely, with scattered showers in the forecast:

We are not expecting severe weather, although a rumble of thunder is possible.  A strong upper level feature will head our way… swing through over the weekend, ushering in cooler air again.  You can see it on the 500mb chart for Saturday afternoon:

Highs over the weekend will be in the low-to-mid 60s, with lows dipping into the lower 40s Sunday and Monday mornings.  Some of those outlying spots could again be in the 30s… we’ll have to see how cloud cover plays out.

Jamie
www.twitter.com/WDTN_Jamie
Google+
Facebook

Yesterday’s cold front is a thing of the past!  But the cold air that settled in behind it is very noticeable this morning!  As expected, we have some upper 30s showing up out there… check out the low temperatures so far:

It’s more than 20-degrees colder than this same time yesterday…. the coldest we’ve been since late April… AND also about 10+degrees below normal.  Our Weatherchecker up in Tipp City called in with a temperature of 36-degrees, frost on the roof and frozen dew on the car!   High pressure controls our weather today, so expect quiet conditions.  Lots of sunshine will be the rule, as temperatures warm quickly into the mid-60s.  It will be another chilly morning Thursday, as we drop into the mid-40s… but then we’ll be warmer in the afternoon.  Highs in the 70s are expected both Thursday and Friday.

A weak front will actually come through on Thursday, but there won’t be a big weather change.  We’ll probably see more cloud cover in the afternoon, and the winds increase a bit.  A spotty sprinkle can’t be ruled out–especially across the north– but most won’t see rain.  A better chance of rain will be with a stronger system on Friday night.

This will bring scattered showers and thunderstorms to the area.  Again, as I mentioned yesterday we will have to watch the timing for Friday night high school football games.  We will tweak the forecast as we get closer.  THEN temperatures drop behind this system for a cool fall weekend.  And, yes it WILL be Fall, as it officially begins Saturday morning!

Jamie
www.twitter.com/WDTN_Jamie
Google+
Facebook

As expected, this morning we’re dealing with a wet commute to work.  Showers have moved into the Miami Valley ahead of a cold front, and so have the potential to be with us through at least lunchtime.  You can always check out Live Doppler 2HD for the latest on where the rain is right NOW.

Most of the heavy rain stayed to our east overnight, as we were in-between these two weather systems:

While it is a mild start with most spots in the low-mid 60s… after these morning showers, get ready for a cooler afternoon!  The cold front moves through, winds will increase and shift in from the northwest.  Temperatures won’t go anywhere… holding steady much of the day.  Eventually, clouds will break up a bit overnight… and this will only help temperatures drop to chilly readings!  We are forecasting a low of 41 in town, with some of the outlying spots reaching the upper 30s!  We haven’t been that cold since late April.  Suddenly, I feel like sipping hot chocolate around a campfire.  Ahhhh, my favorite time of year

High pressure builds in for Wednesday afternoon, bringing lots of sun… but temperatures remain cool with highs in the mid-60s.  We do warm up into the 70s Thursday and Friday afternoons, and the next chance of rain arrives late-day Friday.  So the weather for high school football will be questionable… stay tuned!

Jamie
www.twitter.com/WDTN_Jamie
Google+
Facebook

Today, changes head into the Miami Valley as moisture surges north ahead of a cold front.  Here’s the current set-up:

A few showers will work into the southern counties by mid-afternoon… and the rain chance will then increase for the rest of the area as we head through the evening.  Widespread rain and a few rumbles of thunder are likely tonight, and many will see a nice soaking.  We’ll start Tuesday with some rain around, but will then dry out during the afternoon.  It still looks mostly cloudy, a little breezy and MUCH cooler!  Highs will only be in the mid-60s both Tuesday and Wednesday.  Wednesday morning looks particularly chilly as we dip into the lower 40s, with some outlying spots in the upper 30s!  Brrrr!

But what an awesome weekend!  Sunshine and 70s, couldn’t be beat… and PERFECT running weather for the Air Force Marathon events!  I did it, the race is done… and I crossed the finish line in my first half-marathon ever!  Again, before this training, the longest race I had run was a 10k… and I have never considered myself a distance runner.  Initially, my goal was to just finish, but as we drove out to the Air Force Museum early Saturday morning, I decided a good finish time would be 2:30.  I actually found a 2:30 pace group at the start line, and filled in just behind them.  Once we got going, I felt I could go a little faster… so I pressed ahead of them and eventually found the 2:20 pace group.  These were a FUN group of runners–doing chants, telling jokes… just having a great time.  So it was fun to be near them for awhile.  I pulled ahead a little bit, but not too far, as I could still hear them during their group cheers   I did end up finishing the race in 2:16, so I really surprised myself!  I guess that is what happens when it’s your first race… you have no idea what you’re capable of!  People told me I would run a lot faster than during training runs… I just didn’t realize it would be that much faster.  Or feel that painless!  Race day adrenaline works wonders

Some of my favorite race memories… the BEAUTIFUL sunrise on that chilly morning:

The B2 Stealth Bomber fly-over before the start of the race:

Photo credit Brett Bogan @coolrunner72

And a heard of deer running in an open field along side of us around mile three.  I did not get a picture of that, however, as I was too busy running 13.1 miles… lol.  But there were literally like 10+ deer, one buck in particular with huge antlers.  It was really cool to see   I loved running back onto the museum grounds toward the finish line, too… and was excited to see the crowd that had assembled to cheer on all of us participants. This is what the finish line looked like… soooo cool!!

Photo credit Brett Bogan @coolrunner72

I never thought I’d be able to pick out my husband, but he saw me and yelled my name… so I got to see him right before I crossed that finish line.  He brought my little guy, too… I was very lucky to have my two favorite boys there!

All throughout training, my thoughts were that this would be my one and only half-marathon.  Even right after the race–I felt good, but was thinking “I don’t need to do this again.”  Then my husband said it–”next time wear a bright shirt so I can find you easier…” Next time.  Hmmmm….

Thanks to everyone for reading my running stories… and for your words of encouragement!  It really helped to share with all of you during training!

Jamie
www.twitter.com/WDTN_Jamie
Google+
Facebook

It was a gorgeous weekend across the Miami Valley!  Temperatures started off chilly but with all that sunshine we quickly warmed up to the middle 70′s.   The Saturday sunset looked like an artist used the sky as a landscape. Here are just a few I took yesterday from our weather cameras.

The sunshine and warmer temperatures will come to an end as early as tomorrow as a cold front is going to move through the Miami Valley.  You’ll begin to notice the clouds thicken throughout the day on Monday.  There’s a chance we’ll see a few peeks of sunshine but that will be early Monday morning.

By the afternoon we’ll see the clouds thicken and the best chance of rain will be after 6pm.  There’s a slight chance some of the moisture may make it here by 2pm however most of the day will be dry. The rain sticks around for most of Monday night and Tuesday morning.

The cold front pushes through by Tuesday afternoon which means the rain comes to an end – however the temperatures drop and winds begin to pick up.

  
Cooler temperatures filter across the Miami Valley and by Wednesday morning some areas will see lows in the lower 40′s.  I’m pretty sure you’ll have to keep your windows closed that night

The temperature trend for rest of September will be on the cooler side.  The Climate Prediction Center has come up with its outlook for the middle to end of September and it shows below normal temperatures across the Miami Valley.

Fall is right around the corner!  I hope you had a wonderful summer.

Tara
You can always connect with me via
Twitter
Facebook
Google+

It was a cool start to the morning for many of those running the Air Force Marathon.  A HUGE congratulations to our very own Meteorologist Jamie Jarosik who completed the half marathon this morning!  She’s been training a lot for this and I am so proud of her.

We’re in store for another cool night with temperatures dropping into the 40′s in some locations.  The one thing we’ll have to watch is a batch of clouds off to our west.  Already we can see a few high clouds streaming across the Miami Valley thanks to our weather network camera at the Miami Valley Centre Mall in Piqua.

These clouds will bring a slight difference in temperatures across the Miami Valley later tonight.  Where there is going to be a bit thicker cloud cover temperatures will be a few degrees warmer.  The clouds will act like a blanket and keep some areas a tad warmer – while others will see cooler readings.

Even though we’re going to start off in the upper 40′s to lower 50′s in some spots temperatures will really rise by the afternoon thanks to lots of sunshine.  High pressure will be nearby keeping us mostly sunny with just a few high level cirrus clouds.

Of course the sunny days are limited.  There’s a cold front that will move through late Monday night and Tuesday bringing us a chance for rain.

After the front moves through and the rain comes to an end late Tuesday much cooler temperatures will filter into the Miami Valley.  Highs will stay in the lower 60′s on Wednesday.  Might want to break out those light jackets or sweatshirts

The good news is the cooler temperatures will be only around for one day.  Highs will rise back up to the 70 degree range for the end of the week.

Tara
Facebook
Twitter
Google+

A cold front is moving through the area this morning, and behind it we find showers and much cooler temperatures:

The rain should arrive in the northwest first and then work through the rest of the Miami Valley.  Here’s an idea on the best chance of rain for the area:

The rain should be out of here for the high school football games this evening!  It will also be cooler, so get the sweatshirt handy for the games!  It still looks quite chilly for the start of the Air Force Marathon Saturday morning.  As skies clear out tonight, we’ll dip into the upper 40s.  So especially waiting around for the start of the races–teeth will be chattering.  Maybe from the cold, maybe from nerves… maybe a little of both   But as the sun comes up, it will get quite comfortable:

It’s another weekend where we have a ton going on… so let’s do the forecast for some of the big events!  First the Buckeyes game on Saturday:

The Battle of Ohio on Sunday:

And the Preble Co Pork Festival going on all weekend:

I hope you have a great weekend whatever you do!  Please say hello if you see me out at the Marathon or at The Greene for the after-party!  Good luck to everyone participating!

Jamie
www.twitter.com/WDTN_Jamie
Google+
Facebook

Clouds have moved into the Miami Valley this morning, bringing an end to our streak of sunny days.  High pressure is still just east of the area, but all eyes are now on a cold front sitting to our northwest.  We’re still mild ahead of this front, but you can see the cooler air behind it…

All that arrives for Friday.  Highs today will be close to 80 degrees… especially if we get some breaks in the clouds.  But Friday will be 10-degrees lower, with highs only near 70.  Add to that a bit of a breeze, and it will feel cool!  The front will keep us mostly cloudy tomorrow, too, with the chance of a few spotty showers:

It does look like the rain will be out of here for Friday night football games!  Temperatures will drop through the 60s during high school games… so it looks like sweatshirt weather.  As for the Air Force Marathon on Saturday morning… well, things are trending cooler and cooler.  It now looks quite chilly, with start-time temps in the upper 40s.  We’ll see a lot of sunshine, though, and that will warm us into the 60s during the race.  Karrie tells me to bring a “throwaway sweatshirt” to start with… and shed during the race.  Sounds like a plan   Just don’t forget the sport sunblock!

I did my last training run yesterday–just three miles.  The run felt good, and I hope I am ready for the 13.1 I will tackle on Saturday!  I’ve been eating brown rice for days to load up on the carbs   Now for bib/race packet pick up today and tomorrow at the Nutter Center…

Jamie
www.twitter.com/WDTN_Jamie
Google+
Facebook

We are still under the influence of high pressure–we’ve been talking about it all week!  It’s east of us, and we’ve started to see the southerly flow on the backside of the high, which has helped to develop a gradual warming trend across the area.  Yesterday we topped out at 77-degrees… and today we will likely push into the lower 80s.  Sunshine continues, so don’t forget to put on that sunblock!  Even though it’s been feeling like fall, the sun’s rays are still strong and we do have a high UV Index of 7 this afternoon.  As far as sunblock goes, the dermatologist told me that expensive is not necessarily better.  He said there was a survey done that people actually shy away from the cheaper brands… probably thinking they didn’t work as well.  That is not the case!!  They all work the same.  His advice is start cheap and small.  Once you find something you like–stick with it.  And use it every day

I hope you don’t get tired of hearing my sunblock/skin cancer facts.  Better yet, I hope you remember them, and maybe pass a few on to your friends and family.

I do have some good news for the weekend!  The front that looked like it would arrive Saturday is now trending FASTER, and is more progressive.  It will be approaching the area Friday morning:

It should be in and out by Friday evening!  Expect scattered showers through the day–best shot will be in the afternoon, behind the front.  Temperatures will also trend cooler for Friday and Saturday.  Highs with clouds & potential rain Friday will be in the lower-mid 70s… and Saturday morning for the Air Force Marathon will be cooler and less humid than it previously looked.  Right now, the forecast is for really NICE running weather!!  Let’s hope this holds:

As far as half-training, I did 8 miles Sunday… 5 miles Monday… took yesterday off… and I’m doing my last run today.  I’m shooting for a quick three miles right after work, before it gets too warm.  WITH my “Sport” sunblock on, of course   My daughter has recently gotten pretty good at riding her big-girl bike with training wheels–so much so that I need to jog to keep up with her.  This is VERY exciting to me, bcs she is at the age that the jogging stroller is getting to be a “baby” thing to her.  So now we have another option.    Of course, she can’t go three miles… maybe more like one mile.  Anyway, I may end up with a four mile total if we go out again during the afternoon.  And who knows, maybe we’ll do another one mile on Thursday.  But Friday is REST day with a pasta dinner for sure!!  Getting nervous and excited for the weekend!!!  Good luck to everyone finishing up training this week!

Jamie
www.twitter.com/WDTN_Jamie
Google+
Facebook

Our beautiful fall-ish weather continues today, as we start in the 50s and will end in the upper 70s this afternoon.  We have very nice levels of humidity, with dew points in the upper 40s this morning… very dry atmosphere!  It’s always fun to watch the kids go down the plastic slides at the park when it’s this dry–their hair stands straight up with the static electricity!

Not only is it comfortable, but it’s beautiful too.  Bright blue skies and just a few puffy fair weather clouds will be the rule.  This is all thanks to a strong slow-moving area of high pressure.  Not only at the surface, but also aloft.  It will keep us with sunshine through the end of the week.

This used to be my very favorite kind of weather… but this has changed recently.  I’ll take more cloud cover, thank you very much!  This is all due to a recent diagnosis of Basal Cell Carcinoma.  Ugh… skin cancer… seriously?  How many skin cancer stories have I done in my career as a meteorologist/environmental reporter?  I’ve lost track… there have been so many!  Covering these stories really opened my eyes as to how common this type of cancer is, and how I am actually pretty likely to get it.  Not only do I have fair skin, but I have spent a lot of time out in the sun as a swimmer, lifeguard and runner.  And, ok, there was some careless behavior in and just post-college… as I would occasionally go to a tanning bed.  Because of all this, I do go in to see a dermatologist once a year for a skin-check.  He looks over my skin and checks out any suspicious spots.

I was the one to notice this particular spot, which I initially thought was a blemish.  It was just a small red bump, but it wasn’t going away… so I pointed it out to the doctor, who then did a biopsy.  When the results came back and the doctor first told me the news… I was really scared.  I’m pretty young to have cancer… and, really, to hear the word CANCER at any age??  Yes, it’s scary!  Basal Cell Carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer… and in fact, the most common form of ALL cancers.  The good news, it is rarely life-threatening and cure rates are near 100 percent.  The bad news, it will keep growing and growing unless treated.  And  the larger the tumor grows… the more extensive the treatment needed.

The doctor told me I was going to have to sit through his long talk, one he gives to all of his younger patients.  He told me everything I expected him to… this cancer was caused by lifelong sun exposure.  Every minute I was in the sun from when I was a little girl… to just last week… have added up and this is what I get.  What this means for me is a lifestyle change:  SPF 30+ every day… hats… shade… long sleeves/pants when I can.  It is a change from what I’m used to for sure… having to be so careful.  But hey, at least I am still alive.

The most common place for this type of skin cancer is on the face, ears, neck, scalp, shoulders and back.  Mine is on my forehead, and is thankfully a very small spot at this point.  I have to go in for a surgery so the doctor can remove the tissue all around the cancer site.  He will then look at it in the lab, to make sure he got it all.  If he did, I am good to go… if not, I will have to go back in and have more skin removed.

Working in television, however, this could become a problem… as it’s a very visual medium.  I will have a large compression bandage on the spot for a couple days, and the doctor tells me there is a 70% chance I will get a black eye!  Apparently, that is common on patients that have work done on the forehead.  So if you see this in the near future, please know I wasn’t in a brawl or anything.   And there will be a scar.  That actually doesn’t bother me much.  Again, I’m still alive, and it could be a lot worse.

People with BCC’s are at increased risk for developing other areas over the years… and are at higher risks for other types of skin cancer.  I will take all the precautions the doctor recommended, and will continue my yearly skin checks.  But, again, the cumulative sun damage from all of my 36-years is already there… and another spot popping up in the next year or two is possible.  I will do my best to prevent anything beyond the damage that is already there.  As a good friend once said, I’d rather be white as a ghost… than to actually BE a ghost.

So please, share my story: the meteorologist who got skin cancer.  Most days I am forecasting the UV Index, to warn the dangers of the sun.  And here I am, a victim of skin cancer.   I am happy to answer any questions as I go through my procedure… if I can reach any teenager… to tell them being tan is NOT cool… or any parent to urge them to put that sunblock on the kids each and every day… I think I have succeeded.

Jamie
www.twitter.com/WDTN_Jamie
Google+
Facebook

After the strong front Friday night into Saturday morning… we’ve been enjoying a really comfortable airmass here in the Miami Valley!  High pressure will slowly drift across the region all week, keeping us with bright blue skies.  As the high shifts off to the east by mid-week, our winds will become more southerly and we will see a slow warming trend:

Here’s how temperatures will play out…

With this strong high in control, we will also have a very DRY stretch of weather this week.  We will see mostly sunny skies, and the next chance of rain isn’t until the weekend.  Unfortunately, the timing isn’t the best… as it looks to move in Friday night into Saturday–the day of the Air Force Marathon.  If we could have today’s weather on Saturday, it would be PERFECT.  I’ve noticed during training for the half, that when I run on a humid day, I generally feel horrible afterward.  I suspect this is due to dehydration.  But no matter HOW much water/sports drink  I have the night before and morning of a long run… I still feel crummy after that long distance.  Now, I did an 8.5 mile run on Sunday, and felt AWESOME after!  I am attributing this to the weather–temps in the 50s/60s with low humidity…that is KEY!  The sad news is as we approach the weekend, the humidity will be coming up.  The timing of this next rain-maker could shift, so stay tuned and we will keep you posted.  Good luck runners & walkers during this last week of training!!

Jamie
www.twitter.com/WDTN_Jamie
Google+
Facebook