The Heat Is On

It is the last day of May 2011 and many of you will be returning to work from the Memorial Day holiday weekend. The hot and dry weather run continues all of this week. We will, however, see some places get an occasional thundershower. Expect highs today in Cookeville around 93-95° range with a light wind. Partly cloudy tonight with a low of 65° by sunrise on Wednesday. Then a 20% chance of storms on Wednesday with mostly sunny skies and a high of 92°. Ditto that forecast for Thursday and Friday.

See the outlook for July, August, September 2011

*Latest Local Forecast*

Cookeville's Daily Almanac
Tuesday morning's low: 66.7°
Yesterday's high: 96.1°
Yesterday's low: 67.0°
24-hour precip total: 0.00
Last Year: 83° and 66°
Normal High: 82°
Normal Low: 61°
Records: 96° in 1937 and 40° in 1984
1.74" of rain fell on this date in 1893

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Hot Memorial Day 2011

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same. ~Ronald Reagan


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Memorial Day 2011 promises to be a hot one. Expect highs in Cookeville, TN and the surrounding areas to reach the 90's once again. We reached 92.6° on Sunday. There will be a slight chance of a random thundershower, but I believe we will remain mostly sunny throughout the day. 


Ditto this forecast for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday with only a slight chance of storms on Wednesday and Thursday. 

*Latest Local Forecast*

Cookeville's Daily Almanac
May 30, 2011
Temperature at post: 81.3° (8:00 am)
Monday mornings low: 67.0°
Sunday's high: 92.6°
Sunday's low: 69.9°
Last Year: 83.1° and 63.1°

Normal High: 80°

Normal Low: 56°

Records: 93° in 1941 and 36° in 1984

24-hour precip total: 0.00"
1.72" of rain fell on this date in 1916

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Your Memorial Day Weekend Forecast

Cool temperatures are the rule as our holiday weekend gets underway. The great news is the cool, cloudy weather will not last! Look for a chance of drizzle this morning with skies gradually becoming sunny later this afternoon with a high of 74° in Cookeville. Tonight, partly cloudy and cool, low 55°.

For Saturday, warmer and sunny, high 85°...clear Saturday night, low 65°. On Sunday, sunny once again and even warmer with a high of 89°. For Memorial Day, expect highs of 89° under a sunny sky!

*Latest Local Forecast*

Link of the day:     HISTORIC TORNADO OUTBREAK ACROSS EAST TN AND SW VIRGINIA - 4/27/2011


Cookeville's Daily Almanac
This morning's low: 59.1°
Yesterday's high: 79.5°
Yesterday's low: 61.2°
24-hour precip total: 0.00

Last Year: 86.1° and 59.6°

Normal High: 80°
Normal Low: 55°

Records: 93° in 1916 and 34° in 1961

2.50" of rain fell on this date in 1989

TODAY IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE WEATHER HISTORY
May 27th


On May 27, 1973...
Crossville measures 6.29" of rainfall -- its greatest one-day rainfall ever.
On May 27, 1991...
Cheatham Lock & Dam measures its greatest one-day rainfall, with 5.85".
On May 27, 2000...
F3 tornado hits Houston County, moving through Tennessee Ridge and Erin. Damages are estimated at $1.3 million. Roofs and walls of some well constructed homes are torn off. Many trees are snapped and blown down along with power lines. The Betty Ligon Pavillion in Erin is flattened. Fifty people require shelter at Erin. A storage trailer is moved 50 feet at Tennessee Ridge. Fortunately, there are no injuries or fatalities.


WEATHER HISTORY AROUND AMERICA
May 27th 

1896 - The Great St. Louis Tornado occurred on this date. 137 people died in St. Louis and another 118 in East St. Louis, Illinois. It was the third most deadly tornado in U.S. history. 18 total tornadoes occurred this day, killing a total of 306 people. Even though the tornado's path was short, it cut across a heavily populated area. The storm was as wide as one mile reportedly when it crossed into East St. Louis MO. The storm was accompanied by incredible lightning.

1931 - The Empire Builder passenger train was struck by an F3 tornado near Moorhead MN. 5 coaches were derailed and one was blown 80 feet. 57 passengers were injured and one killed.

1917 - 67 killed, 345 injured in a tornado that tracked across parts of Tennessee and Kentucky.

1973 - Large F4 tornado cut a 135-mile path across central Alabama. Hardest hit was the town of Brent, AL where 5 people perished and 90 percent of the town was demolished. 7 people died along the path of the twister. Cancelled checks from Greensboro AL were found at Gadsden AL, over 100 miles away. Another killer tornado struck Centerpoint on the northeast side of Birmingham, killing one man.

1990 - High winds injured 27 at an outdoor concert in Baton Rouge, LA as severe thunderstorms raked Louisiana. Winds of up to 78 mph swept the Lake Ponchartrain Causeway in New Orleans.

1992 - San Antonio TX had already received its normal annual rainfall by this date in 1992. 29.28 inches had fallen since January, surpassing the average of 29.13 inches.

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Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 7 PM

InteractiveNWS - Alert Information

via auto post by Blogger

Event Canceled

Event canceled. Severe Thunderstorm Watch from 5/24/2011 7:56 AM to 1:00 PM CDT for Cookeville, TN.

http://bit.ly/kzbeHO

Be Weather Aware

Storms are rumbling across middle Tennessee this morning and we are under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch. The atmosphere is juicy with dewpoints in the upper 60s. 

Storm Chances Throughout This Week

Missouri officials now report 89 are officially dead in Joplin, MO and they fear the death toll will rise as they continue to search for more bodies. (News article about Joplin here with storm damage photos)

We'll see isolated strong to severe thunderstorms today through at least Thursday. Expect hot weather as highs will be in the middle 80's for most of us. Today's storm chances are 60% and tonight's 50%. There will not be much change in this forecast through Wednesday. On Thursday, we expect a front to pass and this will usher in cooler weather for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.

*Hazardous Weather Outlook*

*Latest Local Forecast*

Cookeville's Daily Almanac 
May 23, 2011
Our morning low: 63.5°
Yesterday's high: 87.1°
Yesterday's low: 63.9°

Last Year: 88.9° and 58.2°

Normal High: 78°

Normal Low: 54°

Records: 93° in 1896 and 37° in 1935

24-hour precip total: 0.15"
Total for May: 3.63"
Total for 2011: 33.76"
2.65" of rain fell on this date in 1918
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Middle TN Weather History
May 23rd


1973 - Golf ball sized hail is reported in Williamson County


Weather History around the United States
May 23rd

1814 - Hailtones as large as 11 inches in diameter and 1/2 pound in weight reportedly pounded parts of New Hampshire.

1882 - 4-6 inches of snow blanketed parts of eastern Iowa.

1990 - Idaho cloudburst poured tons of soil and rocks as large as footballs into the town of Culdesac.

1991 - Thunderstorms in Denver area caused golfball-size hail that damaged 5000 homes and 8000 cars. Hail piled up to a depth of 6 inches in Aurora CO.

1992 - International Falls MN picked up late season snow flurries.

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Joplin, MO Devastated by Tornado Sunday

The town of Joplin, MO. in southwest part of the state was pounded by a tornado on Sunday afternoon around 6 pm. 

I mentioned to one friend tonight this is eerily reminiscent to Tuscaloosa.

Some sites and sounds from the web:

YouTube video from KSN-TV 16...

Picture of destroyed Wal-Mart SuperCenter in Joplin, MO. today.

More photos:

St. John's Hospital takes a direct hit. 

Home Depot destroyed

Joplin High School is a mangled mess

Photo Credit: Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press

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Severe Weather Over For Now

Event cancelled. 
Severe Thunderstorm Watch from 5/22/2011 3:49 PM to 8:00 PM CDT for Cookeville, TN


Details of canceled Severe Thunderstorm Watch. 

*Latest Local Forecast*

Listed below is the type of ALL HAZARDS WEATHER RADIO that I have in my home. It will ring an audible alarm when a severe weather event is published for your county. At only $30-$40, it is a small price to pay for what could potentially save your life.

5/22/2011 1:59 PM to 3:00 PM CDT for Cookeville, TN: SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CANNONCLAYCOFFEE. http://bit.ly/lG0Grt

Stormy afternoon

Storm chances really ramping up. Right now at 1:45 pm, a storm in Cannon County will track toward Putnam over the next 30 minutes to one hour.

Severe Thunderstorm Watch for Cookeville, TN

Severe Thunderstorm Watch
Statement as of 2:20 PM EDT on May 22, 2011

Severe Thunderstorm Watch 324 is in effect until 900 PM EDT

TN
.    Tennessee counties included are

Anderson             Bedford             Bledsoe
Blount               Bradley             Campbell
Cannon               Cheatham            Claiborne
Clay                 Cocke               Coffee
Cumberland           Davidson            De Kalb
Dickson              Fentress            Franklin
Giles                Grainger            Greene
Grundy               Hamblen             Hamilton
Hancock              Hawkins             Hickman
Jackson              Jefferson           Knox
Lawrence             Lewis               Lincoln
Loudon               Macon               Marion
Marshall             Maury               McMinn
Meigs                Monroe              Moore
Morgan               Overton             Perry
Pickett              Polk                Putnam
Rhea                 Roane               Robertson
Rutherford           Scott               Sequatchie
Sevier               Smith               Sumner
Trousdale            Union               Van Buren
Warren               Wayne               white
Williamson           Wilson






Detailed Conditions and Forecast Information:
http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=38501

Severe Thunderstorm Watch for Putnam County

Issued at: 1:20 PM CDT 5/22/11, expires at: 8:00 PM CDT 5/22/11

Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Cookeville, TN

Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Statement as of 12:58 PM CDT on May 22, 2011

The National Weather Service in Nashville has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
 north central Cannon County in middle Tennessee...
 northwestern DeKalb County in middle Tennessee...
 northwestern Putnam County in middle Tennessee...
 Smith County in middle Tennessee...
 southwestern Jackson County in middle Tennessee...
 southeastern Wilson County in middle Tennessee...

* until 145 PM CDT

* at 1255 PM CDT National Weather Service Doppler radar indicated a
 severe thunderstorm capable of producing damaging winds in excess
 of 60 mph. The storm was near Alexandria...moving northeast at 35
 mph.

* Locations impacted include...
 Gordonsville...
 Carthage...
 Baxter...

Precautionary/preparedness actions...

Please report hail...strong winds or wind damage to the National
Weather Service by calling toll free...1 8 7 7 6 3 3 6 7 7 2. Do not
stay outdoors if you are in the path of severe thunderstorms.


Lat...Lon 3641 8586 3617 8555 3590 8607 3604 8622
time...Mot...loc 1757z 230deg 30kt 3604 8605

Strong Storms Possible Sunday

Most of our area will remain dry today, however, there is a risk of strong to severe storms for those people who do see some precipitation. We have a combination of high humidity and hot temperatures that will contribute to this risk.

For Sunday...temps will hit 80° before 10 am and we'll top out between 85° and 88° this afternoon with about a 30% chance of thunderstorms. Some storms could reach severe limits with dangerous lightning, large hail, damaging winds, and even a remote chance of a tornado spinning up in a severe storm. This is, however, a minimal chance.

Saturday's storm reports from across Middle Tennessee

National Safe Boating Week started on Saturday and runs through May 27th. 

Rest of our forecast for the upcoming week calls for much of the same as Sunday. Hot weather, chances of thunderstorms, and elevated humidity levels. Feels much like summer versus last week's Seattle-like weather in the 50's with clouds!

*Latest Local 7-day Cookeville, TN Forecast*

Cookeville's Daily Almanac
May 22, 2011
Sunday morning low: 63.9°
Saturday's high: 88.1°
Saturday's low: 56.6°
Last Year: 84.3° and 62.7°

Records: 96° in 1941 and 35° in 2002

Normal High: 78°

Normal Low: 54°

24-hour precip total: 0.00"

2.72" of rain fell on this date in 1974

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This Is More Like It

Thursday's high temperatures across middle Tennessee were some 20° warmer than the last four days. Here in Cookeville, TN it was 75°. We expect Friday's high temperature to be around 82° and most of us will certainly say 'this is more like it'. Most of the area is starting today in the 60's.

Your weekend forecast calls for a slight chance for storms on Saturday with a high of 85° expected and the same for Sunday with a high of 84°. Looking ahead to the first of next week, expect highs in the middle 80's with slight chances for storms.

*Latest Local Forecast*

Cookeville's Daily Almanac 
May 20, 2011
Our Friday morning low: 59.4°
Thursday's high: 75.1°
Thursday's low: 51.4°

Normal High: 78°

Normal Low: 53°

Last Year: 82° and 53°

Records: 93° in 1962 and 39° in 2002

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24-hour precip total: 0.00

1.11" of rain fell on this date in 1942
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ON THIS DATE IN TENNESSEE WEATHER HISTORY:
1990-An F1 tornado cuts a 2-mile path near Summertown (Lawrence County). No injuries are reported.
2008-Storms hit in 2008 with several reports of large hail including baseball-sized in Monroe County


AMERICAN WEATHER HISTORY 
MAY 20th: (thanks to Bill Murray at Weather Notebook)

1894 - Late-season record snowfall hits parts of eastern and central Kentucky. Some areas picked up 10 inches of snowfall, while Lexington picked up 6 inches of the white stuff.

1918 - For the third year in a row, the town of Codell, Kansas was struck by a tornado on May 21. (1914, 1915, 1916).

1949 - One of only two days in recorded US History when 100 tornadoes occurred. The other was April 3, 1974.

1957 - Tornado at Williamsburg KS caused 71-mile path of destruction through southern suburbs of Kansas City. There was near total devastation through the suburbs of Ruskin Heights and Hickman Mills. 44 killed and 531 injured. A 5000-pound gasoline tank was reportedly transported 1.5 miles and dropped into a lake. It was Kansas City's worst weather disaster of record.

1963 - Known as Black Saturday in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey as flames from a forest fire moved nine miles in just 6 hours. The flames would burn for 11 days. 7 people were killed and nearly 1000 left homeless as more than 200,000 acres burn.

1982 - 2.5 inches of rain in thirty minutes at Milford Oh, a suburb of Cincinnati.

1985 - Brush fires near Fort Myers FL resulted in the evacuation of s hospital and several homes.

1987 - Grapefruit-size hail in southern Texas killed small animals, damaged property and destroyed watermelon crops.

1997 - Up to 1 million people were left homeless by a cyclone with winds of 145 mph that struck Bangladesh, killing 46. About a third of the casualties were reported in the port city Chittagong, Bangladesh's second largest city. Tidal surges six feet high covered islands and crops while winds toppled trees. Since 1970, such storms have left an estimated 1.5 million people dead.

1997 - The rainfall total for the year at Victoria, Texas stood at a whopping 34.69 inches, nearly 30 inches above 1996's January to May total of 4.81 inches and very near the normal rainfall for the entire year.

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So Long 50's and Clouds

For any of you who (and count me among those) have missed the warm temperatures with sunshine and are ready to be done with our Seattle-type weather, I have FANTASTIC NEWS!!!

WARMING UP
Prepare yourselves for the following: We will see highs on Thursday reach the middle 70's under a mainly cloudy sky with sunshine returning on Friday, high 83°. By Saturday morning we will START at 60° and rise to 87° by the afternoon with only a slight shot at a thunderstorm. Sunday will be hot again, high of 87° and a stray thunderstorm is possible.







MUCH BELOW NORMAL
Since Sunday, we've hovered nearly 20° below normal for our daytime highs.
Here is the list with the normal and difference following.
DAY:   DATE: HIGH: NORM: DIFF:
Sunday 5/15      55.1°    76°       -21°
Monday 5/16     54.4°   76°        -22°
Tuesday 5/17     55.0°    77°       -22°
Wed      5/18     57.6°    77°        -19°

*Latest Local Forecast*

Cookeville's Daily Almanac
5/19/2011 - Thursday
Wednesday's high: 57.6°
Wednesday's low: 48.4°

Normal High: 78°

Normal Low: 53°

Last Year: 81° and 54°
Records: 93° in 1962 and 35° in 2002


24-hour precip total: 0.00"
1.78" of rain fell on this date in 1983

INTERESTING TENNESSEE WEATHER HISTORY:
May 18, 1995:
Severe weather outbreak strikes Middle Tennessee. There are 15 confirmed tornadoes across the mid state, including an F4 which tears a 29 mile path across Lawrence and Giles Counties, killing 3, and injuring 32. A swath of hail damage extends from near Linden to Shelbyville. Hail as large as 3" is reported. Damage to homes and vehicles is extensive. A hailstorm in De Kalb County produces an estimated $1.5 million in damage. This is the 5th largest tornado outbreak in mid state history.


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Last Cool Day

Very short post due to power outage across the northeast section of Cookeville.

Highs only in the lower 60's with a slight chance for rain. After a chilly overnight again, the cool temps will be long gone with highs mainly in the 70's and 80's!!

Enjoy your day.

Bad Weather Affecting Food Prices

Weather and inflation seem to be driving food prices upward. 

Complete story available here.

(Edit: 7:41 pm - added link to 'Complete story available here)

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Is This Seattle or Middle Tennessee

*YUCK*
Sunday across the mid-state looked more like Seattle with drizzle-like conditions, cloudy skies, and a thermometer that moved from just 50° as our low to 55° as our high. If I ever considered living in Seattle, this little taste of their type of weather has fixed me once and for all! I've posted a time-lapsed video for your pleasure below.

*LAST 24 HOURS TIME-LAPSED VIDEO*


*OUR OUTLOOK*
So, what do we look like for Monday. More Seattle-type weather once again. Ditto that for Tuesday. Highs will be only in the middle and upper 50's with drizzle (scattered at best) and cold at night with lows in the 40's. The rest of our 7-day is below in the latest, local forecast.

*Latest Local Forecast*

Cookeville's Daily Almanac

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Sunday's high: 55.1°

Sunday's low: 50.4°

Last Year: 84.6° and 58.6°

Normal High: 76° 

Normal Low: 51°

Records: 

98° in 1896  

36° in 1959

Since midnight precip total: .14"

2.10" of rain fell on this date in 1996

11.42" fell the first 15 days of May in 1984

5.67" fell the first 15 days of May last year

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So long 80's, 70's, and 60's

Very cool air has settled across middle Tennessee this evening. Expect lows here in the Cookeville area to drop to the lower 50's with a slight chance for scattered showers tonight all the way through Monday night. Sunday will be chilly and occasionally wet with highs just in the 50's. Repeat the same forecast for Monday.

WARM START TO MAY:
May has been quite a warm month with just 2 of our first 13 days seeing highs under the 70° mark. We won't see 70° again until at least Thursday and will struggle to get into the 60's until mid-week. Average daytime highs for May 15th is 76°. So far this month, we've averaged 75.1° for our daytime high. These cool days are quite significant.

*Latest Local Forecast*

Cookeville's Daily Almanac
Saturday, May 14th, 2011
Saturday's high: 69.0° at 2:05 pm
Saturday's low: 56.4° which is the current reading

Last Year: 85.7° and 61.9°

Normal High: 76° Normal Low: 51°

Records: 94° in 1896 and 35° in 1917

Since midnight rainfall total: .82
May's monthly total: 2.62"
1.38" of rain fell on this date in 1995


Middle TN Weather History for May 14th:
1995 - Lightning strikes a house in rural Hickman County and the home is completely destroyed by the resulting fire.

Weather History Around America for May 14th:

1686 - Gabrial Fahrenheit, inventor of the thermometer was born.

1877 - Rare tornado strikes Eastport ME.

1896 - -10 at Climax CO, setting the US record for coldest temperature in the month of May.

1898 - Severe hailstorm in Kansas City MO. Some hailstones were observed as large as 9.5 inches in circumference. Nearly every home in the eastern and central parts of the city had their south facing windows knocked out. Several injuries resulted.

1923 - Early-morning tornado cut violent path through Howard and Mitchell Counties in Texas. 23 dead, 250 hurt. Tornado was 1.5-mile wide in places.

1975 - New Jersey hailstorm dumped up to a foot of hail over portions of the state.

1987 - Record heat in California. Sacramento recorded their ninth record high in 11 days with a temperature of 103. It was their seventh day of 100 plus degree temperatures, a record for any May.

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Major Mississippi river flooding continues.

Corps to Open Morganza Spillway Today - weather.com

Stormy Weather

Short post this morning due to Blogger being down.

Look for showers and storms to dominate our forecast over the next several days.

Full forecast available next to this post near top of my site.

Another Hot One Ahead

Storms arrive later this week through the weekend..more on that in a bit.

ANOTHER HOT DAY:
Most of us are in the upper 60's across the Cookeville area and the Upper Cumberland this morning. Expect highs to reach into the upper 80's for our region with some folks pushing the 90° mark. Our record is 91° from 1936..I don't think we'll get there today. For Thursday, we'll see a high of 86° under a cloudy sky and a 30% chance of thunderstorms.

Then storms arrive for the Friday through Sunday with our best chances coming on Saturday. Temperatures will trend downward from the 80's on Friday down to near 70° for a high on Sunday.

*Latest Local Forecast*

Cookeville's Daily Almanac

Our morning low: 65.8°

Yesterday's high: 87.6°

Yesterday's low: 64.2°

Last Year: 61° and 44°

Normal High: 75°

Normal Low: 50°

Records: 91° in 1936 and 36° in 1997

24-hour precip total: 0.00

1.20" of rain fell on this date in 1925

TN WEATHER HISTORY FOR MAY 11

2003 - An pre-dawn severe weather outbreak produces six tornadoes across the Nashville metropolitan area. Two of the tornadoes (Franklin and Walterhill) are rated as F3, and produce considerable damage. The other four twisters are rated F1. Amazingly, there are no injuries. This is the 9th largest tornado outbreak in Middle Tennessee's history.


WEATHER HISTORY ACROSS AMERICA

1894
A six inch by eight inch gopher turtle, encased in ice, fell from a thunderstorm at Bovina, MS.

1953
An F5 tornado smashed downtown Waco, TX. Hundreds of buildings and thousands of cars were demolished. Many homes were leveled, and 114 people lost their lives along the 23 mile path of the tornado.

1970
An F5 tornado struck the city of Lubbock, TX killing 26 persons, injuring more than 1500 others, and causing $135 million in damage. It was the most destructive tornado ever up until that time. The twister hit a 30-story building in downtown Lubbock, twisting the structure and blowing out all the windows, but leaving it intact. The building still stands today and a photo from 1970 is below.

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Stunning Tornado Stats

NOAA estimates there were 305 tornadoes from April 25 to 28, 2011 while eyewitness reports put that number around 434.

The largest previous number of tornadoes from one event like this occurred on April 3 and 4, 1974 and 148 tornadoes were recorded. 

There were around 326 fatalities during the entire outbreak with 309 of those occurring in 24-hour period from 8 am on April 27 to 8 am on April 28

Tornado fatalities by state during event:
4 - Arkansas
35 - Mississippi
236 - Alabama
31 - Tennessee
5 - Virginia
15 - Georgia

Now for some good news:

• The NWS Storm Prediction Center issued severe weather outlooks five days in advance and tornado watches hours in advance
• NWS Weather Forecast Offices issue life-saving tornado warnings with an average lead-time of 24 minutes. 
• NWS issued warnings for more than 90% of these tornadoes

Tornado Tracks: April 24-29, 2011 (Interactive Map)

April 2011 Weather Stats

Aerial Imagery of Tuscaloosa, AL tornado damage


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Amber Alert

Child Abduction Emergency Issued Time: 4:10 PM CDT Tuesday, May 10, 2011 Valid Until: 7:15 PM CDT Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Bulletin -Eas Activation Requested Amber Alert Message Tbi Nashville Tn

Relayed By National Weather Service Nashville TN 410 PM CDT Tue May 10 2011

...Official Amber Alert...
This Is A Child Abduction Emergency Received By The Tennessee Bureau Of Investigation.

A Middle Tennessee Amber Alert Is Being Issued For The Millersville Police Department For 4 Month Old Zaylee Grace Fryar...White Female...Brown Eyes...Black Hair...Weighing 12 Pounds And Approximately 35 Inches Tall.

Zaylee Has A Quarter Size Brown Birthmark On Her Right Leg. Zaylee Was Last Known To Be With Her Mother, Shauna Marie Fryar.

On May 10...2011... Investigators Confirmed The Identity Of A Woman Recovered Deceased In Davidson County As Shauna Marie Fryar.

If You Have Information On Zaylees Disappearance Or Her Whereabouts...Please Contact T...B...I At 1...800...T...B...I...Find

Continued Hot Through Thursday

SLIGHT STORM CHANCE:
Highs will run nearly 15 degrees above normal during the next few days across much of middle Tennessee. Most of us will stay dry, but there is a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. We'll hit 88° plus today and again on Wednesday and Thursday. Shower chances increase for both Thursday and Friday. Expect cooler weather this weekend with highs mainly in the 70's.

*Latest Local Forecast*

Cookeville's Daily Almanac
Our morning low: 64.2°
Yesterday's high: 86.0°
Yesterday's low: 61.0°
Last Year: 63° and 41°
Normal High: 75°
Normal Low: 50°
Records: 91° in 1936 and 32° in 1966
24-hour precip total:
1.70" of rain fell on this date in 1945

MAJOR MISSISSIPPI FLOODING AT MEMPHIS:
The historic Memphis flood is causing all sorts of challenges over in West Tennessee. To give you perspective, the Mississippi hit 47.8 feet and is the first time above 41 feet since the Great Flood of 1937 which set a record at 48.7 feet. Here is just one photo from my friend Erik, who runs MemphisWeather.net ...he also has a series of photos and a post from yesterday.

TODAY IN WEATHER HISTORY: (from 1864)
In Middle Tennessee, The Nashville Dispatch reports on May 12 "The storm of wind and rain which visited our city on Tuesday [10th] evening, we learn, has been particularly destructive in the vicinity of Nashville for miles around. In the region of country skirting the Nolensville Pike, the storm which amounted to a perfect hurricane, in its course uprooted trees, tore down fences, and tumbled over houses to an alarming extent, carrying in its track devastation and ruin to many small farmers and their families, and in some cases loss of life as well as property. 


Rev. John Rains, living about three miles from the city, near the Nolensville Pike, had his home utterly stripped and ruined - carriagehouse, stable, smoke-house, servants' house, and fencing were entirely destroyed, and his dwelling house is nearly so. Mr. Woodward, in the same vicinity, had his dwelling-house literally torn to pieces, and his wife seriously, if not fatally injured, besides three children badly hurt; the hand of the eldest was so badly crushed as to require amputation of the thumb. Nast. F. Dortch, Mr. McConnico, Mr. Harper, Mr. Lucus, Dr. Whitsitt, and others in the same locality, suffered considerably. Mrs. Aaron V. Brown had a large lot of beautiful timber land destroyed. Mr. John Hooper sustained considerable damage, his barn and fencing being destroyed. 


In the vicinity of the Hermitage, we learn, a large amount of valuable timber, dwelling houses, etc. were destroyed. Tim. Dodson had his barn, cut house, and fences utterly wrecked. A brick house, on Mill Creek, the property of P. Vickers, is in ruins. 


The storm traversed a large extent of country Wilson county, doing great damage to fences and out houses. Altogether, from what we hear, this is one of the most disastrous hurricanes that has visited Tennessee for many years."


Here is your weather history across America:

1905 - 87 killed in Snyder OK tornado. The tornado's roar could be heard 12 miles away. Total path length 40 miles. 1906 - Washington DC records their latest snowfall of record. 1931 - Golfball sized hail causes $300,000 in damage in Burlington Co, NJ. 1943 - Late season New England snow. Up to 36 inches fell in New Hampshire. 1945 - Rare late season coastal storm dumps 7 inches of snow on Portland, Maine. 1966 - Record cold in Illinois. 21 at Bloomington-Normal and Aurora set the state record low temperature for May. 1977 - A heavy snowstorm dumped 20 inches of snow on Norwalk CT with 12 inches in parts of MA and RI. 1983 - Near blizzard conditions in Montana. 3 feet of snow fell in the mountains. 1987 - 14.5 inches of rain at Lillian AL. 12.8 inches at nearby Perdido Key, FL. 1988 - F3 tornado at Middleboro KY caused $22 million in damage. 1991 - Shreveport LA eclipses their annual average rainfall for the year on this date in 1991. 45 inches of rain had fallen by this date. The normal for an average year is only 43.84 inches. Obviously the earliest date that the average annual rainfall total had been surpassed.

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Hot Week Ahead

SLIGHT THUNDERSTORM CHANCE - 
If you like summer, we're going to get a taste of it this week. Expect highs to range from the mid 80's to near 90° all the way until Friday. It'll be mainly dry with only a slight chance for thunderstorms later today, tonight, and Tuesday (around 20%).

*Latest Local Forecast*

Cookeville's Daily Almanac
Our morning low: 61.0°
Yesterday's high: 83.6°
Yesterday's low: 58.4°
24-hour precip total: 0.00

Last Year: 65° and 38°

Normal High: 75°
Normal Low: 50°

Records: 91° in 1936 and 30° in 1976

1.27" of rain fell on this date in 1975

On This Date In Tennessee Weather History, 1995 flash flooding in Warren County washes out a bridge and covers several roads with as much as three to four feet of water. In 1933 just north of here in Tompkinsville, Kentucky, a massive tornado kills 18 people.

WEATHER HISTORY ACROSS AMERICA:

On this day in ..

1923 - Baltimore records their latest snow ever with a trace of the white stuff. 1927 - A major tornado outbreak from Texas to Michigan. 28 tornadoes counted. Part of Poplar Bluff MO was destroyed. 98 killed, 300 injured. 1933 - Kentucky family of tornadoes kills 36 along a 60-mile path. The town of Tompkinsville was the hardest hit with 18 killed. 1966 - Heavy record snows in western Pennsylvania and northeastern Ohio. 3.1 inches fell at Pittsburgh. 1977 - Late season Northeast snow. Boston records their only May snow of record. 27 inches of snow falls at Slide Mountain NY. 500,000 people without power following heavy, wet snow. 1979 - Eastern heat wave: 95 at Boston and 94 at New York City. 1980 - Sunshine Skyway Bridge disaster in Tampa Bay, Florida. Tanker rams bridge during morning thunderstorm. 30 people killed. 1985 - Lightning strikes tree 150 yards away from Alabama house, follows driveway to house where it blows up electrical outlets and appliances and blows hole in basement floor. 1986 - Flooding in Des Moines IA caused by seven inches of rain in 3 hours. $16 million in damage, 530 homes flooded. No injuries. 1990 - 22.4 inches of snow at Marquette MI after temperatures the day before were in the 70s. 1990 - Cyclone hits India, killing 1000 people. Storm surge measured at 22 feet

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Hot Week Ahead

We hit 84 on this Mother's Day 2011. If you liked that, you'll love the rest of this upcoming week!

I expect we will hit 90 plus by Tuesday. A more detailed post coming later tonight. 

Super Mom's Day Forecast

Before we get to the forecast, I'd like to acknowledge the mother of my kids, my fantastic and beautiful wife Shawn, and thank her for being a great mother to our 3 children!!

Mother's Day 2011 looks like it is going to be a nice one across Middle Tennessee. Expect highs in the lower 80's for today.

*Latest Local Forecast*

Finally, one of my weather friends built a nice and clean graphic for the top of my website. A big SHOUT OUT to Martin from the Isle of Lewis in Scotland for that awesome looking graphic. Martin's web site can be found be here.
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Saturday Update

Still going with a slight chance of rain. Most of the heavier rains are breaking up before arriving here. Cloudy skies, but warm. Enjoy your Saturday. 

Weekend Sunshine and Warmer

CONGRATS GRADS:
It is graduation day at Tennessee Tech University. My boss, Congressman Diane Black, will be the commencement speaker for the morning graduation while my friend, State Representative Ryan Williams will handle speaking duties for the afternoon graduation.

BEAUTIFUL WEEKEND:
Our weather forecast for the Upper Cumberland is expected to be quite nice with sunshine and highs in the middle 70's for many of us. There is a slight chance for showers and thunderstorms today, tonight, and on Sunday.

Speaking of Sunday, don't forget it is Mother's Day. The weather looks great as we'll see highs around 80°.

THE WEEK AHEAD:
Looking ahead to the upcoming week, we see temperatures during the daytime hours mainly in the middle 80's and lows at night in the 60's.

*Latest Local Forecast*

Cookeville's Daily Almanac
Our morning low: 43.1°
Yesterday's high: 67.7°
Yesterday's low: 46.4°
24-hour precip total: 0.00

Last Year: 87° and 62°

Normal High: 74°
Normal Low: 49°

Records: 88° in 1959 and 35° in 1944

5.27" of rain fell on this date in 1984

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Mother's Day Weekend Forecast

NOTHING WITH A CORD:
It's Mother's Day weekend. History of Mother's Day. Friendly piece of unsolicited advice for men..don't forget Mother's Day, whether it is your mom, your wife, your grown daughter with kids or even if you're a newlywed and you all don't have children yet, it is an important holiday to women. Please don't buy anything that plugs in either!

SUN APPEARS LATER THIS AFTERNOON:
Cloudy skies greet us this morning across much of Tennessee. There are a few showers in the area as well at just after 7 am. I do expect a slight chance for a shower here in the Upper Cumberland before lunch. After that, we'll see skies turn sunny and a high of 68° later this afternoon.

REST OF WEEKEND:
Tonight, mostly clear and a low of 46°. For Saturday, a partly sunny day with a slight chance for showers, high 73° and then for Mother's Day, only isolated chances of showers or a thunderstorm and warmer with a high of 77°.

*Latest Local Forecast*

Cookeville's Daily Almanac
Our morning low: 46.9°
Yesterday's high: 69.9°
Yesterday's low: 34.4°
24-hour precip total: 0.00

Last Year: 84° and 52°

Normal High: 74°
Normal Low: 49°

Records: 90° in 1959 and 35° in 1957

3.10" of rain fell on this date in 2003

METEOR SHOWERS:
Tonight is the peak of some this year's BEST meteor showers. The Eta Aquarid showers peaks on May 6th. Observers after dark should expect to see up to 20 meteors per hour. These meteors originate from the dust of Hailey's Comet and every May the earth runs through this stream of dust.

THIS DATE IN WEATHER HISTORY:

On this day in ..

1876 - Severe windstorm in Chicago caused severe damage totaling $250,000. 1937 - Thunderstorm delayed landing of dirigible Hindenburg at Linden NJ. When the ship finally landed, it burst into flames and crashed. 1975 - Very large tornado kills 3 and does $250 million in damage in Omaha NE, making it the most costly US tornado to that time. 133 were injured. The path of the storm was 10 miles long and up to 1/4 of a mile wide. The tornado moved through the western section of town before lifting over the northern part of the city, but not before it had destroyed 287 houses and damaged 1400 others. Excellent warnings kept the death toll amazingly low. 1984 - A boat is not a place to be during a thunderstorm. Two men standing in a boat on Sheridan Lake in South Dakota were killed when lightning struck the boat. 1987 - Record heat in the West. 18 record highs were recorded in California and Oregon. 104 in Sacramento was their warmest ever for so early in the season. 1989 - 43 degrees at the start of the Kentucky Derby was the coldest in 115 years of records. Wet snow was observed in parts of Louisville. Unseasonable cold affected much of the north central US, with 16 cities reporting record lows for the date. 17 at Bismarck and 26 at Minneapolis were both records for so late in the season.

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Warming Trend Rest of Week

Today, Thursday, May 5, 2011 is National Day of Prayer. It is the 60th annual celebration. 

Events are going on in the following local counties.
Putnam - 11:45 am to 1 pm on the Courthouse lawn
Overton - 12 noon to 1 pm on the Courthouse lawn
Dekalb - 12 noon to 1 pm on the Courthouse lawn

Please attend one of these events if you are in our area, otherwise look for events in your local area. The National Day of Prayer website is chock full of information!

Your Morning Forecast:
Sunshine and 66° later this afternoon, but we're starting in the 30's this morning across all of middle Tennessee. Some locations have patchy dense fog as well. Cloud increase tonight and we have a chance for showers, low 46°. Friday looks nice with a high of 67° and another shot at showers. A slight chance for showers through the weekend, highs in the middle 70's!

Frosty overnight:
We went under 36° at 3:59 am and stayed there until 6:28 am. I do expect the frost to damage some immature plants, but hopefully most will survive just fine. We are confident those weather is behind us until Autumn.

*Latest Local Forecast*

Cookeville's Daily Almanac
Our morning low: 34.4°
Yesterday's high: 58.3°
Yesterday's low: 38.0°
24-hour precip total: 0.00

Last Year: 82° and 51°

Normal High: 74°
Normal Low: 48°

Records: 90° in 1896 and 33° in 1957

1.76" of rain fell on this date in 2003

On this day in ..

1834 - Family of tornadoes in Virginia killed 3 people. The twisters carved a path from near Victoria to south of Petersburg to just south of the James River. The damage path was reportedly one-mile wide in places. 1917 - 12 inches of snow in Denver CO, their greatest May snowstorm ever. 1930 - Temperature soars from 43 to 93 in a single day at College Park VA to signal the beginning of an incredible heat wave. 1987 - Western US sizzling under heat wave. 100 at downtown Sacramento CA was their earliest on record. Sacramento would go on to have record highs on 8 of the next 10 days. 1989 - Severe weather in the southeast. Tornado injured 15 near Toccoa GA as it struck a shopping center. Two F4 tornadoes in South Carolina and North Carolina killed 6 people. Four of the fatalities occurred near Toluca NC, including three people in a car. The twister blew several vehicles as far as 300 yards. Baseball size hail fell at Lake Murray SC. 1990 - Los Angeles smashed their record high for the date by 8 degrees with a reading of 101 degrees. 1990 - Fast moving pacific cold front capsized three recreational fishing boats in the Strait of Juan De Fuca in Washington State, killing 5 people. Weather conditions went from sunny and calm to ten-foot seas and 60-mph winds in just a matter of minutes, catching the boaters off guard. 1995 - Incredible hailstorm strikes Dallas/Ft. Worth area. 510 people are injured in the storm, most from hail. Another 21 people die, mostly from flash flooding. Thousands of citizens were caught outside at the annual Mayfest celebration. Injuries caused by the storm included broken bones, lacerations and deep bruises. More than 1.5 billion dollars of property damage resulted.

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Frost Advisory Tonight

We are headlined with a FROST ADVISORY for tonight. More on that later.

SUNNY AND CHILLY
A beautiful, sun-filled day across the Upper Cumberland for your Wednesday. Temperatures, though, will fight to get to near 60°. We're starting at 42° with areas of dense fog for much of the area. A FOG ADVISORY is in effect until 9 am for the counties on or near the Cumberland Plateau.

COLD AIR COMING
Tonight, a cold air mass will settle across the area later, according to the National Weather Service. With lows expected in the middle to upper 30's areas of frost will develop and may threaten sensitive vegetation.

DAMAGE POSSIBLE TO PLANTS
I would cover any plants you don't want to lose, especially those in the garden and those flowers that are blooming, have buds on them, or are just now pushing through the ground.

*Latest Local Forecast*

We recorded another 1.59" of rain on Tuesday. We are continuing to be far ahead of an average year.

Finally, a warming trend through the rest of this week into next with highs in the upper 60's Thursday and Friday and in the 70's Saturday and 80's on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday! Only slight chances for rain on both Friday and Saturday.


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Incredible Fog Picture!

Check out the thin layer of fog that hangs just above the ground!

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Cold Fog

BE VERY CAREFUL

Foggy overnight and tomorrow morning..chilly, lows in the 40's (outlying areas in the upper 30's)

*Latest Local Forecast*


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Federal Disaster Declarations

Since April 28th, there have been disaster declarations in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, and Arkansas due to the powerful tornadoes, severe storms, straight-line winds, and associated flooding. 


Obviously, many of us have relatives and friends in those states. 


Here is the link to FEMA and three ways to apply for federal assistance. 

Greeneville, TN, May 2, 2011 -- FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate speaks at a press conference in Greeneville, Tennessee after viewing damage from last Thursday’s tornadoes that ripped through Eastern Tennessee and across the south east part of the country. Behind the Administrator from left to right are Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, State Senator Steve Southerland, U.S. Representative Phil Roe, and Tennessee Emergency Management Agency Director Jim Bassham. FEMA photo/Brad Carroll

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