Severe Tstorm Warning Thru 4:15

Big storms rolling through area. More info below at link.

InteractiveNWS - Alert Information

Lunch Update - Tornado Watch until 8 pm

Severe weather is expected to affect the Cookeville area late this afternoon through the early evening hours. More at the link below.

InteractiveNWS - Alert Information

Special Weather Statement

Moderate risk for severe storms.

InteractiveNWS - Alert Information

Tornado Watch Until Noon

The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma has issued tornado watch #46 until 12 noon for much of Middle Tennessee. Putnam and surrounding counties are included in this watch.

The forecast for Leap Day 2012 is for showers and thunderstorms. Some may become severe. High near 71° and winds will gust to 30 mph. Chance of rain is 90%.

The rest of the forecast is located below.

*Tornado Watch*

*Latest Local Forecast*

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Beautiful Tuesday with Storms Wednesday

Storms, some possibly severe, are in our forecast for the overnight hours Tuesday evening into Wednesday across middle Tennessee. Can't rule out a possible tornado, large hail, or torrential downpours. Yet another round of storms is possible for Friday and Friday night. 

*Very important weather site of the day below*

For your Tuesday, another nice day on tap. We'll exceed the same high (66°) as we had Monday with a high today near 70°. A chance of an isolated thunderstorm during the afternoon hours. Tuesday night is expected to become bumpy in the very early morning hours with storms lingering on Wednesday, high of 72° with gusty southwest winds to 25 mph. 

We'll catch a break on Thursday with a high in the 60's and storms are right back in the forecast for Friday and Friday night. 

*Latest Local Forecast*

WEATHER SITE OF THE DAY:
Since severe weather is on the horizon, today I will be featuring the Midland Radio company. They are a manufacturer of wireless communications. They have a worldwide presence and were known in the 70's for CB radios and household electronics. They are well known for 2-way radio products and are an industry leader in several categories.

I want to FOCUS on their category of weather radios. 

"Early Warning Is Your Best Protection" is a phrase that Midland uses in conjunction with their product offering.

How do weather radios work?

Here is a shortcut to 'purchase a weather radio'. Locally, in Cookeville, you can purchase this weather radio at places like Electronics Express, Wal-Mart, Kmart, and other places. Additionally, you can purchase online from plenty of places. The link above will assist you with the purchase.

Find your frequency, SAME #, and other information for the area of Tennessee in which you live.

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Almost Perfect Monday

After Sunday's nice day, you are sure to enjoy today even more as sunny skies and warmer weather spread across much of middle Tennessee. Here in Cookeville, the morning clouds will disappear and we'll top the 62° mark this afternoon with a south wind becoming calm. A great day to do anything outdoors. Tonight, cool...low of 39°. 

STORMS LIKELY:

We turn the corner on Tuesday with a chance of afternoon thunderstorms, a very warm day, high 66°. Showers and thunderstorms likely Tuesday night and a low of 56°. Storms likely Wednesday, high 70°. More detail in the forecast link below. 

*Latest Local Forecast*

WEATHER SITE OF THE DAY:
Yesterday, we introduced a new feature called the Weather Site of the Day. The first one featured was weather.gov. Today, we'll send you over to the Storm Prediction Center. Operated by the National Weather Service and located in Norman, OK..the SPC as it is commonly referred to helps to prepare forecasts of hazardous weather affecting the United States. This is a huge help to weather forecasters. The history of the SPC dates to the early 1950's. You can read all about the SPC history here.

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Sunday Sunshine Reigns

Gorgeous day for your Sunday across middle Tennessee. We'll hit 57° this afternoon in Cookeville with winds ranging from 5 to 15 mph. Another chilly night, although temps will be about 10° warmer than this morning's low of 27°. Sunshine and 61° for Monday with storm chances ramping up for Tuesday night and Wednesday. The full 7-day forecast can be found below. 

*Latest Local Forecast*

WEATHER SITE OF THE DAY:
A new feature I'm going to start today is called the Weather Site of the Day....I'll start out with the National Weather Service website at weather.gov. This is the starting portal of all things weather across the United States. Overseen by the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), the National Weather Service is part of the federal government's Department of Commerce. Do you know the history of the National Weather Service? I do, it was authorized by President Ulysses S. Grant on February 9, 1870. For much more history on the NWS, click here!

*Wikipedia site for National Weather Service*
*PBS history site for National Weather Service*




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Snow!

From almost 80 to snow!

InteractiveNWS - Alert Information

Gusty Winds and Falling Temps Today

Friday will be much different than the record high of 78 on Thursday. See link below.

InteractiveNWS - Alert Information

Wind Advisory Through Midnight

National Weather Service Watch Warning Advisory Summary

Record Breaking Warmth Thursday

Some thunderstorms rolled through the Cookeville area on Wednesday with small-sized hail (pea or about 1/2 the size of a dime) that morning and more thunder/lightning and heavy rain during the late afternoon hours. These storms brought .55" of rain. Winds gusted to 23 mph and we saw a high of 54°. Thursday's weather will be quite interesting! More on this in the following paragraph. 

Expect record-breaking warmth on Thursday with an expected high of 75° (we could go a few degrees higher)...the record for February 23rd is 74° set back in 1980. The other big news for Thursday is the expectation of widespread strong thunderstorms across the entire mid-state area of Tennessee. Now is a good time to make sure your weather radio is in good working order or even make a purchase of a weather radio. For those of you who have 'smartphones', there are all sorts of 'apps' from either the Android or Apple store. Reports from trained storm spotters may be needed by the National Weather Service office in Nashville. 

Much more coming up in the next 12 hours on the possibilities of severe weather. 

*Latest Local Forecast*

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Significant Weather Alert at 7:15 am

See link below for Weather Alert info.....

InteractiveNWS - Alert Information

Showers Today; Storms Thursday

A fairly good shot at rain today and storms for Thursday/Thursday night across the region. Expect a high today of 61° and a low tonight of 49°. We may hit 70° on Thursday and that will 'cook' the atmosphere giving us another prime ingredient needed for thunderstorms. 

Rain lingers for Friday with a high of just 52° and we may end Friday with a rain to snow mix. Saturday will be chilly and Sunday a bit warmer. All of the forecast details are below in the latest, local forecast link. 

*Latest Local Forecast*

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Severe Weather Awareness Week 2012

February 19-24, 2012 is Severe Weather Awareness Week across Tennessee. We will observe the following events over the next six days. 

• Sunday, February 19 - Important Role of SKYWARN Spotters.
• Monday, February 20 - Hazards of Flooding and Flash Floods.
• Tuesday, February 21 - Lightning, the Underrated Killer.
• Wednesday, February 22 - Tornado Safety and Preparedness.  Tornado Drill Day
• Thursday, February 23 - Severe Thunderstorms and the Devastating Effects of Severe Storms.
• Friday, February 24 - NOAA Weather Radio and The Emergency Alert System.

There are several links for you below.....

TN Severe Weather Awareness Brochure - .PDF format

2012 Middle TN Spotter Classes (go and get trained)

The following are safety tips from each severe weather occurrence:

Severe Convective Weather

Floods

Winter Weather

Earthquake

Tropical Weather

Excessive Heat

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Rain-Filled Week Ahead

After a snowy Sunday and a very nice Monday in which we saw much of the snow melt, the week ahead is promising two things......wind and rain. Temperatures should be quite nice but much cooler on Friday.

MONDAY'S NUMBERS:
First off, we saw a low this Monday morning of 22.1° at 6:34 am while the high this afternoon went all the way up to 52.2° at 4:22 pm. Our average high this time of year is 51°. There were numerous reports of slippery roads early this morning due to freezing fog conditions overnight.

WHERE DID THE SNOW FALL:
The big winner in snowfall yesterday was a 4.8" amount reported from near Jamestown in Fentress County. See the CoCoRaHS spotter map above. Much of our area was in the 1-2" range with a Monterey amount of 3". The snow was nice while it lasted. There is no hint of snow in the 7-day forecast below.

RAIN AND WIND THIS WEEK:
Let's look at the next few days. Expect showers to develop overnight and the winds will definitely pick up by daybreak. High Tuesday of 56° with wind gusts to 25 mph with a 20% chance of showers early. Rain chances again on Wednesday, high of 62° with winds gusting once again to 25 mph and about a 20% chance of rain. Thursday shows a 30% chance for showers and thunderstorms with a high of 68° and another windy day. Much cooler Friday, high only 48° along with a 40% chance of showers and continued windy conditions.

The weekend is expected to be sunny with a chilly day Saturday (high 44) and a warmer day Sunday (high 56).

*Latest Local Forecast*

Freezing Fog Advisory

Extreme caution is advised overnight and first thing Monday. Take special care on bridges and overpasses.

InteractiveNWS - Alert Information

Winter Storm Warning Canceled

Beautiful snowfall event today. It appears to be over for the most part and the winter warning is canceled. Flurries will remain through early tonight with a nice warm-up on Monday.

InteractiveNWS - Alert Information

Winter Storm Warning

We expect the rain to change to snow today with accumulations to 4 inches.

InteractiveNWS - Alert Information

Winter Storm Snow Accumulation Update

The following map link shows the ever changing snow event for Sunday. Much of our area is in the 3-4" range after being put in the 1" range earlier today.

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/images/fxc/ohx/graphicast/image_full14.gif

UPDATE-Sunday Snow Forecast

There is much uncertainty concerning the forecast for Sunday. We do know there will be plenty of precipitation. The great unknown is where will the temperatures be.

The weather forecast office of the National Weather Service in Nashville says "this is one of the most challenging forecasts in recent memory".....and also said it is "difficult to draw up a forecast with a high degree of confidence".


Sunday will be blustery with plenty of precipitation and if temperatures cooperate, the potential for measurable snowfall will occur across extreme northern middle Tennessee and the Cumberland Plateau by Sunday afternoon.

If the moisture leaves too fast, accumulation amounts will be severely affected on the low side. The other problem right now is the fact we've been warm and that will surely affect the amount of accumulation as well.

With all of that being said, the NWS is continuing with the Winter Storm Watch.

*Latest Local Forecast*

Major Winter Storm for Cookeville Sunday

With temperatures above 50° this morning, it's hard to believe that in about 24 hours snow will begin falling and we expect it to accumulate to between 2" and 4" before ending Sunday night.

*Winter Storm Watch*

A strong low pressure system will move from the central gulf coast toward the Carolinas. It will spread precipitation into the Tennessee valley on Saturday night and Sunday. The precip will begin as rain on Saturday night and change to snow Sunday with snow falling all day Sunday.

The main impact in this event will be the heavy, wet snow combined with a long enough time period that will produce significant accumulations. Areas to our northeast up into Kentucky and even near the Tennessee border north of Knoxville may see accumulations in the 8" range.

*Latest Local Forecast*

Winter Storm Watch for Sunday

National Weather Service Watch Warning Advisory Summary:

*Latest Local Forecast*

Nice Today, Rain Saturday, and Snow Sunday

A very interesting weather forecast for Cookeville, TN and vicinity.

We'll see a nice day today with highs in the middle to upper 50's under sunny skies.

On Saturday, expect rain to develop after lunch time as a strong low pressure system approaches Tennessee. The rain continues Saturday night and then will mix with and change over to snow on Sunday.

At this time, we may see accumulating snow on Sunday. However, this is subject to change. We'll watch this developing situation over the weekend and keep you informed. The full forecast is below.

*Latest Local Forecast*

Snow Chances This Weekend?

Interesting changes ahead.

InteractiveNWS - Alert Information

Dense Fog Advisory

InteractiveNWS - Alert Information

What Happened to the Snow?

Some of you are waking up this morning asking that question. Here is what happened. We were very close to the 'borderline' for rain/snow mix. A degree or two EITHER WAY would have made a difference. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough cold air in place for us to receive snow. Officially, at my weather station, we only got down to 36.7°....just not good enough to see snow produced and accumulation to occur. Sorry to the kids and teachers!

TUESDAY'S FORECAST:
Rain, high 45 - south winds to 10 mph

TONIGHT:
Cloudy, low 33 - calm winds

WEDNESDAY:
Increasing clouds, much warmer, high of 60


*Latest Local Forecast*

Monday Evening Snow Possible

We're watching the potential for a wintry mix and/or mess for Monday night. More on that in just a bit.

MONDAY:
Cold morning to start. Bus stop weather around 20°. Increasing clouds by lunch with a high of 42° by afternoon. The fun begins on Monday night.

MONDAY NIGHT:
Snow likely with less than 1/2" of accumulation mainly on grassy surfaces. Low 34°, which will save us from treacherous road conditions.

TUESDAY:
Rain likely before noon with a high of 46°....

REST OF WEEK:
Looks like rest of week will warm up with a chance of rain again for Wednesday night through Thursday night. Highs mainly in the 50's and lows mainly in the 30's and 40's.


*Latest Local Forecast*

More Winter Weather Possible Monday Night

Statement from National Weather Service

InteractiveNWS - Alert Information

Very Cold Sunday Start

Happy second birthday to my son, Levi! Abraham Lincoln was born on this date in 1809.

How cold was it last night? How long has it been since we were that cold? I'll answer those questions and more in this post. The facts surrounding the cold are very interesting. First, though, here is your local 48-hour forecast for the Cookeville and Upper Cumberland region.

SUNDAY-  Sunshine with a high of 34°
SUNDAY NIGHT-  Mostly clear, very cold, low 17°
MONDAY-  Increasing clouds, high of 45°
MONDAY NIGHT-  Rain and snow likely - low of 34°
TUESDAY-  Rain and snow in the morning - Rain in the afternoon - high of 47°

Let's talk about last night's cold. We dropped to a low of 11.1° on this Sunday morning at 6:54. Did you know it was exactly one year ago that we had a low temperature of 10°. Interesting facts...here are more interesting facts for February 12th. The record high this date was 75° back in 1999 and the record low was -1° in 1981. Our normals temps this date are 50/27. Last year, we were 40/10.


*Latest Local Forecast*

Middle Tennessee Snow Totals

Here is a look at some snowfall totals from across the area. 

2.5"  Jamestown (Fentress County)
2.4"  Monterey (Putnam County)
2.0"  Allardt (Fentress County)
1.5"  Clarkrange (Fentress County)
1.2"  Livingston (Overton County)
1.0"  Crossville (Cumberland County)
1.0"  Fairfield Glade (Cumberland County)

In Cookeville, measurements have been in the dusting to 2/10ths of 1 inch range. Here are some pictures from my Facebook friends. 

I-40 heading east on Monterey mountain

1800 feet elevation at Monterey

Snow picture last night in Monterey

TODAY'S FORECAST:

Bitterly cold air is in place and we're currently at 23.0° at 11:55 am. Factoring in the gusty north winds, which have been consistently in the 10-15 mph up to 20 mph, the 'feels like' temperatures are in the lower to middle teens this morning. Originally, we thought our high would be 27-30° across the area, but it looks like we'll struggle to make that.

*Latest Local Forecast*

Friday Night Forecast Update

WET SNOW CONTINUING:
Snow has continued to fall across the Upper Cumberland region of middle Tennessee this evening. Most areas are reporting a dusting however I expect we'll hear some 1" to 1.5" amounts by morning. With temperatures hovering right around freezing, road conditions are classified as wet, but not slippery in most locations. Bitterly cold air is poised back to our northwest and will filter in overnight.

WATCH OUT IN THE MORNING:
As of 11:00 pm, all of middle Tennessee is still in the lower 30's and the 20's are located in the western sections of Kentucky. As temperatures drop in to the middle 20's before sunrise, road conditions will deteriorate rapidly. Be careful if you have Saturday morning travel plans.

BITTERLY COLD SATURDAY:
Winds will pick up on Saturday with wind chill readings dropping into the single digits. Highs are not expected to rise above the upper 20's during the afternoon on Saturday. Snow showers will diminish to flurries after lunch and skies will remain cloudy. Expect wind gusts to 25 mph. Dress appropriately for the very cold conditions.

MID-TEENS SUNDAY MORNING:
Skies will clear by evening and temperatures will drop rapidly. Expect a low of 14° by sunrise on Sunday and a high of just 35° on Sunday afternoon.

*Latest Local Forecast*

Winter Weather Advisory

Up to 2" of snow later this evening and early Saturday.

InteractiveNWS - Alert Information

Returning To Winter

We start this morning out at 26°. Eventually we'll reach 47° by this afternoon but cold air will infiltrate our area behind a very strong front that will move into Tennessee overnight. Rain later this afternoon will change to snow overnight with some accumulations possible. Up to 1" is forecast for higher elevations around Monterey, Clarkrange, and Jamestown. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for the border counties of Kentucky.

A very cold weekend is on tap with highs on Saturday struggling to reach 30° with clouds decreasing during the day. A north to northwest wind gusty to 20 mph will make it feel bitterly cold. We've been used to warm winter temperatures and this will shock our systems! The low by Sunday morning will be a frigid 16°. Cold again Sunday with sunshine and a high of 34° and a low of 19°.

Our next rain/snow maker returns Monday night as we may see a potential wet snow accumulation. We'll keep an eye on this over the weekend and keep you informed.

*Latest Local Forecast*

Cold Start, But Decent Day

A big forecast change is coming this weekend, we'll get to that in just a bit. Expect a mostly sunny sky today (Thursday) after a start in the lower 30's. We'll reach 45° by this afternoon. Overnight, temperatures drop to just below freezing and on Friday, we'll see a chance for showers and a high of 50°.

COLD WEATHER COMING:
The rain changes to snow on Friday night with a frontal passage. I don't expect any accumulation at this point. Once the front clears our area, Saturday's weather will be downright COLD! Expect a high of just 34° on Saturday with a low by Sunday morning in the teens! Sunday will be sunny but cold once again with a high of just 37° and a low on Sunday night around 22°.

NEXT WEEK'S FORECAST:
We will moderate early next week with highs of 46° on Monday, rain chances and 51° on Tuesday, with rain continuing and 57° on Wednesday.

*Latest Local Forecast*

Cloudy, Cold Wednesday

We've seen a few sprinkles early this morning across sections of middle Tennessee. It is possible that some areas to our north saw some flurries mix in with the light shower activity. I expect this shower activity to end by noon and we'll see a high in the middle 40's this afternoon under a cloudy sky. Partly cloudy and cold tonight, low of 29°.

THURSDAY - SUNDAY OUTLOOK:
Expect a decent day on Thursday with plenty of sunshine but cool temperatures. A high of 46° and a calm wind. Cold again on Thursday night, low 30°. Friday's weather will be warmer with a high of 52° but I do expect showers to be on the increase in the afternoon. Friday night, rain showers likely with snow mixing in and the precipitation changing to all snow flurries overnight with a low of 29°. VERY COLD Saturday with a high of 37° under a sunny sky and a low by Sunday morning of 17°. Sunny on Sunday, high of just 35°.

*Latest Local Forecast*


DID YOU KNOW:

• Most of us know it is warm this winter, but did you know we're still not close to the warmest February on record? That distinction belongs to 1986 when we averaged nearly 63° during February. Right now, our average high is 57.4°. That's 9° above normal and nearly 12° higher than last winter. 
• Today's record high is 75° from 1937
• Today's record low is 1° from 1984

From the Weather Notebook:

On this day in ..

1835 - Deep freeze in the deep south. Mercury plunged to zero at Savannah and 8 degrees at Jacksonville FL. Severe damage to the citrus industry with orange trees killed to the roots. 1933 - Texas records its coldest temperature ever (-23F) at Seminole. 1936 - Denver CO records a record cold 36 degrees below zero. 1956 - Vega TX picks up an incredible 61 inches of snow from one storm (Feb 1-8) which still stands as the state record for snowfall from a single storm. 1985 - Blue Canyon CA sets a 24-hour February snowfall record with 42 inches (Feb 7-8). Blue Canyon is the snowiest place in the lower 48 states with an average of 241 inches of snow. 1987 - Severe winter storm strikes Chicago with mountainous waves along the waterfront. Seven million dollars in damage, the most ever caused by shoreline flooding and erosion in the city's history. Waves reached 12-18 feet high and the water level in Lake Michigan was raised two feet. 1989 - Mammoth traffic jams in Los Angeles area as a freak snow struck California. Snow was reported from the beaches of Malibu to the desert around Palm Springs

Cold Start Includes Frost But Warmer Day Ahead

It's a chilly start across much of the Upper Cumberland this morning with plenty of frost. Some areas, especially around rivers and lakes, are dealing with freezing fog. Temperatures are in the middle 20's at 7 am. Later today, expect the high to reach 53° in Cookeville, TN.

*Special Weather Statement*

Overnight - Rain showers will be mostly scattered. There is a slight chance the rain may mix with snow and a low of 37°. Rain and snow chances 60%. Little or no snow accumulation and temperatures won't be cold enough for the snow to stick to road surfaces.

Wednesday - Just a 20% chance of rain showers before noon. Hi of 46°.

Rest of week - We're going to be in a cooler period with highs in the upper 40's to near 50° backing down to around 40° on Saturday. Lows will generally be below freezing each night with teens expected on Saturday night. A slight chance of snow flurries for Friday night.

*Latest Local Forecast*

Recruiting for CoCoRaHS - Are you someone who likes to measure rainfall in your backyard? Then CoCoRaHS needs you!

Morning Fog, Afternoon Sunshine

We're dealing with morning fog in parts of the Upper Cumberland region of Tennessee this morning. It is expected to burn off later this morning. Sunshine will make it's appearance and we'll be near 50° for our high this afternoon. It's 38° at 7 am.

48 Hour Forecast:
Tonight, clear and cold with patchy fog by morning. Low 31°.
Tuesday, increasing clouds and a high of 54°.
Tuesday night, showers and cool, low 37°
Wednesday, showers and a high of 47°.

End of Week Outlook:
The rest of the week is expected to be in the upper 40's for highs and lows around 30°.

*Latest Local Forecast*

Rain and Fog Overnight

SATURDAY EVENING UPDATE:
Lingering drizzle and rain tonight with fog developing. Low around 48°. Calm wind.....on Sunday, expect a slight chance of showers and a high of 53°. Showers stay around on Sunday night until just before midnight with a low of 34° under a mostly cloudy sky. The photo above is a camera shot from the tower at the Cookeville-Putnam County Emergency Management Agency on Willow Avenue. Note the fog.

HOW MUCH DID WE GET:
On Saturday, we measured .56" of rain. This gives us 1.50" for February through 4 days and 6.97" for the 2012 year. We are substantially ahead of normal.

ANY SNOW ON THE HORIZON:
The short answer is no as next 7 days don't contain any drastically colder temperatures although late next week we may see highs only in the 40's.

*Latest Local Forecast*

BLOG ADDITIONS:
Under the 'Climate and Rainfall Data' tab at the top of the blog, you'll notice some changes that include the 2012 monthly precipitation summary along with measurements from the CoCoRaHS observers here in Putnam County.

Big Rains Return Tonight

GORGEOUS FRIDAY:
Mostly sunny for your Friday with a high in the lower 60's here in Cookeville. A light southeast wind from 5 to 10 mph. Overnight, however, the rains return will stay with us through Saturday night. A 100% chance of rain tonight, tomorrow, and Saturday night. I can't rule out a thunderstorm or two, especially on Saturday and Saturday night. For Sunday, just a slight chance of rain, high of 56°. Sunshine returns on Monday with a high of 51°.

EXTENDED OUTLOOK:
Temperatures are expected to remain in the 50's with lows in the 30's through Thursday with no precipitation expected.

*Latest Local Forecast*

Bad News For Tennessee Snow Lovers

TWO NICE DAYS:

A beautiful, warm day across much of Tennessee as we'll see highs around 60° this afternoon. Chilly overnight with a low of 37°, but we rebound on Friday, high of 63°. The weekend will be filled with rain showers and a bit cooler with highs in the 50's and lows in the 40's. 

FEBRUARY OUTLOOK:

The next two maps are the chances of precipitation and temperatures for the month. In the first one, we see that Tennessee is projected to have above normal precipitation. In the second one, we are expected to be above normal in temperature. This is NOT GOOD if you love snow. We may have a cold spell or two, but it won't last long and trying to time the cold air with the precipitation may not happen. 

*Latest Local Forecast*

Storms Rumbling Through Cookeville

NWS radar image from Nashville, TN

Rainy Day and Night

RAIN COAT AND/OR UMBRELLA:
Expect showers and an outside chance of a thunderstorm today (Wednesday) with a high of near 60° in Cookeville, TN. Chance of rain is 70%. Tonight, showers continue with slight chance of a thunderstorm. Most of the rain will occur before midnight and we'll see a low of 47° by morning. Rain chances tonight is 60%.

THURSDAY - SUNDAY:
Thursday: Sunshine: 61° ...low 38°
Friday: Sunshine: 63° ...low 48° with showers that night
Saturday: Showers/T-storm: 60° ...low 47° with showers
Sunday: Showers possible: 55° .....low 37° with showers

*Latest Local Forecast*

JANUARY ALMANAC:
January 2011 was a wet and warm month with a shade under 5.5" of rainfall (normal is around 5") and an average daily high of 52.1°, which is 5.7° above normal but still well below the record year in 1937 when the average high was 59.2°. Our warmest day was 65.7° on January 25th while the coldest low was 14.1° recorded on January 3rd. We had 12 days in which the high exceeded 60° and 6 out of 7 of those days occurred from January 20th through January 26th, which is usually considered the coldest week of the year historically.

What does all this mean? Not much...as I've been reminded by climate scientists, 'weather isn't climate'....

I-40 rockslide closes interstate on TN-NC border

Both westbound lanes of Interstate 40 (America's east/west interstate) are closed near the 450/451 mile marker at the North Carolina/Tennessee border. Some of the rocks, according to media reports, are the size of homes. Tennessee Department of Transportation officials say the clean-up will takes 'weeks', not days nor months as was first reported.

FYI, the detour route is some 53 miles...

WBIR-Knoxville report

WBIR story of long history of I-40 rockslides