Same Story Repeated

SUNNY AND HOT:

Who is ready for some Autumn along with cool, clear nights and cool, sunny days? I know I am! Unfortunately, it isn't going to happen just yet! You can pretty much take yesterday's forecast and repeat it each day through Sunday with the only difference being that on Sunday, we'll toss in a slight (20%) chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs will be in the lower 90's and lows around 70° each morning. Winds will be mainly calm through the forecast period. 

DID YOU KNOW?:

• Yesterday (August 30th) was the first day since May 3rd that we had no severe weather across the United States. Interesting! (This according to Cory Mottice at Accu-Weather and the website Weather Nation Headlines) 

• Additionally, Philadelphia has had quite the summer with July 2011 being their hottest on record and now August is their wettest on record. That was set BEFORE Hurricane Irene roared through the so-called 'City of Brotherly Love'. They stood at 13.61" and received nearly 5" during the hurricane to finish August at 18.41"

HURRICANE IRENE AFTERMATH: 
(picture above from Buzzfeed)

• At least 41 deaths across 11 states blamed on Irene so far.  (updated 8/30 2:55pm)
• A total of 2.85 million customers still are without power (updated 8/30 2:55pm)
• In New Jersey, search and rescue teams have plucked nearly 600 people from
  homes in recent days with the most intense efforts on Tuesday
  when the Passaic River measured 13 feet (4 metres) above flood
  stage (we have youtube video of this)
• More than a dozen towns in New York and Upstate New York are cut off because roads and bridges are washed out
• 400 hundred people are stranded at Killington Ski Resort in Vermont
• Vermont began mobilizing National Guard helicopters to airlift food, water and supplies Tuesday to these small towns - (We have video of bridge repair in vermont)
• It was the worst flooding to strike Vermont in 83 years.
• Most of the state's major rivers crested Monday and the water began to recede, but the damage was already widespread, state officials said.
• Mercer and Middlesex Counties in the central part of New Jersey also hard hit with some streets under several feet of water.
• The nation’s planes, trains and buses had their first full day of near-normal service since Thursday, as most passengers stranded by Hurricane Irene slowly made their way home.
• Amtrak resumed service between New York and Boston Tuesday. Trains are still cancelled between Philadelphia and New York because of flooding. Amtrak also cancelled trains from the Northeast to cities like Miami and New Orleans.
• (courtesy: WNH) 

*Latest Local Forecast*

Cookeville's Daily Almanac

Our morning low: 71.9°

Yesterday's high: 92.4°

Yesterday's low: 57.0°

Last Year: 84° and 62°

Normal High: 86°

Normal Low: 62°

Records: 98° in 1943 and 43° in 1946

Rainfall Report

24-hour precip total: 0.00"

August monthly precip total: 1.09"

2011 annual precip total: 48.28"

3.09" of rain fell on this date in 1982

Preliminary August 2011 Stats

Normal Temps

BELOW Normal Rainfall

Sunny, Warm Days and Cool, Clear Nights

PERFECT WEATHER ON TAP:
Look for a gorgeous weather run over the next 7 days with highs (expect today) in the mid 80's and lows mainly in the lower 60's. Today will be around 90° but noticeably nicer due to lower humidity and a northerly flow. Enjoy this weather!

*Latest Local Forecast*

HURRICANE IRENE:
A hurricane warning is now in effect from the North Carolina/Virginia border all the way up to New Jersey and it includes both the Delaware Bay and Chesapeake Bay. A hurricane warning means that hurricane conditions are expected within 36 hours somewhere within the warned area. This weekend is going to be a rough one for the entire east coast. This storm could be a 'once in a 50 year' event.

*Potential Wind and Rainfall for East Coast Cities*

IRENE STATS: (4 am CDT)
420 miles SSW of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina
Sustained winds 110 mph with gusts to 130 mph
Moving north at 14 mph
Lowest Barometric Pressure is 27.82"

Last Day of Heatwave

HOT AGAIN
Temperatures are rising quickly this morning across Middle Tennessee. Already, here in Cookeville, at 7:05 am it is 78°. We expect highs to reach into the lower 90's once again. Today, however, we may see some isolated thunderstorms develop across our area with the best chances being later this afternoon. After today, skies become more clear and temperatures will tweak down a bit with highs mainly in the lower to middle 80's all the way through the first of next week.

*Latest Local Forecast*

HURRICANE IRENE UPDATE
At 7 am, Irene is packing winds of 115 mph and is marching to the northwest at 13 mph. She is located, at this hour, 65 miles ENE Nassau, Bahamas and 670 miles south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Irene is a large tropical cyclone with hurricane force winds extending outward up to 70 miles from the center with tropical storm force winds extending outward some 255 miles. The Bahamas have seen winds gust to 100 mph. The Bahamas will see rainfall between 6 and 12 inches over next 36 hours. Next advisory is due out at 10 am central time.

*National Hurricane Center webpage*

WEATHER HISTORY
On this date in 1999, Livingston (Overton County) Tennessee records it's greatest one-day total of rainfall with 5.80"

Hot Weather Returns

MORE SUMMER HEAT
We'll return to the 90's across the Upper Cumberland today. We'll call it 91° here in Cookeville under a mostly sunny sky. We're already in the lower 70's at 7:00 am (72.7°) and temps will rise quickly. Yesterday's high was 92.4°.

*Latest Irene updates from National Hurricane Center*

*Latest news updates on Hurricane Irene*

TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY
A 30% chance for storms tonight, low 70° by dawn on Thursday. Storms stay in the forecast for Thursday with a high of 90° and a low of 66° on Friday morning. Sunshine returns on Friday, high 87° with a more of a comfortable north-northwest flow.

*We hit 104° on this date back in 2007*

YOUR WEEKEND FORECAST
A sneak peak into the weekend reveals we will probably see a cooler temps and dry conditions with highs around the mid 80's Saturday and low 80's on Sunday!

*Latest Local Forecast*

REMEMBERING HURRICANE ANDREW
Today is the 19th anniversary of one of the most destructive hurricanes to strike south Florida. Hurricane Andrew made landfall near Elliott Key with winds of 165 mph. It was just the 3rd Category 5 hurricane to strike the United States (at the time). Our friends over at "The Original Weather Blog" have much more on the anniversary of Hurricane Andrew.

Cookeville's Daily Almanac

Our morning low: 66.7°

Yesterday's high: 92.4°

Yesterday's low: 58.0°

Last Year: 85° and 62°

Normal High: 87°

Normal Low: 63°

Records: 104° in 2007 and 50° in 1997

Better Late Than Never - What A Day!

I failed to push the publish button early this morning after writing the morning update. So, it is better late than never. Before get to what I didn't publish this morning, here is the latest on Hurricane Irene and the earthquake in Virginia that affected much of the east coast.

IRENE AFTERNOON UPDATE:
At the 5 pm update, Irene has maximum sustained winds of 90 mph and is still moving WNW at 9 mph. We do expect Irene to develop into a MAJOR (Category 3 or higher) hurricane by either late Wednesday or early Thursday as she churns on a more northerly track after passing the Bahamas. By 2 pm on Friday, Irene is expected to be centered due east of Jacksonville, FL and by 2 pm Saturday, we expect she'll be just south of the outer banks of North Carolina.

EAST COAST EARTHQUAKE:
Quite a quake today affecting northern Virginia and the Washington, DC area today. It occurred around 12:51 this afternoon causing evacuations of all federal buildings in our nation's capital. Some people have tried to be humorous about it. Some even joked the current administration would blame the former administration for it. Finally, I saw one person say it wouldn't be long before the quake was blamed on so-called global warming. Bottom line is that it appears most damage was minor and injuries are minor, too.


THE ORIGINAL MORNING POST:
Nice start in the 50's this morning in Cookeville. Expect this afternoon's high temps to top out around 88° under a sunny sky. Another cool overnight with lows by Wednesday morning around 62° and we'll hit 90° on Wednesday. I do expect showers to re-appear in the forecast for Wednesday night through Thursday night, but then a return to sunny skies on Friday and Saturday.

*Latest Local Forecast*

MAJOR HURRICANE EXPECTED:
Hurricane Irene has really become the big weather story. Now a Category 2, she is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane over the next 24 hours.

Cookeville's Daily Almanac
Our morning low: 58.0°
Yesterday's high: 87.2°
Yesterday's low: 64.1°
Last Year: 85° and 65°
Normal High: 87°
Normal Low: 63°
Records: 100° in 2007 and 47° in 1956

Very Nice Day Ahead

PLEASANT: 
You'll notice lower humidity levels and a more pleasant feel to today's weather compared to the past several days. Highs are expected to be around 85° with a light north wind here in Cookeville with slightly higher temperatures closer to Nashville. The first three days this week will be mostly sunny with no chance for rain. We change over to slight rain chances for the latter part of the week.

HURRICANE IRENE UPDATE:
As of the 6 am CDT update, Irene is now a hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. She is moving 14 mph to the north-northwest (NNW). The National Hurricane Center expects Irene to remain a hurricane and skirt the northern coasts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti over the next 36 hours. By Thursday morning, she should be near the Bahamian island chain and be affecting the coast of southeast Florida by Friday.


*Latest Local Forecast*

Cookeville's Daily Almanac
Our morning low: 67.5°
Yesterday's high: 89.5°
Yesterday's low: 68.0°
Last Year: 87.8° and 70.1°
Normal High: 87°
Normal Low: 63°
Records: 101° in 1983 and 46° in 1956

Rainfall Report
24-hour precip total: .25
August monthly precip total: 1.09"
2011 annual precip total: 48.28"
1.65" of rain fell on this date in 1979

Chamber of Commerce Weather Returns

NICE WEEK AHEAD:
Love this morning's temps? Get used to them for a while as we'll see lows in the 60's all week. Highs should be quite warm in the upper 80's.

*Latest Local Forecast*

HURRICANE CHANCES:
Looks like Tropical Storm Danielle is churning in the Atlantic. A great source to keep up with all things hurricanes is the National Weather Service's National Hurricane Center.

Cookeville's Daily Almanac
Yesterday's high: 87.8°
Yesterday's low: 70.1°
Normal High: 86°
Record: 100° in 2007  
Normal Low: 62°
Record: 47° in 1956
Last Year: 76° and 59°
1.20" of rain fell on this date in 1966
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Cooler Temps Ahead

Good day to work outdoors across Middle Tennessee. While some will see isolated showers, many of us will have cloudy skies and temperatures in the lower 80's this afternoon. The rain will be associated with a second frontal passage later today. The first is across our coverage area now.

Expect partly sunny skies for Sunday and cooler temperatures behind the front. Much of next week will see highs only in the 70's and lows in the 50's across much of Middle Tennessee.

*Latest Local Forecast*

**Weather History for This Date**


2005: Hurricane Katrina pushed an incredible storm surge onshore in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, killing almost 2,000 people and causing more than $80 billion in damage. It was the costliest Atlantic hurricane in history, as well as the deadliest in the United States since the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane.


2005-One of the strongest worded warnings I've ever read, is released by the National Weather Service office in New Orleans, regarding damage before Katrina strikes. Read it here....


Fun Weather Site of The Day
Want to be a 'Backyard Weather Reporter'? Today's FWSOTD is just for you!

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Great Saturday Football Weather

After day long showers on Friday, today promises to be quite nice across Middle Tennessee.  The cold front that brought us rain has moved well to our south and east.  Behind it is bright, sunny skies and much cooler temperatures.  We'll see highs in the middle 50's here on the Highland Rim of Tennessee.  Tonight will be partly cloudy and cold with lows in the 30's and then a cool Sunday on tap with highs only in the middle 40's.

*Latest, Local Forecast *

Here's the national map....

Hurricane Paloma

A late season hurricane is closing in on Cuba after skirting the Grand Cayman Islands.  Paloma is packing winds of 140+ mph and is a very dangerous hurricane.  It will threaten Cuba by Sunday and then makes it way to the Bahamas.  Paloma is moving northeast at 8 mph. 

Nat'l Hurricane Center Website 

StormCarib.com has updates from people in the Caymans..amazing stuff.

Here Comes The Rain (and Cooler Temps)

Say good-bye to those days in the 80's.  We'll see rainfall develop in eastern Middle Tennessee later today and continue this evening as highs will struggle to break 70° this afternoon.

*Lastest, Local Forecast *

Latest On Hurricane OMAR:
Omar is a major Category 3 hurricane this morning and is crossing the Leeward Islands between St. Martin and the Virgin Islands.  Glad my family got out of St. Maarten when they did!  More here on Omar

Fall Colors Arriving Quickly
Back here in Tennessee, if you love fall weather, you'll love this weekend.  Highs in the 60's and lows in the 40's...the fall colors are beginning to look nice.  Peak color is about a week to ten days away.

Sign Thief:
Finally, some idiot stole my McCain sign from my yard.  Guess the thief didn't like the whippin' Big Mac put on Obama in the debate last evening.  Funny thing is, I have a Lamar Alexander for Senate sign right next to it and that sign was untouched.  No big deal, I'll go get another one from the headquarters here.

In The Path of Omar

Received a 'panicked' call this evening from relatives in St. Maarten (pronounced Martin).  They've been watching Tropical Storm Omar and decided to evacuate.  Here is how it went:

Me:  Hello....

Relative:  Hey, have you seen the weather lately? (duh!)  
               There is a possible Cat. 2 hurricane heading  our way.  

Me:  Ok...So what would you like me to do? (figuring they wanted updates)

Relative:  We need a flight out immediately.  Not ready to die on this island!

Me:  Where would you like to go?

Relative:  I don't care, anywhere, Miami or New York

Me:  Ok, I'll check...got a flight going out tomorrow at 3-something.

Relative:  Great, I'll take it.  

Me:  Do you want to know how much?

Relative:  Heck no, I just want out of here...

And so it went, got them booked out of St. Maarten in advance of soon-to-be Hurricane Omar.  Hopefully, there are able to get out.   How they are going to get from Miami back home is a yet-to-be determined and ever evolving situation!

Funny thing is, they can see the ocean from their balcony.  It isn't so funny when you're staring at a possible Cat 2 storm and you're in, basically, a third-world country.

Just another day in the Weather Business!

Friday Weather Roundup

We start off very cool this morning across Tennessee.    At 6:15 am, several reporting stations across our fine state are reporting temperatures in the 30's.  A partial list below...

Cookeville 33°
McMinnville & Lewisburg 36°
Portland & Gallatin 39°

Today will be another sunny day as high temperatures reach 74° here in Cookeville and warmer to our west.  The Cookeville High School Cavalier football team travels to Memphis to play the Memphis University School team.  MUS, like us, is undefeated this season.  They are ranked 3rd in the state (in the private school division) while our Cavs are ranked 6th in the 5A division.  Should be an excellent game and temperatures will be around 70° at kickoff.  Go Cavaliers!

*Latest, Local Forecast *

A look back in Weather History...
On October 3, 1974...
An early autumn cold snap sends temperatures to record low values. Crossville checks in with 26 degrees. It is the 3rd of 4 consecutive daily record low temperatures. 

Our friends at the National Weather Service in Nashville keep up with many interesting things.  They provided a link to pictures of the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coasts from Hurricane Ike.  On their weather blog, which I enjoy, has a link to the USGS and it has even better pictures.

Enjoy this excellent Friday!!

A Little Rain

With no rain chances over the next seven days in our forecast this morning, what was falling from the sky tonight?  Rain, of course! :)  It has been six days since our last measurable rainfall.   I'll have a good measurement of what fell tonight at 7:00 am Sunday.

Our latest, local forecast does have a 20% chance for rain on Sunday under a cloudy sky.   The rest of the week, however, is forecasted to be dry with warm days and cool nights.

Interesting post over at AlabamaWX about Hurricane Hugo from 1989.  

Speaking of tropical weather, Invest 93 still has the potential to develop into a tropical depression.  See map below.  Click on it for a better view.

Ike Damage Reports

Hurricane Ike has left a trail of destruction along the East Texas and Western Louisiana coasts.  Ike is still a Category 1 hurricane and is located between Houston and Dallas.

11 News KHOU from Houston
Houston Chronicle Newspaper

• 3 million just in Houston with no power
• Skyscrapers are damaged with broken windows
• Reliant Center has hole in roof

Much more going on...Houston Mayor Bill White says "Stay Off The Roads"..."we need to rescue people who are in trouble and don't need people venturing out.  Stay Off The Roads"..."also, there is no indication the water supply is contaminated, however there is low water pressure.  In the meantime, use bottled water and not use tap water."  "Lastly, please inform your neighbors concerning these two important items."
(my comment...First impressions are important and my first impression of Mayor Bill White is that he is a very impressive mayor....focused, determined, measured, and no fluff)
--------------------------------------------------------
No reports just yet on injuries and deaths.

Watching Fox News and seeing quite a bit of damage with boats floating in places they shouldn't be.

Downtown Houston looks similar to a war zone or what parts of New York City looked like on 9-11-2001. Windows blown out of many buildings throughout the night.

22% of refinery operations are down.

Ike Hammering Texas Gulf Coast

HURRICANE IKE UPDATE..

• 1 am update...eyewall is just off the coast of Galveston
• 600,000 people are now without power.  Could exceed 1 million soon.
• High tide is at 3:59 am for Galveston.  Look out..could be a mess!
• From WeatherBug, over 1 million people now without power as of 1:25 am CDT
• Being told by Fox News, the stranded freighter in the Gulf is ok.  I'm sure the crew have 'tossed' their cookies.
• 2 am update:  4.5 million people without power!! WOW...

Watching Hurricane Ike strike the Gulf Coast of Texas this evening.  It is very interesting flipping between Fox News, where Geraldo Rivera is very near the seawall and Steve Herrigan, who is away from the wall in Galveston, CBS' 11 news out of Houston (on Directv 361) with their local coverage (it is excellent), and The Weather Channel HD (362) with Mike Bettis and Mike Seidel doing great work, too.

• Just In

Brennen's Restaurant, a famous landmark in downtown Houston has burned to the ground.  According to reports, their was nothing the firefighters could do. 

---------------------
Many of you are aware of the ship stranded out in the gulf.  I hope those folks are safe. Bet they are seasick.  I understand tugboats are on the way to the freighter to tow it.  They say it is a 584 foot ship with a crew of 22 men.  

All sorts of Ike information on KHOU website

Eye is nearing Galveston at 12:52 am.

Beaumont 78 mph winds
Houston-Hobby 68 mph
Houston-Bush 59 mph

My WX Box is a site with a bunch of Personal Weather Stations from the Houston area...interesting information!

Updating Ike and Our Local Forecast

Hurricane Ike is poised to strike the Texas coast near Galveston overnight Friday into Saturday morning.  Winds could reach 120 mph by landfall.  Ike is a large, dangerous storm.

Ike Links:
Wunderground Tropical
Nat'l Hurricane Center
Storm Pulse

The Houston/Galveston National Weather Service office is using strong wording concerning this storm.  With storm surge in the 20+ foot range, staying in your homes near the gulf will result in 'almost certain death'...that, my friends, is strong wording!

*Latest Galveston Forecast*

Here locally in Cookeville, Tennessee, we'll enjoy summer-like weather through the weekend.  Highs in the mid 80's with high humidity and chances of storms each day.

*Latest, Local Forecast*

Ike Lumbering Toward Texas

Hurricane Ike is out in the Gulf of Mexico, gaining strength, and moving (albeit, slowly) toward Texas.  Latest indications are he will hit somewhere between Corpus Christi and Brownsville on Saturday.

Back here locally in Cookeville, TN..our weather calls for a chance of showers today through the weekend.  Speaking of showers, we picked up .04" yesterday afternoon around 6 pm.  I drove through a heavy downpour yesterday on Interstate 40 between Cookeville and Crossville.

*Our latest, local 7-day forecast*

Something On Radar!!

I am seeing showers developing on radar this morning!!  YES....

Our latest, local forecast calls for an 80% chance for rain today.

The latest on Hurricane Ike is that he is a category one hurricane just off the southern coast of Cuba.  Packing winds of 80 mph sustained to 95 mph gusts, he is expected to move over the far western tip of the island and head back into the Gulf where the projections are for Ike to quickly grow into a possible Category 3 storm once again.  The 5-day track now takes Ike into the very southern sections of Texas just north of the Brownsville area.  I caution you to not read too much in the 5-day track as it has been changing often.

Nice Day Ahead! (Ike Morning Update)

A mostly sunny day is on tap for us here in Cookeville today with highs in the upper 80's.  

*Latest, Local Forecast*

Hurricane Ike, with winds around 105 mph, is riding along Cuba this morning.  While some of it's power has been sapped by the terrain, it remains a strong storm.   The week ahead looks very interesting and we will keep an eye on this developing event.

More information available from:
*Wunderground Tropical*
*Nat'l Hurricane Center*

Foggy Morning! (Ike Update) (Church)

Good morning!  It is the 50's this morning around the Cookeville area.  We are at 58° and thick fog is affecting much of Middle Tennessee.  Latest shot from our webcam in downtown Cookeville.

We'll see clearing by 9:30 this morning and our forecast calls for highs to reach in the middle 80's.

Moving on to Hurricane Ike...at 7 am CDT, he has winds of 135 mph (Category 4) with gusts to 160 mph and is moving to the west at 14 mph.  The lowest barometer reading was 28.01"...whereas here at home this morning, we have 30.18"...Ike is forecasted (as you see below) to move into the Gulf of Mexico.  Much, much more information at Wunderground Tropical and the NHC.

Speaking of tropical storms, I was checking CoCoRaHS rainfall totals across the country this morning where Tropical Storm Hannah raced up the east coast and found one location in Virginia (Prince William County) that recorded 9.14" in the last 24 hours!   There are many locations in that area that received over 5".

I'm headed to church this morning.  Have camera duties for the internet and TV.  You can watch the services (first one at 8:30 am CDT & second at 10:30 am CDT) on the web by going to our website for Trinity Assembly of God in Algood, TN.