Beautiful Snow

Residents across much of middle TN were glad to finally see some snow. Of the measurements in right now, a station just southwest of Monterey is the leader with 2.3". It was an unexpected day off for teachers and students for local schools due to icy road conditions.

Current morning temperatures are in the teens around the Cookeville area with wind chills as low as the single digits. If you're sending the kids out to play, dress them up appropriately.

We'll make it up to only 27° today with skies eventually becoming sunny. Increasing clouds tonight with a low of 21° by daybreak.

A complicated forecast for Saturday with snow likely before lunch and rain likely in the afternoon. A high near 37°. We expect accumulations in the one-half to 1" range before changing to rain. Saturday night's forecast is for the rain to switch back to snow with no additional accumulation and a low of 28°. Sunny on Sunday with a high of 40°.

*Latest Local Forecast*

Fourteen confirmed tornadoes on Wednesday across Middle TN

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Tornado was EF2 for Jackson, Putnam Overton

The tornado survey report has been released for the twister that damaged areas in Jackson, Putnam, and Overton Counties. I have notified the National Weather Service's Nashville office to let them know of the spelling mistake in the report. 

EF2 Tornado Report-Weather Forecast Office, Nashville, TN

Tennessean article about Dodson Branch tornado (with 33 pictures)

Herald-Citizen article about Dodson Branch worst hit (with 12 pictures)

Herald-Citizen article about Putnam County

UC Daily News (Cleanup Article) with photos
UC Daily News (Damage Reports) with photos

*Latest Local Forecast*

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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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Cleaning Up Today

At least 128 people are dead in Alabama due to tornadoes and 173 people have died across the south. Today will be a day of clean-up and assessment by National Weather Service on each tornado touchdown. The Tuscaloosa tornado may be rated as either an EF-4 or EF-5. The photo above is from al.com

The Morning After post from AlabamaWX.com (a MUST read)

Another must see is the video from ABC's 33/40 station in Tuscaloosa/Birmingham. They are the best in weather coverage in the deep south.

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Remembering the May 2010 Tennessee Flood is a detailed an incredible look at this powerful event.

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Today, across the Upper Cumberland, should be cloudy with sprinkles this morning. They will give way to cloudy skies and eventually we should become mostly sunny with highs in the upper 60's. Tonight, cool and foggy by morning, low 48° and Friday should be nice with a high of 72°. We're thinking 80° by Saturday!

-Our Upper Cumberland Forecast-

*Latest Local Forecast*

Cookeville's Daily Almanac

24-hour precip total: 4.23"

48-hour precip total: 5.34"

April precip total: 12.75" (Record is 8.91 from 1920)

2011 precip total: 30.13"

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Breezy and Warm Monday

A very nice day ahead for the Upper Cumberland region of middle TN. Highs should reach well into the 70's this Monday afternoon with some locations touching 80°.

Storm chances start Monday night (slight at 20%) and continue all the way through Wednesday night.

We expect Tuesday highs to be in the 80's for everyone. It'll stay in the 70's through Easter Sunday.

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*Latest Local Forecast*

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A stunning number of tornadoes on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. At least 241 have been confirmed. This was an historic outbreak according to AccuWeather.com

The storms savage the southeast US according to Yahoo.com

CNN says "More than 40 have been killed"

Death toll in North Carolina is at least 22

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Hot Again With Possible Storms

HEAVY RAIN POSSIBLE:
Watch for big storms today in some locations as we'll see highs around 90°. The remnants of Tropical Storm Bonnie continue to affect our area. With very little in the way of upper level winds, many of these storms will move very slowly causing some locations to have flooding-type conditions. Heat Index readings will push 100° once again.

NASHVILLE TORNADO:
An apparent weak tornado spun up around 7 pm last evening in the north Nashville area. One tractor-trailer was overturned and as many as 15 homes were damaged in the Brick Church Pike area. The Nashville office of the National Weather Service will be out this morning surveying damage to determine just what happened.

*Latest Local Forecast* 

Cookeville's Daily Almanac
Yesterday's high: 92.2°
Yesterday's low: 74.7°
Normal High: 88°
Record: 101° in 1930  
Normal Low: 65°
Record: 53° in 1962
Last Year: 81° and 65°
3.23" of rain fell on this date in 1984
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Confirmed Tornado in Warren County, TN

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
305 PM CDT WED SEP 9 2009

...NWS CONFIRMS EF-0 TORNADO DAMAGE IN WARREN COUNTY FROM SEPTEMBER
7TH STORM...

A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GROUND SURVEY TODAY CONCLUDED THAT AN
EF-0 TORNADO OCCURRED AROUND 657 PM CDT MONDAY IN WARREN COUNTY
TENNESSEE. THE TORNADO TRAVELED IN A NORTH TO SOUTH PATH FROM JUST
WEST OF HIGHWAY 70 AND LAWS ROAD AND ENDING 1/2 MILES SOUTH. THE
TORNADO DAMAGED A PATH THAT WAS 1/2 MILES LONG AND 50 YARDS WIDE.

SEVERAL TREES WERE EITHER SNAPPED OFF OR UPROOTED. A COUPLE OF HOMES
SUSTAINED SOME PEELING OF METAL ROOFS.

BASED ON THE DAMAGE...WINDS WERE ESTIMATED AROUND 85 MPH WHICH
CORRESPONDS TO A HIGH END EF-0 ON THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE.

NWS NASHVILLE THANKS WARREN COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
DIRECTOR PERCY PHIFER FOR HIS ASSISTANCE DURING THIS SURVEY.


SUMMARY...

STRENGTH...EF-0
PATH LENGTH...1/2 MILES
WIDTH...50 YARDS
TOUCHDOWN TIME...657 PM CDT


MICHAEL DAVIS
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY OFFICER
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE


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Cloudy Tuesday, Sunny Wednesday

*Tuesday Morning Notes*
We wake-up on this Tuesday morning with an overcast day ahead.  I had 1.23" of rain in my CoCoRaHS rain gauge.  This brings our April total to 5.09"...our highs are only expected to reach the middle 50's today. Sunshine is expected to return on Wednesday and we won't see any strong weather for the next few days.

*Latest, Local Forecast*

Weather History for This Date
1922-An F2 tornado strikes Wilson and Smith counties, injuring 8 people near New Middleton.

Cookeville's Daily Almanac
Normal High: 66° (Record: 83° in 2006)
Normal Low: 44° (Record: 24° in 1962)
Last Year's high was 44°, low was 36°
Sunrise: 6:08 a.m.
Sunset: 7:13 p.m.

*TORNADO SURVEYS*
The NWS-NASHVILLE has the latest Good Friday tornado surveys online from Murfreesboro, just east of Cookeville in Putnam County, along with Sumner, Houston, Humpheries, Benton, and Cumberland Counties   Included are more than 200 photographs.