Watches, Warnings & Advisories for Sunflower Co.

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Weekly Rainfall 4/21-27/13

The data below was compiled using a www.cocorahs.org rain gauge on the north side of Indianola, MS over the past week.  The gauge is read and emptied at approximately 7:00am daily, therefore the rainfall total shown each day is from the prior 24 hours starting at 7:00am.

Total rainfall for the week was 0.59".

Current total April rainfall: 7.88"

DateTimeStation NumberStation NameTotal Precip in.New Snow in.Total Snow in.StateCountyView
4/21/2013  7:00 AM  MS-SF-1  Indianola 1.1 N 0.00 0.0 NA MSSunflower View
4/22/2013  7:00 AM  MS-SF-1  Indianola 1.1 N 0.00 0.0 NA MSSunflower View
4/23/2013  7:00 AM  MS-SF-1  Indianola 1.1 N 0.00 0.0 NA MSSunflower View
4/24/2013  7:00 AM  MS-SF-1  Indianola 1.1 N 0.52 NA NA MSSunflower View
4/25/2013  6:12 AM  MS-SF-1  Indianola 1.1 N 0.07 NA NA MSSunflower View
4/26/2013  7:00 AM  MS-SF-1  Indianola 1.1 N 0.00 0.0 NA MSSunflower View
4/27/2013  7:00 AM  MS-SF-1  Indianola 1.1 N 0.00 0.0 NA MSSunflower View

Storms Possible Today 27 April 2013

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
518 AM CDT SAT APR 27 2013

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EXTREME SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS AND
PORTIONS OF MISSISSIPPI AND NORTHEAST LOUISIANA...MAINLY ALONG AND
NORTH OF INTERSTATE 20.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT FOR AREAS
MAINLY ALONG AND NORTH OF I-20. A BROAD TIME FRAME EXISTS FOR THIS
RISK AS ANY LOCATION MAY SEE MULTIPLE STORMS FROM THE AFTERNOON INTO
THE OVERNIGHT. THE MOST INTENSE STORMS MAY PRODUCE GOLF BALL SIZED
HAIL OR LARGER AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. A FEW TORNADOES WILL ALSO BE
POSSIBLE...MAINLY FOR LOCATIONS ALONG AND NORTH OF THE HIGHWAY 82
CORRIDOR.

IN ADDITION...LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE AS SOME
LOCATIONS MAY SEE MULTIPLE STORMS. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 3 INCHES
MAY OCCUR.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...
THE ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER
OPERATIONS...WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
 
This graphic illustrates the overall outlook for severe weather from the Storm Prediction Center
This graphic illustrates the probability of a tornado within 25 miles of a given point
This graphic illustrates the potential for damaging winds within 25 miles of a given point

***DO NOT USE THIS WEBSITE AS YOUR SOLE SOURCE OF WEATHER INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY WATCHES AND WARNINGS. THIS WEBSITE DELIVERS FOCUSED INFORMATION FOR A SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIC AREA AND IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE TIMELY WEATHER WARNING INFORMATION***

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Budget Cuts to affect River Gauges

I try to avoid politics in this blog, but because I post weather-related information here, I felt this was important.  It appears, from this report, that federal budget "sequester" cuts may result in some automatic river gauges to be shut down.  Really?  Taking an option to cut funding for a piece of equipment used to monitor river stages, from which flood warnings are generated, is an illustration of irresponsible management practices.  Certainly, there are maintenance costs as well as fees for the satellite data feeds, but aren't there other, less critical areas that could be cut?  This is akin to a family not replacing the batteries in a smoke alarm to save money. 

You can click the link in the paragraph above for the full article.  Here's a snippet:
More than 100 crucial gauges that warn of imminent flooding or lack of needed water will soon be shut down, as part of the federal government's automatic budget cuts.

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Weekly Rainfall 4/14-20/13

The data below was compiled using a www.cocorahs.org rain gauge on the north side of Indianola, MS over the past week.  The gauge is read and emptied at approximately 7:00am daily, therefore the rainfall total shown each day is from the prior 24 hours starting at 7:00am.

Total rainfall for the week was 2.61".

Current total April rainfall: 7.29"

Normal April rainfall: 5.16", the current monthly total is 141% of normal.  Additionally, this week's rainfall puts us at 51% of our normal annual rainfall.  Current year-to-date is 27.68", and the 30-year average annual total is 54.03".

Date TimeStation NumberStation NameTotal Precip in.New Snow in.Total Snow in.StateCountyView
4/14/2013  7:00 AM  MS-SF-1  Indianola 1.1 N 0.00 0.0 NA MSSunflower View
4/15/2013  7:00 AM  MS-SF-1  Indianola 1.1 N 0.00 0.0 NA MSSunflower View
4/16/2013  7:00 AM  MS-SF-1  Indianola 1.1 N T NA NA MSSunflower View
4/17/2013  6:20 AM  MS-SF-1  Indianola 1.1 N 0.00 0.0 NA MSSunflower View
4/18/2013  7:00 AM  MS-SF-1  Indianola 1.1 N 0.00 0.0 NA MSSunflower View
4/19/2013  7:00 AM  MS-SF-1  Indianola 1.1 N 2.61 NA NA MSSunflower View
4/20/2013  7:00 AM  MS-SF-1  Indianola 1.1 N 0.00 0.0 NA MSSunflower View

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Storms Thursday, April 18, 2013


HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
305 PM CDT WED APR 17 2013

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL
PORTIONS OF MISSISSIPPI...PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST LOUISIANA AND EXTREME
SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND THURSDAY

AN OUTBREAK OF SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED THURSDAY AFTERNOON AS A
POTENT SQUALL LINE AND POTENTIAL SEVERE STORMS AHEAD OF THE LINE
MOVE INTO A UNSTABLE AND SHEARED AIR MASS THAT WILL BE IN PLACE OVER
THE ARKLAMISS DELTA. THE LIKELIHOOD OF HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS HIGH AND
SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF
DAMAGING WINDS FROM 60 TO 80 MPH...AND TORNADOES. THE POSSIBILITY OF
AT LEAST A FEW STRONG TORNADOES EXISTS. THE TIME FRAME FOR SEVERE
WEATHER HAZARDS WILL BE FROM 4PM TO 9PM

IN ADDITION...WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAINFALL IS EXPECTED DURING THIS SAME
TIME FRAME FROM THE ADVANCING SQUALL LINE. RAINFALL RATES COULD BE
HIGH ENOUGH TO RESULT IN FLASH FLOODING IN A FEW LOCATIONS WITH A
QUICK INCH TO INCH AND A HALF IN A VERY SHORT TIME FRAME. SMALL
CREEKS...STREAMS AND LOW LYING AREAS CAN EXPECT RISES IN WATER
LEVELS.

STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENTS WILL ALSO PRODUCE WINDY AND GUSTY
CONDITIONS ACROSS THE AREA DURING THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON
HOURS AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING SQUALL LINE. EXPECT SUSTAINED WINDS
FROM THE SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST AROUND 20 TO 30 MPH WITH OCCASIONAL TO
FREQUENT GUSTS RANGING FROM 35 TO 45 MPH.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...
THE ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER
OPERATIONS...WILL BE NEEDED TOMORROW AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING.
 

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

I can't call you...

Earlier today, fellow amateur radio operator and blogger Steve, K9ZW, posted this entry on his blog site: Sudden Radio Silence in High Risk Situations.  Click the link, give it a read, then come back for the rest of my entry here.

Reading Steve's article brought to mind the notion that we all need multiple pathways or means of communication.  We may never know whether or not the Boston-area cellular service was intentionally shut down for safety, or if it was simply overloaded.  Based on personal experience, I'm subscribing to the idea of a system overload.  Telephone systems can handle a certain number of simultaneous service requests.  Your local phone system is designed using a mathematical formula that estimates a percentage of all subscribers using the system at the same time.  In other words, there may be 100,000 phones in a system, but it may be designed to only carry 10,000 conversations at once.  Consider how many hours a day your phone goes unused, and you'll understand why systems aren't designed for 100% loads.  Cellular systems are designed in the same way, based on an estimated number of subscriber requests.  It has been postulated that even if you can't get a voice channel on  your cellular phone, you can get a text message out.  This is true, but you may suffer a delay.  Depending on your phone, your text may attempt a number of transmissions, then time out with a fail-to-send message.  If you're not checking your phone, the message will be waiting for you to re-send it.

The military utilizes the mnemonic of P.A.C.E or Primary, Alternate, Contingency, Emergency when formulating communications plans.

Your PRIMARY means of communicating with your family may be via cell phone.  For example, "I'll call you when I get to the hotel."  We all use some system, each and every day, and it works under normal conditions.  This is our Primary.  But what if your battery is dead, or cell service is out?

That's when we need to have an ALTERNATE plan.  Our alternate would accomplish the same goal, but with little impact to our routine.  If the cell phone won't work when you get to the hotel as in our example, the Alternate would be to place a call from the land-line in your room.  At most, we may be inconvenienced by having to find a pay phone, or ask to borrow a phone, but we can make the call without much trouble.  In a perfect world, your Primary and Alternate could be interchanged at any time.

But what if both of those aren't available?  Now we've got to think ahead.  Your CONTINGENCY method would accomplish the task within an acceptable time frame.  It may not be important that we call home as soon as we get to the hotel.  But our family would like to know we made it there safely, say within an hour or two's time of expected arrival.  For most of us, this is where it gets complicated, because all we have is our cell and the hotel's land-line.  Sometimes, it's easier to get a call into an area than it is to place an out-bound call.  Perhaps your Contingency plan involved leaving the hotel phone number with your family for them to call, if they haven't heard from you by a certain time.  Whatever the case, the Contingency plan involves laying the groundwork well before its needed.

Beyond all those, what would be your EMERGENCY plan?  Amateur radio if its available? (yes, that was a shameless plug!  If you're not licensed, you can still dictate a short message to an amateur radio operator, who will send it out.)  Hand-written note via messenger?  Messenger may sound extreme, but it may not be out of the question.  At this point, anything may be fair game.  Most of us don't like to give it much thought, but it is certainly worth your consideration, especially when traveling.

The thousands in Boston this week experienced a communications system failure.  Not because the system was damaged, but because it was overloaded.  Cellular systems can be, and have been, overloaded by high-attendance parades and sporting events.  If you've been to a major parade, major college game, or race, you may have experienced delays in getting calls and messages on your cellular phone, solely due to the increased system demand.  If you add a layer of  crisis, whether from a bombing as we saw this week, or from a sudden thunderstorm or tornado causing damage and injuries, the system demand grows exponentially. 

How do you call home and let your loved ones know you're OK?  Have you thought about alternatives?  How much of a time delay is acceptable to you and  your family?

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Weekly Rainfall 4/7/13 - 4/13/13

The data below was compiled using a www.cocorahs.org rain gauge on the north side of Indianola, MS over the past week.  The gauge is read and emptied at approximately 7:00am daily, therefore the rainfall total shown each day is from the prior 24 hours starting at 7:00am.

Total rainfall for the week was 3.55".

Current total April rainfall: 4.68"

Normal April rainfall: 5.16", currently at 91% of normal
Date TimeStation NumberStation NameTotal Precip in.New Snow in.Total Snow in.StateCountyView
4/7/2013  7:00 AM  MS-SF-1  Indianola 1.1 N  0.00 0.0 NA MSSunflower  View
4/8/2013  7:00 AM  MS-SF-1  Indianola 1.1 N  0.00 0.0 NA MSSunflower  View
4/9/2013  6:30 AM  MS-SF-1  Indianola 1.1 N  0.01 NA NA MSSunflower  View
4/10/2013  6:30 AM  MS-SF-1  Indianola 1.1 N  T NA NA MSSunflower  View
4/11/2013  7:00 AM  MS-SF-1  Indianola 1.1 N  2.36 NA NA MSSunflower  View
4/12/2013  7:00 AM  MS-SF-1  Indianola 1.1 N  1.18 NA NA MSSunflower  View
4/13/2013  7:00 AM  MS-SF-1  Indianola 1.1 N  0.00 0.0 NA MSSunflower  View

We're looking for volunteer observers to participate in the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network!  You can join the network by visiting www.cocorahs.org for information on how to join, and where you can purchase a CoCoRaHS gauge.  Many counties in Mississippi have no observers at all, so if  you routinely measure and record rainfall totals, please consider becoming a CoCoRaHS volunteer.  If your county already has observers, your data is still useful to the National Weather Service, emergency management, and a host of community organizations.  Click here for an article previously published on this website concerning the need for CoCoRaHS volunteers.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Rainfall Review 4/11/13

Here's a look at rainfall totals for the NWS Jackson Office's service area, for the 24-hour period between 7am Wednesday, 4/10 and 7am Thursday, 4/11/13

Totals shown in black are from Cooperative Observer stations; blue are CoCoRaHS observers; red is NWS Official Stations.

The report below details observations from CoCoRaHS stations for the same period.

COCORAHS PRECIPITATION SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
943 AM CDT THU APR 11 2013

COCORAHS PRECIPITATION REPORTS
THESE REPORTS ARE CONSIDERED SUPPLEMENTAL AND UNOFFICIAL
VALUES ARE FOR THE PREVIOUS 24 HOURS ENDING AROUND 7 AM LOCAL TIME

.B JAN 0411 C DH07/PP/SF/SD/SW
:
:COCORAHS PRECIPITATION REPORTS IN CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI
:
:                                               SNOW   SNOW  WATER
:                                        PCPN   FALL  DEPTH  EQUIV
:
MSBV02  : DUNCAN 0.1 NNW           *   : 3.21 /  MM /   MM /   MM
MSGD06  : GRENADA 6.2 W            *   : 2.70 /  MM /   MM /   MM
MSSF01  : INDIANOLA 1.1 N          *   : 2.36 /  MM /   MM /   MM
MSWR03  : VICKSBURG 17.0 NW        *   : 1.74 /  MM /   MM /   MM
MSGD03  : GRENADA 2.5 SSE          *   : 1.51 /  MM /   MM /   MM
MSGD01  : GRENADA 1.2 S            *   : 1.48 /  MM /   MM /   MM
MSWS01  : LELAND 3.3 ENE           *   : 1.39 /  MM /   MM /   MM
MSWR01  : VICKSBURG 2.2 NE         *   : 0.82 /  MM /   MM /   MM
MSWR02  : VICKSBURG 1.7 SSW        *   : 0.66 /  MM /   MM /   MM
MSCR01  : VAIDEN 4.8 WNW           *   : 0.44 /  MM /   MM /   MM
MSWR08  : VICKSBURG 6.9 NE         *   : 0.35 /  MM /   MM /   MM
MSWR07  : VICKSBURG 12.3 S         *   : 0.30 /  MM /   MM /   MM
MSAD01  : NATCHEZ 8.8 S            *   : 0.20 /  MM /   MM /   MM
MSAD04  : NATCHEZ 9.1 ESE          *   : 0.09 /  MM /   MM /   MM
MSCP03  : HAZLEHURST 0.8 WSW       *   : 0.03 /  MM /   MM /   MM
MSRN33  : FLORENCE 1.0 WSW         *   : 0.03 /  MM /   MM /   MM
MSLD01  : MERIDIAN 3.2 NW          *   : 0.01 / 0.0 /  0.0 / 0.00
MSJN01  : MOSELLE 3.7 W            *   : 0.01 /  MM /   MM /   MM
MSLM02  : HATTIESBURG 8.0 WSW      *   : 0.01 /  MM /   MM /   MM
MSRN07  : RICHLAND 0.3 WSW         *   : 0.01 /  MM /   MM /   MM
MSRN29  : BRANDON 2.1 ESE          *   : 0.01 /  MM /   MM /   MM
MSCP04  : HAZLEHURST 0.7 N         *   :    T /  MM /   MM /   MM
MSMD01  : RIDGELAND 1.1 S          *   :    T /  MM /   MM /   MM
MSOK21  : STARKVILLE 3.2 E         *   :    T /  MM /   MM /   MM
MSRN01  : BRANDON 2.6 NNE          *   :    T /  MM /   MM /   MM
MSRN02  : FLOWOOD 2.9 NE           *   :    T /  MM /   MM /   MM
MSRN13  : BRANDON 4.7 NNE          *   :    T /  MM /   MM /   MM
MSCT02  : ACKERMAN 4.9 W           *   : 0.00 / 0.0 /   MM /   MM
MSFR01  : HATTIESBURG 0.7 NNW      *   : 0.00 / 0.0 /   MM /   MM
MSFR09  : HATTIESBURG 7.3 N        *   : 0.00 / 0.0 /   MM /   MM
MSHD13  : JACKSON 5.8 NE           *   : 0.00 / 0.0 /   MM /   MM
MSHD17  : CLINTON 2.1 SW           *   : 0.00 / 0.0 /   MM /   MM
MSHD24  : JACKSON 2.8 ENE          *   : 0.00 / 0.0 /   MM /   MM
MSHD25  : RAYMOND 2.7 E            *   : 0.00 / 0.0 /   MM /   MM
MSKM01  : DE KALB 4.3 S            *   : 0.00 / 0.0 /   MM /   MM
MSKM02  : DE KALB 3.3 W            *   : 0.00 / 0.0 /   MM /   MM
MSKM04  : SCOOBA 0.2 SSW           *   : 0.00 / 0.0 /   MM /   MM
MSLD06  : MERIDIAN 7.7 NNW         *   : 0.00 / 0.0 /   MM /   MM
MSLD15  : MERIDIAN 14.1 SE         *   : 0.00 / 0.0 /   MM /   MM
MSMD07  : MADISON 5.6 WNW          *   : 0.00 / 0.0 /   MM /   MM
MSMD10  : FLORA 2.3 S              *   : 0.00 / 0.0 /   MM /   MM
MSMD16  : RIDGELAND 1.8 W          *   : 0.00 / 0.0 /   MM /   MM
MSMD17  : FLORA 3.2 N              *   : 0.00 / 0.0 /   MM /   MM
MSNS02  : PHILADELPHIA 4.5 SW      *   : 0.00 / 0.0 /   MM /   MM
MSNS04  : PHILADELPHIA 5.4 E       *   : 0.00 / 0.0 /   MM /   MM
MSNS05  : PHILADELPHIA 2.5 N       *   : 0.00 / 0.0 /   MM /   MM
MSNS06  : PHILADELPHIA 8.2 SSE     *   : 0.00 / 0.0 /   MM /   MM
MSOK04  : STARKVILLE 2.7 WSW       *   : 0.00 / 0.0 /   MM /   MM
MSOK06  : STARKVILLE 5.3 S         *   : 0.00 / 0.0 /   MM /   MM
MSOK14  : STARKVILLE 6.3 SSE       *   : 0.00 / 0.0 /   MM /   MM
MSOK16  : STARKVILLE 2.0 SSE       *   : 0.00 / 0.0 /   MM /   MM
MSOK17  : STARKVILLE 1.3 NE        *   : 0.00 / 0.0 /   MM /   MM
:
:COCORAHS PRECIPITATION REPORTS IN NORTHEAST LOUISIANA
:
:                                               SNOW   SNOW  WATER
:                                        PCPN   FALL  DEPTH  EQUIV
:
LAWC01  : PIONEER 0.3 WSW          *   : 2.57 /  MM /   MM /   MM
LAMR02  : BASTROP 1.0 SSE          *   : 2.39 /  MM /   MM /   MM
LAEC01  : LAKE PROVIDENCE 0.8 ESE  *   : 0.78 /  MM /   MM /   MM
LACN02  : FERRIDAY 1.1 NNW         *   : 0.74 /  MM /   MM /   MM
:
:COCORAHS PRECIPITATION REPORTS IN SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS
:
:                                               SNOW   SNOW  WATER
:                                        PCPN   FALL  DEPTH  EQUIV
:
ARAS01  : CROSSETT 2.5 NNE         *   : 2.60 /  MM /   MM /   MM
:
.END

$$

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Storm outlook for tonight 4/10/13

Here's the latest information concerning the potential for severe weather tonight.

Generally, expect to see storm development start late this afternoon or early evening.  Counties in the Delta area should see storms between 8pm and 2am (generally west of Interstate 55).  Counties further east should see storms move through between 1am-7am, and counties in the far eastern side of the state between 7am and 12pm tomorrow.

All modes of severe weather are possible, including damaging winds, tornadoes, and hail.  Heavy rainfall is expected, with 2-4" possible across the area, and locally higher amounts may be possible as storms track slowly over some locations.  A Flash Flood Watch is in effect through Thursday morning.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
535 AM CDT WED APR 10 2013

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL
MISSISSIPPI...NORTHEAST LOUISIANA...AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING...

A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE REGION WILL PRODUCE GUSTY
WINDS ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. EXPECT SUSTAINED WINDS FROM THE SOUTH
SOUTHEAST FROM 20 TO 30 MPH WITH OCCASIONAL TO FREQUENT GUSTS RANGING
FROM 30 TO 40 MPH AND A WIND ADVISORY IS IN AFFECT. THIS WILL CAUSE
HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES AS WELL AS
VEHICLES TRAVELING ON WEST TO EAST ORIENTED ROADS.

WIDESPREAD SEVERE STORMS ARE EXPECTED EARLY THIS EVENING INTO
THURSDAY MORNING AS A LINE OF STORMS MOVES EAST INTO AND ACROSS THE
OUTLOOK AREA AND COMBINES WITH THE WARM MOIST UNSTABLE AND SHEARED
AIR MASS OVER THE REGION. FORECAST MODELS CONTINUE TO DEPICT A
VOLATILE ENVIRONMENT OVER THE OUTLOOK AREA SUPPORTIVE OF SEVERE
STORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS TO AT LEAST 60 MPH...
LARGE HAIL TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS...AND POSSIBLY TORNADOES DURING
THIS TIME. PLEASE CONTINUE TO STAY TUNED FOR THE LATEST UPDATES AND
MORE SPECIFICS AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE REGARDING THIS SEVERE WEATHER
POTENTIAL THIS EVENING INTO THURSDAY MORNING.

IN ADDITION...WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAINFALL IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE
OUTLOOK AREA. 2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAINFALL WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS
ARE POSSIBLE FOR AREAS ALONG AND NORTHWEST OF THE NATCHEZ TRACE
CORRIDOR WITH 1 TO 2 INCH AMOUNTS ELSEWHERE. INTENSE RAINFALL RATES
COULD RESULT IN LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING IN SOME LOCATIONS.
ALSO...SOME SMALL CREEKS...AREA RIVERS AND LOW LYING AREAS COULD
EXPERIENCE RISES IN WATER LEVELS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY...

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...THE ACTIVATION OF STORM
SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
PERSONNEL IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS MAY BE NEEDED
EARLY THIS EVENING INTO THURSDAY MORNING.
 

The map below shows anticipated rainfall for the 48-hour period between 7am Wednesday and 7am Friday

***DO NOT USE THIS WEBSITE AS YOUR SOLE SOURCE OF WEATHER INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY WATCHES AND WARNINGS. THIS WEBSITE DELIVERS FOCUSED INFORMATION FOR A SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIC AREA AND IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE TIMELY WEATHER WARNING INFORMATION***

Monday, April 8, 2013

Update on Wednesday Storm Chances

A high pressure area is currently dominating our weather, bringing warm and humid southerly winds into the area, which will contribute to our storm chances on Wednesday.  Forecasters expect breezy conditions to continue Tuesday, becoming more gusty Wednesday.  Highs each day will be in the mid-80's, with lows in the upper 50's to lower 60's, with some overnight clouds.  A Wind Advisory is likely for Tuesday, and almost assured for Wednesday.

Severe weather and heavy rainfall will be the focus for Wednesday night into Thursday morning.  A warm, moist, and unstable airmass will build ahead of an approaching cold front.  This instability will set the stage for severe thunderstorms capable of damaging winds, a few tornadoes and large hail.

A few discreet supercell storms may move through, or develop over, the Delta area and other locations along and near the Mississippi River just ahead of the cold front.  While this development is not assured, the potential does exist.  A squall line is expected to develop along the front and sweep through the state as the front passes during the night.  With the loss of daytime heating, the severe potential may be less for the eastern portion of the state. 

We'll likely see heavy rainfall in the Delta, with 1 to 2 inches possible across the area, with locally higher amounts possible.  The maps below indicate rainfall forecasts as of Monday evening.  The first map shows rainfall forecast from 7pm Tuesday to 7pm Wednesday.  The second shows the forecast from 7pm Wednesday to 7pm Thursday.


***DO NOT USE THIS WEBSITE AS YOUR SOLE SOURCE OF WEATHER INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY WATCHES AND WARNINGS. THIS WEBSITE DELIVERS FOCUSED INFORMATION FOR A SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIC AREA AND IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE TIMELY WEATHER WARNING INFORMATION***

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Storms expected mid-week

Forecasters and computer models are expecting a round of severe weather for Mississippi this Wednesday into early Thursday.  The developing weather system will bring the risk of damaging winds, tornadoes, and hail.  Additionally, heavy rainfall may be likely across much of the area, with current models indicating generally 2" across western Mississippi, with locally higher amounts likely.  We'll have more specific information each day this week as we get closer to Wednesday.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
258 PM CDT SUN APR 7 2013

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI...
NORTHEAST LOUISIANA...AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND MONDAY

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

A DEVELOPING STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL PRODUCE WINDY CONDITIONS
ACROSS THE AREA FOR BOTH MONDAY AND TUESDAY AFTERNOONS. EXPECT
SUSTAINED SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH
ON MONDAY...WITH SLIGHTLY HIGHER WINDS EXPECTED ON TUESDAY WHEN A FEW
GUSTS MAY APPROACH 45 MPH. THE STRONGEST WINDS ON BOTH DAYS WILL BE
LOCATED ACROSS THE NORTHWEST DELTA REGION.

WIDESPREAD SEVERE STORMS ARE EXPECTED FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
INTO EARLY THURSDAY AS A POWERFUL STORM SYSTEM IMPACTS THE AREA.
FORECAST MODELS INDICATE A VOLATILE ENVIRONMENT SUPPORTIVE OF
LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND TORNADOES WILL BE IN PLACE.
ALTHOUGH UNCERTAINTY IN EXACT TIMING OF THIS EVENT EXISTS...
CONFIDENCE IN SEVERE WEATHER OCCURRING IS HIGH. EVERYONE IS URGED
TO STAY TUNED TO FUTURE FORECASTS AND OUTLOOKS CONCERNING THIS
POTENTIAL SEVERE WEATHER EVENT.

IN ADDITION...HEAVY RAIN IS POSSIBLE WITH THIS SYSTEM AND
FLOODING COULD BECOME AN ISSUE.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... THE ACTIVATION OF STORM
SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
PERSONNEL IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS...WILL LIKELY
BE NEEDED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THURSDAY.
 




***DO NOT USE THIS WEBSITE AS YOUR SOLE SOURCE OF WEATHER INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY WATCHES AND WARNINGS. THIS WEBSITE DELIVERS FOCUSED INFORMATION FOR A SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIC AREA AND IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE TIMELY WEATHER WARNING INFORMATION***

More Space Station Viewing this week 4/7-4/13/13

Here's a round-up of opportunities to see the International Space Station this week.  Provided there's good weather, the listings below should offer you a good, bright view as it passes over Mississippi.  Please note the times are in 24-hour format.  19h = 7pm, 20h = 8pm, 21h = 9pm.  Relative brightness is expressed as a negative number, with -4.0mag being very bright, -2.0 being less bright.  All passes listed are visible, but from one pass to another you'll notice variations in brightness due to the space station's position relative to the sun from your viewing point.  Also, these times are for the Mississippi Delta area.  Your specific viewing time may vary from a few seconds to one minute difference than those listed if you're not near the Delta area.

The best opportunities will be Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, with Tuesday's pass being the brightest this week.

SUNDAY:
Appears      19h36m01s   0.0mag  az:199.2° SSW  horizon
at Meridian  19h38m46s  -1.6mag  az:180.0° S    h:12.5°
Culmination  19h41m03s  -2.9mag  az:129.4° SE   h:23.5°
 distance: 903.6km  height above Earth: 410.7km  elevation of Sun: -4°  angular velocity: 0.51°/s
Disappears   19h46m04s  -0.8mag  az: 59.8° ENE  horizon


Appears      21h12m28s   1.0mag  az:251.3° WSW  horizon
Culmination  21h17m34s  -1.4mag  az:323.6° NW   h:25.2°
 distance: 859.5km  height above Earth: 410.7km  elevation of Sun: -23°  angular velocity: 0.53°/s
at Meridian  21h18m52s  -1.6mag  az:  0.0° N    h:19.7°
Disappears   21h19m21s  -1.5mag  az:  9.3° N    h:16.3°
 


MONDAY:
Appears      20h21m51s   0.9mag  az:237.2° WSW  horizon
Culmination  20h27m10s  -2.7mag  az:319.2° NW   h:47.0°
 distance: 548.3km  height above Earth: 411.1km  elevation of Sun: -13°  angular velocity: 0.83°/s
at Meridian  20h27m53s  -2.9mag  az:  0.0° N    h:38.6°
Disappears   20h32m09s  -0.6mag  az: 40.7° NE   h:1.6°



TUESDAY:
Appears      19h31m29s   0.7mag  az:223.0° SW   horizon
at Meridian  19h36m42s  -4.0mag  az:180.0° S    h:77.1°
Culmination  19h36m51s  -4.1mag  az:135.2° SE   h:80.8°
 distance: 416.5km  height above Earth: 411.4km  elevation of Sun: -2°  angular velocity: 1.10°/s
Disappears   19h42m13s  -0.7mag  az: 47.6° NE   horizon


THURSDAY:
Appears      19h27m32s   1.7mag  az:245.5° WSW  horizon
Culmination  19h32m45s  -1.6mag  az:321.7° NW   h:31.9°
 distance: 726.5km  height above Earth: 412.2km  elevation of Sun: -1°  angular velocity: 0.63°/s
at Meridian  19h33m51s  -2.1mag  az:  0.0° N    h:25.2°
Disappears   19h37m58s  -0.6mag  az: 38.2° NE   horizon


Saturday, April 6, 2013

International Space Station visible 4/6/2013

The International Space Station will be visible from Mississippi tonight, April 6, 2013, around 8:30pm Central Daylight Time.

It should appear in the South-Southwest about 8:25pm, then at its highest point in the Southeast at 8:31pm, then disappear in the Northeast at 8:33pm.  It should be very bright at its highest point, slightly brighter than the planet Venus.  If you have a scanner, program 145.825 MHz and you may hear amateur radio data transmissions from the Space Station.

Please note your viewing time may vary from a few seconds to a minute plus or minus the indicated times, depending on your observation location.

The times below are valid for observers in the west Mississippi Delta:

Appears      20h25m56s   0.2mag  az:214.4° SW   horizon
Culmination  20h31m14s  -4.0mag  az:133.0° SE   h:49.5°
 distance: 528.0km  height above Earth: 410.3km  elevation of Sun: -14°
Disappears   20h33m16s  -2.6mag  az: 64.0° ENE  h:19.6°

Weekly Rainfall 3/31-4/6/2013

We're looking for volunteer observers to participate in the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network!  You can join the network by visiting www.cocorahs.org for information on how to join, and where you can purchase a CoCoRaHS gauge.  Many counties in Mississippi have no observers at all, so if  you routinely measure and record rainfall totals, please consider becoming a CoCoRaHS volunteer.  If your county already has observers, your data is still useful to the National Weather Service, emergency management, and a host of community organizations.  Click here for an article previously published on this website concerning the need for CoCoRaHS volunteers.

The data below was compiled using a www.cocorahs.org rain gauge on the north side of Indianola, MS over the past week.  The gauge is read and emptied at approximately 7:00am daily, therefore the rainfall total shown each day is from the prior 24 hours starting at 7:00am.

Total rainfall for the week was 2.02".

Current total April rainfall: 1.13" (0.89" was recorded on March 31, thus the variation in week and month-to-date total).

DateTimeStation NumberStation NameTotal Precip in.New Snow in.Total Snow in.StateCountyView
3/31/2013  7:00 AM  MS-SF-1  Indianola 1.1 N  0.89 NA NA MSSunflower  View
4/1/2013  7:00 AM  MS-SF-1  Indianola 1.1 N  0.33 NA NA MSSunflower  View
4/2/2013  7:00 AM  MS-SF-1  Indianola 1.1 N  0.00 0.0 NA MSSunflower  View
4/3/2013  7:00 AM  MS-SF-1  Indianola 1.1 N  0.06 NA NA MSSunflower  View
4/4/2013  7:00 AM  MS-SF-1  Indianola 1.1 N  0.63 NA NA MSSunflower  View
4/5/2013  7:00 AM  MS-SF-1  Indianola 1.1 N  0.11 NA NA MSSunflower  View
4/6/2013  7:00 AM  MS-SF-1  Indianola 1.1 N  0.00 0.0 NA MSSunflower  View

Monday, April 1, 2013

Send a Message...

Would you rather send birthday cards instead of an email or social media birthday greeting?  Perhaps a note to congratulate a graduate, baseball champions, or new parents?  What about a quick note of thanks?

Increasing postage rates (now $0.46 for 1st Class Mail, $0.33 for postcards) take the nostalgia out of old-fashioned mail service, when Facebook and other social media, along with email, are free and instantaneous. 

But what about another alternative that offers some of the simplicity of mail or telegrams, but at the same price (free!) of email or instant messages?  Would you take advantage of that?

Amateur radio operators across the country send and receive messages just like we described.  They do it as a free service, too!  A simple, twenty-five-word telegram-like message, called a "Radiogram" can be drafted and sent to your friends or loved ones.  Amateur operators offer the service as a means to maintain proficiency in communications skills that are vital for use in disaster communications.  Generally, messages can be relayed across the continental United States in one to two days, passing from one amateur operator to another, until they reach their final destination.  While it's slow than electronic communications, it's faster than the US Mail in most cases, and above all, it's completely free to you.

If you'd like to bring a smile to your friend's face with an old-style radiogram, K5JAW offers two ways for you to draft and send a Radiogram.  First, you can click the "Send a Radiogram" button in the bar at the top of the blog page, or you can click this link to reach the same page.   Fill in all the required information, then scroll down and hit "Submit" only once.  K5JAW will be notified and will send your message at the earliest possible convenience.  Alternatively, you can send an email to jim (at) k5jaw dot com.  Please include the name, address, and phone number of the message recipient, your name and contact information (phone and/or email), and the short message you'd like to send.  There is a 25-word limit, and punctuation (periods, question marks, etc) count as a word.  K5JAW will format the message properly, and reserves the right to truncate parts of the message without changing the overall meaning, so that it will fit the proper format.  If that is not possible, we'll contact you to work out a better message plan.

If your message is time sensitive (birthdays, etc), please send it to us several days in advance, so that there will be adequate time for it to be delivered.

We've received great feedback from Radiogram recipients.  Many were surprised the service even existed.  Most all enjoyed the quaint aspect of the service as well.  Give it a try!