Frost Advisory

Only one week into the Fall season, and we’re already tracking towards Winter. Tonight’s lows will be down into the middle 30s and therefore, we have been hoisted under a Frost Advisory in effect from 2 til 9am Thursday.  We will warm up, but will remain below normal as highs only get to around 63. However, this is still warmer than today’s 53!

New Depression…Same Story

A tropical depression, this year’s eighth, formed over the far eastern Atlantic today. However, the depression will suffer the same fate as the storms of this pathetic hurricane season have all summer long. While maintaining a decent amount of thunderstorm activity tonight, the depression may strengthen enough to become Tropical Storm Grace (would be the 7th named tropical system of the season), but is expected to weaken thereafter as strong shear is forecast.

Boring Week

The weather news of most excitement this week was that we changed seasons! Other than that, it has been a boring, rather cloudy week with very little sunshine, but also very little precipitation. The tropics, for being the climatological peak of the season, have been silent since Hurricane Fred dissipated two weeks ago. For your Friday, we should see some sun return, but don’t expect the heat as we probably will only make it to about 70 degrees. Another shot at some rain may come Saturday, so enjoy Friday!!!

Last Summer Weekend

With the beginning of Fall on Tuesday at 5:19pm, this will be our last “official” weekend of the Summer season. It will definitely feel like the end of summer as we will have partly cloudy skies overhead for Saturday with high temperatures around 73 degrees. Sunday will be a little warmer with about a 30-40% chance of thunderstorms. A greater chance of rain is expected as we head late Sunday into Monday as a warm front progresses into the region. Enjoy Saturday and the last few days of Summer 2009.

Still Great

The weather for the next 2 days here in the Mahoning Valley will be just great as we head into our last full week of Summer. Fall starts next Tuesday, but later this week it will surely feel like fall. But for your Tuesday, partly cloudy skies and temperatures around 80 degrees will be on the menu. Get out and ENJOY it if you can.

Fred Dying

Tropical systems need two main things to grow in intensity – warm sea surface temperatures and a moist relaxed upper-level environment – are now non-existant in the Atlantic Ocean around the area where Hurricane Fred is currently located. Fred, a category one 80 mph storm, is now about 740 miles west-northwest of the Cape Verde Islands, is in a dry environment with upper-level shear and only moderately warm sea surface temperatures. Fred is expected to move little but weaken to a tropical storm over the weekend. It will remain well away from any land masses. Fred will probably weaken to a depression and remnant low as well and its remnants should drift westward through the Atlantic next week. It would then be monitored for signs of regeneration, but for now Fred will be no worry.

Damp Start…Great Finish

This weekend will be characterized by great weather! However, we will have to get past one hump…Friday. While not an all day washout, we will see the possibility of some off and on rain showers. Even if we stay fairly dry, don’t expect to see too much in the way of sunshine until Saturday and Sunday. Temperatures Saturday and Sunday will be in the middle to upper 70s – fairly close to average as we head into the final weeks of the summer season.

Lingering Low

An upper level low pressure system located over central Ohio has been allowing us to see some off and on rain showers over the past 24 hours. Wednesday will be the same thing as the low won’t move too much. We will have about a 50% chance of seeing some scattered showers throughout the day as temperatures make it into the middle 70s.

Second Hurricane of the Year

Only 24 hours after becoming a named storm, Fred has quickly become the second hurricane of the 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season. As of 11pm Tuesday, Hurricane Bill was located about 445 miles west-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands with winds of 75 mph. This makes Fred a category one hurricane. Further strengthening is expected through late tomorrow, until the wind shear that has caused the demise of many storms this season, will put Fred to its demise more than likely this weekend. Fred will move northwest and eventually northward through the open waters and will be no threat to any land masses.

The Season Lives On…..

Thursday is the climatological peak of the hurricane season, or the one day of the year that, on average, has the highest probability of seeing an active tropical cyclone. And even though this year has been very void of tropical activity, I believe we will have a storm on Thursday. Tonight, Tropical Storm Fred has been named in the far eastern Atlantic. As of 11pm, Fred was located about 245 miles south-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands with winds of 40 mph. Fred actually will have a decent upper-level environment for strengthening over the next several days, and could become a hurricane. The good news is that Fred will more than likely be picked up by a trough across the central Atlantic and not even make it close to any land areas.