Myths of Winter Weather

As part of this Winter Weather Awareness Week, I thought I’d display some common myths about winter conditions. Winter is a great time to stay inside by the fire, but as you know – we do have to venture outdoors during the winter months. Therefore, I will discuss a few things that you want to keep in mind – that you may not have known!

The first thing pertains to winter weather deaths. Many people believe that the main cause of death in the winter season is due to the extreme cold. Actually, the main cause of many deaths in the winter season is due to traffic accidents in the harsh conditions and right below that is deaths related to heart attacks from shoveling snow.  In winter storm conditions, stay off the roads as much as possible. It will save your life – and make life easier for snow removal crews and emergency vehicles who may have to venture out in the storm for business. Secondly, try to purchase a hefty snow removal apparatus for your home so that you don’t have to shovel the snow – especially when it piles up!

Secondly, when you’re driving in snowy or icy conditions, many people think it’s better to put on the breaks quickly to allow the car to stop quicker. However, in these hazardous conditions it is best to apply the brakes on your car slowly and just a little at a time. Give yourself plenty of space when driving on snow-covered or icy roads – or better yet; stay off!!!

Many people don’t realize the hidden dangers of winter. Remember that prolonged exposure to the cold leads to frostbite and hypothermia. Pay attention to the temperature that meteorologists refer to as the wind chill. This value is not the actual air temperature, but refers to how cold it actually feels outside – given the cloud cover and wind speed. Also, another leading cause of winter-related deaths is due to house fires from space heaters and fireplaces. On the blogroll, I have a link to the National Weather Service page for winter weather safety. Please consult this often for tips on how to stay safe this winter season. Keep it here for all of your winter weather news updates.

Winter Weather Awareness Week

Believe it or not, the 2009-2010 Winter season is just about upon us! The National Weather Service in Cleveland has designated this week, November 15 – 21 as Winter Weather Awareness Week! I will take the opportunity to post my Winter Weather Terminology page as a tab on the homepage, which will be accessible through March. This page is your one-stop shop for all of Youngstown’s winter weather information. I have posted all of the terms I will be using throughout the winter. Also, if Mahoning County is under any winter weather alerts, it will be posted under this winter weather page.

Even though it is only the middle of November, it is important to start remembering your winter weather safety tips. Winter weather is very dangerous and often deadly. I will have posts throughout this awareness week regarding safety and statistical information about the winter season. Remember, all throughout the Winter season here in the Mahoning Valley, keep it tuned to Youngstown WeatherWATCH – your Winter Weather Authority!!!!!!

Not AS Nice…

Sunday won’t be as nice as your Saturday was, but it should still be a very good end to your weekend. We will have mostly cloudy skies with temperatures around 58 degrees, with an outside chance of a few sprinkles. The majority of the upcoming workweek should be nice as well.

East Coast Nightmare

The remnants of the former Hurricane Ida have merged with a frontal system and created a nightmare for folks along the Atlantic Coast from New England to the Carolinas. This has been one of the worst Nor’easters we have seen for quite some time. Many places such as the Outer Banks, NC and Virginia Beach, VA have had winds of category 1 hurricane strength and deadly waves and flooding. Virginia has been declared a state of emergency.

For us here in Youngstown, we will see no rain or wind from this or any storm systems for quite some time. Our stretch of dry weather should continue all weekend, with only the chance of a few sprinkles on Sunday. Friday we will see highs in the middle 50s, but expect those numbers to increase into the low 60s for Saturday and Sunday, under partly cloudy to sunny skies!!!

The Landfall of Tropical Storm Ida

Ida has weakened today and will make landfall overnight as a strong tropical storm. A lot of the storm’s rain is onshore, displaced from the actual center of the storm which is still not inland. The center will probably come ashore around 2 am on the Mississippi and Alabama Gulf Coasts. Winds along the coasts have been gusting upwards of 50 mph, while waves have been breaking at 15 to 20 feet. As Ida moves onshore, it will become connected with another area of low pressure and a cold front, creating a mess of a system for the eastern United States.

The First of the Season!

Just about 3 weeks from the close of Hurricane Season 2009, we will more than likely have our first landfalling hurricane in the United States in over a year. Hurricane Ida is located around 400 miles south-southeast of the Mississippi River and is chugging through the Gulf of Mexico at 14 mph. A hurricane warning is in effect for the US mainland from Pascagoula, MS to Indian Pass, FL. Ida is a category two hurricane with winds of 105 mph. However, As the upper level wind shear increases over the storm, and it begins to feel the effects of another area of low pressure as well as a cold front approaching from the north, Ida will weaken – but should remain a hurricane through landfall. Thereafter, Ida should transition into an extra-tropical cyclone as it merges with the other systems. Heavy rain will be the main threat across the southeastern United States, but where the storm comes ashore we can see winds of hurricane force, storm surge of 3 to 6 feet and a few isolated tornadoes. Landfall should be sometime late Monday into Tuesday. Keep it here and to the National Hurricane Center for the latest. I have a link straight to the Hurricane IDA information on my blogroll.  If Ida does make landfall as a hurricane, it would be only the 5th hurricane to make landfall in the United States in the month of November since 1900.

Ida Regains Hurricane Strength

After making landfall in Central America and then re-emerging into the Caribbean late Friday, Ida is now between Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula as a Category One Hurricane with winds of 90 mph. Ida has about 24 hours to continue strengthening before encountering wind shear in the central and northern Gulf of Mexico. A full update will be available later Sunday as the path becomes more certain. At this time, people from Louisiana to the west coast of Florida should monitor Ida’s progress.

Ida Weakening

Hurricane Ida is now a tropical depression, located inland over Nicaragua and Honduras – dumping heavy rain and producing flooding across the poor countries. The center of the tropical depression should move northwestward and re-emerge over the northwestern Caribbean Sea late Friday or early Saturday. Thereafter it could restrengthen a bit – but the upper level environment won’t favor too much strengthening. We will have to see what Ida looks like tomorrow as it emerges before we see how much it can develop. In the meantime, Ida will continue to produce heavy rainfall over the mountains of Central America.

SURPRISE!!!

Just when we thought hurricane season 2009 was over, we have a hurricane out in the Caribbean Sea this morning! Hurricane Ida strengthened from a tropical storm earlier this morning and has made landfall near Tasbapauni, Nicaragua – in Central America as a category one hurricane with winds of 75 mph. Over the next 36 hours or so, the center of Ida should weaken as it tracks over the mountainous terrain of Honduras and Nicaragua. People there should brace for very heavy rains and potentially life threatening mudslides. If Ida survives the next 36 hours or so over land, then it would emerge over the Caribbean Sea and perhaps into the Gulf of Mexico. We will keep you updated on the latest developments on Ida.