Weather-wise | Making daily sense of our August weather in northeast Ohio
Every weekday, we give you an in-depth look at the weather conditions that affect northern Ohio.
WKYC
Welcome to our August northeast Ohio weather blog that will give you a look at our weather highlights every weekday evening and is written by WKYC Weather Content Producer Frank Macek. Please email your weather related questions to fmacek@wkyc.com.
August 29, 2019 Today's Update
Thursday Evening Weather Update:
Football fans are in store for a great night for some football at FirstEnergy Stadium as the Browns play the Lions at 7:30 p.m. Skies will be mostly clear with temperatures in the low to mid 70s at the start of the game.
I think by the end of the game, we'll start seeing high clouds move into the Cleveland area, but conditions will remain dry through 11 p.m.
Some high school football games kick off the season tonight. Here's the latest forecast from the Channel 3 Weather Center:
On the latest weather analysis from the National Weather Service office in Cleveland, a weak cold front will approach northwestern Ohio later tonight and will move southeast through the area by late Friday morning. Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms will accompany the front.
High pressure will then temporarily build in before a series of weak disturbances brings along precipitation chances Saturday night through Monday.
Here's your short term forecast from the Channel 3 Weather team:
TONIGHT | Clouds increase with rain chance by morning. A bit more humid. | Mid 60s
FRIDAY | Morning rain chances, otherwise partly cloudy. | Upper 70s
Hurricane Dorian Update:
All meteorological eyes are on Hurricane Dorian this evening as the category one storm is expected to go as high a category four storm when it hits Florida late Sunday or early Monday.
Some of the computer models, then show the storm moving partly across Florida, turning north and then hugging the East Coast for several days. This would be a worse case scenario that could be flooding and storm surge to large areas.
As of the 5 p.m. National Hurricane Center update, Dorian is 330 miles east of the southeastern Bahamas moving to the northwest at 13 m.p.h. Maximum sustained winds are 85 m.p.h.
The forecast continues to show the storm moving through the Bahamas and hitting the east coast of Florida. By 2 p.m. Tuesay, the center of the hurricane will be over the Central Florida peninsula as a category one storm.
Here are some useful resources if you have interests in Florida including a live 24/7 blog from our sister station, WLTV-TV, in Jacksonville.
Weather Instruments: The Anemometer
Today, let's talk about the device that we use to measure the wind.
Forecasters use an anemometer to take measurements of how fast the wind is moving at a given location. This instrument is a a common weather station tool whose name is derived from the Greek word anemos, which means wind, and is used to describe any wind speed instrument used in meteorology, according to Wikipedia.
The most common type of anemometer uses cups that capture the wind as blows past the device and causes the cups to spin.
This motion is sensed by a magnetic or optical sensor in the device that converts the signal to a feet per minute measurement. This is, in turn, further calculated as miles per hour that you see featured in our daily weather reports.
The inventor of the anemometer is Leon Battista Alberti who built the first device in 1450 as a mechnical unit. Alberti was an Italian Renaissance humanist author, artist, architect, poet, priest, linguist, philosopher and cryptographer.
Later in 1664, Robert Hooke who was an English philosopher, architect and polymath, re-invented the anemometer and is often mistakenly cited as the original inventor.
The other part of wind measurement often associated with the anemometer is the wind vane. The piece is often attached on or near at the wind cups. The "tail" of the vane catches the wind and spins the pointer into the direction the wind is headed.
Top 3 Weather Headlines:
Here are the top three stories trending on wkyc.com/weather this evening:
August 28, 2019 Today's Update
Wednesday Evening Weather Update:
We deserved some sunshine today and we got it across northeast Ohio on this Hump Day.
Temperatures this afternoon are generally in the mid to upper 70s with fair conditions being reported at nearly every major weather station in Ohio.
Dewpoints are in the low 50s meaning a cool night is in store for us overnight. I expect overnight low in the mid to upper 50s.
A Beach Hazards Statement remains in effect for the lakeshore through late tonight. A high swimming risk from waves and dangerous currents will continue with our gusty west to northwest winds.
On the latest weather map, the National Weather Service says high pressure will build east across the region Wednesday through Thursday night. A weak cold front will settle south through the area Thursday night into Friday before high pressure builds east across the Great Lakes through the weekend.
Here's your short term forecast from the Channel 3 Weather Team:
THIS EVENING | Partly cloudy to mostly sunny, comfy. | Upper 70s
THURSDAY | Sunny. | Upper 70s
Name That Cloud Type Answer:
Yesterday, we asked you to "Name That Cloud Type."
Your clue was: "These clouds generally thicken and usually appear thickest towards the direction from which they first appeared. The clouds often lie in parallel bands and may be in one or more layers."
The answer: Altocumulus. These clouds gradually spreads from one part of the horizon, often passing overhead, and may eventually reach the opposite horizon.
Congratulations if you got this one correct. We'll have any "Name That Cloud Type" opportunity next week.
Hurricane Dorian Update:
Dorian has become a category one hurricane this afternoon as it nears St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Observations from St. Thomas are already reporting hurricane force winds on the island of up to 75 mph.
The hurricane is on a northwest course at 13 m.p.h. with a minimum central pressure of 29.44 inches or 997 millibars.
Here's the latest on the watches and warnings issued by the National Hurricane Center in Florida:
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for... * Vieques and Culebra * U.S. Virgin Islands * British Virgin Islands
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for... * Puerto Rico
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for... * Puerto Rico
WKYC Meteorologist Michael Estime has the 5 p.m. update on Hurricane Dorian:
The forecast is not looking good for the Bahamas and Florida as forecasters are now saying the storm has the potential to be a category 3 storm by the time it reaches the east central coast of Florida by 8 a.m. Monday morning.
Your Wednesday Weather Questions:
Time for some of your weather questions. Don't forget, you and can post them on our WKYC Weather Warriors Facebook Page or on twitter @wkycweather
Question 1: I see Hurricane Dorian is headed towards Florida, should I cancel my vacation plans to Disney World?
At this point, the track of Hurricane Dorian takes the storm into the central part of Florida as a category 2 storm. This means winds could be up to 110 m.p.h. or enough to cause moderate damage.
Because the forecast track does change from day to day, I would suggest continuing to monitor the latest forecast. Check with your airline if you are flying to see if you can rebook or change your plans as we near the weekend.
Hopefully your vacation won't be ruined.
Question 2: Where do I find the daily high and low from last Sunday?
The National Weather Service maintains a valuable website where you can find past weather information for the Cleveland area or any of the major reporting stations in northern Ohio our local office servces.
You can search for the Daily Climate Report, Preliminary Monthly Climate Data, Record Event Record, Monthly Weather Summary, Regional Summary and the Seasonal Climate Report.
Question 3: How many thunderstorms occur on earth each year?
At any given time, there are hundreds of thunderstorms rumbling across the planet. This tallies up to about 16 million thunderstorms per year according to National Weather Service records.
And don't forget, "When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors."
Thanks for your questions. Please don't forget to send us yours!
Top September 2019 Astronomy Events:
From the changing season to 'False Dawn,' here are some of the top astronomy events to mark down on your September 2019 calendar. Our friends at AccuWeather have a look at what you'll see in the heavens above next month. Enjoy!
Check out these top 3 weather stories onwkyc.com/weather
August 27, 2019 Today's Update
Tuesday Evening Weather Update:
Skies are mostly cloudy across northeast Ohio this evening, but we are almost out of the gloom. A cold front will continue moving west to east across the area and once that has passed, skies will begin to clear.
By sunset, we should see the clouds breaking up in the Cleveland area.
On the latest weather map, a cold front will move east through the area this evening as strong low pressure across western Ontario moves north to Hudson Bay.
High pressure will build east across the region Wednesday through Thursday night. A weak cold front will settle south through the area Thursday night into Friday before high pressure builds east across the Great Lakes through the weekend.
Here's your short term forecast from the Channel 3 Weather team:
THIS EVENING | Mostly cloudy with a few showers and thunderstorms, becoming partly cloudy later. | Temperatures holding in the low 70s.
WEDNESDAY | Partly cloudy, cooler, comfy. | Upper 70s
Name That Cloud Type:
Let's play name that cloud type.
Here's your clue: These clouds generally thicken and usually appear thickest towards the direction from which they first appeared. The clouds often lie in parallel bands and may be in one or more layers.
If you know the answer, jot it down and we'll post the answer tomorrow here on our weather blog.
Tropical Weather Update:
Tropical Storm Dorian is currently 80 miles west of Dominica or about 330 miles southeast of Ponce, Puerto Rico, with maximum sustained winds of 50 m.p.h. this evening,
The current forecast has the storm remaining below hurricane strength, but on a course towards Florida by 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon as a strong tropical storm.
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for... * Puerto Rico * Dominican Republic from Isla Saona to Samana
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for... * Puerto Rico * Vieques * Culebra * U.S. Virgin Islands * Dominican Republic from Isla Saona to Samana
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for... * Dominican Republic from Isla Saona to Punta Palenque * Dominican Republic from Samana to Puerto Plata
Meanwhile, Tropical Depression Six is still forecast to become a Tropical Storm, as Erin, off the east coast of the United States by Wednesday afternoon. The system is expected to remain offshore and not affect the East Coast directly, but winds and waves will be on the increase along the coastline.
This system will then weaken by Thursday and eventually fade away as it enters colder waters off eastern Canada.
There are currently no coastal watches or warnings in effect.
Today's Top 3 Weather Stories:
Here's a look at the top 3 weather stories trending on wkyc.com this evening:
August 26, 2019 Today's Update
Weekend Weather Review:
How refreshing our weekend was across northern Ohio. Temperatures felt more like early fall than late summer. The last time we saw a high temperature of just 74 degrees before Saturday was June 20th when we saw a high of just 70 degrees.
Overnight lows were in the 50s early Sunday morning that made for great sleeping weather with the windows open.
Here's a look at our weekend highs and lows across northern Ohio including...
Cleveland: 74/62 (Sat), 79/58 (Sun)
Akron/Canton: 76/56 (Sat), 78/54 (Sun)
Mansfield: 75/54 (Sat), 76/55 (Sun)
Youngstown: 72/53 (Sat), 73/52 (Sun)
Toledo: 75/55 (Sat), 80/54 (Sun)
Monday Evening Weather Update:
A large area of rain is moving into the Cleveland area this evening. The rain is ahead of a warm front moving into the area. No severe weather is expected, just a nice rain to water your lawns and rinse off the deck.
On the latest weather map, according to the National Weather Service in Cleveland, a warm front will lift north across the area tonight as low pressure tracks east across Ontario.
The low will deepen and track to Hudson Bay Tuesday into Wednesday, forcing a cold front east across the area. A secondary trough will move east through the Great Lakes on Wednesday. High pressure will build northeast across the region Wednesday night through Thursday night.
Here's your short term forecast from the Channel 3 Weather Team...
TONIGHT| Clouding up with shower chances moving in. Breezy. | 60s
TUESDAY | Mostly cloudy with a few showers and thunderstorms. | Around 80
Tracking the Tropics:
Tropical Storm Dorian is churning through the Caribbean this afternoon. As of 5 p.m. EDT, the storm is 60 miles southeast of Barbados or 165 miles east, southeast of St. Lucia moving to the west, northwest at 14 mph with sustained winds of 60 m.p.h. The system is forecast to become a Category 1 storm in the next 24 hours.
Here is a summary of watches and warnings currently in effect on Monday evening:
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for... * St. Lucia
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for... * Barbados * Martinique * St. Lucia * St. Vincent and the Grenadines
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for... * Dominica * Grenada and its dependencies * Saba and St. Eustatius * Puerto Rico
*A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area, in this case, within the next 24 hours.
*A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within 36 hours.
*A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, generally within 48 hours.
Interests in the Virgin Islands and Hispaniola should monitor the progress of Dorian as watches for these areas could be required tonight or Tuesday.
Also today, a new tropical depression has formed midway between Bermuda and the United States about 295 miles east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The system is forecast to become a tropical storm later tonight or Tuesday, but is not expected to affect any land over the next 3 to 4 days.
This storm will be named "Erin."
Monday's Cool Weather Site of the Day:
On Mondays, I am going to share with you some of the useful weather sites we use here at the WKYC Studios that are public and available for you to enjoy as a service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service (NWS).
With several tropics systems we are monitoring tonight, let's take a look at the National Hurricane Center's website: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is the division of the United States' National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting tropical weather systems between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian westpoleward to the 30th parallel north in the northeast Pacific Ocean and the 31st parallel north in the northern Atlantic Ocean, according to Wikipedia.
The National Hurricane Center is situated on the campus of Florida International University in University Park, Florida.
The website offers advisories, watch and warning information regarding tropical weather. The home page allows you to view systems being monitored in the Atlantic Ocean, the Eastern North Pacific and the Central Pacific.
You can also view satellite images, projected forecast paths and wind projections. The site also features plenty of safety tips, like getting ready for a hurricane, and other useful resources related to tropical weather.
Give the site a view: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov
Other stories you may be interested in this evening on wkyc.com/weather:
August 23, 2019 Today's Update
Friday Evening Weather Update:
All is quiet over northern Ohio this evening as we get set to head into the weekend. Any significant cloud cover is located over southern Ohio this evening, but all areas are dry this evening.
You'll notice temperatures are cooler and the air is a little drier today thanks to cool Canadian air bringing a touch of fall to northeast Ohio. We could even see some waterspouts form over Lake Erie this evening.
Cleveland's high today through 5 p.m. is 75 degrees. That is about five degrees cooler than normal for August 23. Tonight's low will tumble to 57 degrees making for great sleeping weather with the windows open and the air conditioners in the off position.
On this evening's weather map according to the National Weather Service, high pressure centered near Lake Superior will drift eastward across Ontario through Saturday reaching northern New England by Sunday.
A cold front will approach the region Monday night into Tuesday.
Here's your weekend forecast from the Channel 3 Weather team:
SATURDAY | Lake effect shower possible early, otherwise partly to mostly sunny and continued refreshing. | Mid 70s
SUNDAY | Partly cloudy and a tad warmer. | Near 80
Severe Weather Increase in 2019:
This next topic caught my eye earlier this week and I wanted to share with you.
2019 has seen a remarkable increase in the number of severe weather events across our area this year according to the National Weather Service in Cleveland which oversees the Channel 3 viewing area of northeast Ohio and a small part of northwest Pennsylvania.
Their meteorologists tell us they have issued more than 200 severe thunderstorm warnings this year. The last time the area saw this many was in 2013.
Some other stats the Weather Service gave us comparing 2019 to the past 10 years in the number of severe thunderstorm warnings issues (first graphic) and severe weather reports received (second graphic).
Boating/Swimming Conditions for the Weekend:
If you plan on being out on Lake Erie, the National Weather Service has a small craft advisory in effect until through Saturday morning from the Islands to Geneva-On-the-Lake.
Northeast winds of 5 to 10 knots this evening will increase to 15 to 20 knots tonight. We also have a chance of waterspouts this evening with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms overnight.
Waves building to 3 to 5 feet tonight.
The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District is reporting conditions as "good" at both Edgewater Beach and Villa Angela Beach for swimming on Friday and that trend should continue into the weekend for those heading to those beaches.
However beware of the high wind and waves which may cause rip currents to form and become dangerous to swimmers.
No advisories for algal blooms have been issued for the Cleveland area. Most of the toxic algae continues west, mainly in the western basin of Lake Erie and Sandusky Bay.
Before you head to the beach, go to https://www.neorsd.org/beaches-and-water-quality/ for the latest water quality updates at the beaches.
Here are the current lake water temperatures on Friday, August 23, 2019:
Lake Erie Algae Bloom Update:
The Microcystis cyanobacteria bloom continues in the western basin of Lake Erie. Recent satellite imagery (8/21) shows the bloom extends from Maumee Bay north along the Michigan coast, past Brest Bay, and alongshore Pointe Mouillee State Game Reserve.
The bloom spreads east along the Ohio coast to the Marblehead Peninsula; and offshore through the Bass Islands, northeast to Point Pelee. Observed conditions (8/19-21) promoted scum formation near Maumee Bay and bloom transport to the Ontario Coast.
Measured toxin concentrations have increased since last week, exceeding the recreational threshold where the bloom is most dense (appearing green from a boat), corresponding with areas of orange and red pixels.
Keep pets and yourself out of the water in areas where scum is forming. The persistent cyanobacteria bloom in Sandusky Bay continues.
No other blooms are present in Lake Erie.
Here's a look at Lake Erie from the Modis satellite showing the current view from space.
Have a great weekend and we'll catch you back here on Monday for the WKYC Weather Blog!
August 22, 2019 Today's Update
Thursday Evening Weather Update:
What a beautiful way to end a summer day in Cleveland from the Channel 3 CSU Cam. Watch live anytime: CSU CAM
Skies are mostly cloudy northern Ohio this afternoon as a cold front is draped through the center of the state where a band of showers and thunderstorms run from north of Dayton to just south of Youngstown.
With the front passing, much cooler air will begin to work in this evening. This will be some of the coolest temperatures we've seen in quite a while.
A large area of high pressure will build south into the Great Lakes region Friday through the weekend. The high will shift east into New England on Monday. A cold front will move east through the region on Tuesday.
Here's your short term from the Channel 3 Weather team...
TODAY | Considerable cloudiness with a few showers and storms. Turning drier late. | Low to mid 70s
FRIDAY | Becoming mostly sunny and noticeably less humid. | Mid 70s
Ohio Drought Monitor:
On the latest Ohio drought monitor issued for today for data on August 20, 2019, a large area of unusually dry weather exists over southwest Ohio. This area has expanded from 5% to 13% of Ohio.
Also, two small pockets exist in a few southern Ohio counties.
The good news is 87% of Ohio has yet to see any drought conditions this summer.
Your Weather Questions:
Time for some of your weather questions. Don't forget, you and can post them on our WKYC Weather Warriors Facebook Page or on twitter @wkycweather
Question 1: What causes lightning?
Lightning is produced in thunderstorms when rain drops and ice particles above the freezing level in the atmosphere collide. This collusion then builds up large electrical fields in the clouds. At some point, a giant "spark" occurs and the charge is released in the form of the lightning you see.
There are different kinds of lightning sparks including in between clouds, between the cloud and air or between the cloud and ground.
Question 2: What is a cold front?
A cold front is one three types of fronts we have to deal with with. The others are warm front and stationary front.
When a cold front approaches it means the air is colder behind the front than at your current location. The cold air then begins to push under the warm air and showers and thunderstorms form.
Cold fronts are always associated with low pressure centers and can often be proceeded by a warm front that does the exact opposite.
Question 3: Which has higher winds: tornadoes or hurricanes?
Tornadoes. Hurricanes can have high winds over a larger area, but tornadoes are tightly wound areas of low pressure and can be two or three times as strong as hurricanes.
Thanks for your questions. Please don't forget to send us yours!
August 21, 2019 Today's Update
Wednesday Evening Weather Update:
Plenty of puffy, cumulus clouds across northern Ohio this afternoon with weather radar showing some showers and thunderstorms popping up across the area, mainly east of the city of Cleveland.
While most areas will remain dry, we can't rule out a shower now and then just about anywhere this evening.
Our Wednesday evening update from our friends at the National Weather Service in Cleveland says a cold front will move across the area overnight through Thursday morning.
This is a fairly significant front and will bring much cooler air to the region over the next several days. There will also be chances for scattered showers and thunderstorms through the period until the front pushes south of the area Thursday afternoon.
Here's your short term forecast from the Channel 3 Weather Team:
TONIGHT | Increasing clouds with a few showers and storms. | Mid 60s
THURSDAY | Considerable cloudiness with a few showers and storms. Turning drier late. | Low to mid 70s
Astronomical vs. Meteorological Fall:
We are just 10 days away from the start of meteorological fall here in northern Ohio. What, you say?
You hear our weather forecasters talk about the start of a meteorological season and we get tons of questions every time. Today, I'll explain what it means so you'll never be confused again. (I hope!)
For record keeping purposes, meteorologists groups our seasons by entire months to make it easier to calculate long term trends. Thus, "meteorological spring" is March 1st to May 31st; "meteorological summer" is June 1st to August 31st; "meteorological fall" is September 1st to November 30th; and "meteorological winter" is December 1st to February 28th (or 29th during leap years).
On the other hand, astronomical seasons are the actual times of the year based on the position of the sun and earth that define equal periods of day and night or the longest and shortest days of the year. These are called equinoxes and solstices.
In 2019, the astronomical seasons occur on the following dates:
Spring Equinox: March 20th at 5:58 pm EDT
Summer Solstice: June 21st at 11:54 am EDT
Fall Equinox: September 23rd at 3:50 am EDT
Winter Solstice: December 21st at 11:29 pm EST
So over the next couple of weeks, keep in mind meteorological fall begins September 1st, but astronomical fall begins September 23rd.
Now you know.
Tracking the Tropics:
We have a couple of areas of tropical development to talk about this afternoon. One is Tropical Storm Chantal in the central North Atlantic and we have a Tropical Depression called Ten-E off the coast of Mexico.
Chantal developed late last night. The National Hurricane Center says Chantal is a storm going nowhere fast. In fact, the system is going to stay away from any land mass through this weekend.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Chantal was located 455 miles south of Cape Race Newfoundland with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. The forecast is calling for turn to the southeast on Thursday, then south on Friday. Where is goes after that point is anyone's guess as the prevailing winds are not strong right now in this area.
In the Pacific, Tropical Depression became Tropical Storm Ivo as of 5 p.m. EDT and is located 490 miles off the southern tip of Baja California. The storm is moving toward the west-northwest near 20 (31 km/h) according to the National Hurricane Center.
A turn to the northwest along with a decrease in forward speed is expected by Thursday. At the present time, there is no impact to land except for higher surf along the west coast of Mexico. However, the storm will parallel the Mexican coast into the weekend as it heads north, northwest.
The storm is expected to now become a hurricane by Friday.
August 20, 2019 Today's Update
Tuesday Evening Weather Update:
Things are beginning to fire up across northern Ohio this evening as part of a storm system moving through the area tonight. Several severe thunderstorm warnings have already been issued for counties including Lorain, Erie, Ashland, Richland, Erie, Ottawa and Sandusky in our local Channel 3 viewing area.
WKYC Meteorologist Michael Estime has the latest on what's happening this evening...
All of Ohio is under the threat of some kind of severe weather through midnight. A "marginal" risk (in darker green) is for northeast Ohio while southwest Ohio is under a "slight" risk according to the National Storm Predication Center.
On the latest weather map, the National Weather Service says a cold front will move southeast across the local area Wednesday evening. A ridge of high pressure will build southeast across the area Thursday. High pressure will be centered over the local area Friday night. Below average temperatures are expected for the end of the week and weekend.
Here's your 24 hour forecast from the Channel 3 Weather Team:
TONIGHT | Scattered pop up showers and storms. | Low 70s
WEDNESDAY | Few showers and t'storms, otherwise partly cloudy. | Upper 80s
August Precipitation to Date:
Yesterday, we talked about August this month compared to normal. Today we'll talk about our precipitation totals. The areas right along the lakeshore are running above normal, while inland cities have seen less rain than normal.
Cleveland: +.52 inches
Akron/Canton: -1.21 inches
Mansfield: -1.65 inches
Youngstown: +1.32 inches
Toledo: +2.15 inches
Severe Thunderstorm Watch vs. Warning:
Today, let's talk about the difference between a severe thunderstorm watch and a severe thunderstorm warning. You should know the difference when they are issued. A watch means pay attention. A warning needs you to take immediate action.
The best rule of thumb is "When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors!"
The Days Get Shorter:
Unfortunately, we are losing plenty of daylight now as the days are getting shorter. In fact, northern Ohio loses between two and three minutes of daylight each day in August. Over the course of the month, the time adds up.
By the time August is over, we will have lost 73 minutes per day of daylight compared to the start of the month.
The moral of the story: Enjoy every minute of summer you can!
Catch you again tomorrow.
August 19, 2019 Today's Update
Weekend Weather Review:
What an interesting weekend of weather across northern Ohio. Showers and thunderstorms on Saturday and Sunday left plenty of damage in their wake and thousands without power. A number of trees were toppled and golf ball sized hail was reported in the Akron area.
As we've said in past blog postings, our main severe weather season is April through June, but severe storms can literally occur any time during the year given the right weather setup as warm air battles cold air.
Here are some related stories to the weekend storms you might want to check out.
Sunday was the first day during August we hit 90 degrees at Hopkins Airport. We've now had a total of 13 days of high temperatures above 90, or one less day than by this time in 2018.
Here's a look at our weekend highs and lows across northern Ohio including...
Cleveland: 87/69 (Sat), 91/68 (Sun)
Akron/Canton: 86/68 (Sat), 91/70 (Sun)
Mansfield: 84/67 (Sat), 92/66 (Sun)
Youngstown: 86/62 (Sat), 90/67 (Sun)
Toledo: 86/69 (Sat), 83/67 (Sun)
Monday Evening Weather Update:
The storms are gone for now, but are likely to return on Tuesday as we get set for a major cool down. The National Storms Prediction Center has placed Ohio under a "marginal" risk for severe thunderstorms tomorrow.
The interesting thing about this outlook is the rarer "Enhanced" risk area for much of Illinois and southern Indiana. That area is likely to see some large tornadoes on Tuesday and into Tuesday night.
On the latest weather map according to the National Weather Service in Cleveland, a weak area of high pressure over the area will move east of the region overnight.
A stationary front south of the area will lift back north across the area as warm front Tuesday morning. A cold front will move southeast across the local area Wednesday evening.
A ridge of high pressure will build southeast across the area Thursday. High pressure will be centered over the local area Friday night.
Weather 101: Estimating Hail Sizes
Since hail was a part of our weekend weather, let's take a look at how you can estimate the size of hail based on some common items.
Hail is a type of precipitation that occurs when thunderstorm winds, known as updrafts, carry drops of rain into the sky and into very cold areas of the atmosphere where they freeze into balls of ice and fall back to earth.
Most hail storms are made up of a variety of hail sizes. They can range from pea-size that can hurt if they hit you, but aren't dangerous, to life threatening hail the size of baseballs or teacups.
We don't really know how fast hailstones fall, but forecasters have calculated estimates of their speeds in excess of 100 mph. If a hailstone the size of baseball hits you falling at that speed, the stone can kill you and do serious property damage.The poor guy below had his car trashed by baseball-size hailstones in the Dallas area where larger hailstones are more common than in northern Ohio.
Below is a graph I put together that helps you estimate hail sizes by comparing it to common items you can remember. Pea-sized hail is about a quarter inch in diameter, while a quarter is one inch and a tennis ball is about two and half inches in diameter.
So next time hail falls at your house, try to measure its size and if it's big enough, please report it to the National Weather Service immediately. Just remember, your safety first!
August 16, 2019 Today's Update
Friday Evening Weather Update:
Is it really the weekend again? Get ready for a brief return to the 90s across northern Ohio by Sunday.
On this afternoon's weather map, weak low pressure along the south shore of Lake Erie is dissipating as if drifts off to the northeast. Another weak area of low pressure will track across the central and eastern Great Lakes tonight into Saturday.
We could see a few scattered showers and thunderstorms after midnight and into early Saturday morning. After heating will kick off more pop up storms Saturday afternoon, but should be widely scattered.
A warm front should lift north of the lake Saturday night, allowing high pressure to ridge into Ohio from the southeastern United States by Sunday evening according to the National Weather Service.
Another chance of showers and thunderstorms area possible on Sunday as temperatures rises, but it's just summer in northeast Ohio!
Here's a look at your weekend forecast from the Channel 3 Weather team...
SATURDAY | Mostly sunny and noticeably warmer. Spotty storm possible. | Upper 80s
SUNDAY | Partly cloudy. Hot and humid. Isolated t'storms. | Near 90
Boating/Swimming Conditions for the Weekend:
If you plan on being out on Lake Erie, the National Weather Service says beware of chances of showers and thunderstorms popping both Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Wind and waves are always higher in and around thunderstorms.
The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District is reporting conditions as "good" at both Edgewater Beach and Villa Angela Beach on Friday and that trend should continue into the weekend for those heading to those beaches.
No advisories for algal blooms have been issued for the Cleveland area. Most of the toxic algae remains well to the west, mainly in the western basin of Lake Erie and Sandusky Bay. More on that below.
Before you head to the beach, go to https://www.neorsd.org/beaches-and-water-quality/ for the latest water quality updates at the beaches.
Here are the current lake water temperatures on Friday, August 16, 2019:
Lake Erie Algae Bloom:
NASA released a new image of the Lake Erie algae bloom in Lake Erie from the MODIS satellite on Friday showing what the bloom looks like from space.
WKYC Meteorologist Matt Wintz is here to help us better understand the bloom and how it compares to years past.
White Rainbows:
Have you ever seen a white rainbow?
White rainbows, aka fog bows, are similar to colorful rainbows except for one minor thing that makes a big impact on its appearance. Our partners are Amaze Lab explain:
Weather Education Days This Weekend:
Don't forget this weekend (August 17th and 18th), we bring you Weather Education Weekend with our friends at the Great Lakes Science Center at 601 Erieside Avenue in downtown Cleveland.
It's your chance to bring the whole family to learn more what goes into the seasons and what affects the different weather patterns we experience. This fun demonstration uses “cool” chemicals and fire to explore clouds, precipitation and wild weather and you get to meet Betsy Kling, Matt Wintz and Michael Estime from the Channel 3 Weather Team on Saturday.
Here's a schedule of this weekend's events.
Sunday, August 17, 2019
WKYC Weather Talk
Noon
Meet WKYC Meteorologist Michael Estime and learn about weather in Northeast Ohio as he takes you on a virtual tour behind the scenes of the WKYC weather studio. This presentation can also count toward the requirements for the Scouts BSA Weather Merit Badge.
Meet the Meteorologists (Saturday August, 17 only)
Noon to 3 p.m.
Meet the weather team from WKYC.
The Power of Innovation….INNOVIM hands-on activities
Noon to 3 p.m.
Meet the professionals working to make our lives better through innovation and engineering. Learn about the amazing work being done in Cleveland and beyond that helps predict weather and transform environmental and scientific data.
Wild Weather Big Science Show
1:15 p.m.
We take weather education to the next level in this high-energy demonstration. Watch in wonder as WKYC and GLSC combine to talk about weather in an explosively fun way!
WKYC Weather Talk (Saturday August 17 only)
2 p.m.
Meet WKYC Meteorologist Matt Wintz and learn more about mapping, what a meteorologist does, and how weather forecasting works. This presentation can also count toward the requirements for the Scouts BSA Weather Merit Badge.
Tornado Alley movie in the DOME Theater
Revisit this giant screen classic documentary that follows a team of storm chasers. Limited Weather Weekend engagement (separate ticket required, combo museum and movie tickets available at the box office
Sunday, August 18, 2019
The Power of Innovation….INNOVIM hands-on activities
1-4 p.m.
Meet the professionals working to make our lives better through innovation and engineering. Learn about the amazing work being done in Cleveland and beyond that helps predict weather and transform environmental and scientific data.
Green Screen Meteorology
1-4 p.m.
Learn how Chroma keying and green screen technology make weather education possible. Pose as a meteorologist and try your hand at predicting the weather!
What’s in Your Water? Sponsored by Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD)
1-4 p.m.
Get hands-on with water as we explore what’s in your water and what you can do to protect our environment.
Tornado Alley movie in the DOME Theater
Revisit this giant screen classic documentary that follows a team of storm chasers. Limited Weather Weekend engagement (separate ticket required, combo museum and movie tickets available at the box officeTornado Alley movie in the DOME Theater
For more information: (216) 694-2000.
Have a great weekend!
August 15, 2019 Today's Update
Thursday Evening Weather Update:
A lake breeze set up a round of showers and thunderstorms across northern Ohio about 2:30 p.m. with a number of severe thunderstorms warnings issued including Cuyahoga, Medina, Geauga, Lake, Summit and Trumbull Counties.
Radar indicated high winds and some rotation in a number of the storms as the wind direction was from the northeast to the north of the lake breeze (which acts like a warm front) and from the southwest just south of the lake breeze.
Channel 3 CSU Cam weather time-lapse of storms as they rolled through downtown Cleveland earlier this afternoon.
Through 8:30 pm, no major reports of severe weather have been received from storms earlier today in northeast Ohio, although there was some light storm damage in Ottawa County in northwest Ohio near Rocky Ridge around 2:30 p.m.
Cleveland Radar is again working:
The Cleveland NEXRAD Radar is back up after being down for repairs since yesterday. The National Weather Service says the system is now outputting good data again.
So what happens when the Cleveland radar goes down at Hopkins?
We actually have two options:
First, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operates its own system of "terminal radars" specifically used for the airports they serve. For the Cleveland area, the radar unit is located in Grafton and oversees operations at Hopkins International.
These radars are placed a distance away from the airport so they can see the conditions over the airport itself as planes prepare for take off and landings.
In contrast, the National Weather Service (NOAA) weather radars are normally located on airport grounds and can not see conditions because of the "cone of silence" right above the radar unit that extends to "a two nautical mile radius around the radar and one nautical mile from the radar," according to Kirk Lombardy, meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Cleveland.
The second option was well thought out when the National Weather Service doppler radar system was first developed in 1988 as the WSR-88D (Weather Surveillance Radar). Most all of the doppler radar units today overlap to some degree across the nation.
Locally, the Detroit radar and Pittsburgh radar cover parts of the Cleveland area, so our forecasters can call up those radars and see storms that may be approaching northern Ohio.
If you would like to learn more about how radar units work, please refer to the material below courtesy of the National Weather Service in Milwaukee.
The Full Moon of August:
Welcome to the Full Sturgeon Moon of August which occurred this morning at 8:31 a.m. EDT. If skies clear tonight, the moon will still look full across northern Ohio.
According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, this month's full moon is called the Sturgeon Moon "because Native Americans knew that the giant sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were most readily caught during this full Moon."
However, others have named the August moon based on farming such as the "Full Green Corn Moon," "Wheat Cut Moon," "Moon When All Things Ripen" and the "Blueberry Moon."
Don't forget you can always get the phases of the moon on wkyc.com at our Channel 3 Weather Earth & Space page: https://www.wkyc.com/space-science
Lake Erie Algae Bloom Update:
The Microcystis cyanobacteria bloom continues in the western basin of Lake Erie. Satellite imagery from August 14th shows the bloom extending from Maumee Bay north along the Michigan coast to Brest Bay, east along the Ohio coast to the Marblehead Peninsula; and offshore to the Bass Islands and Point Pelee.
Measured toxin concentrations have decreased since last week, but may continue to exceed the recreational threshold where the bloom is most dense (appearing green from a boat).
Keep pets and yourself out of the water in areas where scum is forming. The persistent cyanobacteria bloom in Sandusky Bay continues.
No other blooms are present in Lake Erie.
August 14, 2019 Today's Update
Wednesday Evening Weather Update:
A nearly stationary front across Central Ohio will stay with us for the rest of today and tonight. Thursday will see a high pressure system build in before low pressure returns for Friday.
On Thursday, some strong to severe thunderstorms are possible with the instability across northern Ohio. It's what we call a little "weather rollercoaster" ride.
Earlier today, some areas saw some patchy dense fog but that burned off quickly after sunrise.
Some showers did develop across our eastern area with the heating of the day and with instability of the stationary front. Some good downpours affected mainly Geauga, Portage and Trumbull Counties where up to a half inch of rain has been estimated by radar.
Scattered rain showers will be miss or hit the rest of this afternoon and evening.
Here's your short term forecast from the Channel 3 Weather Team:
THURSDAY | Partly cloudy with a shower possible. | Upper 70s/80°
FRIDAY | Shower and storm chances. | Around 80°
Severe Weather Threat for Thursday:
The National Storms Prediction Center has placed northern Ohio under a marginal risk for strong to severe storms on Thursday. Stay up on the latest forecast from your Channel 3 Weather Team.
Now for some weather fun!
3 Viewer Questions:
Every Wednesday on the blog, we answer some of your weather related questions. You can ask your questions on the WKYC Weather Warriors Facebook page, on Twitter @wkycweather or email me: fmacek@wkyc.com
Question #1: We've hardly seen any hurricanes in the Atlantic this summer. Isn't it already the peak of the hurricane season?
Yeah it sure has been quiet this season - so far... but things will be firing up over the next few weeks. Forecasters say El Nino has pretty much disappeared in the Pacific Ocean that helps keep Atlantic systems at bay. So we are expecting an increase in activity during the last few weeks of August.
The actual peak of the hurricane season comes in September, usually right around Labor Day though September 12th. Although tropical systems can happen practically anytime of the year. The typical Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30th. The Pacific hurricane season is a little longer and runs from May 15th to November 30th.
The graph below shows the total number of tropical systems in the Atlantic from 1851 to 2018 showing the peak time of the season in September.
Question #2: Is northeast Ohio still running wetter than normal for the year?
Yes! The Cleveland area is 5.28 inches above normal. As you can guess, most of that surplus came in June.
We put together a summary for Cleveland, Akron/Canton and Mansfield comparing where are so far this year up to Tuesday, August 13th. The most important number is the bottom one. That is how far away from normal we are and all locations are above normal.
The wettest year ever in Cleveland was in 2011 when 65.32 inches of precipitation (rain and melted snow) fell. While we aren't likely to beat that number in 2019, we could break the top 10 this year. Cleveland would only need another 15.67 inches of precipitation between now and December 31st to enter the top 10 record books.
Question #3: We are getting a rain shower right now, but it isn't showing up up on my weather app.
Because of the massive amounts of data that are captured every time the radar spins around one time to scan the skies, the processing of that information can take anywhere from 2 to 15 minutes to go from the National Weather Service's radar unit to your weather app or other commercial radar service you use.
Part of the reason for the "delay" is that the newer radar systems do multiple scans at multiple angles. The standard NWS doppler takes about six minutes to complete one scan cycle.
"Live" radar on television newscasts are usually more current, but show only one angle of the scan. If our meteorologists switch to multiple angles, the radar images may also be delayed while the data is fully processed for display.
In some cases, television stations own their own radar unit that can provide faster scans to the viewer, but only do one layer of scanning every rotation.
So yes, a radar shower can pop up at your house and you won't see it for up to 6 minutes. With computers getting faster, the delay time in years to come should greater decrease and one day live radar should be available for all.
August 13, 2019 Today's Update
Tuesday Evening Weather Update:
Heavy cloud cover rests over northern Ohio this Tuesday evening as part of a low pressure system moving across the area. A weak cold front will drop south tonight with another low forecast to move southeast out of the Great Lakes through northern Ohio by Thursday night.
Bottom line: This will keep our weather a little unsettled for the next 72 hours with on and off clouds, although Wednesday should remain dry with some sun peeking through the clouds.
Here's your short term forecast from the Channel 3 Weather Team:
TONIGHT | Few showers and storms...mainly south. Otherwise variable clouds and muggy. | Mid 60s
WEDNESDAY | Partly sunny. Nice and mild! | Low 80s
Rainfall Totals Today:
We've seen about a quarter inch of rain so far today at major reporting stations across northern Ohio. Toledo Express Airport got 1.39 inches with a heavy band of rain that moved through northwest Ohio earlier.
Here's a quick check at rainfall totals across northern Ohio from midnight until 5 p.m. on Tuesday:
Weather Instruments: The Barometer
Let's talk about the barometer and what meteorologists use it for.
A barometer is a scientific instrument that is used to measure the pressure of the air around us. These pressure readings are constantly changing. The rise and fall of air pressure can help us forecast short term changes in the weather as low and high pressures move across the region.
There are two main types of barometers: mercury and aneroid. In the mercury barometer, atmospheric pressure balances a column of mercury, the height of which can be precisely measured. In the aneroid barometer, no liquid is used. Instead, the barometer contains a flexible-walled evacuated capsule that changes with atmospheric pressure and moves a mechanical needle.
By measuring the pressure of the air and plotting the results from stations over a large area, like the whole country, meteorologists can generate a surface weather analysis map that show high and low pressure areas, surface troughs and cold and warm front boundaries.
Pressure is generally measured in terms of "millibars" or "inches" of mercury. High pressure can often exceed 1016 millibars (30.00 inches), while low pressure usually falls into a range for Ohio from 982 millibars (29.00 inches) to under 1016 millibars (30.00 inches).
On most weather maps (like the one above) issued daily by the National Weather Service, the display is in millibars and areas with the same pressure are grouped together in closed circles called isobars on the map.
The lowest pressure Cleveland has ever recorded was during the Blizzard of 1978 when the pressure fell to 958 millibars (28.28 inches) on January 16, 1978. Ironically that was also the lowest pressure ever recorded in the lower 48 states until October 26, 2010 when a storm over Minnesota saw a pressure drop to 955 millibars (28.20 inches).
The highest pressure ever recorded in Cleveland is 1049 millibars (30.97 inches) in February 1934.
If you have a home barometer, the easiest way to forecast your own weather is to remember if the pressure is rising, fair weather is coming. If the pressure is falling, changes are the way. The fall may indicate storms approaching or periods of wet weather.
Tropics Update:
The Atlantic Ocean continues quiet with no activity expected during the next 48 hours.
For the Pacific Ocean, former Tropical Storm Henriette has faded away into a remnant low. Another area of disturbed weather to the southwest of Henriette has a 40% chance of development over the next 48 hours.
August 12, 2019 Today's Update
Weekend Weather Review:
Hope you had a great weather weekend. Saturday was a beautiful day in northern Ohio, though on Sunday we saw a few more clouds that expected. Some locations even got a little "liquid sunshine" for a brief spell.
Highs for the weekend included...
Cleveland: 79/61 (Sat), 83/59 (Sun)
Akron/Canton: 80/61 (Sat), 83/60 (Sun)
Mansfield: 79/58 (Sat), 85/59 (Sun)
Youngstown: 82/53 (Sat), 82/53 (Sun)
Toledo: 84/59 (Sat), 86/59 (Sun)
Monday Evening Weather Update:
Skies are mostly cloudy across northern Ohio this evening.
A low pressure system across northern Missouri Monday evening will begin to track eastward tonight. A cold front across lower Michigan will sink southward Tuesday night and will be the trigger for showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could be strong.
Most of the severe weather should remain well to our west and south. I think the best bet for strong thunderstorms would be during the early hours of Tuesday morning. Stay up on the latest forecast.
Once the front passes, the area will see some seasonable temperatures. Enjoy, because a sweltering weekend is ahead with a return to temperatures in the 90s possible.
Here's your 24 hour forecast from the Channel 3 Weather Team:
TONIGHT | Mostly cloudy with bubble up showers. Overnight storms possible. | Near 70.
TUESDAY | Showers and storms likely. Otherwise variable clouds and humid. | Low 80s
So far for August...
With the first full 11 days in the books, August is running just slightly warmer than normal for the month with less than normal precipitation. Only two days have seen any rainfall in the Cleveland area (August 6th with .90" and August 7th with .04")
Latest Drought Monitor:
After a very wet June and July, parts of Ohio are beginning to dry out. The latest Ohio Drought Monitor issued late last week is starting to show parts of southwest Ohio entering the abnormally dry category (in yellow on the map).
Tropics Update:
A new tropical storm has developed in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Henriette is barely hanging on to tropical storm status Monday evening with maximum sustained winds of 40 m.p.h.
The storm is about 275 miles southwest of the southern tip of Baja California and is not expected to be a threat to land anytime soon.
Perseid Meteor Showers:
Monday night/Tuesday morning is the peak of the Perseid Meteor Shower. However the forecast isn't looking very good with clouds and an increasingly bright moon across northern Ohio.
However, if you are reading from a place where you have clear skies, enjoy! It's the best meteor shower of the year.
Click to watch and learn more:
August 9, 2019 Today's Update
Friday Evening Weather Update:
The weekend is finally upon us and what a great weekend it is going to be across northern Ohio. Hopefully, you have plenty of outdoor plans.
The National Weather Service says a trough of low pressure will move southeast across the area tonight. Then high pressure will move into the area and be centered over SW PA Saturday night and become stationary giving us the great looking weekend.
A warm front is still on track to bring unsettled weather to the area on Monday with a cold front passing Monday night.
Here's a look at your weekend forecast from the Channel 3 Weather team...
SATURDAY | Mostly sunny and comfortable. | Upper 70s
SUNDAY | Becoming partly cloudy and a bit warmer. | Low 80s
Boating Conditions for the Weekend:
If you plan on being out on Lake Erie, the National Weather Service says good swimming conditions are expected with large waves and dangerous currents NOT expected along the southern shore of Lake Erie through Sunday afternoon.
However, the water quality may be more of an issue at area beaches like Edgewater Beach and Villa Angela Beach which both had "poor" water quality conditions Friday morning because of potentially harmful bacteria from rains earlier this week.
Before you head to the beach, go to www.clevelandmetroparks.com/beaches for the latest updates.
Here are the current lake water temperatures:
The Alignment of Jupiter, Saturn and the Moon:
You will have three nights starting this Friday to see Jupiter, Saturn and the moon lined up side-by-side in the night sky.
With Venus currently on the other side of the sun, Jupiter will be the brightest planet in the sky in August, according to EarthSky.org.
If you look south between Friday and Sunday, you'll be able to see the waxing gibbous moon on a nearly straight line between Jupiter and Saturn.
On the 9th, the moon will appear just above and to the left of Jupiter while Saturn is farther to the left. The next night, the moon will have moved to the left and be nearly equidistant between the two planets. On the 11th, the moon will be just to the right of Saturn.
Click the video to see more:
The Perseid Meteor Shower:
The best meteor shower of the year is underway and will peak late Monday night and early Tuesday morning, though the forecast is considered only "fair" for viewing because of an increasingly full moon and potential cloud cover across northern Ohio.
So your better bet is to catch the meteor shower over the weekend while skies are clear across northern Ohio. You can see plenty of meteors tonight, Saturday and Sunday nights. The best viewing time is after midnight.
The Perseids are caused by the Earth passing through the debris trail of the comet Swift–Tuttle. The meteors are called the Perseids because the point from which they appear to hail lies in the constellation Perseus.
Click the video to learn more:
Here are some tips for viewing from Earth & Sky:
Find a dark, open sky to enjoy the show. An open sky is essential because these meteors fly across the sky in many different directions and in front of numerous constellations.
Give yourself at least an hour of observing time, because the meteors in meteor showers come in spurts and are interspersed with lulls. Remember, your eyes can take as long as 20 minutes to adapt to the darkness of night. So don’t rush the process.
Know that the meteors all come from a single point in the sky. If you trace the paths of the Perseid meteors backwards, you’d find they all come from a point in front of the constellation Perseus. Don’t worry about which stars are Perseus. Just enjoying knowing and observing that they all come from one place on the sky’s dome.
Enjoy the comfort of a reclining lawn chair. Bring along some other things you might enjoy also, like a thermos filled with a hot drink.
Remember … all good things come to those who wait. Meteors are part of nature. There’s no way to predict exactly how many you’ll see on any given night. Find a good spot, watch, wait.
Have a great weekend of meteor viewing!
August 8, 2019 Today's Update
Thursday Evening Weather Update:
A cold front will be moving off to the south of the area tonight bringing in a delightful Friday and weekend. Next week is looking a little more unsettled as a warm front will lift north over the region on Monday, then become stationary with low pressure moving along the front.
Northern Ohio has been cleared of any chance of severe weather this evening, although our southern counties may see a few strong to severe thunderstorms as the cold front moves across the area.
If you are going to the Browns first preseason game tonight at FirstEnergy Stadium, the weather will be pleasant with temperatures in the 70s. Go Browns!
Here's your 24 hour forecast from the Channel 3 Weather Team:
TONIGHT | Mostly clear and noticeably cooler and more comfortable. | Low 60s
FRIDAY | Partly to mostly sunny and noticeably less humid. | Upper 70s
Norwalk Tornado Update:
The National Weather Service says the distance of the Norwalk tornado on Tuesday has been increased to 3.1 miles, up from 1.5 miles after further surveying.
Above Average Hurricane Season Predicted:
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued its updated 2019 Atlantic Hurricane season forecast today. Despite a quiet season so far, NOAA now predicts "10 to 17 named storms with five to nine potentially become hurricanes."
The original forecast called for nine to 15 named storms with four to eight becoming hurricanes.
So far this season, we have only had two named storms (Subtropical Storm Andrea and Hurricane Barry) and one tropical depression:
Algae Bloom Update:
The current algae bloom coverage area as of readings taken August 7th show the bloom continues in the western basis of Lake Erie from roughly Maumee Bay north along the Michigan coast to Brest Bay, east along the Ohio coast to the Portage River and up to 13 miles northeast of West Sister Island near the Ontario coast.
The rest of Lake Erie remains bloom free with the exception of Sandusky Bay that shows a persistent bloom that has last much of this season.
This trend is expected to continue over the next week according to NOAA.
Gray areas of the map below indicate missing data.
August 7, 2019 Today's Update
Wednesday Evening Weather Update:
A weak cold front is cutting the state in two this afternoon with showers and thunderstorms that continue to drift off to the east. Temperatures range from the lower 80s west and upper 70s.
A number of waterspouts were reported across the lakeshore today, but all of them stayed out over Lake Erie.
Here's a quick check at your 24 hour forecast for the Cleveland area:
TONIGHT | Partly cloudy with areas of fog. Muggy. | Mid 60s
THURSDAY | Scattered rain and thunderstorms. Humid. | Low 80s
We'll see another cold front move across the area on Thursday. This one will have a bigger weather punch.
The Severe Storms Prediction Center has put all of Ohio under a marginal or slight risk for severe weather on Thursday. Strong to severe thunderstorms capable of isolated large hail and damaging winds gusts will be possible during the afternoon and evening hours of Thursday.
EF1 Tornado Confirmed from Tuesday:
The National Weather Service has confirmed a tornado touched down in Huron County late Tuesday afternoon as storms made their way through Northeast Ohio.
The twister is said to have been an EF1, with winds peaking at 100 miles per hour. It began around 5:20 p.m. just south of Norwalk near U.S. Route 20 before ending near Veterans Memorial Lake Park.
Officials say no one was hurt, although multiple large trees did suffer damage. Much of the region was under a severe thunderstorm warning for points yesterday, but this is the first report of a tornado.
What is the Enhanced Fujita Scale?
The Enhanced Fujita scale (EF-Scale) rates the strength of tornadoes in the United States based on the damage they cause. Implemented in place of the Fujita scale introduced in 1971 by Tetsuya Theodore Fujita, it began operational use in the United States on February 1, 2007.
Once a tornado touchdown is suspected, the National Weather Service will send a survey team to perform a visual inspection of the location for the type of damage seen.
Based on the damage, the team will then assign a rating of the estimated winds. This is the number we then forward on to you when we talk about the EF category in our reports.
Here's a look at each category:
An EF0 tornado causes minimal damage, while an EF5 can destroy everything in its path.
So far for 2019, Ohio has seen 58 tornadoes through August 4th according to the National Storm Prediction Center. These numbers are considered preliminary until a final end of the year report is issued.
One fatality has been reported so far this year. That occurred near Celina in Mercer County, Ohio, from the tornado outbreak on May 27th.
August 6, 2019 Today's Update
Tuesday Evening Weather Update:
Showers and thunderstorms rolled through northern Ohio this afternoon bringing high winds, frequent lightning and heavy rains to much of the area. Severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for a number of counties through the early evening hours.
Several trees were reported down in Courthouse Square in downtown Warren in Trumbull County. Storm spotters reported .88" of rain in Streetsboro with some localized street flooding. A heathly 8" tree was broken near SR 250 and RT 18 in Norwalk between 2:00 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. while another tree was reported down on Woodlawn in Norwalk. Some additional tree damage was reported just east of Norwalk with another line of storms at 5:40 p.m.
GALLERY | A look at damage caused by Tuesday's severe thunderstorm in Northeast Ohio
Several thousand FirstEnergy customers have reported power outages. As of 4:30 p.m. the number stood at 4,226.
We could see another round of storms this evening. Another large area of showers and thunderstorms was located around Bowling Green, Ohio, moving to the east. On that track, the storms would reach the Cleveland area in the next 2-4 hours.
Viewer Questions:
Question #1: What's the different between hurricanes and typhoons?
They are the exact same thing except for location, location, location. Our TEGNA sister meteorologist Tim Pandajis explains:
Question #2: What's the hottest temperature northern Ohio has seen during the month of August?
You have to go back into the record books to 1948 to answer the one. In fact, August 27, 1948, when the reading hit 102 degrees at Hopkins Airport. That was just two degrees of the high time record high of 104 degrees set on June 25, 1988.
Question #3: We heard Channel 3 Meteorologist Matt Wintz talk about Urban Heat Islands that keeps cities warmer than suburbs. Is that true?
Absolutely! Cities can be as much as 10 degrees warmer than surrounding areas thanks to the urban heat island effect. This effect is caused mostly by the lack of vegetation and soil moisture, which would normally use the absorbed sunlight to evaporate water as part of photosynthesis.
The sunlight is absorbed by things like buildings, roads, parking lots and buildings. With little, if any to evaporate, the sunlight's energy all goes into raising the temperature of those surfaces and the air in contact with them.
As the day progresses, a dome of warm air forms over the city as convection transports heat from the surface to higher in the atmosphere.
After the sun sets, temperatures remain elevated above the vegetated areas around the city or town, and so the heat island effect persists during the night as well.
Don't forget, if you have a weather related question, email to fmacek@wkyc.com
August 5, 2019 Today's Update
Weekend in Review:
The weekend turned out pretty much on par with our forecast. Some areas, especially south and west of Cleveland received a few showers from scattered thunderstorms that developed, but much of the area remained dry.
Highs for the weekend included...
Cleveland: 84/61 (Sat), 88/62 (Sun)
Akron/Canton: 85/64 (Sat), 87/61 (Sun)
Mansfield: 83/60 (Sat), 86/60 (Sun)
Youngstown: 84/59 (Sat), 85/58 (Sun)
Monday Evening Weather Update:
Scattered showers and a few thunderstorms are roaming northern Ohio this afternoon. There is a chance for locally heavy, but short-lasting downpours with the afternoon heating of the day.
An expected lake breeze will kick off additional showers and thunderstorms over the next few hours. A stronger cold front will make its way across Ohio by Thursday, with a return to sunshine by the weekend along with cooler temperatures.
Here's the short term forecast:
TONIGHT | Partly cloudy with early isolated t'storms. | Around 70.
TUESDAY | Partly cloudy with storm chances later in the day. | Mid/upper 80s
Tuesday Severe Weather Outlook:
The National Severe Storms Prediction Center has all of Ohio under a marginal risk of some severe thunderstorms on Tuesday. The biggest threats will be gusty winds, torrential rains and hail. Be sure to stay up on the latest forecast on Tuesday with the Channel 3 Weather team.
Types of Clouds: The Cumulonimbus
One of the most common summer time types of clouds we see around northern Ohio are the cumulonimbus. Simply stated, they are the towering clouds that bring us afternoon showers and thunderstorms as you see today.
The clouds are convective in nature, meaning that are caused by updrafts and downdrafts as warm rises and cold air falls and heat is transferred from place to place within the cloud or cloud complex.
Over time, this rising and falling of the air creates a circulation effect that helps the clouds grow and become higher and higher in the atmosphere until precipitation begins to fall.
Once the air rises so high, the water vapor cools enough to freeze and begins to fall back to earth in the form of rain or hail. Lightning is caused by the strong up and down currents of air as the water droplets, hail and ice crystals collide with one another.
Eventually these collisions build up enough energy to be discharged in the form of the lightning you see. The thunder is simply the "noise" made from this discharge.
A cumulonimbus cloud can grow more than eleven miles high into the sky. The top of the cloud sometimes gets blown by strong winds and has a flat top, like a table. That flat top is called an anvil, because it looks like the flat metal block called an anvil that's used to hammer metal.
Higher thunderstorms are also capable of producing tornadoes. Usually these towering monsters reach heights of 50,000 to 60,000 feet. The best time of the year to see this type of severe weather is April through June in northern Ohio, although tornadoes can occur during much of the year, given the right atmospheric conditions.
So, take a few minutes this evening and look around the sky to see if you can spot any cumulonimbus clouds.
Monday Tropics Update:
Tropical Depression Erick is now well west of the Hawaiian Islands with maximum winds to 30 mph and gusts to 40 mph.
Tropical Depression Flossie has maximum winds of 35 mph with gusts to 45 mph and is just east of Hilo, Hawaii. Flossie is expected to pass just to the north of the Hawaiian Islands over the next 48 hours with large swells possible along the northern shores of the Big Island, Maui, Molokai and Oahu.
Tropical Depression Gil has formed well west of Mexico and is no threat to land.
Otherwise, the Atlantic Ocean is pretty quiet with no organized systems expected during the next 48 hours.
August 2, 2019 Today's Update
Friday Evening Weather Update:
Looks like it's going to be a great night for baseball in downtown Cleveland as the Indians play the Angels at Progressive Field at 7:10 p.m. By the way, you can catch the game on Channel 3 beginning at 7 p.m.
Expect mainly clear skies and temperatures in the upper 70s to lower 80s during the game.
The Weekend Outlook:
High pressure will continue to be in control of our weather through the weekend with mostly sunny skies expected both Saturday and Sunday. Our next significant chance of rain won't happen until Wednesday.
SATURDAY | Sunny and a bit warmer. | Mid 80s
SUNDAY | Mostly sunny with passing clouds. | Low 80s
UV index levels will be around a 7 on Saturday and 8 on Sunday. So use plenty of sunscreen if you plan to be outdoors.
Tropics Updates:
Let's take a quick look the Tropics on this Friday evening as we still have a couple of systems to talk about.
First, the Pacific.
Tropical Storm Erick is currently located 310 miles south of Honolulu, Hawaii, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. The storm continues to weaken and will likely be a depression by Monday well west of the main Hawaiian Islands.
Dangerous surf and heavy rains have been reported on the Big Island of Hawaii on Friday as the storm passes by to the south.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Flossie is a little stronger with maximum sustained winds of near 70 mph. The storm is about 1145 miles east of Hilo, Hawaii, and is moving to the west, northwest at 17 mph.
The National Hurricane Center says the storm is expected to remain a strong tropical storm through Wednesday and will bring high surf to the northern coastal areas of the islands, but otherwise is expected to remain over open waters.
Finally, we look to the Atlantic where an broad area of low pressure was located over the central Atlantic Ocean several hundred miles southeast of the Lesser Antilles.
The earliest we would see favorable conditions for development will be Tuesday and Wednesday. Our weather partners at AccuWeather have the latest forecast thinking in the video below:
Have a great weekend. We'll catch you back on Monday on the Channel 3 Weather Blog.
August 1, 2019 Today's Update
Thursday Evening Weather Update:
High pressure remains in firm control over the weather in northeast Ohio on Thursday with a northwest flow to the air keeping temperatures mild for this time of year.
As of August 1st, our typical daytime high in Cleveland is 82 degrees with normal low of 64 degrees. Today, we are right at normal.
Here's a quick check of our 24 hour forecast from the Channel 3 Weather Team:
TONIGHT| Clear and seasonable. | Mid 60s
FRIDAY | Sunny. | Low 80s
July in the Books:
As we turn the page to August, let's take a look back at the month of July 2019. The month ended with an average daily temperature of 77.2 degrees that puts us at the 5th warmest July on record. Only July 1955, 2019, 1949 and 2011 were warmer in Cleveland.
Precipitation was on the light side for Cleveland, especially compared to June when we received nearly twice our normal rainfall. In July, we measured 2.62" of rain, or .84 inches less than normal.
Most of the heavy rain during the month was concentrated to the south of Cleveland. Akron/Canton had 7.11" of rain, compared to the normal of 3.03" of rain thanks to several days of deluges that caused flooding in numerous locations.
Mansfield also saw much more rain than normal. The Richland County area got 7.20" of rain for July or 2.82" more than is normally expected.
Check out the graphics below to see comparisons for the major reporting locations across northern Ohio for July 2019...
Space Station Viewing Opportunity:
Once again tonight, the International Space Station will fly over Ohio at 11:03 p.m. Skies should be optimal for seeing the station that will be around 220 miles above us and moving at 17,500 miles per hour across the night sky.
Look for a bright moving object that will rise about halfway up the sky coming out of the northwest.
Click the related story for more information: Space station visible over Northeast Ohio Thursday night
Check back again tomorrow for our daily updates through the month of August.