March 11, 2019 archive

Long Range Update And Summer Preview…

One more unseasonably chilly spell awaits late-March (behind our mid-March spring “tease”), but we continue to believe an unseasonably warm stretch of weather gets going by the last few days of the month- continuing into April. Furthermore, meteorological spring overall continues to look warm, relative to average, for central Indiana. In the event you missed our Spring Outlook earlier, it can be found here.

However, what follows the late-March set-back is a more significant and sustained push of unseasonably warm conditions.

Note the positive PNA that will help drive the chilly pattern next week returns to neutral as we put a wrap on the month:

To no surprise, modeling is painting a vastly different look as we close March and open April.

We turn cooler next week with the positive PNA in control, but this won’t last…

Note the significant change aloft (and at the surface) as we close the month and get set to head into April…

Longer term, modeling continues to give us an actual spring this year. We continue to expect average to slightly above average temperatures in April, complete with slightly above normal precipitation (with a “ramp up” in severe chances, locally).

Modeling is following suit with that idea:

It should also be noted that while not shown, the new European Weeklies in this evening also support the warmer than normal April idea.

As we look forward, we continue to research and build our summer outlook. Early indications would suggest that we transition out of an overall warmer than average spring towards a seasonal, to slightly below average, time of things this summer, complete with above normal precipitation. We, obviously, still have some time to go before the final product is ready to be published, but stay tuned. We are planning to launch our official summer outlook in early May.

Permanent link to this article: https://indywx.com/2019/03/11/long-range-update-and-summer-preview/

VIDEO: High Winds And Storms Arrive Thursday; Thoughts Turn To April…

High winds and storms arrive Thursday. We also look ahead towards late-March and April…

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Permanent link to this article: https://indywx.com/2019/03/11/video-high-winds-and-storms-arrive-thursday-thoughts-turn-to-april/

Potential Damaging Wind Event On The Table Thursday…

After a cold open to March, a taste of spring will develop this week as temperatures go into the 50s Tuesday, 60s Wednesday, and 70s (not a typo) for the first time this year on Thursday. Unfortunately, this spring preview will be joined by a strong and potentially damaging wind event Thursday.

A combination of ingredients has us particularly concerned in advance of this event:

  • A well mixed airmass
  • Lapse rates exceeding 8 deg or higher C/Km- enabling easier access to the high winds aloft (you can read more about this here if curious)
  • Dry slot after Wednesday showers and Thursday evening rain

Accordingly, the potential of 60 MPH + gusts are possible Thursday and we’d expect the National Weather Service to eventually have to issue high wind products as we get closer. These are the type gusts that will lead to downed trees and scattered power outages.

Already, modeling is producing ominous signals for very high and potentially damaging gusts out of the southwest Thursday. Stay tuned, friends.

Permanent link to this article: https://indywx.com/2019/03/11/potential-damaging-wind-event-on-the-table-thursday/

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