Rain Returns; Late Week “Backdoor” Cold Front…

Highlights:

  • Rain and storm chances increase
  • Late week cold front
  • Gearing up for a bigger blast of fall air

Dry Close To The Weekend…First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with Texas as one of the worst flood events in our country’s history is unfolding this morning.  With days of heavy rain ahead, an additonal 20″-30″ will fall on eastern Texas.  Just horrific.

Here on the home front, we’ll wrap up the weekend on a dry note, but upper level energy will drift overhead late tonight and help generate scattered showers and thunderstorms as early as the predawn hours Monday.  We’ll maintain a bit of an unsettled regime into Tuesday before dry conditions return Wednesday.

A backdoor cold front will push through central Indiana Thursday and a broken line of showers and thunderstorms may accompany this frontal passage.  A northeasterly flow will usher in an unseasonably cool, early fall-like, close to the work week.

Looking ahead, an even stronger cold front has it’s eyes set on the region late next weekend or early the following week.  Strong thunderstorm potential is present with this storm system followed by the coolest air since last spring…

Upcoming 7-Day Precipitation Forecast:

  • Snowfall: 0.00″
  • Rainfall:  0.50″ – 1.00″

Pleasant Close To The Week; Harvey Questions…

Highlights:

  • Dry and unseasonably cool close to the week
  • Shower chances return
  • Watching Harvey

Can’t Ask For Anything Better…Our weather to wrap up the work week will be dominated by cool Canadian high pressure.  This will supply plentiful sunshine and unseasonably cool conditions.

A cold front will approach early next week before “washing out” over the Ohio Valley.  Shower chances will increase in association with this frontal boundary late Sunday night into early next week.  Dry conditions will return by the middle of next week along with slightly cooler than average temperatures.

Tropics: Harvey continues to dominate the headlines and rightfully so.  Devastating impacts will be dealt to Texas from a rain, surge, and wind perspective.  He will be upgraded to a major hurricane today.  It’s still far too early to know how far north Henry will eventually make it late next week before getting absorbed by an approaching trough.  Portions of the Ohio Valley are still on the table for potential rain impacts from Harvey late next week.  Stay tuned.

Upcoming 7-Day Precipitation Forecast:

  • Snowfall: 0.00″
  • Rainfall: 0.25″ – 0.50″

Tuesday Storms Then Much Cooler…

Highlights:

  • Scattered storms with locally heavy rain
  • Early fall-like feel arrives
  • Dry weather returns

Cold Front Arrives…A cold front is pressing into the state today and generating unsettled weather across the region.  Widespread heavy rains fell overnight across northern parts of the state (areas just west of Lafayette have picked up 3″-4″ of rain during the past 24 hours).  Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms can be expected through early evening before a much drier and cooler air mass arrives tonight behind the frontal passage.

That drier and cooler regime will set the tone for the rest of the week and weekend.  High pressure will settle in and provide plentiful sunshine.  Additionally, cool, Canadian air will pour south as we progress through the second half of the week.  This will result in well below normal temperatures and conditions that will feel more like mid to late September rather than late August.

Tropics:  Harvey is likely to stage a comeback over the next few days once he emerges into the southwest Gulf of Mexico.  Folks with interests along the Texas coastline should certainly monitor Harvey for tropical implications as the weekend approaches.  An interior heavy rain/ flood threat will result, as well.

Upcoming 7-Day Precipitation Forecast:

  • Snowfall: 0.00″
  • Rainfall: 0.25″ – 0.75″

Chances Of Needed Rain Increasing For Central Indiana…

August, month-to-date, is running bone-dry.  Officially, IND has only accumulated 0.18″ of rain, but that may be changing as early as this afternoon and evening.

We note high resolution, short-term data is becoming more aggressive with the development of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon and evening.  Initially, storms will impact w-central parts of the state before encompassing more of central Indiana.  The following are images of what the local radar may look like at 4p, 6p, and 8p.

With leftover boundaries from early morning storms across northern parts of the state (likely will serve as a “trigger” for PM storm development), combined with a hot and muggy airmass, confidence is increasing on numerous showers and thunderstorms across central Indiana this afternoon and evening.  Widespread heavy rain isn’t expected this afternoon, but localized hefty downpours are a good bet with precipitable water values (PWATs) approaching 2″ this afternoon.

Unsettled times remain Tuesday before a much cooler regime looms for the second half of the week…