Feeling More Like Spring

Good morning!  We are finally facing a more spring-like pattern for the week ahead!  The bad news is that this will bring a lot of rainfall to the area later this week.

Let's start with the SPECTACULAR weather for today!  Highs will surge into the 60's, and a spot or two in southern Indiana could hit 70!  Sunshine this morning will give way to increasing clouds this afternoon, and increasing south winds throughout the day.  A cold front moves through tonight bringing a few showers, but it will not be a big deal.  

Tomorrow looks like another great day for the most part.  Just a touch cooler than today, but a lot of areas still hit the 60's.  We will see sunshine most of the day, however shower chances arrive towards the evening, and that is just the beginning of a very active period of weather.  

Be sure to enjoy the next couple of days, because Wednesday through Friday look soggy!  The same cold front that moves through tonight will get stuck over the Ohio Valley, then come north as a warm front Thursday into Friday.  As a storm system moves through Friday, we could see a couple strong storms.  There could be heavy rain totals during that three day period, perhaps anywhere from 2-4"!  Check out how much rain the GFS is spitting out...

That is a lot of water!  Flooding is definitely a possibility and something to watch in the coming days.  

The good news is that we clear things out for the weekend!  Both days look dry, but MUCH cooler with highs only in the low 50's.

Get out and enjoy the beautiful weather the next two days!! 

Looking More Like Spring

Windy and chilly afternoon with rain/snow departing.  Some areas north/east of Indy picked up light snow accumulations.  With lingering clouds, expect steady temps in the 30s and 40s all afternoon.  

BIG improvements in the weather beginning tomorrow.  Tomorrow looks like a nearly 100% sunny day, with seasonable highs of 55-60.

Monday looks spectacular!  Partly sunny, gusty south winds, with highs soaring to 66-70 state-wide!  The day-time looks dry, but a shower chance arrives after sunset, with a cold front moving through associated with a low pressure system to our north.  This knocks our temperatures down for Tuesday, but that day still looks pretty nice with some sun and highs ranging from 50 north to 60 south.

That same boundary will get stuck over the area Wednesday through Thursday, providing the chance for showers and storms.  The set-up will also mean a big temperature gradient.  Highs could range from the 70's near the Ohio River to the 40's along the Michigan border.  An area of low pressure will track through the area Thursday night and Friday, providing continued chances for showers and thunderstorms.  

Rain totals could really add up over parts of the state late next week.  GFS model indicates widespread 1-3" of rainfall between Wednesday and Friday night.  I think things will begin to green up around here!

Looking towards next weekend and beyond, it looks like we may get stuck in a somewhat below normal temperature pattern, so unfortunately it doesn't look like true spring weather is ready to completely settle in yet.  The 8-14 day outlook from NOAA reflects this...

Here is the 7-day outlook. (from last night) With the large temperature gradient expected mid/late next week, keep in mind temps will be much cooler than the graphic shows for locations to the north, and even warmer south.  

(3/22) Tracking Cold, Snow, Then a Warm-Up!

We had a pretty large gradient in high temperatures today, with 40's over much of central/northern Indiana, while southern Indiana enjoyed a sunny, spring-like day with highs in the 50's.  

                  PROLONGED COLD SNAP

The cold air will take over for the day on Sunday, and this is the beginning of a several day cold snap that will last through Wednesday!!  4 straight days in a row of highs in the 30's (low 40's far south) is not an easy feat with a late March sun angle!  Lows will generally be in the upper teens to middle 20's, with the coldest air on Sunday and Tuesday nights.  The rounds of spring teases have caused some daffodils to bloom in the southern portion of the state, so it may not be a bad idea to keep them covered up every night.  

                     MORE CHANCES FOR SNOW

We need to keep an eye on a clipper system Monday night and Tuesday.  This does NOT appear to be a major deal, but at this time I would not rule out 1" of snow in spots out of this.  Convective snow showers look to stick around all day Tuesday, but the strong solar radiation will likely mean no accumulation during the day-time, unless the precipitation comes down heavy enough to overcome melting.  

                      WARM UP LATE NEXT WEEK

Data continues to suggest strong warming Thursday and Friday of next week, as a low pressure system northwest of here draws in a strong southerly flow.  This also looks like an active period, with scattered showers and storms Thursday-Saturday, with the best chance on Friday.  The GFS model is indicating around 1" of rainfall during this period for much of the state.  Given the set-up, I would not rule out isolated severe thunderstorms as well.  This far out hard to speculate on how quick deep moisture and instability will work in.

Here is the 7-day QPF (Quantitative Precipitation Forecast) from NOAA which includes the system late next week.  Right now they only have Indiana seeing .50-.75".  

Cool Today, Warm-Up For Friday!

Good morning!  We are in a time of the year when we can have major temperature swings, and that has certainly been the case so far this week.  That roller coaster ride looks to continue for much of the rest of the month.  

Today looks a lot better than yesterday, and this is the start of a brief warm-up.  Highs today will warm in the 30's central and north with 40's in the south and west with ample sunshine.  Friday will feel like spring again, as highs SOAR into the 50's to low 60's under a partly sunny sky, and breezy winds from the southwest.

Saturday looks to be the better of the two days this weekend.  There will be a sharp range in temperatures across the state, with highs as cool as 40 in the far north to as warm as 60 in the far south.  Saturday night and Sunday there will be a system passing by to the south, and this could throw a wintry mix into southern Indiana on Sunday.  Temperatures on Sunday look chilly, mainly in the 30's.

The cold air will linger into next Monday, but another warm-up may be on the way next Tuesday-Wednesday.  Models have been going back and forth, so that could change.  

From 60's to Snow This Week

Good evening!  We have quite a roller coaster in our weather for the week ahead!  From spring..to winter...then back to spring.  

The good news is the first part of the week looks AWESOME!!!!!  Tomorrow and Tuesday are going to feature a real taste of spring-time.  This is much deserved after enduring the coldest winter since the late 1970's.  High temperatures over much of central and southern Indiana will soar into the 60's, with 50's in the north.  Could southern Indiana squeeze out 70 degrees on Tuesday?  That is a real possibility.  Even better, this warm-up is accompanied with some sunshine and no rain.  

BIG changes arrive Tuesday night into Wednesday.  We will go from April level temperatures back to January levels in a span of 12 hours.  A storm system will come together over the area Tuesday night beginning as rain, however, colder air will funnel in changing that rain to snow at some point late Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.  Expect windy conditions with gusts over 30 mph.  Temperatures will fall through the 30's and eventually upper 20's on Wednesday afternoon!  Here is my EARLY snowfall potential map.  This is my guess as of right now based on the data.  Be sure to check back for updates over the next couple of days.  

The good news is that what snow does fall will be gone in a couple of days as highs return to the 50's by Friday afternoon.