MORE HEAT, SMALL STORM CHANCES!

Well, so much for forecasting rain this weekend! Most areas missed out AGAIN, with only a few lucky ones. While much of the area missed out on the rain, a few did luck out. Parts of southern Indiana picked up a half-inch or so of rain yesterday, along with isolated pockets of heavy rain in north-central Indiana. Here is a map of today's accumulated rainfall. Notice how isolated the rain was!

A ridge of high pressure will build in over the next few days, bringing in more sunshine, and scorching temps surging close to 100 (again)! This summer's temperatures have been nothing short of incredible. It's not often that you go through weeks and weeks of temps in the 90's & 100's! The bone dry conditions is only helping bring these hot temps! We hit 95 today under high humidity, I think we will be in the range of 94-98 tomorrow, then 97-101 on Tuesday. Parts of southern Indiana may not get quite as hot where there is a slightly better chance of a few pop-up storms, but the heat will be the MAIN story. With the ridge positioned so far north, 100 degree heat could very close to the Canadian border this week!

A front will move in Wednesday/Thursday, bringing with it the next best chance of rain. Here is the GFS during this time-frame, likely WAY overdone...

That front may get hung-up somewhere near the Ohio River for the end of the week and weekend, so if that is the case, we could have at least a chance of storms Friday through next weekend, but southern Indiana would be most likely to get these storms.

Stay tuned for updates on the chance of mid-week storms. Hopefully we will get some rain. *Saying it very optimistically*

On another note, we will be adding plenty more 90+ days to the summer through the coming week. We are already WAY above average for the ENTIRE summer, and it's only mid-July. I believe the most ever was 58 days, (forget when that was set). We have 29 so far, (average is 18 for the whole summer). The way it's going, this could be the hottest summer ever for Indy. 2012 is already the warmest year EVER so far in Indiana. 

Thanks for stopping by the blog. You know the drill by now, stay cool!

Some areas getting soaked, other areas not so lucky!

Tracking a band of moderate rain across southern Indiana this afternoon. Other areas...not so lucky! For some reason, it seems like central Indiana can't buy a drop. This band is moving north, BUT.. it is weakening, and will continue to fall apart during the evening.

We have another threat of scattered storms tomorrow, but 

many areas in central and northern Indiana will once again be left DRY. Areas that DO get the rain, could get a good soaking. The heat is back early next week, with highs of 95-100 across central and northern Indiana. Southern Indiana should remain a bit cooler, with the chance of a couple storms each day. Most areas will remain dry.

A front will move in Wednesday/Thursday, but the drought will self-perpetuate, so I don't look for widespread rains, just the same ol' pattern, with a few lucky ones, with most areas missing out. I think parts of the area are going to get upgraded to the worst category of drought when the next update comes out this week.

RAIN ON THE WAY?

Good evening! Thanks for stopping by the blog. The intense heat has backed off over the past few days, but the dry ground is still helping warm our temperatures up in the 90's each afternoon.

First, let's talk about the drought. It just continues to get worse, and it's sad to see all the crops dying so early! This is the driest stretch to hit Indiana in 104 years!! The drought is even causing some trees to shed and lose their leaves! If you haven't heard, the mayor has banned all lawn watering in Indy. It's no wonder considering how deep we have gotten into the drought! Check out the latest drought monitor, as the area is under a severe to extreme drought, and as you will notice on the map, we are not alone!

Beneficial Rain Friday through early next week?  The same front that teased us on Sunday will move back north again, and will have a second chance to make us happy.

The models keep hinting that there will be a band, or "blob" of heavy rain moving along a vort max from Nashville, TN almost due north to Indiana. After this wave passes by on Friday, there will be more thunderstorms off and on through early next week. The weekend does not look like a total washout, but there will be showers/storms to dodge from time to time. Here are the totals I am expecting by Monday evening....

For a comparison, here is the HPC's thinking on the rain totals through Monday...

The two maps are similar, but I tended to be a little more conservative than HPC, given the dry conditions likely to affect the totals. However, I would not rule out a 3" total or two in southern Indiana, where heavy rains set-up.

Bottom Line: It looks like a nice wave of heavy downpours/thunder Friday, then off/on for the weekend through early next week. The weekend will not be a washout, but the radar will be a great tool this weekend! Even if rain comes during a weekend, I don't think anyone would mind the rain at this point! While this won't end our drought, this could provide a dent in the drought across the area, especially across the southern half of Indiana. 

These rainfall amounts still need to be tweaked over the next 24 hours, and I will have another update out tomorrow. Have a great night, and do a rain dance!

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER NEW RECORD HIGH!

Here we go again! We have already hit 96 degrees, and we will easily top out at 105 degrees today. The old record in Indianapolis is 99! The area will remain under the excessive heat warning through tomorrow evening.

The air quality is also down today. Much of the area is in the "unhealthy for sensitive groups" but parts of southern Indiana have been upgraded to the "unhealthy" category. This could make it difficult to be outside for those with health issues, such as asthma.

Here's your 7 day forecast, much cooler weather FINALLY returning next week!

IT'S SO HOT....THAT MAILBOXES ARE MELTING!!

You think I'm kidding? Check out these pictures of plastic mailboxes not able to stand the heat...

The heat wave has now gone postal. The heat continues through Saturday. Highs the next couple days will be around 105 degrees in Indianapolis, smashing more record highs! This could potentially be the hottest stretch of weather to EVER hit the state since records began being kept. Just incredible. 

MUCH COOLER and tolerable temperatures return starting Sunday, along with a chance of showers/storms Sunday into Monday.

The drought continues to be the other big story. Much of Indiana is either in severe or extreme drought conditions. 

A couple farmers are ALREADY cutting down the corn due to the severe drought causing devastating damage to the crops. This picture was snapped by Bam Chase Team.

Here is your 7-day forecast:

INTENSE HEAT WAVE CONTINUES!

Good morning. Thanks for choosing my blog for your weather source! No doubt about it, we have seen incredible heat for awhile now, and it's not ending anytime soon! For most areas, we have to go all the way back to 1936 as the last time we had a heat wave this intense. Highs today through Saturday will be near 100 degrees each day. The heat indices could be as high as 105 each day. 


ANY STORM CHANCES? We do have about a 20% chance of scattered storms this afternoon. Similar to the past several days, most areas will continue to stay dry. Areas across northern Indiana could see a couple severe storms, with the chance of damaging winds and hail in the stronger storms. Looking ahead at the rest of the week, storm chances look very low. about a 10% chance tomorrow through Saturday.


4TH OF JULY: If you have plans to head out to the 4th of July fireworks in downtown Indy tomorrow, be prepared for the heat! Highs tomorrow will top out at 100°, with about a 10-20% chance of a pop-up storm through sunset. The heat will hold on for the evening. Temps will remain in the 90's through 9pm, then drop in the middle 80's by 10-11pm.


If you're looking for a cool-down, we may be looking at an end to the heat wave next week, with increased storm chances Sunday on, with temperatures possibly dropping into the upper 80's by the middle of next week, but I say that very cautiously! 


Keep staying cool. Have a great day.