SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB) – The clouds are breaking apart giving way to some hazy sunshine this afternoon. However the sun will add fuel to the fire leading to showers and storms this afternoon. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 10 pm.
Thunderstorms are firing up across eastern New York and it looks as though they will make their way into western Mass later this afternoon. The best chance of seeing some of theses storms will be between 2-8 pm. First across the Berkshires then into the valley.
A couple of storms could be strong to severe with damaging winds, and large hail. Any storm could be accompanied with torrential rains as well. Be sure to take it end doors if you see storm clouds rolling in.
Here is a reminder as to what makes a thunderstorm severe:
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB)- The Storm Prediction Center has placed all of western Massachusetts and southern New England under a slight risk for Severe Weather this afternoon.
A warm front will lift through the area this morning as clouds break to some sunshine. It will become warm and muggy later on as well. The return to the heat and humidity will lead to afternoon showers and thunderstorms. A few storms could be strong to severe with damaging winds and large hail. The Storm Prediction Center gives us a 2% chance for a tornado to develop, which is low. The best chance for getting hit with a storm will between 3 pm – 9 pm. The main concern with these storms will be the potential for large hail and damaging winds. These storms will also contain torrential downpours that could lead to some areas of flash flooding.
Criteria for a Severe Thunderstorm: Wind gusts over 58 mph, Hail larger than 1″ in diameter, a storm produces a tornado.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB) – More severe weather is expected across the middle part of the country. The greatest area of concern today will be from Dallas to Little Rock including southeast Oklahoma and northwest Louisiana. More violent weather with damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes are likely.
Western Mass. Severe Weather Threat: A back door cold front sliding in off the Atlantic will drift towards western Mass then stall across Worcester County. This will keep us in the warm, muggy air mass this afternoon. This front will become the focal point for some thunderstorm activity. We are not expecting a severe weather out break however we could see a couple of strong to perhaps severe storms later this afternoon. Severe weather will be the exception and not the rule. The best chance for any shower or thunderstorm activity will mostly likely be from 3 pm to 9 pm this afternoon/evening. Anyone of these storms could produce heavy rain, small hail and gusty winds. Be sure to head inside if you clouds building. Don’t cancel the outdoor plans but be prepared to bring things inside in short notice.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB) It certainly was a cold start this morning. Temperatures fell into the upper 20′s and lower 30′s across western Mass. In fact, out at the Westover Air Reserve Base where the official temperatures for the area are kept, the temperature fell to 28 degrees. Cold enough to break a record for today’s date, May 15th, breaking the old record of 30 degrees set back in 1996. This is the first record low recorded at Westover in 2013.
Here are some unofficial low temperatures across western Mass.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB) – Check out this video sent to us by Glen in Springfield.
It shows a dust devil that spun up Wednesday afternoon at Blunt Park in Springfield.
A dust devil is formed when a rising column of warm air rushes into a pocket of cool air. The process causes the air to rotate due to the conserved angular momentum.
This rising and rotating column of air picks up dust and debris like a tornado, creating a dust devil.
Just like other types of weather phenomena, dust devils depend on three conditions
The first is flat arid ground or asphalt. This type of ground allows for easy absorption of heat in order to create a constant source of rising warm air.
The next thing needed is a clear sky with few clouds. This allows for the maximum amount of solar energy needed to make warm air currents.
The final requirement is that there be little or no wind. This is because extreme differences between surface and air temperature are needed to make a dust devil.
All this week conditions have been ideal for Dust Devil to form.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB) Things have not only been dry over the last couple of weeks but since the beginning of the year western Mass. is running a rainfall deficit.
We are about 6″ below normal for the year. According to the U.S Drought Monitor the area is abnormally dry (D0) which is the least critical out of the five levels of drought intensity.
If we receive a couple of healthy rainfalls over the next month or so we will be close to normal levels as we head into the summer so things are not critical yet.
Here is a link to the U.S. Drought Monitor http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/monitor.html
U.S. Drought Monitor Intensity Scale:
D0- Abnormally dry
D1- Moderate
D2- Severe
D3-Extreme
D4-Exceptional
Here are the rain totals for Springfield since January
January: 1.85, -2.61
February: 3.55, +.39
March: 2.52, -1.67
April: 1.68, -2.61
Total deficit, 6.35″ since the beginning of the year.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB) - After five days in a row of sunshine and beautiful conditions, we had to “deal with” some cloudiness yesterday but the rain stayed away.
Today, it’s back to the sunshine and beautiful conditions. However, the nice weather comes at a price.
This time of year, with sunshine and warm temperatures, comes high levels of pollen.
The main culprit this time of year is tree pollen, but grass pollen is on the rise too.
It looks as though pollen levels will stay very high through the next several days since there is no meaningful rain in the forecast.
Enjoy the nice weather but be sure to have your favorite antihistamine handy.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB)- With clear skies the full moon will be lighting up the country side this evening. The full moon in April is call the “pink” moon. It came up at 7:52 this evening and will be a sight to see!
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB)- What a difference a day makes! It was cold and cloudy on Tuesday and yesterday, it was sunny and warm. With a raw easterly wind on Tuesday, temperatures stayed mainly in the 40′s but with sunshine and a southerly wind temperatures yesterday shot into the 70′s.
In Springfield it was the warmest day of the spring, so far, with a high temperature of 76. On Tuesday, Worcester broke a record daily low-high temperature for April 23rd. The high in Worcester only reached 37.
Here is a list of high temperatures on Tuesday & Wednesday:
SPRINGFIELD, Mass (WGGB)- abc40 First Warning Meteorologist Dan Brown paid a visit to The Margaret Ells School in Springfield on Tuesday. Dan spoke with Ms. Christine O’Connors kindergarten class. They talked about all kinds of weather from snow and rain to thunderstorms. If you would like Dan to pay a visit to your school you can send him an email to [email protected].
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB)- Over the past few weeks I’ve had a lot of people ask me when it was finally going to get warm. I have to remind them that April isn’t suppose to be warm. I know everyone is anxious to pull out the shorts and t-shirts but that isn’t what April is all about. Shorts and t-shirts may have been fitting attire last year but last year was exceptional. Last April we were spoiled with unusually warm conditions. In fact, last Patriots’ Day we hit a record breaking 92 degrees!
More often then not April is a cool, breezy month with lots of showers and even some wintry weather. The snow and sleet that some of us saw last Friday is not unusual for this time of year. Average high temperatures in April start in the lower 50′s and rise into the mid-60′s, by months end. April’s temperatures are equal to that of October 15th through November 15th, just in reverse.
We must remember spring, just like fall, is a transitional season. Going from winter to summer is a process. One that starts cold and finishes hot. For every two steps forward towards summer we take one step back to winter. Most would say this weekend was breezy and cool, and it was. But the reality is that temperatures both weekend days were into the middle 50′s, which is not to far from normal and just a few weeks ago, would have been considered a “heat wave.”
Yes, it wasn’t the ideal weekend but April isn’t the ideal month. At least not if you’re looking for nice, warm weather on a consistent bases. For this we must wait a few more weeks into our journey towards summer. There is plenty of warm weather down the road we just have to be patient!
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB) – It will be nearly ideal running conditions for the thousands of runners heading to Boston to take part in the historic Boston Marathon.
It will be cool with lots of clouds and very little wind at the starting line, in Hopkinton. Temperatures will be in the middle 40s. As the runners make their way into Boston temperatures will stay cool with a very slight, easterly, head wind. temperatures in Boston will stay mainly in the lower 50′s, as the runners cross the finish line.
If you’re going to Boston to cheer on the runners or you’re heading to the Sox game make sure you dress warm. Good luck to all the runners. Dan Brown
It will continue to be a mainly cloudy, cool afternoon. A few sprinkles and showers will move through but most of the afternoon will remain dry. A northerly breeze will help keep the chill in the air. Temperatures will top off in the low to mid 50′s in the valley but stay stuck in the 40′s across the hill towns.
Showers will become more widespread overnight while at the same time cool air continues drain in. This could lead to an icy mix across the hill towns and Berkshires. In fact, The National Weather Service has posted A Winter Weather Advisory for Berkshire County from 10 pm this evening through noon tomorrow. Most of us will see just plain rain but across the higher terrain there could be a few icy spots late tonight into tomorrow morning.
The main area of low pressure will continue to spin into Canada but a secondary low pressure system will develop off the New Jersey coast. This storm will slide south of New England during the day tomorrow. This will bring in the heavy precipitation while at the same time lock in the cold air.
Rain will be heavy at times tomorrow. It will stay chilly too with temperatures only near 40, along with a gusty breeze. There will continue to be few snowflakes or ice pellets mixing in across the higher terrain with accumulating snow likely across New Hampshire & Maine. A solid inch of rain is likely for most of us during the day tomorrow. The heaviest rain will fall from 9 pm to 5 pm. There could be some minor flooding on roads ways and areas of poor drainage.
The rain will wind down to showers tomorrow evening, followed by a cool but fairly bright weekend. Temperatures over the weekend will top off mainly in the 50′s, along with a cool breeze. There could be a late day shower on Saturday with a few snowflakes Saturday night. Sunday is looking breezy and cool with some sun.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB) — Meteorologists from Colorado State University predict an above-average 2013 Atlantic hurricane season, with 18 tropical storms, of which 9 will be hurricanes.
A typical year, based on weather records that go back to 1950, has 12 tropical storms, of which 7 are hurricanes.
A tropical storm has sustained winds of 39 miles per hour. It becomes a hurricane when its winds reach 74 mph.
The prediction was released Wednesday morning by meteorologists Philip Klotzbach and William Gray at Colorado State University’s Tropical Meteorology Project.
Gray’s team was the first organization to issue seasonal hurricane forecasts back in 1984; this is the team’s 30th seasonal hurricane forecast.
The team’s forecast in 2012 — 10 named storms and 4 hurricanes — was far below what actually occurred: Last year, 19 storms formed, including 10 hurricanes. This included Hurricane Sandy, which slammed the New Jersey coast last October. Three straight Atlantic hurricane seasons have had 19 storms.
This forecast is for the Atlantic basin, which includes the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Klotzbach says that of the 9 predicted hurricanes, 4 should be major hurricanes — Categories 3, 4 or 5 — with sustained wind speeds of 111 mph or greater.
