Did you know that starting in June, the wireless industry, FEMA and the FCC are going to send you free wireless emergency alerts over your smart phone?

Click here for all the details: Wireless Emergency Alerts

So basically, when a tornado warning is issued by the National Weather Service, the cell phone towers will know if you are in the path of the storm based on your location and you will receive a text message.

I think this is a great service to the public, but what about severe thunderstorms that produce winds up to 80 mph and softball size hail?  If you are not by the television and since the Wireless Emergency Alerts don’t activate for Severe Thunderstorms, how are you supposed to stay informed?

The answer to this question is simple: Sign up for WANE Text Alerts.  Our text alerts include severe thunderstorm warnings which can produce similar damage to small or weak tornadoes.

Cooler air out of the north will be in the area through Wednesday afternoon. Highs will be in the lower 70s which is normal for this time of year. Temperatures will continue this cooling trend overnight as lows will fall into the lower 40s by Thursday morning.

Temperatures will warm quickly with dry air across the region on Thursday as highs will be in the middle to upper 70s.

This drier, cooler change will not last long with a warm front moving into the region on Friday changing the drier mild air flow from the north to the south. This will force highs into the 80s by Friday and this warm up will last through the weekend.

Our next chance of shower will not be until early next week.

Standard Weather Service Rain Gauge

Are you a weather enthusiast and want to be a part of an important weather reporting network?  Well, if you do, the National Weather Service is looking for you.

Click here for the details: COOP weather observer search in Southern Kosciusko County

“The National Weather Service (NWS) Northern Indiana Office is looking for an individual or business to take over the weather observing duties in the following areas

• Southern Kosciusko County in Indiana

The NWS COOP program consists of more than 11,000 volunteers taking observations on farms, in urban and suburban areas, National Parks, seashores, and mountaintops. COOP observational data supports the NWS climate program and field operations. Its mission is two-fold:

• To provide observational meteorological data, usually consisting of daily maximum and minimum temperatures, snowfall, and 24-hour precipitation totals, required to define the climate of the United States and to help measure long-term climate changes
• To provide observational meteorological data in near real-time to support forecast, warning and other public service programs of the NWS.

There are many uses for the weather observations collected and archived. Just a few are…insurance industry, consultants, engineers, medical, transportation, communications industry, agriculture, and many more.  The volunteer observer would be required to take a daily observation of rainfall and snowfall and submit that to the NWS either by phone or via a web page.  All equipment, materials, and training will be provided by the NWS.  If you are interested and live in/near any of the areas listed above, please call Brentley Lothamer at 574-834-1104 ext. 327 or e-mail at Brentley.Lothamer@noaa.gov for further details.”

Even though Tuesday was only the 4th day in the 80s this month, we are still running about 6° above average.  As I type this blog post, I am tracking some cooler air that is moving across Wisconsin.  This “Cold Front” may trigger an isolated shower or thunderstorm later this evening, mainly during the overnight hours.  The best chance of rain will be in the Lake Country, with Fort Wayne only seeing less than a 20% chance of rain.

You should notice the difference in the temperatures for Wednesday with highs in the lower 70s under a mostly sunny sky.  Our sky will stay mostly sunny for the remainder of the week with a steady warm up into the upper 70s for Thursday and the lower 80s for Friday.

Once we get to the weekend, look for highs back in the upper 80s with a hint of humidity.  Most of the weekend is dry, but isolated thunderstorms are possible for Sunday evening, again, only a 20% chance here.

Our best chance of rain comes on Monday and Tuesday as the jet stream becomes a little more active.  When you combine this with higher humidity, you of the recipe for higher rain chances.

It will be another warm and mild day across the region and rainfall is still elusive for the next several days. Temperatures will be around 80 this afternoon.

A weak weather system will move through overnight over spreading a few clouds across the area with highs falling into the lower 70s Wednesday which is typical for this time of year. This weather system will bring chilly temperatures overnight into Thursday morning as lows may be in the lower 40s.

We will continue the dry and warmer pattern through the weekend with very low rainfall chances through Monday of next week.

When I think of Mid May in Indiana, I think of showers and thunderstorms, not sunny and dry weather.  Our weather pattern right now is almost looking like a summer like pattern with a ridge of high pressure to our west blocking any significant rain makers from moving through the area.

I guess if it is going to be dry, we might as well enjoy the mild weather that is coming also.  Look for a high temperature near 80° for Tuesday under a mostly sunny sky.  This is about 10° above what we expect for this time of the year.

A very weak cold front will move through Tuesday night and it will trigger some isolated showers and thunderstorms across the area, but you will notice that we don’t have any rain chances on the 7 day planner.

Wednesday will be the coolest day of of the work week with a high in the lower 70s, which is just about average for this time of the year.  By the end of the week, 80s will return and by the end of the weekend, humidity and isolated thunderstorms will also return.

Palmer Drought Index

Dry may not be all good news as we continue with a real rain shortage across the area. This is what is called the Palmer Drought Index for April. It shows that our area is in an ‘extreme drought’ with rainfall almost three inches below the normal. This is troubling news since April is one of our wettest months of the year.

While it’s good news that farm crops are way ahead of schedule in planting for the year the bad news is that there is now water to help them grow. In fact for may we are already almost an inch below average as we’ve had no measurable rainfall for the first 14 days. The results for last month and beginning of growing season are more troubling.  The National Weather Service begins spring precipitation measurements in March and since March first we’ve had 4.99″ and we should have had 7.75″ that’s a deficit of 2.76″.

Over the winter we experienced near normal snowfall, but we were still about 2 inches below our normal.

It doesn’t look like much of a change over the short or medium range forecast for this week as rainfall chances are very minimal for the entire period and temperatures will be well above normal which will allow any moisture to dry even more quickly.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there… including mine   Fortunately the rain held off for much of the day today, but it looks as though those showers are starting to form.  A few pop up showers could still be seen through the evening.

This system will quickly move out and skies will clear for most of the work week.  Temperatures will also be well above normal this week.  Take a look at Monday and Tuesday’s high temps.

Futurecast Temps - Monday Highs

Futurecast Temps - Tuesday Highs

80′s could even be seen by the end of the week!

As you take Mom out and about today, have an umbrella ready for her as scattered showers are possible today.  While much of the day will be dry, the scattered rain chance will continue into the evening.  Even though the rain potential will exit, the mostly cloudy conditions we have in place will remain through tomorrow.  The week starts with highs in the 70s, increasing to the 80s by the end of the week.

Saturday wasn’t too bad of a day.  Although there was plenty of clouds, the rain stayed away.  Sunday the rain will finally make it’s way into our area.  Futurecast shows the rain moving in around the noon hour.

Futurecast - Sunday 1 pm

Scattered showers will then continue trough the afternoon.  By evening, showers will begin to clear up a bit.

Futurecast - Sunday 5 pm

Heading overnight, there will still be a few clouds early, but skies will clear by morning.

Futurecast - Sunday 10 pm