3/7 - 7:45pm - Heavy Rain, Just in Time for Spring Break

A cold front moving Mississippi on Friday will bring some heavy rain to the area, but this will come after some warm temperatures in the mid 70's and showers on Thursday in Starkville. Temperatures will only get into the 50's on Friday as the front moves through, but the weekend should be warmer as southerly flow returns highs into the 60's. A few showers may linger into Saturday, but Sunday and Monday look to be very rainy right now in the Golden Triangle. The bulk of the rain will move out on Tuesday, but multiple shortwave disturbances aloft will trigger more shower chances throughout next week. By the time we're done with the heaviest rain on Monday we could be talking about well over two inches of rain accumulation. A lot of folks are saying "of course it would rain" for the start of spring break here at Mississippi State. Parts of West Tennessee could see three or more and the Delta region of Mississippi could go four inches plus according to the HPC's outlook on the left. That's a pretty big rain event!

Today's Mississippi State weather forecast video is not a typical one because our broadcast meteorology class did some challenging exercises today. My video below features a graphics lineup with few slides thrown in that I did not know about until they popped up on the screen. This is a great way to practice ad-libbing and prepare for situations when weather graphics programs malfunction on air. I think I was able to hold it together pretty well considering that I had to navigate a weather show that had no numbers in it and some redundant graphics. Check it out!

Tomorrow I leave with the Mississippi State University Distinguished Scholars on a trip to Atlanta, Georgia. We'll be there for the next few days touring the city and visiting a couple universities. Should be a fun trip! I'll be on my way to Louisville after we get back to enjoy the rest of my spring break. It's been almost two months since I've been home, so spring break is a welcome reward for all the hard work I've been doing lately!

7/3 - 12:30pm - Fantastic Fourth Forecasts

A cold front sliding southward through Indiana and Kentucky this morning has triggered some thunderstorms in Southwest Indiana that likely won't make it to the Louisville area this afternoon, but more storms could develop later on. While any storm that forms this afternoon could have heavy rain, lightning, and some gusty winds, most if not all will stay below severe limits. Temperatures are already in the upper 80's around the Louisville area, so a high near 93 today looks good at this point.

How about those Fourth of July forecasts? Hot and humid will be the rule for most locations, but scattered afternoon thunderstorms covering quite a large area could drench a few of those outdoor barbecues. The storms will be large in coverage due to a trough hanging around the eastern half of the US and a stationary front near the Ohio River.


Here are some Independence Day forecasts for selected regional locations from the National Weather Service:

Louisville, KY: Partly Sunny | 89 degrees | 40% afternoon storms
Lexington, KY: Partly Sunny | 86 degrees | 40% afternoon storms
Evansville, IN: Mostly Cloudy | 87 degrees | 50% afternoon storms
Indianapolis, IN: Mostly Sunny | 85 degrees
Cincinnati, OH: Partly Sunny | 86 degrees | 20% afternoon storms
Jackson, TN: Mostly Sunny | 93 degrees | 30% afternoon storms
Memphis, TN: Mostly Sunny | 95 degrees | 30% afternoon storms
Nashville, TN: Mostly Cloudy | 92 degrees | 30% afternoon storms
Knoxville, TN: Partly Sunny | 91 degrees | 40% afternoon storms
Tupelo, MS: Mostly Sunny | 96 degrees | 20% afternoon storms
Starkville, MS: Mostly Sunny | 96 degrees | 20% afternoon storms
Jackson, MS: Mostly Sunny | 97 degrees | 30% afternoon storms
Birmingham, AL: Partly Sunny | 94 degrees | 30% afternoon storms
Atlanta, GA: Mostly Sunny | 94 degrees | 50% afternoon storms