Hazy sun and clouds today, pop-up thunder (mainly north and west of the city this morning, area-wide late this afternoon and evening.)

Highs today:  81 to 85 degrees from suburb to city.

Winds:  VRB to W 5 -10 mph..

9 P.M. temperature  FIREWORKS viewing

Around 75 degrees.

Lows tonight near 68 degrees.

The 4th of July's cold front has stalled, causing the threat of pop-up thunderstorms to linger throughout the entire holiday weekend.   

Meteorologist David Aldrich, 6:00 AM, 7/4/2008

High clouds, hot sun, and breezy today.

As the temperature goes UP, dew points will drop this afternoon (only to come back up after the sun goes down tonight).  Translation ?  It's really not going to be that humid today.  Hot, yes.  Real humid, no.

Highs today:  87 to 91 degrees from suburb to city.

Winds:  SSW 10 -20 mph, gusts to 25.  Breezy.

Isolated T-storm late on Friday.

The 4th of July's cold front will stall, causing the threat of pop-up thunderstorms to linger throughout the entire holiday weekend.   

Meteorologist David Aldrich, 6:00 AM, 7/32/2008

If I was a resident of southeastern New England, I would be absoutely irritated. Severe Thunderstorms have occured in a widespread area in the Massachusetts and Connecticut area day after day. Yet, there has been NO severe thunderstorm watch for the area. The area has been NEGLECTED by the STORM PREDICTION CENTER.

The local WFO has issued warnings and Storm Reports have had 10-20 or more reports each day. This is UNEXCEPTABLE for the STORM PREDICTION CENTER to get away with this!

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER MUST GIVE POWER to the National Weather Service office to let them issue the watches for severe weather.

NATIONAL FORECASTERS can't forecast well locally because they miss out on terrain and related effects.

Doug

Planets Align for the 4th of July 

July 1, 2008: News Flash: On 4th of July weekend, NASA forecasts lights in the sky.

No, not those lights. Look beyond the fireworks. Almost halfway up the western sky, just above the twilight glow of sunset, a trio of worlds is gathering: Saturn, Mars and the crescent Moon.

Above: Fireworks over Jodrell Bank, England, on the 2008 summer solstice. Photo credit: Andrew Greenwood.

The show gets going on Friday, July 4th. Red Mars and ringed Saturn converge just to the left of the bright star Regulus. The three lights make a pretty 1st-magnitude line in the heavens: sky map.

But that is just the beginning. On Saturday, July 5th, with weekend fireworks at fever pitch, a lovely crescent Moon joins the show. Saturn, Mars, and the Moon trace an even brighter line than the night before: sky map.

Scan a small telescope along the line. You'll see Saturn's rings, the little red disk of Mars, a grand sweep of lunar mountains and craters, and just maybe—flash!—a manmade incendiary. How often do you see fireworks through a telescope?

This is, however, more than just a flashy gathering of planets—it is also a gathering of spaceships and robots.

Each of the three worlds is orbited or inhabited by probes from Earth. Saturn has the Cassini spacecraft, studying the gas giant's storms, moons and rings. The Moon has two probes in orbit: Kaguya from Japan and Chang'e-1 from China. The pair, operating independently, are mapping the Moon and scanning for resources in advance of future human landings. NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will join them later this year.

Right: An artist's concept of Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter slated to launch later this year. [more]

Mars has more probes than the others combined. Three active satellites orbit the red planet: Europe's Mars Express and NASA's Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The three not only study Mars with their own instruments, but also form a satellite network in support of NASA's Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity and Mars lander Phoenix.

None of these mechanical specks are visible in a backyard telescope, but they are there, heralds of a growing human presence in the solar system. Tell that to your buddy at the fireworks show!

During the short night of July 5th, the Moon glides past Mars and Saturn so that nightfall on Sunday, July 6th, brings a different arrangement—a scalene triangle. The triad is easy to find in the hours after sunset. Look west and let the Moon be your guide: sky map.

In the nights that follow, the Moon exits stage left, leaving the others behind. Don't stop watching, though. Saturn and Mars are converging for their closest encounter of the next 14 years. After nightfall on Thursday, July 10th, the two planets will be just ¾ of a degree apart, snug enough to fit behind the tip of your pinky finger held at arm's length: sky map.

Now that's spectacular—no fireworks required.

Author: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit: Science@NASA

High pressure will win out today with mostly sunny skies expected.

As dew points settle into the 50s today, the humidity will remain low.

Highs today:  83 to 87 degrees from suburb to city.

Winds:  NW to W 5 -15 mph.

Highs will continue in the 80s until tomorrow.  High on Thursday ?  91 degrees.  Hot sun, breezy.

The 4th of July's cold front will stall, causing the threat of pop-up thunderstorms to linger throughout the entire holiday weekend.

Meteorologist David Aldrich, 5:30 AM, 7/2/2008

MESOSCALE DISCUSSION 1652
   NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
   1119 AM CDT TUE JUL 01 2008
  
   AREAS AFFECTED...EASTERN PA/NJ/SOUTHERN NY INTO SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND
  
   CONCERNING...SEVERE POTENTIAL...WATCH UNLIKELY
  
   VALID 011619Z - 011845Z
  
   AN ISOLATED/MARGINALLY SEVERE HAIL AND STRONG WIND GUST THREAT WILL
   DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS PORTIONS OF EASTERN PA/NJ/SOUTHERN NY
   INTO PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND. GIVEN THE ANTICIPATED
   MARGINAL/ISOLATED NATURE OF THE RISK...A SEVERE TSTM WATCH IS NOT
   ANTICIPATED.
  
   VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY AT MIDDAY REFLECTS DEEPENING BOUNDARY
   LAYER CUMULUS ESPECIALLY ACROSS EASTERN PA/SOUTHEAST NY INTO
   CT/MA...AS CONVECTIVE TEMPERATURES ARE ALREADY BEING REACHED /AROUND
   80F PER ALBANY AND NEW YORK CITY 12Z OBSERVED RAOBS/ AMIDST AMPLE
   INSOLATION. WHILE BOUNDARY LAYER CONVERGENCE WILL REMAIN
   MODEST...TSTMS ARE LIKELY TO DEVELOP/INCREASE IN COVERAGE ACROSS
   PORTIONS OF EASTERN PA/NJ/SOUTHERN NY INTO SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND
   THROUGH EARLY/MID AFTERNOON OWING TO THE PROXIMITY OF THE UPPER
   TROUGH AND A WARM/MOIST AND MODESTLY UNSTABLE/WEAKLY CAPPED BOUNDARY
   LAYER. WITH LOWER 60S F SURFACE DEWPOINTS IN MOST LOCALES...MODIFIED
   12Z RAOBS IN CONJUNCTION WITH LATEST RUC SOUNDINGS SUGGEST POTENTIAL
   FOR MLCAPE TO 500-900 J/KG THIS AFTERNOON. WITH RELATIVELY COOL MID
   LEVEL TEMPERATURES /-AROUND -14C AT 500 MB/ IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE
   UPPER TROUGH...STEEP LOW TO MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES AND AFOREMENTIONED
   MODEST BUOYANCY ARE SUGGESTIVE OF A SEVERE HAIL RISK. SOME GUSTY
   WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE AS WELL OWING TO A WARM/WELL-MIXED BOUNDARY
   LAYER. MARGINAL NATURE OF THE TOTAL BUOYANCY AND MODEST/LARGELY
   UNIDIRECTIONAL VERTICAL SHEAR OF 30-35 KT SUGGEST THE OVERALL THREAT
   SHOULD REMAIN FAIRLY ISOLATED/MARGINAL IN NATURE...AND THUS A WATCH
   IS NOT CURRENTLY ANTICIPATED.
  
   ..GUYER.. 07/01/2008
  
  
   ATTN...WFO...GYX...BOX...OKX...ALY...PHI...BGM...CTP...

  
   40047456 39777552 39987684 41007645 42367472 42997134
   41587103 40847377

Now I know what you're thinking.  This is a shameless plug.  True.  But it's also free food for those of you who want to play along.  Enjoy ! 

--- David

P.S.  Happy 4th of July !

CLICK HERE

____________________________________________

KFC ASKS AMERICA: IS IT “HOTTER THAN HELL?”

***

 Kentucky Fried Chicken Turns Up the Heat this Summer by Offering

Free Hot Wings™ in Communities with Temperatures Topping Those in Hell, Mich.

LOUISVILLE, Ky., June 30, 2008 – Kentucky Fried Chicken wants to know: Is it really hotter than Hell this summer?

In honor of the spicy, bold taste of the brand’s signature KFC Hot Wings, the world’s largest chicken chain announced today that Americans living in cities and towns that record temperatures hotter than those in Hell, Mich., have a chance to win free Hot Wings. The “Hotter than Hell” offer is for a five-day period beginning today and ending July 4.

Hell, Mich., population 70, in the southeast corner of the Wolverine state, will be the finger-lickin’ good focus of fried chicken fans from coast to coast this week. Residents nationwide in one of the 50 United States or District of Columbia are encouraged to visit KFC.com to check the temperature in Hell and see how their community’s mercury matches up. If local temperatures are “Hotter than Hell,” individuals can register to win free KFC Hot Wings. The first 500 people who register their hometown’s temperature as “Hotter than Hell” at KFC.com between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. ET each day will win.

To monitor the temperature of Hell, KFC – with the help of Colonel Sanders – installed an oversized thermometer on the exterior of the town’s general store.

A large brick of cement fell through the roof of a house in Naro-Fominsk, Russia, creating a hole approximately three feet in diameter.

Ironically, the cement was part of a program instituted by the Russian Air Force to create good weather on holidays near the nation’s capital.  A dozen planes were dispatched to drop silver iodide, liquid nitrogen, and cement powder into the clouds.  The project aimed to promote rainfall that would dry the atmosphere prior to important dates.

Weather modification is nothing new.  Many programs to increase rainfall or reduce the size of hailstones are in place here in the United States.  Most of these programs are centered in the Midwest and Desert Southwest where water availability is a concern.

There is some debate, however, around the effectiveness of such programs.  One of the most famous weather modification programs carried out by the United States was Project Stormfury, which ran from 1962 to 1983.  During this time, hurricanes were seeded with silver iodide in an effort to reduce the strength of storms that were close to making landfall.  The program was discontinued in the 1980’s, as there was little evidence to determine if the program had any real impact on the strength of the storms.

What is your thought?  Should we continue to investigate ways to control when it rains?  How would you react to a three–foot brick of cement in your roof?

MORE on the Russian weather modification accident

MORE on the background of weather modification

MORE on weather modification programs (including videos)

MORE on Project Stormfury

Sunday's cold front, which has stalled off the Jersey shore, is proving to be a bit more resilient.  A weak trough to our West near Pittsburgh will be moving toward Philly this afternoon.

Therefore, an isolated T-storm this afternoon / early evening  (3 PM to 7 PM) will be possible.

Highs today:  79 to 83 degrees from suburb to city.

Winds:  WSW 5 -10 mph.

Highs will continue in the 80s until Thursday.  

Meteorologist David Aldrich, 5:30 AM, 7/1/2008

I scream for ice cream, especially around the 4th of July.  But does anyone actually scream for whipped cream ?  I didn't think so.

I have been saving this article for a warm summer day.  It's a bit technical, but very informative.  And believe it or not, physics and fluid dynamics play a tremendous part in the study of meteorology. 

Enjoy !

---- David

____________________________

The Physics of Whipped Cream

Let's do a little science experiment. If you have a can of whipped cream in the fridge, go get it out. Spray a generous dollop into a spoon and watch carefully.

Notice anything interesting? The whipped cream just did something rather puzzling. First it flowed smoothly out of the nozzle like a liquid would, and then, a moment later, it perched rigidly in the spoon as if it were solid. What made it change?

(While you're pondering this question, insert spoon into mouth, in the name of science.)

Whipped cream performs this rapid changing act because of a phenomenon called "shear thinning." When part of the foam is forced to slide or "shear" past the rest of the foam, the foam "thins." It becomes less like honey and more like water, allowing it to flow easily until the shearing stops.

Shear thinning occurs in many substances--e.g., ketchup, blood, motor oil, paint, liquid polymers such as molten plastic--and it is often crucial to how a substance is used. For instance, excessive shear thinning of motor oil is unwanted because it reduces the oil's ability to protect engines from wear, while shear thinning of paint allows it to flow smoothly from the brush but stay put on the wall. It also allows ketchup to flow from the bottle but not drip off your french fries.

Yet, for years, scientists have asked themselves the same question you just did: What made it change? The inner workings of shear thinning are not fully understood.

"Details depend on interactions in the fluid at the molecular level and those interactions can be devilishly complex," says fluid physicist Robert Berg of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. "Even for very simple fluids, fundamental theories have never been directly verified."

Until now. The first real-world confirmation of a theory for how shear thinning works in a simple fluid has come from an experiment that flew aboard the final flight of Space Shuttle Columbia.

"We showed that a leading theory is basically correct, " says Greg Zimmerli, Project Scientist for the experiment at NASA's Glenn Research Center. "This is an important step," adds Berg, the experiment's principal investigator.

Most of the data from the experiment, called Critical Viscosity of Xenon-2 (CVX-2), was beamed down to scientists on the ground before the shuttle's destruction during reentry into Earth's atmosphere. Remarkably, the hard drive from the experiment survived the disaster and was found amid the wreckage, and technicians were able to recover the rest of the data.

Above: The thumbnail-sized patch of "window screen" suspended between the electrodes is the paddle that stirred the CVX-2 xenon sample.

CVX-2 was designed to study shear thinning in xenon, a substance used in lamps and ion rocket engines. Xenon is chemically inert, so its molecules consist of a single atom -- it's about as close as you can get to the flying billiard balls of an idealized gas or liquid. Unlike whipped cream, which is made of long, complicated organic molecules, xenon would be relatively easy to understand.

"It's a simpler fluid for the theorists to try to grasp," Zimmerli says.

Simple liquids like xenon don't normally experience shear thinning. They're either thick or thin, and they stay that way. But this changes near the "critical point" -- a special combination of temperature and pressure where fluids can exist as both a liquid and a gas simultaneously. At their critical point, simple fluids are able to "shear-thin" (a verb) just like whipped cream does.

Below: The phase diagram for xenon illustrates the concept of critical point -- the highest temperature and pressure at which xenon can exist as a liquid and a gas at the same time.

Xenon at the critical point resembles a hazy fog, a slurry of microscopic pockets of slightly higher or lower density. These tiny regions of varying density are constantly appearing and disappearing in a seething froth, giving the pure xenon some of the structural complexity of mixtures like blood.

CVX-2 had to be done in space: Critical-point fluids are easily compressed. On Earth they collapse under their own weight and become denser at the bottom. In orbital free-fall those differences vanish -- a key requirement for a good experiment.

To test shear thinning, CVX-2 adjusted the temperature and pressure in a small cylinder to bring xenon to its critical point, and then gently stirred the fluid with a nickel-screen paddle. By measuring how strongly the fluid resisted the movement of this paddle, the experiment could determine the xenon's thickness. CVX-2 searched for changes in this thickness as it slowly changed the speed of the stirring and the temperature of the fluid.

Results nicely matched the predictions of dynamic mode-coupling theory. "This more fundamental understanding could help us build better theories for shear thinning in fluids more complex than xenon," Zimmerli says.

That would be good news for, say, engineers who want to design high-performance oils for automobiles or manufacturers who would like to create liquid plastics with just the right shear thinning properties for a particular mold. The sky's the limit.

Whether it would be possible to improve whipped cream, however, is highly debatable.

Editor: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit: Science@NASA

April 25, 2008

Well New Jersey and Delaware really got slammed in this severe weather event. The local storm report is not out yet with updated information, but there has been wind damage in Southern New Jersey per electric companies and severe thunderstorm warning statements.

Today, there is lingering instability, especially east of Philadelphia for isolated thunderstorms this afternoon and this evening. The front will become stalled near or just offshore and a disturbance will march through from the west. So every location has a chance of showers and thunderstorms today. Also, this morning, enough instability exists for rain showers in Southeastern New Jersey and Delaware.

Some thunderstorms could be severe with damaging winds and perhaps some marginally severe hail. The severity of the storms will depend upon the organization of them.

Doug

With yesterday's cold front stalling off the Jersey shore and another upper-air disturbance holding back in the Ohio River Valley, the chance of an isolated thunderstorm this afternoon will be possible as well.

Highs today:  83 to 87 degrees from suburb to city.

Winds:  WSW 5 -15 mph.

The humidity should be dropping over the next several days, as this storm system eventually moves further away.  Highs will continue in the 80s until Thursday.  

Meteorologist David Aldrich, 4:40 AM, 6/30/2008

MESOSCALE DISCUSSION 1641
   NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
   0830 PM CDT SUN JUN 29 2008
  
   AREAS AFFECTED...PORTIONS SWRN THROUGH NRN VA...S-CENTRAL/ERN
   PA...MD...ERN WV...DE...ERN NY...NJ...DC...VT...WRN CT...WRN MA.
  
   CONCERNING...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 643...645...
  
   VALID 300130Z - 300330Z
  
   THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
   643...645...CONTINUES.
  
   SEVERAL BANDS OF STG-SVR TSTMS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE MOVING EWD
   ACROSS WW AREAS DURING REMAINDER EVENING.  MOST CONCENTRATED SVR
   POTENTIAL -- MAINLY DAMAGING WIND WITH ISOLATED HAIL -- WILL BE
   ASSOCIATED WITH PRIMARY CONVECTIVE BAND...EVIDENT AT 0110Z FROM
   CLINTON COUNTY NY SWWD TO CUMBERLAND COUNTY PA.  FAVORABLE FACTORS
   WILL INCLUDE DEEP-LAYER KINEMATIC PROFILES -- E.G. 0-6 KM SHEAR
   MAGNITUDES 40-50 KT...AND SUBSTANTIAL NORMALCY OF MEAN WIND
   COMPONENT RELATIVE TO ANY N-S OR NNW-SSE ALIGNED BOWING SEGMENTS.
   CAPE WILL REMAIN MARGINAL -- E.G. ROUGHLY 750 J/KG MLCAPE IN 00Z ALB
   RAOB THAT SHOULD DIMINISH GRADUALLY WITH DIABATIC SFC COOLING -- BUT
   SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT SVR WIND POTENTIAL AS LONG AS EFFECTIVE INFLOW
   LAYER PARCELS REMAIN SFC BASED OR VERY NEARLY SO.  MODIFIED ALB AND
   LWX RAOBS INDICATE THIS SHOULD BE THE CASE FOR ANOTHER 2-3 HOURS
   AHEAD OF ONGOING CONVECTION.  CURRENT GEOMETRY OF BUOYANCY FIELDS
   INDICATES AIR MASS STABILIZING WITH EWD EXTENT ACROSS NEW ENGLAND
   TOWARD COAST.  THIS TENDENCY SHOULD PERSIST THROUGH REMAINDER
   EVENING HOURS AS NEAR-COASTAL AIR MASS -- ALREADY OVERTURNED BY
   PRIOR CONVECTION IN MANY AREAS -- COOLS DIABATICALLY AT SFC.
   THEREFORE...SVR POTENTIAL WILL DIMINISH CONSIDERABLY E OF WW.
  
   FARTHER S ACROSS WRN VA...SBCINH APPEARS TO INCREASE WITH EWD EXTENT
   TOWARD AIR MASS AFFECTED BY EARLIER CLOUDS/PRECIP....BUT NEARLY 500
   J/KG MLCAPE AND SFC-BASED LIFTED PARCELS REMAIN IN MODIFIED RNK
   RAOB.  WHILE SVR POTENTIAL SHOULD DIMINISH WITH TIME AS SFC
   COOLS...DAMAGING GUSTS AND ISOLATED HAIL CANNOT BE RULED OUT WITH
   MOST INTENSE CELLS MOVING EWD ACROSS/E OF MOUNTAINS.
  
   REF MESOSCALE DISCUSSION 1640 REGARDING NEAR-TERM POTENTIAL
   ASSOCIATED WITH SEPARATE MCS INVOF VA/NC BORDER...IN SERN PORTION WW
   643.
  
   ..EDWARDS.. 06/30/2008
  
  
   ATTN...WFO...GYX...BOX...BTV...OKX...ALY...PHI...BGM...
AKQ...BUF...CTP...LWX...RNK...PBZ...RLX...
  
   36778035 38517966 40007919 40867836 41217628 42507521
   44797519 45037147 42367272 41157320 40527392 38787506
   38227514 38037632 36947849

We now are starting to see severe thunderstorm warnings in the region as a line moves in slowly from the west.

This storm affecting Berks County has a history of wind damage and showing signs of weak rotation.

http://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?c
w
a=phi&wwa=severe%20thunderstorm%20warning

http://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?c
w
a=phi&wwa=tornado%20warning

Use the link above, hit CRTL and F5 at the same time every few minutes for updates.

The Storm Prediction Center has placed the northern three-quaters of the area under a new SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH until 3 a.m. The previous watch that covered these areas was in effect until 11 p.m. Also, important to note, is the SPC says that although this is not a tornado watch, an isolated tornado is possible within this severe t-storm watch.

The Storm Prediction Center continues to place the southern counties in our area or the other one-fourth of the area under SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH until 12 a.m.

Doug

The Storm Prediction Center has placed the northern three-quaters of the area under a new SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH until 3 a.m. The previous watch that covered these areas was in effect until 11 p.m. Also, important to note, is the SPC says that although this is not a tornado watch, an isolated tornado is possible within this severe t-storm watch.

The Storm Prediction Center continues to place the southern counties in our area or the other one-fourth of the area under SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH until 12 a.m.

The severe weather threat is taking time getting here. The watch for our southern counties could be expanding, depending on how well the southern extent of these lines hold up. Right now, there is not too much holding together on the southern tail of these lines.

The Storm Prediction Center has placed three-quaters of the area under a SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH until 11 p.m.

The Storm Prediction Center has placed the southern counties in our area or the other one-fourth of the area under SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH until 12 a.m.

The severe weather threat is taking time getting here. I think isolated to scattered severe weather will be possible after these expiration times.

I think Mesoscale Discussion 1638 sums this up very well.

MESOSCALE DISCUSSION 1638
   NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
   0613 PM CDT SUN JUN 29 2008
  
   AREAS AFFECTED...PORTIONS NRN WV...CT...EXTREME SERN
   OH...VT...PA...NH...NY...NJ...MA...EXTREME WRN MAINE.
  
   CONCERNING...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 638...642...
  
   VALID 292313Z - 300045Z
  
   THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
   638...642...CONTINUES.
  
   SEVERAL BKN LINE OF STG-SVR TSTMS ARE FCST TO CONTINUE MOVING
   GENERALLY EWD ACROSS WW AREAS...PAST 00Z EXPIRATION TIME OF WW 638
   OVER PORTIONS PA.  FURTHERMORE...CONVECTIVE LINE INITIALLY OVER
   CENTRAL/NRN NY SHOULD PERSIST WITH SVR GUST POTENTIAL E OF WW 642
   INTO PORTIONS VT/NH/MA AND PERHAPS EVEN EXTREME WRN MAINE THROUGH
   LATE EVENING.  THEREFORE...WE ARE CONSIDERING REPLACEMENT WW TO
   CONSOLIDATE WW COVERAGE ACROSS THIS AREA AND EXPAND IT EWD SOMEWHAT.
  
  
   SFC MESOANALYSIS SHOWS AREA OF RELATIVELY WARM AIR LINGERING IN AIR
   MASS E OF NY BAND...SWWD OVER MUCH OF PA...THAT HAS BEEN RELATIVELY
   UNPERTURBED BY PRIOR CONVECTION.  SFC TEMPS UPPER 70S/LOW 80S F WILL
   COOL GRADUALLY...HOWEVER MODIFIED RUC SOUNDINGS INDICATE POTENTIAL
   FOR SFC-BASED EFFECTIVE INFLOW PARCELS AT LEAST ANOTHER 3-4 HOURS.
   MOISTURE PROFILE ACROSS THIS REGION IS CONSIDERABLY MORE
   FRAGMENTED...WITH POCKETS OF DEW POINTS RANGING FROM 50S PORTIONS
   WRN PA...LOW 60S F OVER NERN PA AND NY ADIRONDACKS...TO 70S OVER
   PORTIONS SERN PA...NJ AND LOWER HUDSON VALLEY.  MOIST AXIS IS
   ANALYZED THROUGH HUDSON VALLEY...WHERE RELATIVELY WEAK/BACKED SFC
   WINDS ALSO MAY CONTRIBUTE TO ENHANCEMENT OF LOW LEVEL HODOGRAPHS AND
   DEEP-LAYER SHEAR.  40-50 KT EFFECTIVE SHEAR MAGNITUDES SHOULD REMAIN
   COMMON ACROSS REGION AS MID-UPPER SHORTWAVE TROUGH OVER SRN ONT...LE
   AND OH PIVOTS EWD/NEWD.  SVR THREAT THUS SHOULD PERSIST AFTER
   DARK...INDICATING NEED FOR ADDITIONAL WW ISSUANCE.
  
   ..EDWARDS.. 06/29/2008
  
  
   ATTN...WFO...GYX...BOX...BTV...OKX...ALY...PHI...BGM...
BUF...CTP...PBZ...RLX...
  
   39538127 42107863 42897838 44977502 44997126 44047050
   42687083 40837364 39817496 39717919 39358006

Well away from our viewing area, but in the state of Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, there is a tornado warning. This is of course major if a tornado were to actually occur in Downtown Pittsburgh.

Doug

The humidity should be dropping over the next several days, as this storm system eventually moves further away.  Highs will continue in the 80s until Thursday.  

Meteorologist David Aldrich, 5:30 PM, 6/29/2008

The Storm Prediction Center has placed three-quaters of the area under a SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH until 11 p.m.

The Storm Prediction Center has placed the southern counties in our area or the other one-fourth of the area under SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH until 12 a.m.

Severe weather will come in waves through early Monday Morning. We will continue to have super cell thunderstorms develop and then the main line associated with the cold front will arrive here tonight. We have already had some robust super cell features.

A good rule of thumb normally is that if you have had a thunderstorm, the air over you is stablized. However, in this case, the atmosphere quickly destablizes again since it is real humid and the strong solar rays quickly rebound the temperatures.

Doug

Severe T-storm Watch Until 11:00 p.m.