[subego]

So far, my corner of Chicago threaded the needle. The storm-front is moving parallel to that dry patch in the middle. I mean, it’s raining, but not particularly hard. I’m near the blue pin.

[Thorzdad]

Blustery night down here. I’m in the northern suburbs of Indy. South of Indy got tornadoes, and just north of us got tornadoes. Our daughter and her family live on the north side of the town we live in. She got a tornado warning and they all spent a few hours huddled in their basement. We, on the other hand, just a mere 15 minutes away from them, were in a watch area not a warning.

We’re still in a high-wind warning area today, with winds around 30 mph and gusts hitting 60+ mph. Lots of power outages scattered throughout the state. On the up-side, I just glanced out the window and saw a house finch huddled in the bushes. Spring in Indiana!

[subego]

We got a severe thunderstorm warning on our phones, then nothing happened.

In less lucky news, downstate, the roof collapsed on a venue during a concert.

[ghporter]

Here in San Antonio, we’re in our second yo-yo week. It’s supposed to get to 96F today. Thursday’s high is supposed to be 61. Da. Fuq? Last week was kinda similar, but the highest high was only 91.

Yeah, it’s supposed to be warmer here than Chicago or Indianapolis, but this pattern is way out of the ordinary. Plus it’s making the oak trees pollenate more. Instead of a local oak tree orgy, it’s a regional orgy…lots of pollen, surfaces covered with a yellow dusting of pollen, pollen wafting through the air, and so on. All at the same time. Not good for “chronically sensitized sinuses”. I’m not allergic to anything really, but after being overwhelmed by pollens and molds from Texas, Mississippi, and Panama, a hint of particulates is enough to screw me over.

[subego]

It’s been summer for the last week. Even got past 80 at one point and set a record.

That dies on Sunday, along with all the flowers that bloomed I imagine.

[andi*pandi]

NE hit 90. Just kind of bypassed spring altogether.

[subego]

We’re 80 now, but it goes back to relatively crummy and rainy spring tomorrow.

[subego]

Was on the interstate during a biblical deluge. Couldn’t see the lines, so the lights from the car ahead of me were my only guide. I couldn’t keep up because I was too afraid of hydroplaning. Decided it wasn’t worth it, took the first exit, and waited it out.

Easily the most dangerous driving conditions I’ve experienced.

[Thorzdad]

We could really some of that rain down here.

[Gregg]

Very dry here as well. The grass is green only next to the garden, due to the artificial rain it gets.

[subego]

It’s been dry here, but also has been feeling way greener than it should be.

[subego]

Nebraskan solar farm after an encounter with baseball sized hail.

[Gregg]

Nebraskan solar farm after an encounter with baseball sized hail.

Yerrrr Out!

[ghporter]

There are several homes around us with solar panels on their roofs. And even with heavy hail storms we get here (South Texas), those panels seem to have shrugged off the hail. Of course all of these panels are on sloped roofs, not essentially parallel with the ground, the way the Nebraska solar farm panels seemed to be.

Our local utility has its own solar farms, and their panels are pivoted to follow the sun. And I haven’t seen any damage to those panels either. It makes me wonder if that Nebraska hail storm was exceptionally bad, extra long, or some other superlative.

[subego]

Baseball sized hail is an outlier.

[Gregg]

My sister, who lives in southeastern Illinois, had ping pong ball sized hail recently. I don't think I've ever seen any even that big.

[subego]

I feel we get something like that every 10-20 years. It’s usually car dealerships which get the big hurt.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by subego 

Baseball sized hail is an outlier.

I would think so, even in Nebraska where storms have lots of flat land to build over.

[subego]

I feel the worst I’ve been around for is, I dunno, maybe the diameter of a dollar coin. Happens here once every decade or two. Car dealerships get decimated.

[andi*pandi]

current NE meme being passed around:

You know, it's only rained twice so far this summer.

Once for 47 days and another for 31.

[Gregg]

Originally Posted by andi*pandi 

current NE meme being passed around:

You know, it's only rained twice so far this summer.

Once for 47 days and another for 31.

That's rain of Biblical proportions! Usually, I'd say that's more appropriate for the Northwest.

[andi*pandi]

there's a certain amount of hyperbole in it, sure... part of the smoke from the canadian fires contributing to the overcast feel also.

[Gregg]

Ah, but the rain knocks the smoke out of the sky and deposits it below, leaving the skies clearer than before the rain.

[subego]

Got the emergency alert on the phone, and the tornado siren has gone off for 30 seconds a couple times, but so far it’s fine outside.

Edit: just got another emergency alert. Still fine outside.

[Gregg]

I heard that two tornadoes touched down near St. Charles, IL (suburb of Chicago). My son was scheduled to make a connection at O'Hare in route to Seattle, but they diverted his flight to Charlotte to avoid the weather system in northern Illinois.

[ghporter]

Charlotte is a heck of a divert for avoiding Illinois weather. Not Detroit, Indianapolis, or even Dayton? Hmmmm.

On the other hand, I didn’t look at the way the weather was impacting the Midwest yesterday, so the system could have been really big

I sort of ignored weather reports, and stayed indoors most of the day yesterday, avoiding venturing out in our South Texas heat. We had a high (locally, not necessarily officially) of 103F yesterday. And it was worst in the late afternoon, not “in the mid-day sun”. Here, temperatures seem to peak at around 5-6PM.

Just out of curiosity, what airline was it? Some airlines will preferentially go to one of their hubs (major or minor) when forced to divert.

[Thorzdad]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

Charlotte is a heck of a divert for avoiding Illinois weather. Not Detroit, Indianapolis, or even Dayton? Hmmmm.

On the other hand, I didn’t look at the way the weather was impacting the Midwest yesterday, so the system could have been really big.

Weather was clear in Indy. I imagine the diversion had more to Charlotte being a hub for whichever airline it was. But, yeah, that’s a crazy redirect.

[Gregg]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

Charlotte is a heck of a divert for avoiding Illinois weather. Not Detroit, Indianapolis, or even Dayton? Hmmmm.…

Just out of curiosity, what airline was it? Some airlines will preferentially go to one of their hubs (major or minor) when forced to divert.

Delta, I think. Yes, I suspect Charlotte is one of their hubs. A logical re-route would have been to Minneapolis or Denver.

[subego]

Originally Posted by Gregg 

I heard that two tornadoes touched down near St. Charles, IL (suburb of Chicago). My son was scheduled to make a connection at O'Hare in route to Seattle, but they diverted his flight to Charlotte to avoid the weather system in northern Illinois.

Footage is knocking around of the funnels forming during that storm. Luckily, it was all north of me.

[andi*pandi]

Tornado watch in most of NE today.

Fires, floods, tornados.... what will be next in weather bingo? Hail? Probably hail.

[Thorzdad]

I think we can smell Canada again today here in Indy. Something smells faintly of smoke, anyway.

[subego]

We had smog today, as well as an air quality warning.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by andi*pandi 

Tornado watch in most of NE today.

Fires, floods, tornados.... what will be next in weather bingo? Hail? Probably hail.

You left out “flaming locusts”. I’d put money on that one…

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by subego 

We had smog today, as well as an air quality warning.

We had it bad yesterday - by 7pm the sun looked like a Tatooine sunset and at least 30 minutes before actual sunset the sun was no longer visible, just a haze. It's not much better today, I commute directly into the sun and didn't really need my sunglasses this morning. I was hoping the rain would clear it up.

[Thorzdad]

Right now, it's a really nice, moderate temp, where you definitely don't need the AC. In fact, the temp is below what I usually have the AC set on. But, the humidity is in the high 80%. It's too cool to run the AC to knock-down the humidity in the house without freezing my ass off. So, I'm stuck in this cool stickiness. Ew.

First world problems, to be sure.

[Thorzdad]

At almost 10pm, it is 88F, with a heat index of 106F. 81% humidity with a 15mph wind.

[subego]

It finally cooled off here yesterday, but that was kind of ridiculous.

Still sorta liked it though since I knew I could get out of it when I wanted to.

I really should move to Florida.

[Gregg]

It’s been beautiful in the Seattle area the last few days. My better half and I escaped the heat of the Midwest and are enjoying the outdoors with our grandkids.

[Thorzdad]

The nasty heat is finally moving outta here. Humidity is still hanging around. Still, we can once again cut the ac and open the windows tonight.

[subego]

Happy Halloween!

[andi*pandi]

aaaand that's why halloween costumes should be warm!

[Thorzdad]

Current temp: 18°F.
Wind chill: 1°F

[subego]

25°/13° here. Lake is keeping it warmer.

[Thorzdad]

-4° / -21°

[Thorzdad]

-5° / -25°

At least we didn’t get the heavy snow that had been predicted overnight.

[subego]

Lake warming ended. -8°/-18°

[Thorzdad]

-1° / -17°

So, of course, we’re heading over to friends’ house tonight. Thank the gods for heated seats.

[subego]

That’s tomorrow for me, when it’s predicted to be a balmy 1°. No heated seats.

Going to be of the times I wish I had a remote starter. Heated garage normally takes care of it.

[ghporter]

It’s currently 30F with a predicted low of 25F and a hard freeze warning and some possible icing. Tomorrow night’s predicted low is 17F, and Tuesday’s is 18F with a high of 40F. But Thursday’s high is supposed to be 70F with a low of 38F. The truism “in Texas, if you don’t like the weather, wait a few minutes” sure looks true right now.

[Thorzdad]

5° / 5°