Cool and shaky Tuesday

The aftershocks continue here close to the epicenter but the weather makes it easier to deal with. One of the coolest (actually, it's been about average) Augusts I can ever remember here in Va is winding down and the low humidity, cool nights and pleasant days have been one positive in our shaken, powerless state. Tonight should be into the mid-50's and only low 80's (if that) today and tomorrow.
Tropical Depression Katia is building in the far southeast Atlantic and headed west but forecasts right now are predicting it will swing north and then back east before encountering land. It's a week plus away but looking like it will soon be a hurricane and they really have no rules.
Hang on folks!!

Cool lovely (still shaky) Monday

The debris cleanup continues and hundreds of thousands in eastern Va. are without power but for late August we can't complain about the weather. The "taste of fall" August continues, cool, dry Canadian air has helped push Irene east and away and settled in and a reinforcing shot of cool will occur later today as another cold front approaches, with a slight chance of rain, and even cooler weather for late week. Enjoy! Is that setting us up for an early fall or a September heat wave?
Yes, the aftershocks continue, one at 2.5 according to the USGS last night at 11:15, and less than a mile from my house. But, there are still more, not recorded (or published). Shaky times!!!

Clear air, lots of debris

Irene continues to zoom up the east coast, now past NYC and dumping rain copiously on New England. The air in Va. smells of fresh cut foliage but it's from freshly ripped and torn foliage, shorn from the forest and strewn about, the mess after the storm. But, a lovely day greets cleanup crews. Much of eastern Va. is without power and is likely to remain power-free for some time. Amazingly, like after Tuesday's quake, injuries and loss of life seems to have been minimal. Preparedness does matter.
Aftershocks continue here but far fewer and and not quite as strong; still they startle and cause tension in my already nervous self.
Hang on out there and check of folks!!

Irene Arrives!! Aftershocks slow!

A mild, cloudy and increasingly breezy day here in the central piedmont, but today's story is south and east of here (right now). Now category 1, Hurricane Irene is making landfall just south and west of Hatteras and looks to slide right through Va. Beach today and rake the entire Eastern Seaboard with wind and rain. The wind is certainly up here and light rain has already made a first appearance this far west.
In more local news, AFTERSHOCKS continue here in Louisa and although far fewer than right after the quake still set off adrenaline burst into my system. Today will be a wild ride on this part of Earth.
Hang on!!!

Irene

An increasingly cloudy day and the first, far-flung band from Irene signal major change for the east coast. NC is already getting hammered with rain as well as southeast Va. Inland we will stay dry until morning but it's going to be a wet and wild, windy Saturday. Irene will dart up the coast; gone from Va. by early Sunday leaving a lovely cool, school-less week ahead. Hang on.
To the relief of all of us in Louisa, aftershocks have calmed today, but any rumble is leaving us all a little jumpy.

Shaky world

Central Virginia has turned into a very scary, shaky place since 1:51 Tuesday afternoon and perhaps even scarier, Irene careens toward us. Two lovely days of high pressure, cool mornings and warm afternoons with low humidity have ended and we have a warmish, humid day brewing with a good chance of afternoon T'storms as a cold front pushes the high off shore. That push will affect Irene but only Irene knows how and she's not talking unless you can read the wind, 120mph wind.
Aftershocks continue with a very unnerving 4.5 shake just after 1: 00 early this morning. Listen with your ears and bones for them to continue for weeks (only those of us right here are hearing and feeling all of them and while a few have made Richter notice we hear and feel them all -dozens of them).
Hang on Louisa, our shaky time in the spotlight is, sadly, long from over.

Lovely day for an earthquake!

Today turned out to be a lovely day to have to evacuate for an EARTHQUAKE!! Cool and dry, low 50's to start and barely into the 80's but a front Thursday will change that and perhaps push Hurricane Irene a little farther off shore instead of slamming the Carolinas and Virginia. But, after today's 5.8 quake centered right here in central Va. the hurricane has been put on a back burner for a day or two.
Aftershocks continue to rumble into the late evening.

Warm muggy Sunday

A loud, flashy cloudburst in the middle of the night drops 0.4" of rain quickly and leaves us with a muggy Sunday morning and a chance for more showers this afternoon and evening. Still, average temperatures for August and showers are sure better than 100+ degrees heat that we had last year.
Tropical Storm Irene jumped together yesterday and appears to be ready to rake the northern Caribbean before turning north and taking a shot at south Florida and perhaps the southeast. Keep an eye out, Irene is looking like it could be the first big bad storm of the season.

Average August Weather

The summer of 2011 is shaping up to be fairly close to average after a couple of cookin' hot years. We're not done but temps in the upper 80's and lows in the upper 60's (lower 60's out here in the forest lands) is average for this time of year.
The weekend will see temperatures a couple of degrees above that average with a better chance of showers Sunday than Saturday. The seasonal temps continue into next week.
If you're headed to the beaches of Va. & NC be prepared for SMOKE. The Great Dismal Swamp fire of '11 continues and with southerly winds the Tidewater area is in the RED air quality warning zone. It will be pretty nasty down there.

Amazing weather for mid-August

The cool nights and mid-80's days continue with a little change coming tomorrow but really more of the same expected for next week. A system will pass through the area tomorrow and Friday with an increased chance for rain but it should be a dry and seasonal weekend with temps approaching 90.
Enjoy it while it lasts.

Cool for Mid-August

A low sixties start and only into the 80's makes for a nice mid-August day. Low humidity adds a bonus to the comfort of today in central Va. One more cool dry day is coming before the next system arrives late Thursday bring a chance of showers but without the stifling heat.
Enjoy it while you can, it may not last.

Rain is gone, cool remains

The weekend storms and the big low and cold front that caused them is drifting off the east coast but the counterclockwise flow is bringing in clouds and cool air off the Atlantic. There may be some pop up storms today but things will clear and the week ahead will feel much nicer; highs in the 80's, lows in the 60's.
ENJOY!!!! It's still the middle of summer.

Smoky Saturday

Fires in the Dismal Swamp continue to burn and with wind changes much of Va. is in the smoke zone. Much of today's haze is cloud cover but the smoke is making it even thicker. Good news will be the rain on the way; showers tonight and more tomorrow with potential for severe weather Sunday. Pay attention, you are on Earth!! Rain will possible put out the fires, and we need the water (and air cleaning).

After the system passes we will settle into a slightly cooler pattern for the back to school week ahead.

4 storms in the Atlantic have varying potential to turn into hurricanes but with current strong westerlies winds are unlikely to make the US mainland. We are deep in the heart of Hurricane Season and it is always when, not if, one will affect us.

Hot Days/Cool Nights

The first of the August cool waves has entered Va. and given us a brief chance to open windows at night and let some cool air in. A powerful storm system is headed our way for tomorrow with the storms arriving by late afternoon and Sunday looking fairly wet and stormy.
The school year will start on a coolish and dry note. Low sixties in the morning, mid-80 days. Pretty nice for August.

Last hot day!!

Today will get warm again and then a (dry) cold front will slide through the mid-Atlantic and bring much cooler and drier air into Va. for Thursday and Friday. Another front late on Saturday will bring a pretty good chance for rain that evening and then more cool air with the school year starting off on a mid-August cool note.
Turn off those AC's tonight and let the cool night air in!!

Dry times continue

There was rain on southside Va. this weekend but none in the north central part and things remain parched here. Slightly cooler, drier air has moved in but August will continue with the heat that July left behind. Tropical storm/depression Don was a bust for Texas, staying south and just dissipating into dry air inland into Mexico. Unnamed, but likely to be soon, what will be Emily is getting itself together out in the south Atlantic. Hurricane season is about to crank up. You have to be careful what you wish for but we could use a good dose of tropical moisture...
Stay cool!