JULY 31, 2007: GET READY FOR A HEAT WAVE

When the forecast calls for a daily high temperature of upper 80's and into the 90's, I often say we're in for a heat wave, but there is some criteria used for a local weather pattern to be truly considered a heat wave.

A formal, peer-reviewed definition from the Glossary of Meteorology is:

A period of abnormally and uncomfortably hot and usually humid weather.

To be a heat wave, such a period should last at least one day, but conventionally it lasts from several days to several weeks.

In 1900, A. T. Burrows more rigidly defined a "hot wave" as a spell of three or more days on each of which the maximum shade temp reaches or exceeds 90 degrees.

The National Weather Service criteria for the issuance of a heat advisory is when the heat index is expected to reach 105 degrees with a night time low temperature not below 80 degrees, whereas an excessive heat warning is issued when a maximum heat index exceeding 115 degrees with minimum 80 degrees is expected or is occurring.

Heat waves often occur during the Dog Days of summer. The French term canicule, denoting the general phenomenon of a heat wave, derives from the Italian canicula applied to the star Sirius, also known as the "Dog Star."

So get ready, we are in for a heat wave for much of this week. Use common sense, stay cool by taking it easy, seek shade and refrain from physical activity outdoors. Watch children and the elderly for signs of heat exhaustion.

Outside pets need to be safe from the heat and humidity too because it can be a matter of life and death. Provide your animals with plenty of shade and fresh cold water. Keep an eye for excessive panting and odd behavior.

This is Meteorologist Lisa Montgomery.

JULY 30, 2007: WHERE IS THE WILDEST WEATHER?

Do you want to travel or move to where it's warm, windy, wet, or perhaps not very variable? I stumbled upon an interesting story on Forbes.com titled America’s Wildest Weather Cities.

While it's not completely clear how temperature, precipitation, wind, and severe weather data are used to calculate which cities have the least and most weather variety, the general results are not entirely surprising. The cities with the least variety are either in California or Hawaii, while the cities with variable weather stretch from the Plains to the Midwest.

I will have the pleasure to travel with 37 other people from the Ohio Valley to the beautiful Canadian Rockies. We leave tomorrow morning and arrive in Seattle, Washington by afternoon. From there we will cross the border by ferry to Victoria, British Columbia. We will tour the city of Vancouver then board the Rocky Mountaineer for a scenic train ride through Western Canada. You can follow our ventures by checking back with Severe Weather Team 9 Weather Blog. Over the next 10 days I will write back about the trip and enclose pictures of the beautiful scenery!

Email your weather questions toweather@wtov.com.
I'm meteorologist Jeff Oechslein.

JULY 28, 2007: OVAC FOOTBALL GAME: A GREAT EXPERIENCE

A while back when I was a senior in high school (OK a long while back!) I had the honor of representing my alma mater in the OVAC Queen of Queens pageant, and I'm happy to be a part of such a wonderful tradition in the Ohio Valley.

It's wonderful to see it continuing today, and what an impressive bunch of talented, hard-working, high-achieving young men and women that make up this year's OVAC competition. Good luck to all the pageant contestants and both all-star football teams!

Hopefully, the weather will be something to cheer about Sunday when Ohio and West Virginia take the field at Wheeling Island Stadium Sunday evening! Kick-off time is 7:15, and we can expect muggy conditions with temps near 80 degrees.

There is just a slight chance of a thundershower at that time, with clearing skies overnight Sunday. Drier but warmer weather can be anticipated for all of next week. By Wednesday, we could be near 90 degrees with sunshine and humid weather sticking around.

Hope you check out the OVAC game and support such a wonderful valley tradition!

This is Meteorologist Lisa Montgomery.

JULY 27, 2007: ITALIAN FESTIVAL WEEKEND

The Upper Ohio Valley Italian Festival is getting off to a damp start this Friday. Somewhat drier weather is forecasted for the weekend though. It appears as if today will feature the best chance of rain. While there is a threat for more rain this weekend, chances appear to be getting smaller.

Appetites are getting bigger though with all that Italian sausage, pasta, and dessert to be eaten! My favorite dessert is Cannoli, followed by Tiramisu!

For a schedule of events at this year’s festival go to the The Upper Ohio Valley Italian Festival Website.

Brush up on the different types of pasta before you head to Wheeling this weekend!

Acini di peppe (peppercorns)--tiny balls

Agnoletti (priests' caps)--small stuffed crescents

Anellini--tiny pasta rings

Bavettine--narrow linguine

Bucatini--hollow strands

Cannaroni--wide tubes (also, zitoni)

Cannelloni (large reeds or pipes)--round stuffed tubes

Capelli d'Angelo (angel hair)--long, fine strands (also, capellini)

Capelveneri--very thin noodles

Cappelletti (little hats)--stuffed hats

Cavatappi--short, thin, spiral macaroni

Cavatelli--short, narrow, ripple-edge shells

Conchiglie (conch shells)--shells (also, maruzze)

Coralli--tiny tubes, generally used in soup

Ditali (thimbles)--small macaroni

Ditalini--smaller ditali

Elbow macaroni--small to medium tubes

Farfalle (butterflies)--little bows

Farfallini--smaller farfalle

Farfallone--bigger farfalle

Fedelini (little faithful ones)--very fine spaghetti

Fettucce (ribbons)--flat wide egg noodles, about 1/2-inch

Fettuccelle--flat narrow egg noodles, about 1/8-inch

Fettuccini--flat medium egg noodles, about 1/4-inch

Fideo--thin, coiled strands that unwind in cooking into vermicelli

Fusilli (little springs)--spiral-shaped noodles

Gemelli (twins)--short 1 and 1/2-inch twists

Gnocchi--small, ripple-edge shells

Lasagne--long, broad (2-3 inches) noodles, straight or ripple-edge

linguine (little tongues)--narrow, long ribbons

Lumache (snails)--large, stuffed shells

Macaroni--tubes

Maccheroni--all types, sizes, and shapes of macaroni

Mafalde--broad, fat, ripple-edge noodles

Magliette (links)--short, curved tubes

Manicotti (little muffs)--very large stuffed tubes

Margherite (daisies)--narrow flat noodles with one rippled side

Maruzze (seashells)--any size of shells, from tiny to jumbo

Mezzani--very short curved tubes

Mostacciioli (little moustaches)--2-inch tubes

Occhi di lapo (wolves' eyes)

Orecchiette (little ears)--tiny disk shapes

Orzo--rice-shaped grains

Pappardelle--wide noodles with rippled sides

Pastina (tiny dough)--little bits used in soups

Penne (pens or quills)--diagonally cut tubes, smooth or ridged sides

Perciatelli--thin, hollow pasta strands (like bucatini)

Pezzoccheri--thick, buckwheat noodles

Quadrettini--small flat squares

Radiatore (little radiators)--thick rippled boxes

Ravioli--stuffed squares

Rigatoni--big, ridged macaroni Riso--rice-shaped grains (like orzo)

Rotelle (little wheels)--small, spoked wheels

Rotini--short spirals

Ruote de carro (cartwheels)--spoked wheels

Spaghetti--long, thin, round strands

Spaghettini--thin spaghetti

Stiraletti (little boots)

Stricchelli (bows or butterflies)

Tagliarini--long paperthin ribbons (also tagliolini)

Tagliatelle--long, thin, flat egg noodles, about 1/4-inch wide

Tortellini (little twists)--small stuffed bows

Tortelloni--big tortellini

Trenette--narrow, thick tagliatelle

Tripolini--small bow ties with round edges

Tubetti (little tubes)--tiny, hollow tubes

Vermicelli (little worms)--extra thin spaghetti

Ziti (bridegrooms)--slightly curved tubes, from 2-12 inches long

Email your weather questions toweather@wtov.com.
I'm meteorologist Jeff Oechslein.

JULY 26, 2007: DISAPPEARING GLACIERS

The glaciers in Glacier National Park, Montana are melting. Only 27 glaciers exist in the park. This is down from 150 glaciers in 1900. 90% of the ice volume is now gone.

Glacier National Park’s namesake glaciers have receded rapidly since the Park’s establishment in 1910, primarily due to long-term changes in regional and global climate. These changes include warming, particularly of daily minimum temperatures, and persistent droughts. This warming is ongoing and the loss of the Park’s glaciers continues, with the park’s glaciers to disappear by the year 2030.

See the changes yourself by taking a look at theGlacier National Park Pictures.

Email your weather questions toweather@wtov.com.
I'm meteorologist Jeff Oechslein.

JULY 25, 2007: REPEAT WEATHER

This weather reminds me of the movie Groundhog Day, where Bill Murray the weatherman wakes up every morning to the Sonny and Cher song, “I Got You Babe.” Thankfully I didn’t wake up to that song, but when I came into work, I was staring at a weather map very similar to yesterday. This odd counter-clockwise swirl continues to appear in the satellite loops. We have ourselves a cut off upper level low pressure system.

This pocket of cool air aloft will aid in the formation of scattered showers and thunderstorms again today. Just like yesterday showers and storms will be scattered and more likely to occur during the afternoon and evening hours. This stubborn low pressure system is cut off from the westerlies also known as the jet stream. So look for very little in the way of day to day change with our weather until a cold front changes our pattern by late this weekend or early next week.

TODAY’S WEATHER QUIZ

What continent doesn’t experience hurricanes?

A.Asia

B.Europe

C.Antarctica

ANSWER: C. Antarctica, Although rare, sometimes tropical systems affect Europe. Technically Asia sees typhoons which are equivalent to hurricanes.

Email your weather questions toweather@wtov.com.
I'm meteorologist Jeff Oechslein.

JULY 24, 2007: WHAT MEN REALLY WANT

I’m no Oprah or Dr Phil, but ladies I found out what men really want. Here's the information, courtesy of the hard working marketing department at Coors Beer.

According to a new Coors Light survey of more than 1,500 adult men ages 21-44, nearly 75 percent of men would rather have air conditioning in their homes during a heat wave than win a date with a supermodel, receive an extra week paid vacation or win backstage passes at their favorite band’s concert.

More than 44 percent of respondents picked having a refreshing drink as their number one way to cool off. Another 38 percent took the cool down/cold beverage connection a step further, preferring to be immersed in a pool filled with ice cold beer over a pool filled with ice.

The survey also revealed some unusual ways men beat the heat. Some sport bags of ice on their heads or freeze their clothes before wearing them while others take up residence in a tub filled with ice.

The majority of men start looking for ways to cool off when the mercury hits 80-90 degrees (57 percent); Twenty-six percent wait until the temperature is above 90. More than half of adult men say hot weather makes them impatient. Among survey takers, the least favorite hot weather activity is mowing the lawn.

Email your weather questions toweather@wtov.com.
I'm meteorologist Jeff Oechslein.

JULY 23, 2007: WARMER, DRIER THAN NORMAL YEAR SO FAR FOR UNITED STATES

So far, 2007 is warmer and drier than average for much of the United States, and the global average temperature is the second warmest on record since January, reports the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration.

The lack of precipitation led to widespread drought, which triggered an early start to the wildlife season, mounting crop losses and local drought emergencies, according to NOAA. However, drought in the southern and central Plains gave way to heavy and persistent rains which led to devastating flooding from Texas to Kansas in June. Meanwhile, the global average temp was the second warmest on record for the January through June period.

U.S. Temperature Highlights -For the contiguous United States, the first half of 2007 was the 18th warmest January-June six month period since records began in 1895.

-Temperatures were much warmer than average from the mid-Atlantic and Midwest to the northern Plains and throughout the West. In the U.S., only Texas was cooler than average, while near-average temperatures were widespread across the South and Northeast.

-The year began with widespread severe drought in the southern and central Plains, Wyoming, the western High Plains and northern Minnesota. Above average precipitation helped ease or end drought in many of these areas by mid year, but this was not enough to overcome an extremely dry winter and spring throughout most of the West. Meanwhile, much-below-average precipitation caused drought to develop in the Deepo South.

-An extremely low winter and spring snowpack throughout the West combined with above average temps in the spring and early summer set the stage for an early start to the wildfire season.

Global Highlights -The combined global land and ocean surface temperature was the second warmest on record for the January-June. Separately, the global land-surface temp was warmest on record, while the ocean-surface temp was the sixth warmest in the 128-year period of record.

-Above average temperatures covered much of the world's land surfaces during the first half of the year. While some land areas in the Southern Hemisphere began the June-August winter season with below average temperatures, it was the warmest June on record at the South Pole.

-For June, the combined global land and ocean surface temperature was the fourth warmest on record as neutral El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions contributed to an overall lower global ranking for the month.

This is Meteorologist Lisa Montgomery.

JULY 20, 2007: WATER WISE TIPS TO HELP PROTECT WILDLIFE

Summer is a time to enjoy the water with an ocean vacation, a trip to the lake, or even just running through the sprinkler in your backyard. People, and wildlife, both depend on this precious resource.

Here are some tips to protect our waters and wildlife:

At The Beach:

-Throw trash in proper receptacles while at the beach or lake. Plastic bags, six-pack rings and fishing line in particular can prove deadly to shorebirds, fish and other aquatic wildlife.

-When fueling jet skis, boats or other gas-powered water vehicles, make sure not to spill fuel into the water, where it can kill wildlife. Kayaking, sailing and canoeing are better options since they burn little or no fossil fuels.

-Be aware of wildlife while boating. Manatees, sea turtles, whales and other marine wildlife can be sriously injured or even killed by boat motors.

-Observe signs and keep off dunes or other sensitive areas that provide habitat for wildlife and protect beaches during storms. In many coastal areas dunes are used as nesting areas by shorebirds, some of which are endangered.

At Home:

-Water your garden only in the early morning or late afternoon, when less water will be lost to evaporation. Use a rain barrel to collect rain water for use in the garden. Reducing the size of your lawn and mulching will also help conserve water.

-Never use a running hose to clear off a driveway or sidewalk. Use a broom instead and get exercise while cleaning up.

-Use one bucket of water with biodegradable soap to wet and wash your car rather than a running hose. Never dump old used motor oil, gasoline or other trash into storm drains which lead directly to your local stream, polluting your watershed.

-As tempting as it might be make pets of frogs, turtles and other wetland wildlife, LET WILDLIFE REMAIN WILD. It's difficult to provide a healthy environment for these animals in captivity and watching them in their natural habitat is an amazing nature experience. Build a water garden and attract wetland wildlife right to your yard.

This is Meteorologist Lisa Montgomery.

Source: National Wildlife Federation

JULY 19, 2007: SLEEPY EYES THANKS TO AN MCC

Overnight thunderstorms probably woke most of us last night. I’m used to waking up in the middle of the night, so I got a good night’s sleep, otherwise I would probably be wiping the sleep from my eyes like the rest of you. You can blame a Mesoscale Convective Complex for the lack of sleep last night, otherwise known as an MCC.

Mesoscale convective complexes often bring much of the growing-season rain to the Midwest and Upper Ohio Valley. These large clusters of thunderstorms often begin with isolated thunderstorms over the western Plains. If conditions are favorable isolated thunderstorms merge and form large convective complexes. A strong, nighttime low level jet often develops and helps feed warm, moist air into the large cluster of storms, allowing the complexes to last six hours or more. The complexes often peak in strength and grow largest just after midnight.

Mesoscale convective complexes first identified in the early 1980s, but much research and energy has been put into forecasting them because one in every four mesoscale convective complexes causes injuries or deaths.

TODAY’S JAMO QUIZ

When was the cowboy hat invented?

A.1812

B.1862

C.1901

ANSWER: B. 1862, John Stetson invented the cowboy hat, although some argue that the cowboy hat was actually invented in Mexico before 1862.

Email your weather questions toweather@wtov.com.
I'm meteorologist Jeff Oechslein.

JULY 18, 2007: SOME WANT IT, SOME DON’T, BUT WE WILL GET IT

If you are headed out to Jamboree in the Hills the last thing you want are drenching showers and thunderstorms. Then again it’s the middle of summer and it has been quite dry. The U.S. Drought Monitor suggests that much of the local area is under abnormally dry conditions or a moderate drought. Southern parts of the viewing area are experiencing moderate drought conditions. You can find more specifics at the U.S. Drought monitor website.

Showers and thunderstorms will become more numerous this afternoon. Drenching thunderstorms tomorrow should put a dent in the drought conditions. Everyone should easily see an inch of rain tomorrow while some places might see upwards of 2 inches of rain. Lawns will be happy and Jamboree in the Hills will be quite muddy!

TODAY’S JAMBO QUIZ

Pop singer Michelle Branch is now a member of which group?

A.The Wreckers

B.The Outlaws

C.Flynnville Train

ANSWER: The Wreckers, you can catch them Saturday at 5 pm at Jamboree in the Hills

Email your weather questions toweather@wtov.com.
I'm meteorologist Jeff Oechslein.

JULY 17, 2007: RAIN ON THE WAY

The stickies will make a comeback later today. This will be the fuel for robust thunderstorms to develop towards this evening. There is the potential for heavy rainfall tonight through Thursday. Check out the Quantitative Precipitation Outlook at the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center’s web page.

Did you know that a 2,000 square foot home and yard can catch up to 36,000 gallons of rainfall water per year? That's enough water to meet an entire household's water consumption needs for several weeks.

Capture rain water by making use of the landscape of your land. If you have a sloped surface, grow water-absorbent plants at the end of the slope, or build a pond to catch the water so that it can recharge the water table instead of running off into the nearest storm drain. You might also consider installing a rain barrel at your home, which connects to your downspout and captures rain water that can be reused. Use this water for outdoor irrigation, car washing, window washing, or other activities.

TODAY’S JAMBO QUIZ

The Charlie Daniels Band will perform Friday. How many visits have they made?

A.8

B.11

C.21

ANSWER: 11 years including this year.

Email your weather questions toweather@wtov.com.
I'm meteorologist Jeff Oechslein.

JULY 16, 2007: CLOUD GAZING

Abby and Ally Bevilacqua from Wintersville, Ohio sent me this intriguing question:

“Being the curious types, we would like to know how clouds can overcome the force of gravity and not be pulled down to the earth.”

Abby and Ally, clouds are made of very tiny particles of water and ice. They form when water vapor condenses on dust particles in the atmosphere. These cloud droplets are so small that gravity can't pull them down. The droplets can combine together to form rain drops. The rain drops are what fall to the ground; they are so big that gravity can pull them down.

Summertime is the perfect time to do some cloud gazing. I found some pictures of clouds that look like other things, check them out at this cloud web site.

TODAY’S JAMBO QUIZ

Prior to this year, when did Toby Keith last perform at Jamboree in the Hills?

A.2002

B.1998

C.1994

ANSWER: A. 2002

Email your weather questions toweather@wtov.com.
I'm meteorologist Jeff Oechslein.

JULY 14, 2007: BACKYARD POLLUTION!

The United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates that each weekend 54 million Americans mow their lawns, burning up 800 million gallons of gas!

Firing up a gasoline-powered lawn mower for just one-hour can produce as much pollution as 40 newer model cars; other lawn equipment, such as leaf blowers or weed whackers can produce even more pollution.

Air pollutants frm gasoline-powered lawn equipment are key ingredients in ground-level ozone pollution, which forms on hot, sunny days and can trigger health problems for asthmatics and others with lung-related health conditions.

Here's a tip:

If you're in the market for new lawn equipment, consider purchasing electric-powered versions, which produce fewer emissions. Or, if you don't have a large yard, try hand-powered equipment, including push mowers, rakes, and hand clippers. Hand-powered tools are emissions-free!

This is Meteorologist Lisa Montgomery.

Source: Earth Gauge and "The Gardener's Guide to Global Warming: Challenges and Solutions"

JULY 13, 2007: CHANGES AT THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER

So far the Atlantic hurricane season has been fairly quiet, but there has been a storm brewing at the National Hurricane Center Headquarters in Miami, Florida. The director of the National Hurricane Center, Bill Proenza, went on leave Monday. This is just four days after many of the center's employees called for him to be removed because of his comments about an aging weather satellite.

So what is the problem? The weather satellite, known as QuickScat, named for the scatterometer that measures wind speed and direction. Proenza has argued for months that QuickScat, which was launched in 1999 and is well past its lifespan, needs to be replaced as soon as possible. And he has publicly criticized his bosses at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for not acting quickly enough. If QuickScat were to go on the blink, he claims, the accuracy of the center's three-day hurricane forecasts could drop by 16%.

But several Hurricane Center forecasters say Proenza is being alarmist and a distraction to their work. They argue that QuickScat is hardly as critical to their analyses as Proenza claims, given all the other high-tech measuring tools and methods at their disposal. As a result, they say, Proenza has divided the Hurricane Center staff and has called into question the forecasting of those who disagree with him.

Deputy Director Ed Rappaport will assume Proenza's duties on an interim basis.

Email your weather questions toweather@wtov.com.
I'm meteorologist Jeff Oechslein.

JULY 12, 2007: GOLF DAY

I have to be a little short with today’s blog entry. I am heading to East Springfield, Ohio to Spring Hills Golf Club, home of the annual scramble benefiting Coats for Kids. The golfers will have a beautiful day with sunshine and low humidity. All of the proceeds and I mean every penny raised today will go towards keeping local children warm during this upcoming winter. Check out the weather quiz, just in case you ever wondered how many dimples are on a golf ball.

TODAY’S WEATHER QUIZ

How many dimples does a golf ball have?

A.120 to 250

B.330 to 500

C.620 to 740

ANSWER: B Between 330 to 500

Email your weather questions toweather@wtov.com.
I'm meteorologist Jeff Oechslein.

JULY 11, 2007: COLD FRONT SPELLS RELIEF FROM THE HEAT AND HIGH HUMIDITY
Showers and thunderstorms are likely today as a cold front crosses the area. Abundant cloud cover and an early frontal passage will greatly reduce our chances of seeing severe weather. The early frontal passage means that we should see drier weather and some sunshine by later this afternoon and evening. The humidity will drop off considerably overnight and into the day Thursday.

TODAY’S WEATHER QUIZ

If the temperature outside is 80 degrees on a sunny day, what will the temperature be in your car after 30 minutes?

A.94 degrees

B.106 degrees

C.114 degrees

ANSWER: C. 114 degrees, It doesn’t take a heat wave to make a closed vehicle a dangerous place for a child. At least 14 children have died this year across the country in overheated vehicles. Children’s bodies warm 3 to 5 times faster than adults. A body core temperature of 107 degrees is considered lethal.

Email your weather questions toweather@wtov.com.
I'm meteorologist Jeff Oechslein.

JULY 10, 2007: HOT FACTS

It’s hot, I know, but it has been hotter, the summer of 1988 comes to mind. That summer we had a few days top the century mark! The hottest temperature recorded in the North America occurred in Death Valley, California, when the high temperature reached 134 degrees on July 10, 1913. Even more impressive to me was the 43 consecutive days between July 6 and August 17, 1917 when the temperature climbed over 120 degrees F.

The temperature of a certain area depends upon a set of conditions that are called climate controls. These controls include latitude, altitude, topography, distance from large bodies of water, and nearby ocean currents. All these factors added up together created the circumstance to reach such a high temperature.

Death Valley lies mostly in eastern-central California. It was named Death Valley by one of eighteen survivors of a party of thirty attempting in 1849 to find a shortcut to the California gold fields. In terms of latitude is it located at about 35 degrees North, so it is in a good location for large amounts of sunlight. It is considered a middle latitude region.

In terms of altitude, the lowest elevation in the Western Hemisphere is in Death Valley. Generally, the lower the elevation, the higher the temperature. The elevation in the lowest point is 86 meters below sea level. The longest hot spell in the world goes to Marble Bar, Australia. This is where the temperature climbed above 100 degrees F for 162 consecutive days, Oct. 30, 1923 to Apr. 7, 1924.

The highest temperature in the world was recorded in El Azizia, Libya. The temperature reached 136 degrees on September 13, 1922.

Email your weather questions toweather@wtov.com.
I'm meteorologist Jeff Oechslein.

JULY 9, 2007: I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM ,WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM!

What better way to beat the heat than with some ice cream. By the way my favorite flavor of ice cream is chocolate chip cookie dough. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of the month as National Ice Cream Day. He recognized ice cream as a fun and nutritious food that is enjoyed by a full 90% of the nation's population. In the proclamation, President Reagan called for all people of the United States to observe these events with "appropriate ceremonies and activities."

The International Ice Cream Association encourages retailers and consumers to celebrate July as National Ice Cream Month. In 2007, National Ice Cream Day will be Sunday, July 15.

The U.S. ice cream industry generates more than $21 billion in annual sales and provides jobs for thousands of citizens. About 9% of all the milk produced by U.S. dairy farmers is used to produce ice cream, contributing significantly to the economic well-being of the nation's dairy industry.

TODAY’S WEATHER QUIZ

We have seen ___ consecutive weekends with no rain.

A.3

B.5

C.8

ANSWER: 5 weekends, our last weekend with rain was back in early June!

Email your weather questions toweather@wtov.com.
I'm meteorologist Jeff Oechslein.

JULY 8, 2007: RECENT HEATWAVE GRIPS ENTIRE NATION!

Although the Ohio Valley was one degree shy of 90 degrees Sunday, much of the nation was feeling the intense heat once again.

According to national weather reports, 44 states were in the 90's Sunday, with more hot weather, (infact even hotter) continuing on Monday and Tuesday.

The exceptions to being in the 90's were the states of AK, HI, ND, ME, NH and VT.

National stories on the unbearable heat included some residents out West sleeping in their cars to stay in air conditioning!

The Ohio Valley will spend the next couple of days in the 90's and then a cold front will bring our temps back to normal, although the humidity will continue to rise this week.

Take care of yourselves, neighbors, elderly, children and your pets during this hot weather.

This is Meteorologist Lisa Montgomery.

JULY 7, 2007: HEAT HEADING THIS WAY!

Although high temperaturess will not be as extreme, the Eastern half of the nation will get in on the scorching heat that had overspread the West just recently.

Hotter air and an increase in humidity will head East into the local region as well as the entire East coast during the next couple of days. The heat and humidity will peak across the Northeast Monday, when the high in New York City will reach 95° and the heat index climbing into the triple digits!

Everyone enduring hot weather this weekend must use common sense and take the necessary precautions to prevent dangerous heat-related illnesses and death.

Take it easy during the midday and afternoon hours, seek shade or air-conditioned public places, drink plenty of water and never leave pets or children in vehicles.

Here are just a few of the record highs set in the West yesterday:

Red Bluff, Calif. - 111° (Old Record: 108° from 1968) Billings, Mont. - 104° (Old Record: 100° from 1985) Pocatello, Idaho - 102° (Old Record: 99° from 1976)

This is Meteorologist Lisa Montgomery.

Source: Accu Weather

JULY 6, 2007: TEXAS BRACES FOR MORE RAIN

Scattered thunderstorms Thursday dumped 1 to 3 inches of rain in the Ohio Valley, causing minor flooding of roads and low lying areas.

But continuous rain is devastaing the state of Texas. An estimated 1,000 homes have been severely damaged or destroyed by the widespread flooding since May. The slightest additional rainfall could cause flash flooding where rivers, lakes and reservoirs are already full to the brim.

"Unprecedented", is what a Texas Emergency Management Agency official said. "Mostly this time of year we're fighting wildfires...The problem with this is, the water won't go away.''

Another 1 to 3 inches is expected again today, with heavier amounts in isolated spots, the National Weather Service said.

The affected area covers 49 counties and 48,000 square miles from North Texas to the Rio Grande Valley, a section roughly the size of the state of Mississippi. Thirteen deaths have been blamed on the weather over the past two weeks in the state.

This is Meteorologist Lisa Montgomery.

Source: CNN

JULY 5, 2007: TEMPS WILL BE HEATING UP THIS WEEKEND!

A heatwave out West will soon be heading this way.

Over the past few days the sun's powerful rays has been scorching the Southwest. Parts of Arizona reached 116 degrees and higher! So far, this intense heat has stayed out West, but that will begin to change.

A repositioning of the jet stream will allow this plume of hot air to spread across much of the Central and Southern Plains tomorrow and to the Midwest Saturday. The heat will make it to the East Coast during the beginning of next week.

In many locations along the East coast, this will become the hottest weather so far this season.

The Ohio Valley can expect highs to reach the upper 80's Sunday afternoon and the low 90's once again on Monday, about the fourth time so far for us this summer!

Remember to use common sense during intense heat: seek shade, drink water, reduce exercise, bring pets out of heat with fresh cool water and seek air conditioned public places if necessary.

This is Meteorologist Lisa Montgomery.

JULY 4, 2007: HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Happy 231st birthday America! Wow that’s a lot of candles! Of course we celebrate our Independence today because of men like Thomas Jefferson signing the Declaration of Independence. I bet you didn’t know that Thomas Jefferson was one of the most famous weather observers in the early days of our country.

Jefferson’s journal shows that on July 4, 1776, Philadelphia was 68 degrees F at 6am, 72.25 degrees F at 9am, 76 degrees F at 1pm and 73.5 degrees F at 9pm. From the weather journal of Mr. Phineas Pemberton, a prominent Philadelphian, we also learned that the sky clouded up in the afternoon as winds shifted from the north to the southwest and the barometric pressure decreased.

As people head outside to celebrate the Independence Day holiday, Severe Weather Team 9 reminds everyone to be vigilant about watching the sky for severe weather. Summer is the peak season for one of the nation's deadliest weather phenomena — lightning. In the United States, an average of 62 people are killed each year by lightning and dozens more are injured.

Email your weather questions toweather@wtov.com.
I'm meteorologist Jeff Oechslein.

JULY 3, 2007: DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

This time of year is often referred to as the “Dog Days of Summer.” This steamy period of summer actually starts today (July 3rd) and goes until the middle of August. I have often wondered where this saying comes from. With a little research I have an answer. Back in the early days it was thought that the Dog Star, a constellation that forms the shape of a dog, was so bright that it caused an amazing amount of heat. We know now that this isn’t exactly true, but we still call it today the “Dog Days of summer.” Impress your friends with that one!

Email your weather questions toweather@wtov.com.
I'm meteorologist Jeff Oechslein.

JULY 2, 2007: WEEKEND SIGHTNINGS

I had the pleasure to attend Thunder in the Valley this Saturday. If you have never made it out to the Jefferson County Airpark for the event, you might want to pencil it in for next year. Besides food and fireworks there were airplanes, sky divers, and great music courtesy of the Fossils. A few people were surprised to find something else in the skies over Wintersville on Saturday, a rainbow. Some asked how could there be a rainbow in the sky around the sun without any rain?

This circular rainbow is called a halo. It is created by the refraction or bending of light through the ice crystals that make up the cirrus clouds that were overhead on Saturday. These cirrus clouds hover some 20,000 to 40,000 feet above the earth’s surface.

TODAY’S WEATHER QUIZ

The lowest temperature on Earth was recorded during the month of . . .

A.January

B.July

C.December

ANSWER: B. July, On July 21, 1983 the temperature at Vostok, Antarctica plummeted to -128.6 degrees Fahrenheit

Email your weather questions toweather@wtov.com.
I'm meteorologist Jeff Oechslein.

JULY 1, 2007: CHANCE OF STORMY WEATHER AS FOURTH NEARS

Canadian high pressure gave us a beautiful quiet weekend with cooler daytime temperatures and very low humidity with plenty of sunshine! This weather pattern will last one more day then unsettled weather is expected in the Ohio Valley!

Monday will be just as pleasant with sunny skies and a high temp around 77 degrees. Enjoy. By Tuesday, more humid air returns as a warm front gets close and temperatures warm up as well. A system to our north will also bring a chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms.

The Fourth of July will be unsettled with muggy, warm weather. There's a good chance for showers and thunderstorms Wednesday evening and also extending into Thursday.

By Friday, another high pressure system will arrive and help to clear our skies, and temps will be a bit cooler once again. So far, next weekend's looking just as nice as this past weekend.

Have a safe Independence Day and have a good week. This is Meteorologist Lisa Montgomery.