Heat Advisory in effect today

The NWS in Memphis has issued a Heat Advisory for the entire Mid-South today. It is in effect from 11 AM - 7 PM. Heat indices could reach 110 today. Please take the proper precautions and limit your outdoor activity.

Flooding reeks havoc on Tennessee this afternoon

You probably weren't aware, but it rained in the northwestern portion of the Memphis CWA today. And it rained a lot. Radar estimates show almost 8" of rain over that area, and that is probably under the real amount. Now, before Noah opens his ark, let me tell you about some of the incidents in our area.

• Near Clarksburg, TN (12:35 PM): Many county roads flooded
• Chesterfield, TN (12:39 PM): Caramel Cove Road flooded
• Parsons, TN (12:41 PM)
• Four businesses have 4" of flood water
• One home has 6" of water, and another has nearly a foot of water
• Sections of almost every road in town is flooded with almost two feet of water

Forum looking for Mid-South members

Hey everyone! TalkWeather, a great weather forum, is looking for more Mid-South members. We already have two people from the local NWS, and a few others (including myself). We would greatly appreciate if you could join.

The address is www.talkweather.com.

Heat advisory in effect Friday

The NWS in Memphis has issued a Heat Advisory for the entire Mid-South Friday, from 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM CDT. Heat index values could reach 105 degrees tomorrow with actual highs in the mid-90s. Here are some safety tips on how to deal with hot weather from the Red Cross:

• Slow down. Avoid strenuous activity. If you must do strenuous activity, do it during the coolest part of the day, which is usually in the morning between 4:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m.
• Stay indoors as much as possible. If air conditioning is not available, stay on the lowest floor, out of the sunshine. Try to go to a public building with air conditioning each day for several hours. Remember, electric fans do not cool the air, but they do help sweat evaporate, which cools your body.
• Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing. Light colors will reflect away some of the sun's energy.
• Drink plenty of water regularly and often. Your body needs water to keep cool.
• Drink plenty of fluids even if you do not feel thirsty.
• Water is the safest liquid to drink during heat emergencies. Avoid drinks with alcohol or caffeine in them. They can make you feel good briefly, but make the heat's effects on your body worse. This is especially true about beer, which dehydrates the body.
• Eat small meals and eat more often. Avoid foods that are high in protein, which increase metabolic heat.
• Avoid using salt tablets unless directed to do so by a physician.

View more about what to do during heat waves from this Red Cross page.

Severe weather possible today

According to the NWS and SPC, there is a slight risk of severe weather today in NW Arkansas, the Missouri Bootheel, and extreme NW Tennessee. This shouldn't be a huge outbreak as temperatures will have to be pretty high for storms to fire. The local NWS says that the main threat will be damaging winds. I don't think we will see any severe weather, but if we do, it will be extremely isolated.

Forum just for TN folk!

Yes, boys and girls, there is a forum out in cyberspace dedicated solely to Tennessee Weather! It is called TennesseeWeatherZone and would like more members, especially from our area. The Nashville area is definitely represented, but the Mid-South does not have many members. I am the site moderator at that site, so come on over and discuss local weather! The address is http://www.armleg.com/forum/index.php?mforum=tennesseeweathe (and, no, there is not an "r" at the end of the address). So come on, Western Tennesseans, represent!

Some WunderBlog entries now archived on MSW

The October and November entries from my old WunderBlog are now stored on this website. To view them, look in the archives under October and November 2005 and look for posts with "- WU" after it. These are the original posts, unedited from their previous state. The other months will be added soon.