Toto, I don’t think we’re in Indiana anymore.
I think we’re in Texas–you know, everything’s BIGGER now. The Drought, the thunderstorm clouds, the temperatures…
First, the Fahrenheit: Triple digits are do-able today. Let’s do some IF,THEN programming, keeping in mind my forecast high for Indy is 99.
IF we get to 100 THEN we would tie a record from 1887.
IF we get to 100 THEN we’ve reached triple digits 7 times this summer. Record is 12.
IF we get to 100 THEN we will have tied or broken 8 daily high temp records since late June.
A HEAT ADVISORY is in place for all of Central Indiana today & tomorrow, from Noon-8pm.
An isolated storm is certainly possible late this afternoon or early this evening. And speaking of that: let’s call this next section “Independence Day Cloud: The Sequel.”
Remember the captivating cloud seen by so many sitting around waiting for the Indy fireworks show? The same thing happened Monday night. This time much of the Downtown crowd was capturing the photogenic precipitation from seats at Victory Field at the Indians game. They were looking east and southeast.
The lucky location of the cloud was Hancock County. It was a tiny thunderstorm that grew and grew and grew vertically, aided by rapidly rising air currents. It grew so tall that an “anvil” formed, from the ice crystal clouds blown downwind from the top of the cumulonimbus cloud.
My National Weather Service (and Facebook) friend Jason Puma says their radar indicated the top of that storm at about 30-thousand feet! It was a precipitation opportunity for a few, and a photo-op for many on my Facebook and Twitter accounts.
It was the lack of competition that makes it so striking in the sky. There were two small, isolated storms Monday evening. One over Hancock county, and one over Shelby county, the location of the July 4th thunderstorm.)
The pictures are all over my Facebook Walls. Check here and here.
I had reports of sightings all the way to Kokomo and Blackford county down to Owen County, and I enjoyed reading what my Social Network thought of the thunder-cloud:
Heather Meyer: “Reminds me of Olympic Torch”
Suzanne Skala Atkinson: “To quote Kid Rock … looks lile a Fist Of Rage”
Ellen McMahan: “It’s the stay puff marshmallow man from ghostbusters. Run!!!!!”
Joe Law: “Anyone else see it and thought of Close Encounters of the Third Kind?”
Darrick Smith: “A storm huh? We thought Mount Poteetatubo had erupted.”
Neal Graham: “Looks like a hood ornament from a 49 Buick”
@ilchase_mkh:I think everyone and their mother got pics of that little updraft. Still, it looked cool.”
Beckie Margedant: ‘From our angle, it looked like FIST OF GOD!!!!”
John Brune: “Now we await the giant mantis!”
Justin Manning: “Looks like ninja turtle with head bandana on left with a hand reaching out on other side”
Jennifer Baughman: “Lonely Photogenic Cloud is going to be the name of the band I always talk about staring but never do.”
And the one that made me do a spit take:
Jamie Coga: “It’s like cloud match.com lately. “omg did you SEE how FLUFFY he was??”
Yep, maybe the Drought/Heat Wave is making us a little cloudy…mentally.
The clouds should be a bit more widespread Wednesday afternoon into Thursday, with 40 percent storm chances. A 30 percent chance lingers into Friday morning. These chances come from a “cold” front passing through slowly. On the other side of the front–closer to 90 Friday and Saturday. No overall pattern change is expected for the rest of the month.
INDY ALMANAC:
The average high today is 85 and the average low is 66. Records are 100 and 51. Sunrise time is 6:32 and the sunset comes at 9:11.
PAUL’S PREVIOUS PREDICTION:
The forecast for yesterday was 96. The actual high was 98.
UV INDEX:
10 (Very high.)
POLLEN COUNT:
“Low-medium” today and tomorrow. “Medium” Thursday, and “low-medium” Friday.
HEAT ADVISORY NOON-8PM TODAY & TOMORROW
Today: Mostly to partly sunny. Record high temps possible. High 99.
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Low 77.
Wednesday: Partly sunny with a chance of showers and storms, mainly in the afternoon. High 98.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy with a chance of showers and storms. Low 74.
Thursday: Partly sunny with scattered showers and storms. High 94.
Thursday Night: Partly to mostly cloudy with scattered showers and storms. Low 70.
Friday: Partly cloudy with scattered showers and storms possible in the morning. High 89.
Friday Night: Mostly clear. Low 70.
Saturday: Mostly sunny. High 91.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear. Low 72.
Sunday: Mostly sunny. High 93.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear. Low 73.
Monday: Partly sunny. High 94.
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