Thursday starts with a cold kick, with wind chills in the 20s. The actual Indianapolis temperature dipped into the 20s for the first time since the 29th of November.
Don’t sweat the small temperature stuff. Winds shifted from north to east yesterday evening and will now switch to the southeast, pulling in milder air.
High clouds have also been streaming in, way out ahead of the next weathermaker. You’ll see the base of those clouds up around 25,000 feet in the morning, and lowering and thickening throughout the afternoon.
Rain chances start after midnight tonight, and they don’t stop completely until Tuesday. There are two waves that offer the best chances. One is Friday. The other is Saturday night through Monday morning.
As the precipitation leaves and cold air arrives Monday there will be a switch from rain to snow. A dusting is possible, with maybe an inch or less by Monday afternoon from around Lafayette to Kokmo, north to Michiana.
Yesterday I got to speak to a class at Anderson University, thanks to Professor of Chemistry & Physics Scott Carr. One of the topics in the Q&A was the effectiveness of Super Storm Sandy warnings. I mentioned that there was some confusion, since “Hurricane Warnings” were never issued, due to the post-tropical nature of the storm.
Well. I read early this morning that following the criticism of the National Hurricane Center’s handling of Hurricane Sandy they have decided that the NHC will now have more flexibility in their policy regarding the issuance of advisories.
From now on a Hurricane Warning may fit this criteria: An announcement that sustained winds of 74 mph or higher are expected somewhere within the specified area in association with a tropical, *sub-tropical*, or *post-tropical* cyclone.
INDY ALMANAC:
The average high today is 42 and the average low is 27. Records are 73 and -1. The sunrise time is 7:52 and the sun sets at 5:20.
PAUL’S PREVIOUS PREDICTION:
Yesterday’s high was 46. The forecast was 46.
UV INDEX:
2 (Low.)
DETAILED INDIANAPOLIS FORECAST:
Today: Increasingly cloudy. Wind: S 5-10 mph. High 50.
Tonight: Chance of showers after midnight. Low 43.
Friday: Periods of showers. High 54.
Friday Night: Periods of showers. Low 46.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy with slight shower chances. High 51.
Saturday Night: Chance of showers. Low 43.
Sunday: Periods of showers. High 54.
Sunday Night: Periods of showers. Low 39.
Monday: Rain and snow showers. High 43.
Monday Night: Chance of snow showers. Low 26.
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy. High 37.
Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy. Low 28.
Wednesday: Partly cloudy. High 42.
Never miss me! Subscribe for free. My Huge Radar has real-time weather tracking, current temperatures, and severe weather watches and warnings. Get detailed Indiana conditions by clicking here. Click here to see my central Indiana 7-Day Forecast. Follow these links to get my forecasts for Lafayette, Muncie, Hendricks County, and Hamilton County. Need a second opinion? Click here for central Indiana National Weather Service forecasts. (Some charts via WeatherBELL.)