11/16/2013 Daily Update: Nice and Sunny Saturday, Midwest Severe Outbreak Starts Today, 6.8 Scotia Sea Earthquake

Good morning everyone!

It's a nice and sunny start to the weekend... fairly mild and light winds. Really can't ask for anything more! Though, changes are on the way with showers entering the picture Sunday afternoon/evening from an approaching cold front to the west.

TODAY: Sunny with highs in the mid to upper 50s. Winds from the SW at 5 mph.

TONIGHT: Increasing clouds with lows in the mid to upper 30s. Light wind.

TOMORROW: Cloudy with scattered showers in the afternoon. Showers becoming more numerous heading into the evening. Winds from the SE at 5 to 15 mph.

Showers and even some storms could produce heavy rain and localized flooding Monday. It will be mild but unsettled with gusty winds from the south.

ATLANTIC TROPICS

• Well, I guess the Atlantic does not want to die... or is the NHC just bored out of their minds?

Credit: NHC

NATIONAL WEATHER

• Mild in the Northeast
• Strong to severe storms possible along parts of the lower Missouri valley. These storms spread east tomorrow into areas from Chicago and Detroit where they will receive the brunt of the gusty, and potentially damaging thunderstorms.
• Cooler across the Plains
• Snow and wind for the Rockies

Great graphic from AccuWeather.com outlining the areas
under the threat for severe storms today.

WORLD WEATHER

• A weak tropical system is making landfall in Southern India. Flooding threats abound.
• Europe - Low triggering storms in Spain/Portugal. The rest of the continent taking a break. Cold arctic air and snow is incoming for the U.K. early next week. http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/cold-blast-snow-united-kingdom/19931796
• Australia - Light showers across the continent. A few storms to the east.

EARTHQUAKES

• The Scotia Sea let loose a 6.8 earthquake following a 6.1 that struck there Wednesday. Aftershocks in the 5-point range are ongoing. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usb000kznc#summary

SPACE WEATHER

• SpaceWeather has a great gallery of Comet ISON, which has brightened substantially past few days. Check it out: http://t.co/2bObDqzjph
  — Western MA Wx (@WMassWx) November 16, 2013

• Solar wind is increasing from an Earth-facing coronal hole stream. This resulted in the Kp-index rising to a 4 for a brief moment last night. Minor geomagnetic disturbances are possible today.

Solar wind (yellow) increasing, Density (Orange) (Credit: NOAA)

• Sunspots galore, but flaring remains low...only 1900 has been producing low-level M-class flares which is very weak for solar max.

What are they waiting for? (Credit: SolarHam.net)