10/19/2013 Daily Update: Gorgeous Fall Afternoon, Francisco Becomes a Category 5, 6.5 Baja California Earthquake

Good afternoon everyone!

A gorgeous fall afternoon is on tap and really hard to beat the stretch of days we've been having. A few showers possible with a cold front tonight but should be out of here by Sunday morning. Sunday features sunny skies and a breeze out of the west. Overall, not a bad weekend for outdoor plans. Enjoy!

TODAY: Mostly sunny with highs in the lower to mid 60s. Winds from the S at 5 to 10 mph.

TONIGHT: A chance of a shower otherwise mostly cloudy with lows in the lower to mid 40s. Winds from the S at 5 mph.

TOMORROW: Sunny with highs in the lower to mid 60s. Winds from the W at 5 to 15 mph.

A substantial cooldown looks to arrive around Wednesday so these couple of days may be our last shot at 60s for the foreseeable future.

ATLANTIC TROPICS

• Nothing meaningful here.

NATIONAL WEATHER

• Nice in the Northeast. Showers along a cold front out in the Great Lakes that will arrive in New England tonight.
• Humid with showers in the Southeast
• Cooler but dry across the South
• Milder air for the Rockies and the West

WORLD WEATHER

• Francisco is now Super Typhoon Francisco and a Category 5 typhoon with sustained winds of 165 mph and gusting near 200 mph! By early next week, higher shear and cooler waters takes over and Francisco should finally start to weaken under the unfavorable environment. It's almost certain Japan takes a beating from the storm but where, when and how strong is yet to be determined as there is high uncertainty on the track.
• A low pressure system is bringing showers and storms for Western Europe while snow continues across the north
• Showers for southern parts of Western Australia. Rain staying south from the New South Wales wildfires.

That eye is something special. (Credit: CIMSS)

EARTHQUAKES

• A strong 6.5 earthquake centered in the Gulf of California near Baja California. No reports of damage or causalities so far. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usb000khbc#summary

SPACE WEATHER

• Departing sunspot 1861 continues to be a threat for M-class flares. The newcomers aren't very active but sunspot 1875 is somewhat promising but not producing so far. 1877 is large but magnetically simple.

(Credit: SpaceWeather.com)