10/5/2013 Daily Update: Mostly Sunny Saturday, Tornadoes Strike IA/NE, Blizzard Rages WY to SD, Karen Nears Gulf

Good afternoon everyone!

It's going to be a dry day today with partly to mostly sunny skies. The last one before chances of showers creep in Sunday afternoon into Monday. Have a great one!

TODAY: Partly to mostly sunny with highs in the mid to upper 60s. Winds from the N at 5 mph.

TONIGHT: Cloudy with lows in the mid 50s. Calm winds.

TOMORROW: A chance of showers in the afternoon otherwise cloudy with highs in the mid 60s. Winds from the E at 5 mph.

Shower, rain chances start to increase toward Monday afternoon and evening with the cold front slated to arrive along with moisture the tropical entity called Karen in the Gulf. Rain could last into Tuesday morning before clearing takes place.

ATLANTIC TROPICS

• Tropical Storm Karen is weakening and bring blustery conditions and heavy rainfall to the Louisiana coast and the Upper Gulf. There is a slight chance of isolated tornadoes and the energy from Karen combines with the cold front in the Midwest and the upper level low that will shift east.

Weakening Karen approaches the Gulf Coast. Main threats are heavy rain
and flooding. (Credit: NHC)

NATIONAL WEATHER

• Reports of at least 6 tornadoes touched down in far NE Nebraska and NW Iowa yesterday causing damage and resulting in 14 unconfirmed injuries in Wayne County, Nebraska. The system shifts east into the Mississippi valley region and notable cities like Chicago and Indianapolis are under the gun for strong to severe storms. Although, the threat should be less powerful than yesterday.
• On the other side of the spectrum, a blizzard brought 2 to 3+ feet of snow impacting parts of Wyoming and South Dakota. 33 inches of snow was observed in Lead, SD! Wind gusts were above 68 mph. More details here on the incredible, early-season blizzard: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/viewart/20131005/NEWS/310050065/Heavy-snowfall-gusty-winds-hit-upper-Midwest?Frontpage
• Cooler in New England north of the stationary front parked around NYC.
• Warm and dry to the Southeast, while the Upper Gulf Coast prepares for heavy rain from Tropical Storm Karen
• Severe weather threat for Wisconsin down to Arkansas with the upper level low and cold front shifting east
• Snow continues in the Dakotas and should finally grind to a halt.
• Dry and splendid weather for the West Coast

Cleanup today after 18 tornado reports in Iowa and Nebraska yesterday
(Credit: SPC)

WORLD WEATHER

• Typhoon Fitow is a strong Category 2 typhoon with maximum winds at 105 mph and is expected to directly impact China late this weekend into early next week. Gradual weakening by the time it reaches there. Northern Taiwan may see effects as well.
• Danas is now a typhoon in the Western Pacific and could swing north and make landfall somewhere in Japan or Korea at the start of next week.
• Europe dealing with rain and storms in the western and central part of the continent.
• Showers for southern Western Australia, highs keeping elsewhere dry.

Typhoon Fitow closing in on China (Credit: Wunderground)

EARTHQUAKES

• First 6-pointer of the month strikes the Indian Ocean: a M6.4 114km SE of Amsterdam Island. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usb000k6nk#summary

SPACE WEATHER

• Quiet has been the name of the game in terms of sunspot flaring and no different here today. The farside of the sun is not though with a bright CME detected last night. These spots will rotate onto the Earth-side of the sun in the next week and *hopefully* a sign that flaring picks up.

Sunspots remain weak. (Source: SpaceWeather.com)