The silver maples have burst into blossom near the station with today’s 70-degree high temperature.

The cumulus-filled sky of today looks like summer!  However, the idle farm fields in this pic just north of the television station say otherwise!

Even the American elms are beginning to bud!

With today’s sun, gusty winds & temperatures near 70, the farm ground is drying out rapidly.  This ground north of the station was muddy a few days ago, but today, you could crumble the top 2-3″ in your hand.

However, this won’t last.  A band of moderate to heavy rain will pass late tomorrow morning-early afternoon with 0.50-0.75″.

Today’s at WLFI has been 69.8 degrees, making it the warmest day since 73.2 degrees on November 8.

Warmest Temperatures in the State of Indiana Currently:

Coolest Temperatures in the State of Indiana Currently:

Current Temperatures in the WLFI-TV Viewing Area:

Ah, the signs of spring all now all around us!  It appears the spring weather is going to hang on for quite a while, but Old Man Winter has a trick up his sleeve for late month-early April.

I snapped a pic of these daffodils sprouting yesterday & these silver maple buds beginning to burst open today near the television station.

Richard Beedle of Attica caught the flocks of Sandhill Cranes flying north.

Doralea Farrell of Monticello caught the setting sun casting a beautiful orange hue on the trees after a spring shower.

Another band of showers will pass tonight-early tomorrow morning.  Some patchy fog is possible.

The clouds will break up in the afternoon to reveal some sunshine & the temperature will warm up 65-70° with brisk southerly winds at 10-20 mph.

Some patchy fog is possible Thursday morning.

A band of moderate to heavy rain may dump at least 0.50″ of rain on the area late Thursday mourning-early afternoon.

After this some sun may appear with highs warming up to 60-65°

With this sun, low-topped, severe, albeit scattered, supercells may form in southern Illinois, Indiana to Kentucky with a large hail & isolated tornado potential.

These may weaken, but will pass as a few scattered storms Thursday evening.  This needs to be monitored, just in case the storms hold together.

A mix of clouds & bubbling-up clouds will pop at least widely-scattered showers & storms Friday.  Highs will be 60-65°.

Saturday looks cool with a few scattered showers & highs near 51°.

New week looks quite uneventful with mild temperatures & no hint of any big cold snap.

In fact, a chunk of Sonaran Desert warmth may overspread the Plains & Midwest, pushing our temps well into the 60s, if not touching 70°.

There are hints of a weak, moisture-starved system late, late week with a few scattered showers & storms.  Should this occur, it looks like a very quick mover with only a few hours of scattered showers & storms & that is it.

The cold wave will arrive late month-early April with below normal temperatures & even a bit of snow.

Band of scattered showers is passing now.  Another will pass late tonight-early tomorrow morning.

The evening looks great for a nice walk, as it will be largely dry.

Tuesday (Less Than 0.10″ Rain with Band of Scattered Showers):

Wednesday (Less Than 0.10″ of Rain with Band of Scattered Showers in the Morning):

Thursday (0.50-0.75″ of Rain with Band in the Morning-Midday)

After this, we watch for a few of those scattered storms (40% coverage) to our south to pass in the evening.

Bands of scattered showers will pivot around the low pressure on the front & backside Friday through Saturday.  An isolated t’storm or two is possible Friday.

Between these showers, another 0.20-0.50″ may fall.

It appears a weak system may bring a few showers & t’storms late next week.  Either before or after the system a bulge of Sonoran Desert warmth may send temps up well into the 60s.

It is this dry warmth that will cut the Gulf off & keep the system moisture-starved &/or quickly shift it eastward.

You can already see Winter’s Last Hurrah near the Arctic Circle in this graphic.  That will get dislodged southward into the eastern U.S.  It does not look record-breaking or horribly cold, but it will likely bring us the last true taste of winter (see this mentioned in detail with next graphic) & it may last for a bit.

Winter’s last true hurrah may affect us at the end of the month & into early April.  A pattern with a trough in the eastern U.S. is likely to develop at this time.

With this trough, highs in the 30s, a night or 2 in the teens & some snow is possible.

However, there will likely be a NICE rebound by April 11 with highs up into the 70s.  We may even see 80s by the 15th, given present long-range trends.

Expect more areas of dense fog tonight with lows in the 30s.  There may be an isolated patch or two of black ice with lows of 34-38 degrees.  That temperature is taken at the 5′ level, so it is conceivable areas at ground level will be at 32 degrees.

There are 2 waves of widely scattered showers (by no means significant) with 30% coverage that will pass late tomorrow & in the morning Wednesday.

The main wave of rain will pass Thursday late morning-early afternoon.  Highs will be MILD in the 60s!  In fact we are looking at 4 consecutive days at or above 60 degrees this week.  The last time that happened was November 12-15!

I will have more in an entry a bit later.

With clearing skies, temperatures have dropped near to just below freezing area-wide this morning.

This, with damp to wet streets from the showers on late Sunday is leading to areas of black ice & heavy frost.

Be careful & be aware of slick spots!  Visibility is also as low as 200′ in places this morning.

Afternoon looks good with sun & clouds & 55-60.  We may very well see the temperature get into the 60s by late week!

More later this afternoon & on Newschannel 18 at 5, 6 & 11 p.m.

2 waves of light rain will pass Tuesday-Wednesday & 1 wave of moderate to heavy rain will pass Thursday.

Wave #1 will pass Tuesday afternoon-evening………….Wave #2 will pass Wednesday.  On both days, it appears there will be several dry hours.  Both waves should pass pretty quickly & rainfall of 0nly 0.10-0.25″ is expected from each wave.  The main, heaviest wave of rain will pass Thursday morning-midday.  It appears this wave of moderate to heavy rain may dump 0.50-0.75″, but this wave may move northeast of the area by Thursday afternoon & we may see a break with a little sunshine.

In fact, if enough sunshine appears, a few scattered warm season-type t’storms may bubble up with highs in the 60s.  After this, a few scattered showers will pivot through Friday & Saturday with mostly cloudy skies.

There is no indication of any cold, cold airmass arriving before March 23.  There are indications a potent blast of cold air with some snow may arrive to end March & begin April.

Areas of dense fog will form tonight & last into the morning commute.  Lows will run 33-36 degrees.  Still beware of a patch or two of black ice as some locations with deep dips in the highway (where the coldest air collects) could have an “invisible” patch of ice with a temperature of 32 degrees.

Monday is looking like a nice, spring-like day with sun & clouds & highs of 55-60.  Monday is looking like the warmest day since Thanksgiving-time.

Highs this weekend were mild.  Here are the recorded highs from the weekend:

I was out walking today & it began to rain.  I noticed that characteristic smell, you know the aroma when it just starts to rain?  It is similar to that aroma of freshly-worked soil.

I assumed it was gases begin given off my bacteria that is activated by the rainfall & warmer weather in the soils & on the pavement.  I also assumed it was bacteria gases given off as the thawing ground cracks open or when soil is worked (you know when farmers work ground for the first time in spring & the air is filled with this aroma in the countryside).  Minerals may play a component, as sulfur (a soil micro-nutrient) has a potent odor.

I did some research & this is what I found out.  Here is the following information cited:

“What causes the smell after rain?.”  29 September 2000.  HowStuffWorks.com. <http://science.howstuffworks.com/question479.htm>  07 March 2010.

“As it turns out, the smells people associate with rainstorms can be caused by a number of things. One of the more pleasant rain smells, the one we often notice in the woods, is actually caused by bacteria! Actinomycetes, a type of filamentous bacteria, grow in soil when conditions are damp and warm. When the soil dries out, the bacteria produces spores in the soil. The wetness and force of rainfall kick these tiny spores up into the air where the moisture after a rain acts as an aerosol (just like an aerosol air freshener). The moist air easily carries the spores to us so we breathe them in. These spores have a distinctive, earthy smell we often associate with rainfall. The bacteria is extremely common and can be found in areas all over the world, which accounts for the universality of this sweet “after-the-rain” smell. Since the bacteria thrives in moist soil but releases the spores once the soil dries out, the smell is most acute after a rain that follows a dry spell, although you’ll notice it to some degree after most rainstorms.

Another sort of smell is caused by the acidity of rain. Because of chemicals in the atmosphere, rainwater tends to be somewhat acidic, especially in urban environments. When it comes in contact with organic debris or chemicals on the ground, it can cause some particularly aromatic reactions. It breaks apart soil and releases minerals trapped inside, and it reacts with chemicals, such as gasoline, giving them a stronger smell. These reactions generally produce more unpleasant smells than bacteria spores, which is why the after-the-rain smell isn’t always a good one. Like the smell caused by the bacteria spores, the smell of chemical reactions is most noticeable when it rains following a dry spell. This is because once the chemicals on the ground have been diluted by one downpour, they don’t have the same reaction with the rainwater.

Another after-the-rain smell comes from volatile oils that plants and trees release. The oil then collects on surfaces such as rocks. The rain reacts with the oil on the rocks and carries it as a gas through the air. This scent is like the bacteria spores in that most people consider it a pleasant, fresh smell. It has even been bottled and sold for its aromatic qualities!

These are a few common rain smells, but there are also all sorts of other scents after it rains. There is lots of aromatic material that the moisture and impact of rain can stir up, and the moist atmosphere following a downpour is particularly good at carrying these particles through the air. So, when you talk about the after-the-rain smell with a friend, you may mean one thing while your friend is thinking of something else. You’ll both agree, however, that the air has a much stronger aroma to it after a good rain.”

Bacteria (& even fungi) is also the reasoning behind that aroma of freshly-worked soil.  However, researchers have found a very specific compound that seems to produce most of the aroma:

http://www.physorg.com/news109167558.html

Other interesting links on the subject:

http://soils.usda.gov/sqi/concepts/soil_biology/bacteria.html

http://soils.usda.gov/sqi/concepts/soil_biology/fungi.html

It’s maple syrup time! 

This is the time of year that the trees are tapped as sap begins to flow.  The perfect weather for tapping is long stretches of calm, sunny, mild days with highs in the 40s & 50s & chilly nights in the 20s & 30s to maximize production.  Maple tapping occurs in March, just as this warmer weather begins to arrive.

Really any maples can be tapped, but Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) is the main species.  Black maple (Acer nigrum) is just as sweet, which is a species that ranges farther west into Iowa, Nebraska & Missouri.  Black maple is more heat & drought tolerant & naturally ventures farther out into the tallgrass prairies, than Sugar maple.  Both these species occur locally, but since Black can’t compete well with Sugar, it is usually found on sites where Sugar is absent or doesn’t do as well, like floodplains & other alluvial areas. 

Sugar is found with American Beech, American Basswood, White, Black, Chinkapin & Northern Red Oak, Tuliptree & hickories.  Black is found with American Sycamore, American Elm, Black Walnut, Hackberry, Pawpaw, Kentucky Coffeetree, Silver Maple, Ashleaf Maple & Ohio Buckeye.  Also, Sugar thrives on more acidic soils, whereas Black Maple prefers soils with a higher pH. 

These are maples with hard, high-quality wood & thus are referred to as the “Hard Maples”.  In fact, in pioneer times, Sugar maple was called “Sugartree” or simply “Sugar”.

The “Soft Maples”, Red (Acer rubrum), Silver (Acer saccharinum) & Ashleaf (Acer negundo) can be tapped, but I am told they don’t yield such a sweet syrup as “Sugartree”.  They also have wood of much lesser quality, as Silver Maple is notorious for its brittle wood.

Look out for the buckets in our local “Sugartree” groves & watch for steam coming out of the little sheds in the groves as the sap is boiled over the next 1 month!

How Sugar tapping is done:

 http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Buds_and_Bark/tapping_sugar_maple_index.html

DO YOU HAVE A SUGAR OR BLACK MAPLES IN YOUR YARD OR ON YOUR PROPERTY?

Sugar Maple:

Black Maple:

HERE IS A FUN PROJECT FOR THE KIDS & A FAMILY:

http://www.indianamaplesyrup.org/MapleFacts.pdf

Here is one farm I am aware of to our south near Greencastle, Indiana:

http://harrissugarbush.com/

More Indiana Maple Syrup Production Information:

http://harrissugarbush.com/