Drought Update

The latest drought monitor was released Thursday, and it's no surprise that the exceptional drought continues across the majority of North Carolina. 85 of the 100 counties in the state are under either an extreme or exceptional drought. The outlook is not good with no soaking rains in the forecast over the next week. Our next chance for rain will come late Sunday into Monday, but we should only receive a quarter of an inch of rain or less from that system.

November 2007 will go down as the driest November on record at RDU. The airport has only seen 0.48" of rain this month. That is just under the 0.50" that did stand as the driest November back in 2001.

Not only are we setting a record for a dry November, we are on the way to setting another record. There have only been 81 days with measurable rain in the Triangle this year. The fewest days in a calendar year with measurable rain was 92 in 1969. With only a month left in the year, we could easily break that record.

2007 will not be the driest year ever in the Raleigh, but it could be in the top 5 driest years since records have been kept around Raleigh (since 1887). As of November 30, RDU has measured 31.36" of rain. Here's a look at the 5 driest years on record --

1. 29.93" in 1933
2. 32.09" in 1921
3. 33.71" in 1976
4. 33.92" in 1930
5. 34.43" in 1965

Thanks to the National Weather Service Office in Raleigh for providing the above information on drought records around the Triangle.

19 Years Ago: F4 Tornado in Raleigh

On this date, 19 years ago a rare F4 tornado moved across northern Wake County. Not only are F4 tornadoes rare in North Carolina, this tornado struck in the middle of the night and in the fall. The twister killed 4 people and injured over 157.

You can read more about the storm from the National Weather Service Office Raleigh. Just follow this link -- http://www4.ncsu.edu/~nwsfo/storage/cases/19881128/

Thanks!

If you tuned into News 14 Carolina Thursday, you probably saw our live coverage from the North Carolina Children's Promise Celebration. That is the annual fund raiser for the North Carolina Children's Hospital in Chapel Hill. I spent along part of the day there on Thursday along with many of my colleagues from News 14 Carolina. They have quite a facility there! The special part about the hospital is they have NEVER turned a child or family away from their top-notch medical care. They are able to do that through your support. News 14 Carolina viewers and listeners to the Curtis Media Group radio stations helped to set a new record for the fund raiser. At last count, $780,794 was raised yesterday!!!

You can find out more about the North Carolina Children's Promise by visiting their website at http://www.ncchildrenspromise.org/

Thursday Rain Totals

Here's a look at rain totals from Thursday morning around the area --

• Chapel Hill: 0.45"
• RDU: 0.32"
• Rocky Mount-Wilson: 0.23"
• Lumberton: 0.10"
• Fayetteville: 0.09"
• Goldsboro: 0.05"

Everyone knows that much more rain is needed around here. Unfortunately, rain is not in the forecast for the next few days. Our next hope for rain could be Thanksgiving Day. Long range models are showing a front moving through our area then. We'll keep you posted with updates on Weather on the Ones. You can catch your 7-day forecast in our weather updates that air at :21 and :51 after the hour, plus you can see our 7-day forecast anytime on news14.com.

UNC vs. NCSU -- This Time It's About Water

The Wolfpack defeated the Tar Heels on the football field this weekend, but NC State is now issuing a new challenge to their neighbors in Chapel Hill -- conserve water. The two universities will see who can cut their water usage the most between Saturday's football game and when the Wolfpack and Tar Heels meet on the basketball court in February.

Click here to read more about the water usage challenge from news14.com

This challenge is just one reminder to everyone that we still need to do what we can to reduce our water usage during the current drought conditions in North Carolina. Check out our blog post from October 31 for tips on how you can reduce your water usage at home.

Warming Up...

The cold air that kept us chilly this weekend is retreating to the north, and warmer weather is in our forecast throught he middle of the week.

We should have a high near normal (64) today, and then above normal highs are in the forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday when afternoon temperatures should top out in the mid 70s. A cold front passting through the state late Wednesday night and Thursday morning will bring an end to the brief warm up and temperatures should return to slightly below normal for the end of the week and the weekend. That front may bring a few light showers our way early Thursday morning, but I'm not too optimistic on picking up substatial rain this week.

Some of the computer model runs this morning suggest we could have a wet and chilly start to the week next week. A lot can change between now and then. At one point last week, it looked like the middle of this week could be on the wet side, but that has changed. So, stay tuned...

I'd say it was a pretty good weekend!

Great Saturday for Football!

A cool, crisp fall weekend is coming up for central North Carolina, and there's just something about a cool fall Saturday that is perfect for college football. I sweated through the Clemson-NC State game earlier this season when the high was 90. It felt more like 110 in the stands at Carter-Finley. Saturday's temperatures will be in the 50s for most of the day. And that will be almost perfect weather for the big in-state football rivalry -- State and Carolina.

Sure this is a weather blog, but today I thought I would get a little off topic. At least I tried to tie it in with weather in the above paragraph, right?

This year's match up should be a good one. I don't think anyone will argue with me when I say both State and Carolina got off to disappointing starts this year. Of course, no one really expected championship seasons with both teams in a "building phase" with new coaching staffs. Things are turning around for both teams. NC State is now on a 3 game winning streak.

Now, you'll have to forgive me, I am very biased when it comes to the State-Carolina game. If you happened to catch Weather on the Ones this morning, you may have seen me wearing my red NC State tie. If only Sidney Lowe would have let me borrow his famous red blazer! It probably would not have been a good fit though. Plus a red tie, red blazer, and red hair would be just too much red.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this cool, crisp fall weekend. I hope to enjoy the nice football weather at Carter-Finley Stadium and hope I enjoy the end results of the game even more. Go Pack!

Drought Update

The National Weather Service Office in Raleigh along with state climatologist Dr. Ryan Boyles and the State Climate Office of North Carolina released an update on drought conditions across North Carolina, and the news isn't all that good.

Fortunately, we saw beneficial rains in late October that led to the rise in water levels in rivers and lakes in the area. We haven't seen any rain since then though, and those water levels are returning to the low flow levels we saw before the soaking rains last month.

Obviously, we need more rain and lots of it. But, just how much do we need? According to the release from the National Weather Service and the State Climate Office, we would need to see 14 to 18 inches of rain over the next 3 months and 25 to 30 inches over the next 3 months to end the exceptional drought conditions in the state. To completely end the drought, we would need to see 24 inches of rain over the next 3 months. Based on climatology, we would expect to see 9 to 11 inches of rain over the next 3 months and 20 to 23 inches over the next 6 months.

Well above normal rainfall is needed through the winter and spring to end our drought, and we aren't likely to see that kind of rain. In fact, the long range forecast continues to call for drier than normal weather through winter. Based on this, we will still very likely be talking about the drought through the winter and into the spring of next year.

Hey, Snow Lovers!

Some of the first lake effect snows of the season have been falling the past the couple of days around the Great Lakes. Here's a look from a webcam at Edinboro University near Erie, Pennsylvania this morning.

It was cold enough for snow here in North Carolina this morning, but with very dry air, of course, we only saw clear skies. We did record some of the coldest temperatures so far this season with some spots dropping into the upper 20s --

• Chapel Hill: 28
• Southern Pines: 28
• Rocky Mount-Wilson: 29
• Lumberton: 30
• Raleigh-Durham: 30
• Louisburg: 34
• Goldsboro: 35
• Fayetteville: 36
• Oxford-Henderson: 36

Look for another cold start Thursday morning with most spots near 30. Highs in the 50s are expected through the rest of the week and the weekend.

It's Raining Spiders!

Meteorologists rely on automated weather stations across the country to report weather conditions once an hour. These sites are maintained by the National Weather Service and report conditions such as temperature, dew point, pressure, sky conditions, and others. Since they are automated, they can occaisionally be fooled. A family of spiders seems to have fooled one of these weather stations in San Angelo, Texas. Check out this statement issued yesterday by one of the local National Weather Service offices there....

UPDATE...JUST A QUICK FYI...SPIDERS APPARENTLY AT IT AGAIN...CAUSING THE SJT ASOS TO THINK ITS RAINING. TALKING WITH THE TECHS A FEW WEEKS AGO...THEY NOTED THAT THE SPIDERS INHABITING THE ASOS EQUIPMENTWERE BOTH LARGE IN NUMBER AND UNUSUALLY PERSISTENT THIS YEAR...MORE SO THAN IN ANY YEAR THEY CAN REMEMBER.

Ready for Cold Weather?

Back this summer and even to early fall, I was really wondering when the record breaking heat would ever break. Finally, cooler fall weather is here and we're now looking for some of the coldest weather so far this season coming up by the middle of the week.

Today's high temperature map shows a high of 40 in Minneapolis and highs in the 50s in Chicago and Kansas City. That cooler air will eventually spread to the east. We expect highs only in the mid 50s for Wednesday and Thursday with morning lows near freezing. As of now, Thursday morning looks to be the coldest of the week. Some outlying areas could drop to the upper 20s! We'll keep you posted with the latest with Weather on the Ones.

By the way, the last time we had highs in the 50s was May 7 when the high was 57.

Another Soaking Rain Would Be Nice..

It was one week ago that soaking rains were falling on much of North Carolina. In our part of the state, three to six inches of rain fell from Wednesday through early Saturday.

Those rains helped to put a small dent in the drought conditions across North Carolina. However, with dry weather in the forecast over the next several days, we all still need to do our part to conserve water.

The governor's office sent us these water conservation tips to share with you --

In the Bathroom

• Replace older plumbing fixtures with newer, low-flow models or install water-saving devices, such as faucet aerators.
• Place a water-filled bottle or brick in your toilet tank to reduce the amount of water needed to fill it.
• Put food coloring in your toilet tank and watch if the coloring shows up in the toilet bowl before flushing. If so, replace the leaking flap.
• Check tub and sink faucets for drips and replace washers and “O-rings” as necessary.
• Turn off all water to your home and look at the readout dial on your water meter. If the dial moves, you have a leak.
• Check pipes coming into the house for leaks and have them repaired immediately. Don’t forget to check outside faucets and garden hoses.
• Turn off water while lathering, shampooing, shaving and brushing your teeth.
• Plug the bathtub before turning the water on, and then adjust the temperature as the tub fills up.
• Take showers instead of baths.
• Time your shower to keep it as short as possible.
• Collect water from the bath/shower while waiting for it to heat up and use it to water plants.

In the Kitchen

• Run washing machines and dishwashers only with full loads to maximize efficiency.
  Avoid using sink disposals for food scraps. Composting food scraps is much more economical than using a garbage disposal.
• Don’t rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, or use a pan of water in the sink and re-use the water as long as possible.
• When washing dishes by hand, fill one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water.
• When washing dishes by hand, use the least amount of detergent possible. This minimizes rinse water needed.
• Keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap for cold drinks.
• Don't defrost frozen foods with running water. Either plan ahead by placing frozen items in the refrigerator overnight or defrost them in the microwave.
• Don't let the faucet run while you clean vegetables. Rinse them in a filled sink or pan.

Reuse and recycle

• Catch rainwater from your gutters with a rain barrel and use it to water your flowers and vegetables.
• Collect natural water with a rain barrel for car washing.

Outdoors

• Take time to locate your main water shut-off valve and the water meter in your yard. For instructions on how to read your water meter, go to: http://www.h2ouse.net/resources/meter/index.cfm.
• Use dry cleanup methods to reduce both indoor and outdoor water use.
• Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your driveway or sidewalk.
• Set lawn mower blades one notch higher. Longer grass means less evaporation.
• Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants. Chunks of bark, peat moss or gravel slow down evaporation.
  

Cold Tuesday Morning

Tuesday started with the coldest temperatures so far this season prompting freeze warnings a frost advisories across North Carolina. Here's a look at today's morning lows --

• Chapel Hill: 30
• Louisburg: 30
• Southern Pines: 30
• Henderson-Oxford: 32
• Raleigh-Durham: 33
• Rocky Mount-Wilson: 33
• Smithfield: 34
• Laurinburg: 35
• Fayetteville: 36
• Goldsboro: 36
• Lumberton: 36

This should be the coldest morning of the week as a slight warm up is in store for the next couple of days.

Chilly This Morning; Colder Tuesday Morning

The week is off to a cool start with morning lows in the upper 30s in some spots today --

• Oxford-Henderson: 36
• Louisburg: 37
• Rocky Mount-Wilson: 37
• Smithfield: 37
• Raleigh-Durham: 38
• Southern Pines: 39
• Chapel Hill: 40
• Laurinburg-Maxton: 41
• Fayetteville: 42
• Goldsboro: 44
• Lumberton: 44

Tuesday morning will likely be at least a couple degrees cooler than this morning. High pressure over North Carolina will keep skies clear over with light winds. That will bring optimal cooling conditions allowing temperatures to drop to the mid 30s, and many neighborhoods will see their first frost of the season.

Frost can form even if the thermometer measures a temperature above freezing. Most thermometers measure the air temperature a few feet off the ground. On a clear and calm night, the ground can actually cool down very quickly, and the temperature at the ground may be a couple degrees lower than the air a few feet above the ground. So, while our thermometers may read in the mid 30s Tuesday morning, the temperature right at the ground could be around 32 allowing frost to form.

Rainfall Totals

Here's a list of rainfall totals from automated reporting sites and weather spotters around the region for Wednesday through Saturday morning:

• Louisburg: 5.92"
• Cary: 5.43"
• New Hill: 5.29"
• Youngsville: 5.24"
• NCSU Centennial Campus (Raleigh): 5.20"
• Goldsboro: 5.16"
• Durham: 5.05"
• Apex: 4.88"
• Chapel Hill: 4.69"
• Clayton: 4.48"
• Laurinburg: 4.45"
• RDU Airport: 4.36"
• Erwin/Dunn: 4.27"
• Fayetteville: 4.24"
• Spring Lake: 4.20"
• Raeford: 4.02"
• Smithfield: 3.41"
• Hillsborough: 3.34"
• Fayetteville Airport: 3.26"
• Pittsboro: 3.21"
• Wilson: 3.09"
• Rocky Mount-Wilson Aiport: 3.01"

Lots of Rain for Friday

Friday morning is starting off wet, and it looks like a lot more is on the way. As of early Friday, 1 to 3 inches of rain has fallen over central North Carolina. We may add another two inches to those totals today in many spots.

Radar from this morning shows rain from the Carolinas through Florida. All of that is moving to the north and will keep rainy conditions over our part of our state well into the afternoon and evening.



We'll keep you posted with the latest on Weather on the Ones only on News 14 Carolina!

Storm Damage Report from Wednesday's Storms in Franklin County

Here's the National Weather Service's statement on Wednesday's storm damage in Franklin County --

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
345 PM EDT THU OCT 25 2007

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEYED STORM DAMAGE WHICH OCCURRED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...BETWEEN 315 PM AND 330 PM...ABOUT 6 MILES EAST OF LOUISBURG IN FRANKLIN COUNTY. THE DAMAGE WAS DISCONTINUOUS ALONG A TRACK ABOUT 1.7 MILES LONG ROUGHLY PARALLEL TO EDWARD BEST ROAD. THERE WAS VERY LITTLE OR NO DAMAGE TO WELL-BUILT STRUCTURES ALONG THE TRACK...AND THAT DAMAGE WAS MAINLY TO ROOF SHINGLES. THE TRAILER THAT HAD BEEN FLIPPED (THERE WAS ONE MINOR INJURY THAT WAS INCURRED WHEN THE TRAILER FLIPPED) ONTO ITS SIDE WAS MERELY PARKED AND JACKED UP LEVEL IN THE YARD...WITH NO UNDERPINNING OR ANCHORS ATTACHED. A PORTION OF CONCRETE BLOCK WALL ON A CAR WASH WAS TOPPLED...BUT THIS CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE FREE-STANDING NATURE OF THE WALLS WHICH ENCLOSE THE STALLS...AS EVEN THE ROOF SUSTAINED NO DAMAGE.

THERE WAS ONE VERY LARGE TREE UPROOTED AND SOME DAMAGE TO LARGER HARDWOODS... BUT THE HEAVIER DAMAGE WAS TO VERY LARGE MATURE OAK TREES THAT HAD BEEN WEAKENED BY NATURAL HOLLOWING AND FURTHER WEAKENED BY BEETLE LARVAE. THERE WERE A NUMBER OF BRADFORD PEAR TREES WHICH INCURRED DAMAGE AS WELL.

THE TREES THAT HAD BEEN TOPPLED HAD FALLEN PARALLEL TO THE STORM TRACK...AND THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT EVIDENCE OF ROTATION IN THE VERY LIMITED DEBRIS FIELD. AS SUCH...THE DAMAGE IS ATTRIBUTED TO STRAIGHT LINE WINDS...WHICH ARE ESTIMATED TO HAVE REACHED 75 MPH.

Additional Rainfall Reports

Here's a look at additional rainfall reports as of 8am Thursday morning passed along by the National Weather Service Office in Raleigh. These include unofficial reports from automated weather stations and weather spotters.

• Goldsboro: 3.10"
• Garner: 2.72"
• Cary: 2.31"
• Durham: 2.25"
• Henderson: 2.15"
• NCSU Cenntinial Campus: 2.15"
• Knightdale: 1.95"
• New Hill: 1.85"
• RDU Airport: 1.79"
• Rocky Mount-Wilson Airpot: 1.76"
• Apex: 1.70"
• Chapel Hill Airport: 1.68"
• Wilson: 1.60"
• Clayton: 1.59"
• Laurinburg/Maxton: 1.56"
• Holly Springs: 1.31"
• Oxford: 1.28"
• Southern Pines: 1.25"
• Pittsboro: 1.15"
• Louisburg: 1.13"
• Raeford: 1.09"
• Erwin/Dunn: 0.87"
• Fayetteville Airport: 0.55"
• Fayetteville: 0.50"
• Spring Lake: 0.40"

Rain Totals as of Thursday Morning

Here's a look at rainfall since Wednesday across the area --

• Raleigh-Durham: 1.79"
• Rocky Mount-Wilson: 1.76"
• Lake Wheeler (Raleigh): 1.67"
• Goldsboro: 0.81"
• Clayton: 0.76"
• Reedy Creek (Raleigh): 0.66"
• Fayetteville: 0.55"
• Lumberton: 0.06"

A few thunderstorms yesterday produced gusty winds. One storm did produce wind damge Wednesday afternoon in Franklin County. According to information from the National Weather Service, law enforcement reported one person was injured near Louisburg when thunderstorm winds turned over a camper trailer.

The threat for strong storms appears to be over. Showers with a few embedded thunderstorms will continue off and on today and tomorrow. The rain should come to an end by early Saturday.

How much rain have you seen in your neighborhood? You can let us know by leaving a comment in the comment section below or send an e-mail to weather@news14.com.