A few bumps in the road ahead.

Thanks this morning to Shamane Barkes for sending this nice sky shot. I really appreciate it. We had a gorgeous day across the area yesterday, although it was windy. A lot of people were out and about yesterday afternoon in shorts just trying to soak it in. A lot of sunshine again today, but it won't be AS warm. But for this time of year highs near 60 is still doing pretty good. The models show a pretty good drop in temps later next week, but even that won't last long. This is afterall the time of year when we see some pretty dramatic ups and downs. There will be plenty of time for freezing temperatures in the morning hours, so even though gardeners may be a little itchy to start planting flowers the wise ones will hold off for awhile. Another big system will bring us some thunderstorms late Saturday night into early Sunday morning. Some may be strong to possibly severe. It's awfully dry across the Tennessee Valley right now as evidenced by the number of brush fires we had yesterday. Hopefully this storm will deliver average rainfall amounts between 1/2 and 3/4 of an inch.

Today: Mostly sunny, breezy. NE 10-15 High: 60

Tonight: Fair and cold. Low: 33

Saturday: Clouds thicken, warm. South 10-15. High: 65

Saturday night: Rain and storms move in. Some could be strong to severe. Low: 45

Sunday: Rain and storms early. High: 62 Low: 36

Monday: Mostly sunny, pleasant. High: 60 Low: 38

Tuesday: Partly cloudy. High: 60 Low: 37

Warming Trend On The Way...Storms Ahead?

Thanks this morning to Bob Woodstock of Union County, Georgia for sending some nice shots of this weekend's snow. This year I'm going to make an effort to spend some quality time over near Blairsville and tooling around Northeast Georgia. It's a beautiful area, and after 11 years here I can't believe I can only count the number of times I've been over there on one hand. (With plenty of fingers left over.) I'm over due. Maybe sometime in the next few weeks as it looks like Spring makes a significant appearance in the Tennessee Valley. Sure there's time left for some cold shots and even potential for a bit of winter weather, but with each passing day now those odds get smaller and smaller. It usually takes something BIG for us to get significant winter weather after President's Day. And I'm ready for something warmer. Sunday morning as I was gazing over the fresh unbroken snow in the front yard, three runners jogged past in the cold. They were all bundled up and seemed to be enjoying themselves. But I'm sure in another month they'll enjoy it even more. Onto the forecast which bodes well for anyone looking for something warmer. Highs well into the 60s later this week. This weekend we could see a round of strong to severe storms.

Today: Mostly sunny and warmer. SW 10-15 mph. High: 54

Tonight: Partly cloudy, chilly. SW 5-10 Low: 37

Tuesday: Clouds increase, showers late. SW 10-20 mph and gusty. High: 57

Tuesday night: Occasional light showers. Low: 45

Wednesday: Early morning shower, clouds decrease. High: 63 Low: 40

Thursday: Mostly sunny, mild. High: 66 Low: 41

Friday: Partly cloudy, thunderstorms possible late. High: 65 Low: 47

Cold Into The Weekend, Then Temps Bounce Back

Thanks this morning to the Schroeder family on Signal Mountain for sending this picture from yesterday's light snow. This was actually taken over the Sequatchie County line near Lone Oak. (There's something about that area that I really enjoy.) Brisk north winds again this morning making for another very cold morning. Tomorrow morning we'll have less wind but lower temperatures so it will feel just as cold. Chilly but quiet going into the weekend. Our clipper system looks drier today than it did yesterday, but it make still coat areas north of the city with amounts like what we saw yesterday and are pictured above. In other words, not a big deal. Big turn around temperature-wise next week. Upper 50s to near 60 will be possible, and right now it looks like the second half of the month will be stormy at times with Spring-like warmth.

Today: Partly cloudy, cold and breezy. North 10 to 15 mph and gusty. High: 39

Tonight: Partly cloudy, cold. North 5-10 Low: 19

Friday: Mostly sunny, but still chilly. NW 5-10 High: 40 Low: 24

Saturday: Clouds increase with snow showers late. High: 41 Low: 28

Sunday: Windy and cold with a 20% chance for a few flurries. High: 39 Low: 24

Monday: Mostly sunny, cool. High: 49 Low: 33

Cold And Windy Weather Ruffles Some Feathers

Thanks this morning to Jack Leather who sent these beautiful close ups this morning of some of his feathered friends. I don't spend enough time birdwatching. I have spent some very pleasant mornings in the woods around sunrise watching the birds searching for anything edible, playing, preening and even fighting amongst themselves or an invading bird or squirrel. To me woodpeckers are the most fun to watch, especially pileated woodpeckers. If you see one there's usually another somewhere nearby. You may not see both of them but listen carefully and you'll hear them calling back and forth as they search the trees for some tasty bugs. These large birds can also scare the daylights out of you. One morning around sunrise I had picked out a comfy tree to lean against and enjoy the sunrise coming up over a distant ridge. I was lulled almost asleep by the soft sounds of of the wilderness waking up. Then the quiet was shattered by a pileated woodpecker hammering the tree I was leaning up against, a mere two feet above my head. I jumped out of my skin! I'm not sure who was frightened more, me or the woodpecker by my coming unglued. It's easy to miss the small things around us. But hang a bird feeder out and enjoy the show for a few minutes a day and I'm sure you'll agree there are often large rewards in the smaller things in life.
This weather is for the birds today. When I came into work this morning it was actually comfortable outside. At midnight the temperature at Lovell Field was 53. Now it's 24 here at Channel 3 and feels like the teens. Snow showers are actually covering some of the roads a bit in Red Bank and across the Plateau. This activity popped up rapidly this morning which is a testament to how efficient cold air can be a squeezing out moisture. So this weekend clipper has to be watched. I think there's potential for 2" to 3" on the mountains, and 1" to 2" in the valleys. But we still have a few days to eyeball the situation. Or in keeping with today's bird theme.......watch it like a hawk.

Today: Mostly cloudy, cold and windy. North 15-25 and gusty. Temps remaining in the 30s today.

Tonight: Partly cloudy, cold and breezy. North 10 Low: 25

Thursday: Partly cloudy, cold and breezy. North 10 High: 39

Thursday night: Fair and cold. Low: 19

Friday: Mostly sunny, but chilly. High: 41 Low: 28

Saturday: 30% chance for snow showers. High: 40 Low: 28

Sunday: 20% chance for snow showers. Windy. High: 40 Low: 24

A Rainy Day, Then Blustery Again

Thanks to Kathy Davis for sending this snowy scene from Hixson to me. Looks like she has a great place to enjoy the river throughout the year. The next system pushing rain our way is a blockbuster storm. On the winter side 16 states are reporting some snow right now, and closer to the Gulf Coast severe storms and a few tornadoes have occured this morning. We'll get a much needed round of rain out of this, with most areas here seeing 3/4" to 1". Then colder air takes over again and make trigger a few flurries first thing in the morning. After that it's just cold. At least one of the models still likes the idea of a clipper diving into the area this weekend. This still looks like it has potential for some light accumulations by the time Sunday is over. We'll see if those chances dry up by the weekend.

Today: Rainy and mild with a few rumbles of thunder possible. South 5-10. High: 60

Tonight: Showery early, a few flurries late. Low: 34

Wednesday: Early AM Flurries, Windy and colder. North 15-25 mph and gusty. High: 41 Low: 22

Thursday: Partly cloudy and cold. High: 37 Low: 19

Friday: Partly cloudy, cold. High: 39 Low: 25

Saturday: Partly cloudy, 30% for a few snow showers. High: 40 Low: 26

Big Warm-up, Some Rain, Then COLD.

This is Emma Langworthy and her snowman pal, thanks to her parents from Signal Mountain for sending this great picture. Up until this weekend there were still small patches of snow in the front yard at Casa Benson. That is no longer the case, and certainly any tiny snow patches still clinging to life will be erased the next couple of days. Warm air moves in make it feel like Spring today and tomorrow. Rain and a few storms on Tuesday with 1/2" to 3/4" of rainfall possible. Then a few flurries when you wake up Wednesday morning. Wednesday afternoon will be blustery, with cold and dry air taking over through Friday. A clipper system dives into the area from the northwest Saturday and may bring some snow showers and flurries to the area both days this weekend. If the models are on track this morning, we could see a couple of inches of snow over the weekend. As always we'll watch the models fluctuate the next few days and see whether this system is weather fact or weather fiction.

Today: Mostly cloudy, mild. SW 5 High: 57

Tonight: Cloudy early, rain moves in late. South 5-10 Low: 44

Tuesday: Rainy periods, a few storms possible. SW 10-20 and gusty. High: 59 Low: 34

Wednesday: A few flurries possible early, then windy and colder. NW 15 to 25 and gusty. High: 38 Low: 21

Thursday: Partly cloudy and cold. High: 37 Low: 18

Friday: Mostly sunny but chilly. High: 41 Low: 24

More Snow Ahead?

Thanks this morning to Angela Beaver for sending this nice picture taken in front of her house in Farner, TN last week. As usual this time of year, the number one question is, "When will we see more snow?" Right now there's actually a very light mix on the radar that has been sliding across southern Middle Tennessee and northern Alabama. But it's not adding up to a hill of beans.....not that I've ever actually seen a hill of beans. Soybeans a few times in the Midwest, and popcorn (unpopped) in Ridgeway, Illinois which is the "Popcorn Capital" of the world. (Not that I ever wanted anyone to suffer any losses, but I always wondered what would happen if a silo full of popcorn ever caught fire. Would there be a mountain of popcorn left behind?) Anyway, after a cool and dry weekend we go into rain mode for Monday and Tuesday. The latest model information would leave some measureable snow behind Tuesday night in the I-40 corridor....but that's iffy. Don't put the mittens and sleds away yet.
Today: Light winter mix early this morning, then clouds decrease. North 5-10 High: 42

Tonight: Partly cloudy and cold. Light North Low: 24

Saturday: Partly cloudy, chilly. North 5-10 High: 45 Low: 26

Sunday: Clouds increase, mild. High: 50

Sunday night: Light rain showers possible. Low: 33

Monday: Showery periods. High: 51 Low: 42

Tuesday: Rainy periods. High: 49 Low: 32

Warm Start Won't Last Long

Here's a nice picture from Signal Mountain featuring Hunter and James Adams and their very nice snowman. The snowfield in my front yard was decreasing in size overnight as the southwest winds brought up some warmer air. In fact Chattanooga started off in the low 50s this morning. Winds are turning around to the northwest throughout the rest of the day, so we should drop back into the 40s and stay there the rest of the day. Right now I think the rest of this 5 day forecast period will stay dry until Sunday. If the precip. can reach us before daybreak there's a chance for a winter mix, but right now it looks like mostly liquid. It still looks like there's potential to build more snowmen before the month is through so we'll just wait and see.

Today: Partly cloudy, mild. North 10-15 High: 53

Tonight: Partly cloudy, cold. Light North. Low: 29

Thursday: Partly cloudy, cool. North 5-10 High: 48 Low: 28

Friday: Partly cloudy, chilly. High: 44 Low: 27

Saturday: Partly cloudy. High: 45 Low: 28

Sunday: Mostly cloudy, 40% for showers. High: 46 Low: 30

Plenty Of Time For More Fun And Games.

Thanks this morning to Anita Allen for sending this really fun shot from Blue Ridge, Georgia. That's Macy and Gracey Greene enjoying the snow last week. I love the rural landscape in this shot. It reminds me of the rolling farmland where I grew up. I would spend nearly the whole day tramping around in the snow with friends when I was little. Sometimes it was hiking through the snowy woods, and other times it was just around the neighbor hood where snow forts and tunnels could be created if the snow was deep enough, or the snow was fresh enough to pack. We always walked back and forth to school, and I would often go out of my way to test my boots by stomping through the snowbanks or slogging through the slush. There's something extra special about the way slush splatters when you stomp on a big pile of it. And I wouldn't rule out the chance for more snowy scenes this month. There's nothing more than systems showing up in the computer's mind right now. But several large systems could swing past us in the next few weeks. This pattern favors storm development, but where and when is what we'll watch and wait for.
Here's the short term outlook:
Today: Partly cloudy and cool. SW 5-10 High: 44

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with a 20% for a few sprinkles. Low: 35

Wednesday: AM sprinkles, mostly cloudy. NW 5-10 High: 50 Low: 34

Thursday: Partly cloudy. High: 46 Low: 28

Friday: 40% Winter Mix. High: 41 Low: 26

Saturday: Partly cloudy. High: 44 Low: 25

Cold Eases Somewhat This Week.

Thanks this morning to Bob and Kim Fisher for sending this snowy scene from McDonald, TN. It features their granddaughter Haley Jones and her horse "Buck". I still have snow covering a majority of the front yard at Casa Benson this morning. Thanks to some tall pine trees across the street and the low sun angle this time of year, the front yard stays shaded most of the day and the snow tends to linger quite awhile. I just stepped outside this morning and this air feels like it's straight off an iceberg. Right now Chicago is -9 so in a way it is. The airmass modifys as we head through the next several days, but it still looks like temperatures will remain below normal.

Today: Partly cloudy, cold and breezy. North 10-15+ High: 38

Tonight: Partly cloudy, cold. North 5-10 Low: 19

Tuesday: Partly cloudy, chilly. SW 5-10 High: 44 Low: 32

Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, 20% for a shower. High: 49 Low: 32

Thursday: Partly cloudy. High: 45 Low: 29

Friday: Partly cloudy. High: 46 Low: 28

Phil sez "Early Spring", but cold may be bold.

First some fun shots to share with you this morning. The first one is thanks to the Young family. Micah and Emily are second graders who were thankful for the cancelled classes and the chance to build this awesome snowman. Thanks to their mom Loraine for sending it. The second shot is Buddy the dog and his best friend Cody enjoying the snowy weather in Murphy, NC. Thanks to Donna Tepas for sending that shot in. A few places had a wet snowflake or two along with a small amount of sleet early this morning. But even in the mountains temperatures were above freezing, valleys were in the mid 30s.
Chilly but dry conditions ahead for this weekend. Then a weak system may sweep through on Monday with a few flurries. No accumulation is expected. But cold temperatures are likely to move in for the first part of next week. Sub-zero air is over the Dakotas, Minnesota and parts of Iowa this morning.

Today: Early AM Showers, Mountain flurries. Mostly cloudy this afternoon. West 5-10 High: 40

Tonight: Partly cloudy, cold. NW 10-15 High: 22

Saturday: Partly cloudy, cool and breezy. West 15-20+ High: 42 Low: 23

Sunday: Partly cloudy, chilly. High: 44 Low: 25

Monday: Cold with flurries possible. High: 37 Low: 18

Tuesday: Partly cloudy, COLD. High: 34 Low:23

Snowbird And Snow Birds

Snowbird was busy this morning with area schools and businesses taking a day off due to the slick, slushy roads. I want to say thanks to Beki Campbell for sending this shot of her pink flamingo in the snow. Thanks also to Steve Raasch of Ooltewah for sending this beautiful picture of Bluebirds in this morning. These shots of snow birds are real smile generators. Most locations ended up with 1 1/2" to 2" of snow today. Our Storm Alert Skywatcher Floyd Franklin from Fort Mountain reported the most so far. He had 4" of snow at his house.

Once this system whips past us, the next one tonight and very early tomorrow morning will produce some rain and end as a few flurries but no travel problems tomorrow morning. It gets very cold this weekend with additional opportunites Sunday and Monday for at least some snow showers or snow flurries. This could turn into something more so we'll watch it. Until then enjoy this little taste of Winter and let's see what the groundhog says tomorrow. I'll give you a hint.........expect some more of this before the month is through.

Today: Mix to rain, chilly. South 5 High: 40

Tonight: Showers early, flurries late. SW 5-10 Low: 33

Friday: AM flurries, clouds decrease. West 5-10 High: 42 Low: 25

Saturday: Partly cloudy. High: 40 Low: 24

Sunday: 20% for flurries. High: 39 Low: 26

Monday: Cold with 30% for light snow. High: 34 Low: 21