AccuWeather Revises Winter Outlook

The revised AccuWeather Winter Outlook.
Click here for the AccuWeather Winter Outlook blog article.

AccuWeather has revised their winter outlook.  A few changes were made, especially here in the Northeastern part of the United States. 

The main change comes in the temperatures.  AccuWeather is now believing the winter will not be as cold as they had once thought for the Northeast.  Long lasting shots of cold arctic air are not as highly expected now but according to the weather blog, "there can still be cold snaps with below-normal temperatures".

This is AccuWeather's inital winter outlook,
which has changed.

In terms of the forecasted amount of snow...not much has changed.  AccuWeather still says "normal lake-effect snow" is expected and some areas could even see above average snowfall.

It seems that the above average warm November that just passed has made AccuWeather second guest their initial forecast.   I'm curious to see if these changes turn out to be correct.  I guess it is a wait and see game now.  As far as the other winter outlooks from NOAA and farmers almanac, no changes have been made.

Changes Coming Soon!

Changes are coming soon for Townville, PA Weather.  Sometime in the near future Townville, PA Weather will be changing over to a new website called Crawford County Weather which will focus on Crawford County as a whole and not just Townville.  I have decided that expanding weather coverage from Townville to county wide will be more ideal for my goals. You may be wondering what is going to happen to Townville weather.  Not much will be changing for Townville.  Crawford County Weather will have a Townville link that will basically give you the same information as the Townville, PA weather website gave you.  The only difference is that you will now have to access it through www.crawfordweather.com instead of www.townvillepaweather.com.  I apologize for the change but I promise it will be an easy transition : ).  So what should you expect from www.crawfordweather.com?  Crawford County Weather will feature weather observations from all over the county including Townville as I mentioned above.  In addition to observations, past weather will be viewable as well.  In terms of forecasts, I will be switching from the NWS forecast to my very own 5 Day Forecast that will be focused on Crawford County.  There will also be many more features including a cleaner and more professional layout.  I hope you all enjoy it.  Go and bookmark www.crawfordweather.com now so when the changes come you will be ready!

Tis the Season For...Snow!

The winter season is right around the corner and we've already have had a taste of some snow.  After waking up to a pile of snow outside your door many wonder how much snow did we get?  Well there is no need to wonder anymore as I will be posting snowfall totals on the website.  They can be found under the Observations tab at the top of the page.  The days snowfall and the yearly snowfall amount will be posted and will be updated frequently.  Now these numbers are not going to be pinpoint accurate but I can guarantee they will be fairly close.  Unfortunately I do not have the best equipment but I am doing the best with what I have!  Make sure to check back to see new totals on the Observations page!

Have a good Thanksgiving!

Kickoff Forecast (10/28/11)

Maplewood vs Iroquois Kickoff Forecast...

Clouds will be increasing as the night progresses.  At game time, expect partly to mostly cloudy skies with chilly temperatures.  It will be another cold night so make sure to bundle up.  GO TIGERS!!!

Game Time Temp:  39°
Conditions: Partly-to-Mostly Cloudy

Townville Borough Trick-or-Treating

Participating in the halloween fun tomorrow?  Here is your Townville Trick-or-Treating forecast...


    Mostly Cloudy          35°-39°

Temperatures will be a little chilly so make sure to bundle up if you or your kids are outside.  There is a slight chance of rain but the chances for rain will diminish as the evening progresses.

A Look Back On Last Winter & A Look Ahead to Winter 2011-2012

Summer has officially passed, leaves are turning color and falling off, and the air is getting cooler.  Before you know it, winter will soon be upon us and you'll be waking up to a pile of snow at your front door.  So what does this winter have in store for us?  Well before we look into that, let's take a look back on last winter.

Snowfall for our area was above average with the majority of the county seeing 150+ inches.

Seasonal Snowfall 2010-2011 NWS CLEVELAND

Overall, temperatures were colder than normal.  Temperatures were below average for the months of December & January and were about average in February.  A strong La Nina can be blamed for the high snow amounts and colder than normal temperatures.  What is La Nina?  In a nutshell, it is cooler than normal waters in the Eastern Pacific near the equator.  This consequently affects the jet stream and the weather around the globe, including right here in Northwestern Pennsylvania. 

La Nina Effects - National Weather Service

So what will this winter be like?  La Nina is expected to still be around so what does this mean for us?  Let's take a look at some predictions.

AccuWeather:

Graphic from AccuWeather Blog

Graphic From AccuWeather Blog

AccuWeather is predicting above normal snow for our area again.

Farmers Almanac:

Graphic from Farmers Almanac

They are predicting above average on snow and around average temperatures.

NOAA's weather prediction has not came out yet but I will post it once I see it.


NOAA's WEATHER PREDICTION

NOAA released their Winter Outlook Thursday.  It is very similar to the other 2.  We have a 33% chance or greater of having a wetter winter.  It appears our area is right on the edge of the 33% or greater chance of having cooler temperatures, but none the less it appears that it will be cooler around here. 

Click to Enlarge - NOAA

Click to Enlarge - NOAA

As you can see from those 2 (3) outlooks, it seems as if this winter will be similar to last winter...colder than normal and above average snowfall.  For those of you who love the snow, this will be another great winter for you.  For those who don't, just remember spring is always just around the corner.

Kickoff Forecast Friday 10/7/11

Maplewood vs Saegertown Kickoff Forecast...

High pressure remains in control so skies will be clear throughout the game.  Temperatures will be in the upper to mid 60's around kickoff and will be falling during the game.  Bring a light jacket or sweatshirt as it will be chillier towards the end of the game.  Overall, it's looking like great football weather!  Go Tigers!

Game Time Temp:  66°
Conditions: Clear

Kickoff Forecast 9/9/11

Mainly cloudy around game time.  Can't rule out some sprinkles but it looks like it should be mainly dry.  Temperatures will be around 70 degrees.

CWS Forecasts

Aside from forecasting on Townville, PA weather, I also am forecasting for the Penn State Campus Weather Service in State College, PA.  You can catch them every Tuesday afternoon on the CWS webpage.  Typically I forecast weather for the Northwest Region of Pennsylvania, which includes Erie, Crawford, Venango, and Warren counties so make sure you check it out. 

TS Lee Is Formed In Gulf

Tropical Storm Lee recently formed in the Gulf of Mexico.  It is a slow moving storm and is expected to drop some substantial rainfall on parts of Louisiana & Mississippi.  Eventually it could affect our area.  Keep an eye on it.

National Hurricane Center (NOAA)

Katia is still spinning in the Eastern Atlantic.  The current track has it sweeping up near the East Coast but models indicate that it will just miss land.  This could change however so keep an eye on Katia as well.

Source:  PSU e-Wall

Tropical Depression #12 Forms in Eastern Atlantic

Now that Irene has moved on out, it's time to focus our attention on another system in the Eastern Atlantic. Tropical Depression #12 has emerged off the coast of Africa and is making its trek towards the U.S. It is too early to tell where exactly this thing will head but models indicate TD12 will strengthen into a Category 2 Hurricane by Saturday with winds near 110 mph.  It is expected to be NNE of the lesser antilles at that time.  With any weather forecast model though, uncertainity does exist and it only increases the farther the forecast time is.  So I guess we will have to play the waiting game and see. If it does form into a tropical storm, it will be named Katia.  The list of names is re-cycled every 6 years.  If you think about it, 6 years ago was the year Hurricane Katrina hit the U.S.  Katrina should be the "K" name for this year but that name was retired for obvious reasons so Katia will be the "K" name this year.

As it gets closer, more information will be posted.

Pictures from Wunderground.com

Pictures From Wunderground.com

Hurricane Irene Eyes The Eastern Coast

Irene is beginning its trek up the Eastern Coast making many people worried about where it will make its landfall.  Recent models are suggesting a North Carolina landfall and possibly a second landfall farther up the coast.  Either way, these areas need to prepare for Irene as it makes its way North. 

PSU e-wall

Forecast Models showing the possible path of the storm.  Source: Wunderground

Kickoff Forecast

Starting in September, Townville, PA Weather will be featuring the Maplewood Tigers Kickoff Forecast for Friday home games at Maplewood High School.  The forecast will display the weather conditions expected at kickoff so make sure to check it out.  Go Tigers!

Townville, PA Mobile Webpage Created

Looking to access local weather on your cell phone or other mobile device?  Townville, PA Mobile makes it easy to navigate through the Townville, PA weather webpage.  Go to townvillepaweather.com/mobile to access it.  It is in its early stages and more work is being done to make it better. For now though, check it out!

Hot Weather

High Temperatures for July 21

Local Highs:

Townville:   95
Guys Mills  94
Cambridge Springs:  97
Woodcock:  98
Meadville:  97     Record 97 (Tied)
Oil City:  98

Source: (NWS CLEVELAND, WUNDERGROUND)

July 19, 2011 U.S. Drought Monitor

The "abnormally dry" area has grown since last week.  Much of Eastern Crawford County is now included. 

Source: http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html

Dry Summer (So Far)

After a record setting wet spring, the summer so far has been fairly dry.  Last week the U.S. Drought Monitor rated a few spots in Pennsylvania as "abnormally dry" by shading in those areas with yellow.  Townville seems to be right on the edge of it but it is no secret that our area needs some rain.  A good indication of this is the brown grass that seems to be becoming more prominent each and every day in our yards.  It will be interesting to see the updated map that will be released this Thursday.

How below average are we for July?  Average rainfall for the Meadville area in July is 4.27 inches.  At this point in the month, we should have 2.46 inches.  Our total so far...0.25 inches.  We have a lot of catching up to do. 

A section of Southeastern Crawford County has been deemed "abnormally dry" for this time of the year.  Townville is right on the edge of that shaded spot.    http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html

Old Home Days July 15, 16

Old Home Days is shaping up pretty nicely as of right now.  I think it is safe to dismiss any rain chances for both days.  Looks like mostly sunny skies for both days and temperatures in the Lower to Mid 80's.  Get out and enjoy it!

Townville Old Home Days Forecast

Old Home Days is almost here!  July 15th and 16th is less than 2 weeks away and one thing that worries everybody is what the weather is going to do for those days.  In a few days, I'll be posting the Townville Old Home Days Forecast on the webpage so make sure to check it out!   

Barometric Pressure & Fishing

Hello everybody....

I just spent a week over at Pymatuning and fished pretty much everyday.  While sitting out on the water, a thought came to my head about barometric pressure and fishing.  I've always heard people say that fish tend to bite when the barometric pressure is behaving a certain way.  I did a little research and here is what I found...

Fish tend to be the most active when the barometric pressure is falling. 
High & Low pressure usually is a time when fish are not very active.
Rising & Slightly Low pressure tends to lead to "okay" fishing.
Normal fishing normally occrus when the barometric pressure is normal or stable.

High pressure seems to be in control for the next few days.  Doesn't look too good for fishing.

For more on this click here.

Source:  thefishingnut.com

Quiet Start to 2011 Hurricane Season

The 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season officially started June 1st and so far has been quiet.  It is still early though as the peak of the season is still well ahead.  Most people have agreed that their will be above average number of storms this year.  NOAA is predicting 12-18 named storms, of which 6-10 will become hurricanes and 3-6 of those hurricanes will be classified as "major" hurricanes.  Colorado State University has predicted 16 named storms, 9 becoming hurricanes and 5 becoming major hurricanes.  On average the Atlantic Ocean sees 9.6 storms, 5.9 eventually becoming hurricanes and 2.3 becoming major hurricanes.  The most ever seen was 28 storms. 15 were hurricanes and  8 of those hurricanes were major hurricanes.

Last 5 Years

              Storms        Hurricanes        Major Hurricanes
2010          19                 12                       5
2009            9                   3                       2
2008          16                   8                       5
2007          15                   6                       2
2006          10                   5                       2

2011 Names

Arlene Bret Cindy Don Emily Franklin Gert Harvey
Irene Jose Katia Lee Maria Na Ophelia Philippe
Rina Sean Tammy Vince Whitney

Source:  Wiki

Full Moon

Last few nights have been fairly clear and I'm sure most of you have noticed the full moon that has been rising just about the same time the sun has been setting.  The full moon in June is known as the Strawberry Moon and each month has its own unique full moon name. Since the short season of harvesting strawberries is in June, naming the full moon in June Strawberry Moon seemed to fit pretty well. The Farmers Almanac does a great job of covering all the different moons so here the list of each month and its moons name.

Full Wolf Moon – January
Full Snow Moon – February
Full Worm Moon – March
Full Pink Moon – April
Full Flower Moon – May
Full Strawberry Moon – June
Full Buck Moon – July
Full Sturgeon Moon – August
Full Corn Moon – September
Full Harvest Moon – October
Full Beaver Moon – November
The Full Cold Moon; or the Full Long Nights Moon – December

Check out all the meanings on the Farmers Almanac Website 

 
Source:  Farmers Almanac

2010 - 2011 Snowfall

Hot weather bothering you?  Here's something that will cool you down.  Below is a graphic from NWS Cleveland showing snowfall amounts from this past winter.

Snowfall amounts from around the area:

Meadville PA   171.3
Blooming Valley   200.6
Canadohta Lake PA  186.9
Titusville PA   128.9 

Next winter I will begin keeping track of snowfall

here in Townville and will be posting it on the website.

Picture & Information From NWS CLEVELAND  

Storm Pictures 6/4/11

26th Anniversary

So far this year has been the year of the tornadoes.  Towns like Joplin, MO have been torn apart, families left with nothing, and people still missing.  Pennsylvania hasn't seen as much tornado activity as the Midwest this year but 26 years ago on May 31, Pennsylvania was in the middle of the largest tornado outbreak ever to hit this region.

This outbreak occurred on May 31, 1985 and is known as the 1985 United States – Canadian tornado outbreak or the May 31, 1985 Tornado Outbreak.  Many people that live in NW PA can recall this day.  Typically, only a few tornadoes hit this area every year.  That would be different in 1985.

43 tornadoes would end up occurring that day throughout PA,OH. and Ontario.   It all began around 4 PM that day and ended around 11 PM that night.  88 people ended up losing their lives, including 11 from Crawford County.  Below are some websites that explain in detail the events that unfolded that day.  Some contain some good pictures.  Also, here is a link to the satellite image of the storms.  You can watch them fire right up as the day progressed. (Source: Wiki)

SOURCE:  NWS CLEVELAND

Links of interest:

1985 United States – Canadian tornado outbreak

May 31, 1985 Tornado Outbreak

NWS CLEVELAND 1985 Tornado Outbreak

Paul Dornsife Tornado Outbreak Report

 Does anybody recall this day?  Post some things if you would like to share!

Lightning

Here's a photo my mom took the other night.  Lightning is very neat to look at.

Did you know....80% of lightning is cloud-to-cloud and the remaining 20% is cloud to ground. 

Twitter & News

Hello

I was reading the Titusville Herald today and saw a section about this website in the Cherrytree News column.  I would like to thank the person responsible for that as well as others who have also mentioned this site.  It is great to see people getting the word out about this webpage! It is greatly appreciated!

Regarding the website...a Twitter Newsfeed has been added.  I'll be "tweeting" things every now and then as you probably have already noticed.  Make sure to check it out if you haven't already done so.  Feel free to follow me on twitter as well.

That is it for now...Have a good one.

Month of April Sets New Record

While parts of Texas are begging for water, Pennsylvanians are saying no more.  The month of April ended up being the wettest on record for the state.  The year so far has been a wet one  and most of Crawford County is 125 to 200 % percent above normal for April precipitation (2-12 inches above normal). 

Percent Above Normal Graphic
Source: NOAA NWS Cleveland

Inches Above Normal Graphic
Source:  NOAA NWS Cleveland

Here is how Townville compared to other nearby locations for April. Click to Enlarge.

Links:  Precipitation Running Above Normal
           Pennsylvania Rain Rankings

Allergy Season In Full Swing

Hello everybody...

It's been a while since my last post and I appologize for that.  Finals are over with so now I'll be able to get back to the blogging.

Everybody loves spring time because it means the end of an always long, cold, snowy winter.  Naturally, when people think of spring they think flowers, fresh green grass, and the new leaves on the trees.  Although these things may be delightful to see, they can sure cause alot of problems.  Those who suffer from allergies know what I'm talking about.  With allergy season now in full swing, winter doesn't seem so bad now.  

If you are curious on how to survive allergy season, I recommend checking out this article " How to Survive Spring Allergy Season".

For this week the outlook for allergies is not very good.  Grass pollen will be on the moderate side as grass starts to grow and the lawn mowing begins.  Weed and mold pollen are low.  Tree pollen is high and will continue to be as trees keep budding and growing their leaves.  Birch, Maple, and Oak are the main pollen contributors.  Pollen information can be found on Accuweather.

Source: Accuweather
 

Local Meteorologist Begins Work on "Storm Trackers" Documentary.

       For those of you who follow local weather in our area (WJET-TV in particular) should know who Jason Berry is.  He is a Meteorologist for JET-TV ,FOX 66 and in his spare time manages Reliaweather.com, a weather website devoted to his hometown in Northwestern Ohio.
      On March 21, Berry announced that Reliaweather.com will be creating and airing a production on storm chasing.  Airtime will be in late May on his website and later in June on local Northwestern Ohio T.V.  Titled "Storm Trackers", the documentary will be mainly based around severe weather in Northwestern Ohio.  However, some footage of severe weather in Pennsylvania will also be shown.  Local Northwestern Pennsylvania storm chaser Steve Marshall has volunteered some of his work for this documentary which includes video of local weather events such as tornadoes in Oil City.
        The documentary should be very interesting as Berry is no stranger when it comes to storm chasing. A few days ago I asked Berry about his past chasing experiences. 

"I've experienced 9 tornadoes... mostly EF-1s or less while chasing storms in the Plains.  The strongest however, was an F-4 that hit Van Wert and my hometown in Northwest Ohio November 10, 2002. "


      Storm Trackers can be seen on the Reliaweather.com Video Channel in late May.  Updates will be posted as they come.   

Check out these links if you would like to know more:

Official Stormtrackers Webpage
Reliaweather.com
Article
ReliaBlog
Reliaweather Video Channel


Source:   http://www.reliaweather.com/articles/storm_chasing_doc.html

Spring Photos & Warmer Temperatures

Good Evening!

Finally, temperatures have become more seasonal!  It is nice to finally be able to look out the window and see more green than white!  Sunday, we were able to get a nice taste of summer with temperatures soaring into the lower 70's and upper 80's for our area.  Erie actually managed to set a new record high temperature for the day (82), beating the old record of 81 set back in 1945.  Townville managed to hit 77 that day.  Unfortunately, I don't have any past records for Townville so I am unable to determine whether it was a new record or not. Meadville tied its record of 79.

I managed to take some pictures on Sunday and a few a week before.  I figured I'd share them with you.  If anybody has any pictures they would like to share, please send them to info@townvillepaweather.com.  I would love to post them on here!

Great day to head down to Presque Isle! 
Many people took the opportunity to get out
and enjoy the warm weather.  Click to Enlarge

Motorcycles could be seen all over the area.

After a long winter of waiting, bikers were thrilled to get out and ride.

(Photo: Looking South Down State Street in Erie, PA.)  Click to Enlarge

Just a week ago, ice could be seen from the shores of Presque Isle. 

The ice melted quickly after a week of warmer temperatures. Click to Enlarge

The Return of Severe Weather

Hey Everybody,

Spring time is here (although some days it doesn't seem like it) but it is here and warmer temperatures are on there way.  With the increase of temperatures, the risk of severe weather increases.  A couple weeks ago, a tornado ripped through an area east of Pittsburgh, causing some damage to houses and a school.  Events like this will only increase as we head through the spring months so I figured it would be appropriate to list some stats about past tornado seasons for the nation and our area as well.  Enjoy.

Tornado stats since 2001 for the  U.S., PA, Northwestern PA (Erie, Crawford, Warren, Mercer, Venango Co.'s), and Crawford County.

Year               US              PA                  NW PA                Craw. Co.

2001                  1219                12                      1                              1
2002                    938                16                      6                              3
2003                  1394                  9                      0                              0
2004                  1820                26                      4                              2
2005                  1262                11                      0                              0
2006                  1117                 8                       0                              0
2007                  1102                 7                       0                              0
2008                  1685                 5                       1                              0
2009                  1305                 7                       0                              0
2010                  1545               15                       2                              0
2011                    235                 1                       0                              0    * As of April 7th*

Source: NWS SPC


Random Facts About Tornados...

• Tornadoes have been reported in every state, and every season.
• The strongest winds ever measured from a tornado?  301 +/- 20 mph from a Doppler On Wheels situated near it.
• The longest path length a tornado has traveled was 219 miles.  It traveled through three states: Missouri, Illinois, & Indiana.
• The widest tornado ever recorded was 2.5 miles wide.  (That would almost be from Townville to Maplewood High School)

  Source : Wikipedia

Tornado Safety Tips can be found HERE

March In Review: In Like A Lamb...Out Like A Lamb?

There's that old weather saying...In like a lion, out like a lamb.  That is typically how the month of March is.  Stormy, cold weather early on and then warmer more pleasant weather towards the end.  This year it seems we kicked the lion out (for the most part) and just went with the lamb the whole month.  March started out slightly below average in terms of temperatures but was fair in terms of weather.  Definitely more lamb like weather than lion.  About mid march, we experienced some warmer temperatures, with a few times reaching above 60.  As the month came to an end, high pressure gripped our area for a few days and temperatures were well below average.  Even though it was cold, most of those days saw plenty of sun.  March managed to leave like a lamb and overall it was a quiet month in terms of weather.  So looks like in and out like a lamb. 

March 2011

High Temp:  62  (March 18)        
Low Temp: 8 (March 3)    
Average Temp: 35
Rainfall Total:  4.84 inches
Max Wind Speed 26 mph (March 18)
                   

Cold Trend Continues...

Spring officially began on March 21st but it hasn't felt like that lately! Winter seems like it will not release its grip on our area. The past few days temperatures have failed to get out of the 30's which is well below our normal of 48 for this time of year. Canadian high pressure has stuck around and is pulling cold air into our area.  This will continue for a few more days but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  Warmer temperatures do appear to be on the way and it looks like this will happen about the middle of next week.  Models are indicating warmer temperatures after that as well but it is too far to tell whether that will happen or not.  March managed to come in as a lamb so it will be interesting to see how it leaves.  Anyway you look at it....WARMER WEATHER IS COMING!!! 

Here's the latest ice image of Lake Erie...Check out all that water!

Source:

NOAA CoastWatch - Great Lakes Region 

Lake Erie MODIS Imagery

 

A Few Notes...

A few notes for the week...

 1) Couldn't have asked for a better Saint Patrick' s Day!  March 18th (yesterday) provided some spring like temperatures.  Here is a list of the highs in our area for the day.

         Townville                       60°F

         Guys Mills                    61°F

         Woodcock Borough      60°F

         Oil City                          63°F

         Meadville Airport         60°F

         Franklin Airport            59°F

         Erie Airport                   64°F

 2) Spring officially begins on March 20, 2011 at 7:21 PM for us.  This is known as the spring equinox (equal days & nights).  We will have around 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness.

3) Make sure to look at the sky on March 19!  The moon will be the closest is has been to the earth in the last 18 years and will appear bigger to the eye.  This is moon has been coined the name "supermoon".  Some also think it is to blame for the recent earthquakes...Check out the article HERE.

Source: Christian Science Monitor

That is all for now...

SKYWARN Spotter Training

The National Weather Service in Cleveland is offering SKYWARN spotter training on March 23rd at St. Brigids Church (383 Arch Street Meadville, PA).  It is FREE & open to the public.  Click HERE for more information. 

Rainfall Totals -- February 28th, 2011

Hey everybody....

Here are the rainfall totals from the strong rain/storm system that moved through our area earlier this morning (2/28/11).  As you can see, most locations around here were in the one and a half inch to two inch range.  Townville officially received 1.66 inches between 1:53 A.M and 9:51 A.M.  At one point, the rainfall rate was 0.74 inches per hour.

Townville, PA                    1.66 in
Guys Mills, PA                   1.54 in
Woodcock, PA                 1.97 in
Oil City, PA                       1.52 in
Meadville, PA (Airport)     1.87 in
Franklin, PA (Airport)        1.50 in
Erie, PA (Airport)              1.53 in

Also, High Temperature for the day was 50.2°F not 81.7°F.   Every now and then the station takes faulty data...not sure why. I'm working on a fix.  

Rainfall data from Wunderground

A Ring Around The Moon...

Ever look up at the moon on the clear night and notice a "halo" of light around it?  No, its not a sign that the world is coming to an end.  It's actually very interesting phenomenon. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Moon_Ring_01.jpg

The ring is caused by a refraction of light through ice crystals (mainly thin cirrus clouds) in the upper atmosphere.  The crystals have a hexagonal shape to them which causes the ring around the moon.  The ring will typically be the same size (22° across the sky) due to the hexagonal shape of the crystals.

Folklore says that the ring indicates that bad weather is coming.  The cirrus clouds usually come before a warm front and low pressure system which tends to bring stormy weather.  Also, some say that the amount of stars inside the ring indicate how many days till the stormy weather arrives. Does this work? Check it out sometime...

Lake Erie Ice Cover

The lake effect snow machine has been fairly quiet as of late.  This is mainly due to the substantial amount of ice cover on Lake Erie. Open water is needed for lake effect snow and currently there is not very much.  Even though the majority of the lake is covered, we can still receive lake effect snow from  moisture through cracks and open spots on the lake, and even from Lake Huron. The chances of receiving lake effect snow though are very low when the lake is ice covered.  Those who hate the winter and all the snow that comes with it should be happy to hear of this news and to see the image below.   

Pictured below is a Lake Erie ice cover shot taken on February 3, 2011. (Credit: NWS/NOAA)
Earlier Ice Cover Images can be seen HERE.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Townville, PA weather blog!  I will be posting blogs every now and then on here related to weather of course so make sure you come back periodically.