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