Weather & Space News Blog
 since Feb. 2003
 WX - Telegraph abbreviation for weather often used with Morse code
 The Wire - Name once given to the telegraph

Most of Kansas is under a tornado watch this afternoon. See the U.S. Watches/Warnings Map From the National Weather Service. Also check out the Wichita page for radars, webcams and more. A good radar image is available at Intellicast.

Michigan is seeing more stormy weather today after a stormy weekend

On June 8, we will be able to see Venus pass directly between Earth and the sun. Details

Scientist Says He Knows Why Earth Wobbles

Parts of Kansas and Nebraska are under severe thunderstorm and tornado watches this evening. Check out the Intellicast Storm Radar Summary for details on the storms. Get the latest radar and webcam images in the Wichita and Omaha pages.

From California: Fire Season Starts Sooner Because Of Warm Weather

A different situation in North Dakota: WEIRD WEATHER: Rain, rain, rain, rain

Weather insurance, anyone? A company in Phoenix is offering just that for the golfing world

Guard says it has plenty of troops for hurricane duty

And in the world of webcams: Webcams can help when you’re researching travel (Registration required)

I once lived in this area in Michigan … my parents still do: Counties’ threatening weather spreads worry

From Flint, MI: Tornado touchdown reported

Weather May Explain Mexico UFO Stir … mmm, sounds like a report from Agent Scully…

Billions of Cicadas Set to Mate

Severe weather is sweeping across Michigan this afternoon. Radars and cams, plus warnings can be found in the Detroit and Grand Rapids pages. A good radar of the area: National Weather Service Loop

Storms Dump 12 Inches Of Rain In S. Central Texas | Flooding threatens Houston; winds hit Bryan

Mexico’s ‘UFOs’ May Have Been Atmospheric Gases

Another great Astronomy Picture of the Day shows the Moon during the May 4 eclipse, with the star Zubenelgenubi.

Heavy Rains, High Winds, Tornadic Activity Roll Through S.E. Texas

Storms are heading into Houston and Chicago. Also, North Texas may see heavy rain and storms tonight. KXAS-TV has a live streaming radar feed during storm events, and is currently streaming (Broadband and Windows Media Player required, opens in new window).

Here is a shot from the WXnation Livecam 2 looking north from far north Fort Worth. It shows a line of strong storms, taken at 5:15 p.m. today (click on image for large image in new window):

From Kansas: Storm-fueled flooding persists as damage assessments begin

‘Crazy’ Weather Brings Tornadoes, 16 Inches Of Snow To Colorado

Extreme Weather Hits the Big and Small Screens

Northeastern Montana buried in snow

North Dakota: State hit with snow, rain and sleet

Colorado: Cold front brings snow, high winds

And in more spring-like weather: Severe weather batters southeast Texas

Tornadoes derail train, damage roofs in Texas

Kansas: Heavy rain, hail, strong winds in forecast

Get radars, cams and weather watches and warnings for your nearest city by clicking on the WXnation U.S. radar map. Speaking of the national radar on the home page, it now has the state borders over the satellite and radar data, so you can see where everything is when large systems move across the country.

Moonbow and Venus picture posted on SpaceWeather.com

Tornado touches down west of Houston this afternoon. Details

Several tornadoes hit Colorado

At least two tornadoes were spotted in northern Illinois Monday afternoon. Details

And, wrapping up a day of tornado news: Waco Marks 51st Anniversary Of Deadly Tornado

Kansas: Storms sever power to 3000

North Dakotans shoveling show in May

Severe weather is possible across much of the U.S. Get radar and webcam resources for your nearest city by clicking on the WXnation.com radar map

Finally, remember what you were doing in the spring of 1987? Back then, I was 14 and visited Michigan, where I saw a bunch of odd-looking insects covering gas stations among many other buildings. Well, they’re back!!!

Severe weather is possible in the Midwest and parts of the Northeast today. Get the latest radar and webcam images, plus warnings by clicking on your nearest city page in the WXnation.com U.S. live radar map. See where the most severe weather is in the Intellicast Radar Summary

Clean-Up Begins after Storms Hit Twin Cities

For Some, Bad Weather Causes Internal Storm – approximately 8 million Americans have phobia of storms/severe weather

Mother and Daughter Killed During Storm

Montana: Cooler weather, rain and snow in regional forecast

Tornadoes were reported in Minnesota today: Tornado tears open house as storm passes through state

Severe weather hit the Midwest, including Michigan (here is a good radar loop of Michigan from the National Weather Service). Get a live radar image of the U.S. and cams and radars for your nearest city in the WXnation homepage, and the latest warnings in the National/International page

Wisconsin Storms knock out power to thousands

Friday storms in Virginia knock out power, down trees

Tornado Touches Down In Nebraska

Tornado kills two in southern China

Oklahoma City GM Plant Remembers 2003 Tornado

‘Cyber Twisters’ Helping Scientists Understand Tornadoes

I’m back in Fort Worth from a day with family in Oklahoma. On the way back, I tuned to 1080 AM KRLD and heard one of wildest, most incredible Texas Rangers games ever. I was driving through Moore, OK when the 5th inning began and was in Ardmore, OK when the 6th began, as the Detroit Tigers scored 8 times in the top of the 5th and the Rangers answered with 10 runs in the bottom of the 5th! The Rangers won it 16-15 in10 innings, and improved to 19-11. I won’t go on — this weblog is primarily about weather after all…

More memories of a tornado outbreak one year ago in Kansas | Missouri | Oklahoma | Illinois | and Kansas again

Police say weather may be factor in capsizing

Bad weather strikes Italy

Today’s Astronomy Picture of the Day [antrho_uks.jpg] reminds me of some new kids show on Nickelodeon from the creator of Teletubbies…

See Comet Neat

4 Brazilian Fishermen Missing After Storm Hits Southern Coast

Freak weather lashes southern New South Wales

At Endurance crater, Opportunity treads carefully

One year ago this week, tornadoes hit Oklahoma City two days in a row. This year, it is a much different story, as all is clear in most of Oklahoma through early next week. Last year, I attempted to visit my sister in Midwest City, only to turn around on Interstate 35 in north Texas after hearing reports that a tornado was crossing OKC. On May 10, I finally made it up there, and for the first time since then, I am headed up there again for my niece’s graduation from Rose State College. This time I know weather won’t delay my trip…

The Weather Channel(R) Announces Position on Global Warming

United Stations Signs Al Roker For New National Radio Weather Service

As we all know by now, viewers say goodbye to NBC’s “Friends” tonight. A now-seasoned journalist I hired when I was Webmaster at WDIV-TV in Detroit, Marcy Cromie, has written a great piece: ‘Friends’ Fanatic Says Goodbye To A TV Era

Just came across the story Bush pauses to comfort teen, which reminds us how much Sept. 11, 2001, has changed our lives, especially those who lost family and friends

And finally, the WXnation Fort Worth Webcam archive for April is online and features the following pics (click on images for double-sized 640×480′s):

Cooler Weather Helps California Firefighters | Latest on the Southern Calif. wildfires. Weather and webcam resources can be found in WXnation.com’s San Diego and Los Angeles pages.

Wind closes N.D. highway, knocks out power… The National Weather Service reported gusts to 63 mph in the Fargo area.

Lunar eclipse starts heavenly show. See some amazing photos from the May 4 lunar eclipse in this SpaceWeather gallery, which includes this incredible picture

Cingular Wireless says it is prepared when severe weather hits

Lunar eclipse on Tuesday night

Something getting brighter in the sky: Venus

Fire Season Begins Early In California

The Weather Channel will broadcast live from downtown Jackson, Tennessee, on Monday night to mark the one-year anniversary of tornadoes. Story here. TWC will also be in Moore, Oklahoma, where a tornado swept through for the third time in five years. From ChannelOklahoma.com: Dealing With ‘Storm Phobia’

And finally, an off-topic entry: The second official CD by Austin, Texas, artist Bob Schneider was released three weeks ago today, and I’ve been listening to it a lot over the past couple of weeks. “I’m Good Now” is a well-written, preformed and produced (and mostly undiscovered) album that can be heard on his Web site: BobSchneiderMusic.com. Great for any pop/rock CD or iTunes collection, I say…

Some in north Texas ask: What is it with wet weekend weather? (registration required for this Dallas News article)

Damage Reported In Central NC After Severe Weather. Details

N.C. weather station placed in unusual location: pier

Unusual spring weather brings low temps, snowfall in Iowa. Story here

Meanwhile, Record Heat Is Back In California | Calif. wildfires spark evacuations

When I worked at WDIV-TV in Detroit, I had the pleasure of meeting longtime evening anchor Mort Crim. He is now chairman of Mort Crim Communications and penned this recent ‘Second Thought’: Technology can help us weather the storm, which mentions the use in Oklahoma of a special paging system that flashes a warning hearing-impaired people can see.

Listen up: Weather radios save lives, officials say (registration required)

Tornado-ravaged Illinois town holds memorial service