Western Heat to Build East, Storms Lead the WAAY First

Through much of the month of July a large upper level ridge held strong from Texas northwestward through much of the western U.S. providing for a hot month while a trough held tight bringing cooler and wetter than normal conditions to the East. A flip in the pattern will take place through this week into the start of next allowing the ridge to switch with the trough.

This means it will cool off in the West and heat up in the East. 90s will be the rule again for much of the southeastern fourth of the nation with 100s building again across much of the Plains, Kansas to Texas. In addition, high humidity levels will add to the heat allowing heat index values to rise 100-110 degrees for many.

This pattern switch doesn't come easy and quiet, though. As the pattern shifts a battle zone will set up providing for storms, some of which will be severe. This evening's severe weather will be confined mainly along and near the Ohio River and across the Black Hills. Severe storms will remain a possibility on Wednesday from the Black Hills southeastward into the Mid-South.

The severe storm threat will continue from much of the northern Plains right through Friday, too.

The main threat with these storms will be large hail and severe winds. A low threat for tornadoes is anticipated. Remember, though, storms can become severe with little or no warning. For this reason you need to remain weather aware. I also recommend that you invest in either a NOAA weather radio or even better, Weather Call.

In case you are not familiar with Weather Call, it is a personal warning notification system that will provide you with immediate warnings for severe storms and tornadoes by contacting you via one of three methods: email, text message or phone. You can also set up the notification system to contact you up to 3 different ways and in any combination. For example, you can have it call your home and cell phones and email you, too. The great thing about Weather Call is that it only notifies you of warnings that are specific for your programmed location. It uses the new storm based warnings issued by the National Weather Service and not the county warnings previously issued and still used by NOAA Weather radio. This makes the warnings provided by Weather Call to be much more specific and only to those in immediate danger. WAAY-TV, one of several T.V. stations, offers this service for just $6.95 per year for any location in the lower 48. You can learn more or even subscribe by simply clicking here. If you chose to subscribe online you will immediately be signed up and ready to-go for any warnings that may head your WAAY.