WDRB Weather Blog

WORLD RECORD: Video Of The Biggest Wave Ever Surfed...

Surf's up! Brazilian surfer Rodrigo Koxa now holds the Guinness World Record for the largest wave ever ridden. Back on November 8, 2017, Koxa rode this monster wave on at Praia do Norte, the infamous big wave surf break located in Nazaré, Portugal. The judges of the World Surf League considered it to be an astonishing 80-foot wave, beating Garrett McNamara's 2011 world record by two feet. Check this out...

Video Credit: SurferToday.com

 

 

-Rick DeLuca

https://www.facebook.com/RickDeLucaWeather

A Big Week for Louisville: Derby and the ISS

Not only is this a big week thanks to the Derby and all surrounding events, but it's also a big week for International Space Station sightings in Kentuckiana. Tomorrow morning will see clear to mostly clear sky, so if you're up around 5:30, you'll likely see the ISS.

There will be a dozen opportunities to see it this week plus another half-dozen sightings next week!  Below is the list from the NASA website of days, times, and locations you can see the ISS.

Weather will cooperate for several of these viewing opportunities.  Wednesday morning will see a partly cloudy sky, so it will be hit or miss.  If you're under one of the breaks in the clouds, you should see it.  Not all of you will see a break in the clouds, though. 

Thursday morning doesn't look good.  The sky will be cloudy to mostly cloudy. 

Friday looks just as bad for ISS viewings.  Rain will be approaching from the west, and clouds will cover the rest of the area. 

Saturday morning the clouds will start to break.  If you're in southern Indiana or near the river, you have a better chance of the sky clearing and seeing the ISS. If you live farther south, the cold front will still be close enough you'll likely be dealing with clouds. 

Sunday morning should be mostly clear, though there will be a few clouds in the sky.  This should be a pretty good chance to see the ISS.

Remember if you get any pictures of the ISS,  send them to me using the links below! 

Hannah's Facebook Page

Hannah's Twitter Page

-Hannah Strong

 

Massive Cyclones Discovered on Jupiter

Computer-generated image of the cyclones over Jupiter's south pole. (Photo Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/ASI/INAF/JIRAM)

Last month nine cyclones were discovered over Jupiter's north pole and six more over the south pole.  They are each several thousand miles wide and "unlike anything else encountered in our solar system," NASA said on their website.  Wind speeds inside these cyclones exceeded 220 mph in some spots which is stronger than a category 5 hurricane.

Artist's representation of the Juno spacecraft in orbit around Jupiter (Photo Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

This new information came from Juno, the NASA spacecraft that has been orbiting Jupiter since 2016.  It also discovered the east-west jet streams that criss-cross through the atmosphere actually extended thousands of miles beneath the clouds.  That means Jupiter's atmosphere is larger and extends deeper than we thought.  Remember Jupiter is made of mostly gas, and more than 1300 Earths could fit inside Jupiter. 

Hannah's Facebook Page

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-Hannah Strong

AURORA AUSTRALIS Illuminate Southern Skies In Time-lapse Video ...

Photographer Philip Dubbin braved cold weather to capture this dazzling time-lapse video of the southern lights as they illuminated the night skies on April 20. The Aurora Australis unfolded on Friday night and injected the sky of south Victoria with vibrant pinks, greens and yellows. An aurora is a natural light display in the sky. They form as charged particles in the both solar wind and magnetospheric plasma enter the upper atmosphere, resulting in ionization and excitation. Through this process, light of varying color and complexity dances across the sky...

Video Credit: The Weather Network

 

 

-Rick DeLuca

https://www.facebook.com/RickDeLucaWeather

From Frost to 80s!

A Frost Advisory goes into effect for much of the area tonight through 9 AM Sunday.  Jackson, Jennings, and Lawrence counties are included in a Freeze Warning as temperatures fall into the middle and lower 30s by morning. 

In fact cooler air is streaming into the area.  Sunday the wind will stay out of the north, so it will continue to bring this cooler air to us.  That means temperatures don't start to climb until Monday. 

Monday the wind shifts to come more out of the west which will allow warmer air to move in!  By Monday high temperatures will climb to the mid-70s, which is where they are supposed to be this time of year. 

That change to our flow pattern will allow temperatures to climb into the 80s by Tuesday! It won't just be one day, either.  Humidity creeps into the forecast as we get closer to the middle of the week. 

The news at 10 tonight will be on WBKI, so turn over there to see how long these 80s last! We will talk about the extended forecast too, including the Derby and events leading up to it. 

Hannah's Facebook Page

Hannah's Twitter Page

-Hannah Strong

FROST ADVISORY: Locations Included & How Low We Go...

...FROST ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM EDT /MIDNIGHT CDT/ TO 8 AM
EDT /7 AM CDT/ SUNDAY...

* TEMPERATURE...Overnight temperatures in the lower to middle 30s

* IMPACTS...Frost likely to develop, especially in the sheltered
colder valleys.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Frost Advisory means that widespread frost is expected.
Sensitive outdoor plants may be killed if left uncovered.

 

-Rick DeLuca

https://www.facebook.com/RickDeLucaWeather

KDF Events: Glow & Marathon Forecasts

It’s the most exciting time of the year! Kentucky Derby Festival time! But how will the weather impact the next two events: Glow and the Marathon? 

SET UP

There is a cold front approaching Kentuckiana and will slide through the area later today. It is so nice out, it is difficult to know anything is even out there to disrupt our weather! It will bring a slight chance for showers this afternoon and evening. 

GLOW

The front is moving through a very dry atmosphere and therefore producing any rain will be difficult, but with a front moving through the area, showers are not off the table. If you see any, they will likely be brief. Therefore, I think our next KDF event tonight, The Balloon Glow is a Go! It will be dry with winds out of the west to southwest from 10-15 mph. 

MARATHON/MINI

If you don't see any rain, the only sign that a front moved through the area will be cooler temperatures by the weekend. Keep this in mind if you are running in the marathon/mini or cheering someone on! We will start our morning off in the 40s. By Saturday afternoon, high temps will STRUGGLE to even make it to the 60s with a mix of sun and clouds. Some spots across Kentuckiana may stay in the 50s. It will also breezy with a NW wind at 10-15 mph. 

FROST POTENTIAL

As high pressure builds into the area, it will clear out our clouds by Saturday night and the winds will die down. This is prime for colder conditions and frost development. A light wind MAY limit some frost, but I do think we will see some across Kentuckiana. 

LOOKING AHEAD 

After a cooler weekend, with below average temps (which is 72 degrees for this time of the year) in the low and mid 60s, it will begin to warm back up by Derby week. We will likely make it back to the 80s! However, we are also keeping an eye on a system that will bring the return of storms by the middle/end of the week. This will likely impact SOME of the main KDF events. The system is evolving and data is changing. We are working out the kinks everyday. We will tell you what we know about Wednesday, Thurby and Oaks on WDRB News this evening. Be sure to join Marc then! 

We will be continuing to post updates on the forecast for Derby week in the coming days. You will be able to find them online! The links to my social media pages are below! 

Katie McGraw's Facebook Page

Katie McGraw's Twitter Page

-Katie McGraw 

A Wild Temperature Swing As We Go Into Derby Week

From Jude Redfield...

    Hardly any rain expected until later next week. This is great news for weekend plans! Be aware much cooler than average temps hit both Saturday and Sunday.  FROST IS LIKELY SUNDAY MORNING!

    The real warmth arrives on  Monday. High temps hit the 70s Monday afternoon. This is followed up with highs in the low 80s Tuesday-Thursday.

    Keep a watchful eye on the cold front (image below) by Thursday and Friday. The exact time is difficult to pin down so far in advance, but the likelihood for scattered storms goes up late next week. Some sort of impact is likely by Oaks Day. If this front stalls lingering showers/storms are possible for Derby.

    Have a great weekend and make sure to check back with the weather team for the daily adjustments going full steam into Derby week -Jude Redfield-

Frost Potential: When & How Cold

There are two systems near Kentuckiana and impacting our forecast. Both will bring a slight chance for showers today and tomorrow. The low pressure churning to our south will bring a few showers, mainly to our southern counties, in Kentucky. The cold front will bring only a stray showers, at best, tomorrow evening. 

The cold front is moving through a very dry atmosphere and therefore producing any rain will be difficult, but not impossible, tomorrow. If you see any showers it will likely be brief. 

If you don't see any rain, the only sign that a cold front moved through the area will be cooler temperatures by the weekend.  Notice by Saturday afternoon highs will STRUGGLE to even make it to the 60s with a mix of sun and clouds. It will be breezy too with a NW wind at 10-15 mph. 

As clouds clear our area Saturday night & winds back off... it is going to get COLD! Temps will drop in to the low & mid 30s. These conditions are prime for frost development. The light wind MAY limit some frost, but I do think we will see some, particularly in our low lying areas. Prepare to protect your vegetation! 

After a cooler weekend, with below average temps (which is 72 degrees for this time of the year) in the low and mid 60s, it will begin to warm back up by Derby week. Notice below, that by Monday of next week, it will be ABOVE average, in the mid 70s. We will likely continue to increase into the 80s! 

There are a few storms possible toward the of next week as we warm up. Find out what we know, as of now, on WDRB News this evening with Marc and with Jude on WDRB in the Morning from 5-9 am. 

Let's connect! The links to my social media pages are below! 

Katie McGraw's Facebook Page

Katie McGraw's Twitter Page

-Katie McGraw 

What's That Smell?

You know that smell when it rains? It's hard to describe, but humans seem to like it. There are candles made to smell like "summer rain" and "afternoon thunderstorm," but what are you really smelling - does rain have a smell?

Yes and no. Some people say they can smell rain coming; that is likely ozone they are smelling.  Strong downdrafts in a thunderstorm bring down air from higher in the atmosphere containing O3. This can also be smelled after a thunderstorm passes and is often described as pungent and sweet-smelling. However, this doesn't happen every time it rains. More than likely what you're smelling is petrichor.  Oils from plants, mainly leaves, accumulate during dry weather. The first time it rains, that rain disturbs the oils that have settled into the ground, pavement, and plants. 

There's another option that you smell when it's been raining for a while.  Geosmin is the earthy smell most of us think of when we think of rain. It's usually strongest when it's been raining for a while, and it's created by microorganisms in the soil dying. This is linked to petrichor, but they're not the same thing.  Do you ever notice a smell when it rains? Let me know at one of the links below! 

Hannah's Facebook Page

Hannah's Twitter Page

-Hannah Strong