Hey There Dalila!

We're not talking about the new Plain White Tee's song with a similar name. It's actually the newest tropical storm in the Pacific. That means they are two up on us.

Tropical storm Dalila formed in the Pacific Ocean near Mexico on Monday and was expected to head up the coast over the next few days but not make landfall.

"It cannot be ruled out that Dalila could become a hurricane," the hurricane center said on its Web site. "However ... the storm has work to do to overcome its internal disorganization."

A tropical storm becomes a hurricane when maximum sustained winds reach 74 mph.

Mexico's Pacific coast was blitzed with hurricanes and storms last year but has not been hit so far in 2007.

We're still waiting in the Atlantic hurricane basin. Our next named storm will be Chantal.

Million Dollar Ice?

On these hot days, most people would pay good money for some crispy, cold ice. However, it seems FEMA can't give the cold stuff away.

After 2005's Hurricane Katrina, thousands of pounds of ice were made for victim relief efforts. However, thanks to faulty estimates by local officials, way too much ice was made. The ice, held at AmeriCold Logistics in Gloucester, MA and at 22 similar facilities nationwide, is costing the government (you/me) $12.5 million dollars to store the ice since Katrina. Yep, that's right...million dollar ice. Not to mention, truckers were paid $900 per day to haul the ice from the Gulf states, all the way to New England. I'm no genious, but aside from the Boston Tea Party, I can't remember the last disaster to hit Massachusetts. Why was it shipped there?

Anyway, FEMA contracts required disposal of the ice three months after purchase, but decided to keep the excess ice for the predicted 2006 hurricane season. With fewer storms than expected, the ice was not needed, and the agency decided not to save it for the 2007 season.

Now, it appears FEMA can't even give the million dollar ice away. So it will be melted. Yep, perfectly good ice going down the drain. What a waste of tax dollars. Couldn't this ice be used for something?

Be creative and post some ideas by clicking on the comments link below. I'll add the first one. --Brent

Sacred Icicle Melting

From vanishing lakes to killing the coral reefs, many of the earth's changes are being blamed on global warming. Have you heard the story about a sacred icicle melting in a Himalayan cave?

Thousands of Hindu pilgrims are facing disappointment after a large, sacred icicle in the Himalayas melted down to harldy nothing. (see photo left, before and after). Many Hindus consider the melting as a bad omen.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of devotees make a long trek to the mountains to look at the natural icy formation, worshipped as a symbol of the god of destruction, Shiva. But could the popularity of the ice feature actually be the cause of its annihilation, instead of global warming? The more people that go in, the more warm air they exhale and the warmer the cave becomes.

Get this. Last year, pilgrims were outraged when authorities reportedly used snow to create a fake icicle when the natural ice formation failed to appear. That's pretty low.

For those who are still a bit divided on whether global warming is human induced, visit this site for another angle. It's titled-Global Warming: A chilling perspective.

Hail of a Storm

This year, helmets weren't used for sudden crashes during the Tour of Switzerland. Instead they were for the protecting riders from thousands of hailstones that fell from the sky during the sixth leg of the race.

Severe storms pelted the cyclists with hail, heavy rain and even lightning. Check out rider Filippo Pozzato's (photo right) marks from nature's beating. Ouch! Click here for more photos from the stormy stretch.

Most of the hail during the race was slightly larger than dime size. But as you know, it can come in all shapes and sizes. What's the biggest hailstone ever documented? Well, it is the Coffeyville, Kansas hailstone that fell in 1970.
The hail stone was 1.67 pounds and over 5.5 inches in diameter. The photo (Left) shows the onion-like circles. These layers show how many times the hailstone was pushed back into the storm by an updraft for another coating of ice. While it's difficult to see on smaller stones, you can count the rings to get an indication of the hailstone's history.

DEEPEST HAIL EVENT:
A severe hailstorm on June 3, 1959, at Selden, in northwestern Kansas, left an area measuring 9 by 6 miles (14.4 by 10 km) covered with hailstones to a depth of 18 inches (about 46 cm). The hail fell for 85 minutes and did $500,000 worth of damage, mainly to crops.

HAIL DEATHS:
Hail deaths are rare in the United States. The last known U.S. hail fatality was an infant killed in Fort Collins, Colo., in August 1979.

Learn more about hail formation here.

--Brent

Lightning Kills Florida Man

The following story was in the Miami Herald last week. A good reminder during Lightning Awareness Week. Stay safe out there. -------Robin

By TERE FIGUERAS NEGRETE AND LUISA YANEZ

With no rain or even clouds to warn him of the danger, death came literally out of the blue Thursday to a self-employed landscaper. The killer was a powerful bolt of lightning that cracked through perfectly clear skies. David Canales, 41, of West Miami-Dade, was on the job at a Pinecrest home when the bolt hit. It first seared a tree, then traveled and struck Canales, standing nearby. Experts said Canales was killed by a weather phenomenon fittingly called a ''bolt from the blue'' or ''dry lightning'' because it falls from clear, blue skies. He was pronounced dead at South Miami Hospital. Canales is the latest victim of one of Florida's least enviable honors: It's the country's lightning capital. Five of the 47 people killed by lightning across the country last year were in Florida. Dan Dixon, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Miami, said that when Canales was hit, a typical afternoon storm was forming but nowhere near the area. Weather data showed that lightning activity picked up north of Pinecrest shortly before 1 p.m., as a storm gathered momentum and swept through Coral Gables and then downtown. ''Most lightning will come from the base of a thunderstorm, inside that rain-shaft area,'' Dixon explained. ``But occasionally, what we call a bolt from the blue comes out of a thunderstorm still several miles away.'' The fair-weather bolts pack a bigger, deadlier punch and form differently. Most lightning bolts carry a negative charge, but ''bolts from the blue'' have a positive charge, carry as much as 10 times the current, are hotter and last longer. The bolts normally travel horizontally away from the storm and reach farther than typical lightning, then curve to the ground. This bolt struck the front yard of a home at 10500 SW 62nd Ave. ''My wife said the sky was blue, but the lightning bolt was the most horrible sound she had heard in her life,'' said Clemente Vazquez-Bello, owner of the home where Canales and two workers had come to do landscaping. Startled by the violent sound, Margarita Vazquez-Bello ran to the backyard. The men were not there. Canales' workers were knocking on the front door, seeking help. She dialed 911. Officers with the Village of Pinecrest and Miami-Dade Fire-Rescue arrived at the home. But Canales was in grave condition when transported, said rescue spokesman Lt. Elkin Sierra. The Vazquez-Bellos rushed to South Miami Hospital, where Canales was pronounced dead. Canales' wife, also at the hospital, could not be reached for comment. Vazquez-Bello said Canales was ''a wonderful human being'' and a dependable hard worker. ''We feel terrible about this,'' said Vazquez-Bello, a Miami attorney. Dixon said protecting yourself from such unexpected lightning is difficult. ''They are very unpredictable and very dangerous. We urge people to stay indoors even if you hear thunder only faintly in the distance,'' Dixon said. ``If you're close enough to hear thunder, you're close enough to be struck by lightning.'' Earlier this month, a worker was hospitalized after being struck at a construction site in Miami. Nine people, including three children, were forced out of their Plantation home after a lightning strike caused a fire. There has been at least one fatality in South Florida this year: A person on a roof in Miramar was killed by lightning May 19, Dixon said. It's not the first time in South Florida ''bolts from the blue'' have proven deadly. In August 1988, a Norwegian couple vacationing in South Florida were struck while standing on a Fort Lauderdale beach. Witnesses said the sky was cloudless.
Miami Herald staff writer Penny McCrea and researcher Monika Z. Leal contributed to this report.

ZZZZs Among The Trees

Camping outside can be both fun and educational, especially when the weather is right. This Saturday night nature lovers and the like will be hitting the backyards and campgrounds for the Great American Backyard Campout, sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation. It's a one-night event for families, youth and individuals urging folks to camp out in their backyards or local parks and to discover the fun of being in the great outdoors.



Here's a few reminders as you pack your gear:
+Remember to check the radar and forecast before you leave
+Take along a NOAA Weather Radio to keep you informed while outdoors
+Always travel in groups if you will be traveling in unfamiliar areas.
+Leave the wilderness the same, or better than you found it.

A Few Unheard of Tips:
+While the Swiss Army Knife has been popular for years, the Swiss Navy Knife has remained largely unheard of. Its single blade functions as a tiny canoe paddle.

+A potato baked in the campfire coals for one hour makes an excellent side dish. A potato baked in the coals for three hours makes an excellent hockey puck.

+And last, but most importantly, in emergency situations, you can survive in the wilderness by shooting small game with a slingshot made from the elastic waistband of your underwear.

Seriously, I hope you are able to enjoy the great outdoors this weekend. Even if you can't campout, perhaps take a hike to see all that our great environment has to offer.



Happy Camping! --Brent

Breathe A Little Easier

The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) monitors levels of ozone and particle pollution from stations around Virginia. Both of these are pollutants, at high levels, may raise health concerns in some people, particularly those with breathing problems such as asthma.

The Roanoke Valley acts as a bowl to trap in tiny particles (soot, dust, smoke, and fumes, burning of coal, oil, diesel, and other fuels). The particles are small enough to enter deep into the lungs and cause health problems. When we get a hot, stagnant air mass with little wind, these particles can stick around for days and days. As the sun’s intensity reaches its maximum during the mid-afternoon, smog levels will peak, then fall rapidly in the evening when the sun goes down. Likewise, increasing winds and steady rain can "clean out" the particles.

What should you do?

• Monitor your local air quality reports (found on the Weather homepage under 'Weather and Health."


• When levels are high, stay inside if you can. Avoid strenuous outdoor activity.


• Avoid the use of any other gasoline engines, such as mowers and other lawn equipment, or boat motors


• Save power by turning off lights and appliances when they are not needed.


• Avoid burning yard debris or brush.

The DEQ will issue Ozone Action Days which mean the air quality will be especially poor. We will pass those bulletins along to you during routine weather segments.

Now you can breathe easier knowing we are thinking about your health.

Heat & Humidity Return

Summer begins this Thursday, June 21; but a summer regime is setting up a few days ahead of the calendar. Monday's highs are forecast around 87-94; which could be good enough to tie or break some local records. Roanoke and Blacksburg have the best chance of recording new record warmth on June 18th.

Remember to check on elderly friends and neighbors during the next few days as the area heats up. Drink plenty of water, and remember your pets! --Jay

Severe Thunderstorms

Have you noticed the cool clouds over our area recently? With the setting sun, the towering cumulus look spectacular. Almost like you were at the beach. In fact, the wind flow for the last week has been from the northeast. This is a little unusual. The atmosphere has been unstable enough to produce severe thunderstorms. Mainly due to large hail. ----- Chief Meteorologist Robin Reed

"When Thunder Roars - Go Indoors"

By now, you've likely heard of the 14-year-old Campbell County boy that was struck and killed by lightning over the weekend. While the teen and a friend were fishing, a storm approached their location. While running to a barn for protection, the boy was struck.

Remember, thunder is nature's warning sign. We often tell local elementary students, "If you're close enough to hear thunder, you're close enough to be struck by lightning." When faced with a storm, seek shelter. Apply the 30/30 rule. If you see lightning, and then hear thunder within 30 seconds, go inside for 30 minutes until the storm passes. Also, know that lightning can strike several miles away from the parent thunderstorm. We call this "A bolt from the blue." Lightning has been known to strike over 25 miles away from the storm it's coming from. In other words, if a storm is in Roanoke, a lightning bolt could hit a place like Smith Mountain Lake, Christiansburg, Fincastle or Rocky Mount.

June 24-30 marks "Lightning Safety Week". To learn more about lightning safety, return to the weather page on wdbj7.com --Jay

That Was Some Storm!

On Tuesday, June 5, 2007 the sky looked like that!
Beginning as a severe thunderstorm warning in Tazewell around 6pm, the hail and wind maker roared east-southeast at 45mph through the Virginia countryside dropping quarter size hail, heavy rain and wind gusts topping 40mph.

As it crossed Bland and Wythe counties, Gary White took this picture. On it marched through Pulaski, Floyd and Franklin. That's where it got really scary. The hail covered the ground causing the temperature to drop so quickly that dense fog formed and literally stopped the traffic on route 220. The next morning, News 7 covered the story of trees crushing houses, cars and power lines as they fell. Amazingly, no one was hurt. However, gardens were destroyed and traffic was slowed. We ran 20 crawls at the top of the screen over a 3 hour period alerting viewers to the type of storm that was rolling through. After the event, a viewer called to say she was never going to watch our station again. She heard the thunder and saw the hail and didn't need us to tell her there was a thunderstorm outside. Sometimes other TV stations do go overboard on their weather coverage. But I can assure you that SkyTracker 7 Weather will always alert you to severe weather events. And this storm was a doozie.

Chief Meteorologist Robin Reed

No Bites From Barry

Wouldn't you know it. Try to take the family on a short vacation and a tropical storm rides the coast. Go figure. The good news is, few are complaining. What could have been a nasty storm, was nothing but relief for farmers and firefighters throughout the south. Wildfires and droughts have been common for several months now and this rain couldn't have come at a better time.

The waves were a bit high today and some odd creatures have washed ashore. Other than that, it looked like an ordinary rainy day along the Grand Strand. Most folks I've talked with here agree, if the rest of the hurricane season is like this, bring it on. The sun should be back tomorrow, as will the beachgoers. Gotta hit the pillow so we can get a great space. Later.

--Brent

Precipitation: The Perfect Party Pooper

All it takes is a heavy downpour to ruin a perfectly fine festival. Memorial Day Monday started like the past few days, warm and humid. By lunchtime, cumulus development could be seen across the Roanoke Valley. By 2pm, the thunder rolled, and the rain rolled into downtown Roanoke. The Paul Jones Band had just finished their set at Festival in the Park when the large raindrops started pounding the hot pavement.

When it rains, it pours. And it did. Here's a photo sent in by Allen Rader of the low-lying areas of Elmwood Park. Can you say canoe? Speaking of canoe. I'm hoping to "set sail" this weekend along the James in Buchanan. They are having a Children's Fishing Carnival (click for info) for families along the James River. It's free and fun for all ages...and skills.

Spotty... At Best!

Hope you had a great holiday weekend! While most of us stayed dry, there were certainly some heavier rains around the area.

From 6:30pm-7:00pm Saturday evening, our NEWS7 WeatherBug rain gauge measured 1.08" of rain here at WDBJ. Over an inch of rain in 30 minutes! Meanwhile, just a couple miles away, our WeatherBug site at the Science Museum on Campbell Avenue only measured 0.06". Location, location location!

While Saturday evening's rain meant we didn't have to water the Weather Garden (by the way; it's looking - and tasting - great!), other folks in nearby neighborhoods got little to nothing. The same forecast should play out today on Memorial Day. With any luck rain won't alter your plans, but we sure need the moisture.

Have a great and safe Memorial Day! --Jay

Treehogs...A Sign Of Global Warming

As the earth is warming, many animals will be forced to go to higher ground, or in this case, a tree. I'm just kidding. I had to find some way to tie this photo in with weather since this is the weather blog.

This great photo was sent to us from Henry Whitehurst of Pulaski. No it's not a giant squirrel. It's a groundhog. I had no idea they could climb trees. I've only seen them in meadows, walking on the sides of roads, or in some cases in the middle of the road...upside down (if you know what I mean). Turns out groundhogs will climb a tree to sun itself or to escape a predator.

Who knew? Thanks for the photo Henry. The funniest part would be watching that joker come back down. --Brent

It Could Happen Again...

The SkyTracker7 Weather Team has reminded our viewers many times this is Hurricane Preparedness Week. For whatever reason, there are a surprising amount of people who don't prepare for these storms - perhaps because we live so far from the coast.

History has proven tropical systems can have devastating affects on the Commonwealth. You need to look no farther than Camille in 1969 for proof.

Camille made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane along the Mississippi Coast in mid-August, 1969. A few days later, 27"-31" of heavy tropical rains fell in 3 to 5 hours over Nelson County in central Virginia. The rain fell at night, washing out roads and hillsides. 113 people died in Virginia due to the flash flooding.

So, remember - now is the time to prepare - not during an emergency! Who knows when the next Camille may strike our state. --Jay

NOAA Releases 2007 Hurricane Forecast

The 2006 seasonal hurricane predictions proved to be too high when an unexpected El Niño rapidly developed and created an environment unfavorable for tropical development. This year, El Niño is no more, and the hurricane forecasters at NOAA are once again predicting a 75% chance that we'll see an above normal season. Here are their numbers released this morning at a press conference.



Appropriately enough, this is Hurricance Preparedness Week in Virginia, and across the Nation. Southwest Virginia has been impacted by hurricanes throughout history with devasting results. Hurricane Camille, Hugo, tornado outbreaks with Ivan and major flooding with Jeane. It's not wind and storm surge, rather Inland flooding that is our main concern here. As heavy, tropical rain falls, the mountains funnel it all into the valleys where flooding is a common occurence. Now is the time to prepare, as it will eventually happen again.

-Find out if you're in a flood-prone area
-Purchase flood insurance if necessary
-Put together a disaster kit and evacuation plan
-Obey ALL watches and warnings issued
-NEVER drive through flooded roads.

Severe weather can be scary no matter how much warning time you have, but by preparing early, you might just end up saving property and lives.

--Brent

Wing And A Prayer

Wellington, New Zealand is the second windiest city in the world, which would explain the wild plane landings in this collection of videos. Wellington is located next to Cook Strait, which forms a narrow gap between the mountain ranges of the North and South Islands. This gap between the islands and mountain ranges accelerates the wind through the Cook Strait making Wellington a very windy city. The video below is proof. It's a montage of footage showing planes landing at Wellington International Airport.





Umm. I think I'll be traveling there by boat. -Brent

Snow in May?

I couldn't believe the email when I saw it, but snow was falling this 18th Day of May on Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia. This photo is out on the Widowmaker Slope/ Soaring Eagle Quad Lift at the ski resort where temperatures are in the upper 30's this morning.

A disturbance is passing overhead as we speak creating lift in the atmosphere and also ushering in a second shot of cool temperatures. Just cool enough for snow in some areas. While it won't be enough for skis, a good May snowball fight might be in store for folks on the mountain.

Thanks for the photos Lea. --Brent

Same Place...New Look

It's been a while in the making, but we've taken all those suggestions...and some complaints about our weather section, and put them together to design a newly improved WDBJ7.com weather section. Many may be intimidated by the new look, but trust me, everything that was there before is still there...plus a whole lot more. The most important features are the forecast discussion at the top and the map center below. This is where you will view the Titan Radar, Lightning maps as well as links to other important graphics. The features you've come to love are still there, and there's many new features.

• Quickly check in with your favorite local weather camera at the top-right of the page, along with cameras from all over the world.
• Be a weather spotter and conveniantly submit your storm reports
• Track the latest tropical storms and even archives hurricanes in our new hurricane center.
• Read the up to the minute environmental news headlines and listen to weather podcasts using our live feed center.

There's a whole lot more, just get in there and give it a click. We hope you enjoy the new features and for those that don't like change, aren't too unhappy with the moving around of the old ones. It's all in an effort to bring the areas best weather coverage from the television...to the web. Enjoy!

--Brent