Hurricane Rina is in the western Caribbean Sea slowly gaining strength. The storm is now a Cat 2 with winds around 100 mph, and may become a major hurricane with winds around 115 mph by tomorrow. The patch takes it close to Cancun around Thursday and then bends it eastward towards Cuba for the weekend. We’ll see where it goes from there, but if you live in South FL keep an eye on this thing. Usually this time of year the cold fronts and steering flow is a lot stronger, so the hurricanes get batted around like a ping pong ball and don’t get a chance to gain super strength. This is a little different in the short term, since it’s going over warmer water with light winds. We’ll keep our eyes on it. I’ll tweet about Rina this afternoon too (only b/c if I tweeted personal stuff, your eyes would glaze over. “Gotta pick up kids at school, later cleaning up after my dog” real compelling, right?).

Stateside I’m watching a cold front slide off the New England coast taking rain out to sea with it. The wind will pick up behind this thing and gust to around 30 mph for the NE.

Another shot of rain is moving over MI this morning ahead of a warm front, but the major storm for the afternoon and evening is getting started over the Rockies now. The wind will switch around to the E over CO and blow up the Rockies. This should change your rain over to snow overnight for Denver (whose high was 80 yesterday!) and pile up 2-4”. A winter storm warning is in effect for a good chunk of CO and WY. I’ll show you the maps.

Posted by: Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen
Filed under: Hurricane • Rina • Weather • Winter Storm Warning

How’s it going everybody? I'm watching a powerful early season snow maker in the Rockies this morning. Rain is also circulating around this thing from ID/WY/WA/OR/CA to AZ and NM. A few break away showers are spilling into OK and KS, but the severe weather will occur north of there this afternoon. The Front Range will get the storms today that produce large hail and gusty winds as the energy heads East out of the mountains. Winter storm warnings are in effect for UT and CO right now, looking at an additional 6-12” of snow today!

The plains will see the wind howl from the SW, so red flag warnings have been issued for the upper MW to the Central Plains. Cold temps are back in the NE with frost/freeze warnings. The SE will be mostly dry except for the FL Coast. The steady E wind will hammer away today bringing in some pockets of rain from the Keys to J’ville. With that High pressure anchored north of you through the weekend, I’m thinking that wind direction/speed won’t change for a few days.

All right, I’m outta here. Enjoy a stretch of days BVD-Free. See you next week!

Posted by: Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen
Filed under: High winds • Rain • Severe Weather • Snow • Weather • Winter Storm Warning

Gary Busey made more sense on Celebrity Apprentice than the weather headlines do today. Heat advisories/warning sin the MW, storms in the Great Lakes/northern Rockies, wind advisories in the SW, red flag warnings in the SW, winter storm warnings in the Sierra and the possibility of the first tropical depression forming in the Caribbean.

I’ll break it down piece by piece. A strong ridge of high pressure is sitting over the middle of the country again, and that brings lots of sun and sinking air. Air that sinks compresses, and that heats up even more. I’m looking at highs near 100 for Houston, and a heat index of 100 for Minneapolis this afternoon. I’ll have those warnings. As the warm air lifts through the Great Lakes this afternoon, the stage will be set for isolated severe storms over the region. The main threat is large hail and damaging wind gusts. Check the map.

With the strong surface low still over the Rockies today, the winds will pick up to gust near 55 mph in UT, AZ, and NM. I’ll show you the wind advisories.

Combing the wind with warm temps and low humidity, red flag warnings are up for the SW. AZ is already battling the 3rd largest wildfire in state history near Alpine, and this weather is going to make it worse. Just awful for fire fighters.

The cold air wrapping down behind the Rockies storm will allow the CA rain to switch over to snow above 7K feet, and it will pile up to about 4-8”. Winter storm warnings for them. In June.

The spot of interest in the Tropics is near Jamaica now, and is drifting westward. The storms are not firing over the center of circulation, but if this happens later it is a sign of strengthening. Hurricane hunters are ready to fly into the thing if it is necessary later today.

*Follow me on Twitter: @BobVanDillen

Posted by: Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen
Filed under: Fire • Heat • High winds • Tropical Depression • Weather • Winter Storm Warning

I want you to see yesterday's severe weather reports, and this is crazy (note the cluster over northern CA):

I know we are in the peak of Spring severe weather season, but this week has been filled with violence and heartache. I can share this with you today though: there is much less of a tornado threat today. The big cyclonic circulation in the atmosphere over the last few days is beginning to break down, stretch apart, and weaken.

With that in mind, I think today’s storms won’t be as potent. A cold front and surface low will head to the OH Valley, East, and S this afternoon, and that will stir up the atmosphere with strong storms. The main threat should be damaging winds and hail, with isolated tornadoes possible in PA and NY.

The warm air creeps up the East coast to New England and rounds out to the South today, but much cooler temps are all around the Great Lakes with the clouds and rain hanging in there. Air travel delays will blanket Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland and Cinci.

The Rockies will be breezy as the next storm sails by, and that means snow in ID and WA today. There are a couple of winter storm warnings up there that I will show you. I know, why do we call it ‘Winter storm warning’ when it is Spring? I don’t know why, same reason why they call them the NY Giants when they play in NJ I guess.

I’m watching more rain pepper the coast of the NW today too, but that is pretty typical for this time of year.

Hey I’m off for Memorial Day see you next Tuesday.

Posted by: Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen
Filed under: Hail • Heat • Tornado • Weather • Winter Storm Warning

Here we go again with the Spring storms, with the MW currently in the cross-hairs this morning and again this afternoon. Here’s the situation: a very warm atmosphere is lying in the southern half of the Lower 48. A very cool air mass is headed down through the plains. Phase that with some energy poking in off the Rockies and a rockin’ jet stream over head, and the gun is cocked for severe storms this afternoon. Here’s a meteorology 101 tip: when the high is going to be 84 in St. Louis and only 40 in Chicago in the Spring, you know something has to pop!

Warm air initially rising through the MO area has set off some storms this morning, but the second round this afternoon is the one I’m concerned about. With a strong surface low moving out of OK, the shear will be in place for isolated tornadoes from MO into IL. I’ll have the map and show you the most likely regions on the show.

Snow is cranking out now in the Upper MW and Great Lakes too. Winter storm warnings are up for WI and MI. I bet 3-6” snow/sleet will be reported out of Green Bay. Double up on your Rogers jerseys.

The rain is edging into the NE as well, so you know the delays are inevitable in NYC. I’ll have that for you. More fire concerns in TX/NM this afternoon with low humidity and gusty winds. I’ll have that on the show!

Posted by: Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen
Filed under: Hail • Severe Weather • Tornado • Weather • Winter Storm Warning

Get ready for some severe weather in the Southern Plains and MS valley later this afternoon and this evening. It’ll be thunderous enough to keep even an air traffic controller awake today.

Here’s the set up: a storm centered over North TX and OK will gain some strength with some energy from the Four Corners region. A cold front will collide with the dry line that will march Eastward, and with a little day time sun the storms will fire this afternoon around OK/KS. The main threat will be tornadoes and large hail over Eastern OK, KS and parts of AR and TX. I’ll have the radar on the maps plus give you an updated timeline on the show.

It’ll be cold above this storm, and winter storm warnings are up for SD, ND, and MT. 4-8” snow will be found thrown around tonight and tomorrow, real late season heavy stuff. Below the storm will be dry and windy, so an extreme fire danger area is shaping up for Western TX and NM this afternoon. I’ll show you that area too. The rain is leaving ME this morning, but the clouds will remain for most of northern NE, and more rain is scattered around the Pacific NW. I’ll have the maps.

See ya out there!

Posted by: Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen
Filed under: Hail • Tornado • Weather • Winter Storm Warning

So far Spring has treated us like a Chris Brown dressing room window. The storm from yesterday that produced 16 tornado reports is on the move to IL this morning, with heavy snow and rain circulating around it. The winter storm warnings and advisories extend from CT to MT, and it will cause huge travel delays around the North today. Buffalo will get about 4-8” of snow, NYC is starting with snow and should transition to sleet and rain, and then severe storms will rock through the OH valley this afternoon. I’ll have the warnings for you, but watch out if you live anywhere from Louisville and Cincinnati to DC this afternoon. Big hail is the main concern.

The conga line is coming to the West coast again as well. Right now the rain and snow is extremely heavy in CA. This will rotate into the Rockies, and then another storm moves in behind it on Thursday, with a third on Saturday. I’ll show you the maps, and it’s ugly. Keeping this brief, since I have to get back at it.

Later!

Posted by: Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen
Filed under: Rain • Tornado • Weather • Winter Storm Warning • Winter Weather Advisory

I’d rather be at Citizens Bank Park dressed as a Braves fan during a Phillies game than be outside in MN today. I could take the batteries being tossed, the insults, and even the vomit instead of the late March blizzard that is shaping up for Duluth.

There’s also a major storm taking shape over CO this morning that will transfer its energy to the MW this afternoon, throwing rain and snow at the region the whole day. Winter storm warnings are posted from MT to MI, with a watch for PA and spots in NJ. As the storm centers in IA this evening, severe storms are possible with a small threat of tornadoes around there and MO. I’ll have the map. The snow will pick up later today, with 10-16” possible in northern MN and WI. I’ll have that map too. Storms are already rocking around Chicago and Columbus OH, count on travel delays all around the MW today.

The west will dry out for about 6 hours before more rain heads back to CA. The rain will be back through at least Saturday with mudslides and flooding a big concern. At least the boarders are loving this: more snow to go on top of the almost 8 feet you’ve seen in the past week around the Sierra. Enjoy it! That’s the brief wrap up, full details on the show.

Posted by: Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen
Filed under: Blizzard • Flood • Rain • Severe Weather • Weather • Winter Storm Warning

There is a better chance of catching Lady GaGa in a power suit than seeing an on-time flight out of CA today. Another impulse is headed inland right now bringing rain, snow and fast winds to the West and Rockies. It’s raining from San Diego to Eureka, and heavy snow is piling up in the Sierra this morning. Winter storm warnings are peppered around CA, OR, WA, NV, UT, ID, and MT. I’ll have the latest information on the snowy weather. Wind warnings and advisories are in the same spot, with wind gusts to 80 mph possible over the highest peaks today.

The warm air is back in the Plains and SW this afternoon, with El Paso to around 80 degrees and Dallas around 75. It’ll be a little breezy this afternoon over the MW, and clouds will head eastward through the MW and NE. The SE will see some Atlantic moisture blow in from the East, so clouds will hang in there for FL, GA, and the Carolinas. We may even see some light rain out of that flow. I don’t expect the air travel to be disrupted much in the MW or East (except for your morning fog in KC), but the West coast is getting a nice hammering again. It’s the ‘ol conga line, and it’ll be dancing all over the West coast through at least Saturday. Hope your Wednesday will be great.

Filed under: Bob Van Dillen • HLN • Weather • Winter Storm Warning

150 million people across 40 states are getting ready for even MORE bitter weather. Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen has a look at where the storms are now and where they're headed next.

Posted by: Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen
Filed under: Weather • Winter Storm Warning