Storm chaser: Eye on the Sky meteorologist taking weather sabbatical

ST. JOHNSBURY — While most people try their best to avoid thunderstorms and tornadoes, Eye on the Sky meteorologist Chris Bouchard can’t seem to get enough of them.

Next week, the 31-year-old Bouchard is leaving his post at the Fairbanks Museum and taking off to the infamous Tornado Alley, where some of the country’s most intense tornadoes are most likely to occur, with a team of storm researchers chasing down the season’s biggest twisters.

“We’re basically going out after super cell thunderstorms that have rotating updrafts and are responsible for the stronger tornadoes that happen,” said Bouchard, who has been a meteorologist for the last six years.

Bouchard will be joining 28 other researchers and meteorologists with the Center for Severe Weather Research, which is based in Boulder, Colo. The group has been featured in the Discovery Channel show “Storm Chasers.”

The research will take place during the seven-week period when the most powerful storms normally occur. His sabbatical is unpaid.

“We will be sticking to the plains west of the Mississippi where there are fewer trees,” said Bouchard. “From south Texas up to North Dakota. We’ll basically be living on the road that whole time.”

Bouchard said while he isn’t particularly looking forward to weeks of fast-food restaurants and hotel living, he’s up for the adventure.

“This is something I always wanted to do,” said Bouchard. “When I found out there were still spots on the team, I thought about it for a week and had the sneaking suspicion that if I didn’t do this I would be kicking myself later.”

Bouchard said not only will he be utilizing his forecasting skills to help predict where and when storms are most likely to hit, but he will also be joining in the effort to collect data.

Bouchard will join Josh Wurmen, and Karen Kosiba with their Doppler on Wheels, or DOW, radar truck and also will work with teams placing heavy probes around the storms, often deadly, to collect data. “The heavy probes are expected to stay on the ground and gather data right inside the storm,”

“We’re going to target individual storms and drive several vehicles in and around these storms to gather data,” said Bouchard.

Bouchard learned about the volunteer opportunity from Claudine Pirerz, a Lyndon State meteorological student, interning at the Eye on the Sky, after she saw Wurmen and Kosiba showcase the DOW at the American Meteorological Society meeting in New Orleans earlier this year.

Bouchard said he has always been drawn to extreme weather, and while studying meteorology at Lyndon State College he worked with Nolan Atkins, professor of atmospheric sciences, to study extreme weather events by doing wind damage surveys following severe storms.

Bouchard said people back home will be able to track his adventures on the Eye on the Sky Facebook page and on the museum’s webpage www.fairbanksmuseum.org/forecasts.

Today's Weather - April 30, 2012

Today we will see mostly sunny skeis with a 10% chance of rain. Temperatures will be in the mid 50's to low 60's with winds north at 5-15mph.

The National Weather Service in Burlington has issues a FREEZE WARNING from midnight tonight until 10am Monday.

*Locations: Grand Isle, Western Addison, Western Chittenden, Western Franklin, and Western Rutland

*Hazards: Sub-freezing temperatures

*Temperatures: In the low to mid 20's.

*Timing: Temperatures are expected to fall below freezing after midnight

*Impacts: Unprotected crops and other sensative vegetation will likely be killed or damaged

Today's WEather - April 29, 2012

Today we will see sunny skies with temperatures in the low 40's to low 50's. Winds will be out of the north at 10-15mph.

FREEZE WARNING

The National Weather Service in Burlington has issues a FREEZE WARNING from midnight tonight until 10am Saturday.

*Locations: Grand Isle, Western Addison, Western Chittenden, Western Franklin, and Western Rutland

*Hazards: Sub-freezing temperatures

*Temperatures: Im the low to mid 20's.

*Timing: Temperatures are expected to fall below freezing after midnight

*Impacts: Unprotected crops and other sensative vegetation will likely be killed or damaged

FREEZE WARNING

The National Weather Service in Burlington has issues a FREEZE WARNING from midnight tonight until 10am Saturday.

*Locations: Grand Isle, Western Addison, Western Chittenden, Western Franklin, and Western Rutland

*Hazards: Sub-freezing temperatures

*Temperatures: Im the low to mid 20's.

*Timing: Temperatures are expected to fall below freezing after midnight

*Impacts: Unprotected crops and other sensative vegetation will likely be killed or damaged

Today's Weather - April 27, 2012

Today we will see mostly cloudy skies with a 30% chance of rain and mountain snow. It will be chilly with temperatures in the 40's and blustery with winds northwest at 15-25 mph.

Today's Weather - April 26, 2012

Today we will see partly sunny skies tis morning with increasing clouds this afternoon. Late this afternoon we have a 60% chance of rain. Temps will be in the low 50's to low 60's with winds south at 5 - 15mph.

FREEZE WARNING

The National Weather Service in Albany has issued a FREEZE WARNING for Southern Vermont from 2am until 8am Thursday.



*Locations: Bennington and Eastern Windhan

*Temperatures: In the upper 20's to low 30's

*Timing: From 2am to 8am Thursday morning

*Impacts: Any sensative vegetation will be vulnerable to widespread frost Thursday morning.

A FREEZE WARNING means sub-freezing temperature are imminent or highly likely. These conditions will kill crops and other sensative vegetation.

Today's Weather - April 25, 2012

Today we will see mostly cloudy skies with a 50% chance of scattered showers. Temps will be in themid 40's to low 50's with winds south to west at 10 - 15 mph.

2012 Hurricane Season Outlook

It looks like it could be an under average year for hurricanes. Click on the picture to read about it.

Today's Weather - April 24, 2012

Today we will see mostly cloudy skies with a 40% chance of showers through out the day. Temps will be in the 50's and it will be windy with winds south at 15-25 mph.

2012 Summer Outlook

The Weather Channel's Summer Outlook has been posted. Click on the pucture above to see it.

Today's Weather - April 23, 2012

Today we will see rain in the morning tapering off to showers in the afternoon. Temperatures will be in the hig 40's to low 50's with winds northeast at 10-20 mph. Chance of rain is 90%.

WIND ADVISORY

The National Weather Service in Burlington has issued a WIND ADVISORY... which is in effect from 11pm this evening to 11am Monday.

*Locations: Western slopes of the Green Mountains

*Hazards: Gusty southeast winds

*Winds: Southeast 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50mph

*Timing: North winds 10 to 20 mph this evening will shift to the southeast and increase to 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph by early Monday morning.

*Impacts: Isolated power outages will be possible along with scattered downed tree limbs and branches

*Instructions: A WIND ADVISORY means that winds of 35 mph or more are expected. Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Use extra caution

Counties affected:
Eastern Addison
Eastern Chittenden
Eastern Franklin
Eastern Rutland
Lamoille
Western Rutland

Destructive Snowstorms Targets Interior Northeast

A big snowstorm is heading our way. Here is the story: http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/news/articles/snowstorm-destructive-northeast_2012-04-22

Today's Weather - April 20, 2012

Today will be on of those north south split forecast kind of days. In the north, today we will see mostly cloudy skies with a chance of rain late in the day. In the south, we will see partly sunny skies. Everyone will see temps in the high 60's to mid 70's with winds south at 5 - 15 mph.

Today's Weather - April 19, 2012

Today we will see partly cloudy skies with temps in the mid 60's to low 70's. We have a 10% chance of rain and winds will be out of the south at 5-15mph.

BREAKING NEWS: Dick Clark Dies at 82

We may be about weather here at Meteorological Elements but here's some breaking news. Dick Clark famed TV producer and host of "New Years Rockin' Eve" has died at 82 from a massive heart attack. Here's the story: http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/dick-clark-entertainment-icon-nicknamed-americas-oldest-teenager/story?id=16076252#.T48bUbNPvw8

Today's Weather - April 18, 2012

Today we will see mostly sunny skies with temps in the mid 50's to low 60's. The chance of rain is 10%.

Today's Weather - April 17, 2012

Today won't be as warm as yesterday, but it still be a beautiful day. We will see partly cloudy skies with temps in the 60's. It will also be a bit breezy with winds west at 10-20 mph.

April 16, 2012 Record Warmth

Today's Weather - April 16

Today's Weather - April 16, 2012

Today we will see mostly sunny skies with a chance of thunder storms this evening. Temps will be in the 80's with winds south at 10-20 mph. The chance of rain is 20%.

Midwest Tornadoes: 5 dead, 29 hurt in Oklahoma

Sue Lord is dwarfed by the debris from her home, which is piled up on the neighbor's home, following a tornado in Woodward, Oklahoma on Sunday, April 15, 2012. Lord was in the home when the tornado struck, but was not injured. Click on the picture for more information on this story.

Midwest Tornadoes

This is the thunderstorm forecast map via The Weather Channel. The red area is where the greatest chance of sever weather is forecast. Orange indicates places that will see general thunderstorms that will be under the severe threshold. Keep checking back here through out the day for updates on the Midwest Tornadoes

Today's Weather - April 15, 2012

Today we will see partly sunny skies this morning with a chance of showers this afternoon. The chance of rain is 20%. Highs today will be in the high 60's to mid 70's with winds south at 5 - 10 mph.

Twisters, baseball-sized hail strike Midwest

A TORNADO WATCH is in effect for parts of Iowa until 9pm CT; for parts of Nebraska until 8pm CT; and in parts of Kansas and Oklahoma until 6pm CT. The weather service calls today's weather system "a  particularly dangerous situation." For information, click on the picture above.  

Storm Forecasters: "Catastrophic" damage possible in Kansas, Missouri

The Storm Prediction Center said there is a high risk of sever storms across parts of Oklahoma and Kansas, with a tornado outbreak likely across the Southern and Central Plain states on Saturday. Read about it here:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57413955/storm-forecasters-catastrophic-damage-possible-in-kansas-missouri/
and here:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57413652/national-weather-service-high-tornado-risk-saturday-in-kansas-oklahoma/?tag=contentMain;contentBody

You can watch LIVE video of a storm chase on this website:
http://live.tvnweather.com/

"Irene" retired from the list of Atlantic Basin Storm Names

You all probably remember last year when Hurricane Irene struck the east coast bringing with it rain, wind, and a lot of destruction. Well, NOAA has decided to remove "Irene" off of it's list of names because of the destruction it caused. Here is the link to that story: http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2012/20120413_irene.html

Friday the 13th Weather - April 13, 2012

It may be Friday the 13th, but the weather isn't looking that bad. Today we will see mostly sunny skies with temps in the mid 50's to low 60's. Today we will see winds northwest at 10-15mph with only a 10% chance of rain.

Today's Weather - April 12, 2012

Today we will see partly cloudy skies with a 20% chance for a few showers. The temperature will be in the high 40's to mid 50's with winds Northwest at 5 - 15mph.

Today's Weather - April 11, 2012

Today we will see some rain showers will snow up in the mountains. The temperature will be in the mid 4-'s to low 50's. The chance of precipitation is 50%

Today's Weather - April 10, 2012

Today we will see some rain showers with a chance of snow in the mountains. The mountains can expect to see 1-3" of snow. Temperatures today will be in the mid 40's to low 50's. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Today's Weather - April 9, 2012

It's not gonna be a good start to the week, today we will see rain/snow in the morning truing to all rain by the afternoon. Temps will be in the mid-40's to low 50's with winds west at 10-20 mph. The chance of rain is 60%.

Easter Weather - April 8, 2012

HAPPY EASTER!!!!!! Today we will see mostly cloudy skies with temps in the mid-40's to low 50's. The chance of rain is 20% and winds will be from the northwest at 10-15mph.

RED FLAG WARNING - UPDATE

The RED FLAG WARNING has expired.

RED FLAG WARNING

The National Weather Service in Burlington has issued a RED FLAG WARNING until 8pm EDT this evening

 *Affected Area: Northern New York and most of Vermont

*Timing: This afternoon through early evening

*Winds: North 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 30 mph

*Relative Humidity: As low as 20 percent

*Temperatures: Highs in the 40's

*Impacts: Very dry fuels exist across the north country. Any fires that do occur today will likely spread quickly, burn intensely, and be difficult to contain.

*Instructions: A RED FLAG WARNING means the critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and dry fuels will create dangerous fire growth potential

Today's Weather - April 6, 2012

Happy Friday everyone! Today we will see partly cloudy skies with temps in the mid-40's to low-50's. Today we have a 10% chance of rain. Winds will be Northwest at 10-20mph. Because of the gusty winds and low humidity we have a RED FLAG WARNING in affect from 1pm this afternoon until 8pm this evening.

FIRE WEATHER WATCH

The National Weather Service in Burlington has issued a FIRE WEATHER WATCH which is in effect from Friday afternoon through Friday evening.

More information will come tomorrow when the watch is in effect.

Kennedale, Texas tornado - April 3, 2012

On April 3, 2012, David Horner documented this destructive tornado in Kennedale, Texas from the southbound land of U.S. 287 just south of I-20. This tornado eventually grew to 1/4 mile in width, traveled into nearby Arlington and caused extensive damage. It was rate EF-2

Today's Weather - April 5, 2012

Today we have a chance of some flurries in the morning. Those will be tapering off giving us partly cloudy skies with temps in the 40's by early afternoon. Chance of precipitation is only 20%. Winds will be northwest at 10-20mph.

RED FLAG WARNING - UPDATE

The RED FLAG WARNING has been discontinued.

RED FLAG WARNING

The National Weather Service in Burlington has issued a RED FLAG WARNING until 7pm EDT this evening.

*Affected Areas: Addison, Orange, Rutland, and Windsor counties in southern Vermont.

*Winds: Northwest 15 to 20mph with gusts up to 30mph

*Relative Humidity: As low as 20 to 25 percent

*Timing: Through 7pm this evening

*Impacts: Gusty northwest winds combined with low humidity and very dry fuels indicate that any fires that were to start would quickly spread and become difficult to contain.

* Temperatures: In the mid to high 50's

Instructions: A RED FLAG WARNING means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will be shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and dry fuels will create explosive fire potential

Tomorrows Weather - April 5, 2012

On Thursday April 5th we will see mostly cloudy skies with temps in the 40's. The chance of rain is only 20%. Winds will be out of the north at 10-20 mph.

Tornadoes Roll Through Dallas Area

Tuesday, April 3 - CBS News
Tornadoes raked the Dallas area Tuesday, crumbling a wing of a nursing home, peeling roofs from dozens of homes and spiraling big-rig trailers into the air like footballs. More than a dozen injuries were reported.

Baseball-sized hail punched holes through car roofs, and a Red Cross spokeswoman warned the breadth of the destruction may not be cleared until Wednesday. The mayors of Arlington and Lancaster declared a state of disaster following the storm.

Overturned cars left streets unnavigable and flattened trucks clogged highway shoulders. Preliminary estimates were that six to 12 twisters had touched down in North Texas.

Today's Weather - April 4, 2012

Today we will see sun in the morning then mostly cloudy skies this afternoon with a chance of scattered showers. The chance of rain is 30%. Temperatures will be in the 50's.