Weather Focus 3: What To Do During A Winter Storm

CLEVELAND -- This week is Winter Weather Awareness Week in Ohio and each day we are bringing you a different topic about winter weather. Today's topic is "Be Safe...during (and after) the storm."

Normally when a winter storm is imminent, the National Weather Service will issue a winter storm warning or blizzard warning 6 to 18 hours before the storm strikes.

A winter storm warning means that severe winter weather such as heavy snow, significant freezing rain or heavy sleet is expected.

A blizzard warning means that sustained or gusty winds of 35 mph or more are expected to reduce visibility at or below a quarter of a mile due to falling and/or blowing snow for at least three hours.

The issuance of the winter storm warning is your signal to take steps necessary to keep you, your family and associated pets or animals safe during the storm. All unnecessary travel should be delayed until the storm is over.

Seventy percent of all deaths during snow and ice storms occur in vehicles!

If you get stranded in your vehicle and shelter is not visible nearby then stay with your vehicle...

• Run the motor for about ten minutes each hour for heat. Keep the tailpipe free from snow and open the window slightly from time to time to let in fresh air.
• Make yourself visible by turning on the dome light while the engine is running and tie a colored (red) cloth to your antenna or door.
• Exercise occasionally by vigorously moving arms, legs, fingers, and toes to keep your blood circulating.

The safest place during a winter storm is indoors. If your regular heat source fails...

• Use alternative heat sources such as wood stoves or space heaters, but be very careful. The incidence of fire increases when using alternative heat. Have a fire extinguisher close by.
• Close off unneeded rooms and stuff towels or rags in cracks under doors.
• Cover windows at night.
• Eat and drink regularly to keep your body temperature up and prevent dehydration.

Provide for pets and farm animals by making sure they have shelter and plenty of food and fresh water available.

Most deaths and injuries during winter storms can be prevented! Overexertion in the cold kills many people. The heart and blood vessels constrict in cold conditions to preserve body heat. Too much exertion can cause a heart attack. No one died in Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania during the "blizzard of '93," but at least six people died afterwards from shoveling snow.

When shoveling snow or doing other activities in the cold you should always set a slow pace. Take frequent breaks and warm yourself regularly. Sweating can lead to hypothermia (low body temperature).

The signs of hypothermia include uncontrollable shivering, disorientation, slurred speech, and drowsiness or exhaustion. If the body temperature has dropped below 95 F, seek immediate medical help.

Frostbite can also occur from exposure to the cold. Frostbite causes a loss of feeling and usually occurs in extremities such as toes or fingers first. When treating hypothermia or frostbite always make sure the affected area is dry and then warm it slowly using blankets!

A person suffering from hypothermia must have their chest, neck and head warmed first. When spending time outdoors in the cold wear several layers of loose-fitting, light weight and warm clothing.

You can remove layers to avoid perspiration, and subsequent chill.

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Special thanks to Gary Garnet and the National Weather Service for this information.

Weather Focus 3: Winter Storm Safety Tips

CLEVELAND -- This week is Winter Weather Awareness Week in Ohio and each day we are bringing you a different topic about winter weather. Today's topic is "Be Prepared...Before the storm strikes."

Normally when a winter storm is expected, the National Weather Service will issue a winter storm watch 12 to 36 hours in advance.

A winter storm watch means that conditions exist for the possible occurrence of severe winter weather such as blizzard conditions, heavy snow, significant freezing rain or heavy sleet.

The issuance of the winter storm watch is your signal to prepare for the storm now. Once the storm begins, travel may be too dangerous or impossible.

Preparing at home (and at work)

The primary concern of indoor shelter is the potential loss of heat, power, telephone service and a shortage of supplies if the storm persists for more than a day.

Have available:

• flashlight with extra batteries
• battery powered NOAA weather radio and portable radio or TV
• extra food and water, especially high energy food that requires no cooking or refrigeration such as dried fruit and canned goods (don't forget the non-electric can opener)
• medicine, first aid supplies, and ample baby supplies
• emergency heating source, such as a stocked fireplace, wood stove or space heater.
• smoke detector and fire extinguisher, the chance of fire increases dramatically using alternative heating!

Don't forget, you may not be at home when the storm strikes! Have emergency supplies available at your place of work.

Preparing the car or truck

About 70% of deaths during an ice or snow storm occur in a vehicle! If you wonder if you should attempt to travel, then don't! If you must travel, then allow extra time. Reduce your speed and do not attempt to make sudden turns or stops. Also winterize the vehicle so it will be reliable. This includes a good set of tires.

Other items necessary for the car or truck include:

• dry blanket(s) or sleeping bag
• extra dry clothing
• flashlight with extra batteries
• high calorie non-perishable food
• snow shovel, windshield scraper, and brush
• sack of sand, rock salt, or kitty litter for traction
• booster cables
• first aid kit and a small container for water
• maps, compass, knife, and water proof matches.

On the farm:

Animals must be moved to sheltered areas. Extra feed should be hauled nearby for easy access. Have plenty of water available and make sure it does not freeze. Most animal deaths during winter storms occur from dehydration.

Being prepared before the storm hits will keep you and your family from unnecessary risk!

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Our special thanks to Gary Garnet and the National Weather Service in Cleveland for the information in this article.

Weather Data Bank: Cleveland's Seasonal Snow Totals

CLEVELAND -- Channel 3 Weather has put together a look at the seasonal snow totals for the last 40 years, beginning with the winter of 1969-1970.

See how the area has fared each year...

What year has been our snowiest...

What year was the driest in the past 4 decades...

You can download and print your own copy of our "Snowfall History" right now on WKYC.COM as part of Channel 3's Weather Data Bank.

Just click on the image above or the following link: CLICK HERE

Weather Focus 3: Winter weather terminology

CLEVELAND -- This week is Winter Weather Awareness Week in Ohio and each day we are bringing you a different topic about winter weather. Today's topic is "Winter Weather Terminology."

Freezing rain: rain that freezes upon contact with a cold surface.

Sleet: solid grains of ice that form from rain that freezes before reaching the ground. These pellets of ice tend to bounce upon contact and may accumulate enough to cover the ground, even to a depth of several inches.

Snow squall: an intense fall of accumulating snow, reducing visibility significantly and often accompanied by increased winds.

Heavy snow: 6 inches or more of snow in 24 hours for widespread snow and 6 inches in 12 hours for lake effect snow.

Just as with summer weather, The National Weather Service attempts to issue a watch to alert the public of the potential for severe winter weather.

Winter storm watch: conditions exist for the possible occurrence of Severe winter weather such as blizzard conditions, heavy snow, significant freezing rain or heavy sleet. Usually issued 12 to 36 hours in advance of the winter storm.

A warning is issued to alert the public of imminent severe winter weather. Normally a warning is issued after a winter storm watch has been in effect. If a winter storm develops quickly then the warning may not have been preceded by a watch.

Winter storm warning: issued when heavy snow, significant freezing rain, or heavy sleet is expected to occur. Usually issued 6 to 18 hours in advance of the winter storm.

Blizzard warning: issued when sustained or gusty winds of 35 mph or more are expected to reduce visibility at or below a quarter of a mile due to falling and/or blowing snow for at least three hours.

Winter storm warning for lake effect snow: issued when heavy, primarily lake effect snow, is expected. Lake snow is most common over extreme northeast Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania.

Wind chill warning: issued for wind chills below -25 degrees Fahrenheit.

A less severe winter weather event will prompt the issuance of an advisory. An advisory is named specific to the weather event expected and issued when the event is expected to be widespread. Travel by foot or vehicle may be dangerous during an advisory even if the winter weather is not expected to reach winter storm criteria.

Some examples of advisories:

Winter weather advisory for snow: a fall of snow within 12 hours of usually 3 to 5 inches.

Winter weather advisory for lake effect snow: a snowfall of 3 to 5 inches of primarily lake effect snow over the snowbelts of northeast Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania.

Winter weather advisory for freezing rain: a glaze of ice expected from freezing rain that may hamper travel.

Winter weather advisory for blowing and drifting snow: blowing and drifting snow will occasionally reduce visibility to an eighth of a mile of less with significant drifting in open areas.

Wind chill advisory: wind chill temperatures are expected to be 10 to 25 below zero for an extended time.

Dense fog advisory: dense fog that reduces visibility to less than ¼ of a mile.

Winter weather advisory: issued when two or more of the above advisory conditions are expected.

If you need more information on winter weather forecast terminology, please contact the National Weather Service at 216-265-2370.

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Our special thanks to Gary Garnet and the National Weather Service in Cleveland for the information in this article.

Weather Focus 3: Winter Weather Awareness Week Part 1

CLEVELAND -- This week is Winter Weather Awareness Week where each day this week, we'll bring a different topic about our winter weather. Today's feature is on the Climatology of the northeast Ohio winter.

As we move into late fall, it is once again time to refresh your memory about winter weather hazards and how you can plan for the life-threatening situations that winter weather can bring.

Each year, many people take winter weather too lightly, which often results in serious injury or even death.

During this week, please take some time to read and listen to information about winter storms and winter weather terminology. More importantly, please review how you can protect yourself from extreme cold, snow and other winter hazards.

Snow across Ohio generally occurs in two ways:

1. From organized weather systems that cross over or near the region. During a typical winter, these weather systems bring a number ofsmall snowfalls of 2 inches or less.

Several times a year the region may be threatened by a well developed storm system that has the potential to produce heavier snow of 6 inches or more. Storm systems can be fifficult to predict at times. A small shift in the storm track can mean the difference between shoveling and partly cloudy skies.

2. Lake effect snow occurs when very cold air flows across the Great Lakes during the winter months and absorbs moisture. The moisture is then condensed out east and south of the Great Lakes.

The result is cloudiness and snow showers. This "lake effect" snow adds substantially to the winter snowfall across portions of northeast Ohio. Over portions of our region, heavy amounts of lake effect snow can occur.

The close proximity to Lake Erie and the higher terrain of northeast Ohio causes substantial lake effect snow during cold outbreaks. Much of this region receives over 40 inches of snow during a typical winter.

Parts of the "snowbelt" of extreme northeast Ohio receive over 100 inches of snow each season.

On average, here is what select cities in Ohio can expect during the winter:

• Akron-Canton: 47.9 inches
• Cincinnati OH/Covington KY: 22.9 inches
• Cleveland: 63.3 inches
• Columbus: 29.2 inches
• Dayton: 29.3 inches
• Mansfield: 45.4 inches
• Toledo: 37.6 inches
• Youngstown: 55.0 inches

Note: Records are taken at local airports and normal is based on 30 year averages from the most recent statistics available.

Daily weather information is available 24 hours a day from the National Weather service.

Forecasts for Ohio are regularly issued 4 times a day and updated as often as necessary.

Read more about NWS/Cleveland on their website @ http://www.erh.noaa.gov/cle/.

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Our special thanks to Gary Garnet and the National Weather Service Office in Cleveland for the information.

Tips for spotting the International Space Station

By Betsy Kling

CLEVELAND -- Northern Ohioans will have several opportunities to see the International Space Station this week.

Spotting it is rather easy, if you know where and when to look.

Here is an example for ISS spotting directions (from NASA):

ISS Wed Nov 11/05:48 PM 4 86 33 above SW 12 above NE

ISS = International Space Station (you can also see the space shuttle from time to time when it is flying)

Wed Nov 11/05:48 PM = This is the time that the ISS will appear.

4 = The whole sighting will last four minutes

86 = The max elevation, in degrees, above the horizon. The lower this number, the closer to the horizon. A max elevation of 90 would be directly overhead.

33 above SW = This is the elevation, in degrees, above the southwest horizon that the ISS will be initially seen.

12 above NE = This is the elevation, in degrees, above the northeast horizon that the ISS will disappear from view.

First, you must orient yourself on your location. Find the direction that the space station will make its "approach". Figure out where the departure will take place as well.

If the weather conditions are right (clear skies) and the sky is sufficiently dark, you will see a bright, continuous light moving steadily through the sky. It may not look like it from the ground, but the ISS is moving at 17,500 miles per hour!

With a telescope you can actually see the structure of the space station. With a good set of binoculars, you can pick out the shape of it.

For more sighting opportunities and for a diagram with further spotting directions, click on either of the following links:

*Spotting opportunities for Ohio cities
*Spotting help

Fall 2009: The Autumn In Pictures

CLEVELAND -- WKYC viewers have been submitting their fall pictures to wkyc.com in order to preserve the magic of another northeast Ohio autumn.

Channel 3 Weather and WKYC producer/director Frank Macek has put together a "Best of Fall 2009" collection of photos to remember these autumn months as the trees changed color and the nip of Jack Frost warned of changes ahead.

Please take a moment to watch the video of your photos, as we thank you for submitting them.

Enjoy!

October 2009 in Review: Wetter Than Normal

By Frank Macek

CLEVELAND -- October wraps up the first full month of Fall 2009 with near normal temperatures, but above normal rainfall.

In their monthly climate report, the National Weather Service in Cleveland says the month turned out normal with an average high of 59.7 degrees and an average low of 45.0 degrees.

October saw a rollercoaster ride of temperatures with a balmy high of 76 degrees on October 30th to a chilly morning low of 35 degrees on October 18th. No records were set in Cleveland during the month.

The weather service reports a total of 17 days were actually below average during the month thanks to a period of chillier weather during the first half of October. Meanwhile, several days during the 2nd half of the month were well above normal including on October 21st, 22nd and 30th.

On the precipitation side, Cleveland was about an inch wetter than normal thanks to several days of heavy rains on October 2nd, 9th, 16th, 28th and 31st when at least a third of an inch of rain fell in a 24 hour period of time.

Cleveland received a grand total of 3.66 inches of rain - none of which was recorded as snow officially at the airport, though some areas east of the city did receive at least a trace during the month.

Last year, the first snow had fallen by October 27th when a trace was recording at Hopkins.
So far since January 1st, the area stands at 31.60 inches of rain or .58 inches BELOW normal year-to-date.

For monthly climate reports across the area, you can click on any of the following links:

• Akron/Canton
• Cleveland Hopkins
• Mansfield
• Youngstown
• Toledo

You can also download & print out Channel 3 Weather's November almanac with daily highs, lows, sunrise and sunset times, record highs and record lows for each day of the month:

• November almanac

WKYC & The Cleveland Fire Department Bring You A Safety Tip

Betsy Kling from WKYC and Larry Gray from the Cleveland Fire Department remind us to replace the batteries in our smoke detectors. If you don't have a smoke detector, you can call (216) 361-5535 and the Cleveland Fire Department will install them in your home free of charge.

Goodbye Daylight Saving, 'Fall Back' This Weekend

By Kim Wendel

Don't forget to set your clocks back one hour before going to bed Saturday night. Say goodbye to Daylight Saving time but you do gain an hour of

In the past, the time change happened on the last Sunday in October. This year, and all years after, the end of Daylight Saving Time will occur on the first Sunday in November.

Fire departments across the country also urge you to change the batteries in all your smoke detectors this weekend. The time change is just a convenient reminder to do that.

What's the purpose of changing the clocks anyway?

Daylight Saving Time (or summertime, as it is called in many countries) is a way of getting more light out of the day by advancing clocks by one hour during the summer.

During Daylight Saving Time, the sun appears to rise one hour later in the morning, when people are usually asleep anyway, and sets one hour later in the evening, seeming to stretch the day longer.

The reason DST seems to work is because its saves energy due to less artificial light needed during the evening hours -- clocks are set one hour ahead during the spring, and one hour back to standard time in the fall.

World Clock

It was Benjamin Franklin who first suggested Daylight Saving Time in 1784, but it was not until World War I, in 1916, when it was adopted by several counties in Europe that initially rejected the idea.

New Feature: WKYC November 2009 Weather Almanac

CLEVELAND -- Have a real interest in tracking the daily weather across northeast Ohio?

WKYC's new monthly weather almanac gives you all the information you need on one page.

Our new almanac includes the following information for each day of the month: sunrise, sunset, normal high, normal low, record high, record low and dates of the 1st quarter, full moon, last quarter and new moon.

Then you can watch Channel 3 News at 11 PM for Betsy Kling's and AJ Colby's daily almanac to fill in each day's high, low and precipitation for the entire month.

You'll be able to find a new almanac each month on the wkyc.com/weather page on the right hand column under "WKYC Weather Data Bank."

*To download and print your own copy (.pdf file): CLICK HERE

Video: Rainbow Over Cleveland

Check out this cool rainbow over the FBI building, next door to Channel 3 on Friday evening around 6:10 p.m.



Another shot of the rainbow sent to us by Diane in Lakewood.

Indian Summer Gets a Warm Welcome

By Chris Tye
WKYC Reporter

CLEVELAND -- In a season where sick calls are a little easier to make, thanks to swine flu, Wednesday's weather made playing hooky a tempting option.

"This may be the last time I can play golf around here this year," said Henry VanHala, one of hundreds of golfers that filled Big Met golf course in Rocky River Wednesday.

"I'm the eternal optimist," he says. "There will be plenty more days like this." But when pressed a little, he caves: "OK, I don't think it will last long."

The hour-plus wait to play golf at the course was a sign of how intensely appreciative Clevelanders are of this Oct. 22 warm up.

Boaters like Don Adams were of like mind.

"October hasn't been a good month for fishing," he said. "But it's ok, God's still good and tomorrow's supposed to be pretty nice too."

Tom McMahon is a kayaker from North Ridgeville who took today to get back on the lake too. "It's been a cool summer, so I'm happy to sneak out here today," he said.

Downtown restaurants that provide outdoor options were also crowded, as were garden centers with green thumbs trying to get in some last-minute yard work.

An Indian summer that warms us up, and breaks us out of the cabin fever, seemed to set in early this year.

Snowfall Reports: 10/16/09

The following are snowfall reports from the National Weather Service Office in Cleveland for October 16, 2009:

LOCATION              12 HOUR    TIME/DATE    COMMENTS
                     SNOWFALL       OF
                     (INCHES)   MEASUREMENT
OHIO

...ASHTABULA COUNTY...
   ASHTABULA 1SW            T   834 AM 10/16 

...GEAUGA COUNTY...
   THOMPSON 5SW           0.5   724 AM 10/16 
   MONTVILLE              0.2   727 AM 10/16 

...PORTAGE COUNTY...
   HIRAM                    T   822 AM 10/16 

...SUMMIT COUNTY...
   CAK AIRPORT              T   700 AM 10/16 

...TRUMBULL COUNTY...
   YNG AIRPORT            0.6   700 AM 10/16