The Warmest Weekend

The warming trend has started and we will have partly cloudy, humid and warm conditions tonight and this weekend.  This should be the warmest weekend of 2010, so far. - Jim

Brian: Dry for now.. partly to mostly cloudy.. low 70's..

This morning's showers have moved over to the east coast and into the Atlantic as the upper level disturbance has moved by. We still have a push of warmer/more humid air coming in today, so we'll leave in the chance of a few isolated showers and mixed clouds and sun. Have a great weekend!

 

Brian

Brian: Isolated showers this morning, much warmer.. near 70

Warmer and more humid air has arrived in southwest Florida this morning, with temperatures near 70 in most areas as we start the day. An upper level disturbance has teamed with a warm front to touch off of a few showers across the area and, while drier air will be moving in later today, we'll maintain a chance of rain in the forecast for most of the day. It should be a bit warmer this afternoon compared to yesterday.. with some sunshine breaking through at times. Highs will be in the lower to middle 80's.

 

For tomorrow, a strong high pressure ridge builds in and the warm up begins! We'll be in the upper 80's tomorrow but on Sunday and Monday, as the sky goes mostly sunny and the upper level wind starts to turn more out of the east.. we'll make it into the 90's in many spots for the first time since late October! There is also still the slightest chance of a shower tomorrow afternoon if enough low level moisture lingers.. officially, we'll call the forecast mainly dry though.

 

Have a great day!

 

Brian

Rain Tonight and Tomorrow

A warm front will push through the area..  Expect mostly cloudy sky tonight and  tomorrow with some rain.  It will be warm and dry this weekend. - Jim

Brian: One last cool start this season? 50's and low 60's to start...

Good morning! We're starting in the 50's (even some low 50's near Arcadia!) this morning through most of the area, with low 60's along and west of US-41. High pressure is overhead, giving us the light wind and cool start. High pressure shifts to the east later today, giving us an offshore breeze for much of the day and leading to warmer temps -- highs will be in the low to mid 80's. Not nearly as cool to start tomorrow morning, as lows will be back in the mid 60's. Tomorrow afternoon, as warmer air pushes into the area, a weak upper level disturbance also moves overhead. The combination of the two should help touch off a few isolated showers with highs in the mid 80's. Much warmer and much more humid this weekend.. more details on that coming on WINK-TV at 5:45. See you then!

 

Today's numbers:

Naples  Partly Cloudy; High 83
Bonita Springs Partly Cloudy; High 84
Fort Myers Partly Cloudy; High 83
Cape Coral Partly Cloudy; High 83
Port Charlotte Partly Cloudy; High 82
Hendry Co. Partly Cloudy; High 84
Glades Co. Partly Cloudy; High 82
DeSoto Co. Partly Cloudy; High 82

 

Brian

--
Brian Monahan
AM/Noon Meteorologist
WINK-TV
(239) 338-4369, brian.monahan@winktv.com

Scott: High pressure building in for the next few days. Its going to get warm! How warm? Details on WINK!

A weak cold front blew through today. That will lower temperatures tonight into the low 60's and some mid 50's inland. So cooler and less humid tonight. By Friday, and into the weekend the warmth will quickly build and the humidity. Highs will approach 90 degrees by Saturday and Sunday! Dewpoints will be in the low 70's.. That is very summer like. Enjoy and stay cool. Details on at 6 & 7..

--
Scott Zedeker
WINK TV Meteorologist

Warm and Dry

A nice pleasant evening is expected.  Partly cloudy and a little warmer tomorrow.  Hotter and more humid this weekend. - Jim

Brian: Weak cold front moving through, lower humidity this afternoon..

Good morning! Dewpoint temperatures (measure of the moisture in the atmosphere) have dropped into the 40's just north of southwest Florida and will drop for us over the next few hours as a weak cold front moves through. Other than a drop in the humidity, you won't notice this front much today.. we'll have just a few high clouds around today with highs in the upper 70's and lower 80's. High pressure will move right overhead tonight and likely help give us the last cool morning of the season.. with 50's likely throughout a lot of the area!

 

From there, the warm up begins as that high shifts offshore. Thursday and Friday highs will be in the mid 80's.. with upper 80's and breezy weather for the weekend (and much mroe humid as well!). By early next week, as the flow shifts from the east aloft (thus preventing the sea breeze from really getting going each day).. we'll see temps warm toward the low 90's for the first time this year!

 

Much more on your forecast coming up on WINK over the next couple of hours. Hope you join us!

 

Brian

Scott: Beautiful today! Highs in the low 80's. Same for tomorrow, but a real warm up for the weekend!

A few high clouds tomorrow as temperatures get into the low 80's again. Should see plenty of sun through the weekend. By Saturday and Sunday the humidity returns and temperatures will get up into the upper 80's. A few computer models want to put our high's in the low 90's. I dont think it will be that warm, but either way with the humidity in place its going to feel hot! Details on WINK!

--
Scott Zedeker
WINK TV Meteorologist

Brian: Oily smell again in the air in SWFL... but not everyone smells it!

A very dilluted oily smell is in the air again today (some smell it, some don't -- count me among those who don't!). The National Weather Service, in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency and US Coast Guard, is working to explain the phenomena and we'll hopefully have more answers later today. For some of the reasons I highlighted earlier, the "atmospheric" argument doesn't necessarily hold weight -- most notably because of the lack of a strong low level inversion (increase in temperature with height).

 

One thing that might be doing it though is something known as "wave transport." Essentially, given the NW-to-SE current in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, some of the oil particles might effectively be "catching a ride" toward the area.. not enough to cause serious problems, but enough to produce the irritating smell. We'll hopefully have a more concrete answer for you later today!

 

Brian

Brian: Oily Smell in SWFL Yesterday

There were several calls/emails to our newsroom yesterday afternoon about an iritating, oily smell in the air along the coast. Personally, I didn't notice this. But our morning anchor, Lindsay, says she did in Cape Coral.. so it seems the closer you got to the Gulf, the more prominent the odor was. Reports of the oily smell were also made in the Tampa area per the National Weather Service.

 

So what gives? Our best guess at this point is the odor was a result of a shift in the wind helping to loft some of the oily smell from the rig explosion SE of New Orleans in our direction (abou 450 miles away). Above I've included a map of the location of the oil slick and surface streamlines -- the direction the wind is blowing in the Gulf and you can see that the wind blows across the oil slick and straight toward the SWFL coast. That said, without the presence of what we call a low level inversion (a "lid" that traps particulates, etc., near the ground).. it's hard to imagine such a relatively small oil slick producing such an irritating smell in SWFL yesterday. Bottom line? The case isn't closed on this... but this is our best guess!

 

Brian

Brian: Just a few high clouds this morning, starting in the 60's..

Out ahead of a second weak cold front, we'll see a mostly sunny sky today highs ranging from near 80 at the beaches to the mid 80's inland. In fact, for the next couple of days the beaches will run about 5 degrees cooler with a persistent westerly breeze. That second cold front moves through tonight with just a few clouds (no rain!).. and brings slightly cooler weather tomorrow with a mostly sunny sky and highs in the upper 70's/low 80's. High pressure overhead on Thursday morning should give us a cooler start with 50's inland and low 60's elsewhere!

 

Much more on your forecast coming up on WINK-TV.. see you there! Here is today's forecast:

 

Naples  Mostly Sunny; High 81
Bonita Springs Mostly Sunny; High 83
Fort Myers Mostly Sunny; High 83
Cape Coral Mostly Sunny; High 82
Port Charlotte Mostly Sunny; High 82
Hendry Co. Mostly Sunny; High 85
Glades Co. Mostly Sunny; High 84
DeSoto Co. Mostly Sunny; High 84

 

Brian

Scott: Rain has ended and we are going to see a dry week ahead! Details at 5!

Wow what a rain event. Clewiston had 5", La Belle 4.50", Punta Gorda 3.50", Gateway 2.40", Cape Coral 2.36", Naples 2.32", Ft. Myers 2.20". The rain moved in around 3 am in Charlotte County and left Collier around 11 am. Some gusty wind and a lot of lightning, over 10,000 stikes as this system pushed through.

you can expect to see much drier and slightly less humid weather for the next few days. By the weekend temperatures will be close to 90 degrees. Details on WINK starting at 5pm.

--
Scott Zedeker
WINK TV Meteorologist

Clearing Tonight

The weak cold front is passing through and the rain has ended. The sky will clear tonight.  It will be mostly sunny and dry tomorrow with highs in the 80's. - Jim

Brian: Drying out now.. decreasing clouds this afternoon, low to mid 80's

This morning's heavy rain and storms have moved south into the Keys and the far southern part of the peninsula as dry air moves in from the north. Our day will finish partly cloudy to mostly sunny with highs in the low to mid 80's (warmer north where there will be more sun for more of the afternoon). The cold front still hasn't actually moved through so it will remain humid this afternoon.. and even when the front does move through (as it's breaking up), there won't be too much of a change in the weather (a bit less humid, that's it!).

 

Partly cloudy to mostly sunny weather builds in Tuesday-Thursday as weak high pressure moves in from the Gulf. With a breeze off of the Gulf, highs will stay in the low to mid 80's. Warming up and turning more humid again this weekend.. more details on that on WINK in just minutes!

 

Brian

Brian: Svr t-storm warning continues until 8:30 am for Collier...

Brian: Svr t-storm warning for SE Hendry & Collier until 8 am...

 

Brian: Heavy rain moving through south Lee County & Collier now..

There is not quite as much lightning now as there was this morning as the upper level energy starts to pull away to the north and the line of showers and storms moves away to the south. That said, we still have quite a bit of heavy rain across the area and will continue to for the next hour or two. Drier air, though, is just to our north and should push in at midday and through the afternoon... giving us a clearing sky and a fairly nice late afternoon. Here is today's forecast:

Naples  Scattered Mainly AM Storms; High 80
Bonita Springs Mainly AM Rain & Storms; High 81
Fort Myers AM Rain & Storms  Clearing; High 82
Cape Coral AM Rain & Storms  Clearing; High 82
Port Charlotte AM Rain & Storms  Clearing; High 83
Hendry Co. Mainly AM Rain & Storms; High 80
Glades Co. AM Rain & Storms  Clearing; High 82
DeSoto Co. AM Rain & Storms  Clearing; High 83

Brian

Brian: Tornado warning for Hendry County cancelled.. heavy rain continues south..

Brian: Tornado warning East-Central Hendry County until 7:30 am..

Tornado warning for east-central Hendry County until 7:30 this morning for a cell with some rotation possible south of Clewiston, in the Devil's Garden area. The tornado watch has been allowed to expire though.. torrential rain/frequent lightning will affect into Hendry and Collier Counties over the next couple of hours..

 

Brian

Brian: Torrential rain in Lee County right now.. especially near Lehigh..

This activity is now shifting south and should move into south Lee County between 6:45 and 7:15 AM. Collier County will begin to see the rain a little bit later. So far, the history of this line has NOT been severe.. despite this morning's tornado watch. Frequent lightning and heavy rain is the history with this line.. and so far, we've seen 1-2"+ of rain in many spots (about 1.7" in Cape Coral, for example).

 

Brian

Brian: Torrential rain falling in Lee County now..

Wow! Outside our studio on Palm Beach Blvd. in Fort Myers, the rain is coming down in buckets with frequent lightning (in excess of 10,000 lightning strikes across SWFL in the last hour). Heavy rain and lightning will be the biggest threat with this line of showers and storms over the next hour or so.. thus far, still no reports of any severe weather though a tornado watch does remain in effect until 7 AM. Heaviest of the rain now falling over much of Cape Coral... about to cross the Caloosahatchee and move into South Fort Myers. Still dry through the rest of Lee and Collier.

 

Brian

Brian: Heavy rain now moving into Cape Coral and Lee Island Coast..

Also, severe thunderstorm warning for inland SWFL, including north Collier County, has been cancelled. I am now watching an area of very heavy rain/storms/frequent lightning offshore in the Gulf. This will likely weaken, though, as it pushes ashore in Lee County and, later, Collier County.

 

Brian

Brian: Heaviest rain now approaching north Lee, LaBelle, Clewiston..

The line of showers and storms this morning is pushing much more to the east than to the south.. this means a couple of things. First, the heavy band of rain that stretches across the Gulf, Charlotte Harbor and to between Lake Placid and Clewiston will only inch south. This also means that it's likely the southern half of the area, places like Bonita and Naples, will avoid the heaviest of the rain as much of the upper level support for this morning's storms shifts to the north. This also means that places in Charlotte, DeSoto, Highlands and Glades Counties will see heavy rain continuing for at least the next 2 hours...

 

Brian

Brian: Tornado watch remains in effect until 7 AM..

Heavy rain falling this morning, mainly along and north of the Caloosahatchee River as of 4AM. Most of the area is under a tornado watch until 7AM as an unstable atmosphere couples with very strong wind aloft. Thus far, though, there have been no severe warnings.. just the watch! Heavy rain will continue over the next couple of hours across north Lee, Charlotte, DeSoto, Glades, and Highlands Counties and begin to shift south toward Fort Myers and Bonita Springs.

 

Brian

The Tornado Watch has been widened to include Collier

The Tornado Watch currently in effect until 7AM has been expanded to now include Collier, Hendry and Glades counties.

This means that all of SWFL is under a Tornado Watch until 7AM Monday morning.

Tornado Watch in effect until 7AM Monday

A Tornado Watch is in effect until 7AM Monday morning for parts of SWFL including:

Lee, Charlotte, DeSoto, and Highlands counties

Storms Likely Tonight Through Tomorrow, Some Strong to Severe

Showers and thunderstorms will become scattered in nature overnight with rain and storms likely for tomorrow morning into early afternoon. Storms that develop within this time frame will have the capability to become strong to severe. The main threats will include damaging winds, small hail, frequent lightning and heavy rainfall. A moist and unstable atmosphere in combination with an approaching cold front will cause widespread rain and thunderstorms to develop across SWFL late tonight into midday tomorrow. As the cold front pushes across the state tomorrow afternoon, the rainfall and storm threat will come to an end with drying and gradual clearing from north to south. Expect rainfall totals for the event of .50" to 1.00" with 2.00+" possible locally.

We'll keep you up to date with any and all severe weather warnings on WINK News.

Have a good night,
Lauren

Severe Thunderstorm Watch

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect until 2 AM for parts of SWFL including:

Lee, Charlotte, DeSoto and Highlands counties

Windy Weekend

Warm and humid through tomorrow with a SW wind.  Rain is likely on Monday, clearing on Tuesday.  It's my dream come true, working on the weekend!  Share it with me tonight on WINK at 6 and 11pm. - Jim

Scott: Warm and humid for the weekend! Temps in the upper 80's. Rain in the forecast... Details at 6 and 7!

Enjoy this weekend! Its going to be warm and humid with high's in the upper 80's. A southerly breeze will pick up Sunday ahead of the next cold front that will move into swfl Monday morning. Rain will arrive then with a few storms as well. So far rain amounts might be up to 1". Details at 6 and 7 on WINK!

--
Scott Zedeker
WINK TV Meteorologist

Brian: Images for the Previous Blog Post on Oil Rig Explosion

Brian: Gulf of Mexico Currents and the Possible Oil Leakage in the Gulf

Good afternoon! Just wanted to answer a great question one of our co-workers here at WINK posed a few minutes ago to me: given the oil rig explosion southeast of the New Orleans just out into the Gulf earlier this week.. and with the oil rig sinking.. what happens to the oil, where does it go, if there's a leak/spill? For the answer, take a look at the top image, a map of the mean (or average) water currents in the Gulf of Mexico. On average, the central and eastern Gulf is dominated by something known as the Gulf Loop Current, a pool of extra warm water that is part of the Gulf Stream that runs up the east coast and out into the Atlantic. The Gulf Loop Current is the one that we often hear about during hurricane season.. as it brings bath-water warm water out of the Caribbean.

 

Because of the "loop" (that upside-down U shape you see on the top image.. and the bottom one too) the mean ocean currents in the vicinity of the explosion would work to push any spilled oil toward Biloxi, MS, Mobile, AL, and the Florida Panhandle (there would also be some that would spread out in all other directions.. but the bulk would follow the mean ocean current). In other words, any oil spill would likely not directly impact the waters of southwest Florida. That said, the mean ocean currents can be altered based on the wind pattern.. a pattern that will be southwesterly through much of the weekend (turning northwesterly late this weekend). Either way, any oil spillage would be far more of a concern to the north-central and north-east Gulf Coast than for anywhere this far south.

 

Brian

Brian: High clouds & sun today, highs in the low to mid 80's..

Good Friday morning! We're headed toward a warm weekend across southwest Florida and the work week will also end on a warm note. High pressure has now moved out into the Atlantic meaning it will be harder for the Gulf breeze to develop as early as it has the past few days.. and to be as strong as it has. Bottom line? It will be warmer today at the coast with the west breeze kicking in later today; highs there will be in the low 80's with mid (if not upper) 80's elsewhere. Like we talked about yesterday, there will be some high clouds in the sky from time to time as an active jet stream works high overhead.

 

Over the weekend, Saturday is the warmest day.. Sunday is the most humid day. Some places will touch 90 on Saturday and most places will feel like 90 when you factor in the humidity. More clouds on Sunday ahead of our next front, which gets here with a chance of showers and storms as early as Monday morning.

 

Enjoy your Friday!

 

Brian

Scott: Warmer weather into the weekend. How about the rain? Details at 6 & 7 on WINK!

We have rain in the forecast, however not until Monday afternoon. Until then we are going to warm up into the upper 80's each afternoon. The humidity returns as well along with more clouds by Sunday afternoon. So far we are looking at maybe 1" to 1.50" of rain on Monday. Details at 6 & 7 on WINK.

--
Scott Zedeker
WINK TV Meteorologist

Clear and Dry

Boy it was nice riding the bike today.  This is the best weather that April has to offer.  Low humidity, clear nights and sunny days.  Changed arrive this weekend with a stronger southerly breeze, driving up relative humidity.  Monday looks wet.  More tonight at 5pm on WINK NEWS in HD - Jim

Brian: Upper 70's at the beaches, low to mid 80's elsewhere today..

Good afternoon! Mostly sunny today with afternoon highs reaching the upper 70's at the coast and the mid 80's inland. We'll still have that stubborn northwest breeze for most of the day - the reason for the cooler coastal weather. For tomorrow, while the sea breeze will still develop, it forms later so we should be able to jump toward the low 80's at the coast.. with mid 80's elsewhere. There will also be a weak upper level disturbance moving by tomorrow, so plan on a few high clouds around and for a bit more humidity.

 

Over the weekend, the warmest air of the season gets here as high pressure shifts off the east coast. It'll be warm, humid and breezy on Saturday... with a strong enough southeast wind to really prevent the Gulf breeze from moving too far inland. This means we have a shot at 90 degree temps for parts of the area! With the humidity, it will feel like near 90 for most of the area anyway. A few more clouds and much more humid on Sunday.. the wind turns off the Gulf, so it will be a bit cooler. Next chance of rain comes on Monday.. the models are advertising the possibility of some heavy rain, right now I'm a bit doubtful given the lack of upper level support. We'll fight that battle out though over the next few days.

 

Have a great afternoon!

 

Brian

Brian: Patchy fog this morning, visibility at Naples around 4 miles right now..

We'll start this morning with some patchy fog, but otherwise a mostly clear sky as high pressure builds in from the Gulf. With that high, the breeze will stay out of the northwest for most of the day today keeping the beaches in the upper 70's to near 80. Elsewhere, though, with far fewer clouds than yesterday.. temperatures will climb toward the mid 80's! A few clouds may slip in tomorrow with a weak upper level disturbance but there will not be any rain... much warmer this weekend. Details straight ahead on WINK!

 

Brian

Scott: gulf breeze this evening will keep the clouds inland. Sunset @ 7:55

A beautiful evening across the region. Temperatures are in the 70s
with a steady gulf breeze. Tomorrow morning you can expect to see a
few areas of haze and fog, with temperatures in the 60s. Mostly sunny
afternoon with highs in the low to mid 80s inland. The beaches will
stay in the 70s due to the gulf breeze. Warm and more humidity will be
back in swfl this weekend! Upper 80s are expected. Rain arrives Monday
afternoon! Details starting at 5 on WINK!

Scott Zedeker

Warm Inland, Sunny Beaches

A gulf breeze will help keep clouds inland the next few afternoons.  That means sunny beaches with highs in the upper 70's near the coast. See you tonight at 5pm on WINK NEWS - Jim

Brian: Isolated showers this morning weakening as they move inland...

Good morning! Our last little upper level disturbance is moving through this morning and helping to touch off of a few light showers across southwest Florida, mainly north of the Caloosahatchee. In fact, most of this activity is weakening as it moves inland because it's losing the fuel of the more unstable air over the Gulf of Mexico (this is pretty typical for early morning showers). This disturbance moves by this morning and a brightening trend is in the afternoon forecast.. with our sky turning partly cloudy inland and most sunny along the coast. We'll have a northwest breeze most of the day which means it's another day that temperatures will stay in the upper 70's at the beaches (likewise tomorrow.. although perhaps a tad bit warmer). Much warmer into the weekend as high pressure moves to our east.. upper 80's and more humid for Saturday and Sunday! See you on WINK!

 

Today's numbers, by the way...

Naples  AM Clouds  Mostly Sunny; High 79
Bonita Springs AM Clouds  Mostly Sunny; High 82
Fort Myers Mainly Dry AM  Mostly Sunny; High 82
Cape Coral Mainly Dry AM  Mostly Sunny; High 81
Port Charlotte Isolated AM Rain  Mostly Sunny; High 81
Hendry Co. Isolated Rain  Partly Cloudy; High 83
Glades Co. Isolated Rain  Partly Cloudy; High 82
DeSoto Co. Isolated AM Rain  Partly Cloudy; High 82

 

Brian

Scott: Inland rain moving to the east! The coast remains dry. Warmer weather on the way!

A few showers developed inland today! All the rain pushing toward the east coast now. The coast remaind clear and it looks like a nice sunset taking place! Tomorrow the sky will be a little drier so no rain in the forecast! Temperatures will start to increase as well. Middle 80s by Friday and upper 80's for the weekend! More humid too! Next best chance of rain will be Monday. Details on at 5,6 and 7 on WINK..

--
Scott Zedeker
WINK TV Meteorologist

Evening Rain

A few late day showers and storms will be possible, mainly over inland SW Florida this evening.  Tomorrow will be a partly cloudy, warm and mostly dry day. - Jim

Brian: Showers will develop inland later this afternoon... highs in the upper 70's to low 80's

It will turn much warmer later this week and into the weekend as a ridge of high pressure builds in. More on this coming up on WINK-TV in just a minute or two!

 

Brian

Brian: Fog/some low clouds.. showers offshore.. Discovery landing delayed to just after 9 AM

As I mentioned earlier, with a light wind and low level moisture around.. low clouds and fog are developing near the Kennedy Space Center this morning. NASA is now aiming for a 9:08 AM landing at KSC.. when, hopefully, the low clouds/fog will begin to break as the heating of the day gets underway (we'll see a similar pattern on our side of the state). There are also a couple of showers in the Atlantic but the steering pattern should keep these offshore. More later..

 

Brian

Brian: Patchy haze & fog this morning.. starting in the low to mid 60's

There is plenty of low level moisture around this morning and, with a light wind, we're seeing areas of fog/low clouds develop as we approach sunrise (especially around Charlotte Harbor this morning where the visibility is now down to 6 miles). Once the fog burns off this morning, look for plenty of sun through midday with temperatures climbing into the low 80's. An upper level disturbance will move by this afternoon with a few isolated coastal showers early.. the better chance of rain will be near Lake O this afternoon with a few t-storms possible. There still could be some inland showers tomorrow but, later this week, the chance of rain drops from the forecast as the warmest air of the season gets here in time for the weekend. More on that over on WINK in a few minutes..

 

Brian

Brian: Watching development of fog closely, but looks good now for arrival of Discovery @ 734 AM

Brian: Light wind and clear at KSC right now.. some fog possible next few hours

 

Scott: We still have rain in the forecast through the evening and once again tomorrow

We still have rain in the forecast through the evening and once again tomorrow. Most should remain dry the next few days. However, there is a chance of an isolated shower through tomorrow. Temperatures will warm up into the upper 80's by the weekend. You will also feel the humidity increase the next several days too. Looking ahead into the weekend, it is looking warm and dry for a change. Oh yeah, Discovery is expected to land tomorrow at 7:34am. No sonic boom, it is landing from north Florida. Details starting at 5 on WINK.

--
Scott Zedeker
WINK TV Meteorologist

Brian: Isolated showers this afternoon, highs near 80...

One last update before I head out the door this afternoon.. into a much drier afternoon at that! More clouds than sun will still carry us through most of the day with a few isolated showers developing during the heating of the afternoon. Expect highs in the upper 70's to near 80. Tonight will be dry and partly cloudy; tomorrow morning slightly cooler than this morning - mainly in the low 60's. Tomorrow, with an upper level disturbance coming through and some sunshine to start the day, plus leftover low level moisture.. we'll have to watch out for a few afternoon inland thunderstorms. A drier (and much warmer!) weather pattern takes us to the end of the week.. more on that on WINK-TV in just seconds!

 

Brian

Brian: Volcanic Ash Continues to Be A Problem in Northern Europe

One of the big stories you've been hearing/reading about over the past few days has been the ongoing eruption of an Icelandic volcano and the volcanic debris that's been lofted hundreds of miles downwind of Iceland.. volcanic ash that has virtually paralyzed air travel across northern Europe. The prevailing wind pattern in the northern hemisphere is westerly, with variations between northwest and southwest depending on the orientation of areas of high and low pressure. Right now, there is a skinny, but strong area of high pressure aloft to the west of the United Kingdom in the northeast Atlantic Ocean, a feature we call a thumb ridge. This is creating north to north-northwesterly wind blowing the volcanic ash directly toward some of the busiest terminals in the world, such as London Heathrow.

 

This pattern is expected to relax later this week as that "thumb ridge" moves toward the UK. As this happens, the volanic ash will likely be sent more in the direction of Germany, Poland and western Russia perhaps allowing air travel to return close to normal in western Europe by the middle of the week. Into the weekend, the pattern is expected to remain far more favorable for stranded travelers in Europe as more of a westerly flow develops over northern Europe.. this would carry any remaining ash toward Scandanaiva (Sweden/Norway). Of course, the wild card here is whether eruptions will continue on Iceland.. if they do, travelers will continue to be at the mercy of the shifting wind in the upper levels of the atmosphere!

 

Brian

Brian: Mostly cloudy, showers nearby landing site at KSC for Discovery..

Space Shuttle Discovery is scheduled to return from its mission to the International Space Station at 8:48 this morning.. but weather is a big issue right now. As of 6 AM, KSC reporting scattered clouds at 2500 feet and broken clouds at about 11000 feet.. along with some isolated showers in the area. The go/no-go decision on deorbit burn is scheduled for 7:33am. You can follow the NASA landing blog here.

 

Brian

Brian: Unsettled Weather Continues Today.. Isolated Rain, 75 - 80 Degrees..

Good morning! Another unsettled weather day in the forecast as a stubborn frontal boundary to the north and waves of low pressure to the south continue to impact our weather. More clouds than sun today with isolated showers developing later; we'll stay in the mid to upper 70's for highs. It will, overall, be a much drier day today than yesterday (parts of the area saw 3-5"+ of rain yesterday!). An upper level disturbance moves by tomorrow afternoon into Wednesday and helps maintain the chance of a few showers and thunderstorms.. but it will be warmer as highs climb back into the low 80's.

 

The warmest air of the season gets here as we head toward the weekend.. I'll have more on that a little later this morning. First, today's forecast:

Naples  Mostly Cloudy  Isolated Rain; High 80
Bonita Springs Mostly Cloudy  Isolated Rain; High 79
Fort Myers Mostly Cloudy  Isolated Rain; High 78 
Cape Coral Mostly Cloudy  Isolated Rain; High 78
Port Charlotte Mostly Cloudy  Isolated Rain; High 77
Hendry Co. Mostly Cloudy  Isolated Rain; High 78
Glades Co. Mostly Cloudy  Isolated Rain; High 77
DeSoto Co. Mostly Cloudy  Isolated Rain; High 77

Have a great Monday!

 

Brian

Cloudy with Rain

Cloudy and wet tonight with most of the rain ending tomorrow.  Monday will also be breezy and mild as an area of low pressure passes over Florida during the day.  See you tonight before 60 minutes and after the Country Music Awards.  I will sing the forecast if I can get my slide guitar tuned in time.  It's tough to find a pro tuner on a rainy Sunday, but I'm trying.  - Jim

Rain Chances Ramp up for Sunday

Widely scattered showers moved across SWFL for our Saturday. Most rainfall totals did not exceed .10" but a few locales, including Bokeelia and San Carlos Park, picked up nearly .75" through the day...and Sunday only promises more rain with greater accumulations.

Expect scattered rain to start our Sunday morning, attributed to a developing area of low pressure in the Gulf of Mexico. Rain is likely through tomorrow afternoon as the low sets up south of the peninsula. Thunderstorms are possible with the main threat being heavy rainfall especially over Collier. Scattered rain will continue into tomorrow night with rainfall totals of .50" to 1.00" likely through Sunday with 2.00"+ possible locally.

Scattered rain remains in the forecast for Monday as well as the impacts from the low pressure area will still be felt.

Try to Stay Dry!
Lauren

Scott: Rain on the way!!

We are watching alot of moisture in the Gulf that will start to move into SWFL tomorrow afternoon. We will Increase the clouds and there could be a shower late in the day tomorrow. By Sunday, a much better chance of rain. The rain chances stay up through Monday. Temperatures this weekend will be in the upper 70's and low 80's. Details on WINK starting at 5pm.

--
Scott Zedeker
WINK TV Meteorologist

Scott: Another breezy day today! Breeze should die down tomorrow, temps mid 80's.

Warm again tomorrow and less of a breeze! We will be talking about a little rain by the weekend. Moisture from the south will start creeping back into SWFL by late Saturday. So far we are looking like Sunday and Monday being the wettest on the 7 day forecast. Details starting at 5 on WINK. Join me at 7pm and 10 pm.

--
Scott Zedeker
WINK TV Meteorologist

Brian: More Clouds, Showers Developing This Weekend

Hi everyone.. wanted to post an update on the weekend forecast which, a lot like last weekend, is fairly complex. The next couple of days are dry and partly cloudy.. but by Saturday, moisture will begin approaching us from both the north and south. The moisture from the south has been sitting in the Gulf and Caribbean for the past several days, part of the same system that brought us rain back on Sunday and Monday. During the week, high pressure was able to nose in from the north and push this moisture to the south.. now, as the weekend approaches, this high is going to fall apart allowing this moisture to be drawn back to the north.

 

At the same time, a weak cold front will be moving into northern Florida (and falling apart, likely) late Saturday into Sunday. This will help draw the Gulf moisture back to the north, as well. At the same time, an area of low pressure is expected to develop in the Gulf and move across the Florida Straits/Keys. All of this should come together to give us an increase in cloud cover for Saturday (perhaps a shower south, but I think most places right now will stay dry), and showers -- some heavy, possibly -- on Sunday. Right now, it looks like we might avoid thunderstorms as we'll be on the more stable side of this system.. that's something we'll watch over the next couple of days. Some of our models now are keeping most of the rain to our south while others (the WRF, for instance) take the heart of the heavy rain right over south Florida. With the front coming into play over north Florida, I think moisture will get drawn farther north than farther south.. so I'm leaning toward a wetter Sunday right now than some models -- like the 2 AM run of the American model -- have. But this is a very tough call for the weekend, so you'll want to stay tuned over the next couple of days.

 

For now, plan on Saturday being the better day of the weekend and maybe an "indoor" day on Sunday. More coming on 6 TV in just a few minutes!

 

Brian

Brian: One More Breezy Day Today

Good morning! One last breezy day in the forecast today with wind from the east at 15 - 20 mph; gusts this afternoon could be in the mid 20's. There are a lot of high clouds to start this morning and they should remain through much of the day, joined later by some low clouds coming in from the east coast. We'll make it into the low to mid 80's at the coast today with slightly cooler air by Lake Okeechobee because of the breeze off of the water. The wind finally eases off tomorrow and we'll see a partly cloudy sky with highs in the low to mid 80's. Some changes in your weekend forecast.. I'll blog more about these later or join us on WINK for the latest! Here are today's forecast numbers:

Naples  Partly Cloudy  Breezy; High 84
Bonita Springs Partly Cloudy  Breezy; High 84
Fort Myers Partly Cloudy  Breezy; High 83
Cape Coral Partly Cloudy  Breezy; High 83
Port Charlotte Partly Cloudy  Breezy; High 82
Hendry Co. Clouds & Sun  Breezy; High 81
Glades Co. Clouds & Sun  Breezy; High 81
DeSoto Co. Partly Cloudy  Breezy; High 82

 

Have a great Thursday!

 

Brian

New Website

What do you think of our new website?

www.winknews.com

Mild tonight

Very pleasant tonight, breezy and warm tomorrow. - Jim

Sent from my iPhone

Warm

Breezy today

Sent from my iPhone

Scott: Warm and slightly more humid tomorrow! Rain by Friday! Details at 7 on WINK.

We are watching a weak cold front that will arrive Friday afternoon. A few showers and a thunderstorm is possible. We won't see a big cool down after it passes. Temperatures for the weekend still in the low 80's. Details at 7 on WINK!

--
Scott Zedeker
WINK TV Meteorologist

Brian: A few more clouds today.. highs in the low to mid 80's.. some rain Friday!

Good morning! A quick update for you this morning.. high pressure has moved a little farther to the east which should allow for more of a southeast, then southwest, wind today. That southerly breeze will allow more moisture to push toward southwest Florida in advance of a front that will get here during the afternoon on Friday. So, over the next couple of days, expect an increase in the cloud cover each day (but still mostly sunny today!). For tomorrow, there's a slight chance of a shower deep inland along the afternoon sea breeze front.. with that better chance of rain moving in on Friday with the weak cold front. Depending on just how late in the afternoon the front gets here, we may even see a thunderstorm or two inland as the atmosphere destabilizes a bit Friday. In the meantime, here are the Wednesday forecast numbers:

Naples  Mostly Sunny; High 83
Bonita Springs Mostly Sunny; High 85
Fort Myers Mostly Sunny; High 85
Cape Coral Mostly Sunny; High 84
Port Charlotte Mostly Sunny; High 82
Hendry Co. Partly Cloudy; High 85
Glades Co. Partly Cloudy; High 84
DeSoto Co. Mostly Sunny; High 84

 

ALSO! Later today, the team of Dr. Phil Klotzbach and Dr. William Gray from Colorado State will release their revised numbers for the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season. We anticipate those numbers to be bumped up today as, among other things, El Nino continues to weaken in the Pacific (this was largely responsible for our fairly quiet season last year). More on that later.. see you on WINK!

 

Brian

Scott: Another warm day across the region. We have rain in the forecast! Setails at 5 on WINK!

Brian: A few more clouds today and a little more humid... highs in the low to mid 80's...

Brian: Warming up quickly this morning... mid 60's and sunny..

After lows in the 50's and 60's this morning, everyone is in the mid 60's now as the strong April sunshine begins to work its magic. High pressure inches a little farther east today but is still close enough to provide essentially a cloud-free sky and highs in the low 80's near water, mid 80's elsewhere. There could be one more morning of some patchy haze and fog tomorrow morning as the wind goes calm overnight and the humidity rises to near 100%. That haze/fog goes away quickly tomorrow and once again a mostly sunny afternoon awaits with highs in the low to mid 80's.

 

By Wednesday, that high will be far enough to the east to allow the wind to shift more out of the southeast.. it'll be a touch more humid with a few more clouds. By Thursday, enough moisture may return to allow for a few light showers inland along the afternoon Gulf breeze. Friday features a weak cold front and some isolated showers with cooler weather on the way for the weekend. More details on that coming up on 6 TV at 11 AM and WINK at noon. See you then!

 

Brian

Brian: Condensation trail from Discovery over SWFL..

Check out the northeast sky right now at sunrise.. a really cool view of Discovery's condensation trail high in the atmosphere being illuminated from below by the rising sun (just below the horizon).

Brian

Brian: Night launch.. so look in the northeast sky and you'll see Discovery.. about half way up...

 

Brian: Discovery is a go for launch! Watch live on WINK-TV in just 2 minutes...

Brian: Latest obs from KSC.. clear sky, patchy ground fog.. looks like we'll be a go!

 

Brian: Still reporting ground fog at KSC.. but visibility of 10 miles plus.

NASA officially now saying weather is expected to remain a go through the launch time of 6:21 AM. I'm continuing to watch things..but the fog/low clouds have not thickened in the past couple of hours. Meantime, at home.. here's your forecast for today. Another gorgeous afternoon!

Naples  Mostly Sunny; High 82
Bonita Springs Mostly Sunny; High 84
Fort Myers Mostly Sunny; High 85
Cape Coral Mostly Sunny; High 84
Port Charlotte Mostly Sunny; High 83
Hendry Co. Mostly Sunny; High 83
Glades Co. Mostly Sunny; High 82
DeSoto Co. Mostly Sunny; High 84

 

Brian

 

 

Brian: Patchy fog, clouds at 3,100 feet as of 5 AM at KSC... Discovery weather still 80% go...

Brian: Cape Canaveral now reporting ground fog.. light wind, few clouds at 3k ft.. it'll be a close one for launch!

--
Brian Monahan
AM/Noon Meteorologist
WINK-TV
(239) 338-4369, brian.monahan@winktv.com

Brian: Few clouds at 3,000 feet at launch site.. some fog as well.. Discovery launch wx green for now...

An east wind is helping to pull in some low cloudiness from the Atlantic this morning at Kennedy Space Center. The cloud deck has thinned some from broken to scattered to few over the last couple of hours. The humidity is at 100% this morning, so there will likely be some fog as well near KSC for the 6:21 AM planned launch of Discovery. I'll update here and on WINK.. you can also follow's NASA's launch blog here.

85 degree Day #2, and the warmth will continue! Discovery Lifts off Tomorrow Morning.

What a beautiful day for the Easter holiday...bright sunshine and warmth with a high temperature of 85 degrees in Ft. Myers for the second day in a row! A ridge in the upper levels of the atmosphere and high pressure at the surface have set up shop and will remain in place through much of the work week which means...more warmth and sunshine in store!

Look for abundant sunshine and warm highs in the low to mid 80's once again for our Monday. Expect that gulf breeze to develop at the beaches tomorrow afternoon holding temperatures in the comfortable upper 70s to near 80 degree range along the coast...a great beach day if you're holiday weekend is continuing into Monday.

Sunshine and warmth continues through Wednesday with a few more clouds and more humidity on Thursday. First chance for an April shower occurs not until Friday in association with a weak cold front.

*Space Shuttle Discovery is set to launch from Cape Canaveral at 6:21 am Monday morning, so as you're waking up to start your week, take a peek at the northeastern sky, clear sky conditions will make for a great view of Discovery's ascent!

Warm April Air and a Sunny Easter

After enduring the 3rd coldest March on record in Ft. Myers, we're starting April off on the right foot. High temperatures reached into the low 80's the first two days of the month, and an afternoon high of 85 degrees today made for the warmest day in Ft. Myers since January 24th!

And more warmth is in store for our Easter Sunday with another round of highs in the low to mid 80's, and expect a sky mostly sunny for the Easter Bunny! Fewer high clouds will be present tomorrow as drier air in the upper atmosphere moves overhead. A gulf breeze will develop in the afternoon hours along the coast holding temperatures near the 80 degree mark through the second half of the day...beautiful conditions if you and your Easter baskets and chocolate bunnies are spending the holiday at the beach!

Happy Easter!
Lauren

Scott: Beautiful evening across the area! Made it to the middle 80's today! Same for tomorrow, details starting @5!

Well warm again for your Easter weekend! Temps will start in the upper 50's and low 60's and climb into the middle 80's! Plenty of sun in between a few high clouds. This warm weather is here to stay! Enjoy. Details start at 5 on WINK!

--
Scott Zedeker
WINK TV Meteorologist

March Meant More Majorly Cold Air!

Over the past few months, many of us across SWFL added to our coat collection and likely pulled those extra blankets out from the back of the closet...and all with good cause as it was record breaking cold that we endured from January all the way through March. Listed below are the chilly specifics...

Naples:

#1 coldest January through March period on record
#1 coldest March on record with an average temperature of 63.6 degrees
(Records date back to 1942)

Ft. Myers:

#2 coldest January through March period on record
#3 coldest March on record with an average temperature of 63.0 degrees
(Records date back to 1902)

Punta Gorda:

#1 coldest January through March period on record
#1 coldest March on record with an average temperature of 62.0 degrees
(Records date back to 1965)

Thus we were certainly deserving of the sunshine and warmth we experienced to ring in the month of April yesterday, and today's forecast is looking just as beautiful with plentiful sunshine and high temperatures in the upper 70's along the coast to mid 80's inland!

Bye-bye cold winter!
Lauren

Scott: WE HIT 80 TODAY!! How about your weekend? Looking good! Details starting at 5..

Well March was the coldest in Naples history, 63.6 degrees. Breaks the old record of 64.3 degrees set back in 1969. Its not cold today, hit 80 in Fort Myers and 76 in Naples. Another cool start tomorrow, but warm afternoons through your Easter Sunday! Details starting at 5 on WINK. Join me..

--
Scott Zedeker
WINK TV Meteorologist

Brian: 2 months away from Hurricane Season... Live chat with Jim Farrell..

With the calendar turning to April, our attention begins to turn toward the summer months and, of couse, the start of the Atlantic hurricane season on June 1st. Our Chief Meteorologist, Jim Farrell, is at the National Hurricane Conference in Orlando all this week. A cool feature we're spotlighting right now with our partners at the News-Press, is the opportunity to ask Jim the questions you have about the hurricane season and tropical weather in general! This evening at about 5:15, you can join Jim at news-press.com for that live video chat!

 

What about the season? Early next week, we'll get the latest forecast from Dr. Phil Klotzbach and Dr. William Gray at Colorado State University. At this point, we continue to expect a slightly above average hurricane season.. but these numbers could get bumped up further depending on the evolution of El Nino over the next several weeks. Signs now are pointing toward a weakening El Nino (if not neutral set-up) for the upcoming season.. which would weaken the vertical wind shear that works against tropical storm formation. Much more coming on the forecast next week!

 

Brian

Brian: Dense fog advisory inland this morning.. cool to start

With high pressure over southwest Florida, temperatures have dropped to near the dewpoint meaning the humidity is near 100%. The wind is light and this is helping to allow areas of haze and fog form across the area, especially over inland sections. There is a dense fog advisory through 8-9 AM across Glades, Hendry, and eastern Collier Counties... with patchy haze possibly hanging on through mid morning.

 

Otherwise, another beautiful afternoon with an essentially cloud-free sky! Gulf water temps remain in the upper 60's (average for April 1st is in the lower to mid 70's).. and this will allow a 10 mph or so Gulf breeze to develop again later today. Temperatures range from the mid 70's near the beaches to the lower 80's inland.

Naples:  Patchy AM Fog  Sunny; High 74

Bonita Springs:  Patchy AM Fog  Sunny; High 77

Fort Myers:  Patchy AM Fog  Sunny; High 78

Cape Coral: Patchy AM Fog  Sunny; High 77

Port Charlotte: Patchy AM Fog  Sunny; High 77

Hendry Co.:  AM Fog  Sunny; High 81

Glades Co.:  AM Fog  Sunny; High 80

DeSoto Co.:  AM Fog  Sunny; High 80

 

Brian