Endeavour's Sonic Boom Tonight?

The forecast looks to be a 'go' for the landing of Space Shuttle Endeavour set for very early Wednesday morning at 2:35 am. Partly cloudy conditions in store with just a slight chance of a stray light shower along the Space Coast late tonight with a northeasterly breeze at 10 mph.

And we might hear the sonic boom tonight! Around 2:30 am, Endeavour's flight path will take the shuttle right over Lee County, inland Charlotte and DeSoto. So don't be alarmed if you are startled out of your sleep...it's the space shuttle re-entering the Earth's atmosphere. :)

E-mail me with your location if you hear the boom!
Lauren.Casey@winktv.com

Lauren

Breezy

Breezy conditions are likely this week as it remains mostly dry and very warm. - Jim

Memorial Day Forecast

A beautiful morning featuring sunshine and comfortable temperatures in the 70's climbing into the low 80's in store for all of your Memorial Day plans and events. This afternoon, expect great beach-going and grillin' weather with party cloudy and breezy conditions, hot but not too humid with highs in the low 90's. Do keep an eye to the sky for a few isolated showers and thunderstorms for mid-afternoon into the evening hours.

Have a great day!
Lauren

Crescent Moon

If you're awake early on this Memorial Day holiday, go check out the fingernail crescent moon! Neat! Clear sky conditions conducive to viewing but sunrise set to occur in about 10 minutes will soon dim the view of the moon in it's waning phase.

Have a great morning!
Lauren

Less Rain

Fewer rain areas are expected Monday through Friday with breezier conditions beginning Tuesday. - Jim

Areas of Coastal Rain this Morning...

A few showers and thunderstorms are lining up across our coastal areas this morning, in fact Marco Island has already picked up close to .75" of rain from a few downpours earlier in the day. Expect a mix of sun and clouds today, with scattered showers and storms pushing inland throughout the afternoon hours. A few of these showers will linger into the evening hours and some of them may even migrate back to the west coast areas. It will stay warm and humid with highs near 90°. A mainly dry start tomorrow with more scattered storms in the forecast by the afternoon.
-KM

The risk of severe weather in the midwest is lower today. In SW Florida, I expect a few more showers and thunderstorms each afternoon and evening through Saturday. - Jim

A Few Storms This Afternoon

It's a beautiful, sunny start to our Thursday! Look for the sky to become partly cloudy this afternoon with isolated showers and thunderstorms developing late today into the evening hours. High temperatures will run above the average again, in the low 90's with slightly more humid conditions. For all the details on your holiday weekend forecast tune into WINK News Now This Morning on TV-6...next forecast up in 5 minutes!

Have a great day!
Lauren

Fairly dry across the area today. Highs in the 90s. Rain in the forecast as we get closer to the weekend.

Another warm day across the region. Highs in the 90s today! Well it was dry today but we are watching more moisture enter the region by Thursday and Friday. This means we will have a much better chance of rain in the afternoon by Friday and into the weekend. Friday, a weak area of low pressure moves over head and that means more clouds and a much better chance of rain lasting into Saturday. Highs will remain around average, low 90s.

--
Scott Zedeker
WINK TV Meteorologist

An Isolated Storm Today, Better Storm Chances by the Weekend

A beautiful and slightly comfortable start to our Wednesday with temperaturs ranging from the low 60s to near 70°. Humidity levels will stay in check this afternoon with an easterly wind, but becoming onshore through the afternoon hours keeping our beach locations in the upper 80s, while inland locations soar back up into the mid 90s. There is a slight chance for an isolated shower/storm late today, otherwise the majority of us will stay mainly dry and hot. Moisture starts to creep back in by the end of the week with scattered storms in the forecast through the Memorial holiday weekend.
-KM

Watching the Tropics...

Not to worry, but you may hear about a tropical disturbance in the Atlantic this week. It is the cloud area on the right side of the satellite. Upper air patterns are hostile and this area will not develop. Meanwhile, we will have a better chance of rain each day this week. - jim

Showers Ending, but Staying Warm & Humid Tonight...

Just a few isolated downpours continue to fizzle out across Highlands, Glades and inland Collier counties now that we have lost the daytime heating. Tonight will be fairly quiet with a clear sky and warm temperatures in the low 70s. Mostly sunny to partly cloudy conditions are in store for Sunday with a stray shower or storm possible heading into the late afternoon hours. Highs tomorrow will top out in the low to mid 90s, keeping us just a few degrees shy of our record in Fort Myers of 96° set back in 1997. Drier conditions will be in place for the first half of the week, with deeper moisture being pulled northward with scattered showers/storms by Friday and Saturday.
-KM

Big storm just to the north of LaBelle heading to the SW! Lehigh watch out! Hail and heavy rain!

Watching a big storm heading to the SW toward Lee county now. This storm contains hail, gusty wind, hundreds of lightning strikes and heavy rain. Lehigh, possibly Fort Myers and Estero will be affected with this one. I believe it will weaken a bit by the time it does reach these areas. Be on the look out if you have outdoor plans right now.

For the weekend, expect high weather. Highs will be in the middle 90's in many locations. Rain chances go down tomorrow and Sunday. Sunday looks like the hottest day as high pressure build overhead. Enjoy!

--
Scott Zedeker
WINK TV Meteorologist

The 90s Return!

Our streak of temperatures in the low to mid 80s along with comfortable humidity levels has come to an end. Daytime highs this afternoon will climb into the low 90s with the chance of a few isolated showers/storms. The weekend will shape up to be hot and humid with afternoon storm chances lingering into our Saturday afternoon and evening with slightly drier conditions by Sunday.
-KM

Warmer today, Highs back in the 90s. Now lets all welcome in the humidity tomorrow. Could see a storm too.

Well the drier air has left the region. Looks like highs back into the 90s for the next several days. The humidity will be coming back as well, dewpoints heading back into the low 70s by the weekend. With the warmer weather and higher humidity we might even see a few storms Friday and Saturday, mainly inland. So far Sunday is looking like our hottest day as most of us will be in the middle 90s. This warm and sticky weather is here to stay for a while. Welcome back summer heat!

--
Scott Zedeker
WINK TV Meteorologist

2011 NOAA Hurricane Outlook

Earlier today, the National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administation (NOAA) released its 2011 hurricane outlook for the Atlantic Basin. Hurricane season officially begins June 1st, and it is predicted to be an above normal season.

NOAA is predicting the following the ranges this year:

Named Tropical Storms: 12 - 18

Hurricanes: 6 -1 0

Major Hurricanes: 3 - 6

-KM

Low humidity today with highs in the mid 80s. Beautiful! But warmer weather on the way. 90s by Friday!

Today we had lower humidity and temperatures in the mid 80s. Now that the series of weak cold fronts are through moving across the state we will gadually warm things up into the weekend. Should see highs back into the 90s by Friday with higher humidity as well. Our rain chances will go up starting on Friday and holding on through Saturday. This time no backing off the heat. It will stay through at least the next seven days.

--
Scott Zedeker
WINK TV Meteorologist

Cool Start, Beautiful Afternoon

This morning, enjoy the coolest air we have felt in over 3 weeks in Ft. Myers! The current temp is 64 degrees. Some locations inland have fallen into the upper 50's with chilly readings being reported in Alva, Arcadia, Lake Placid, and Palmdale! This afternoon, take that dusted-off jacket and break out the T-shirt with a mostly sunny sky, warm highs in the mid 80's and low humidity...a beautiful day!

Enjoy!
Lauren

Cooler

A cold front has passed and temperatures will be a little cooler tonight. Warmer temperatures will return Thursday - Weekend. - Jim

Weak Cold Fronts

A series of weak cold fronts will arrive this week keeping temperatures near "average" for the next few days. The next front will give us a chance for rain tonight and tomorrow morning. - Jim

Inland Storms

Steering currents should keep most thunderstorm activity inland this evening, but some rain will end up close to the coast late tomorrow and early Sunday. - Jim

Smoke in Naples

Smoke from the Big Cypress Preserve brush fire has returned to the Naples area this morning with current visibilities at 2 miles. And you may be smelling smoke across Lee County. Visibilities will improve through the day in Coastal Collier as the breeze picks up and shifts out of the southwest.

Take it easy!
Lauren

Smoke in Naples

Smoke from the Big Cypress Preserve brush fire has returned to the Naples area this morning with current visibilities at 2 miles. And you may be smelling smoke across Lee County. Visibilities will improve through the day in Coastal Collier as the breeze picks up and shifts out of the southwest.

Take it easy!
Lauren

Record heat today! 96 in Ft. Myers & 93 in Naples. Hot again tomorrow! Rain by the weekend.

Well we did it, record high of 96 Ft. Myers and 93 in Naples. Hot weather will continue through Friday. Highs are expected to get into the low 90s once again. We will be seeing a few more rain areas by Friday afternoon and into the evening. Looks like the weekend we will watch a low pressure develop over Georgia, this will bring in a better chance of rain for both Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday, you could see a shower before lunch as well as after lunch. After the system moves out, lower humidity will arrive on Monday.

--
Scott Zedeker
WINK TV Meteorologist

Some relief by the weekend

Near record hot temperatures today and tomorrow will give way to "average" temperatures by the weekend due to a few more clouds and a better chance of rain. - Jim

Near Record Heat!

It will be another hot and mainly dry Thursday afternoon with daytime highs nearing record heat values. Our record in Fort Myers is at 94° set back in 2002. Our forecasted high for today 93°! Mostly sunny conditions will take us through the rest of our afternoon with a slight chance for a couple of inland storms by later today. A high pressure system that has been ruling much of the south, will continue to break down over the next couple of days allowing a cold front to approach Southwest Florida over the weekend. This will increase the cloud cover a bit and our rain chances, especially as we head into the second half of the weekend. By Sunday, our streak of temperatures into the low to mid 90s will come to end with daytime highs closer to the upper 80s.
-KM

Smoke & Haze in Naples

Smoke and haze, a product of the Big Cypress Preserve brush fire that continues to burn in southern Collier, has returned to the Naples area this morning leading to greatly reduced visibilities. The current visibility in Naples is running at 2 miles. Watch out for the potential of visibilities as low as 1/4 mile in inland Collier through the morning hours. If you have respiratory issues be sure to skip the morning walk today due to the smoke's impact on the air quality.

Be safe!
Lauren

WOW! hot today, 94 in Ft. Myers & 90 in Naples. Lots of hazy from the brush fire in Collier Co. Continues for tomorrow.

Well the heat is here for a few more days. We will see highs in the 90s for many of us with no rain in the forecast. It was rather hazy today and we expect that once again tomorrow. The wind will become calm overnight which will allow the smoke from the fires around to settle in closer to the coast. A light easterly breeze first thing in the morning will help keep the smoke around also. By the afternoon we expect to see a westerly breeze, that will puch the smoke inland and cool the beaches down a bit.

 

No rain until the weekend. We will see a low develop over Georgia which will bring some moisture in from the gulf. Rain chance will be in the morning as well as the afternoon. The morning hours will favor the coast, while the afternoon hours will favor inland areas. This pattern stays with us through Tuesday of next week.

--
Scott Zedeker
WINK TV Meteorologist

Dense Fog in Charlotte County

Watch out for dense fog across Charlotte County this morning with current visibilities greatly reduced at 1/4 mile in Punta Gorda. Be sure to leave extra time for your morning commute and utilize low beam headlights. Some patchy fog for inland Lee County with a current visibility of 7 miles at RSW. Foggy conditions will clear by mid to late morning revealing abundant sunshine.

Stay safe!
Lauren

Hot weather is here for a few days, highs in the 90s for many. Rain returns by the end of the week.

Watching high pressure build in for the next few days. We will see a mostly sunny sky with highs in the 90s. No rain is expected until Friday. We will watch our humidity increase through the week and by Friday it will feel more humid with a chance of rain by the afternoon. The rain chances will be with us through the weekend, by Sunday and Monday could even see a shower before noon as well as after.

--
Scott Zedeker
WINK TV Meteorologist

Hot

This will be a warm week with more humidity by Thursday. An isolated afternoon or evening shower is possible but that will be the exception. - Jim

Planets Pal-in' Around

If you're an early riser, be sure to check out the eastern sky over the next few early mornings during the pre-dawn hours, to view the conjunction of the planets Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury! The three planets will be 'huddled' up near one another with Mars also nearby, off to the lower left of the other three. Venus will be the brightest of the planets. The best view of this astronomical arrangement will be in the southern states, so go take a look!

http://stardate.org/mediacenter/201105-four-planets-huddle-dawn-next-week

Have a great day!
Lauren

A Dry Pattern

Moms across Southwest Florida couldn't ask for better weather! Eventhough temperatures topped out in the upper 80s to low 90s, it felt quite pleasant due to an abundance of dry air. With the dry air sticking around with light to calm winds tonight, lows will dip to near 60 degrees across a couple of our northern counties. With high pressure sticking around for the next few days, that will keep us in a dry flow with more sunshine in the works and warming temperatures into the low 90s. A couple of rain chances are back in the forecast by the end of the week.
-KM

Storms in Collier Fading...Mainly Dry for Sunday

A few storms were able to bubble up across inland Collier county this evening, but those should rain themselves out over the next hour or so. That means mostly clear and dry conditions for tonight. With drier air in place, it will be on the comfortable side with overnight lows dropping into the mid 60s. Plenty fo sunshine is in the works for Mother's day, with highs near 90° and slightly cooler readings along the coast due to that onshore wind flow. Our weather pattern for the upcoming work week keeps us dry, but hot with high pressure in control. Looks like our next rain chance won't be moving into the area until next Saturday.
Happy Mother's Day!
-KM

Rain moving through SWFL. Heaviest rain is in Charlotte Co. now heading into Lee Co. Weakening though.

We are watching some much needed rain moving into the area. The heaviest rain has been in Charlotte county with .50" in North Port and about an .30" in Port Charlotte. The rain is now moving into Lee county, but is weakening as it does. We could use it but it does look like it weakens and really falls apart by the time it gets to Collier county. After the rain passes in the next fews hours, some drier weather will start pushing in on a NW breeze. Tomorrow you can expect to see lots of sun with lower humidity. High temperatures will be in the mid to upper 80s. Mother day is looking great too. Mostly sunny and highs in the upper 80s and low 90s. looks like we will stay dry for the first half of next week.

--
Scott Zedeker
WINK TV Meteorologist

A Few Storms Today, Drier for the Weekend!

After a mainly dry start to our Friday morning, clouds will continue to thicken up just a bit as we progress throughout the daytime hours leading to scattered showers and a few storms, especially across some of our inland areas. The remnants of an old frontal boundary along with a weak disturbance overhead, will generate the lift we need in the atmosphere to get some of these showers going. Conditions should start to quiet down tonight as a drier pattern settles in just in time to celebrate Mom! Mostly sunny conditions are in store for the Mother's Day weekend, with temperatures hovering in the upper 80s to near 90°. Enjoy!
-KM

Rain Today, Sunshine for Mother's Day

Reporting some haze this morning in the Naples area and haze will be possible for the first half of the day due to a shift to a south-easterly wind flow that could drive some smoke from the Big Cypress Preserve brush fire burning in extreme southern Collier county toward Coastal Collier. Current visibility is at 7 miles at Naples Municipal Airport. A shift to a south-westerly wind this afternoon will reduce the chance for haze.

Don't forget the umbrella before heading out on our Friday! The lingering energy from a stalled surface front in combination with energy from an upper-level disturbance will produce scattered showers and a few thunderstorms through the day with showers possible as early as late morning. Drier air builds in tonight just in time for Mother's Day weekend...expect a mostly sunny and slightly less humid Saturday. Grab the sunscreen and Mom and hit the beach on Sunday with a mostly sunny Mother's Day in store with highs near 90!

Have a great weekend!
Lauren

Sun & Clouds, A Few PM Storms

Winds have shifted to the northeast this afternoon, giving much of Southwest Florida a break from the smoke and haze as the Big Cypress National Park continues to burn. With winds picking up at 10-15 mph, some of the smoke/haze could be pushed into Marco Island and Everglades city this afternoon, before winds start to veer more to the east and southeast later tonight. This could promote some reduced visibilities by Friday morning in Collier county once again, along with smoke and haze possibly as far north as Lee county. A Few scattered storms will remain in the forecast through tomorrow, with sunnier conditions as we head into Mother's Day weekend.
-KM

Less Smoke This Morning

Much less smoke across the area this morning, with much improved visibilities in Naples at 8 miles, but still reporting some haze. A shift in the surface wind flow, as a result of a cold front, to the northeast is giving us a break from the smoke being generated by the massive brush fire that continues to burn in the Big Cypress National Preserve in south-eastern Collier county. The wind will shift back to a more east-southeasterly direction overnight which may bring a return of the smoke and haze and thus reduced visibilities and that smokey smell to Coastal Collier and even Lee county by tomorrow morning.

Take it easy!
Lauren

Dense Smoke This Morning

A Dense Smoke Advisory remains in effect for inland Collier county until 9am due to smoke and haze as a result from brush fires burning in the Golden Gate area and the Big Cypress National Preserve. Watch for greatly reduced visibilities of one mile or less which will create hazardous driving conditions. Coastal Collier and Lee counties also being impacted by smoke and haze this morning with current visibilities in Naples down to 1 mile and 6 miles at Page Field in Ft. Myers.

Stay safe,
Lauren

Hot again today! Low 90s for highs. Rain in the forecast tomorrow. Another weak cold front heads our way.

We are watching a weak front that will arrive Wednesday afternoon. We will increase the clouds by the afternoon with some rain and a few storms. We are thinking that we could see .25" to .50" of rain all said and done. Some locations may see more. The front is expected to drift just to our south for a day. So Thursday, lower humidity for the first half of the day. By Friday, increase the clouds once again and a few showers are expected. The weekend dry weather and highs in the low 90s.

--
Scott Zedeker
WINK TV Meteorologist

Cold Front Tomorrow

A weak cold front is due tomorrow with a few more clouds and a few showers, maybe a thunderstorm. - Jim

Smoke in Naples

Watch out for smoke and haze reducing visibilities in Naples this afternoon. A strong easterly wind is driving smoke from the brush fire burning in Golden Gate Estates towards the Naples area. Current visibilities at Naples Municipal are down to 5 miles as a result of the smoke and haze.

-Lauren

Record Hot April

It wasn't April showers for SWFL, instead record heat was raining down on us! Nine record high temperatures were tied or broken in Naples during the month of April! The longest standing record that was wiped away, along with our sweat, occurred on the 27th with a high temperature of 93 degrees breaking the nearly 50 year old record of 91 degrees from 1964. Ft. Myers experienced it's warmest April on record with an average temperature of 77.7 degrees for the month tying the record from April of 1991 and 1947. And in Naples, we're already off to a record hot start to May with a record high temperature broken yesterday and more record heat likely in store this afternoon with highs in the mid 90's.

Stay cool!
Lauren

April 2011 Ends up in the Top 10 Warmest...

This just in from the National Weather Service: April of 2011 ends up in one of the top spots for the warmest on record here in Fort Myers. Our average temperature for the month peaked at 77.7°. This is 4.1° warmer than the normal for the month, which is 73.6°.

1. 77.7° in 2011***
1. 77.7° in 1991
1. 77.7° in 1947
4. 77.4° in 1994
5. 77.3° in 1908
6. 76.9° in 1945
7. 76.8° in 2002
8. 76.5° in 1982
9. 76.2° in 1979
10. 76.1° in 1981
10. 76.1° in 1912

-KM

A New Record for Naples!

Naples set a new record high today - 95 degrees! This breaks the old record of 90 degrees set back in 1994!
-KM