The Legacy Of The Lady, PTC 15 Forms, Great Weekend Weather

Many of you who have followed this blog for years know the story behind "The Fat Lady" singing at the end of hurricane season.  However, I realize there are many younger readers who have no clue of the real meaning.  So bear with me Gang as I recall the original idea of "The Fat Lady".  Back in the 70s, Monday Night Football became a must-see TV event with Frank Gifford as the commentator, Don Meredith as the color man and Howard Cosell as, well Howard Cosell.   "Dandy Don" became famous for singing (once the game got out of hand and the outcome no longer in doubt) a song about "the party is over".  He referred to it like an Opera where it isn't over until "the Fat Lady " sings.

"Turn out the lights, the party is over. They say that all things must end, call it a night, the party is over". I decided to call an end to hurricane season by using "The Fat Lady" signaling the threat for a major storm here was over.  So tonight she is singing all along the Texas and the northern Gulf coasts.  Any tropical threat that might come between now and Nov. 30th will not cause us major problems.  That no threat area does NOT include central & south Florida where a late-season storm threat will continue well into November. Today NHC is busy following three areas.

 

The northern circle is a non-tropical (cold core) low off the East coast that is bringing northerly winds with cooler and drier air.  The system north of Puerto Rico is moving westward towards the cooler & drier air and is not expected to develop.

However, NHC has upgraded the system over the western Caribbean to Potential Tropical Cyclone (PTC) # 15 which might briefly become Nadine before moving into Belize.

Neither of these systems can come our way as a big surface high blocks any northward movement. hence The Lady is singing that our hurricane season is over.  No model develops anything in the Gulf for the next 10-14 days taking us into November and more cold fronts. The upper pattern is shifting as the eastern trough lifts eastward and an upper ridge builds behind it.  That means a weekend warm up for many.

The warm up has brought 70+ weather northward back to Minnesota.  Dew points continue on the low side making for good feel Fall weather. There is a weak wave moving across the central Gulf.

It has brought back some cloud cover, but radar is finding no rain, marking 14 straight dry days here.  That streak will continue.

So go out tonight to your favorite Church Fair, football game or just watching the near full super moon.  Know that our tropical season appears over and our new concern during the coming weeks will be the first freeze.  Watching the Saints game last night, I thought about The Lady singing and she could have sung before halftime once the score reached 16-3.  I never have seen so many injuries to starters. Sad.  However, go out and enjoy your weekend and stay tuned!