>Today’s Top Weather Stories
On Weather & Climate Through the Eyes of Mark Vogan

north america
Rain, Snow Aim for California
From AccuWeather News
http://www.accuweather.com/blogs/news/story/27257/rain-snow-aim-for-california.asp

north america
Freeze to Follow Record Warmth in Eastern US
From AccuWeather News
The air coming in behind Thursday’s storms will be cold enough for a frost or freeze in much of the interior Northeast and part of the South this weekend.
The air was cold enough to make it snow in parts of Wisconsin and northern Michigan Thursday morning. People in Green Bay had to get out their shovels and snow brushes.
Read Full>http://www.accuweather.com/blogs/news/story/27203/freeze-to-follow-record-warmth-1.asp

Graphic courtesy of AccuWeather.com

caribbean
Flooding Rain the Next Disaster for Haiti
From AccuWeather News
With Haiti still ravaged from the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that shook the nation on January 12, the normal rainy season will begin to drop potentially devastating and heavy flood-inducing rainfall next week.
“Conditions are favorable for significant rainfall to last throughout the entirety of next week,” said AccuWeather.com Expert Senior Meteorologist Bernie Rayno.
What AccuWeather.com meteorologists are forecasting for Haiti isn’t out of the ordinary, but it doesn’t mean they are prepared to handle flooding rain and mudslides after near-devastation from the January quake.
“What we are predicting for Haiti is not an extreme event, but a natural occurrence that happens every year,” said Rayno. “It appears that they are not ready for it. Millions have been displaced to outdoor shelters in low-lying areas.”
The relief shelters are poorly made, with the majority of displaced Haitians living under bed sheets and tarps held up by sticks. Flash flooding could cause dangerous sliding debris.
Haiti’s rainy season, which does not usually begin until May, may have arrived earlier than anticipated.
This Caribbean island nation usually averages about 3 inches of rain in March, and this amount doubles to 6 inches by the end of April. By May that average traditionally triples to 9 inches.

Graphic courtesy of AccuWeather.com

“The problem with Caribbean rain is that it is always heavy. It’s not uncommon to have over an inch an hour,” said Rayno. “Lots of water in a short amount of time will be bad news for Haiti.”April and May are two of the wettest months of the year for many Caribbean locations. Heavy rain also affected the area during the weekend of February 27, when showers caused mudslides and dangerous flooding, killing an estimated 13 people.Another spate of significant rainfall appeared on March 19, which was the heaviest noted since the January earthquake.”They’ve already had two instances of heavier rain in typically drier months,” said Rayno. “The fears that meteorologists have had since the quake occurred look to be setting up.” Official estimates suggest there could be as many as 230,000 Haitians still out of their homes and living in makeshift shelters.

Source: http://www.accuweather.com/blogs/news/story/27255/flooding-rain-the-next-disaste.asp

north america
On Plains, concern about another Dust Bowl
From USA Today
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/environment/2010-04-09-dust-bowl_N.htm

Photo courtesy of the USA Today
Weather Talk
By Mark Vogan

UK Dominated by High Pressure and Warmest Weather of Year So Far

After a long winter and even a snowy start to the month of April, High Pressure is finally crossing over UK airspace and will provide most of the UK with above-normal temperatures and plentiful sunshine. Highs should take a run at 60 degrees if not mid-60s over the weekend and some spots in the central and particularly south-central areas away from the cooler coast could see upper 60s to near 70 degrees… Coastal areas may only enjoy temps that may have a tough time touching 50 degrees….

Intense Early April Heat is Erased by Violent T-Storms, Now theres cold and snow for some

After a few days of stunning sun and heat for the entire Eastern third of the USA, the much anticipated front has steamed through bringing strong to at times severe thunderstorms with heavy rain and lots of lightening as well as powerful winds which topped 58 mph in State College, PA. Now.. we are seeing snow falling across the areas of Pennsylvania which saw mid-80s just 24 hours ago… Jesse Ferrell of AccuWeather saw a 45-degree temp drop in 16 hours as well as 50 mph wind gusts at his home, will he see snow flakes fly after 84 degrees yesterday??

More Weather Talk tomorrow

What Reaching Today’s Blogs?

High Wind Reports With Central Pennsylvania Thunderstorms
From Jesse Ferrell, AccuWeather.comhttp://www.accuweather.com/blogs/weathermatrix/story/27253/central-pa-thunderstorms-april-8th.asp

Today’s Top VideosRio’s Heavy Rains
From Matt Taylor, BBC Weather
http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/hi/news/newsid_8607000/8607767.stm

Cooling Effects of the North Sea
From Laura Tobin, BBC Weather
http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/hi/news/newsid_8612000/8612595.stm

Australian Floods Entice Crocodiles
From Raychel Harvey Jones, AccuWeather.com
http://www.accuweather.com/video/6638636001/australian-floods-entice-crocodiles.asp

Windy Mt. Washington
From Raychel Harvey Jones, AccuWeather.com
http://www.accuweather.com/video/1681759445/windy-mt-washington.asp