A few pockets of flurries have been popping up across the area. Temperatures are well above freezing, so this is all melting on impact. The chance for flurries will quickly diminish after sunset.
Here is some video of some snow captured on cell phone by Jamie Buckmaster in Chesterfield. Thanks for sending it in!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Damaging Winds Possible Today
(Updated Wednesday, December 31, 2008 at 10:32 a.m.)
A Wind Advisory is in effect until 10 p.m. Wednesday for all of Central Virginia. Winds will continue to increase in speed late Wednesday morning, with gusts up to 50+ at times through the day. Sustained winds will be from the West to Northwest at 30 to 40 mph. These winds will be strong enough to cause some power outages and make driving difficult at times. Secure any loose or lightweight items outdoors, including garbage cans, remaining Christmas decorations, and patio furniture. Stay with CBS 6, we'll keep you ahead of the storm.
A list of counties affected can be found here: http://www.wtvr.com/global/weatheralerts.asp?CountyID=cid2949321
--Carrie
In other weather news...
If you can brave the blustery winds this evening, step outside and look Southwest at sunset for the waxing crescent Moon and the planet Venus, which will appear as a bright dot just below the Moon. The map to the left shows what other stellar objects will be in your view (image SpaceWeather.com).
Bundle up if you are heading outside to check out the Moon and Venus, or to watch the ball rise in Carytown tonight. Temperatures will be in the 20's at Midnight. Happy New Year!
--Carrie
A Wind Advisory is in effect until 10 p.m. Wednesday for all of Central Virginia. Winds will continue to increase in speed late Wednesday morning, with gusts up to 50+ at times through the day. Sustained winds will be from the West to Northwest at 30 to 40 mph. These winds will be strong enough to cause some power outages and make driving difficult at times. Secure any loose or lightweight items outdoors, including garbage cans, remaining Christmas decorations, and patio furniture. Stay with CBS 6, we'll keep you ahead of the storm.
A list of counties affected can be found here: http://www.wtvr.com/global/weatheralerts.asp?CountyID=cid2949321
--Carrie
In other weather news...
If you can brave the blustery winds this evening, step outside and look Southwest at sunset for the waxing crescent Moon and the planet Venus, which will appear as a bright dot just below the Moon. The map to the left shows what other stellar objects will be in your view (image SpaceWeather.com).
Bundle up if you are heading outside to check out the Moon and Venus, or to watch the ball rise in Carytown tonight. Temperatures will be in the 20's at Midnight. Happy New Year!
--Carrie
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Bugs and Meteors
The following is an e-mail from a viewer with my response:
Hello,
My name is Martha and about 5:40 p.m. today, December 21, I went outside and something caught my eye in the sky. I quickly looked up and there was a small ball of fire in the northern sky which raced across for about 2 seconds and then disintegrated. I have seen shooting stars and this was nothing like it. It was actually on fire. I live in Ophelia, about 6 miles from Reedville, where the Potomac and the Chesapeake Bay meet. Could you tell me, if you know, what that could have possibly been? Thank you.
Martha A.
Ophelia, Va
Hi Martha! What you saw is most likely what is called an “earthgrazer”. It’s basically a meteor that just skims the earth’s atmosphere and causes a long, brilliant trail across the sky. Sometimes the smoke trail will last a few seconds after the meteor has passed. The earthgrazer meteors (shooting stars) occur early in the evening when our direction as we travel through space is sideways.
Think of it this way: A meteor is caused by intense frictional heating of the atmosphere as debris enters at a high rate of speed and burns up. The earth is flying through space, and our atmosphere is encountering debris all the time. Pretend for a moment that the earth is a car and the sky overhead is a windshield. When the sun sets, we are looking out the side window of the car, with the front windshield to the east. As the night wears on, the earth rotates in such a way that the front windshield is overhead around dawn. Now pretend the debris that enters the atmosphere are bugs hitting the imaginary windshield. If we are looking out the side window at sunset, as you were when you saw the earthgrazer, the bug would have just barely skimmed the glass and made a long streak down the window. If you had seen the same bug strike the windshield around sunrise the next morning, the streak would have been brighter but much shorter, as you would have been looking out the front window of our imaginary car. Hope this analogy helps, and I’m glad you got to see an earthgrazer!
Zach
Hello,
My name is Martha and about 5:40 p.m. today, December 21, I went outside and something caught my eye in the sky. I quickly looked up and there was a small ball of fire in the northern sky which raced across for about 2 seconds and then disintegrated. I have seen shooting stars and this was nothing like it. It was actually on fire. I live in Ophelia, about 6 miles from Reedville, where the Potomac and the Chesapeake Bay meet. Could you tell me, if you know, what that could have possibly been? Thank you.
Martha A.
Ophelia, Va
Hi Martha! What you saw is most likely what is called an “earthgrazer”. It’s basically a meteor that just skims the earth’s atmosphere and causes a long, brilliant trail across the sky. Sometimes the smoke trail will last a few seconds after the meteor has passed. The earthgrazer meteors (shooting stars) occur early in the evening when our direction as we travel through space is sideways.
Think of it this way: A meteor is caused by intense frictional heating of the atmosphere as debris enters at a high rate of speed and burns up. The earth is flying through space, and our atmosphere is encountering debris all the time. Pretend for a moment that the earth is a car and the sky overhead is a windshield. When the sun sets, we are looking out the side window of the car, with the front windshield to the east. As the night wears on, the earth rotates in such a way that the front windshield is overhead around dawn. Now pretend the debris that enters the atmosphere are bugs hitting the imaginary windshield. If we are looking out the side window at sunset, as you were when you saw the earthgrazer, the bug would have just barely skimmed the glass and made a long streak down the window. If you had seen the same bug strike the windshield around sunrise the next morning, the streak would have been brighter but much shorter, as you would have been looking out the front window of our imaginary car. Hope this analogy helps, and I’m glad you got to see an earthgrazer!
Zach
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