Strong storms strike parts of the metro area

Many residents of the metro area are finally seeing the rain they have been wishing for for some time - and in many cases it's too much all at once! Strong thunderstorms are dropping heavy rain as I type across southern Shelby and Fayette counties, northern and eastern DeSoto county, and much of Marshall county. (See the image below of what it looked like on radar as I wrote this.) Currently, Flood Warnings are in effect for southern Shelby and northern DeSoto and Marshall counties and a Severe Thunderstorm Warning is in effect for DeSoto county as well.

You will notice on the radar though that the northern half of the city and suburbs, like where I live (shown by the "WXLIVE!" place marker), is dry. So while half the city is staying out of the outside traffic lanes to avoid getting swept into the drainage ditch from flooding, I sit here watching some pretty nice clouds and wondering "when is my turn going to come?" If you're in the northern half of the county, you're probably wondering the same thing... rest assured, I feel your pain. If you got a bunch of rain (or if you didn't), comment on this blog and tell me how much and where you're located. I'd love to hear from you! In the meantime, I'm going to get back to work on my ark, since I have now probably asked for too much.

Appended about 20 minutes later, a 3-D view of the line of storms cutting through southern Crittenden, southern Shelby, much of DeSoto, and central Marshall counties (looking southwest):

Could Dolly be the heat-buster we have been looking for?

Another day, another heat advisory... A new 2008 high temp was recorded this afternoon at Memphis Int'l -101 at 2:23pm. It may inch another degree higher before sunset. The last time MEM reached 100 was Aug. 27 of last year. You remember that gosh-awful hot spell last August right? Only 2 days that whole month was the high less than 95. At my Bartlett station, WXLIVE! recorded a high of 102.0 so far. That also sets the new mark for 2008.

However, it doesn't appear that 100 degrees will show up again for the next couple of days, thanks to more clouds and scattered thunderstorms assoicated with...... Dolly?? Say it's not true! After being assured as Hurricane Dolly approached south TX last week that it would have NO impact on Mid-South weather, we were wrong again. It's true - a left-over upper level impulse that originated as Dolly moved through south TX and into northern Mexico then continued it's trip north into New Mexico and started heading east. Now it's poised to move just north of us late Wednesday and Thursday bringing scattered t'storms and some cooler temps, albeit not for long. So," HELLO DOLLY!"

Once this system passes by, the upper-level ridge of high pressure looks to take hold again and we may be headed back into the upper 90s by the weekend.