Your daily forecasts from Boards.ie weather forum (NO CHAT)

M.T. Cranium · 16-10-2011 7:35pm

UPDATE _ Sunday, 7:30 p.m.
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ALERT now issued for strong wind gusts from the WSW to 75 mph (120 km/hr) and possible hail, thunder associated with a squall line expected to rush across Ireland mid-day Monday, in the time frame 1030h west to 1330h east. Further details with the morning forecast. With this potential for strong winds, there may be isolated weak tornadic winds of higher velocity doing minor damage to structures and potentially bringing down trees or at least large branches.

For Donegal and other exposed parts of the northwest, this front will be the first phase of a 24-36 hour period of strong winds that may see some further strengthening overnight into Tuesday morning, if in fact there is any reduction after the squall line comes through Monday late morning. The gradient will tighten as winds veer from WSW to WNW then NW overnight and in plain language it may be a very stormy night (Monday night) in the northwest with wind-driven rain, occasional bursts of hail, and certainly the potential for sleet or snow on higher elevations notably those facing northwest above 400m.

M.T. Cranium · 17-10-2011 6:48am

Monday, 17 October, 2011
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ALERT continued for strong wind gusts to 75 mph or 120 km/hr, more likely in north then central counties, setting in around 1100h in Donegal and Mayo, spreading southeast through the afternoon. Hail, thunder, higher elevation snow or sleet, and isolated tornadic winds are all possible later today and strong winds will continue tonight in the north.

TODAY ... Variable cloud with scattered showers, moderate SW winds at first, becoming very windy mid-day (WSW 40-60 mph, some gusts to 75 mph) with squally showers, hail and thunder, and a risk of sleet or snow mainly on higher ground in Donegal, west Ulster and Connacht. Some brighter intervals after the front pushes east but the north likely to stay overcast with periods of rain, squally showers further south. Highs today 10-12 C before the mid-day front, with temperatures then dropping to about 5-7 C in the north and steady near 9 C for the south. Rainfalls 10-20 mms north, 3-7 mms south.

TONIGHT ... Remaining very windy especially in the north and west, winds veering to NW 40-60 mph, stormy near coast and in higher elevations, periods of rain or sleet, hail. More showery further south and east, but with strong winds 30-50 mph. Lows generally 3-5 C, further rainfalls 5-10 mms.

TUESDAY ... Windy, but stormy for parts of the morning in the northwest, winds NW 40-60 mph easing slightly by afternoon, rain at times with hail and sleet mixing in especially on higher ground ... more showery than continuous rain in parts of east and south but generally a raw and unpleasant day with highs 8-12 C.

WEDNESDAY ... Continued cool, rather windy although less stormy at 20-40 mph NW backing to W later, showers becoming more confined to north, sunny intervals developing south, lows 2-5 C and highs 9-13 C.

THURSDAY ... A clear, cold start with scattered frost possible, lows -1 to 4C, then increasing cloud, a bit milder, winds backing to SW 20-40 mph, rain reaching the west late in the day. Highs 11-14 C.

FRIDAY ... Windy with periods of rain, lows near 7 C and highs near 12 C.

SATURDAY ... Windy, mild at first then stormy in west and north, wind gusts to 65 mph from SSW by evening, rain spreading across the east and south evening and overnight hours. Lows 5-7 C and highs 10-14 C.

SUNDAY ... Windy, squally showers, turning colder again, winds WSW 30-50 mph except 40-65 mph north and northwest, lows near 5 C and highs 9-11 C.

FURTHER OUTLOOK ... Rather unsettled and cool with temperatures staying 2 or 3 degrees below normal much of the time. Windy at times also.

NORTH AMERICAN WEATHER ... Eastern counties improving south of the Great Lakes and inland northeast where remaining cloudy and showery, cool. Highs in the north 10-13 C, mid-Atlantic states 18-21 C, southeast 24-28 C, rain spreading north into central Florida, possible tropical storm development eastern Gulf of Mexico. Central states will be generally rather cool in a northeast wind being pulled into developing low pressure near the Colorado-Kansas border, highs of about 10-13 C except much warmer in southern OK and all of TX with highs 27-30 C. The western storm will eventually produce outbreaks of snow in higher parts of CO and WY, with rain in the high plains regions. This storm will move southeast and pick up the tropical system (whether it gets named or not) on Tuesday in Alabama, and that will move up the inland east coast regions rest of the week. Meanwhile, western states today will be mild to warm and sunny once away from the cloud in CO/NM, and hot in parts of southern CA due to downsloping east winds. The clear weather extends north into western Canada with a weak front coming into central B.C. from a Pacific storm. Temperatures across the west will be near or slightly above normal by later today.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Sunny and pleasant on Sunday, cool, highs 11-13.

Watch for updates both here and in the storm threads concerning today's squally and windy weather.

Oranage2 · 17-10-2011 7:05am

Looking out the window looks like it's going hit the high 20s so so time to break out the shorts and bikinis and get the children down to the beach.

M.T. Cranium · 18-10-2011 7:50am

Tuesday, 18 October, 2011
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TODAY ... Windy and cool with passing showers, heavier and more frequent in Connacht and west Ulster ... some showers containing hail and thunder, with snow possible on high terrain ... some sunshine at times in east and south ... winds WNW 30-50 mph (45-65 mph exposed northwest locations) ... highs 8-13 C from northwest to southeast. Average rainfalls 5-10 mms.

TONIGHT ... A few remnant showers but continued blustery and cold, winds NW 20-40 mph, lows 3-6 C.

WEDNESDAY ... Continued cool, rather windy although less stormy at 20-40 mph NW backing to W later, showers becoming more confined to north, sunny intervals developing south, lows 2-5 C and highs 9-13 C.

THURSDAY ... A clear, cold start with scattered frost possible, lows -1 to 4C, then increasing cloud, a bit milder, winds backing to SW 20-40 mph, rain reaching the west late in the day. Highs 11-14 C.

FRIDAY ... Windy with periods of rain, lows near 7 C and highs near 12 C.

SATURDAY ... Windy, mild at first then stormy in west and north, wind gusts to 65 mph from SSW by evening, rain spreading across the east and south evening and overnight hours. Lows 5-7 C and highs 10-14 C. Potential for rainfalls of 10-20 mms.

SUNDAY ... Windy, periods of rain again, winds SSW 30-50 mph except 40-65 mph possible near south coast spreading north in eastern counties later, lows near 7 C and highs 11-13 C. Potential for rainfalls of 20-30 mms.

Some places could see 50 mms of rain later in the period and this may lead to some field flooding, urban stream flooding and roads under water in places.

FURTHER OUTLOOK ... Raw and windy with more drizzly precipitation as winds back to the southeast or east.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Parts of the east will remain dry and pleasant but rain is spreading north through Georgia towards the Carolinas, highs in easterrn regions generally 14-18 C, to near 22 C south. Florida hot and humid with scattered storms. North central states dry and cool, with a northerly wind setting in for Oklahoma and Texas as rain ends there this morning, generally 13-18 C ... western regions warm and dry except for central B.C. and northward, highs for most 18-22 C. Hot in parts of southern California and desert southwest, highs 28-32 C.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Monday was hazy with some sunshine and the high was about 15 C.

M.T. Cranium · 19-10-2011 7:50am

Wednesday, 19 October, 2011
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TODAY ... Partly cloudy with a few more showers becoming confined to western and northern coasts by afternoon, more moderate NW'ly winds at 15 to 30 mph, highs 10-13 C. Rainfalls generally 1-3 mms.

TONIGHT ... Clear intervals developing away from cloudier northwest coasts, calm inland leading to scattered frost with lows -1 to +4 C.

THURSDAY ... Sunny intervals south and east, mostly cloudy west and north with rain arriving in coastal Connacht mid-day, staying dry further south and east. Winds rather light at first becoming SW 15-30 mph. Highs 11-14 C.

FRIDAY ... Rain, heavy at times in western counties and west Ulster, but it may stay dry in southeast, with light rain elsewhere, in a milder south to southwest flow. Lows near 7 C and highs 12-15 C. Foggy at times north.

SATURDAY ... Variable cloud east, overcast with further rain, heavy at times, west. Mild, winds southerly 15-30 mph. Lows near 7 C and highs 13-15 C.

SUNDAY-MONDAY ... Part or all of this two-day period will see strong south to southeast winds and heavy rainfalls (30 mms potentially) ... models are currently somewhat undecided on timing, on average Sunday night seems the wettest part of this period, but it could extend to all of Sunday if the faster guidance verifies. Temperatures will be steady 12-14 C, winds could reach 30 to 50 mph at times, and some fog is likely. Spot flooding will probably become widespread given the wet interval before this event.

FURTHER OUTLOOK ... Winds becoming more east-southeasterly giving a raw feel although less measurable rain, drizzle replacing the rain for some, becoming dry in some regions. Temperatures near normal although a narrow range likely.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Heavy rain will move up the eastern regions from the south, reaching the lower Great Lakes and New York City by tonight, New England tomorrow. Strong south to southeast winds near the coast, highs 15-18 C (to low 20s southeast U.S. where also quite wet). Some rainfalls of 50 mms expected next two days especially inland eastern states near the Appalachian Mountains. Somewhat further west, a chilly north wind and rain mixing with sleet in parts of the western Great Lakes, highs 6-10 C. The western half of the continent will be dominated by high pressure and once clear of the centre, warm southerly winds, highs well into the 20s. The southern plains will lose the northerly winds and slowly warm up to around 23 C.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Tuesday was a very fine day here with sunshine, a warm high near 18 C, and light winds. Clouding over tonight in advance of scattered showers expected on Wednesday.

M.T. Cranium · 20-10-2011 6:55am

Thursday, 20 October, 2011
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TODAY ... Mostly cloudy with some brighter spells across the south, while light rain moves into the northwest and later across Ulster (3-5 mms on average there). Light winds at first, picking up to SSW 15-25 mph ... highs around 12 C north, 15 C south.

TONIGHT ... Cloudy, light rain in many places although it could remain dry near the southeast coast, milder. Lows 6-9 C. Rainfalls 3-5 mms.

FRIDAY ... Rain becoming heavier in west and northwest, potential for 10 to 20 mms, but variable cloud further east, some places turning dry again with hazy sunshine possible, moderate southerly winds, highs near 13 C west and 15 C east.

SATURDAY ... Periods of rain, heavy at times, moderate southerly winds, mild. Lows 7-10 C and highs 13-15 C. Winds SSW 15-30 mph.

SUNDAY ... Cloudy, mild, becoming wet and windy especially for Munster where heavy rain could bring 30 mms, elsewhere, 10-20 mms towards end of the day. Winds backing somewhat to SE and increasing to 30-50 mph. Lows near 10 C and highs near 14 C.

MONDAY ... Heavy rain continuing, flooding possible and isolated severe flooding risk may develop with 30-50 mms rain in places. Winds continuing quite strong from ESE to SSE 20-40 mph, lows near 11 C and highs near 14 C.

TUESDAY ... There may be an interval of very strong winds from Monday night into Tuesday, that will affect south coast and inland parts of Munster, and possibly a larger area, with SSE gales with storm force gusts (40-70 mph) ... this strong feature is developed on the two North American based models but not very strongly on the main European based models which would suggest continuing rainfall but moderate winds ... with more certainty we can say that the day will probably continue windy and wet, with further risk of flooding. Temperatures will be steady in a narrow range around 11 or 12 C.

FURTHER OUTLOOK ... Heavy rain tapering off to drizzle and light showers in a somewhat raw east to southeast flow that may turn more southerly at times, foggy in places, temperatures likely to remain steady around 10 C. Eventually the strong low will weaken and drift north but it may continue to influence the weather for about a week.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Heavy rain has moved into the Great Lakes and New England regions with showers at times further south, and the strong east to southeast winds are now well north of the large cities and moving into Quebec and northern Ontario. Temperatures are steady near 15 C. A cool southwest to west wind will follow the heavy rain before winds turn more northerly as they already are in states west of Ohio and Michigan. Here it will be quite chilly (7-10 C). Dry and cool in central regions, trending to warm but cloudy further west. Rain is edging further south on the west coast and strong winds are developing near the Alaska panhandle.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Wednesday was mostly cloudy with highs around 16 C, but light rain moved in after sunset.

M.T. Cranium · 21-10-2011 6:58am

Friday, 21 October, 2011
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TODAY ... Partly to mostly cloudy, mild, rain at times in far western coastal regions but only patchy drizzle elsewhere, many locations dry ... highs 13 to 15 C ... moderate SSW winds 20-40 mph stronger near west coast.

TONIGHT ... Mild, periods of rain slowly edging further east, 10-15 mms likely, lows 8-12 C.

SATURDAY ... Rain spreading east followed by partial clearance, mild, winds SSW 20-40 mph, highs 13-15 C.

SUNDAY ... Becoming windy with outbreaks of heavier rain, winds SSE 25-45 mph increasing overnight to 40-60 mph (strongest gusts south coast spreading across Munster) ... rainfalls 15-30 mms ... temperatures steady in the range 11-14 C. This windy, wet weather will continue overnight into Monday morning. Spot flooding likely especially in the inland south.

MONDAY ... Cloudy with some breaks developing by late afternoon, rain becoming more showery, strong winds abating slowly except in coastal Connacht as low pulls away to northwest, lows 8-10 C and highs near 13C.

TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY ... Continuing mostly cloudy and humid with further outbreaks of rain, possibly rather heavy also.

FURTHER OUTLOOK ... Unsettled, mild or slightly above normal in temperature in a generally south to southeast flow.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Stormy in eastern Canada but improving across the northeast and Great Lakes region although considerable cloud and outbreaks of showery rain (could mix with sleet in northern Great Lakes). Generally dry and becoming sunny to the south of Washington DC. Highs near seasonal normals, 10-15 C north, 15-20 C south. Central states fairly warm in a developing southerly flow, highs 21-24 C. Western regions variable cloud, mild to warm.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Thursday 20th was mostly cloudy with a foggy start, damp morning, dry afternoon, mild at 15 C.

M.T. Cranium · 21-10-2011 8:28pm

UPDATE _ Friday, 8:30 p.m.
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ADVANCE ALERT issued for heavy rainfalls and locally strong winds ... the rainfall will gradually accumulate to totals of 40-70 mms next three days, with the heaviest rain likely on Sunday night into Monday morning. The risk of strong (southeast to south) winds expected to reach 40-65 mph will maximize on Sunday afternoon and evening along the south coast. The combined effects of wind and rain could produce estuary flooding in addition to other forms of flooding from rivers, streams and poorly drained surfaces. Although Munster is most at risk for both the wind and rainfall, heavy rainfalls may spread over many other parts of the country, and bear in mind that Saturday while not excessively wet could see saturation of the ground and rising water levels in advance of the main area of heavy rainfall.

M.T. Cranium · 22-10-2011 6:36am

Saturday, 22 October, 2011
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ALERT for heavy rainfalls over the next three to five days, and locally strong winds late Sunday ... the rainfalls, which could total 50-100 mms, may become persistent and lead to flooding and widespread high water levels as well as saturated soils.

TODAY ... A band of moderate to heavy rain will move slowly east across the country, dropping 10-20 mms of rain ... moderate southerly winds at 25-45 mph, mild ... highs 13-15 C ... some clearance may follow in the west by afternoon.

TONIGHT ... Rain ending across the east, partly cloudy skies to follow, with fog patches developing, mild. Lows 8-10 C.

SUNDAY ... Increasing cloud, some morning sunshine in Ulster and parts of Leinster, then rain spreading rapidly across the south and reaching northern parts by late afternoon ... some heavy downpours, winds gradually increasing from southeast to reach 30-50 mph (local gusts to 65 mph possible near south coast) ... highs 11-14 C. Rainfalls of 20-40 mms by evening.

SUNDAY NIGHT, MONDAY ... Further heavy rainfalls overnight and in eastern counties on Monday totalling 20-30 mms, with variable cloud spreading into the southwest followed by showers ... strong southeast winds ending later overnight but continued breezy from southeast, mild, temperatures steady near 10-12 C. Spot flooding likely and some extensive flooding possible.

TUESDAY to THURSDAY ... This period looks wet also, with several frontal waves moving towards Ireland from the Biscay region. Although the heavy rain axis may move further east into the Irish Sea or the western part of Britain, it may also oscillate east-west and include Ireland at times in further heavy rainfalls, with potential for another 30-50 mms. This would of course prolong or exacerbate flooding. Temperatures should remain steady around 10 to 13 C. Some moderate southeast winds at times although intervals of rather light winds and fog with the rain.

FURTHER OUTLOOK ... The weather pattern may slowly become more mobile by about Friday with brighter conditions as a result, but by then the main concern may be drying out from this deluge of rain expected for the previous five days.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... In general, the southern states remain dry and warm while central and northern states and the southern populated parts of Canada will be generally showery with weak disturbances separated by somewhat drier cloudy conditions. Temperatures will be close to seasonal normals in most places, which at this point would be 10-13 C northern states to 20-25 C southern states. A tropical storm may soon develop east of Nicaragua and this could move north towards Florida by middle of next week.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Heavy rain at times on Friday with fog, highs about 13 C.

M.T. Cranium · 22-10-2011 9:16pm

UPDATE _ Saturday, 9:15 p.m.
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No last minute changes in ALERT status (see above). Next forecast 0600h.

M.T. Cranium · 23-10-2011 6:48am

Sunday, 23 October, 2011
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ALERT for heavy rainfalls later Sunday through Monday, 30-60 mms with potential for flooding ... strong SE winds developing late Sunday, peaking from Cork east to Wexford and north to east Ulster, with gusts of 55-60 mph in exposed locations.

TODAY ... Cloudy with rain developing, becoming heavy at times especially in Munster and inland south Leinster, 20-40 mms possible. Elsewhere, rainfalls of about 10-20 mms. Winds across eastern and central Ireland increasing to SE 30-50 mph with higher gusts, but remaining rather light in western counties (SE 15-30 mph mostly, veering to SW 20-40 later). Highs 12-14 C.

TONIGHT ... Further heavy rainfalls with the strongest winds moving north to affect eastern Ulster, winds otherwise slowly diminishing and veering to south then southwest. Additional rainfalls 15-30 mms, flooding likely. Lows 8-10 C.

MONDAY ... Eastern and later northern counties may see renewed rainfall becoming moderate to heavy by late afternoon, with winds E-SE 20-30 mph, highs near 12 C. Western and southern counties variable cloud, showers or outbreaks of drizzle, highs near 11 C, winds light south to southwest. Rainfall potential east and north about 10-20 mms, possibly more.

TUESDAY ... There may still be outbreaks of rain in the eastern and northern counties. Other regions may continue to see drizzle or light rain with mostly cloudy skies. Lows near 7 C and highs near 11 C.

WEDNESDAY ... Cloudy, showers, lows near 7 C and highs near 11 C.

THURSDAY ... Cloudy, drizzle at times, lows near 6 C and highs near 11 C.

FRIDAY ... Variable cloud, some sunshine at first, rain may develop later, lows near 3 C and highs near 10 C.

SATURDAY ... Showers, milder, lows near 7 C and highs near 12 C.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Many parts of the U.S. will have sunshine and near normal temperatures with high pressure across much of the country. Somewhat more cloud near the northern borders with Canada, trending to mostly cloudy skies in most of southern Canada. Highs generally near 15 C in border regions, 20-25 C central latitudes and 25-30 C south.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Saturday was a cloudy day with a few sunny breaks, and also a few light showers, highs about 13 C.

M.T. Cranium · 23-10-2011 10:05pm

UPDATE _ Sunday, 10:00 p.m.
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No major changes, the rain presently falling over the country will tend to move north and weaken gradually but a second disturbance is forming near the northwest tip of Spain tonight and this will ride up the stalled frontal system to reach eastern Ireland tomorrow. Rain there could taper off to drizzle late tonight and Monday morning before ramping up again with the arrival of this new system. Not as windy as today with this second low although some strong gusts will continue for a while in the 50-60 mph range.

The primary low appears to be just south of Valentia at this time, 975 mbs, and will move up the west coast moving slightly west of due north. A second low of about 985 mbs will develop and head towards the southeast counties of Ireland while the primary system weakens and moves northwest towards Iceland through Monday night.

With this second disturbance creating renewed heavy rainfalls over already saturated ground in the east and southeast, with rivers near flood stage, the chances for severe flooding must be considered for late tomorrow by which time a further 25-50 mms could develop (on top of 25-40 that appears likely with today's and tonight's system, much of this already fallen now). The western half of Munster and most of Connacht will only get significant rainfalls from the primary system, and in west Munster almost all of this has already fallen, and so flooding there will either occur late tonight or be avoided altogether in some drainage areas, if rainfalls do not exceed about 30 mms.

Forecast update as usual around 0630h. Watch the storm thread for later ideas on developments with the secondary low.

M.T. Cranium · 24-10-2011 6:35am

Monday, 24 October, 2011
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ALERT continued for eastern counties including most of Leinster and Ulster ... a second round of heavy rain is 70% likely (moving north from Biscay) and should arrive by mid-day, lasting about 12-18 hours. This may add equal or greater amounts to Sunday's downpours in those regions and flooding could result. Further west, there will only be light rainfall. Winds are about to drop off to moderate then light, and will probably remain in that range with the second disturbance.

TODAY ... Western and central counties, mostly cloudy with a few brighter intervals, light showers, moderate southwest winds dying out, becoming light northeast later, highs 12-14 C ... eastern counties, drizzle or light rain at times, becoming heavier this afternoon and evening, 20-40 mms possible. Highs 12-14 C. Winds backing to easterly 15-25 mph with the heavier rain. Risk of flooding.

TONIGHT ... Western counties mostly cloudy, a few light showers, lows around 7 C. Eastern counties, rain continuing, heavy at times, 10-20 mms further to give storm totals (excluding Sunday) of 40-50 mms. Lows 9-11 C. Winds backing further to northeast then light and variable.

TUESDAY ... Rain increasingly confined to eastern Ulster then tapering off to showers, most other places becoming partly cloudy with isolated showers in a southwest wind (10-20 mph). Rather chilly with highs 9-12 C.

WEDNESDAY ... Cloudy, outbreaks of light rain, cool. Lows 6-8 C and highs around 10 C.

THURSDAY ... Variable cloud, showers ending. Lows near 5 C and highs 10-12.

FRIDAY ... Increasing cloud, light rain developing, lows near 3 C and highs around 13 C.

FURTHER OUTLOOK ... Mild and breezy with outbreaks of rain.

NORTH AMERICAN WEATHER ... The southern half of the U.S. will remain mostly clear and warm, expect sunshine and highs in the mid 20s. The northern half of the U.S. will feature widespread cloud with some showers breaking out in two weak disturbances, one in the western Great Lakes, and one in the Pacific northwest. Highs 14-17 C for most of these regions. Western Canada has a few areas of cloud and showers but most places remain clear and seasonable, while southern Ontario and Quebec are going to see cloud today from the advancing Great Lakes front, and showers by late afternoon or evening. Tropical storm Rina has developed east of Honduras and may become a hurricane eventually as it moves northwest towards the northern Yucatan.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Sunny with cloudy intervals, cool, highs near 14 C.

M.T. Cranium · 25-10-2011 7:19am

Tuesday, 25 October, 2011
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TODAY ... Cloudy with further outbreaks of rain with some thundery downpours, although generally lighter amounts than yesterday with 10-25 mms in eastern and counties, 2-5 mms western counties ... some heavier pulses of moderate rain may affect a few parts of the inland southeast to midlands, the Wicklow Mountains and coast this morning, then move quickly through Athlone to Dublin late morning and then re-develop further north especially around eastern Ulster ... some brighter intervals could develop in west-central regions ... winds generally light and from a southwest direction. Highs 9 to 13 C.

The Boards weather forum crew did a great job on Monday alerting readers to the developing flood risks and heavy rainfall potential, and I would advise anyone with any concerns about flooding today to stay tuned to that same source as well as other public authorities -- while I think the additional rainfall should be generally manageable there could be one or two places where this additional rain might lead to further problems or at least slow down the recovery from existing flooding problems. But fortunately this renewed rainfall has only limited energy and seems more disorganized, faster moving which should limit amounts ... also some parts of the complex are likely to remain offshore. However, we can't rule out entirely some localized heavy downpours and so caution is advised for renewed flooding in places.

TONIGHT ... a general drying trend but there may still be some drizzle or light showery rainfalls of 2-4 mms, with lows 4-6 C, and fog patches becoming dense in a few rural areas.

WEDNESDAY ... Variable cloud, some sunshine to start but showers or periods of rain developing in several areas, including the west this time, 5-10 mms potential, chilly with highs near 10 C.

THURSDAY ... Further outbreaks of rain especially southeast and east, not likely to be too dramatic but potential for 10-15 mms. Lows near 7 C and highs near 11 C. Foggy in places.

FRIDAY ... Another brief dry interval will be followed by a general light rainfall in south to southwest winds reaching gale force at times in western and northern counties. Lows near 7 C and highs near 12 C.

FURTHER OUTLOOK ... The pattern looks unsettled to say the least, and could become stormy at times from Sunday through mid-week as we enter November. Some of the guidance shows very strong winds but the time frame is not quite "reliable" so stay tuned.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Variable cloud and showers will move through parts of New England but almost all areas of the U.S. except for the north central states will be dry and sunny today, with highs either at or slightly above normal values (which range from 14 C north to 27 C south). Western Canada is in a more disturbed pattern with much colder air sagging south from regions west of Hudson Bay towards the central prairies, not yet reaching the border regions. Rina has become a hurricane rather quickly and is moving steadily west-north-west towards the northern Yucatan.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Monday was a pleasant day here with sunshine and highs of about 15 C. Clear and cool this evening.

M.T. Cranium · 26-10-2011 7:32am

Wednesday, 26 October, 2011
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TODAY ... Partly cloudy and cold to start, with isolated showers that could be sleety on some higher slopes. Hit or miss showers later, not much accumulation except 5-10 mms northwest counties this afternoon, accompanied there by a moderate SSW wind reaching 30-35 mph. Elsewhere the winds will only reach about 15-25 mph. Highs 8-12 C.

TONIGHT ... Partly to mostly cloudy, rather cold, icy sections on higher elevation roads away from the southeast which could remain milder due to cloud and light rain near the coast. Lows inland -1 to +4 C, around the southeast 4-7 C.

THURSDAY ... Most places partly cloudy, with isolated showers that could become moderately heavy in a few places, but risk of a period of steady rain near the Wexford and Wicklow coasts by afternoon. This would not likely be too heavy and could remain largely offshore (most of it will move into Wales and southern England this time). Highs 10-13 C.

FRIDAY ... Frosty to start especially inland west due to longer clear spells, lows -2 to +4 C, then increasing cloud, some light rain by afternoon in west, with rising southerly winds reaching gale force late in the day western coasts. Highs 10-13 C.

WEEKEND OUTLOOK ... Unsettled, light rain at first, possibly turning rather heavy again on Sunday, in steady south to southwest winds 20-40 mph. Mild with highs around 13 C.

FURTHER OUTLOOK ... Around Tuesday or Wednesday (1-2 Nov) there may be a significant windstorm event ... but if that fails to produce at full strength it seems very likely to remain moderately windy and mild with further showers.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... A major low is developing south of Nova Scotia, heading for southeast Newfoundland. Winds in some parts of eastern Canada will reach 120 km/hr from the east to northeast, with wind-driven rain and highs 7-9 C.

Great Lakes and inland northeast states will see cloud, periods of rain and cool highs near 10 C, but much warmer to the south around DC and Philly, possibly reaching New York City later, with highs into the 20s. Very warm and dry across most of the south with highs 25-30C.

The north-central plains states will also see a chilly outbreak of rain, sleet and some wet snow, and that disturbance will follow the Great Lakes system within 36 hours, with colder air pressing south from central Canada. Western states generally cool and dry.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Tuesday was another sunny and cool day with highs of about 12 C.

Astronomy notes ... New moon later today at 8:57 p.m. and if you get any clear skies in the next few nights, Jupiter will be near its brightest in the midnight skies as we pass that planet on the 29th. Venus is very slowly becoming more visible after sunset and will become a prominent evening star during the winter months.

M.T. Cranium · 27-10-2011 7:29am

Thursday, 27 October, 2011
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TODAY ... For most regions, sunny intervals and highs 11-13 C. Southeast counties will have more cloud, mainly higher, with risk of drizzle in east Wexford, highs near 11 C. Northwest counties will also be cloudier with occasional light rain by afternoon, highs 10-12 C. Light winds in most places.

TONIGHT ... Clear intervals, colder. Lows -2 to +4 C. Fog patches developing.

FRIDAY ... Increasing cloud but considerable sunshine likely in east and southeast. Rain by afternoon or evening in west, winds picking up from south to about 15-25 mph, highs 11-13 C.

SATURDAY ... Cloudy, intervals of rain, possibly heavy at times in west, lows near 7 C and highs near 12 C. Moderate southerly winds 15-30 mph.

SUNDAY ... Variable cloud, showers or periods of rain, mild, winds SSW 20-40 mph. Lows near 7 C and highs near 13 C.

MONDAY ... Possible heavy rain at times, mild. Lows near 8 C and highs near 14 C.

OUTLOOK ... Strong south to southwest winds at times, showery, mild. The chance of a severe windstorm remain in the mix although the models seem to be taking the storm just far enough northwest to avoid this outcome (around late Wed 2nd Nov).

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... The warmer spell will end rather abruptly across the northeast states with a sliding cold front and outbreaks of moderate rain turning to snow over the higher terrain of interior PA and NY. Temperatures here will drop from near 15 C to near 5 C rather quickly. A chilly day across the Great Lakes with highs 7-9 C. Remaining warm and dry in parts of the southeast U.S. but rain spreading across parts of TX and AR towards TN, clear and cool further north (especially eastern CO over fresh snow from Wednesday). Rina continues to pulse in strength around cat-1 intensity and is slowly heading for the northern Yucatan.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Wednesday was cloudy with occasional light rain, and highs around 13 C.

M.T. Cranium · 28-10-2011 6:24am

Friday, 28 October, 2011
_________________________________

TODAY ... Sunny at first, increasing cloud, followed by light rain in far west but dry elsewhere ... southerly winds increasing to 15-25 mph by afternoon ... highs 11-13 C.

TONIGHT ... Cloudy, light rain moving slowly east with amounts 2-5 mms, lows 6-9 C.

SATURDAY ... Rain becoming rather heavy at times, 10-20 mms, southerly winds 20-40 mph, mild. Highs 12-14 C.

SUNDAY ... Variable cloud, showers becoming heavy at times (15-25 mms), winds continuing southerly 20-40 mph, lows near 10 C and highs near 14 C.

MONDAY ... Periods of rain, possibly quite heavy again, 20-40 mms ... mild, lows near 10 C and highs near 15 C.

TUESDAY ... Some clear intervals, showers mainly confined to north, moderate southwest winds, lows near 5 C and highs near 12 C.

WEDNESDAY ... Windy and mild with potential for heavy rain, winds SSW 30 to 50 mph, lows near 8 C and highs near 13 C.

FURTHER OUTLOOK ... Continued rather mild but less windy, not as wet.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Rain and chilly northeast to north winds across parts of the northeast U.S. with highs only 7-10 C. Even colder inland with some wet snow mixing in with the rain. Another rather chilly and wet system developing in the western Great Lakes could bring sleet or a chilly rain to states from Michigan west to Iowa. Highs here only 5-8 C. Much warmer in the southeast and sunny, highs 24-27 C. ... Cold in the central states, warming up slightly in the northern Rockies into parts of western Canada, in advance of a strong frontal system hitting the coast with heavy rain likely by afternoon in WA and BC.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Thursday was partly cloudy and cool with a frosty start, highs around 12 C.

M.T. Cranium · 29-10-2011 6:41am

Saturday, 29 October, 2011
________________________________

TODAY ... Mostly cloudy, brief intervals of brighter weather but also bursts of heavy showery rain, amounts rather variable (5-15 mms mostly), mild and breezy (SSW 20-40 mph, higher gusts near coasts) and highs 13-15 C.

TONIGHT ... Partly cloudy, showers ending, mild, breezy. Lows near 10 C.

SUNDAY ... Cloudy with periods of rain developing, rather heavy at times in southwest (10-30 mms). Highs 12-14 C. Winds SW 20-40 mph.

MONDAY ... Intervals of heavy rain likely, 20-40 mms potential ... mild, breezy, winds SSW 30-50 mph, lows near 10 C and highs near 14 C.

TUESDAY ... Variable cloud, a dry interval with some sunshine, mild but somewhat fresher, lows near 7 C and highs near 12 C.

WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY ... Windy or very windy (SSE 40-60 mph) with outbreaks of heavy rain tapering gradually to showers, potential for 20-40 mms more rain ... lows around 10 C each day, highs 12-14 C.

FURTHER OUTLOOK ... Not as mild, becoming foggy but otherwise dry or at least drizzly rather than wet, in a southeast backing wind.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... A storm will develop off the east coast and bring a chilly rain to coastal cities with wet snow inland, accumulating only over higher terrain to 10-20 cms in parts of central New England. Highs only about 3-7 C with all that. Cold further west although dry except for sleety outbreaks of drizzle or wet snow near western Great Lakes. Milder across most of the plains states and western Canada. Highs here about 12-14 C.

The southeast will be turning cooler with rain and northeast winds, except for Florida which will remain warm and humid with showers. Highs there about 22 to 25 C. Western states showery and mild, heavy rain moving through parts of Pacific northwest and northern California.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Cloudy with rain, heavy at times earlier, now just drizzle and fog. Highs about 13 C (Friday 28th).

M.T. Cranium · 30-10-2011 7:18am

Sunday, 30 October, 2011
________________________________

TODAY ... Mostly cloudy with a few brighter intervals in the east and south, light to moderate rain at times near the west coast but staying mainly dry until evening elsewhere ... very mild, breezy ... highs 14-16 C ... winds SSW 15-30 mph (25-45 mph west coast).

TONIGHT ... Rain becoming rather heavy in the west, and moving slowly further inland, 10-20 mms potential there ... very mild, breezy, lows 10-12 C.

MONDAY ... A band of moderate to heavy rain will slowly cross the country reaching the Dublin region by afternoon. Some slight clearing may follow in the west, and winds will continue S-SW 20-40 mph, with highs 13-16 C. Rainfalls of 15-30 mms with spot flooding possible.

TUESDAY ... Following a partly cloudy night with lows near 7 C, the day will start bright and breezy, with rapidly increasing cloud and a rising southerly wind reaching 30-50 mph by late afternoon (40-60 mph west and southwest coastal regions). Rain will follow by evening. Highs 12-14 C.

WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY ... Windy and mild with intervals of rain, heavy at times, 20-40 mms possible, winds SSE 40-60 mph (50-70 possible west coast) and temperatures steady in the 11-13 C range.

OUTLOOK ... Showery but turning cooler with winds eventually turning more easterly, watching a possible disturbance to the south next weekend that could spread rain back in but northern areas stand a good chance of staying dry once the easterly regime sets in, or at least no worse than low cloud and drizzle. It should turn more seasonable for early November at this point.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... The heavy snow that hit interior New England on Saturday will move into Atlantic Canada (what we call the four eastern provinces) with rain near the outer coasts. The sleet and snow mix will end early today in New England and the northeast states followed by some sunshine. This is actually the same storm as the one in the Irish forecast for Wednesday (except you'll be on the mild side of it then).

Where snow is on the ground it may stay rather cold, but once the snow melts this air mass will be only slightly cooler than normal near 10 C. A second coastal storm is forming for about Monday night and Tuesday, and its first stages will bring cloud and drizzle to parts of the southeast today. Most of the central states are clear to partly cloudy and mild in a southerly flow, highs near or above normal. Western states partly cloudy and mild.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Saturday was overcast and mild with highs near 13 deg C. Some light rain is moving in overnight. We are still on daylight saving time here for another week, so you're only seven hours ahead of me this week.

M.T. Cranium · 31-10-2011 6:49am

Monday, 31 October, 2011
_______________________________

TODAY ... Mostly cloudy, very mild, outbreaks of rain becoming rather heavy in places, 10-20 mms on average ... highs 15-18 C ... winds SSW 20-40 mph.

TONIGHT ... Showers ending, partly cloudy, lows 7-10 C ... breezy especially near west coast.

TUESDAY ... Sunny intervals, clouding over again in west around mid-day, rain following by evening, winds rising SSE 20-40 mph then 35-55 mph near south and west coast by evening. Highs 12-14 C.

WEDNESDAY ... Windy and mild with rain, heavy at times, 30-50 mms possible over the 24-hr period ... winds SSE 40-60 mph (some gusts to 70 mph near coasts) ... lows near 10 C and highs near 13 C.

THURSDAY ... Winds decreasing with rain becoming more showery, foggy in some parts, 5-15 mms rain, lows near 8 C and highs near 12 C.

FRIDAY ... Morning showers or rain easing to drizzle, winds backing more to east, cooler. Lows near 5 C and highs near 10 C.

OUTLOOK ... With any luck the weekend could turn out pleasant under a ridge of high pressure with light east winds turning more southerly by Monday, as warmer air moves back in. Temperatures should be near normal, about 8-11 C daytime and 0-3 C overnight.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Windy and raw in eastern Canada with the mixed rain and snow ending. Most of the eastern states, Great Lakes region cool and dry, highs near 10 C. Further west, quite mild in the central states and even parts of west-central Canada in a southerly flow bringing temperatures up to about 15 C north and 25 C south. A slightly cooler Pacific air mass is moving across western regions behind a weak front bringing small amounts of rain and mountain snow to the Rockies.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Sunday was a cloudy, drizzly day, highs near 12 C.

M.T. Cranium · 01-11-2011 6:42am

Tuesday, 1 November, 2011
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TODAY ... Apart from some brief showers in western counties, most places should remain dry with partly cloudy skies, and blustery southwest breezes will eventually back to southerly increasing to a steady gale late tonight. Highs about 12-14 C. Rainfalls trace to 2 mms.

TONIGHT ... Rain on the west coast will become rather heavy, and will edge further east but Leinster and most of Ulster should be dry despite rising humidity and backing south to southeast winds 30-50 mph. Rainfalls of 5-10 mms in western counties. Lows 8-10 C.

WEDNESDAY ... Cloudy, windy and wet, although rain may not be continuous or heavy in all parts, amounts 15-30 mms, heaviest south central counties. Winds SSE 35-55 mph with some higher gusts, highs 12-14 C.

THURSDAY ... Heavy showers or prolonged periods of rain with winds gradually diminishing, foggy, lows near 9 C and highs near 12 C. Rainfalls of about 20-30 mms likely.

FRIDAY ... Still rather wet and foggy with slowly falling temperatures as a weak northerly breeze replaces the southeast wind for a while, temperatures falling from about 10 C to about 5 C.

WEEKEND OUTLOOK ... Dry and rather chilly especially overnight when frosts may develop. Daytime highs about 7-10 C. Winds light east to northeast.

FURTHER OUTLOOK ... The cool spell may moderate slightly then return as winds temporarily swing into the south but then back to southeast and east. While not a wintry outbreak, this spell looks slightly colder than average.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Dry and seasonable across the east, an offshore storm throwing back cloud towards the Long Island and New Jersey coasts but rain just offshore mainly. Highs for most of the northeast near 12 to 14 C, trending to 20 C central states in the same general air mass but with a warmer southerly wind. A weak front then separates this from an advancing rather cool Pacific air mass that has crossed the Rockies overnight and will push gradually to Manitoba and the Dakotas, into western Nebraska and Colorado. All of these regions will see a brief interval of rain followed by sleet and clearing, colder (temperatures dropping from 10 C to about 2 then recovering slightly). A sharp freeze to -5 to -8 C will follow tonight in most of the regions close to the US-Canada border west of Minnesota.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Monday was a bright, windy day with clouds parting about 0900h then a cold westerly wind although it was pleasant in any sheltered sunshine with a high of about 10 C. Frosty outside the city tonight under clear skies. A strong storm is developing in the Gulf of Alaska and moving towards the coast on Tuesday. Expecting cloud and then rain and strong winds (sound familiar?).

M.T. Cranium · 02-11-2011 7:55am

Wednesday, 2 November, 2011
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TODAY ... Overcast with periods of rain, heavier in south central counties especially on south-facing slopes ... rainfall amounts 15-30 mms ... strong southeast winds at 35-55 mph, highs 13-15 C ... hill fog with summits likely obscured at times.

TONIGHT ... Winds gradually diminishing to SE 20-35 mph, rain or showers continuing, mild, lows 9-11 C. Rainfalls about 10-15 mms.

THURSDAY ... Mostly cloudy, possibly a few brighter intervals, also the risk of thunder with some of the continuing heavy showers ... another 15-30 mms rain, with some locally heavy amounts in the southwest, possible flooding or mudslides in hilly terrain. Highs 12-14 C, winds SE 10-20 mph.

THURSDAY NIGHT ... Foggy, turning colder from west to east, temperatures falling to 3-5 C west, 5-8 C east. Drizzle or light rain continuing, moderate rain in east. Potential for 10-20 mms there.

FRIDAY ... Cloudy with afternoon sunny breaks, colder especially west and north, showers ending but possibly a touch of sleet on higher terrain ... winds light northerly ... highs 5-8 C for most, 7-10 C southeast.

WEEKEND OUTLOOK ... Variable cloud but chance of some sunny intervals in a rather light and variable wind field as a ridge builds from southwest across Ireland into Scandinavia. Winds may turn somewhat more to the east but more likely in southeast counties, the northwest may see light variable flows with a northwest backing to west component. Highs on the weekend should be around 7-9 C but overnight lows could be near frost levels if skies clear sufficiently, and could reach -2 C in places.

FURTHER OUTLOOK ... There may be a slight rebound to milder weather after Monday as the ridge shifts a bit east again, but temperatures will only come up slightly in a cloudy south to southwest flow that may become drizzly.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Much of the eastern and central U.S. will be pleasant and sunny with highs 12-15 C trending to low 20s in the southeast. Cloud will be near shore from an ocean storm and outer capes and islands in New England may see strong northeast winds and low cloud. A weak front is moving slowly east through central states with rain or showers and a rather sharp temperature drop although not much wind in most places, as the south to southwest flow becomes northwest. This air mass tends to clear rapidly then frost follows at night. A strong storm has hit the west coast north of Vancouver Island and is spreading cloud southeast overnight with rain to follow.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Morning sunny intervals, afternoon cloud, a cold southeast breeze with highs only 8-10 C. Rain is approaching but hasn't started here yet.

M.T. Cranium · 03-11-2011 8:09am

Thursday, 3 November, 2011
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TODAY ... Scattered heavy showers, some thundery with hail, most active in the inland southeast this morning, spreading towards Ulster and coastal Leinster by late morning and becoming severe in a few places ... western regions will not escape showers either and some could be heavy in the southwest and later in Connacht ... some sunny breaks could develop between showers ... winds generally SSE 10-20 mph but gusts to 40 mph could develop near thunderstorms ... mild and humid, highs 13-15 C. Misty or even foggy near coasts in onshore winds. Rainfalls quite variable, 5-25 mms depending on tracks of heavier storms. Laois-Carlow to Monaghan-Louth could see heavier amounts. Spot flooding is possible. We are watching potential for an outbreak later in Dublin.

TONIGHT ... Showers becoming a steady light rain at times, mild east, turning colder west, foggy as it turns colder, lows 4-7 C west to 7-10 C east. A further 5-15 mms of rain possible. Some sleet may develop in hills of Donegal and Mayo.

FRIDAY ... Gradual clearing west, continued cloudy, misty or foggy and damp in east, highs generally 8-10 C. Some sunshine by afternoon west, but 5-10 mms of rain east. Winds light but generally westerly to northwesterly.

SATURDAY ... A clear, cold start except for some parts of east coast where cloud may persist. Lows -2 to +4 C. Sunny intervals, light winds during the day and highs 7-9 C.

SUNDAY ... Variable cloud with some good sunshine at times, frosty to start, lows near -2 C and highs near 7 C.

MONDAY ... Sunny intervals but turning cloudy west, winds slowly increasing from south, rain near shore over Atlantic could move inland eventually. Lows near -2 C and highs near 10 C.

OUTLOOK ... Somewhat milder but damp to wet at times, especially west to north ... it may become quite windy late in the week. Temperatures will recover to near normal.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Showers and mild in the southeast, becoming stormy later with heavy storms in Alabama, Georgia and parts of the Tennessee-Ohio valleys. Hazy and warmer ahead of this system in the mid-Atlantic and northeast states, lower Great Lakes, highs 13-17 C. Florida warm and humid, thunderstorms later, highs near 25 C. This storm system has limited cold air and except for a few spots near Missouri to Louisiana, cloud will break to sunshine and temperatures will stay warm or at least near average in a developing southerly flow ahead of another storm developing over Utah and Colorado, spreading snow across parts of the inland mountain ranges of the northwest states, and showers near sea level. A colder air mass is sagging down from the Yukon and Alaska where temperatures are well below freezing, trending to about +3 C in central British Columbia.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Cloudy, cool, showers all day on Wed 2nd, highs about 8-10 C. A few clear breaks in the overcast at midnight local time.

M.T. Cranium · 04-11-2011 7:23am

Friday, 4 November, 2011
________________________________

TODAY ... Rather cloudy near both east and west coasts with the chance for light showers at times, and mostly cloudy at times near south coast and in Ulster, while central regions may see longer intervals of sunshine. Winds rather light throughout and mainly from a west to northwest direction. Highs about 10-12 C, although it may feel chilly out of the sun at times.

TONIGHT ... Extensive clearing with some local fog or mist, low cloud, and widespread frost developing, lows -1 to +3 C.

SATURDAY ... Sunshine despite some higher cloud at times, light winds, highs about 10-12 C for most, although it could stay colder in some northern districts.

SUNDAY ... Another frosty start, lows -3 to +2 C, then partly sunny with light winds, highs 9-11 C.

MONDAY, TUESDAY ... Continued frosty at night, clear to partly cloudy by day, more cloud near west coast than elsewhere, but it now appears that rain will hold off to west until mid-week. Lows around -2 C and highs around 10 C ... note all through this cooler spell, frosts will probably avoid the usual mid-city and coastal warmer spots.

OUTLOOK ... Increasing southerly winds, cloudy, rain arriving and possibly quite stormy by late in the week. Temperatures rising to somewhat milder levels especially at night. (lows near 6 C and highs near 12 C).

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Rain becoming heavy in the Carolinas and southern Virginia, mountain snows. This storm is heading east out to sea by late tonight, and will avoid New England where a cool Canadian high brings east to northeast winds and highs near 7 C to most of the northeast. Warm and humid in Florida with storms later. An extensive southerly flow from Gulf of Mexico north to Manitoba brings very mild temperatures, even into south central Canada it may break 15 C ... but much colder air is seeping south from Alberta and snow is developing in some parts of southern Alberta, western Saskatchewan and Montana. This will later become heavier in eastern Saskatchewan where 20 cms may fall late tonight and Saturday.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Variable cloud all day, some bright sunshine, some sharp showers with small hail, and large double rainbow at sunset. Rather chilly and getting frosty tonight. High earlier about 8 C.

M.T. Cranium · 05-11-2011 7:04am

Saturday, 5 November, 2011
_________________________________

TODAY ... Partly cloudy with longer intervals of sunshine in eastern counties, with a scattering of very light showers in western counties in a light west to northwest breeze. A rather cold start with some frost in shaded areas making roads rather slippery in some rural locations. Reasonably mild by mid-day with highs 9-12 C.

TONIGHT ... Extensive clearing and frosty in places, with calm winds, lows -2 to +4 C.

SUNDAY ... Sunny intervals, crisp and cool with highs 9-12 C. Light winds.

MONDAY-TUESDAY ... Little change, frosty nights, partly sunny days with slowly increasing higher cloud in west, and an onset of light to moderate southerly winds. Lows -2 to +4 C and highs 8 to 12 C.

WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY ... Cloudy, outbreaks of light rain becoming heavier by late Thursday, moderate south to southeast winds. Milder, lows 5-7 C and highs 10-13 C.

OUTLOOK ... It may become windy for a time on Friday with more rain, then this storm will die out as it pulls away to the northwest. Eventually, another dry and rather cool ridge will develop through the following weekend. In general this looks like a rather quiet weather pattern unless the Friday storm deepens enough to bring a brief shot of stronger winds.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Cool and dry for most in the eastern half of the U.S. and adjacent southeast Canada. Rain is pulling away from the Carolinas and southeast Virginia early today as a deep ocean storm develops well offshore. Further west, mild as far west as about North Dakota to eastern Colorado, with snow further west extending into south central and then eastern Saskatchewan. Cold in most of Alberta, B.C. and the Pacific northwest states. Highs inland only -3 to -6 C, near coast 6-10 C.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Friday 4th was a mostly sunny day with a chilly breeze, highs about 7 C. Frosty tonight.

M.T. Cranium · 06-11-2011 7:31am

Sunday, 6 November, 2011
_______________________________

TODAY ... Early fog and mist, some icy sections on rural roads as frost slowly dissipates ... much milder near west coast ... becoming mostly sunny but staying rather chilly especially in some central and northern counties where the inversion holds (warmer air trapped aloft) ... highs thus in a rather large range from 5-8 C inland to 10-13 C coastal. Light winds.

TONIGHT ... Another patchy but rather general frost developing, some lows of -4 to -2 C, but staying milder in cities and coastal areas (2-6 C). Extensive fog patches and some icy sections on roads.

MONDAY ... Sunny east, increasing cloud west, but some patchy dense fog or low cloud persisting ... highs 7-10 C.

TUESDAY ... Cloudy with some sunny intervals northeast, drizzle near south coast at times, morning lows -2 to +4 C, afternoon highs 8-11 C.

WEDNESDAY ... Cloudy, milder, periods of rain or drizzle, lows near 5 C and highs near 12 C.

THURSDAY ... Mostly cloudy, mild, some fog and drizzle or light rain, becoming rather windy (SSE 20-40 mph), lows near 7 C and highs near 13 C.

FRIDAY ... Windy, mild, periods of rain ... possibly very windy, but awaiting more model consensus on that ... lows 8-10 C and highs 13-15 C.

OUTLOOK ... It may stay rather mild with a slow trend back to a dry and clearing pattern that will allow overnight lows to fall back towards freezing, but that could take several days beyond this forecast period.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Systems are in slow motion now, so yesterday's outlook about the same as today's. Snow is moving gradually east from SK-MT to wMB-wND, but it is a rather wet snow as temperatures are just below freezing in a moderate northerly. Rather cold to the west of this storm although with little snow on ground, highs near freezing. Central states and western Great Lakes sunny and mild, highs 12-15 C north to 20-25 in the south. Eastern states sunny and cool, sharp frosts at night and highs in the range 7-10 C northeast U.S. to 10-15 C southeast, 15-20 C Florida.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Sunny intervals, cool, highs 6-8 C.

M.T. Cranium · 07-11-2011 7:59am

Monday, 7 November, 2011
_________________________________

TODAY ... Morning fog or mist should slowly give way to sunshine, but watch out for slippery roads due to lingering frost. Much milder near south and west coasts, slowly warming up elsewhere to reach highs of 8-10 C (12-14 C possible west and south coasts). Winds light to moderate southeast (south further west).

TONIGHT ... A few clear spots should remain over inland east and north, local frosts, but generally a bit milder tonight under increasing cloud, drizzle near south coast later. Lows -2 to +3 C north and east, to 4-7 C south and west.

TUESDAY ... Mostly cloudy, patchy light rain or drizzle, milder. Highs about 10 to 12 C. Winds moderate southeast to south.

WEDNESDAY ... Intervals of moderate rain, 10-15 mms possible, mild. Lows near 7 C and highs near 13 C. Winds SSE 20-40 mph.

THURSDAY ... Mostly cloudy, showery, mild. Breezy from south, lows near 8 and highs 12-15 C.

FRIDAY ... Windy and mild, periods of rain may become heavy in west, winds rising to SSE veering SSW 30-50 mph. Lows near 10 C and highs near 14 C.

WEEKEND OUTLOOK ... Mild, outbreaks of showery rain, possibly another interval of strong winds, lows near 8 C and highs near 14 C.

FURTHER OUTLOOK ... Very mild for part of next week, highs may be 15-17 C in many places. Gradual cooling trend after mid-week.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Mostly sunny and a bit milder now in eastern states, highs 12-15 C. Rain spreading northeast from Kansas and Missouri towards western Great Lakes, quite warm to south of this (17-20 C), cold with sleet or snow further north. Western states are quite cold with a weak disturbance moving through Utah and Arizona, highs are only 5-8 C in many places, but 15-20 C in the lower elevations of southern Arizona.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Sunny, cold on Sunday ... we are now back on standard time too.

M.T. Cranium · 08-11-2011 8:26am

Tuesday, 8 November, 2011
_________________________________

TODAY ... Mostly cloudy and milder ... there could be a few bright or even sunny intervals inland and east coast ... increasing chance of drizzle near south coast later ... winds picking up slightly to reach SE 15-25 mph ... highs about 12-13 C.

TONIGHT ... Intervals of drizzle, light rain and becoming foggy, mild ... lows around 7 C to near 10 C west and south coasts ... winds should remain steady SE 10-20 mph.

WEDNESDAY ... Periods of rain, mild, 10-15 mms rain potential. Moderate southeast to south winds 20-35 mph. Highs 12-14 C.

THURSDAY ... Cloudy with some brief sunny intervals, mild, showers in places but relatively dry, lows near 10 C and highs near 14 C. Winds SSE 10-20 mph before strengthening again by evening.

FRIDAY ... Windy and mild with rain, heavy at times (potential 15-30 mms) ... lows near 10 C and highs near 14 C ... winds SSE 30-50 mph (higher gusts possible) veering to SSW 35-55 mph near west coast.

SATURDAY ... Variable cloud, fog or drizzle in some coastal locations, lows near 9 C and highs near 13 C.

SUNDAY ... Cloudy, mild, periods of rain, windy at times. Lows near 10 C and highs near 14 C.

OUTLOOK ... It may become even a degree or two milder during the week before a slow cooling trend as winds turn more southeasterly then back further to east or northeast. Speculation on the forum about very mild weather at times, I can see some potential for 16-18 C but anything higher will take either a strong dose of sunshine or slightly warmer "uppers" than we see on the current charts.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Severe storms have broken out tonight in parts of Oklahoma and nearby states, and these will move through Missouri and Arkansas towards the Ohio and Tennessee valleys by late today. Very mild ahead of this front with highs 15-20 C in many places in the east-central and southeast states. Backing winds (SE to NE) across the Great Lakes will tend to keep it rainy and foggy with highs 7-12 C there. Snow on the north side of this disturbance will spread a cover of 10-20 cms into parts of the western Great Lakes and northern Ontario. Out west, rather cool and cloudy in most places although clearing in parts of Alberta.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Cloudy, light rain at times on Monday 7th, rather cool with highs about 8 C.

M.T. Cranium · 09-11-2011 8:12am

Wednesday, 9 November, 2011
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TODAY ... Mild with outbreaks of rain, generally organized into two bands, one now crossing north Leinster and Ulster, and a second band of showers approaching west Munster. There will be largely dry conditions for a time between the two, for central counties, which can expect rain this afternoon. Amounts will generally be 7-15 mms. Winds SE 20-40 mph rising to about 30-50 mph at times this afternoon, then veering more to SSW and falling back to about 20-40 mph by evening. Highs 13-15 C.

TONIGHT ... A few showers in north and east, then partial clearing spreading from west, mild with winds SSW backing to SSE 15-30 mph by morning, fog patches and some drizzle, lows near 8 C.

THURSDAY ... Variable cloud, some sunny intervals, slight risk of showers in south, winds moderate southerly until evening when rising to SSE 30-50 mph in the south. Highs 12-15 C.

FRIDAY ... Windy and mild with rain becoming heavy at times, 20-30 mms possible, winds SSE 30-50 mph with some higher gusts, lows near 10 C and highs near 14 C. Overnight the rain will taper off to fog and drizzle with winds veering to SSW 20-40 mph.

SATURDAY ... Foggy in some places then some mild sunny intervals, moderate southeast winds, lows near 7 C and highs 13-16 C.

SUNDAY ... Variable cloud, very mild, isolated showers mainly south and west. Winds moderate southeast. Lows near 7 C and highs 14-17 C.

MONDAY ... Continuing mild, mostly cloudy, some drizzle, lows near 8 C and highs near 15 C.

OUTLOOK ... A rather mild southeast flow should continue although the peak of the warm spell should be around Sunday-Monday and temperatures are likely to fall off to about 12-14 C through mid-week and could be back around 10-12 C late in the week (daytime, nights will be in the 3-6 C range with some scattered ground frost at times).

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Eastern states warm and dry, highs about 17-21 C for most ... further west from lower Great Lakes to Gulf of Mexico, outbreaks of rain or thundershowers, highs 15-18 C, rather chilly from west-central Canada south towards Kansas and Oklahoma, dry and cloudy, highs around 5 C on average, and rain on west coast. Severe snow and blowing snow in western Alaska.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Mostly cloudy with drizzle at times, 8-10 C.

M.T. Cranium · 10-11-2011 8:23am

Thursday, 10 November, 2011
____________________________________

The Moon is full -- at 2017h GMT to be precise -- and at that time will be located just above the cone of the earth's shadow in space so no eclipse this month.

TODAY ... Mostly cloudy and mild with some brighter or even sunny intervals mainly in eastern counties ... showers moving north across west Munster towards Connacht later, trace to 2 mms for most of these regions ... moderate southeast winds 15-25 mph ... highs 12-14 C.

TONIGHT ... Breezy to windy with rain edging into west Munster and by daybreak into parts of Connacht and east Munster ... 5-10 mms in these regions ... winds SE 30-50 mph by morning ... very mild, lows 9-12 C.

FRIDAY ... Windy with outbreaks of heavy rain, 10-30 mms with heaviest falls south central moving towards east Connacht and west Ulster ... winds SE veering SSW 35-55 mph, some higher gusts possible near coasts ... mild with highs 13-15 C. Overnight, winds diminishing to SW 20-40 mph and rain tapering to drizzle and fog.

SATURDAY ... Morning showers, some persistent drizzle in western counties but eventually brightening to partly cloudy in most places by mid-day, mild, lows near 9 C and highs near 14 C.

SUNDAY ... Partly cloudy, some warm sunny intervals possible, very mild, moderate southeast winds, can't rule out coastal fog or drizzle but should be an unseasonably warm day in many places ... lows near 8 C and highs 14-18.

MONDAY ... Variable cloud, very mild, isolated showers (mainly very light), lows near 8 C and highs near 15 C.

OUTLOOK ... The flow will remain moderate southeast backing slowly to east and perhaps northeast, therefore temperatures will decline gradually, reaching seasonal normals later in the week (highs 9-12 C); nights will generally be cooler than recently but above freezing. Some light frosts are however possible.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... The mild spell is being slowly pushed off the eastern seaboard as the Great Lakes low, albeit weakening, forms a trough with the tropical storm (Sean) approaching from the south ... this combination will then move into eastern Canada on Friday and Saturday. New England and parts of eastern Canada will hold on to mild, dry weather today with highs 15-18 C, while sporadic rain will spread through Ontario and New York and southward, although this will be on the light side for most, as temperatures there fall from morning highs near 14 C to afternoon readings near 7 C. Somewhat cooler than normal in most of the United States west of this front with the exception of a few parts of southern Arizona and California getting a warm southeast return flow around a massive, sprawling high over Colorado. This pattern brings cool, dry weather to most of the central U.S. and western Canada, although not exceptionally cold (highs 4-8 C for most, sharp frosts at night), 15-25 C in the far southwest U.S. ... meanwhile, the west coast north of San Fran is showery, nothing very strong for this time of year, while western Alaska digs out from a strong blizzard that saw winds as strong as 80 mph in places yesterday ... the trend there is to much colder weather building east from Siberia, the first onslaught of full winter, which so far has stayed away from almost all populated areas of Canada making for a prolonged fall season even in the northern parts of the prairies.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Cloudy, dry until some very light rain around early evening, moderate southeast winds ... milder with highs near 12 C on Wednesday ... little change expected today.

M.T. Cranium · 11-11-2011 8:59am

Friday, 11 November, 2011
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TODAY ... Moderate to heavy rain spreading gradually north but heavier from central Munster north towards east Galway/Mayo and west Ulster. Before rain arrives, mostly cloudy with rising southeast winds ... during the rain, winds SE 30-50 mph ... partial clearing will follow into west Munster and some isolated weak thundershowers could develop by afternoon there ... rainfall amounts today 15-30 mms, highs 13-15 C. Winds veering more to SSW after the rain, and dropping off to 20-40 mph.

TONIGHT ... Rain becoming showery then tapering off to drizzle, fog. Mild. Lows near 10 C. Winds SSW 15-30 mph.

SATURDAY ... Mostly cloudy with some brighter intervals, drizzle or light rain ending for a while then redeveloping late in the day with 3-7 mms on average, moderate southerly winds and highs near 14 C.

SUNDAY ... Showers ending except in parts of Ulster, brighter with some sunny intervals inland southeast, very mild or warm with lows near 9 C and highs near 16 C but possibly as high as 18 C around Kildare, Carlow and Laois. Isolated showers mainly west and north. Moderate SE winds.

MONDAY ... Variable cloud, possible showers near south coast spreading into western counties later, dry further east, mild or very mild, lows near 9 C and highs near 16 C. Moderate SE winds.

TUESDAY to THURSDAY ... A gradual cooling trend with mostly cloudy skies, some brighter intervals and occasionally sunny east and north, drizzle at times near south coast, winds southeast backing to east, 10-20 mph. Daytime highs will sag slowly from about 14 to about 10 C. Rather mild at night for time of year, lows 3-7 C, but chance of ground frost anywhere that happens to clear.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Tropical storm Sean has moved past Bermuda and will rapidly accelerate north to become merged into an elongated north-south frontal trough in eastern Canada. The remnants of the tropical storm will be pulled across Newfoundland in a general southerly gale with heavy rainfalls to 100 mms in places. Further west, the northeast states and Quebec, Ontario are dry and cloudy except for isolated showers. Temperatures will be near 17 C in parts of far eastern Canada but 10-12 C further west. Into the central U.S. a milder southwest flow is developing with some chinook warming in the western plains and prairies. Highs will be well into the teens. Coastal BC and parts of the Pacific northwest will see increasing cloud followed by rain. But it is warm and dry in the desert southwest where highs could reach 25 C in places in an easterly "Santa Ana breeze."

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Thursday 10th was sunny and mild with a high of about 14 C. The evening was very pleasant with the full moon and Jupiter dominating a mostly clear sky with patchy alto-cumulus.

11-11-11

M.T. Cranium · 12-11-2011 8:22am

Saturday, 12 November, 2011
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TODAY ... Cloudy with some bright or sunny intervals more frequent in the east, with a few remnant light showers at times in the west, becoming more of a steady light rain by evening (potential 3-6 mms). Very mild with moderate SSE winds 15-25 mph, highs 13-15 C.

TONIGHT ... Occasional light rain, mostly across central to western counties spreading to northern counties later, 3-6 mms, mild in south to southeast winds, lows 8-10 C.

SUNDAY ... Variable cloud, northern showers dying out, very mild or even warm in the southeast, highs 15-18 C in southeast breezes 15-25 mph.

MONDAY ... Partly cloudy east to overcast west, very mild, some outbreaks of light rain later, winds continuing moderate SE and temperatures between 10 and 14 C.

TUESDAY ... Some sunny intervals, more cloud south and west with risk of showers, not quite as mild, winds ESE 10-20 mph, lows near 6 C and highs near 12 C.

OUTLOOK ... A slow-moving trough will push back from the west and end the very mild, largely dry spell in all areas, bringing outbreaks of rain that could become heavy by about Thursday. Temperatures will continue rather mild but closer to seasonal normals, highs of 9-12 C. Models diverge past next weekend but there appears to be some chance of a turn to stormy weather if the European model wins the contest.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Strong southerly winds and rain across Newfoundland with highs 14-17 C, but turning colder in westerly winds further west, with a secondary disturbance tracking southeast across the Great Lakes bringing chilly showers followed by sleety flurries there, highs no better than 7-9 C. To the south, a seasonably mild cloudy westerly flow across most of the eastern states away from the Great Lakes. Mild in central regions as far north as the central Canadian prairie provinces, well above freezing to that frontal zone, but below freezing to the north in a light to moderate northeast cloudy flow ahead of arctic high pressure well to the north. Showery (snow in mountains) and cool near west coast, and another big storm heading into Alaska, this one making more progress east (the last one is actually now heading due west to the north of Siberia). It continues warm and dry in most of the southwest states.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... An active day, the morning was cloudy with showers, at about 1 p.m. a strong cold front blasted through with hail and some thunder, then winds became gale force (gusting to 60 mph at the airport) causing tree damage, ferry cancellations, and mountain highway closures due to near-blizzard conditions. The temperatures here at sea level dropped from about 12 C in the morning to 6 C by afternoon and now it's quite close to freezing with sleety showers around. Winds have died down considerably.

M.T. Cranium · 13-11-2011 8:13am

Sunday, 13 November, 2011
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TODAY ... Mostly cloudy and very mild, especially warm in the inland south and east where a foehn effect could add a degree or two, as could any sunny breaks ... highs 15-17 C in general, and possibly 18-19 C in a few spots ... Kerry may see occasional rain (3-7 mms) and possibly nearby west Cork at times a shower or two, but this activity should then head up the west coast mainly offshore. A brief shower can't be ruled out in other places but it should be mainly a dry day, very pleasant for the time of year. Winds should remain SE 15-30 mph with some higher gusts. Look for the warmest readings around Kildare, Laois and Carlow as well as north Kerry, and possibly a few places in between.

TONIGHT ... Further light rain in the west, spreading a bit further east, cloudy and very mild elsewhere, SE breezes, lows near 10 C.

MONDAY ... Variable cloud, some showers in the south and west, mild or very mild, winds SE 15-30 mph, highs 14-17 C.

TUESDAY ... Some rain near south and west coasts at times, brighter or even sunny at times further north, cloudy near east coast, a bit cooler in east to southeast winds, lows near 6 C and highs near 12 C.

WEDNESDAY ... Cloudy, rain spreading across southwest and then further towards central counties, southeast winds 20-35 mph, lows near 6 C and highs near 11 C. Potential for 5-10 mms rain.

THURSDAY ... Rain may become heavier, showery in Ulster but steady most other places, winds SE 15-30 mph, lows near 8 C and highs near 11 C. Becoming foggy over hills. Rainfall potential of about 15-30 mms.

FRIDAY ... Cloudy, showers, winds turning more southerly, lows near 6 C and highs near 11 C.

OUTLOOK ... Slightly cooler at night by next weekend but temperatures still staying close to seasonal normals, eventually strong winds from west seem likely as jet stream recombines from this week's split flow.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Eastern regions generally fair and mild except in far eastern Canada which sees rain ending and strong westerly winds. For most, however, the pleasant autumn weather associated with high pressure near Virginia will bring highs 14-18 C after a chilly start. This warmth will be more pronounced in parts of the central states with a stronger southwest wind ahead of a strong cold front now leaving the Rockies for the high plains. Those regions will see an interval of sleet or snow followed by sub-freezing and briefly windy weather. The western coastal regions north of central California are generally overcast with outbreaks of low-elevation rain and mountain sleet or snow in a chilly WNW flow.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Overcast, chilly, periods of rain (snow on higher ground nearby), high of only 6 C on Saturday. Rather windy from west.

M.T. Cranium · 14-11-2011 7:38am

Monday, 14 November, 2011
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TODAY ... Variable cloud, some light showers in the south and west, trace to 2 mms, mild or very mild, winds SE 15-30 mph, highs 13-17 C.

TONIGHT ... Cloudy with some clear intervals, light showers may continue in parts of southwest, lows 6-9 C.

TUESDAY ... Some rain near south and west coasts at times, brighter or even sunny at times further north, cloudy near east coast, a bit cooler in east to southeast winds, highs near 12 C.

WEDNESDAY ... Cloudy, rain spreading across southwest and then further towards central counties, southeast winds 20-35 mph, lows near 6 C and highs near 11 C. Potential for 5-10 mms rain.

THURSDAY ... Rain may become heavier, showery in Ulster but steady most other places, winds SE 15-30 mph, lows near 8 C and highs near 11 C. Becoming foggy over hills. Rainfall potential of about 15-30 mms.

FRIDAY ... Cloudy, showers, winds turning more southerly, lows near 6 C and highs near 11 C.

FURTHER OUTLOOK ... Cloudy, mild in southwest flow, some rain at times.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... The mild spell should continue across most of the eastern U.S. with highs 15-20 C in southwest winds. Rain will spread north from the Gulf coast towards the Tennessee valley and also across the lower Great Lakes, where it will be around 12-14 C. Further west, considerably colder behind these fronts, although not below seasonal normals in most cases, cloudy and 7-10 C. West is unsettled and showery, milder in a westerly flow.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Cloudy with a few showers, milder with highs around 10 C on Sunday.

M.T. Cranium · 15-11-2011 7:52am

Tuesday, 15 November, 2011
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TODAY ... Mostly cloudy with some brighter intervals in places, largely dry, chance of some drizzle mid-day near southeast coast and risk of an isolated shower in west ... not quite as mild as recent days, highs 11-13 C in a moderate ESE breeze 15-25 mph.

TONIGHT ... Mostly cloudy, the odd clear break in Ulster and Leinster, showers gradually developing over southwest, lows 6-8 C.

WEDNESDAY ... Cloudy with a few brighter intervals, periods of light rain developing with some embedded heavier showers, local rainfalls 5-10 mms although these mostly in central counties ... winds veering to SSW 10-20 mph and mild(ish) at about 12-14 C.

THURSDAY ... Periods of rain developing, 10-20 mms likely, lows near 7 C and highs near 13 C. Moderate S-SW winds.

FRIDAY ... Showers continuing, some brighter intervals too, lows near 6 C and highs near 12 C in south to southwest breezes. Some of the showers could contain a bit of soft hail.

SATURDAY - SUNDAY ... Another rather mild weekend coming up, with perhaps only light to moderate rainfalls for most areas although it could become a steady downpour in parts of the northwest. Winds SSW 20-30 mph and generally rather mild, highs around 12-13 C.

OUTLOOK ... The pattern looks likely to stay mild but becoming increasingly windy and unsettled through the following week. With North America seeing a cooling trend the set-up is not conducive for European blocking or northerly developments for a while yet, would now say that anything truly wintry is at least ten days to two weeks away.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... The eastern mild spell will end today as showers and some thundershowers roll through the large cities, ending a spell with highs around 20 C. This front is followed by a narrow slot of cloudy but seasonably mild weather that precedes an arctic front through the central Great Lakes, so those areas will start dry and see later showers turning to a mixture of rain and wet snow in places. That front brings in sub-freezing air that is already widespread in western to central Canada and the northern plains states -- sunny skies in places, but highs only -2 or lower in this region. Finally, west coast rather chilly for mid-November, some clear skies to start before cloud and rain head in later, mountain and hill snows, highs only around 5-7 C at best. The southwest remains warmer, however.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Monday was a generally sunny day with brisk westerly winds and large patches of higher cloud that was more altostratus than cirrus, highs about 6 C and winds gusting to 50 km/hr at times. Expecting about the same until evening today then a stormy day on Wednesday with heavy rain and snow down to 300m.

M.T. Cranium · 16-11-2011 7:57am

Wednesday, 16 November, 2011
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TODAY ... Mostly cloudy, although parts of Ulster and north Leinster could see brighter intervals this morning. Light rain at first in southwest, spreading northeast and becoming moderate to heavy at times, amounts by evening should be generally 5-10 mms south and west, 10-15 mms southeast, east, and 5-10 mms northeast due to a later start. Moderate south winds and some fog, highs 11-13 C.

TONIGHT ... Rain heaviest in Ulster with other regions seeing the rain ending as drizzle or fog, mist patches, with a few additional showers developing later in the south and west ... a further 5-10 mms in places ... lows near 8 C.

THURSDAY ... Cloudy, intervals of rain (10-20 mms on average), some fog, mild ... highs near 13 C.

FRIDAY ... Cloudy with showers, lows near 7 C and highs near 12 C.

SATURDAY ... Variable cloud, isolated showers, some with soft hail, a few sunny intervals developing, lows near 5 C and highs near 11 C.

SUNDAY ... Clear intervals early morning, lows -1 to +4 C, then increasing cloud, rain spreading into west, milder again, southerly winds, highs 10-13 C.

MONDAY ... Breezy and mild with rain at times. Lows near 6 C and highs near 12 C.

FURTHER OUTLOOK ... Breezy to windy, showery, mild but possibly turning colder late next week.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Mild air is hanging on early today near the east coast but will end with showers and westerly to northwest winds later, as temperatures fall from near 15 C to about 7 C later. Cold in many parts of the Great Lakes, central states, and west-central Canada, some places getting light snow, others mainly sunny, but generally near or below freezing daytime, and as cold as -7 to -10 C at night. The west coast will be slammed later today by strong winds and heavy rains near sea level, heavy snows in the mountains, from a rapidly moving Pacific storm. Winds on outer Vancouver Island could reach 80-100 knots in places.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Tuesday was sunny and cool, with a strong westerly breeze and highs of about 6 C. Clouding over now, with a storm on the way (mixed rain and sleet or snow on Wednesday especially late in the day, rising east winds turning southeast gale force).

M.T. Cranium · 16-11-2011 6:02pm

UPDATE _ Wed 16 Nov 2011 _ 5 p.m.
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Rainfall potential in eastern counties now upgraded to 15-30 mms with spot flooding possible ... then for tomorrow, upgrading to an alert ...

ALERT for heavy rainfalls Thursday in Munster and Connacht, with potential for 30-60 mms causing flooding and some road travel disruptions due to mudslides (most likely in Kerry), this rain likely to be more moderate further east (15-30 mms).

Friday may also bring a period of heavier rainfalls in the 20-30 mm range.

M.T. Cranium · 17-11-2011 8:32am

Thursday, 17 November, 2011
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TODAY ... ALERT continued for locally heavy rainfall ... Munster and Connacht will see as much as 30-50 mms of rain during the next 12 hours with local spot flooding and risk of mudslides, particularly in Kerry ... not as wet elsewhere with 10-25 mms starting mid-morning to early afternoon ... winds picking up to SSE 20-40 mph with some gusts to near 50 mph in south coastal regions ... mild with some fog over hills, highs near 14 C.

TONIGHT ... Rainfall ending for a while, but starting up again in the southwest with further heavy falls likely ... 10-30 mms could be added by daybreak there, otherwise 3-7 mms ... mild, foggy, southerly breezes of about 15-25 mph, and lows only 10-12 C.

FRIDAY ... Further heavy rain possible in the west, 20-40 mms, possible severe flooding or mudslides from the cumulative effects of two days of heavy rain and runoff ... mainly cloudy and showery central and partly cloudy at times, showers for the east ... very mild especially east, highs about 15 C in southerly winds of 20-30 mph.

SATURDAY ... Showers ending gradually from west to east, 10-20 mms added to totals, flooding may continue in some parts, lows near 7 C and highs near 12 C. Hazy sunshine developing by later in the day across the west but scattered light showers with some hail possible.

SUNDAY ... After a rather chilly night with fog patches and clear intervals, lows near 2 C, the day will become cloudy and rain may return to the far west eventually, lighter winds, highs 10-12 C.

MONDAY ... Yet another possible heavy rainfall in southerly winds, highs near 13 C. This system looks capable of bringing another 20-30 mms lasting into part of TUESDAY then a dry, breezy and mild pattern follows although it could turn a bit colder.

FURTHER OUTLOOK ... Some of the longer range maps look quite dramatic with very cold air massing to the north and helping to create a large vortex near Scotland, but this could be a bit overdone, certainly a subject of interest on the forums as we get closer to December.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... East coast showers ending, turning much colder through the day on westerly winds, highs near 10 C in the early morning. Great Lakes will feature heavy snow squalls off Lakes Huron and Michigan mainly, some from the lower lakes as well but heaviest amounts well north of Toronto (20-40 cms possible locally) as temperatures fail to rise much above freezing. Even colder to the west thanks to an arctic high that has ridged southeast from Yukon into Saskatchewan (SK) and the Dakotas ... dry and cold with that ridge, but snow into Alberta, Montana and interior parts of British Columbia and Washington. Mild with rain for the early morning hours near the coast, then windy and squally with much colder air wrapping around a coastal low that is going to reappear by afternoon in Wyoming inducing a strong chinook downsloping wind in Colorado where gusts to 80 mph can be expected later today with highs near 17 C in Denver, compared to -7 C in Calgary further north. Warm and dry across the southwest, highs into the 20s.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Wednesday morning was cold with rain and sleet, east winds, the late afternoon and evening saw milder air for a few hours, light rain and a high of about 10 C just a short time ago ... the cold front is just about here and it may get very windy with squally mixed showers quite soon.

M.T. Cranium · 18-11-2011 8:01am

Friday, 18 November, 2011
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TODAY ... Mild with rain, heavier and more persistent in western counties, amounts varying from 25 mms west coast to perhaps 5 mms east coast, southerly winds 20-30 mph, highs 14-16 C. Foggy at times in west.

TONIGHT ... Light rain continuing, 2-5 mms further, mild, foggy. Lows near 9 or 10 C.

SATURDAY ... Light rain becoming more showery, brighter by afternoon in south-central counties, showers then splitting more into two batches on east and west coasts, not as windy, highs 11-13 C.

SUNDAY ... Morning clear intervals, colder overnight with lows 2-5 C, then increasing cloud, rain returning to west by evening. Highs 11-13 C.

MONDAY ... Variable cloud, showers east, periods of rain at times west, mild, southerly winds 20-40 mph, lows near 7 C and highs near 13 C.

TUESDAY ... Rain or showers, mild. Highs near 13 C.

OUTLOOK ... Breezy, mild but turning somewhat colder, timing rather uncertain, seems most likely to be around Friday 25th.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Snow (10-20 cms) spreading east across southern prairies and northern plains, very cold (-10 C or below) as arctic air masses over the northwestern parts of Canada and Alaska. A secondary weak snowfall event is moving through southern B.C. and mountains of Washington state, 2-5 cms. Further south in the central plains states, much warmer in southwest winds, highs 16-20 C ... this milder air will slowly spread into the Great Lakes and Ohio valley regions ... staying cold today before warming tonight across the northeast states and New England, a few light flurries but mainly dry if cloudy. Windy and cold in eastern Canada.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... It was a very cold day with a high of only 2-3 C, light rain or sleet turning to snow giving us our first covering (1-2 cms) by about 7-8 p.m. ... now just drizzling and 1 deg C. More snow expected overnight and Friday (2-5 cms?) ... warming trend after a cold day Saturday.

M.T. Cranium · 19-11-2011 7:56am

Saturday, 19 November, 2011
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TODAY ... A north-south band of heavy and showery rains will continue to move slowly east from central regions this morning towards eastern counties by mid-day to afternoon, but the intensity may begin to fade at that point, so expect rainfalls of 10-20 mms central with 7-15 mms eastern counties later. A secondary and less organized batch of showers is likely to spread into western counties and give 3-6 mms there on average with some sunny breaks in the mix. This slightly improved pattern will spread slowly east during the afternoon. Highs in most places will be 12-14 C. Some hail and thunder is possible around mid-day with the heavier showers. Winds will be rather light to moderate southerly veering somewhat at random to a more westerly direction towards the west coast.

TONIGHT ... Widespread fog likely with partly cloudy skies, some further showers or light rain in east coastal counties, a bit colder especially for inland west, lows generally in the range of 5-10 C but possibly a bit colder in a few locations.

SUNDAY ... Variable cloud, further outbreaks of light rain mainly in western counties, moderate southerly winds, foggy over some higher terrain, highs around 11-13 C.

MONDAY ... Outbreaks of heavier rain moving from central to eastern counties with a slow clearing trend to follow in the west, although misty to foggy in some parts, still on the mild side until well after sunset, highs around 11 or 12 C.

TUESDAY ... A rather cold start in some places with overnight clearing skies and lows -1 to +3 C ... clouding up rapidly and another batch of rain later in the day ... highs 9-11 C.

WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY ... Mild with showers or periods of rain in a southwest wind, highs around 12 C.

OUTLOOK ... The models continue to explore various paces for a cooling trend that seems likely to set in later in the month but there are also some indications that mild southwesterly winds will try to continue to dominate until the bitter end, so to speak ... the 16-day GFS has an interesting depiction of an arctic outbreak and possible snow for Ireland on 4 December or thereabouts, so watch for any development of that theme in more reliable time frames (right now it's about as likely as my lottery numbers winning the jackpot, or even yours).

WEEKEND OUTLOOK FOR NORTH AMERICA -- Just briefly, much of the continent is being plunged into the deep freeze except for portions of the U.S. east of about a Minnesota to Texas line, and this deep freeze is on top of fresh snow that fell today in parts of the northern plains and eastern prairies. The older cold outbreak is now well to the east with a mild wedge in between, bringing 15-20 C temperatures to parts of the lower Great Lakes and Ohio valley, and eventually also to the larger cities of the northeast which may be 10-15 C today. West coast remains chilly for time of year with mixed sleety showers around.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Friday was a day of slow-moving showers of sleet or snow pellets, not much accumulation on top of last night's 2-3 cms snow, some of which melted or settled into the ground despite a chilly high of 4 C. Some patches of blue sky around, but the sun never seemed to find them. Also some heavier showers off to the southeast that looked capable of dropping heavier amounts of snow on any hills. Not very windy but a northwest flow aloft.

M.T. Cranium · 20-11-2011 7:49am

Sunday, 20 November, 2011
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TODAY ... A break from the rain, and perhaps even some sunshine, before clouds begin to increase later ... some showers possible in southeast by afternoon ... mild again, 12-14 C.

TONIGHT ... Foggy or misty, rain developing more widely and 5-10 mms is likely for most ... lows near 8 C.

MONDAY ... Periods of rain, 10-20 mms, foggy ... some gradual clearing in west late afternoon ... highs 11-13 C.

TUESDAY ... A cold start, lows -1 to +3 C, with clear intervals, then partly cloudy, rather cool, highs 8-10 C.

WEDNESDAY ... Cloudy, showers, winds increasing SSW 20-30 mph. Lows near 5 C and highs near 12 C.

THURSDAY ... Windy (perhaps very windy for Connacht) with showers, squally at times with hail, winds SW 35-55 mph (possibly stronger gusts). Lows near 5 C and highs near 12 C.

OUTLOOK ... Partly cloudy and breezy on Friday then another windy frontal system for Saturday, some charts show this being quite intense (especially the GFS). Something to watch, and the stronger it becomes, the colder it could turn afterwards.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... The cold air mass has pushed a little further east and south and has really taken hold over western Canada where temperatures are generally -20 to -30 C this morning; despite sunshine it will only climb to about -15 C later. Not quite that cold around the margins of the cold air from coastal B.C. southeast to Kansas then northeast to Lake Michigan, but sub-freezing with outbreaks of snow in a frontal zone. Much milder to south of Lake Superior with highs around 17-21 C in a southerly flow today. The front lacks severe storm potential due to waves that turn the wind from SW to NNE.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Saturday was sunny and quite chilly, the high was only about 3-4 C, and tonight it is clear and about -2 C even in the city, probably about -7 C in rural areas further east; expecting sleet or snow on Sunday afternoon and evening, after which we should be back to milder Pacific air for a while (but only locally).

M.T. Cranium · 21-11-2011 8:25am

Monday, 21 November, 2011
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TODAY ... Continuing mild with outbreaks of rain, 5-10 mms on average, probably heaviest from south-central counties northeast towards north Leinster ... foggy or misty at times, but also some brighter intervals away from the more persistent rain ... highs 12-14 C.

TONIGHT ... Clear intervals, fog or mist becoming widespread, icy patches developing on roads towards morning in central counties as lows fall to about -1 C there, lows generally below 4 C.

TUESDAY ... Bright to start with some frost and localized fog, partly cloudy to overcast by late in the day, probably dry for most ... somewhat chilly with highs 8-10 C.

WEDNESDAY ... Another cold start in the southeast due to partly clear skies there, overcast across the northwest with rain to follow ... milder in general in a moderate southerly flow ... lows 2-7 C and highs 10-13 C.

THURSDAY ... Windy with squally showers developing, winds SSW 35-55 mph with some higher gusts possible in Connacht, west Munster ... lows near 7 C and highs near 11 C. Some thunder and hail by evening, turning much colder in west.

FRIDAY ... Continuing rather windy and turning colder, sleety showers or hail likely, winds WSW 30-50 mph, lows near 4 C and highs near 8 C.

OUTLOOK ... Continued breezy to windy, turning milder again for much of the weekend ... earlier forecast maps were showing some very cold days beyond Sunday 27th, but the most recent guidance is backing away from that for the time being ... could return to play at some point though.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Basically, almost all regions have turned very cold with the northeast U.S. coastal cities seeing the last of milder conditions in the early morning hours, and soon they will join just about all other parts of the U.S. in a cold, wintry air mass with local outbreaks of snow but mainly dry conditions almost coast to coast, highs well below freezing across the north and below normal in the south too. Western Canada is particularly cold with readings near -30 C early morning to -15 C mid-day. Snow is moving inland now across British Columbia, it should turn to sleet and then rain along the outer coast and around Vancouver and also in northwest Washington state. Meanwhile, the southwest U.S. is closer to normal and therefore a lot warmer than most other places, 15-20 C by day.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Sunday was cloudy and cold, barely above freezing at mid-afternoon ... snow will start falling soon by the looks of radar although it is probably falling now and evaporating into the dry air here. Not expecting too much before a change to sleet and rain on Monday.

M.T. Cranium · 22-11-2011 8:26am

Tuesday, 22 November, 2011
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TODAY ... Some local frost and mist or fog patches, slippery roads in central counties this morning, giving way to pleasant intervals of sun with patchy low cloud, highs around 8-10 C. Becoming a little more breezy by afternoon, westerly backing to southwest 15-30 mph.

TONIGHT ... Intervals of light rain or drizzle, fog in northwest, but staying at least partly clear in southeast, leading to a wide range of temperatures from near 9 C in northwest, to almost frosty conditions inland southeast. Temperatures likely to rise in south and east towards morning due to cloud and stronger winds.

WEDNESDAY ... Variable cloud at first in southeast, otherwise overcast with rain slowly extending further inland from coastal Connacht, winds picking up to reach SSW 20-40 mph, highs near 11 C. Rainfalls of 10-20 mms northwest.

THURSDAY ... Windy with squally showers developing later in the day, some hail and thunder likely, winds SSW 35-55 mph (45-65 in Mayo, Donegal) ... lows around 7 C and highs 10-12 C.

FRIDAY ... Continued rather windy and turning colder, squally showers may include sleet or snow on northern hills, winds WSW 25-40 mph, lows near 4 C and highs near 9 C.

SATURDAY ... Cloudy, mild, periods of rain, winds SW 30-50 mph, lows near 7 and highs near 12 C.

SUNDAY ... Variable cloud, breezy, cooler again, lows near 4 C and highs near 9 C.

OUTLOOK ... Increasing chance of somewhat wintry weather at times as we move into early December, temperatures likely to remain at or slightly below normal during the week of 28 Nov to 4 Dec. This means that some snow or hail is possible although no indications of anything very heavy or organized.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... The widespread cold is relenting gradually and the core of the arctic air has been pushed back by two disturbances, one moving across the Rockies bringing milder air to the southern prairies and northern plains, and another moving out of TX/OK towards the central plains states, with heavy rains and severe storms for Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and later moving into w KY/TN and MS. With highs near 27 C to the east of this front, it will be unseasonably warm in the southeast. Warming up gradually in the northeast U.S. where it's still rather cold this morning.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Monday started cold enough for 1-2 cms of snow, but that changed to sleet and rain as temperatures eventually hit highs near 10 C by evening.

M.T. Cranium · 23-11-2011 7:53am

Wednesday, 23 November, 2011
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TODAY ... Breezy and mild with outbreaks of rain for the west and north, staying dry in some parts of east and south ... winds increasing to SSW 25-40 mph with some higher gusts near west coast ... rainfall amounts 5-15 mms in west and north ... highs 12-14 C.

TONIGHT ... Further rain mostly west and north, mild, winds SSW 20-40 mph, lows only falling slightly to 9-11 C.

THURSDAY ... Breezy (windy for Connacht) with rain at times, becoming more squally late in day, winds SW 30-50 mph (40-60 mph coastal Mayo and Donegal) ... the full effects of this storm will be 200-300 miles offshore towards outer Donegal Bay (60-80 mph winds) ... highs 11-13 C ... rainfall amounts generally 5-15 mms.

FRIDAY ... Early morning squally showers and gusty winds, followed by variable cloud, a few more showers but becoming more isolated as winds drop off gradually, WSW 30-50 mph morning hours ... lows near 5 C and highs near 9 C north, 11 C south ... some sleet or hail, thunder possible especially early morning hours.

SATURDAY ... Windy and milder, lows near 7 C and highs near 13 C ... rain at times, heavy in north.

SUNDAY ... Partly cloudy, not as windy, cooler, lows near 4 C and highs near 9 C.

OUTLOOK ... At least breezy if not windy for much of the week, with frequent showers, temperatures near normal or possibly a touch below, but snow appears unlikely except perhaps on highest terrain.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Milder across most parts of central U.S. and southern prairies of Canada as Pacific air moves in on strong southwest winds, temperatures well above normal (7-15 C). Rain moving through the lower Great Lakes and northeast U.S. but warmer air confined to states south of Washington DC, 20-25 C there, more like 12-14 C in the larger cities of the northeast with occasional rain.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Tuesday started very windy (early morning gusts to about 60 mph locally from south, some minor damage) and temperatures peaked at about 12 C at 0800h then fell slowly to present levels near 7 C with frequent light rain sometimes heavier in showers. Winds have dropped off to southwest 20-30 mph.

M.T. Cranium · 24-11-2011 8:45am

Thursday, 24 November, 2011
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New moon is on Friday morning (0611 GMT) and this will mean that high tides on the west coast tonight or Friday morning would be locally running almost a metre above normal spring tides due to the strong winds. This new moon will be accompanied by a nearly total eclipse in some parts of the southern hemisphere.

TODAY ... Breezy and mild, becoming windy near the west coast as rain moves in, but staying dry further east until late afternoon ... potential for 10 to 25 mms rain in western counties ... winds increasing to SSW 30-50 mph with 40-60 mph outer west coast ... highs 13-14 C.

TONIGHT ... Windy, squally showers developing, possible hail or thunder in north, winds veering to WSW 30-50 mph, lows near 5 C west to 9 C east. Rainfall likely 5-10 mms on average.

FRIDAY ... Variable cloud, some squally showers especially across northern half, hail or thunder, sleet or snow on higher summits, colder in westerly winds 25-45 mph ... highs 7-10 C.

SATURDAY ... Windy and milder again, becoming very windy in Connacht and Ulster by evening ... winds SW 30-50 mph increasing to 45-70 mph late in the day ... rain arriving mid-day west to late evening southeast. Morning lows near 4 C and highs near 12 C.

SUNDAY ... Windy at first, then strong winds abating as squally showers pull away to east, partly cloudy by afternoon ... lows near 4 C and highs near 8C.

MONDAY ... Windy and rather mild again with showers, lows near 5 C and highs near 11 C.

OUTLOOK ... More intervals of showers and strong winds, but staying just mild enough to make most of the showers rain rather than sleet or snow. However, snow looks to be about 30-50 per cent possible during the week at some point, even if briefly and mainly melting on contact.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Very mild now in most regions with the exception of far eastern Canada where rain/snow mix will continue today with strong northerly winds. Otherwise, many places in the above normal temperature regime that is centered on Missouri to Indiana where it could reach 20 C today (Thanksgiving Day in the U.S.) ... mild across western Canada also, but becoming very windy coastal BC and Washington.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Wednesday was mostly cloudy with some light rain at times, highs near 8 C. Preparing for very strong winds here later Thursday.

M.T. Cranium · 25-11-2011 7:51am

Friday, 25 November, 2011
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TODAY ... Blustery and colder with scattered heavy showers with some hail and thunder, these showers more frequent in Connacht, Ulster and north Leinster and also during the morning. Winds westerly 30-50 mph at first, although 40-60 mph in northwest counties, but afternoon should see somewhat less windy conditions with highs of 8-10 C ... rainfalls generally about 2-5 mms but locally could exceed 10 mms ... sleet or snow showers possible on high terrain.

TONIGHT ... Breezy with temperatures steady around 4-6 C but tending to rise in west as winds back to southerly. Mainly dry, isolated showers in north.

SATURDAY ... Variable cloud with more sunny breaks possible in southeast, generally overcast by mid-day with strong SSW winds developing 35-55 mph, milder, highs 11-13 C ... some rain pushing into west later, becoming heavy and squally by evening.

SATURDAY NIGHT ... Windy to stormy conditions, SW 45-65 mph, squally showers, some with hail and thunder ... lows near 6 C.

SUNDAY ... Variable cloud, showers ending, winds diminishing during the late morning, then fairly pleasant by afternoon, highs 7-10 C.

MONDAY ... Partly cloudy to overcast, rain late in the day, winds increasing again from southwest, reaching 35-55 mph by evening. Lows near 5 C and highs near 10 C.

TUESDAY ... Overcast, windy, showers. Lows near 4 C and highs near 9 C.

OUTLOOK ... Computer models are somewhat divided on the evolution later in the week and there are some indications of much colder air mixing in to provide a raw, almost wintry feel as well as the potential for some wet snow or hail mixing with rain. However, it may turn out a little more bland than that, so stay tuned.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Continuing very mild in most parts of the U.S. especially eastern half where highs will reach 20 C in many places on "black Friday" which has the reputation for being the busiest shopping day of the year due to the four-day holiday. Showers developing in the central plains states and rather windy across most of western Canada as a slightly cooler air mass pushes in from the west, however it will remain above freezing well north of the U.S. border.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Thursday was windy and showery with a rather cold east to southeast wind reaching gusts of 40 mph ... highs 6-8 C were reached later in the afternoon than usual.

M.T. Cranium · 26-11-2011 8:08am

Saturday, 26 November, 2011
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ALERT for strong winds peaking tonight across north Connacht and Ulster where gusts to 70 mph are possible ... peaking around 55-60 mph elsewhere from a SW to W'ly direction. Would expect the strongest winds midnight to about 0300h west, 0200-0600h east.

TODAY ... Mostly cloudy, except variable cloud with more sunny breaks possible in southeast, generally overcast in all regions by mid-day with strong SSW winds developing 35-55 mph, milder, highs 12-14 C ... some rain pushing into west later, becoming heavy and squally by evening especially in Mayo and Galway.

SATURDAY NIGHT ... Windy to stormy conditions, SW 45-70 mph in north and 40-60 mph south, rain and some squally showers, some with hail and thunder ... lows near 6 C. Rainfall amounts about 10 mms on average.

SUNDAY ... Blustery to start, variable cloud, showers ending, winds diminishing during the late morning, then fairly pleasant by afternoon, some longer sunny intervals, but cool with winds about 20-30 mph westerly, and highs 7-10 C. SUNDAY NIGHT will be partly cloudy and rather chilly with lows around 5-7 C.

MONDAY ... Partly cloudy to overcast, rain late in the day, winds increasing again from southwest, reaching 35-55 mph by evening, and highs near 11 C. Heavy rain in some parts by evening, 20-30 mms possible.

TUESDAY ... Overcast, windy (WSW 25-45 mph) blustery showers. Lows near 4 C and highs near 9 C.

WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY ... Windy and cool, frequent showers, winds WNW 25-45 mph, some mixed or sleety showers possible at times especially on higher terrain in north, highs only 7-9 C, lows near 3 C.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY ... Continued windy, milder for a time but squally showers developing, then somewhat colder again, possible mixed showers. Highs in the range of 7-10 C.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Eastern states remaining mild and dry, some hazy sunshine with slowly increasing higher cloud from west, highs around 17-20 C. Rain spreading north from Gulf of Mexico into south central states towards Ohio valley, some embedded thunderstorms. Turning a bit colder in some parts of the central plains, although mild air spreading in from west will quickly reverse that trend (highs 12-15 C in some parts of northern plains and 7-10 C even as far north as Canadian prairies, much above normal for this late in November).

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER on Friday was cloudy with some virga but no rain reaching the surface, light winds, rather cool but seasonable at 8 C.

Check the forum for updates on developing strong winds tonight, as I may be off duty during the afternoon/evening your time.

M.T. Cranium · 27-11-2011 8:20am

Sunday, 27 November, 2011
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TODAY ... The strong winds should quickly abate this morning to leave a moderate westerly breeze 20-35 mph, partly cloudy skies and somewhat colder than recent days at about 9-10 C.

TONIGHT ... Clear intervals, breezy, rather cool but tending to warm up towards morning as cloud and wind increase. Lows 3-6 C around midnight.

MONDAY ... Cloudy with increasing southerly winds 20-40 mph, rain in west by afternoon, spreading across the country overnight (10-20 mms) with winds peaking at about 45-50 mph late evening. Highs 10-12 C.

TUESDAY ... Overnight rain gradually breaking to showers, cooler in westerly winds at 20-40 mph, lows near 6 C and highs near 10 C. A further 5-10 mms rain.

WEDNESDAY ... Cloudy, windy, possibly very windy in west and north (SSW 35-55 mph and possibly higher gusts), showers or periods of rain, lows near 6 and highs near 10 C.

THURSDAY-FRIDAY ... Windy, rather cold, squally showers with hail and even some snow possible (the snow more likely in higher parts of the north), also some sunshine mainly east and south coastal locations, lows 0-2 C and highs 5-8 C. Winds moderate to strong W-NW.

OUTLOOK ... Breezy to windy, near normal temperatures by the weekend but another surge of colder air to come next week, not quite a "Greenland express" but looking cold enough for snow in parts of Connacht and Ulster around Tuesday 6th December. This cold spell will not last very long before milder westerlies return. You may recall my long-range outlook, no big changes for the main winter months, variable for December, cold in January, mild in February remains the forecast here.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Western Canada will be swept by powerful westerly winds from a rapidly moving storm located near the 60th latitude parallel which also happens to be the northern boundary of the four western provinces -- north of there, it's the "territories" (NWT and Yukon). Anyway, this region will see a blizzard while further south, very mild Pacific air will be rapidly driven out by arctic winds late today, leading to a flash freeze on the roads after some rain and snow. This front will then push south into the northern plains states late Sunday night. The B.C. and Washington coast will see gales and heavy rainfalls. Meanwhile, much further east, the mild, dry spell continues in New England and parts of the northeast states, while rain edges closer from the central plains. This system will acquire a southern energy centre late today and Monday around Atlanta GA which will pull in the cold air and prevent it from reaching the east coast. Instead, the low will deepen, push even milder and very moist air in from the Atlantic so that most of this week will be rather wet and mild in places like New York and Boston, turning a bit colder by about Thursday. The cold further southwest will lead to mountain snowfalls in north GA, the western Carolinas and eventually higher parts of VA and WV. The desert southwest, meanwhile, has cloud and showers from the trailing portion of the strong system further north.

(Edmonton Alberta could see a temperature fall of 20 degrees from 5 C to -15 overnight to Monday morning).

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Saturday was mild and showery with more of a thick drizzle than rain, but a soaker nevertheless. It was about 9-10 C. Expecting heavy rain and strong winds on Sunday.

M.T. Cranium · 28-11-2011 8:23am

Monday, 28 November, 2011
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TODAY ... Increasing cloud where not already overcast, then light rain or drizzle gradually spreading across the west but staying mostly dry further east, mild in southerly winds of 20-40 mph (increasing later to 30-50 mph in exposed western locations). Highs 12-14 C.

TONIGHT ... Windy and mild, periods of rain with 10-20 mms on average, winds SSW 20-40 mph, foggy especially higher terrain, lows 8-10 C.

TUESDAY ... Rain becoming more showery then gradually moving off to east to allow some brighter intervals in west by afternoon ... winds veering more westerly before backing to south-west late afternoon, 20-40 mph. Highs about 10 C but possibly a bit colder by afternoon especially in Connacht.

WEDNESDAY ... Windy with squally showers, winds SW 35-55 mph, possible hail and thunder, lows near 5 C and highs near 10 C.

THURSDAY ... Rain continuing and becoming cold enough for some sleet or even melting snow before clearing begins late in day from northwest ... not expecting much if any accumulation but hilltops may turn white for a time ... just in time for December ... chilly although not overly windy in a moderate west to northwest breeze, temperatures falling through the range from 7 to 3 or 4 C. Icy sections on higher elevation roads by evening.

FRIDAY ... Scattered frost, followed by rapidly increasing cloud, showers then periods of rain, winds increasing to strong westerly by late in the day. Lows near -1 C and highs near 8 C. Severe wind gusts may develop especially in Connacht and Ulster, west Munster overnight into Saturday.

SATURDAY ... Very windy with hail showers, cold, snow possible on higher terrain. Lows near 2 C and highs near 5 C (somewhat milder near Atlantic).

OUTLOOK ... Unsettled, rather cold to about mid-week then milder.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Windy and cold in central Canada as a blizzard moves through the far north towards Hudson Bay. Temperatures falling from near 10 C early morning to -7 C by mid-day, but from Alberta west this cold shot will be very brief as another milder system races in from the Pacific. A modified version of this cold will be drawn into the western margins of a developing storm from the Great Lakes south to Alabama. Although much of its precipitation will start as rain, heavy snow may develop by tonight and Tuesday over the Appalachians. Milder air will hold firm over the northeast states and heavy rains may follow as the storm edges closer. Highs in the northeast will be 15-20 C. Southern Ontario and upstate New York are in a transition zone where it will be foggy, drizzly and about 8 C in northeast winds.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Morning showers, mid-day sunny breaks, very mild here on Sunday ... highs near 13 C ... has turned rather breezy (WNW 30-40 mph) since sunset. Much colder just north of here but this won't quite reach us before milder air returns from west. Earlier today, Calgary and other parts of southern Alberta had wind damage from westerly winds of 60-80 mph. There are some grass fires raging in the Lethbridge area due to prolonged drought. Although snow cover has become rather heavy in the Rockies compared to normal, there is currently only a trace of snow in most parts of the prairies, which is sort of a 50-50 thing at this time of year.

M.T. Cranium · 29-11-2011 7:56am

Tuesday, 29 November, 2011
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ALERT for locally heavy rainfalls this morning in central counties, extending to Ulster by late morning. A further 20-40 mms possible with spot flooding. ... ADVANCE ALERT for strong winds and squally showers late Wednesday. Wind gusts to 60 mph possible.

TODAY ... Heavy rain will move steadily northeast from around Limerick towards Athlone and then eastern Ulster over the next six hours. Local flooding could develop as 20-40 mms falls in this region. Gradual clearing will follow in these counties by mid-day with winds easing for a while, then becoming WSW 20-30 mph, evening showers to follow. ... Further east, bursts of moderate rain and strong southerly winds to about 0900-1000h, 10-20 mms for Dublin and most other eastern counties, 5-15 mms southeast counties, and slight risk of thunder before rain eases to drizzle and then some clearing develops. Highs in all of these counties 10-12 C with a slight cooling trend in the afternoon. ... Western counties will see the rain ending soon, followed by a few clear intervals, then increasing cloud in the afternoon with a few more showers. Highs 8-10 C in the west.

TONIGHT ... Clear intervals, fog patches, rather chilly with lows -1 to +3 C, but temperatures rising again after midnight. Rain spreading into the southwest before morning.

WEDNESDAY ... Increasing southerly winds becoming gale force (35-55 mph) by afternoon and evening, rain and embedded squally showers with hail and some thunder, 10-15 mms rain and highs near 10 C.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT ... Windy and cold with squally showers becoming mixed with hail and high elevation snow before morning, winds veering westerly at 20-40 mph, lows 3-7 C.

THURSDAY ... Some lingering drizzle clearing away to east then variable cloud and rather chilly, isolated showers possible, sleety in higher parts of north. Highs 7-9 C. Not as windy. Icy on some higher elevation roads after sunset.

FRIDAY ... After a cold start, becoming windy and a bit milder again with showers turning to a steady rain, winds WNW backing to SW 30-50 mph, lows near -1 C to +3 C and highs 8-11 C.

WEEKEND OUTLOOK ... Models have been flirting with the idea of a very windy and cold weekend then backing off to less intense conditions, at the moment the best compromise is to say windy and rather cold with the risk of some squally showers and the slight chance of snow at higher elevations of the north. Wind speeds most likely to be in the 30-50 mph range but could be considerably higher if any further development occurs. Temperatures likely to be in the range of 7-10 C daytime and 2-5 C overnight, but with stronger winds might struggle to surpass 7 C.

FURTHER OUTLOOK ... Continuing rather unsettled and either colder than average or near average much of early December. Highs often in the range of 6-8 C. Lows 0-2 C.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Rain will spread further east across much of the northeast U.S. covering the larger cities, but it will be mild at 16-18 C. Some fog and low cloud with that, but clearing briefly around DC and Virginia ahead of a swirl of much colder air covering the inland Mid-Atlantic states. Some snow likely at higher elevations from GA north to WV. Cold to the west of this low, although above freezing with drizzle and northerly winds. A dry and rather bland pattern spreading from the Rockies east to replace Monday's blast of cold that is now being swept across northern Ontario into Quebec.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Partly sunny and seasonable with light winds, highs of 7-9 C on Monday.

Your daily forecasts from Boards.ie weather forum (NO CHAT)

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