THE WEATHERFUN NEWSLETTER APRIL 2006

Welcome to the issue of the WEATHERFUN Newsletter

Words From Jerry

Hello fellow Weatherfun members, and welcome to the April issue of the Weatherfun Newsletter. If you did not spring forward Saturday night, you may very well be late for work come Monday morning. Yes, we are now on Daylight Savings Time and that brings us a later sunset. My sunset is now just after 7PM. As you all know this is Jerry's time of the year and Jerry's kind of weather. Well, March came in like a lamb here in Warren, and it also went out like a lamb. Very unusual for this time of the year. March only brought Warren 7 inches of snow. March is normally noted for some pretty measurable snowstorms, but not this year. However my latest snowfall here in Warren was actually on May 8th, when we received 9 inches of new snow. I sure hope history does not repeat itself next month. Winter proved pretty good here at Weatherfun Headquarters with temps above normal and snowfall below normal. I only received 38.25 inches of snow for this winter. I can remember back in the 90s when we had over 100 inches of snow. Our biggest problem right now folks is the very high fire danger, and dry conditions due to lack of rain. We have had several Red Flag's within the past few weeks, and this is not normal for my area. Several very large grass fires have broken out and all of them due to human error. Please if it is dry in your area, please be very careful around outdoor fires, and especially cigarettes. 5TH ANNUAL WEATHERFUN FAMILY REUNION: With the arrival of each day we get closer and closer to our big 5th anniversary Weatherfun Family Reunion. Yes, this July 13 to 16 members from all over this great nation will be making the trip to the northeast and the Quality Motor Inn, in Somerset, Mass, where we will all enjoy an extended weekend of great weather talks, touring the area, games, good food and above all good friendship. By this time you have received the first questioner explaining all you need to know about this year's Tornado Fest 2006. Yes, this year's theme is tornado's. Want to learn something about tornado's? Well, hop on a plane, scooter, bike, train, boat, or in my case like Richard said a Weatherfun Rocket, and head northeast to the Warren, Rhode Island and S. E. Mass. area for an extended weekend of some very great fun. As you have heard me say several times and I will continue to say, you really do not get to know how great the Weatherfun members are until you meet them in person, then and only then can you say, hey Jerry was right this is a great group, and this is one fantastic family reunion. So, if you have not filled out your questioner, why not do it now and send it to Weatherfun Headquarters. I will be there, with bells on and maybe some more surprises, and promise no visit to the ER this year, but I can GUARANTEE you one thing folks, and that is: ONE GREAT TIME. As you know folks weather wise this is my time of the year. A time of year when mother nature comes alive, so get out there and enjoy it, but above all be careful. This is your newsletter folks, so please take the time to read it thoroughly , and if you have some weather information that you would like to share with your Weatherfun members, why not send it in now. Send the information to either Bill or me and we will be sure to put it in print so that everyone can enjoy it. Till next month folks, stay safe and keep an eye to the sky. JERRY LAROCHE WEATHERFUN FOUNDER

March's Weather 2nd: Parts of the Northeast received up to 7 inches of snow. 5th-6th: A winter storm brought more rain and snow to Northern California on Sunday and into Monday morning. In the Sierra, Blue Canyon residents were digging out after getting several feet of new snow. In the valleys creeks and streams were running high, but with minor flooding. 6th: A fuel truck exploded as 13 tractor-trailers and several cars slammed into each other on a fog-bound Florida highway early Tuesday, injuring at least six people, two of them critically, while in the Southwest it continues to be dry. Phoenix has been without rain for four months. Tucson is suffering through its driest winter on record, as is Albuquerque, N.M. Some Tucson homeowners have actually watered cactus plants to keep them alive. The Southwest’s spring wildfire season could come early. 8th: Two people died in a four-car rush hour accident as a storm packing snow and rain moved across Colorado, bringing up to a foot and a half of fresh powder to the mountains. 9th: Storms moving across the southern Plains brought winds strong enough to rip off roofs and blow apart barns. Thousands of people lost power in Arkansas, and a lightning-sparked fire killed a man. There were several tornadoes in Arkansas reported. Southern Oklahoma had baseball-sized hail and surrounding states saw heavy rain as the front moved east across the Mississippi River. In Mississippi, winds reached 80 mph. 11th: A storm spread rarely seen snow and sleet across the San Francisco area with two deaths in a 28-vehicle pileup on slippery Highway 101 just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. While the mid-Mississippi and Missouri River Valleys were hit with severe weather, including tornadoes. At least 2 deaths were related to the weather. And in the Southwest rain finally arrived after several months without it. It hadn't rained in Phoenix, AZ for 143 straight days. 12: Tornadoes ripped through 5 midwest states causing 10 deaths. Missouri was the hardest hit state. Raging wildfires scorched more than 300,000 acres across Texas and were blamed for six deaths. 15th: A snowstorm blasted through northern Utah closing an interstate and grounding the Royal Air Force. Many areas got up to 15 inches of snow. 17th: Much needed rain fell in many parts of Texas and Oklahoma. However there were several severe storms that included hail. 19th: Parts of Texas hit with up to 5 inches of much needed rain in many places, while a few got up to 9 inches, but flooding was a problem in some areas. A powerful storm swept across Colorado, Nebraska and South Dakota, dumping nearly a wind-packed foot of snow in many areas, canceling schools. 20th-21st: Snow fell from Iowa to Indiana. Iowa had almost a foot, while the storm weakened so that Indiana only got a few inches. And this is Spring? 24th: Heavy rain has fallen throughout the Hawaii this month with the island of Hilo getting over 25 inches that caused major flooding problems and today a tornado hit Lanai. 25th: Up to 10 inches of snow fell in western Kansas. 26th: Idaho and western Montana hit with 6 to 12 inches of snow and winds gusting to hurricane force. Colorado, Nevada and Wyoming had whiteout conditions. At least 20 vehicles crashed on a rural Wyoming interstate, killing at least six people. 28th: Another West Coast storm brought heavy rains with mountain snows and even a tornado in northern California. 30th: A line of storms pounded Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska with heavy rain, golfball size hail and tornadoes. Heavy rain and melting snow flooded areas around Fargo, ND with one death reported due to the flooding. 31: A line of storms raced across Indiana and Michigan bringing heavy rain, hail and damaging winds. There were several tornadoes in Indiana. San Francisco had a wet March with it raining on 25 out of the 31 days setting a new record and making it the second-wettest March on record. The island of Kauai, Hawaii contains one of the wettest spots in the world. At the summit of the remote Mount Waialeale where storms pile in from the Pacific and dump about 460 inches of rain annually, this year it's more drenched then ever, with an estimated 127 inches of rain — more than 10 feet — falling since Feb. 19. Kauai has been one of the hardest-hit islands. A rain-swollen dam burst in mid-March and flooded a North Shore valley, leaving seven people dead or missing.

CAM OF THE MONTH KSBI Cam, Oklahoma City, OK

Links 4 YouLive Science has a great collection of clouds. You can view them HERE	Hello New Members tidlywink7@yahoo.com Chuck - chuck_partain@maxtor.com stall_mucker@yahoo.com
Did You Know? The winners of WEATHERFUN's Irish Lottery were: Jonathan - Thermometer Scott - Cloud Chart Richard - 2 Stickon Thermometers	REUNION 2006You can learn more about this year's Reunion by clicking the picture.

We hope that you enjoyed this month's Newsletter. See you next month, and be sure to visit the WEATHERFUN Website but most of all have fun with your weather.

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