Gwen_Tolbart's Blog

Last Friday, November 14th was a very important day for me. I became an American citizen! I am from Canada (so now hold dual citizenship) and it is very exciting to be an American citizenship through such historical times.

 I was sworn in along with sixty other immigrants from all over the world. One gentlemen sitting near me was from Cameroon, another from Pakistan. I saw nervous anticipation change to proud smiles as we all completed our oath and heard the words "you are now official American citizens".

It was a journey of fourteen months for me, for some even longer, but the final step was one that leaves us all with pride.

Have you recently become an citizen of the USA? If so share your story with me.

Gwen Tolbart

Hey folks

A chilly start to the day but it gets better! Warming up to the low 70's today with mostly sunny skies and a bit breezy but not as brezzy as yesterday.  Tonight we will see a few clouds but mostly clear. High 72 Low 49.

The pleasant weather continues through the weekend but the mornings will still be very chilly.  The sunshine means it  will be great for any outdoor activities you have planned. Enjoy the sunshine and the first full week of fall!

Gwen

October has kicked off not feeling like fall at all. Temperatures will be above seasonal all week and with plenty of sunshine.  Today's highs will be in the upper 70's.  Now you wll get the true feel at night as the "nip" of cool lows are in the air.

So when you head out in the mornings and at night you will need a sweater or a light jacket but by the afternoon you will be tossing it side with the warmth.  By mid-week temps will rise to the low 80's.

We have a slight chance of rain by Saturday/Sunday. We do need it so let's keep our fingers crossed!

Have a great day and enjoy the sun.

Gwen Tolbart

Some real "fall" weather kicking in this week. We have days filled with plenty of sunshine and a dry cool airmass.  While days will be pleasant  with lots of sunshine, we are going to see a few nights where it will get very chilly .....brrrr.

Sunday night into Monday morning will see temps take a big dip. Western Maryland, Eastern West Virginia and the Panhandle will see some areas with temps in the mid 30's. In the city temps will be in the low 50's and it will be cooler than that in the burbs. Make sure if you are sending children to school Monday morning you dress them wth a jacket or a sweater for the early morning.

We always know the cooler weather is coming but are you ready for it?

Drop me a note.

Gwen Tolbart

We could not ask for better weather during a holiday weekend and this weekend Mother Nature is handing it out!

We have seen many people affected by Hurricane Dean this past week and major flooding from Erin.

While many parts of the country are in dire need of rain other parts of the country are trying to survive in raging floodwaters.

Our regular blogger Skyguy wrote that he has been through 8 typhoons! That is quite an experience.

Share your stories and experiences of being in a hurricane, flooding or other storm circumstances and what you had to do to get through it safely.

Gwen Tolbart

Hurricane Dean is heading straight for the island of Jamaica and putting the Caymen Islands on watch.  The Category 4 hurricane is a powerful one and intensifiying.

Dean is expected to hit Jamaica on Sunday and the island could see rainfall up to 20 inches.  Extensive wind damage, flooding and mudslides are also expected.  The storm as of 8pm tonight was moving at 17 mph with maximum sustained winds at 150 mph.  Hurricane force winds are now extending out some 70 miles from the center.

Dean seems to be taking the same path as Hurricane Gilbert did in 1998 as it heads W/NW.  The current track has the storm making landfall in Mexico but anything could change with the track at anytime and it bears close watching.

Gwen Tolbart

Get ready, we are going to get  a SHORT break from the excessive heat and humidity. Sunday a frontal boundary will move South and allow us to enjoy temps in the mid-80's and less humidity. We deserve the break!  Saturday's high was 98 degrees, some 10 degrees above seasonal, not to mention the high humidity. So the cooler air will be welcomed.

On the other hand we are also looking at some possible storms by Sunday afternoon and a chance some could be severe. We will watch it closely.

The SHORT break ends when we get a Southwest flow that will bring our temps back to the 90's by mid-week. Wednesday looks like it will be the hottest day with temps in the upper 90's. Some areas could even reach 100F and we can expect to see high heat indices as well.

Gwen

Will we or won't we? That has been the question everyday this week and will continue to be so for many of you.  Will we or won't we get rain or thunderstorms today where in your neighbourhood?   Each  day we can only tell  you of the 20% to 50% chance. TSome showers and thunderstorms have been popping up here and there,  but nothing significant, and some days I am sure you just get tired of carrying the umbrella wondering if you'll get rained on or not.

 We so need the rain and I wish we would get just what we need to help the farmers, the grass, trees and everything else affected by this dry spell.

How is this dry weather affecting you , if at all? Are you hesitating to enjoy the outdoors in fear of a thunderstorm? Does it affect the type of work you do or just your daily activities in general?

Share your thoughts.

Gwen 

We have some unsettled weather ahead this coming week and you will need to keep your umbrella handy. There is chance of showers or thunderstorms each day.

Monday will be much cooler than it has been but the mercury will rise again by Tuesday and we also expect to see humidity returning. We have had a great break without the humidity but now the change is ahead.

We do need rain but don't expect this week to put much of a dent in the drought.

The showers and thunderstorms are forecast to be widely scattered.

Gwen

Today was great weather-wise and Sunday should serve up much of the same. Sunshine, low humidity and a comfortable temperature.  Great weather to enjoy the outdoors.

We are below normal with our temperatures but I am sure no one is complaining. It is so pleasant.

Some changes possibly next week as we watch a system off the coast that could bring us some widely scattered showers and thunderstorms. The temps will also be on the rise.

August is right around the corner!

Gwen

Do you have anything special planned for July 4th...any celebrations or activities for the day? Will the weather affect your plans or not make a difference?

Unfortunately there is a chance that we could see some showers or thunderstorms on Wednesday. That will certainly affect any planned fireworks and it's not great for any other outdoor activities. So far we have a 50% chance of precipitation.

We will get a couple of great days from Monday and Tuesday before things change. Heat and humidity make a return visit mid-week and the chance of storms could hang around into Friday.

The weather was great today, and as a Canadian I celebrated Canada Day. This July 1st Canada was enjoying its' 140th birthday. I shared that celebration with my co-workers treating them to lots of good food and some Canadian souvenirs .

I hope that July 4th turns out to be as enjoyable for everyone and that the weather does not ruin your celebration.