Ready For Some Action!

Don't get me wrong. I really enjoy snow. Notice I didn't say I "love" it. The problem is, in my business you rarely get to enjoy snow. A snow storm can mean a solid 24, 36 or 48 hours at work. But this year - I'm ready! We're overdue for a big one. Forget these little "skiffs" of snow we've had the last few years. Forget the ice. I'm talking about SNOW! In one shot, I want at least six to eight inches of snow; if not more.

The last "big one" in my book goes back to early January 1996. I was a student at Emory & Henry College then. Emory prided itself for never cancelling classes. That happened with this storm. I remember walking across the snow-covered campus the night the snow started. It was beautiful. I remember how quiet it was, until the old trees on campus started to fall under the weight of the snow. You could hear people scream as huge branches nearly struck them. Minus that - it was an awesome snow!

All-time snowfall records were achieved from Virginia, to New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Roanoke reported around two-feet of snow! The storm was classic. Low pressure over the Gulf of Mexico rode up the Atlantic seaboard, while high pressure to the north channeled in cold air. The eastern U.S. was paralyzed by the storm. Interstates were closed. Air travel was haulted.

I bring all this up because it's November. Folks are already asking when the first snow is coming. Will it be a snowy winter? Will we have one 'big one' or several small ones? These are all questions that will be answered in the coming months; but just know that if you're a snow lover - here's at least one meteorologist who's cheering for snow - even if it means working long hours with my weather buddies here at the station!

Trick or Treat

Going "Home"

Do you ever have one of those weekends that's over in the blink of an eye? Since I work weekends, that rarely happens for me; however, next weekend my wife and I are going to our Alma mater, Emory & Henry College for Homecoming. It's hard to believe it's been nine years since we graduated! If you've never been there, Emory is a beautiful campus. This time of the year is especially nice with the autumn color and crisp fall air. It was truly a wonderful school. I received a solid education there, and met some great friends. While next weekend will probably be over in the blink of an eye, I'm going to enjoy it... thoroughly! Have a great week! --Jay

Mountain Lake Dries Up

Several months ago, I blogged about Mountain Lake in Giles County. Perhaps you remember the slide show I placed on this blog showing the last little bit of water in the lake. Our interest in the resort was sparked even more the weekend before last when the newsroom phone rang and a viewer told us skeletal remains were found on the dried out lake bed. The following day, NEWS7 photojournalists traveled up Route 700 just outside of Newport to report on the story. They brought back unbelievable video of the lake bed. I was shocked, and saddened, by what I saw. As a Giles County native, and former Mountain Lake Hotel employee, it's hard to imagine the lake completely gone. My dad and I drove up last week to see it for ourselves. I couldn't believe my eyes. Completely gone!

Today, the weather department received an email from a viewer. Her name was Brenda from Blacksburg. She copied a link to us from photographer Richard Cobb. Mr. Cobb has done an *amazing* job matching up "bank full" photos of Mountain Lake to the now empty basin. These pictures really help you grasp the magnitude of the situation. Just click on the link below and make sure javascript is enabled on your computer. Simply drag your mouse on and off of the pictures to see the before/after shots. Thanks again Brenda for passing this along. And special thanks to Richard Cobb.

http://www.sivtac.org/mtlake/beforeafter.php

Take a hike, Ike!

The upper Texas coast is bracing for Hurricane Ike. He should come ashore late Friday night/early Saturday near Galveston. Ike will present major storm surge issues, and flooding rains of at least 5-10" in coastal regions of Texas and southwest Louisiana. Galveston is home of the deadliest hurricane in U.S. history. On September 18, 1900, the "Great Galveston Hurricane" hit. It was a category 4 storm. Between 8,000 and 12,000 people died - mostly because of storm surge. You can bet Texans are watching Ike closely. The picture above shows Ike making landfall earlier this week in Cuba. The Cuban Meteorological Institute reported waves five storeys high. This picture proves it.

I've Got "Class" (Not really)

I think one of the most rewarding aspects of my job is going to local schools and talking to youngsters about weather and science. They always seem to enjoy seeing the "weatherman" and I always enjoy their questions, comments and eagerness to learn!

Last year I decided to take some notes on my visits. I came up with a lot of numbers! Check this out: I visited 27 schools, talked to 1,968 students, and traveled 2,886 miles around our viewing area. The largest group I talked to was 290 students at Woodlawn School in Carroll County. The farthest trip was 228 miles to Eureka Elementary School in Charlotte County.

I enjoyed all the journeys last year and look forward to visiting many of the same schools this year. The first this year: Next Thursday when I go to Woolwine Elementary in Patrick County! Have a great school year everyone!

Someone has too much time!

Johnny Tsai has too much time on his hands. Johnny is one of many creative folks here at the station who makes the graphics you see on WDBJ everyday. Monday night was obviously a slow night for him. On "News 7 At Ten" this graphic popped up with the nightly trivia question. The question was about Batman and Star Trek. Here you can see anchor Keith Humphry starting as Captain Kirk, and me as Batman. Look at my six pack abs!