Severe Thunderstorm Watch
This is issued by the National Weather Service when conditions are favorable for the development of severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area. A severe thunderstorm by definition is a thunderstorm that produces one inch hail or larger in diameter and/or winds equal or exceed 58 miles an hour. The size of the watch can vary depending on the weather situation. They are usually issued for a duration of 4 to 8 hours. They are normally issued well in advance of the actual occurrence of severe weather. During the watch, people should review severe thunderstorm safety rules and be prepared to move a place of safety if threatening weather approaches.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is issued by the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma. Prior to the issuance of a Severe Thunderstorm Watch, SPC will usually contact the affected local National Weather Service Forecast Office (NWFO) and they will discuss what their current thinking is on the weather situation. Afterwards, SPC will issue a preliminary Severe Thunderstorm Watch and then the affected NWFO will then adjust the watch (adding or eliminating counties/parishes) and then issue it to the public by way of a Watch Redefining Statement. During the watch, the NWFO will keep the public informed on what is happening in the watch area and also let the public know when the watch has expired or been cancelled.

It isn’t called Cardio Blast for nothin’! Clayton rocked the house! We’ll get to Clayton in a bit…

I arrived 2 minutes late and jumped into the warmup — the music was pumpin’ (good tunes, Top 40 remixes, The Biebs “Somebody to Love” never gets old), the fans were going, the class had great energy — It was a blast.

What I didn’t realize is that you don’t stop moving for 50 minutes straight. Literally — you grapevine, kick, punch, march and lift those knees until you can’t see straight. I worked my biceps “Like a G6″ and kickboxed Aerosmith to shame. I’m tellin ya, it’s all about the tunes! I was so pumped up! Oh — and by the way — people continued to trickle in 5, 10, 15 minutes late. I didn’t feel SO bad for being 2 minutes behind schedule.

Now back to Clayton — he was all business. No mercy. Even when I wanted to quit, his motivation kept me going. I didn’t want to disappoint Clayton. I introduced myself at the end of class — turns out,  he runs the ROTC program at Putnam High. Army Veteran.

No wonder I didn’t quit.

The end was my favorite part. Ab workout to “Push it” by Salt & Pepa and “Can’t Touch This” by MC Hammer. Hammertime? No, no…It was Cardioblasttime. Game on.

When does sunscreen expire?  I often find myself asking that question as I pull a bottle of sunscreen out from the depths of my cabinet.  For the record, I have an collection of sunscreens.  Some I wear in the winter, some I wear everyday and some I wear only in the summer.   Anyway, at the beginning of these seasons, I often wonder (as may you) if the sunscreen inside the bottle is expired.

So, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, The FDA requires that all sunscreens retain their original strength for at least 3 years.   The ideal way to know if sunscreen is still “fresh” is to purchase a bottle with an expiration date.   

Keep this in mind:  If we are using sunscreen properly (and daily) we would be using several bottles each season.  You need to lay the sunscreen on thick and reapply as directed for maximum protection.

While we are on the topic, click here to learn about new sunscreen regulations in effect from the FDA. 

Becoming a mom is the most fulfilling, amazing, beautiful thing that’s ever happened to me. Each & every moment brings so much happiness and I feel so blessed to have been given the best gift in the world.

That being said, a lot changes! This new addition to the family is such a joy, yet requires some serious adjusting.

Everything from budgeting time to budgeting money, accepting that your new perfume is “eau de formula” and spit up is the hottest spring trend. I mean EVERYTHING changes. I don’t remember the last time I cared about what color my toes are painted. Are they even painted? Yep, i just checked.

You’re probably wondering why I haven’t mentioned the most obvious change — your body! I was holding out because that is what this is all about. Get excited, because I am. I am going on a 3 month fitness expedition and I want you to go on the journey with me! I’ll be keeping my blog up to date to keep you posted on my progress, my experiences and of course, my fun, fun, fun workouts! 

I’ll be working out at Healthtrax Fitness & Wellness in West Springfield, where my Personal Coaches Lisa Holmes & Henri Lafond will help me get into tip top shape. I already went on a tour of the center, had my initial consultation and went over my goals, hopes and dreams. At the very end of my journey, I want to be more toned, be healthier and, most importantly, feel good!

Starting Stats:

I’m going to go to a cardioblast class tomorrow at Healthtrax. I don’t know what to expect — but I know I’m ready to blast away some fat and have a blast, or better yet, a cardiotastic time with cardio. I will give you an update after my class. And I’ll post pictures. Only if I survive. The journey begins!!

Rated PG-13
1 hours 50 minutes

Starring: Johnny Depp, Eva Green, Michelle Pheiffer

Johnny Depp as an 18th century Vampire’s got a lot of catching up to do as a 21st century ghoul in “Dark Shadows”. Depp creates a bizarre character, who’s always slightly out of touch.

Director Tim Burton’s never quite sure in “Dark Shadow’s” supposed to be a black comic or a gothic satire. Depp’s Barnabas Collins can’t escape his bewitching nemesis from back when, Eva Green.

If Barnabas can’t quite get his bearings in this strange new world fresh out of the crypt, neither can Tim Burton provide the right mood for this odd mixture of macabre one-liners and glimpses of gothic romance. Depp’s one goal in the afterlife is reviving the family business.

Strangely enough, even the delightful eccentric Helena Bonham Carter can’t rescue “Dark Shadows”.

Neither can the still seductive Michelle Pfeiffer pump any life into the comedic creepiness. At least savvy teenager Grace Moretz finds something cool about the clueless vampire adrift in time. It pains me to plunge a stake into the heart of “Dark Shadows” with two stars. Barnabas should never have seen the light of day

We had been experiencing drought conditions this spring but over the last few weeks we’ve picked up some much needed rainfall.

Area rivers had been running very low over last the few months but now the Connecticut River is up to 6 feet at the Springfield Yacht Club in Agawam. A month ago it wasn’t even at one foot.

So far this month we’ve picked up close to 2 inches of rain which has really helped with the rainfall deficit we had during March and April. And there is more rain on the way next week.

With plenty of water in the rivers now and with nice weather this weekend people are starting to take their boats out, but remember the water is still very cold. Water temperatures are only in the 50s so you should stay out of the water or you could risk getting hypothermia.

Rated PG-13
2 hours 20 minutes

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson

I’ll bet the fantastic success of “The Avengers” makes the movie moguls of yesteryear turn over in their graves out of sheer envy.

They couldn’t foresee Marvel comic book super heroes breaking box office records. Instead they made fantasy hero movies that were cheap and tacky.

It’s not at all like “The Avengers” of 2012 that spared no expense thrilling and captivating its audience, and they even threw in an over the top villain for good measure.

A lot of good that’ll do him when Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow can clobber them with both hands tied behind a chair. And suave Robert Downey Jr. can sweet talk “The Avengers” arch enemy in a game of one upsmanship.

But “The Avengers” doesn’t attract the huge crowds on smooth talking repartee alone. Ironman and Thor match their Testosterone levels, not the mention their comic book charisma.

As much as I promised myself not to get too caught up in the exploits of these super heroes, I must admit their tongue in cheek adventures were more than just a little seductive.

Not once during the running time of 2 hours and 20 minutes will you be bored or uneasy. And for providing so much pleasure to so wide an age group, “The Avengers” earns itself 3 stars, and at least two or three sequels.

This is a reminder that 22News will host a Skywarn training session from 7p-10p on Thursday May 31st.  Skywarn is the National Weather Service’s official network of “civilian” storm spotters.  If you are fascinated by weather, this training is right up your alley!!!   The 3 hour training will teach you how to identify and report severe weather for the National Weather Service.  The training is free and no reservations are required.  I look forward to seeing you here at 22News on May 31st!

As we continue with Melanoma/Skin Cancer Awareness Month, here’s a link to the National Weather Service’s UV index map.  The map is updated daily, with the UV levels rated from 0 to 11, which correspond to time to unprotected skin damage.  We encourage you to wear sunscreen or sun protective clothing every day.  As we get into summer, you’ll notice that even on cloudy days, the UV index can be high or very high.  In fact, according to the American Academy of Dermatology,  on cloudy days up 80% of UV rays can make the trip from the sun to our skin.

The US Geological Survey has made a fascinating illustration of how much water is in, on & above the Earth.  If we were able to take all that water and collect it into a sphere, it would reach from Salt Lake City, Utah to Topeka, Kansas; and be about 860 miles high!  In the year 2000, we used about 323 billion gallons per day of surface water and about 84.5 billion gallons per day of groundwater.  That’s a lot of water! Keep all this in mind, the next time you turn on the faucet!