i use a firefox plug-in called forecastfox to keep up with the weather. the plug-in places little icons in my browser's status bar indicating current weather conditions as well as a customizable forecast (i have mine set to show me four days' worth of weather along with the RealFeel™). i jokingly refer to these icons as "the runes", so when my wife asks about the weather, i'll respond, "the runes say it's going to rain." or whatever the runes say. this is especially fun when the runes indicate that it's currently raining but it clearly isn't, and so on.

one feature of forecastfox is a little stop sign icon that typically indicates severe weather—thunderstorms, tornado alerts, flash floods, icy conditions, plague, brimstone hail, whatever. so i was surprised when i clicked the red icon today and got the following warning from the NWS, which i'll repost verbatim (meaning, with original ALL CAPS formatting intact):

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
427 AM EDT SAT JUL 18 2009
INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-060>065-067>072-181800-
CARROLL-WARREN-TIPPECANOE-CLINTON-HOWARD-FOUNTAIN-
MONTGOMERY-BOONE-TIPTON-HAMILTON-MADISON-DELAWARE-
RANDOLPH-VERMILLION-PARKE-PUTNAM-HENDRICKS-MARION-
HANCOCK-HENRY-VIGO-CLAY-OWEN-MORGAN-JOHNSON-SHELBY-
RUSH-SULLIVAN-GREENE-MONROE-BROWN-BARTHOLOMEW-
DECATUR-KNOX-DAVIESS-MARTIN-LAWRENCE-JACKSON-JENNINGS-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LAFAYETTE...FRANKFORT...
KOKOMO...CRAWFORDSVILLE...ANDERSON...MUNCIE...
INDIANAPOLIS...TERRE HAUTE...SHELBYVILLE...BLOOMINGTON...
COLUMBUS...VINCENNES...BEDFORD...SEYMOUR
427 AM EDT SAT JUL 18 2009
...UNSEASONABLY COOL WEATHER THIS WEEKEND...

A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IN COMBINATION WITH HIGH PRESSURE ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS STATES WAS PUSHING VERY COOL AIR ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA. PLENTY OF CLOUD COVER IS ALSO EXPECTED WHICH WILL HELP TO PREVENT TEMPERATURES FROM RISING.

HIGH TEMPERATURES ON SATURDAY ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN THE UPPER 60S TO AROUND 70...OVER 15 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL.

THE COOL AIR AND CLOUDS WILL MOVE OFF TO THE EAST ON SUNDAY AND HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO RECOVER TO LOWER AND MIDDLE 70S.

THE NORMAL HIGH TEMPERATURE AT INDIANAPOLIS ON JULY 18 IS 86 DEGREES.

THE RECORD FOR COLDEST HIGH TEMPERATURE AT INDIANAPOLIS ON JULY 18 IS 75...SET BACK IN 1883 AND 1871.

be careful! it's much more temperate than usual out there. ¶