Sunday Afternoon Fire in Minersville

Fire crews were called Sunday to a home on Pine Hill Street in the Minersville yesterday afternoon around 3PM.

The fire is said to have started in 524 but spread to the other homes on each side.

9 people were displaced in the fire, the homes were a double-block, 2 from one home, 4 from the other, the fire caused heavy damage to another home melting the siding.

No word has been what started the fire but they believe it started on the ground floor.

Fire crews from Minersville, Pottsville, Schuylkill Haven, Yorkville, and Llewellyn fought the blaze.

Schuylkill County Weather Forecast

By:  Monsoon Mike

Today would probably have to go down as one of the top 10 ugliest days of 2013. Plenty of cold rain with just a few degrees too warm to make it a nice, pretty snowstorm. Fog. Dark clouds. Biting wind. 

Things markedly improve Monday with the return of some sunshine but not the return of the mild temperatures experienced Saturday. In fact, we stay stuck in the 20s and 30s for as far as the eye can see. 

Something ELSE that the eyes are seeing is a potential storm Thursday. Many of my fellow weather gurus are hyping this one, saying things like "we're getting ready to sound the alarm!" Well, no alarms are sounding here at Monsoon Mike's Weather Headquarters. I stand by my call from earlier today that I think the storm doesn't blow into a full-fledged snowstorm until it is past us. Will we still have a storm of some sort? Quite probably yes. Will we still have to shovel? Quite probably yes. Will this be one of the bigger storms in recent history? No. Highly doubtful. But I'm always the first to bow down to my mistakes so if this changes, you'll be the first to know.

Go EAGLES! (There, I said it. Hope I didn't lose any fans ;-) 

Water Boil Advisory

The Borough of Ashland has issued a water boil advisory for Fountain Springs and Country Club Estates until further notice.

Schuylkill County Weather Forecast

By:  Monsoon Mike

A good dose of rain is in the cards for Sunday. Any threat for frozen precipitation should only be in areas near I-80 & at the tail end.

Cold air works in Monday and some snow showers are possible New Year's Eve. Our next storm potential is around Thursday & if it happened, it would be white & not wet. But right now the certainty of a Thursday snow event is only at about 35% (Monsoon Mike 2035)

Schuylkill County Weather Forecast

By:  Monsoon Mike

Nice Saturday upcoming with temperatures a bit above normal, but that'll be short-lived as a soggy Sunday is in the cards. Recent trends now limit yesterday's concern for mixed precipitation at the start and finish. Still wouldn't rule some mixing out in normally colder locations, but this will be a 95% rain event. 

Then a good shot of cold air rushes in behind the storm just in time for New Years'. Beyond that, looking pretty cold and perhaps a storm or two up my sleeve in early 2014. At they say in the old time radio business, STAY TUNED ..........

Midday Weather Update -12/27/13

By:  Monsoon Mike

Morning trends show Sunday "should" mainly be a rain event for MOST of the area despite last night's trend toward a slightly more wintry solution. I DO think, however, that Sunday could start as a touch of wintry mix north of I-78 and end as a wintry mix in the same locations, but the majority of the area will feature a cold rain for MOST of the storm. Until then, a slight warming trend through Saturday with slightly above average temperatures, so enjoy, because a big cold snap moves in around New Years' Eve!

Schuylkill County Weather Forecast

By: Monsoon Mike

This morning's snow "showers" were more than just "showers" in many parts of the county. A half inch to as much as two inches fell as some of the cold front-associated snow bands had more juice to them than many of us weather geeks were thinking.

I promise no more surprises for Friday or Saturday, although we could get some rain on Sunday as another storm passes to the east. Not looking to be in the frozen variety as temperatures should be above freezing for most of the weekend.

Then a good, at least several week dose of cold wintry weather looks to be on tap as we get into January.