What’s the rain plan? This is a question that all of us here at Yellow Umbrella Events contend with on a regular basis. We are responsible to not only our lovely couples, but to our vendors, to insure that we’ve thought through their event and have made for sure that we’ve considered what will happen if it rains (or pours or is too cold or too hot). Sometimes the solution is easy. If there is a building on site that can be used, this is often the best solution, but sometimes there is simply no easy on site solution and we need to consider other options. Should we prepare for a tent? Add heaters or coolers for guest comfort? And when should we make the decision to go with the rain plan? Of course there are some basic guidelines that we like to follow but as a general rule, each event (and each couple) is very different so we work hand in hand with the couple to come up with a solution that best fits them.
Most of our clients assume we simply look at weather.com and call it a day, but at Yellow Umbrella Events, nothing could be further from the truth. As part of our services we actually offer customized weather forecasting for your big day. We receive detailed weather analysis leading up to the event date from a local private meteorologist that customizes the reports to our specific venue location for that date. Check out the last 2 reports for a wedding that we are servicing this weekend:
This was our Wednesday morning update:
” …Wetter, Cooler Weather Is Likely Late Thursday through Saturday…
An upper level weather disturbance and a surface cold front will combine to produce a good chance of rain as well as gradually cooler temperatures across the region beginning late Thursday through Saturday. While there is still a modest amount of uncertainty as to the exact timing of these events, the overall picture has become more clear today as to how the general scenario is likely to play out…
Isolated to widely scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms (with coverage generally around 20-30%) are expected to form well ahead of the cold front on Thursday afternoon and evening. The chance of precipitation will gradually increase overnight on Thursday and into the morning hours on Friday, but is still not likely to be widespread at that time. Precipitation is expected to become the most widespread by later in the day Friday and into Friday night, with coverage near 60% likely. The main question at this time is when the precipitation will end. At present we still expect a fair amount of precipitation during the morning hours on Saturday, tapering off from Northwest to Southeast around midday. The afternoon on Saturday looks dry at this point in time.
This does not appear to be a situation that will feature widespread heavy rainfall or flooding. With that said, extended periods of light to moderate rain or embedded thunderstorms will produce widespread rainfall amounts of 0.25 to 0.50 inch, with localized amounts near 1 inch possible during the period Thursday Night through Saturday morning. Scattered embedded thunderstorms will produce occasional cloud to ground lightning, mainly Thursday night and Friday.
Temperatures will fall behind the cold front late Friday and on Saturday. Readings are not likely to escape the 80s on Friday, and will be mostly in the 70s on Saturday.”
This was our Thursday morning update:
“…Increasingly Widespread Rain and Gradually Cooler Temperatures Are On Tap for Thursday through Saturday…
A surface cold front will combine with an upper-level weather disturbance and increasing amounts of low-level humidity to produce widespread rain across the region beginning Thursday, and continuing with lesser intensity on Friday and Saturday. Cooler temperatures will spread into the region behind the cold front on Friday and Saturday.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms are forecast to develop ahead of the front across the service area on Thursday, primarily during the afternoon and especially Thursday evening and Thursday night. The Thursday evening and Thursday night time period is when the heaviest rain is likely to fall, with up to 1 or perhaps 1.5 inches of rain falling in some locations.
By Friday and Saturday, rain will become more occasional to periodic in nature and mostly light in intensity, with an additional 0.50 inch possible in most areas. The rain is expected to end from Northwest to Southeast across the region by Saturday afternoon. The computer forecast model solutions today are a bit slower in showing the exit of the precipitation on Saturday (as compared to the solutions shown yesterday), however we still feel that most of the measurable rainfall on Saturday will take place before Noon or 1pm.
A threat of cloud to ground lightning will be present with the activity on Thursday and Thursday night. This threat will decrease on Friday and Saturday as the precipitation mostly falls in the form of light rain or showers by that time.
We will continue to monitor this situation and issue updates and/or any specific alerts as conditions warrant.”
And we get this type of very detailed and custom email updates regularly leading up to the weekend and throughout the event date. If we have questions we can log in to our own personalized web page and monitor it more closely using advanced radar and receive text messages or phone call updates on any weather related conditions.
We know that having your wedding day turn out exactly as you pictured is important to you and we’re committed to using every possible event solution that’s available to us to make it that way.
So tell me, what’s your rain plan?
Cheryl Bailey
Owner, Yellow Umbrella Events
Austin’s Wedding Planner
