Eye on the Storm: Earl Watch 2010

Hurricane Earl is expected to arrive in the Boston area around 2pm today, bringing a welcome drop in temperature and a less welcome deluge of rain, plus some potentially nasty wind. But have no fear! Even if you're already sequestered in your House basement, we're here to bring you up-to-the minute information on the storm.

11:05 a.m. Earl appears to have passed us by. Radar shows some lingering clouds to the south and west of Boston, but the forecast is for clear skies all day today. A final song for the Hurricane playlist:

The Dixie Chicks- Goodbye Earl

8:06 p.m. Observing the storm (or rather, what hasn't really materialized into a storm) from one of the highest points on campus, the 17th floor of Mather tower, we noted increased visibility. Individual cars crossing the MIT bridge are clearly visible.

7:55 p.m. Satellite photos show that the bulk of Hurricane Earl is located off the coast of Connecticut and Cape Cod.

7:27 p.m. If, like us, you are not entirely sure how serious a threat Earl poses (because yes, hurricanes can be pretty terrifying), you may find the following facts relevant:

1. The storm is now a Category 1 Hurricane (down from the more intense Category 2).

2. Satellite photos show that the bulk of Hurricane Earl is currently located just south of Cape Cod, along the New Jersey and Connecticut coasts (Take that, Jersey Shore!)

3. The National Weather Service does not have a tropical storm alert for Middlesex County, but a flash flood watch is in place for central and southeast Middlesex County.

4. Planes in and out of Logan are currently listed as being delayed by 30 to 40 minutes, which is basically nothing compared to Thanksgiving.

4:55 p.m. Rain started and stopped, but will likely start again. There are still plenty of ominous clouds to the west, over Boston. Humidity has climbed to 89 percent. Blah.

3:00 p.m. Though the sky is darkening and the humidity is steadily climbing (now up to 73 percent, according to Weather Underground), Earl is running late for his 2 p.m. appointment with Cambridge. Some students are using the extra time to prepare hurricane inspired parties (Hurricanes, for those over 21). They're also making playlists inspired by the incoming inclement weather.

Here's one such compilation from Mather Open:

Scorpions - Rock you Like a Hurricane

Bob Dylan - Hurricane

Bob Dylan - Shelter from The Storm

REO Speedwagon - Ridin' the Storm Out

Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Who'll Stop the Rain

The Beatles - Rain

The Temptations - I Wish It Would Rain

The Doors- Riders on the Storm

Rihanna - Umbrella

James Taylor- Fire and Rain

Clint Black - Like the Rain

Keith Urban - Raining on Sunday

Luke Bryan - Rain is a Good Thing

Fat Joe - Make it Rain

Live - Lightning Crashes

Weather Girls - It's Raining Men

12:53 p.m. Weather Underground reports a temperature of 84 degrees in Cambridge, with humidity hovering around 60 percent. It's a bit cloudy, but students are still milling about as usual, and the threat of "hurricane force winds" has not stopped the tourists determined to rub John Harvard's foot.

Photo courtesy of NASA