Dynamic storm hits nation hampering Thanksgiving travel

The weather maps are busy to say the least today, with everything from blizzard warnings to tornado warnings.

Temperatures are in the 70s all the way to northern Illinois - while just a few hundred miles northwest it is only in the 20s with snow.

In the warm sector of the weather system, showers and thunderstorms were breaking out across southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois - some of the storms were severe at times.

As I type this blog, a tornado warning is in effect for a possible tornado near the Kewanee Airport in Kewanee, Illinois.

Other strong to severe storms were located near Rockford, Ill.

Meanwhile, several hunderd miles behind the storm system across Montana and North Dakota afternoon temperatures were struggling to reach 5 degrees above zero!

Condition One Heads From Michigan to Antarctica

What is Condition One?

 

It's a film in the making that shows how extremes and the human spirit will reveal the social pressures and inequities of urban life through the contrast of the seemingly disparate lives of teens in Detroit and the residents of Antarctica. In these extreme conditions, what makes people rise up? What makes their spirits soar?

 

Those involved with this film are currently en route to Antarctica - you can learn more about the project and follow their progress through their blog linked here.

 

 

La Nina - Winter of Extremes

This winter will probably be another one filled with a lot of extreme weather across the nation. By extremes, I mean large swings between above normal and below normal - with little time spent in the middle.

Some of the data points to that - some is my gut talking.

Currently - cold air is building over Alaska - and they are expecting much below normal temps as we head into this week.

That is something we need to watch as forecasters. If it builds and persists, it will likely be on the move into the lower 48 states sometime between Thanksgiving and the first 10 days of December.

First Big Snow For Upper Midwest

Well the first significant snow of the season is striking the upper midwest states today!  Places like Minneapolis/St. Paul could see anywhere from 6 to 12 inches of the white stuff!

Numerous winter weather advisories are in place from extreme eastern Nebraska and western Iowa all the way up to the Minnesota border with Canada.

Here are a few snowfall forecasts over the next 36 hours.

• Storm Lake, Iowa - 6 to 9 inches
• Mankato, Minnesota - 7 to 10 inches
• Minneapolis/St. Paul metro - 6 to 12 inches
• Duluth, Minnesota - 7 to 14 inches

This storm may also bring the first significant snow of the season to upper Michigan and portions of Wisconsin too.

November To Turn Cold?

It's been a rather mild fall across much of the nation - with temperatures running anywhere from 5 to 25 degrees above normal at times.

But a big cold front will be sweeping across the country over the next few days and it is expected to bring below normal temps to a large patch of real estate.

In fact, some places will see their first rain/snow mix change to all snow along and just east of the Rockies - including Denver!

Denver's normal average date of first snow is Oct. 19 - but the city has yet to see their first official snow.

The latest date of first snowfall is Nov. 21.

Tomas Continues To Fluctuate

First a hurricane, then a tropical storm - now a depression - what next?

In one sense it really doesn't matter what we call it- this weather system is not going to be good for the poor country of Haiti.
Either way, it will bring heavy rain and wind to the area.

But computer models still indicate the storm will regain strength and grow back into both tropical storm and hurricane status by the weekend as it makes a turn and moves north and then the northeast.

We'll have to watch and see!