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!

Huge Storms Pulls Away, Cold Left Behind

Well that massive cold front and area of low pressure is scooting out of the picture, but not after doing a lot of damage and producing over 50 tornadoes in 2 days!

Behind, we're getting the first real taste of the cold season with widespread frost and freeze advisories in place - shown in light and dark blue on the map below.

Record "Bomb" Storm System

A new record set today on Tuesday for the lowest pressure in a non-tropical storm in the mainland U.S.

The massive storm system barreling across the central U.S. had a minimum central pressure of 28.24" or 956 mb (equivalent to the minimum pressure of a Category 3 hurricane).

This breaks the old record of 28.28" (958 mb), set on ...Jan. 26, 1978, during the Blizzard of 1978 (aka the Cleveland Sueprbomb).

This is also lower than the March 1993 Superstrom (aka "The Storm of the Century"), or the "Witch of November" storm that sank the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975, or even the Columbus Day Storm of Oct. 1962.


New low pressure readings were also set for the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin.

The storm generated hurricane force wind gusts from Colorado to Michigan - tipping over semis, downing power lines and making it almost miserable to be outside.

In North Dakota, the winds whipped around snow - making blizzard conditions exist nearly statewide.

Upper Midwest Low Pressure

What an amazing storm system right now in the middle of the country!  Tornado warnings along a cold front that extends from Louisiana to Michigan.

There is a high risk for tornadoes today across northwest Ohio and vicinity.

This low pressure has "bombed" out - meaning it rapidly intensified at the rate of the pressure lowering 1mb per hour for 24 hours - that happens over water but not too often over land.

Changing of the Seasons

Well I love this time of the year - the transition during the fall season can make for very colorful maps - such as the one for today in the picture below.

Everything from winter storm warnings in the pink across the central Rockies to tornado watches in the southeast (in yellow). Even severe thunderstorm watches in the rose color across the Carolinas and Virginia.

In between, all the brown means high wind watches and warnings - as the two air masses battle it out today.

Expect a windy go of it today across the center of the country - esp. from Texas to Michigan.

I am sure there will be a lot of bumpy landings and takeoffs today on the US air system.

Beautiful Day on Mt. Washington

Mt. Washington, NH is known for having some of the worst weather in the world. Below is a recap from the last 6 or 7 hours.

Temps in the low teens, winds howling out of the west between 50 and 80 mph with blowing snow!!


22 11:48 W 67 G 74 0.00 Blowing Snow Freezing Fog and Windy VV000 12 12 100% NA NA


22 10:51 W 70 G 75 0.00 Blowing Snow Freezing Fog and Windy VV000 10 10 100% NA NA

22 09:55 W 77 G 83 0.06 Blowing Snow Freezing Fog and Windy VV001 10 10 100% NA NA

22 08:54 NW 76 G 82 0.00 Blowing Snow Freezing Fog and Windy VV000 12 12 100% NA NA

22 07:51 NW 78 G 85 0.00 Light Showers Snow Blowing Snow Freezing Fog and Windy VV000 10 10 13 10 100% NA NA 0.07

22 06:55 NW 71 G 79 0.00 Blowing Snow Freezing Fog and Windy VV000 10 10 100% NA NA

22 05:58 NW 69 0.06 Blowing Snow Freezing Fog and Windy VV000 12 12 100% NA NA

22 04:51 NW 61 0.00 Blowing Snow Freezing Fog and Windy VV000 12 12 100% NA NA

22 03:57 W 52 G 56 0.00 Light Showers Snow Blowing Snow Freezing Fog and Windy VV000 10 10 100% NA NA

Tropical Trouble

The above picture is a plot of all the models - showing potential path of the disturbed weather now brewing in the tropics.

New Study Says Drought May Threaten Much of Globe

I thought this was some interesting reading.

Click here for more.

Paula To Fizzle Out

Hurricane Paula is no more!

The storm is now just a tropical depression and will soon be nothing more than a remnant low.

But that doesn't mean the weather will clear for extreme south Florida, the Keys and Hispanola.

There will still be some scattered showers and storms from time to time, not to mention some choppy waters off the coasts.

Engineering Innovations Breakfast

If you are in the Boulder, Colo. area next week - mark your calendars for a great networking and learning opportunity.

The next Engineering Innovations Breakfast will take place at the Boulder Marriott on Tuesday, Oct. 19, when Colorado State Climatologist Nolan Doesken and CoCoRaHS National Coordinator Henry Reges explain the unique volunteer precipitation data-gathering network that is CoCoRaHS.


Volunteers in all 50 states now send in data daily, and the information is used by NOAA, the National Weather Service, insurance adjusters, farmers, city utilities, and other professionals who need high-quality data about weather and precipitation. Doesken and Reges will discuss the kind of research that this unique data makes possible.


The breakfast will be from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the Boulder Marriott. RSVP today by calling (970) 491-3110 or e-mailing awaddell@engr.colostate.edu.

Admission for each breakfast is $20 per person ($15 for breakfast and a $5 gift to the Dean's Innovation Fund; cash or check only). Payment is accepted at the event. Hope to see you there!