News 19 Forecast Team Blog

Let's talk crops...

We're going to take a look at some crop reports from around the region to see how things are going in the farm fields.  We've had a really wet winter and spring this year which has resulted in crops being planted late in the season.  There is good news though.  We've had several dry days which has allowed the grounds to dry out enough to get some crops planted.  (All information listed in this blog is courtesy of the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service)

Corn in Wisconsin has moved at a rapid pace in the last week to 56% planted.  Even though some fields are still very wet, there have been several reports about the growth of the corn.  Some corn has already seen a 7% emergence.

In Minnesota, land preparation for corn has increased to 80% compared to 97% prepared at this time last year.  67% of the corn has been planted and 3% has already emerged.

In Iowa, all of the districts have planted over 50% of their corn acreage.  Statewide, 78% of the corn has been planted and 18% has emerged already.


The soil has also begun to dry out acrosse the tri-states.  All three states haven't fallen into any of the short or very short categories.  If any of the first two numbers in the graphic below were high, that would be very dry ground conditions.  The higher those numbers go, more of a drought scenario begins to set in.  If the surplus number was really high, that would mean the ground was way too wet to even begin planting.  Even though our adequate number is high, it's been coming down the last couple of weeks.  That's why we've seen such a rapid increase in crop planting and emergence.

I mentioned corn planting earlier, but even soybeans and oats have had a huge jump in numbers.  In Wisconsin, soybeans are 22% planted and oats are 83% planted with 42% emergence.  In Minnesota, soybeans are 25% planted and oats are 84% planted with 40% emergence.  In Iowa, soybeans are 34% planted and oats are 93% planted with 58% emergence.

We'll see how these numbers from last week compare to this week's numbers.  The report for this week will be out next Monday, and we'll discuss it next Tuesday right here on the blog.

Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

 

NOAA Weather Radio & Tornadoes...

We're going to talk about a couple of different things today.  First, it's NOAA Weather Radio Day in Wisconsin.  This campaign from Governor Jim Doyle is to encourage people to ahead of severe weather with a weather radio.  A weather radio is a smoke detector for severe weather.  When the "smoke detector" goes off with its ear piecing alarm, that means a severe weather alert has been issued for your area.

Most weather radios can be programmed to go off for only your county or any county you choose.  It's a technology called Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME).  The weather radio network started in 1972.  There are now 33 stations that broadcast weather information in Wisconsin and 970 stations nationwide.

This is an important piece of equipment to have in your home or even with you when you're outdoors (example: camping).  Most can be picked up at any electronic store from $25 to $70.


The next topic I wanted to mention is that 40 years ago tomorrow (May 15) there was a major tornado outbreak in northeast Iowa.  Five tornadoes occurred during the late afternoon and evening on May 15, 1968.  These were part of a major outbreak of severe weather that affected 10 states from May 15 to May 16.  There were two F1 (???mph) tornadoes, one F2 (???mph), and two F5 (???mph) tornadoes.  There were 18 fatalities and 619 injuries in Iowa.  Since then, no other tornado has produced this many deaths or injuries in Iowa.  According to the National Weather Service, there has only been one other F5 tornado in Iowa.  That was in Jordan on June 13, 1976.  The towns of Charlest City, Oelwein, and Maynard were all devasted by these storms.

Check out this link (http://www.crh.noaa.gov/arx/?n=may151968) for more information about the tornado outbreak including photos and personal stories.


Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Another wet day for some...

Hi All;

A round of thunderstorms developed Tuesday afternoon and evening, but the significant rain was restricted to areas northeast of La Crosse up into Jackson County and then int0 Central Wisconsin. Even then amounts were not a problem, though we received at least one report of pea-sized hail in Clark County. The front then moved through and that will set the stage for sunnier skies on Wednesday. Temperatures will continue to average below normal for the better part of the next 5 to 7 days.

On a completely different topic; I was reading about the earthquake in China's  Sichuan Province. The magnitude of it was 7.8 on the Richter scale and at least 10,000 are presumed dead. This is a devastating natural phenomena, but not the strongest.

On May 22, 1960, an earthquake  that struck Valdivia, Chile had a magnitude of 9.5 on the Richter scale. This is the strongest earthquake ever recorded by instruments in the world.

Remember that each 1.o increase on the Richter scale means a tenfold increase in strength. Still, the Sichuan earthquake was strong enough to destroy 80 percent of the buildings Sichuan province's Beichuan county.

The earthquake happened in southwest China, not all that far from Myanmar, which was devastated by a tropical cyclone only a week or so before.

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Post Mom's Day weather...

Folks, we picked up another round of rainfall over the weekend, fortunately, amounts were not enough to cause any real problems. If you'd like to check on the Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning totals you can visit the  Latest storm totals from the National Weather Service .

This week will bring another cold front in from the Plains later tomorrow and into the evening. The front will not be particularly energetic and moisture will be sparing, but some rain will fall and add to the May totals. You can expect a crack or two of thunder and the tell-tale flash of lightning, but the inherent instability of this system will be weak, so I don't expect severe weather conditions to develop.

Look for a few dry days with cooler than average highs through Thursday. There is an outside chance of rain for Thursday night and Friday, but Saturday may be the next best chance.

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Long-term outlook...

It's time to take a little longer view of our weather as we get closer to summer. Of course, the first day of summer is still about a month and a half away, but it always seems to come quickly. (As I get older time seems to speed up even more than it used to. Oh well...!)

Now on to the topic at hand:

This winter a relatively strong cooling of the mid-Pacific sea surface temperatures developed, a so-called La Nina. That is the opposite of the more famous El Nino, which we associate with relatively mild winters. The winter produced very pronounced cold weather and snowier than normal totals, much to the chagrin of energy-bill payers here in the Upper Midwest. The trend for colder than average weather continued and April turned out to be the 3rd wettest on record.

May, it seems, has started out on the same path. But will this weather continue or finally lapse into a more normal series of events? The medium and long term computer simulations are predicting a continuation of La Nina in the Pacific into July, so it would seem to follow that the weather patterns will follow the same overall trends for awhile. The wild card here is that the effects of La Nina are typically less pronounced in the Spring season, so hopefully things will gradually shift back toward normal.

If you'd like more in-depth information visit the Climate Prediction Center and get the discussions and graphical outlooks. Their prediction for the next month look like this:

In a nutshell, chances are strong that cooler and wetter than average weather are predicted for the local area.

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Thunderstorms...

As of Thursday afternoon, the monthly rainfall total for April reached 5.58". That puts this month at tenth on the list of wettest Aprils on record. A slowly moving storm system will continue to add to the totals through Friday and even, perhaps, into Saturday morning. Colder air then takes over. The cold front generating the rain, and which will deliver the cold air, will move through on Friday. It could produce some heavy, even severe thunderstorms late Friday morning or in the early afternoon before the activity shifts eastward.

That brings us to the topic of severe weather. It is Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Tornadoes, violently rotating columns of air in contact with the ground, are generated by strong thunderstorms-- cumulonimbus clouds.  Most in Wisconsin and Minnesota are of the weak variety, but still have wind speeds of 75 to 120 mph. The strongest can have winds over 300 mph. Wisconsin averages 21 tornadoes a year and Minnesota, 24 a year.

Peak months for tornado frequency are May and June followed by July and April. The peak time of day would be between 3 PM and 9 PM. Of course they can occur at just about any time and in any month.

To stay safe in the home you should:
Go to the basement and find something sturdy to hide under. If you have no basement, get to the lowest floor and move to an interior room such as a bathroom or closet. Put as many walls between you and the outside as possible.

At school:
Listen to your teacher, and go to interior aress like bathrooms or hallways, though be careful about hallways that can become wind tunnels if the doors blow off. Avoid gyms and auditoriums and cafeterias.

If you are driving:
Drive away if you can clearly move at a 90 degree angle to the movement of the twister. If not, then get to a ditch or culvert, get as low as possible, and cover your head and neck.

Finally, keep abreast of developing weather. Watch News 19 for severe weather updates.

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Severe Weather week...

Hi Folks;

It is Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week in Wisconsin and Minnesota. A statewide tornado drill is planned for Thursday, April 24th at about 1 PM, unless severe weather threatens that day. If so the test will be moved to Friday.

What is the definition of a severe thunderstorm?

a. a peak gust of 58 mph or higher...
b. Hail 3/4 of an inch or bigger...
c. a tornado

The most common type of thunderstorm wind gust is called a "straight line wind" gust.

A downburst, according to the National Weather Service, is a localized area of extreme wind damage.

Large hail is usually a property damage concern, but can be life-threatening is one is caught outdoors in a large hail storm.

The best thing to do is to get indoors if a severe thunderstorm approaches. Be sure to watch News 19 for severe weather coverage.

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

ABC 20/20 reminder...

Hi all;

Here's a reminder from a couple of posts ago about ABC's 20/20 news program.  Sam Champion will examine several weather-related topics during the show, which runs Friday night at 9PM here in the Central time zone. You'll see segments about how to survive severe weather, some myths and misconceptions, and even about what Hollywood gets right and wrong when movies contain science and weather concepts. Don't miss it! I'll be tuning in when I can.

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

20/20 Weather topics...

Friday night, ABC's 20/20 news program will be examining various weather topics, myths and misconceptions. Sam Champion will explore the wild and sometimes wacky weather that happens around the country and around the world.

You'll learn how to survive deadly weather such as tornadoes and floods. Do you stop under an overpass when a twister threatens? He'll examine the latest recommendations from the National Weather Service.

You'll see segments on weather folklore. For instance, do birds fly lower when a storm and high winds are on the way?

Champion will also explore whether Daylight Saving Time, as advertised, actually reduces the use of energy during the summer.

You'll also find out how accurately Hollywood portrays weather and other science events. Do they actually help us understand some of the scientific concepts, or do they create more confusion in the movies?

Find out Friday night on ABC's 20/20 at 9PM central time.

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Major springtime storm...

These are interesting times for forecasters in the Upper Midwest. Of course, this is a transitional season between winter and summer. The low pressure systems that form tend to bring together the best combination of hot, humid air from the south and the still very cold air from the plains of Canada. When you mix the two, extremes of instability and winds occur and you get all kinds of weather over the country.

In this case, the instablilty in the southern and central parts of the storm brings an outbreak of severe weather, complete with tornadoes, straight-line wind damage, and large hail. Contrast that with the cold air side of the storm, where snow and sleet fell from the skies. It really is like wrapping all four seasons into one system.

Here in the News 19 viewing area we received well over an inch of rain in most locations, staying away from the damaging thunderstorms, and also staying away from the snow-related problems.

I should say mostly staying away from thunderstorm issues. Here at News 19 we took a hit from lightning, which, according to our assistant chief engineer "fried six pieces of electronic equipment."

All in all, I'm glad the weekend is here, so I can recharge my batteries for next week's warm up. Get those details on our main weather page.

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

It's academy time...

The time has come around again for another News 19 Weather Academy.  This time we're taking the show on the road to Cashton, WI.  I'm a little rusty because I missed our last academy in Houston, MN in February due to the flu.  I'm back and ready to go.

This is one of my favorite projects I'm in charge of here at WXOW.  I enjoy getting to head out to all these different schools and teach the kids about severe weather and hope I help them become less scared during a storm.  During the afternoon, we'll give the safety presentation to students and faculty that will include some very cool experiements.

After school, the public is invited to attend an open house at the school.  Students get to bring their friends and family to see the same experiements again as well as meet the entire Forecast Team.  That's right!  The entire Forecast Team will be on hand signing autographs.  We even broadcast our 5 and 6 p.m. weather shows right from the school.

It's a lot of fun and I hope to see everyone out there!


Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Moisture Laden Storm...

Another storm has come and almost gone. Heavy rain and some snow blanketed the Upper Midwest today. Fortunately, we have not seen major issues, though some waterways are on the rise in a few places.

The low pressure system was quite powerful with strong southerly breezes tapping into Gulf of Mexico moisture. The winds lifted the air over a warm front just south of us, generating a large shield of precipitation. As the system moves rapidly eastward improvement will take over. Expect some sunshine Tuesday, but a brisk northerly wind will keep temperatures chilly. Highs will reach into the upper 30s to around 40 degrees in the afternoon.

The weather patterns should revert back to normal for the rest of the week, with only a slight chance of rain for Wednesday night and Thursday. Highs will then warm into the 50s for Friday and the weekend.

As a final note, here are links to some of the precipitation amounts from the latest storm:

Some area snow totals
Some area rain totals

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Spring Storm...

The first real spring storm is gearing up to give us a little bit of everything Mother Nature has to offer.  The graphic below shows, in detail, who can expect what.  This will mostly be a rain event for the News 19 viewing area, but some snow will fall just north of Winona and up around Eau Claire and Black River Falls.  If you're heading up that direction or to the Twin Cities, be prepared for the snow fall.  The Cities are expecting between 6" and 12" of snow.

We could be looking at around an inch of rain around La Crosse and north.  South of La Crosse, we could see upwards of 2" of rainfall.  That's where a FLOOD WATCH is in effect.  If you're driving around and you see water covering the road, remember this phrase from our Weather Academy: "Turn around, Don't Drown".  It only takes a few inches of water to carry a car away.  You never know how deep a puddle of water can be.

There may be a mix of rain and snow late tonight and early tomorrow morning for us, but don't expect any accumulations from those flurries.  Just stay dry and as warm as you can today and tomorrow.  Keep looking ahead to the sun and temps in the lower 50s by Thursday.


Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Largest barometer...

I was sent an interesting email the other day and I wanted to share it with everyone.  As most of you know, I spent my first three years in this business living in Missouri.  I took several trips to Kansas City, but I never noticed this sign before.

Sunlight Saunas got a little creative with the way they displayed their business to the public.  Plus, it has a weather twist.  As you pass the sign, you'll see a different color everytime.  That's because the sign also doubles as a barometer.  A barometer is a weather instrument that measures atmospheric pressure.

Each of the three colors represent a change in the atmosphere.  Yellow lights indicate a high pressure system approaching which means nice, clear weather.  Green lights indicate that a storm system (low pressure) may be on the way.  Blue lights indicate a low pressure system approaching which usually translates into stormy conditions.  This sign for the company faces Interstate 435 in Overland Park, Kansas and it measures 10' by 40'.

Obviously, the colors would be too hard to see during the day, so the sign is set to turn on around 5 o'clock in the afternoon.  That's a perfect time since people getting off work will be able to see what the weather's going to be as they head home.  Plus, the sign is usually at a lower angle on its way to setting which would make the colors a little easier to see.

I've posted video of the sign and the colors.  Now, the video is short and shows colors going back and forth like crazy.  This isn't how it actually works.  During a pressure change, the colors usually take about a minute to change.  The fast paced light show was to showcase all the colors and how it works.  It may take a second to load, so please be patient.

Hope you find this interesting!

Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Longer Range trends???

Coming off one of the more unusual winter seasons, you may have questions about why it was so cold and snowy. Climatologists and meteorologists have been looking for those clues, and it appears that an unusual cooling of the equatorial Pacific waters has been one of the reasons.

Temperatures in the Pacific surface waters have been about 2 degrees celsius below average, which is a pretty strong deviation. In addition to being a reason for the colder winter for us, it also a very likely a reason for the drier conditions in the drought-prone southeastern United States.

So what might the future hold for the region? In the short-term the waters are forecast to gradually warm and that will probably mean a return to more normal weather patterns for our area.  That's good news because it should lead to a warming trend for the Seven Rivers Region. The latest outlooks for the longer term trend, on average, toward more normal readings and precipitation.

If you would like more information regarding the La Nina and its effects you can visit Climate Prediction Center .

Until next time, enjoy the weather.

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

The weekend is here...

An early spring storm has come and gone depositing 4" to 8" of fresh, wet heavy snowfall. At this time of the year you can almost wait out the melting of said snowfall, without shoveling. In this La Nina year, however, temperatures will remain cold enough that it will take awhile to get rid of the snow that way.

La Nina is a cooling of the central Pacific sea surface temperatures compared to normal values. The effect of the cooling means a deflection of the atmospheric jet stream currents, that brings about colder than average temperatures for the Upper Midwest. It will also likely mean a slower return to warmer more summerlike readings. That's not what you want to hear if you are anxious to get back out on the golf course or the outdoor tennis course.

This winter season has brought over 60" of snow to La Crosse, well above average, but not record setting. I, for one, am happy to see the moisture. It will likely ensure that there will be plenty of water for lawns and agricultural crops once they start to grow, at least early in the growing season. In addition, we have managed to avoid major flooding problems because the snow has melted slowly enough and frost depth is shallow; therefore runoff has not become a problem.

Until next time, have a happy and safe weekend.

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Late winter storm...

Just when we thought we could store the snow shovels and snowblowers... A late winter storm is moving through the western United States on a track to affect the News 19 viewing area. A WINTER STORM WATCH has been posted for a large part of the region from Thursday at 7 PM to Friday at 7 PM. Southeastern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa and part of southwestern Wisconsin are included in the watch. La Crosse, Vernon, Crawford and Richland counties are in the watch area. A winter storm watch means that amounts of snow in excess of 6 inches are possible.

Enough snow will fall Thursday night for significant amounts to impact morning travel. If you are not on spring break monitor the forecast for any school closures or delays. Snow will continue on and off on Friday and again travel will likely be poor during the day. By Friday night the storm will pull away and things will improve rapidly.

Also, in this case the temperatures will be close to the freezing mark, so the snow should be heavy and wet, therefore harder to shovel and move out of the way. Exercise caution when shoveling and take it easy. There is not a tremendous amount of cold air in its wake, so highs should rebound over the weekend to the lower or middle 40s.

Stay tuned to News 19 for continuing updates on this developing storm.

Snow all winter...

It's been a long winter with all of the snow we've seen fall from the sky.  Although spring doesn't offically start for a little more than a week, I want to recap this winter season.  We saw our first snowflake fall on November 5 and our first measurable amount of snow on November 17 where a tenth of an inch fell.  December 22 and 23 was our biggest snow storm of the season when we saw 11.4" of snow.  We've had a total of 47 days where snow actually fell.  This includes all trace and measurable amounts.  Snow has been on the ground since November 30 and it's been 102 days straight without any major snow melt.  This is the 9th longest stretch of snow on the ground in the area.  As long as there's an inch of snow on the ground, that number of 102 will continue to climb and raise our ranking.


Thanks for checking in

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Major US earthquake...

Some big news happened in the United States on Thursday.  A damaging 6.0 magnitude earthquake occurred in northeast Nevada.  This is unusual because having those big type of quakes is rare in that part of the state.  This is the strongest quake there since December of 1954.  It happened about 15 miles to the east-southeast of a little town called Wells.  Tremors were felt as far east as Salt Lake City which is almost 200 miles away.  There have been reports of damage to buildings and water pipes and even a gas leak at a truck stop.

See some of the damage video by clicking this link:
http://www.wxow.com/News/index.php?ID=17336



Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Lunar Eclipse Update...

I talked about the total Lunar Eclipse yesterday, and I hope a lot of you got out to watch such an awesome event.  If you didn't, don't expect to see this type of event again until December of 2010.  I stayed up a little later than normal to get a peek at the full eclipse.  I don't have a very powerful camera, but I did manage to take a couple of great shots, and I wanted to share them with you.

See the video by clicking on this link:
http://www.wxow.com/News/index.php?ID=17276

Have a great weekend!

Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Total Lunar Eclipse...

Even though it'll be very cold outside tonight, there's something happening in the sky that you really should take a look at.  A total Lunar Eclipse will take place this evening and be visible everywhere clears skies abound.  The partial eclipse will begin around 7:43 p.m.  The full eclipse will be between 9:01 p.m. and 9:51 p.m.  All phases will be through by 11:09 p.m.

A Lunar Eclipse happens when the Moon passes through the shadow of Earth.  As it does, the Moon turns colors anywhere from an orange to a vivid red.  Even look for a hint of turquoise.  The reason behind the red color is due to the air and dust particles in the atmosphere.  Those particles redirect the sunlight and turn Earth's shadow a reddish color.  The turquoise color comes from the ozone layer.  Light that passes through the ozone layer actually absorbs some of the red color and comes out bluer.

Head outside with your binoculars to a dark spot around town and look up.  You can also head to the Cartwright Center on the UW-La Crosse campus between 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.  They'll have telescopes available in case you don't have any binoculars.

Get out there and check it out!

Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Snow piles up...

We've seen so much snow this season.  It started falling at the beginning of December, and hasn't given us a big break to speak of.  The totals have been growing for many cites in the area.  The La Crosse National Weather Service has put together some very interesting snowfall statistics that I want to share.  I've put them in graphic form for you at the bottom.  Right now we're 13.5" above a normal snow season, and we're not done yet.  Remember, we got our big 20"+ of snow during the last part of February last year.  For the last year, we ended up being about 6.2" shy of the geatest yearly snowfall total ever recorded.

Thanks for checking in!

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Winter Weather Continues...

Old Man Winter just continues to pound our area with cold air and snow cover.  It doesn't appear that Mr. Winter has a calendar to look at either.  This latest round of snow is arriving on the most romantic day of the year, Valentine's Day.  I'm sure so many couples have romantic evenings planned for tomorrow night.  Some of those were going to be the dinner where the big question is popped!  Now those folks are having to rethink their night out.

Snow will begin falling early in the morning tomorrow and continue throughout the day.  Some of the snow may be heavy at times.  Travel will become tricky later in the morning and in the evening as a total of 4" to 8" inches of snow fall.  To make matters worse, the winds will begin to pick up tomorrow night causing some of that snow to blow around.

We're also looking at another round of light snow this weekend where we could see another couple of inches of the white stuff.  The cold air will move in as well dropping our highs on Friday to only a few degrees above 0° for highs and a few degrees below 0° for overnight lows.

I'm not telling anyone they should cancel evening events.  You should monitor the forecast tonight and see what happens tomorrow morning before you make a decision.  Although, nothing would be wrong with throwing together a candle light dinner inside that you can cook together.  Then curl up with that person on the couch, under a blanket to keep warm, and watch the snow fall while you sip on a nice wine and eat chocolate covered strawberries.


Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Snow chances continue...

SNOW!  SNOW!  SNOW!  We've certainly seen our fair share of the snow this winter season.  On average, we're right where we should be though for a typical winter in this area.  We're going to build on that total during the next 24 hours.  In fact, this week of love holds a few chances for snowfall.  After today, the next chance comes on the big day itself, Valentines Day.  We'll continue to watch that storm system to see if it'll drop the heavy snow on us or further north.

Here's the snow forecast for us today:

Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Snow season...

The snowy and cold weather just continues to come on strong in the Upper Midwest. The latest stats indicate the amounts so far have already exceeded the normal or average 42.3" for an entire season. The National Weather Service in La Crosse reports that the La Crosse Municipal Airport has officially picked up 46.9" and that is 17.9" above average to this point in the winter season.

Are we ready to talk about a record year? Probably not. In the winter of 1961-62 78.6" fell at the La Crosse site. We would have to really pour it on to reach those lofty numbers. It is possible, but as you know, in Wisconsin the snow-making machine could just as abruptly shut off. Time will tell.

The weather pattern has shifted several times this winter, but it has worked out that snow has been able to fall in each of the different weather modes. We just missed the brunt of the latest storm. Parts of southern Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois picked up over a foot and a half of snow.

An interesting side note was the ferocity of the low pressure system that produced the snow. It also generated the record breaking February severe weather and tornado outbreak in other parts of the country.

Until next time;

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist
 

Wicked cold...

Blizzard conditions to our northwest and to our south left us with very little snowfall locally.  Winds blew a lot of the minimal snowfall all around yesterday as our temps dropped dramatically through the day.  The high yesterday of 43° actually came early yesterday morning before dropping into the single digits in the afternoon and below 0°before midnight.  That 53° temperature drop tied the all time record for one-day temp change in La Crosse.

Wind chills this morning reached an amazing -44° in Medford in Taylor county.  La Crosse dropped to between -25° and -35° this morning.  The National Weather Service sensor had some trouble recording data, so it is hard to give an actual temperature for La Crosse.  It appears that the problem has been fixed though.  You can get more information on how to calculate the wind chill at http://www.crh.noaa.gov/arx/windchill.php.

Things will slowly improve as we head through the next few days.  The winds will calm a bit tonight so we won't be as cold tomorrow morning.  Although we may see a few chances of flurries the rest of the week, we shouldn't see any accumulations until the beginning of next week.

Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Mother Nature's fury...

Mother Nature sure doesn't want to let her grip on us go.  We've had temperatures below zero and topping the mid 40s over the winter so far.  A strong winter storm is approaching our area today.  It will only dump a few inches of snow on us, but the winds will cause it to seem like a lot more.  The National Weather Service issuee a WINTER STORM WARNING for our area today.  Usually a warning is issued when we're looking for a lot more snow, but, in this case, we're looking for near white-out conditions with extremely cold temps and wind chills down between -35° and -45°.

Frost bite can set it in as little as 10 minutes with wind chills that cold.  The winds will be between 20 and 40 miles per hour in our area, but much stronger to our south.  In fact, a blizzard warning is in effect for much or easter Iowa today because of the expected white out conditions.  We saw that particular warning issued last year.  I remember it well.  It was my first "blizzard" in my lifetime.  I'd love to see that again, but only from the comfort of my living room.

If you have to travel this afternoon and evening, make sure you bundle up and monitor the forecast before heading out.


Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Another chapter to be written...

One never can tell halfway through a season whether it is going to be memorable or not, but this year may be different. We have seen 43.4" of snow at the La Crosse Municipal Airport; that is already about our normal or average snow fall for an entire season, and we have two of our most prolific snow-producing months to go. That doesn't mean that the "snow" machine will continue to spit out inch after inch of that frozen blanket, but it does give us at least a chance of some pretty impressive numbers. In terms of temperatures it hasn't been particularly notable, but there's still time to rewrite a few records, even though we are past the time of the coldest normals.

This year, perhaps more than most, has seen wild shifts in temperatures. The next few days will bear this trend out. We will go from a high of 45 degrees on Monday(28th) to a low of -11 degrees on Wednesday(30th). That is a projected change of 56 degrees in just 36 hours. A good chunk of that change will occur Tuesday in the immediate wake of a strong cold frontal passage in the morning.

In addition, the  cold air will generate 2 to 5 inches of snow. With the winds picking up to 20 to 40 miles per hour, considerable blowing and drifting will occur. Travel will prove difficult, especially in the rural, open and higher terrain regions in the News 19 viewing area.

All in all, a day to stay indoors and ponder the question of whether we will remember the 2007-08 winter season.

Until next time;

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Old Man Winter's grip...

WOW!  What a weekend?!  The massive arctic air mass that we had been tracking all week delivered this weekend.  We saw highs on Saturday only at -2°F!  That wasn't as cold as last year though.  Looking back in the weather archives, we saw a big drop in temps the first couple of weeks of February.  Our high on February 4, 2007 was -4°F.  Our low Sunday morning was -22°F.  That was colder than what we saw last year.  The low on the morning of February 5, 2007 was only -19°F.

There were a whole lot of people up in Green Bay for what turned out to be the final Packer game of the season.  It was -2° at the start of the game and -4° by the end of the game.  The wind chill hovered around -24°!  I was happy to see everyone bundled up and keeping warm.  Except for the few women in bikinis, I'm sure everyone was fine.  I hope the coach of the Giants is alright.  His face was extremely red by the end of the game.  I'm sure he was feeling some pain especially on his nose.

I stayed warm this weekend by going to the AVP: Hot Winter Nights volleyball tournament at the La Crosse Center Saturday night.  It was really fun to be back "on-the-beach" in the middle of winter when it was so cold outside.  It was warm inside watching the guys and gals volley it out.   I will definitely go again when they come back.

Stay safe and warm these next few days with the snow falling today and the cold air still in place.  Look for 4" to 6" total accumulations by tonight once the snow comes to an end.  You'll need to leave a few extra minutes in the morning to clear your cars off before heading to work and back to school!

Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

The Siberian Express arrives...

Its called the Siberian or Arctic Express because that's where it originates.  The massive amount of cold air has been building up in the arctic region near Siberia, and flood gates have broken.  Our lows for the weekend will range from -10° to -20°.  All that cold air is pouring through the country this weekend.  Cities as far south as Atlanta saw their first snow in three years.

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY has been issued for this evening through the day tomorrow.  Any and all exposed skin needs to be covered if you have to go outside this weekend.  If you do go outside take note of the safety tips below.  Frostbite can set in after as little as 10 to 20 minutes.  If you find yourself shivering constantly, that means you're in the beginning stages of hypothermia and it's time to get warm.

Stay warm and safe this weekend.


Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Cold snap...

One storm system is on the way out, but perhaps the most important element of the latest weather pattern shift is yet to be realized. First a look at snow totals from last night and today. Here's a link to the latest information: Area Snowfall Totals .

Now, on to the next phase of this mid-winter pattern. It involves another low pressure system coming in from the northwest. Light snow will fall, perhaps an inch or two, but the biggest threat will be from blowing and drifting snow, especially in the rural areas. Near white-out conditions will occur by Friday afternoon. In addition, the coldest air of the season will flow south into the area for the weekend.

It includes Saturday and Sunday highs near zero and overnight lows of -10 to -20. Wind chill values for Friday night and Saturday will be in the -20 to -35 degree range. All in all a great weekend to be indoors, if you want to avoid frostbite or worse.

The weather patterns are a result of cold air building up across Canada, some of the air straight from across the North Pole from Siberia. The north-south oriented jetstream will continue to funnel the air into the country this weekend and into much of next week. It should be a relatively dry weather pattern after Friday with only coupld of chances of flurries next week.

Until next time;

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Extreme cold...

The coldest weather of the season is approaching us.  I have to say that I've had a hard time believing my own forecast these past few days.  I've been doing this a number of years now, and, believe it or not, this is the coldest forecast I have ever put out there!  I was in northeast Missouri in my last job.  That may sound warm, but it got cold very often during the winter.  It didn't stay that cold for too long, but it was cold!

Actual highs are going to really struggle to get above the 0° mark this weekend.  We're going to see wind chill values between -20° and -30° this weekend.  That is cause for concern if you plan on being outside.  I have a couple of graphics below for you to look over.  One is showing just how far south these cold temps will be extending.  The other is a safety graphic that you really need to pay attention to for this weekend.  When the temps get this low and the winds kick in, even a little bit, frost bite can set in after as little as 15 minutes.  That isn't anything to play with.  If you have to go outside for some reason, make it a quick trip.  Don't forget to take care of your pets and check on the elderly.  Make sure everyone stays really warm.  I know my heater will be working overtime this weekend.

Watch your car's health too.  Keep the tank above a half a tank of gas.  This will keep your fuel lines from freezing if there isn't enough gas in the tank.  You will need to go outside a couple of times during the day to start the car and let it run.  Don't turn it off until the inside heats up pretty good.  This will help your car start when you need it to.  Don't let it sit outside all weekend without moving or starting up.

CLICK HERE for more information on the wind chill.  You'll see the new wind chill chart as well as more information on the cold weather.

If you have any amazing stories from this weekend or awesome pictures, send them to me (zbrown@wxow.com) so I can share them with other readers and viewers.

Stay warm this weekend!

Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Stormy skies...

The weather in the short term is all about a passing storm. We have had some snow already and more is falling through tonight and Thursday. A total of 4 to 8 inches should fall in parts of the News 19 viewing area by 6 PM Thursday; the heaviest amounts southeast of La Crosse itself, the lighter amounts northwest. This part of the weather pattern will usher in some cold air, but the real Arctic, even Siberian, blast of air will come behind a storm system for Friday. That Clipper-type storm could produce a couple of inches of snow, but its big claim to fame will the cold air it pulls southward into the Seven Rivers Region.

Highs for Saturday and Sunday will struggle to reach zero degrees and overnight lows will drop to between 10 and 20 degrees below zero. The below normal temperatures are likely to continue well into next week. BRRRRRRR!!!!!

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Cold January weather...

It is now the middle of January and a cursory check of the average temperatures show that is the coldest time of the year. The average or normal temperature is at the bottom of the curve; even the coldest record lows occur at about this time in January. Of course, the averages are made up of all the extreme and not so extreme weather that have occured since records have been kept.

For the next week or so we will bolster the colder side of the equation and make up for some of the warmer readings earlier this month.

The colder air is coming in steps this time around. We got a shot of the chill today as highs slipped into the middle teens for the afternoon. The jet stream is starting to orient more north to south. As you look at this first map you will notice a weak overhead ripple in the jet. That ripple dragged in somewhat colder air that came from southern Canada. Colder air but only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. If you look at the eastern Pacific you will see another trough of low pressure moving in. That one will approach and pass through on Wednesday, triggering a batch or two of light