Our trusty (rusty) computer models are pointing toward the likelihood that we’re going to be on the cold side of a storm system by late Tuesday into Wednesday, and we could receive a little snow out of the deal. I’m not too impressed by the looks of this storm system at this point, but even a little snow could slow up travel a bit. So for now, the forecast is light snow. Details on the when and how much aspect will be up-and-coming. This doesn’t look to be anything worth getting worried about.

If you’re responsible for the turkey or any side dishes, don’t be using the weather as an excuse to get out of it…

Were there anything going on with the weather aside from a couple stray sprinkles, I’da posted something on it, but alas, ’tis awfully quiet.

Click here or on the image for the full story…

Meanwhile, our temperatures, the mild ones they are, live on! Look for highs in the 40s this week with lows in the upper 20s/lower 30s.

Our highs this week will stall in the 40s - it’ll feel cooler, but those highs are actually still above normal. We’ve managed to see 12 out of 14 days in November with highs in the 50s and 60s; the other 2 days were spent in the 40s. For a month where the average high temperature drops to the 30s, that’s pretty impressive!

Our thanks to NWS La Crosse for assembling some great Winter Weather Awareness Week resources such as the following information.

Today’s topic is NOAA Weather Radio

Staying informed of hazardous winter weather is a good way to prepare or avoid dangerous situations…especially if you have travel plans. NOAA Weather Radio is an excellent source of weather information directly from the National Weather Service.

Every school shouuld have and monitor a NOAA Weather Radio.

NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts 24 hours a day…7 days a week.

At the touch of a button, you can hear…
A regional weather summary, current conditions (including hourly wind chill values), the 7-day forecast, radar summaries and short term forecasts, any watches, warnings, or advisories in effect, hazardous weather outlooks, and other pertinent weather information as needed.

The National Weather Service in La Crosse currently operates 9 transmitters.

ROCHESTER MN         WXK41        162.475 MHZ
LA CROSSE WI         WXJ86        162.550 MHZ
WINONA MN            KGG95        162.425 MHZ
BLACK RIVER FALLS WI WNG564       162.500 MHZ
PRAIRIE DU CHIEN WI  WWG86        162.500 MHZ
RICHLAND CENTER WI   WWG89        162.450 MHZ
ST ANSGAR IA         KXI68        162.450 MHZ
DECORAH IA           KXI60        162.525 MHZ
WITHEE WI            KZZ77        162.425 MHZ

Our thanks to the National Weather Service for providing an excellent resource for Winter Weather Awareness week. The following is from their WWAW site.

Today’s topic is: Downed Power Lines/Power Outage Safety

Freezing rain can lead to significant ice accumulation. The weight of ice accumulation can bring down power lines and poles easily, especially if you factor in wind that often accompanies a winter storm.

Here are some safety tips that deal with downed power lines and power outages.

Never touch a fallen power line. Never touch anything or anyone in contact with a power line. You could be shocked by contact with the line or a secondary object or person.

Reporting a Fallen Power Line

• Call 911 and report it to local Sheriff or Police

When Vehicles Comes in Contact with a Power Lines

• If you are inside a vehicle:
  • Stay inside the vehicle and warn others to keep away.
  • Wait inside the vehicle until rescue personnel arrive.
  • Do not make contact with metal parts in the vehicle.

• If you have to get out of the vehicle because of a fire or other danger:
  • Jump out so that you do not touch the vehicle and ground at the same time.
  • Don’t run. Hop away keeping your feet together. Separating your feet can create two contact points with the ground and can result in a shock if the ground is energized by a fallen wire.

About Fallen Power Lines

When a live wire touches the ground, electricity fans out in a pool, similar to when a pebble hits water, with the voltage decreasing as it travels from the center. You can be shocked when in this area. Other factors play a role in the severity of the situation, such as wet conditions and the voltage of the wire.

It is important that those without power use caution when trying to stay warm. Special caution should be used.

• Generators should only be used outdoors, in well ventilated areas.  It is not safe to operate a generator in your house, or even in a garage attached to your house, even if the garage is well ventilated.  The exhaust from the generator contains carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless gas that can seep into your house and kill you.

• Don’t try to hook up a portable generator to your home electrical service.  This not only endangers you, but also utility crews that are trying to restore service.

• Only use appliances that are designed for heating to stay warm.  Never, ever, use a gas or charcoal grill, camping stove, or gas stove to generate heat.  In addition to carbon monoxide, prolonged use of these devices for warmth could cause them to overheat and lead to a fire.

• One of the greatest threats during times of prolonged power outages are fires caused by the careless use of candles or fireplaces.  Also use care when refueling generators and kerosene heaters, as hot surfaces can ignite spilled fuel.

We’re celebrating our birthdays and you’re invited! Bring the cake, bring the candles, or just join in on our daily trivia questions. No prizes awarded, except for the prize of bragging rights of guessing right some really random facts about your favorite weather team.

Winter Storm Climatology

On average our area experiences 2 to 3 winter storms a season and 1 “true” blizzard every 3 years. Parts of southeast Minnesota and northeast Iowa experience more blizzards on average than areas along the Mississippi River and western Wisconsin because of the terrain. Be aware that conditions can change drastically across northern Iowa and southern Minnesota compared to areas east of there.

Click here for more information about Wisconsin hazardous winter weather.

Here is a table showing the number of winter related warnings the La Crosse NWS office has issued for the past several seasons:

What was the prediction for this winter? Click here to check out our 2009-2010 Winter Outlook page.

Wind Chill Index

The “Wind Chill” Index is a calculation of how cold it feels outside when the effects of temperature and wind speed are combined. The La Crosse National Weather Service issues Wind Chill Advisories when they reach -20 F, and Wind Chill Warnings when they drop to -35 F or lower. Exposure to cold, biting air for long periods of time is dangerous.

For more information on the Wind Chill Index, click here.

In late 2001 the NWS started using a new wind chill index. This new index was designed to calculate a more accurate reading of how the cold air feels on human skin. This new index was based on wind speeds at human face level, an updated heat transfer theory which factors in heat loss from the body to its surroundings during cold windy days, and a consistent standard for skin tissue resistance. The main goal of the change was to use modern science in revising the index so that it more accurately represents the impact on humans.

Today’s topic is Driving Safety. The following are tips (in all CAPS, so wear ear protection) from the Wisconsin State Patrol, relayed through the National Weather Service. (source)

-KEEP FROST…ICE AND SNOW CLEAR FROM ALL VEHICLE WINDOWS. CLEARING SNOW AND ICE FROM LIGHTS…THE HOOD AND ROOF WILL ALSO HELP IMPROVE VISIBILITY.

-ALLOW AMPLE DISTANCE FOR STOPPING ON SLIPPERY ROADS. LOOK FARTHER AHEAD THAN YOU USUALLY DO. BRAKE EARLY AND CORRECTLY. DO NOT PUMP ANTI-LOCK BREAKS. DO NOT DRIVE TOO FAST FOR THE CONDITIONS.

-ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT.

-WATCH FOR SLIPPERY BRIDGE DECKS OR OFF RAMPS.

-DO NOT USE YOUR CRUISE CONTROL IN WINTRY CONDITIONS.

-DO NOT GET OVERCONFIDENT IN THE TRACTION OF YOUR FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE.

-LEAVE PLENTY OF ROOM AROUND SNOW PLOWS. STAY BACK AT LEAST 200 FEET AND DO NOT PASS ON THE RIGHT.

<—————-And wait, there’s more! ——————->

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LA CROSSE HAS DONE LOCAL RESEARCH ON HOW DIFFERENT TYPES OF WINTER WEATHER IMPACT THE NUMBER OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS IN THE LA CROSSE AREA. ACCIDENT NUMBERS WERE GATHERED BETWEEN 2000 AND 2007 IN THE COUNTY AND CITY OF LA CROSSE…AND THEN COMPARED TO ACTUAL SNOWFALL AND TEMPERATURE TRENDS DURING THAT SAME PERIOD.

TO NO SURPRISE…THE NUMBER OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS DID INCREASE ON DAYS WHEN THERE WAS PRECIPITATION. BUT THERE WAS NOTICEABLE JUMPS IN ACCIDENT NUMBERS AT 3 INCHES OF SNOW…AND THEN AT 5 TO 6 INCHES. THESE VALUES ALIGN WELL WITH OUR ADVISORY AND WARNING CRITERIA.

HEAVY SNOWFALLS OVER 6 INCHES DID NOT SEEM TO INCREASE THE ACCIDENT NUMBERS AS MUCH…BUT THEY WERE STILL RELATIVELY HIGH COMPARED TO DRY DAYS.

LIGHT SNOWFALLS…AN INCH OR LESS…DID NOT SEEM TO HAVE A BIG
IMPACT EXCEPT ON DAYS WHEN AIR TEMPERATURES WERE VERY COLD… GENERALLY IN THE SINGLE DIGITS TO AROUND ZERO DEGREES.

HEAVY RAINFALL EVENTS ALSO HAD AN IMPACT ON ACCIDENT NUMBERS… WITH DRAMATIC INCREASES WHEN OVER AN INCH OF RAIN WAS REPORTED.

THE BOTTOM LINE FOR WINTER TRAVEL IS TO USE CAUTION WHEN
ACCUMULATING SNOW IS FALLING. ALLOW EXTRA TRAVEL TIME AND RECOGNIZE THAT THE CHANCES OF BEING INVOLVED IN A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT ARE MUCH HIGHER DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER. BE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING ROAD CONDITIONS…EVEN DURING VERY COLD SPELLS WHEN ICE COULD QUICKLY FORM OR REFORM NEAR SUNSET.

FOR THIS TYPE OF RESEARCH OR OTHER WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS INFORMATION CHECK THE LA CROSSE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/LACROSSE.