A large, potent storm system is moving into the region from the west, drawing some unseasonably cold air and setting the stage for a snowy couple of days to start the month of May.  The National Weather Service has issued some headlines associated with this wintry scenario.  The Rochester area and portions of southeastern Minnesota are in a Winter Weather Advisory effective tonight and tomorrow as an evening mixture will give way to snow overnight when a couple of inches of snow may accumulate.  Another couple of inches will fall Thursday with a slow transition to a rain/snow mixture in the afternoon.  Totals in the Advisory counties will possibly reach four or five inches, especially on grassy surfaces.  Heavier amounts will be possible north and west of Rochester, Austin, and Wabasha in locations like Cannon Falls, Owatonna, and Mankato where six or seven inches will be possible.  The pavement may be a little slick early Thursday, even though accumulations will be lighter on those surfaces.  We’ll have mixed showers Thursday night and Friday, but little if any accumulation is expected then as slightly warmer air will be moving in.  The same storm system will keep light rain around for Saturday and possibly parts of Sunday before moving out of here.

Some records we’re watching this week.

Posted under winter

Our unbelievable stretch of cold, wet, and wintry weather persists as we head into the third weekend of April.  Once again we’re dealing with a thin coating of snow with snowflakes flying around and raw northwest winds that are keeping wind chill indices in the teens and 20s.  For the 9th time in 19 days so far this month, it appears we’ll be settling for high temperatures in the 30s today.  There’s actually a chance that we’ll set a record today for the coldest high temperature on this date which in Rochester is 36° set in 1939.  As skies clear tonight and winds diminish, we’re expecting to have some radiational cooling that will allow our temperatures to drop to the low 20s which is almost 20 degrees colder than normal for this time of he year.  The record low for Saturday morning in Rochester is 21° set in 1956 and the forecast for tomorrow is 22°, so that record looks to be in striking distance. 

After some near record cold weather, we’ll be experiencing a very slight warming trend for the next several days.

High pressure Saturday will provide us with enough sunshine to warm us into the 40s which is a little closer to what we might consider April weather.  Thus far, it’s been hardly April-like this month as our mean temperature through 18 days is 36.0° which is colder than the coldest mean April temperature of 37.6° which occurred in 1950, so we’re on pace to have the coldest April in Rochester history.  However, temperatures are expected to slowly climb in the coming days with mostly 40s for highs in next week, but possibly some 50s late in the month, so it’ll be interesting to see how high that mean temperature will climb.

Posted under Cold

While our weather has dried out this week and the winds have finally dropped off, we’re still dealing with some unseasonably cold temperatures across the region as we approach the end of the week.  Cold, dry Canadian high pressure has settled in from the north, making for a bright, frigid weather picture today and this looks to continue for a few more days.  An active jet stream overhead has been responsible for keeping things rather snowy for us in recent weeks, but now there are signs that there is going to be a shift to the south and this dry high pressure may be dominating for the most part through the end of the month.  There will be small snow chances Sunday and then during the upcoming week, but totals look to be minor if they’re measurable at all.  Temperatures will slowly increase over time, but we won’t be anywhere close to what is considered “normal” for late March standards as 30s will be the rule for the next week. 

Posted under Cold

We’re in for quite a roller coaster ride in our local weather over the next few days as unseasonably warm air and then an arctic blast will make their way into our weather picture.  Strangely enough, we start things off with a very quiet, typical mid January day today with a slight breeze, some sunshine, and high temperatures in the 20s.  After this, however, it’ll be far from typical January weather for a couple of days as a storm system north of us kicks up some strong southwest winds during the day and with abundant sunshine, works to pull in some really mild air.  High temperatures Friday will be in the low to mid 40s which will be closer to a record high than the seasonably cold 20s that would be closer to average.  There will be some snow showers or flurries early in the days as the warm front moves through and then again Saturday as a potent cold front approaches from the northwest behind that storm system.   Saturday will be windy and warmer than normal to start before the arctic air blows in during the afternoon and evening.  Temperatures will drop like a rock in the evening Saturday and then not recorver much Sunday with more snow showers possible.  The coldest air from northern Canada will linger through Monday and Tuesday before warmer, more seasonable weather returns for the middle of the upcoming week.

Temperatures will begin their climb early Friday and then drop off dramatically late Saturday.

Posted under Cold, weather

Our January thaw has ended, our snow pack is gone, but Winter is not over yet.  While it doesn’t look like that huge storm is on the horizon yet, our pattern has changed, and is in the process of settling in to a much colder one.

The graphic below shows where we stand (our pattern) currently.  The jet-stream is heading south and so is the cold air from Canada.  The jet-stream doesn’t look to be coming back north anytime soon either, meaning we will stay on the cold side of things for a while as well.

Pattern as of 1/13/2013 – Cold has replaced last weeks warm-up

Over the next week or so, a ridge of high pressure looks like it will build off the west coast of the United States.  As the ridge bulges north into Canada out west, the trough we are currently under will continue to sink to south allowing even colder air to spill into the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes.

Pattern will likely support an outbreak of Arctic air for third week of Jan.

Here is a look at just how cold the air is up in northern Canada.  This air could be paying us a visit within the next ten days.  Now this airmass would modify somewhat as it drifts south into our area.  If there was snow on the ground, the airmass would be insulated much better on it’s trip southward.  What I’m trying to say is that this air will likely warm up a bit before it gets here.

Cold air hanging out in northern Canada

So about our snow chances.  There is a chance we could have a little bit of snow on the ground before this possible Arctic Blast visits us.  It likely won’t be much, but this same pattern is conducive to producing “Alberta Clippers”; those fast moving light snow producing storms that occasionally swing by in the Winter.  We could see a couple of them before the weekend, but the tracks of these systems are hard to pin down this far out.

Set-up will support “Clipper” development

Posted under climate, Cold, weather, winter weather

Cold high pressure has settled in from the north, keeping skies generally clear during our Christmas Eve last night and still bright and sunny for today as well.  The sunshine won’t help much with our temperatures, however, as high temperatures will be the coldest of the season so far.  Most locations will top out around 10° which is about 15° colder than normal for this time of the year.  It’s also going to be officially the coldest Christmas Day since 2000 when Rochester set records for the coldest low with a reading of -25° that morning.  By the way, speaking of cold statistics, our stretch of days with non subzero temperatures continues thanks to a couple of thin clouds last night and perhaps just a little too much wind as Rochester’s official airport temperature was stuck at 2° for about four hours and then ended up bottoming out at 1° just before sunrise.  We’re up to 339 days now without dropping below zero, a record length of time for the city.  We’ll be close again tonight, so we’ll have to closely watch the thermometer again.  Otherwise it may be early next week before the next opportunity for subzero temperatures comes around.  Below is a look at some of the local and regional overnight lows from Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve proved to be one of the coldest nights of the season so far locally.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
805 AM CST TUE DEC 25 2012

…MINIMUM TEMPERATURES AROUND THE AREA THIS MORNING…

…LOCATION…                             …TIME…      …MIN…
BLACK RIVER FALLS AREA AIRPORT             715 AM DEC 25        -9 F
SPARTA/FORT MC COY AIRPORT (MONROE WI)     735 AM DEC 25        -9 F
STOCKTON (WINONA MN) (APRSWXNET)           713 AM DEC 25        -6 F
3 NW BUFFALO (WABASHA MN) (676 FT)(AWS)    739 AM DEC 25        -4 F
SAINT CHARLES (WINONA MN) (AWS)            745 AM DEC 25        -3 F
4 SSE MOUND PRAIRIE (HOUSTON MN)           746 AM DEC 25        -3 F
ZUMBRO FALLS (WABASHA MN) (APRSWXNET)      734 AM DEC 25        -3 F
3 NE LUBLIN (TAYLOR WI) (1316 FT)(RAWS)    714 AM DEC 25        -3 F
SAINT ANSGAR (MITCHELL IA) (APRSWXNET)     752 AM DEC 25        -3 F
1 ENE CRESCO (HOWARD IA) (1279 FT)(IEM)    638 AM DEC 25        -2 F
4 E GRAND MEADOW (MOWER MN) (IEM)          659 AM DEC 25        -2 F
1 E ROCKFORD (FLOYD IA) (1036 FT)(IEM)     654 AM DEC 25        -2 F
1 ENE DEXTER (MOWER MN) (MNDOT)            716 AM DEC 25        -2 F
2 E KASSON (DODGE MN) (1283 FT)(MNDOT)     649 AM DEC 25        -2 F
3 SE ROCHESTER (OLMSTED MN) (IEM)          745 AM DEC 25        -2 F
4 SSW LANESBORO (FILLMORE MN) (IEM)        744 AM DEC 25        -2 F
SAINT ANSGAR (MITCHELL IA) (IEM)           640 AM DEC 25        -2 F
COCHRANE (BUFFALO WI) (1083 FT)(AWS)       635 AM DEC 25        -1 F
2 SE EYOTA (OLMSTED MN) (MNDOT)            701 AM DEC 25        -1 F
1 WSW ROCHESTER (OLMSTED MN)               733 AM DEC 25        -1 F
BOSCOBEL AIRPORT (GRANT WI) (ASOS)         753 AM DEC 25        -1 F
PRESTON FILLMORE COUNTY AIRPORT            710 AM DEC 25         0 F
1 ESE ROCHESTER (OLMSTED MN) (IEM)         640 AM DEC 25         0 F
NECEDAH 1W (JUNEAU WI) (920 FT)(GOES)      748 AM DEC 25         0 F
AUSTIN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (MOWER MN)        735 AM DEC 25         0 F
3 NW DELLWOOD (JUNEAU WI) (APRSWXNET)      730 AM DEC 25         0 F
3 S ROCHESTER (OLMSTED MN) (APRSWXNET)     612 AM DEC 25         0 F
1 WNW SIDNEY (CLARK WI) (APRSWXNET)        541 AM DEC 25         0 F
2 E PERKINSTOWN (TAYLOR WI) (AIRNOW)       600 AM DEC 25         0 F
4 NW ROCHESTER (OLMSTED MN) (APRSWXNET)    720 AM DEC 25         0 F
MAZEPPA (WABASHA MN) (APRSWXNET)           531 AM DEC 25         0 F
2 ESE CANTON (FILLMORE MN) (MNDOT)         609 AM DEC 25         0 F
3 SE GRAND MARSH (ADAMS WI) (MESOWEST)     620 AM DEC 25         0 F
MAYO HELIPAD (OLMSTED MN) (AWOS)           753 AM DEC 25         0 F
1 SSE STEWARTVILLE (OLMSTED MN)            653 AM DEC 25         0 F
3 NE ROCHESTER (OLMSTED MN) (APRSWXNET)    714 AM DEC 25         0 F
DODGE CENTER AIRPORT (DODGE MN) (AWOS)     714 AM DEC 25         0 F
1 E RIDGEWAY (WINONA MN) (MNDOT)           732 AM DEC 25         1 F
ROCHESTER -37TH STREET (OLMSTED MN)        600 AM DEC 25         1 F
PRAIRIE DU CHIEN  AIRPORT (CRAWFORD WI)    755 AM DEC 25         1 F
2 SSW COUNCIL BAY (LA CROSSE WI)           734 AM DEC 25         1 F
1 E CRESCO (HOWARD IA) (1272 FT)(AWS)      637 AM DEC 25         1 F
FRIENDSHIP (ADAMS WI) (958 FT)(AWS)        654 AM DEC 25         1 F
CHARLES CITY (FLOYD IA) (993 FT)(AWOS)     715 AM DEC 25         1 F
RICHLAND CENTER (RICHLAND WI) (AWS)        709 AM DEC 25         1 F
PLAINVIEW (WABASHA MN) (1150 FT)(AWS)      524 AM DEC 25         1 F
4 SSE ARLINGTON (FAYETTE IA) (AWS)         749 AM DEC 25         1 F
1 ENE WABASHA (WABASHA MN) (APRSWXNET)     734 AM DEC 25         1 F
2 SSE KELLOGG (WABASHA MN) (MNDOT)         604 AM DEC 25         1 F
4 WNW BLACK RIVER FALLS (JACKSON WI)       636 AM DEC 25         1 F
WINONA MUNICPAL AIRPORT (WINONA MN)        713 AM DEC 25         1 F
MEDFORD TAYLOR COUNTY AIRPORT              715 AM DEC 25         1 F
ROCHESTER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT            454 AM DEC 25         1 F
DECORAH (WINNESHIEK IA) (982 FT)(AWS)      739 AM DEC 25         2 F
FENNIMORE (GRANT WI) (1175 FT)(AWS)        735 AM DEC 25         2 F
WEST UNION (FAYETTE IA) (1178 FT)(AWS)     654 AM DEC 25         2 F
MUSCODA (GRANT WI) (665 FT)(AWS)           734 AM DEC 25         2 F
MONONA (CLAYTON IA) (1182 FT)(AWS)         745 AM DEC 25         2 F
4 NNW RIDGEVILLE (MONROE WI) (WIDOT)       635 AM DEC 25         2 F
1 E LAKE CITY (WABASHA MN) (APRSWXNET)     753 AM DEC 25         2 F
4 E NORDNESS (WINNESHIEK IA) (IADOT)       653 AM DEC 25         2 F
2 N IONIA (CHICKASAW IA) (IADOT)           255 AM DEC 25         2 F
1 ENE BOSCOBEL (GRANT WI) (RAWS)           703 AM DEC 25         2 F
DE SOTO (CRAWFORD WI) (APRSWXNET)          631 AM DEC 25         2 F
2 WSW GALESVILLE (TREMPEALEAU WI)          742 AM DEC 25         2 F
2 NW HUMBIRD (JACKSON WI) (MESOWEST)       725 AM DEC 25         2 F
DECORAH MUNICIPAL AIPRORT                  735 AM DEC 25         3 F
3 SW RICHFIELD (CHICKASAW IA)              705 AM DEC 25         3 F
3 SW BARRE MILLS (LA CROSSE WI)            459 AM DEC 25         3 F
1 SW MOUNT STERLING (CRAWFORD WI)          634 AM DEC 25         3 F
1 E BLACK RIVER FALLS (JACKSON WI)         715 AM DEC 25         3 F
OELWEIN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (FAYETTE IA)     755 AM DEC 25         3 F
VIROQUA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (VERNON WI)      715 AM DEC 25         3 F
LA CROSSE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT                653 AM DEC 25         3 F
MCGREGOR (CLAYTON IA) (992 FT)(AWS)        744 AM DEC 25         4 F
1 SSE RICHLAND CENTER (RICHLAND WI)        739 AM DEC 25         4 F
MAUSTON (JUNEAU WI) (872 FT)(APRSWXNET)    714 AM DEC 25         4 F
2 N TOMAH (MONROE WI) (990 FT)(WIDOT)      431 AM DEC 25         5 F
1 SW LA CROSSE (LA CROSSE WI)              736 AM DEC 25         5 F
MONONA (CLAYTON IA) (APRSWXNET)            648 AM DEC 25         5 F
3 SE LYNDON STATION (JUNEAU WI)            502 AM DEC 25         5 F
3 NW VALLEY JUNCTION (MONROE WI)           650 AM DEC 25         5 F
1 W FRENCH ISLAND (LA CROSSE WI)           630 AM DEC 25         6 F
3 S LA CROSSE (LA CROSSE WI) (AIRNOW)      600 AM DEC 25         6 F
1 WNW TENNYSON (GRANT WI) (AIRNOW)         600 AM DEC 25         8 F

Posted under Cold, Holidays, Lows

Seasonably cold arctic air has poured into the region on the heels of Thursday’s blizzard and, from the looks of things, it may be here for quite some time.  The storm system (“Draco” as the Weather Channel is calling it) that produced heavy snow and strong winds in our area has moved on to the east, but behind it, colder air is pouring in ahead of a broad area of high pressure.  The pattern aloft is changing as well, as colder air is pushing southward.  The storm track will be south of us for the most part next week while cold, dry arctic air will dominate our Christmas week forecast.

Colder air is moving in today while high pressure ahead of us will make for a quiet, chilly weekend.

A pattern change will push the main storm track to the south while cold, dry air lingers in our region. A large storm system is expected to develop in Colorado, moving southeastward and affecting the Gulf states and eventually East Coast while our next chance for accumulating snow may hold off until next weekend.

Posted under Uncategorized, winter weather

It is getting to be that time of the year again.  The temperatures are dropping and the water on the smaller bodies will start to freeze and thaw until we settle into Winter and then basically everything freezes.  My daily forecast ritual, as with many meteorologists, is to look at the visible satellite to determine where, if any the clouds are.  On Monday (11/26) afternoon I noticed something.  Visible satellite works basically just how its name suggests.  It needs daylight in order to work, so at night, this type of satellite imagery becomes useless.  There are other different types of satellite imagery that pick up the slack when it’s dark, but that’s a story for another day.  Anyway, the visible satellite works by picking up on the light that is reflected back to the satellite from the Earth’s surface.  Objects on the Earth’s surface reflect light differently. The ground reflects light differently than clouds and that is how we can determine the difference between the clouds and the ground.  There are also different types of clouds; some thick, some thin.  The thick ones don’t let a lot of sunlight through.  Those are your big thunderstorm clouds and therefore reflect most of the sunlight back to the the satellite and will appear a brighter white on the satellite image.  Now that you are a little familiar with how visible satellite works, I can get on with the moral of the story.  On a clear day with visible satellite imagery, you can see the ground and some of its features such as large bodies of water and mountains.  In the winter time you can see the snow from a satellite picture.  Skiers, snow boarders, and people driving through the fresh snow know how highly reflective and bright the snow can big on a sunny day.  Ice has this same property on lakes, and there is a huge difference how frozen lakes compare to ones that still have water.  The image below is a visible satellite image taken on Monday, November 26th.  It lays out what are clouds, what is snow, and what is the ground.  It is a lot easier to tell what is what when this image is looping since the clouds move and the ground doesn’t, but trust me on this.

Visible satellite image showing ice on lakes in northern Minnesota

Notice the difference in color between the Red Lakes and Mille Lacs Lake.  Mille Lacs Lake is darker since water is less reflective than ice.  The Upper and Lower Red Lakes appear a frosty bright white on the satellite picture.  The reason for the color difference is that the northern lakes have ice on them while the southern lakes don’t.  It has been much colder in the northern part of Minnesota.  Even with ice being on the lakes, it is still not thick enough to walk on, especially considering we will be warming up over the next week or so.

Posted under Cold, just cool, weather

What a difference a day makes!  After nearly reaching a record high on Thanksgiving we’ve seen some big changes in our weather in the past 24 hours thanks to the passage of a cold front through our area.  Ahead of that front, we had mid 60s in many locations, including Rochester where we recorded 64°, the warmest temperature on any Thanksgiving since 1913 and one degree shy of a record high for the actual calendar date.  Temperatures fell all afternoon and through last night, essentially leveling off for Black Friday with readings that would be more typical of December than late November.  The most brutal part of the temperature change has been our ridiculously strong, nasty northwest winds that are dropping our wind chill indices to the single digits ad teens.  Here’s a look at some specific wind chills locally over the coldest part of our Friday:

Brrrr For Black Friday: Latest Wind Chills And Peak Gusts

Its a cold day for Black Friday shoppers as temperatures will struggle to hold in the low to mid 20s – about 40 degrees colder compared to Thanksgiving. Adding considerable bite to the air will be wind gusts of 30 to 40 mph. Wind chills will hover from 5 to 15 through the day. Stay warm through the hustle and bustle of this very busy shopping day.

Current temperatures, winds and wind chills here.

Below are some peak wind gusts and lowest wind chill readings from across the local area:

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
949 AM CST FRI NOV 23 2012

...HIGHEST WINDS IN THE PAST 6 HOURS...

...LOCATION...                             ...TIME...     ...WIND...

...IOWA...

...CHICKASAW COUNTY...
2 N IONIA (1072 FT)(IADOT)                 355 AM NOV 23      42 MPH

...CLAYTON COUNTY...
MONONA (1182 FT)(AWS)                      450 AM NOV 23      30 MPH

...FAYETTE COUNTY...
OELWEIN (AWOS)                             555 AM NOV 23      45 MPH

...MITCHELL COUNTY...
SAINT ANSGAR (1174 FT)(APRSWXNET)          600 AM NOV 23      31 MPH

...WINNESHIEK COUNTY...
4 E NORDNESS (1017 FT)(IADOT)              423 AM NOV 23      43 MPH
DECORAH (AWOS)                             415 AM NOV 23      38 MPH

...MINNESOTA...

...DODGE COUNTY...
2 E KASSON (1283 FT)(MNDOT)                629 AM NOV 23      41 MPH
DODGE CENTER (AWOS)                        554 AM NOV 23      38 MPH

...FILLMORE COUNTY...
PRESTON (930 FT)(AWOS)                     410 AM NOV 23      41 MPH
2 ESE CANTON (1348 FT)(MNDOT)              734 AM NOV 23      39 MPH

...MOWER COUNTY...
1 ENE DEXTER (1410 FT)(MNDOT)              351 AM NOV 23      45 MPH
4 E GRAND MEADOW (1322 FT)(IEM)            749 AM NOV 23      45 MPH
AUSTIN (AWOS)                              415 AM NOV 23      41 MPH

...OLMSTED COUNTY...
MAYO HELIPAD (1164 FT)(AWOS)               514 AM NOV 23      47 MPH
ROCHESTER INTERNATIONAL ARPT (ASOS)        354 AM NOV 23      37 MPH
2 SE EYOTA (1309 FT)(MNDOT)                426 AM NOV 23      37 MPH
4 NW ROCHESTER (1273 FT)(APRSWXNET)        351 AM NOV 23      32 MPH

...WABASHA COUNTY...
2 SSE KELLOGG (741 FT)(MNDOT)              509 AM NOV 23      38 MPH
1 NE BEAR VALLEY (1000 FT)(APRSWXNET)      840 AM NOV 23      31 MPH

...WINONA COUNTY...
1 E RIDGEWAY (1318 FT)(MNDOT)              402 AM NOV 23      39 MPH
MAX CONRAD FIELD (AWOS)                    712 AM NOV 23      35 MPH

...WISCONSIN...

...CRAWFORD COUNTY...
1 SW MOUNT STERLING (1195 FT)(WIDOT)       632 AM NOV 23      37 MPH
1 WNW PRAIRIE DU CHIEN (615 FT)(WIDOT)     431 AM NOV 23      32 MPH

...GRANT COUNTY...
2 NE EAST DUBUQUE (800 FT)(WIDOT)          506 AM NOV 23      39 MPH
4 SE PLATTEVILLE (1023 FT)(AWOS)           435 AM NOV 23      38 MPH
BOSCOBEL AIRPORT (ASOS)                    327 AM NOV 23      38 MPH
1 ENE BOSCOBEL (672 FT)(RAWS)              403 AM NOV 23      37 MPH

...JACKSON COUNTY...
BLACK RIVER FALLS AWOS (831 FT)(AWOS)      655 AM NOV 23      33 MPH

...JUNEAU COUNTY...
VOLK FIELD AP (906 FT)(ASOS)               738 AM NOV 23      39 MPH
NECEDAH 1W (920 FT)(GOES)                  548 AM NOV 23      36 MPH
MAUSTON (872 FT)(APRSWXNET)                702 AM NOV 23      31 MPH

...LA CROSSE COUNTY...
LA CROSSE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (ASOS)         922 AM NOV 23      40 MPH
1 SW LA CROSSE (639 FT)(APRSWXNET)         526 AM NOV 23      31 MPH

...MONROE COUNTY...
2 N TOMAH (990 FT)(WIDOT)                  631 AM NOV 23      32 MPH
SPARTA (AWOS)                              455 AM NOV 23      31 MPH

...TAYLOR COUNTY...
MEDFORD (AWOS)                             735 AM NOV 23      31 MPH
3 NE LUBLIN (1316 FT)(RAWS)                914 AM NOV 23      30 MPH

...TREMPEALEAU COUNTY...
2 WSW GALESVILLE (769 FT)(APRSWXNET)       528 AM NOV 23      32 MPH

...VERNON COUNTY...
VIROQUA AWOS (1292 FT)(AWOS)               535 AM NOV 23      32 MPH

OBSERVATIONS ARE COLLECTED FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES WITH VARYING
EQUIPMENT AND EXPOSURES. NOT ALL DATA LISTED IS CONSIDERED OFFICIAL.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE THANKS ITS PRIVATE AND PUBLIC PARTNERS
FOR PROVIDING US WITH THIS DATA.

$$

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
949 AM CST FRI NOV 23 2012

...LOWEST WIND CHILL READINGS IN THE PAST 6 HOURS...

...LOCATION...                             ...TIME...       ...WC...

...IOWA...

...CLAYTON COUNTY...
MONONA (1182 FT)(AWS)                      450 AM NOV 23         3 F

...FAYETTE COUNTY...
4 SSE ARLINGTON (1164 FT)(AWS)             900 AM NOV 23         1 F
WEST UNION (1178 FT)(AWS)                  845 AM NOV 23         2 F
OELWEIN (AWOS)                             855 AM NOV 23         4 F

...FLOYD COUNTY...
NORA SPRINGS (1089 FT)(IEM)                859 AM NOV 23         1 F
1 E ROCKFORD (1036 FT)(IEM)                859 AM NOV 23         1 F

...HOWARD COUNTY...
1 ENE CRESCO (1279 FT)(IEM)                820 AM NOV 23        -1 F

...MITCHELL COUNTY...
SAINT ANSGAR (1174 FT)(IEM)                820 AM NOV 23        -2 F
SAINT ANSGAR (1174 FT)(APRSWXNET)          710 AM NOV 23        -1 F

...WINNESHIEK COUNTY...
DECORAH (AWOS)                             855 AM NOV 23         1 F
4 E NORDNESS (1017 FT)(IADOT)              403 AM NOV 23         7 F

...MINNESOTA...

...DODGE COUNTY...
2 E KASSON (1283 FT)(MNDOT)                614 AM NOV 23        -2 F

...FILLMORE COUNTY...
2 ESE CANTON (1348 FT)(MNDOT)              739 AM NOV 23        -1 F
4 SSW LANESBORO (1044 FT)(IEM)             659 AM NOV 23         1 F
PRESTON (930 FT)(AWOS)                     710 AM NOV 23         2 F

...MOWER COUNTY...
4 E GRAND MEADOW (1322 FT)(IEM)            749 AM NOV 23        -8 F
1 ENE DEXTER (1410 FT)(MNDOT)              716 AM NOV 23        -5 F
AUSTIN (AWOS)                              715 AM NOV 23        -1 F
LE ROY (1290 FT)(IEM)                      809 AM NOV 23         1 F

...OLMSTED COUNTY...
2 SE EYOTA (1309 FT)(MNDOT)                811 AM NOV 23        -2 F
MAYO HELIPAD (1164 FT)(AWOS)               814 AM NOV 23        -1 F
1 ESE ROCHESTER (997 FT)(IEM)              804 AM NOV 23         1 F
2 NE ROCHESTER (1046 FT)(IEM)              744 AM NOV 23         1 F

...WABASHA COUNTY...
1 NE BEAR VALLEY (1000 FT)(APRSWXNET)      740 AM NOV 23        -1 F
MAZEPPA (941 FT)(APRSWXNET)                706 AM NOV 23         2 F
2 SSE KELLOGG (741 FT)(MNDOT)              609 AM NOV 23         5 F

...WINONA COUNTY...
SAINT CHARLES (1125 FT)(AWS)               800 AM NOV 23         1 F
MAX CONRAD FIELD (AWOS)                    632 AM NOV 23         6 F
STOCKTON (757 FT)(APRSWXNET)               850 AM NOV 23         9 F

...WISCONSIN...

...ADAMS COUNTY...
FRIENDSHIP (960 FT)(AWS)                   834 AM NOV 23         8 F

...BUFFALO COUNTY...
COCHRANE (1083 FT)(AWS)                    715 AM NOV 23         8 F

...CLARK COUNTY...
1 WNW SIDNEY (3379 FT)(APRSWXNET)          402 AM NOV 23         8 F

...CRAWFORD COUNTY...
1 SW MOUNT STERLING (1195 FT)(WIDOT)       833 AM NOV 23         8 F

...GRANT COUNTY...
FENNIMORE (1175 FT)(AWS)                   825 AM NOV 23         6 F

...JACKSON COUNTY...
BLACK RIVER FALLS AWOS (831 FT)(AWOS)      735 AM NOV 23        11 F
1 E BLACK RIVER FALLS (837 FT)(RAWS)       815 AM NOV 23        12 F

...JUNEAU COUNTY...
VOLK FIELD AP (906 FT)(ASOS)               547 AM NOV 23         9 F
NECEDAH 1W (920 FT)(GOES)                  548 AM NOV 23        11 F

...LA CROSSE COUNTY...
LA CROSSE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (ASOS)         853 AM NOV 23         8 F
1 SW LA CROSSE (639 FT)(APRSWXNET)         407 AM NOV 23        11 F

...MONROE COUNTY...
2 N TOMAH (990 FT)(WIDOT)                  832 AM NOV 23        11 F
SPARTA (AWOS)                              815 AM NOV 23        12 F

...RICHLAND COUNTY...
1 SSE RICHLAND CENTER (752 FT)(AWS)        929 AM NOV 23        10 F
RICHLAND CENTER (730 FT)(AWS)              744 AM NOV 23        11 F

...TAYLOR COUNTY...
MEDFORD (AWOS)                             415 AM NOV 23         6 F
3 NE LUBLIN (1316 FT)(RAWS)                814 AM NOV 23         7 F

...TREMPEALEAU COUNTY...
2 WSW GALESVILLE (769 FT)(APRSWXNET)       619 AM NOV 23        10 F

...VERNON COUNTY...
VIROQUA AWOS (1292 FT)(AWOS)               815 AM NOV 23         7 F

Temperatures have taken a nose dive since midday Thursday. Perhaps the biggest 24 hour temperature change of the year so far.

Posted under Cold

We woke up to the coldest morning of the season today as strong high pressure set the stage for a clear, frosty, winter-like morning across the area.  Under the cloud-free skies and with nearly calm winds, our temperatures took a nose dive overnight into our Tuesday morning as the vast majority of the local area found itself in the teens for the first time since the first week of March.  While it certainly was a little cooler than normal for today’s date, Rochester’s morning low of 17° certainly wasn’t anywhere near the record of -4° set in 1986, but it definitely was a reminder of what late fall can bring in this climate.  If you’re not quite ready for this type of temperatures scheme, there is good news for you, however.  Slightly milder, more seasonal weather is expected for the remainder of the week and likely next week as well, so 20s and 30s will be more common than teens. 

The coldest low temps of the season so far for just about everybody today.

Some more local morning temperatures.

Posted under Lows