We truly are blessed to have blue skies and comfortable temperatures today as so many people hit the pavement and travel for the holiday weekend or stay home and venture outdoors to do some yard work or gardening.  This two day stretch has been a long time in coming, but unfortunately it looks to be coming to an end soon as clouds and rain are expected to move in by tonight.  A large, slow moving storm system from the west is going to spread a few showers into the area late this evening with more widespread showers later tonight and tomorrow morning.  Rain chances will continue to affect the area off and on through the holiday weekend, especially in the early portions of Saturday and Sunday and then through much of Monday while temperatures remain a bit on the cool side.  If you’re heading north for the holiday weekend, there is some slightly better news as rain will be a bit more sparse, especially for Saturday and Sunday. 

Posted under Holidays

Even though it may not feel like it, we are in fact now in the middle of November, a part of the year more associated with clouds and high temperatures in the 40s than the clear skies and 50s we’re expecting for most of the next week, a continuation of our current warm spell.  Another item that we expect every November is the annual Leonid meteor shower that typically takes place around the 17th of the month (which is also my birthday, incidentally) and is one of the most anticipated astronomical events of the year. 

Local information for viewing the meteor shower.

The forecast for early Saturday morning calls for clear skies with temps around 30 degrees and south winds from 5 to 15mph.  

Here’s some more background information on the Leonid meteor shower along with some viewing tips from Space.com.

French skywatcher Jeremie Vaubaillon captured this image during the 2001 Leonid meteor shower from South Korea. CREDIT: Jeremie Vaubaillon View full size image

The annual Leonid meteor shower reaches its peak this week and may get a boost from a moonless weekend sky.

The actual peak of the 2012 Leonid meteor shower is on Saturday (Nov. 17) at 3 a.m. EST, but, like all meteor showers, the celestial fireworks display will be visible for a few nights before and after that peak time, weather permitting. Because the moon will have set by that time, its bright glow won’t wash out any Leonids you may see.

The Leonids are associated with the periodic comet Tempel-Tuttle, first discovered in 1865. This comet has a period of 33.2 years. It was last close to the sun in 1998 and will return in 2031. After Tempel-Tuttle’s discovery, it was traced back to a comet observed in 1366. 

Astronomers also realized that Tempel-Tuttle’s last close approach to the sun was in 1833, which coincided with one of the greatest meteor storms in history. This was when they put two and two together, and realized that meteors had their origins in comets. [Amazing Leonid Meteor Shower Photos]

Meteor showers explained

But what exactly is a meteor shower? Meteors are brief flashes of light in the Earth’s upper atmosphere which occur when small pieces of interstellar material, called meteoroids, enter the atmosphere and heat it to incandescence. We don’t actually see the meteoroids themselves, but rather the air heated by the friction of their passage.

As the Earth travels around the sun, it is constantly encountering meteoroids, so that on any night in the year, if you observe a dark sky after midnight, you will probably see a few meteors every hour. These are known as “sporadic meteors.” [Leonid Meteor Lights Up Night Sky (Video)]

Meteoroids are not uniformly distributed in space. They seem to be most commonly produced when comets venture close to the sun, melting the ice from tiny comet fragments, leaving behind small meteoroids. Under the gravitational influence of the planets, these fragments gradually spread out along the comet’s orbit, forming a belt of meteoroids in space. When the Earth passes through such a belt, we see more meteors than average, and this is known as a “meteor shower.”

There is a common misconception that a meteor shower is like a rain shower, with large numbers of meteors being visible. Most meteor showers only involve a few more meteors per hour than you might see any night.

 

Look inside the sickle of Leo for the point in the sky from which the Leonid meteors appear to radiate.
CREDIT: Starry Night Software

View full size image

Leonid meteor storms

On rare occasions, perhaps once a decade, observers see what are called meteor storms, when dozens of meteors can be seen every hour. The Leonid meteor shower is famous because it has caused a large number of meteor storms over the centuries.

Because the distribution of meteoroids along its parent comet Tempel-Tuttle’s orbit is not uniform, it tends to produce meteor storms every 33 years, the same period as the comet. Careful observations have enabled mapping of clumps of meteoroids within the stream, leading to increasingly accurate predictions. There were spectacular Leonid storms in 1999, 2001, and 2002.

No meteor storm is predicted for 2012, but the Leonids can always be counted on to provide a good show, especially since there will be no moon to interfere with them this year.

How to see the Leonids

The best time to observe meteors is always after midnight, when the Earth is heading directly into the meteor stream.

This shower is named the Leonids because they appear to radiate from a point just inside the Sickle of the constellation Leo. It’s not important to know exactly where the radiant is because the longest and brightest meteors are usually about 90 degrees away from the radiant. The radiant will be roughly half way up the eastern sky for most northern observers, so the best directions to look are south, north, and directly overhead.

Although the peak is predicted for 3 a.m. EST Saturday morning, Leonids may be seen at any time in the night, and for a day or two before and after Saturday morning.

It’s important to dress warmly and make yourself comfortable in a reclining garden or deck chair. You will see more meteors if you keep your head still and allow at least 20 minutes for your eyes to become adapted to the dark. Be patient and spend a least an hour watching, as meteors often come in batches with long dry spells in between.

Try catching photographs of Leonids by setting your camera up on a tripod and making time exposures of at least 15 seconds, and send them along to us to share.

Clear skies and good luck!

Editor’s note: If you and snap an amazing photo of the Leonid meteor shower and would like to share it with SPACE.com for a possible story or image gallery, send images, comments and location information to managing editor Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com.

This article was provided to SPACE.com by Starry Night Education, the leader in space science curriculum solutions. Follow Starry Night on Twitter @StarryNightEdu.

Posted under Astronomy

We certainly have the look and feel of typical, authentic November weather today, don’t we? Clouds have moved in and temperatures look to remain on the cool side with 40 something degree highs expected just about everywhere for our Friday. The storm system that is responsible for bringing these clouds to our area may also bring a few drops of cool November rain and maybe a wet snowflake or two later tonight and early tomorrow morning with more of the same possible early Sunday. This will keep that November feeling going for a few more days, but aside from that, the early outlook for the month from the Climate Prediction Center appears to favor an average to maybe slightly warmer than average forecast for temperatures this month, so for us that means 40s overall for highs with some 50s early and maybe a few 30 degree highs later in the month.

Parts of our area may experience a warmer than normal month, but fo the most part it appear to be a typical November for most of us. Precipitation looks to be normal as well.

A look at what the month of November typically has in store for us. By the end of the month, temperatures and extremely early sunset times will make for a much more winter-like feel to our climatology.

Posted under climate

While the remnants of former hurricane Sandy continue to pummel the East Coast with heavy rain, strong winds, and piles of snow, our local weather looks to stay cool, dry, and peaceful as we approach Halloween.  The bright sunshine we’re enjoying today looks to carry over to Wednesday while temperatures may even warm slightly and the winds will be a bit less gusty.  Look for plenty of bright sunshine, a slight northwest breeze, and high temperatures in the low 50s for Halloween Wednesday.  The pleasant weather looks to continue into the evening. 

Our Halloween forecast looks very similar to the past few years' as evening temps will be seasonably cool and the winds will likely be fairly light. The moon will be just a day past full,so that should add a little spookiness as well.

Incidentally, while we’re looking ahead at important dates, the current forecast for Election Day next Tuesday looks a little damp with a chance for widely scattered light showers and high temperatures in the 50s.  It certainly won’t be quite as mild as the last presidential election in 2008 when Rochester set a record high temperature with a reading of 74 degrees, but it should still be okay. 

Posted under Holidays

It may not have been the prettiest looking weather of the year, but the past few days have yielded a significant amount of much needed rainfall in our area.  For the week, Rochester has officially registered slightly more than a full inch of rain which essentially brings us up to what is considered to be the normal amount for October up to this point with a total of 1.83 inches as of Thursday.  This stands as the wettest week in the area since late July.  If you’re hoping for sunshine and a chance to dry out after four solid days of wet, dreariness, we do actually have a long stretch of sunny, but cool days ahead starting tomorrow and possibly running through the first weekend of November.

Here’s a look at some rainfall totals as of 11:00 AM:

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
1100 AM CDT THU OCT 25 2012

…24 HOUR RAINFALL TOTALS ACROSS THE AREA…

LOCATION                   RAINFALL    TIME     LAT/LON

IOWA

…ALLAMAKEE COUNTY…
DORCHESTER                 0.38        0700 AM  43.47N 91.51W
DORCHESTER 3S              0.18        0700 AM  43.42N 91.51W

…CHICKASAW COUNTY…
IONIA                      0.39        0700 AM  43.03N 92.50W
NEW HAMPTON                0.23        0700 AM  43.06N 92.31W
NEW HAMPTON 2S             0.22        0700 AM  43.04N 92.32W

…CLAYTON COUNTY…
STRAWBERRY POINT           0.00        0700 AM  42.69N 91.53W

…FAYETTE COUNTY…
WAUCOMA 3S                 0.22        0700 AM  43.01N 92.03W
ELDORADO                   0.01        0700 AM  43.05N 91.81W

…FLOYD COUNTY…
COLWELL                    1.57        0700 AM  43.16N 92.59W
CHARLES CITY COOP          0.92        0700 AM  43.08N 92.67W
CHARLES CITY AWOS          0.84        0700 AM  43.07N 92.61W
CHARLES CITY CEDAR RVR     0.60        0700 AM  43.06N 92.67W
NASHUA                     0.59        0700 AM  42.94N 92.57W

…HOWARD COUNTY…
ELMA                       1.03        0700 AM  43.24N 92.44W
CRESCO                     0.72        0700 AM  43.37N 92.11W

…MITCHELL COUNTY…
ST ANSGAR 4E               1.32        0700 AM  43.37N 92.83W
OSAGE                      1.11        0700 AM  43.28N 92.81W

…WINNESHIEK COUNTY…
BLUFFTON                   1.06        0700 AM  43.41N 91.90W
DECORAH 8ENE               0.25        0700 AM  43.34N 91.64W
CALMAR                     0.19        0700 AM  43.18N 91.87W
DECORAH UPPER IA RVR       0.14        0700 AM  43.30N 91.80W
DECORAH AWOS               0.10        0700 AM  43.28N 91.74W

MINNESOTA

…DODGE COUNTY…
MANTORVILLE 2ESE           0.83        0700 AM  44.05N 92.72W
DODGE CENTER AWOS          0.62        0700 AM  44.03N 92.83W

…FILLMORE COUNTY…
WHALAN 3SSE                3.00        0700 AM  43.69N 91.90W
LANESBORO                  2.15        0700 AM  43.72N 91.97W
HARMONY                    2.15        0700 AM  43.55N 92.01W
HIGHLAND                   1.82        0700 AM  43.65N 91.84W
SPRING VALLEY 3E           1.77        0700 AM  43.68N 92.33W
PRESTON                    1.40        0700 AM  43.67N 92.07W
CARIMONA                   1.31        0700 AM  43.66N 92.15W
CHATFIELD 9ESE             1.30        0700 AM  43.79N 92.03W
PILOT MOUND                1.27        0700 AM  43.78N 92.03W
PRESTON 1 NNE              1.22        0700 AM  43.68N 92.08W
OSTRANDER                  1.08        0700 AM  43.61N 92.43W
PRESTON AWOS               0.64        0700 AM  43.68N 92.18W
SPRING VALLEY 1 NW         0.61        0700 AM  43.70N 92.40W
SPRING VALLEY              0.57        0700 AM  43.69N 92.39W

…HOUSTON COUNTY…
SPRING GROVE 4N            1.55        0700 AM  43.61N 91.62W
HOUSTON                    1.31        0700 AM  43.77N 91.57W
LA CRESCENT 1NNW           1.18        0700 AM  43.83N 91.31W
MOUND PRAIRIE              1.17        0700 AM  43.78N 91.45W
CALEDONIA                  0.65        0700 AM  43.63N 91.50W
CALEDONIA 5S               0.38        0700 AM  43.56N 91.51W

…MOWER COUNTY…
GRAND MEADOW               1.27        0700 AM  43.71N 92.56W
AUSTIN  TURTLE CREEK       0.93        0700 AM  43.65N 92.98W
LANSING                    0.92        0700 AM  43.75N 92.95W
AUSTIN WTR TRTMNT PLANT    0.63        0700 AM  43.67N 92.97W
AUSTIN AWOS                0.61        0700 AM  43.67N 92.93W
AUSTIN  DOBBINS CR         0.61        0700 AM  43.67N 92.95W
AUSTIN 3S                  0.07        0700 AM  43.62N 93.00W

…OLMSTED COUNTY…
POST TOWN                  1.43        0700 AM  44.09N 92.82W
ROCHESTER MAPLE VALLEY     1.31        0700 AM  44.02N 92.42W
BYRON                      1.30        0700 AM  44.07N 92.66W
DOVER 1E                   1.17        0700 AM  43.97N 92.12W
ROCHESTER 3W               0.98        0700 AM  44.01N 92.53W
ROCHESTER – CASCADE CREEK  0.92        0700 AM  44.03N 92.48W
BYRON 6S                   0.89        0700 AM  43.96N 92.63W
ELBA                       0.87        0700 AM  44.05N 92.05W
ROCHESTER – BEAR CREEK     0.87        0700 AM  43.92N 92.48W
ELGIN 2SSW                 0.86        0700 AM  44.10N 92.27W
ROCHESTER 5SW              0.86        0700 AM  43.98N 92.56W
ROCHESTER – SILVER CREEK   0.81        0700 AM  44.03N 92.42W
ROCHESTER 6ENE             0.80        0700 AM  44.05N 92.37W
ROCHESTER BELTLINE         0.72        0700 AM  43.91N 92.50W
ROCHESTER ASOS             0.72        0700 AM  43.91N 92.50W

…WABASHA COUNTY…
ZUMBRO FALLS 4SSW          1.67        0700 AM  44.24N 92.46W
LAKE CITY                  1.38        0700 AM  44.45N 92.26W
THEILMAN                   0.80        0700 AM  44.28N 92.19W
KELLOGG                    0.73        0700 AM  44.32N 92.00W
WABASHA                    0.68        0700 AM  44.39N 92.05W

…WINONA COUNTY…
RUSHFORD 6NNE              2.48        0700 AM  43.89N 91.69W
WINONA 4SE                 1.70        0700 AM  44.02N 91.61W
ROLLINGSTONE 2NW           1.57        0700 AM  44.12N 91.85W
LEWISTON                   1.21        0700 AM  43.98N 91.87W
DAKOTA                     0.90        0700 AM  43.92N 91.37W
LA CRESCENT DAM 7          0.79        0700 AM  43.87N 91.31W
ALTURA                     0.79        0700 AM  44.15N 92.01W
WINONA DAM 5A              0.65        0700 AM  44.09N 91.67W
MINNESOTA CITY             0.50        0700 AM  44.16N 91.81W
WINONA AWOS                0.41        0700 AM  44.08N 91.70W

WISCONSIN

…BUFFALO COUNTY…
ALMA DAM 4                 0.56        0700 AM  44.33N 91.92W

…CLARK COUNTY…
OWEN                       1.78        0700 AM  44.98N 90.55W
NEILLSVILLE 1W             1.07        0700 AM  44.56N 90.61W

…JACKSON COUNTY…
BLACK RIVER FALLS STP      1.54        0700 AM  44.29N 90.85W
BLACK RIVER FALLS RAWS     1.22        0700 AM  44.30N 90.84W
BLACK RIVER FALLS 2NNE     1.18        0700 AM  44.32N 90.83W
BLACK RIVER FALLS          1.16        0700 AM  44.38N 90.84W
HATFIELD DAM               1.00        0700 AM  44.41N 90.73W
BLACK RIVER FALLS AWOS     0.56        0700 AM  44.25N 90.86W

…LA CROSSE COUNTY…
HOLMEN                     1.77        0700 AM  43.97N 91.27W
WEST SALEM 2W              1.33        0700 AM  43.90N 91.12W
WEST SALEM 1W              1.13        0700 AM  43.90N 91.09W
HOLMEN 2S                  1.09        0700 AM  43.93N 91.25W
LA CROSSE 4NNW             0.96        0700 AM  43.87N 91.27W
LA CROSSE ASOS             0.89        0700 AM  43.88N 91.26W
LA CROSSE                  0.87        0700 AM  43.80N 91.37W
LA CROSSE WFO              0.85        0700 AM  43.82N 91.19W
LA CROSSE 5SE              0.61        0700 AM  43.77N 91.15W

…MONROE COUNTY…
FOUR CORNERS               0.95        0700 AM  44.07N 90.92W
WARRENS                    0.19        0700 AM  44.10N 90.59W
SPARTA WASTE WTR           0.08        0700 AM  43.94N 90.82W
TUNNEL CITY                0.02        0700 AM  44.01N 90.57W

…RICHLAND COUNTY…
RICHLAND CENTER 1NW        0.00        0700 AM  43.36N 90.42W

…TAYLOR COUNTY…
JUMP RIVER                 1.82        0700 AM  45.36N 90.80W
MEDFORD                    1.50        0700 AM  45.13N 90.34W
GAD 6E                     1.15        0700 AM  45.14N 90.20W
LUBLIN DIAMOND LAKE        0.64        0700 AM  45.11N 90.69W

…TREMPEALEAU COUNTY…
TREMPEALEAU 2NW            1.85        0700 AM  44.03N 91.46W
GALESVILLE 2WSW            1.83        0700 AM  44.07N 91.39W
ETTRICK                    1.49        0700 AM  44.11N 91.22W
GALESVILLE 3ENE            1.34        0700 AM  44.09N 91.29W
TREMPEALEAU DAM 6          1.30        0700 AM  44.00N 91.44W
OSSEO                      0.26        0700 AM  44.58N 91.22W

…VERNON COUNTY…
STODDARD                   0.07        0700 AM  43.66N 91.24W
VIROQUA 4NE                0.04        0700 AM  43.61N 90.82W
GENOA                      0.03        0700 AM  43.57N 91.23W
ONTARIO 3E                 0.02        0700 AM  43.72N 90.60W

Posted under rainfall amounts

We’re really getting our first taste of true fall weather today, and not just September’s version of autumn, but more of an early October feel in the air for our Tuesday.  This is thanks to a strong area of Canadian high pressure that is moving through the Upper Mississippi Valley, drawing in unseasonably cool, dry air from up north, allowing us to see 30s on the map for the first time since April and a few patches of frost as well.  The development of frost wasn’t a surprise for us, in fact there was less than we’d thought there might be thanks to some pesky clouds that blanketed much of southeastern Minnesota and northeastern Iowa for the middle portion of the overnight period, keeping temperatures up a few degrees.

Incidentally, the averages for this time of the year are 71/49 in Rochester.

A small patch of frost on the roof of Peter Kramer in Rollingstone, MN.Morning lows for Tuesday, September 18th. The first 30s of the season!

Here are some local morning low temperatures:

MAX/MIN TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION TABLE FOR

THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI

905 AM CDT TUE SEP 18 2012

.BR LSE 0918 C DH01/TAIRZX/DH07/TAIRZP/PPDRZZ

:

: VALUES REPRESENT HIGHS YESTERDAY...LOWS OVER THE LAST 12 HOURS...

: AND PRECIPITATION OVER THE LAST 24 HOURS

:

:

:                                 HIGH   LOW   PCPN

:

TOB  : DODGE CENTER AWOS     MN :   63 /  39 / 0.21

AUM  : AUSTIN AWOS           MN :   63 /  37 / 0.09

RST  : ROCHESTER ASOS        MN :   62 /  39 / 0.16

FKA  : PRESTON AWOS          MN :   61 /  39 / 0.12

ONA  : WINONA AWOS           MN :   61 /  34 / 0.08

:

CCY  : CHARLES CITY AWOS     IA :   61 /  39 / 0.10

DEH  : DECORAH AWOS          IA :   63 /  41 / 0.07

OLZ  : OELWEIN AWOS          IA :   64 /  36 / 0.05

:

MDZ  : MEDFORD AWOS          WI :   63 /  34 /

BCK  : BLACK RIVER FALLS AWOSWI :   61 /  30 / 0.15

LSE  : LA CROSSE ASOS        WI :   65 /  39 / 0.15

CMY  : SPARTA-FT MCCOY AWOS  WI :   63 /  30 / 0.09

VOK  : VOLK FIELD ASOS       WI :   63 /  34 / 0.16

Y51  : VIROQUA AWOS          WI :   63 /  36 / 0.09

PDC  : PRAIRIE DU CHIEN AWOS WI :   66 /  39 / 0.03

OVS  : BOSCOBEL ASOS         WI :   71 /  34 / 0.04

PVB  : PLATTEVILLE AWOS      WI :   66 /  41 / M

:

.END

:

.BR LSE 0918 C DH07/TAIRZX/TAIRZN/PPDRZZ

:

:...OFFICIAL NWS COOPERATIVE OBSERVATIONS...

: VALUES REPRESENT 24 HOUR TOTALS AS OF THIS MORNING

:

:

:                                 TIME   HIGH  LOW   PCPN

:

:...SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...

ALTM5: ALTURA 5W             MN : DH0700/     /     / 0.18

ASTM5: AUSTIN                MN : DH0700/  60 /  38 / 0.12

BYRM5: BYRON 4N              MN : DH0700/  61 /  33 / 0.19

CLDM5: CALEDONIA             MN : DH0700/  60 /  37 / 0.12

EGNM5: ELGIN 2SSW            MN : DH0700/     /     / 0.15

GMDM5: GRAND MEADOW          MN : DH0600/  59 /  39 / 0.13

LCRM5: LA CRESCENT DAM 7     MN : DH0600/     /     / 0.15

LAKM5: LAKE CITY             MN : DH0730/     /     / 0.03

LNBM5: LANESBORO             MN : DH0700/     /     / 0.12

MSCM5: MINNESOTA CITY DAM 5  MN : DH0600/     /     / 0.16

SPGM5: SPRING VALLEY         MN : DH0500/     /     / 0.12

THLM5: THEILMAN 1SSW         MN : DH0800/  62 /  33 / 0.11

WABM5: WABASHA               MN : DH0700/     /     / 0.06

WIDM5: WINONA DAM 5A         MN : DH0600/  62 /  42 / 0.10

:

:...NORTHEAST IOWA...

CIYI4: CHARLES CITY COOP     IA : DH0700/     /     / 0.11

CMTI4: CLERMONT              IA : DH0700/     /     / 0.10

CRCI4: CRESCO                IA : DH0700/  61 /  37 / 0.10

EKRI4: ELKADER 6SSW          IA : DH0700/  67 /  34 / 0.02

ELMI4: ELMA                  IA : DH0700/     /     / 0.06

FYTI4: FAYETTE               IA : DH0700/  66 /  38 / 0.06

GTTI4: GUTTENBERG DAM 10     IA : DH0600/     /     / 0.00

IONI4: IONIA 2W              IA : DH0700/     /     / 0.12

LSGI4: LANSING 4SE           IA : DH0700/     /     / 0.07

NHUI4: NASHUA 2SW            IA : DH0700/     /     / 0.09

NHPI4: NEW HAMPTON           IA : DH0700/  62 /  38 / 0.00

OSAI4: OSAGE                 IA : DH0700/  60 /  39 / 0.08

SANI4: ST ANSGAR             IA : DH0630/     /     / 0.14

WAUI4: WAUKON                IA : DH0600/  62 /  40 / 0.08

:

:...WESTERN WISCONSIN...

ALMW3: ALMA DAM 4            WI : DH0600/     /     / 0.03

BLKW3: BLACK RIVER FALLS STP WI : DH0830/     /     / 0.22

CBCW3: CUBA CITY             WI : DH0800/     /     / 0.00

FRSW3: FRIENDSHIP            WI : DH0700/  64 /  35 / 0.12

GENW3: GENOA DAM 8           WI : DH0600/     /     / 0.00

ARX  : LA CROSSE WFO         WI : DH0600/     /     / 0.16

LAFW3: LA FARGE              WI : DH0700/     /     / 0.10

LYNW3: LYNXVILLE DAM 9       WI : DH0600/     /     / 0.06

MATW3: MATHER 3NW            WI : DH0700/  63 /  36 / 0.22

MEDW3: MEDFORD               WI : DH0800/  54 /  31 / 0.10

NELW3: NEILLSVILLE 3SW       WI : DH0630/  61 /  34 / 0.16

OTRW3: ONTARIO 3E            WI : DH0700/     /     / 0.12

OWEW3: OWEN 2N               WI : DH0800/  54 /  29 / 0.11

PDCW3: PRAIRIE DU CHIEN      WI : DH0700/  68 /  40 / 0.05

RTNW3: READSTOWN 4NE         WI : DH0700/     /     / 0.11

RICW3: RICHLAND CENTER       WI : DH0700/  68 /  38 / 0.04

SOGW3: SOLDIERS GROVE        WI : DH0725/  64 /  35 / 0.09

SRTW3: SPARTA                WI : DH0800/  64 /  37 / 0.16

SBNW3: STEUBEN 4SE           WI : DH0700/     /     / 0.06

TREW3: TREMPEALEAU DAM 6     WI : DH0600/     /     / 0.16

VQAW3: VIROQUA               WI : DH0700/  62 /  35 / 0.09

WESW3: WESTBY 3ENE           WI : DH0700/     /     / 0.08

:

.END

&&

...OTHER COOPERATIVE OBSERVATIONS...

 VALUES REPRESENT 24 HOUR TOTALS AS OF THIS MORNING

                                        HIGH   LOW  PCPN

HLNM5   : HIGHLAND 2SE            MN :      /     / 0.11

SPVM5   : SPRING VALLEY 3SW       MN :      /     / 0.14

SPYM5   : SPRING VALLEY 3E        MN :      /     / 0.15

MNBDCRBK: SPRING VALLEY 1 NW      MN :      /     / 0.12

MNFM01  : CHATFIELD 9ESE          MN :      /     / 0.16

MNFM07  : PRESTON 3NNE            MN :      /     / 0.16

MNOL07  : BYRON 6S                MN :      /     / 0.20

MNWB04  : ZUMBRO FALLS 4SSW       MN :      /     / 0.16

MNWN02  : WINONA 4SE              MN :      /     / 0.11

MNWN03  : LEWISTON                MN :      /     / 0.12

MNWN04  : ROLLINGSTONE 2NW        MN :      /     / 0.15

MNWN05  : WINONA 5WSW             MN :      /     / 0.11

MNWN06  : STOCKTON                MN :      /     / 0.13

IAWH01  : DECORAH 8ENE            IA :      /     / 0.04

IACW02  : NEW HAMPTON             IA :      /     / 0.10

IAFY02  : OELWEIN 1WNW            IA :      /     / 0.00

MNOI4   : MONONA WWTP             IA :      /     / 0.06

VOLI4   : VOLGA 1NE               IA :      /     / 0.04

WIJK01  : BLACK RIVER FALLS 2NNE  WI :      /     / 0.18

WICR01  : GAYS MILLS 6SE          WI :      /     / 0.05

WITR03  : TREMPEALEAU 2NW         WI :      /     / 0.16

WIMN04  : WILTON 4E               WI :      /     / 0.11

ETTW3   : ETTRICK 4WNW            WI :   59 /  30 / 0.10

BFCW3   : FOUR CORNERS            WI :      /     / 0.06

GADW3   : GAD 6E                  WI :      /     / 0.31

GAVW3   : GALESVILLE 2WSW         WI :      /     / 0.15

HABW3   : HATFIELD DAM            WI :      /     / 0.24

HBOW3   : HILLSBORO WSW           WI :      /     / 0.04

HLMW3   : HOLMEN 1NW              WI :      /     / 0.17

HMNW3   : HOLMEN 2S               WI :   65 /  37 / 0.18

JMPW3   : JUMP RIVER 1NW          WI :      /     / 0.04

MROW3   : MONROE CENTER           WI :   67 /  41 / 0.19

NLIW3   : NEW LISBON 4ENE         WI :      /     / 0.11

OSOW3   : OSSEO                   WI :      /     / 0.08

RCCW3   : RICHLAND CENTER 1NW     WI :      /     / 0.06

STDW3   : STODDARD                WI :      /     / 0.11

WRNW3   : WARRENS 5WSW            WI :      /     / 0.22

WSAW3   : WEST SALEM              WI :      /     / 0.21

...OTHER AUTOMATED OBSERVATIONS...

 VALUES REPRESENT 24 HOUR TOTALS AS OF THIS MORNING

                                   HIGH   LOW   PCPN

ASNM5: AUSTIN 3S              MN :      /     / 0.01

DOBM5: AUSTIN 2NE             MN :      /     / 0.11

TRCM5: AUSTIN 3NW             MN :      /     / 0.15

BVRM5: BEAVER                 MN :      /     / 0.08

DVRM5: DOVER 1E               MN :      /     / 0.11

HOUM5: HOUSTON                MN :      /     / 0.14

KELM5: KELLOGG                MN :      /     / 0.04

LKCM5: LAKE CITY              MN :      /     / 0.03

LNSM5: LANESBORO              MN :      /     / 0.11

LANM5: LANSING                MN :      /     / 0.12

MDPM5: MOUND PRAIRIE          MN :      /     / 0.13

RBCM5: ROCHESTER BEAR CR      MN :      /     / 0.16

RCCM5: ROCHESTER CASCADE CR   MN :      /     / 0.18

ROCM5: ROCHESTER SILVER CR    MN :      /     / 0.18

SFZM5: ROCHESTER 5SW          MN :      /     / 0.17

RCHM5: ROCHESTER 37TH ST      MN :   66 /  39 /

RCSM5: ROCHESTER BELTLINE     MN :      /     / 0.10

WSPM5: WHITEWATER PARK        MN :      /     / 0.17

BLFI4: BLUFFTON               IA :      /     / 0.06

CCYI4: CHARLES CITY           IA :      /     / 0.03

DEHI4: DECORAH                IA :      /     / 0.06

DCHI4: DORCHESTER HWY 76      IA :      /     / 0.05

EDRI4: EL DORADO 1E           IA :      /     / 0.07

YRII4: ION                    IA :      /     / 0.03

MBRI4: MARQUETTE              IA :      /     / 0.04

MCGI4: MCGREGOR               IA :      /     / 0.14

CROI4: ORCHARD                IA :      /     / 0.08

YSPI4: YELLOW RIVER PARK      IA :   68 /  35 / 0.07

BBLW3: BOSCOBEL RAWS          WI :   67 /  36 / 0.03

BRFW3: BLACK RIVER FALLS      WI :      /     / 0.16

BFWW3: BLACK RIVER FALLS RAWS WI :   61 /  37 / 0.18

DDGW3: DODGE                  WI :      /     / 0.00

DHDW3: DAHLEN DAM             WI :      /     / 0.07

DMLW3: DIAMOND LAKE RAWS      WI :   55 /  29 / 0.06

HVDW3: HIDDEN VALLEY DAM      WI :      /     / 0.08

KKDW3: KLINKNER DAM           WI :      /     / 0.04

LACW3: LA CROSSE              WI :      /     / 0.17

MUSW3: MUSCODA                WI :      /     / 0.01

NEHW3: NECEDAH RAWS           WI :   64 /  37 / 0.15

NCHW3: NECEDAH 5WNW CRN       WI :   63 /  37 / 0.13

RHDW3: RUNGE HOLLOW DAM       WI :      /     / 0.04

SBDW3: SEAS BRANCH DAM        WI :      /     / 0.08

SBHW3: SEAS BRANCH HAUGEN     WI :      /     / 0.08

SIDW3: SIDIE HOLLOW DAM       WI :      /     / 0.04

STEW3: STEUBEN                WI :      /     / 0.05

TPDW3: THOMPSON DAM           WI :      /     / 0.08

YTDW3: YTTRI DAM              WI :      /     / 0.08

Posted under fall, weather

Warm, sultry, summer-like weather continues to linger in our region today, but the countdown to a big change had already begun.  A cold front to our west is slowly approaching the area from the Dakotas and will eventually bring some cooler, drier more seasonably mild air to the Upper Mississippi Valley, but first we stand a chance at getting some much needed rainfall before it arrives.  This warm, humid atmosphere is setting the stage for some afternoon and evening thunderstorm potential across the entire area, some of which may become strong to severe with large hail and damaging winds possible.  The best chances for severe weather will be mid afternoon today through late this evening.  Otherwise, rainfall amounts look mostly light, but potenially beneficial nonetheless with an inch possible in some of the stronger cells between today and early Wednesday when the front and the rain chances will move on to the east. 

The latest Storm Prediction Center severe weather outlook has our entire area under the threat of severe weather later today through tonight.

 We’ll have morning showers tomorrow and then gusty northwest winds will draw drier air into the region and afternoon temperatures will top out in the upper 70s.  We’ll have another chance for some rain on Friday with another less potent cold front.

Posted under severe weather, weather

The past two weeks have certainly been memorable for us as our weather has been nothing short of comfortable and refreshing.  This spell of cooler, drier, and at times, fall-like weather has been quite a departure from the previous seven weeks or so that featured scorching heat and intense bouts of heavy humidity that forced many of us to run the air conditioning nonstop.  Our weather remains quiet and comfortable today, but there are signs that changes are ahead in the not too distant future as more typical August-like days lie before us on the late August calendar.  High pressure is beginning to glide away to the east today, allowing a slight southerly breeze to work with our wall-to-wall sunshine to warm us quickly to more seasonably warm temperatures locally as highs will be near 80° this afternoon.  That warming trend will continue tomorrow as the jet stream flattens out and shifts a bit northward and warmer, slightly more humid works its way back into the weather picture.  A storm system to the west will trigger some rain and thunderstorms chances later tomorrow through much of Thursday while temperatures will be in the low to mid 80s and our air will feel more noticeably humid.  This more summer-like weather looks to be sticking around through the weekend and for most of next week, almost as if Mother Nature is trying to balance things out, making up for the September-like weather of the past two weeks.

The jet stream has been bucking southward recently, allowing cooler, more Canadian style air into the region.

The jet stream pattern over the next week or so leading up to the last portion of August is going to be a little flatter, more northward oriented, allowing warmer, more humid weather into the region.

Posted under weather

After a fairly gray and blustery, fall-like Thursday, high pressure managed to calm the winds and scour out our clouds overnight, allowing temperatures to drop like a rock in most of the area.  Many spots were 10 to 15 degrees cooler than normal and some of us flirted with record low temperatures early this morning.  Rochester came within two degrees of tying the record low of 45° that was set in 1962 and Mason City came within one degree of tying its record of 43°.  We’ll have another cool night tonight with temperatures that will be just slightly warmer than Thursday night’s and then the weekend will feature some more of this comfortable weather with highs in the 70s and lows Saturday night and Sunday night in the low 50s.

The coolest morning of the season in the local area. The last time we were this cool was the first of June.

Posted under Lows, Mason City

The potent cold front that pushed through the region Thursday night, brought some showers and thunderstorms to the area and is ushering in some much cooler, more fall-like weather for the end of our work week.  After a breezy, warm, and slightly humid Wednesday, we’re feeling like late September today behind that front with a lot of low, jagged strato-cumulus clouds, gusty northwest winds, and temperatures that are struggling to climb to within ten degrees of what we consider to be “normal” for this time of the year.

While rainfall amounts varied a great deal with half an inch in many locations in the northern part of our local viewing area and just a trace to a tenth of an inch from Rochester to the south, there were a handful of reports of severe weather damage.  Most of the reports were along and just east of the Mississippi River around midnight, especially near La Crosse.

Severe Weather Reports from Overnight – August 16th

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT…SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
712 AM CDT THU AUG 16 2012

..TIME…   …EVENT…      …CITY LOCATION…     …LAT.LON…
..DATE…   ….MAG….      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. …SOURCE….
..REMARKS..

1209 AM     TSTM WND DMG     5 N WINONA              44.12N 91.66W
08/16/2012                   BUFFALO            WI   911 CALL CENTER

LARGE TREE DOWN ON COUNTY ROAD M NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF
COUNTY ROAD YY.

1220 AM     HAIL             1 NW TREMPEALEAU        44.02N 91.45W
08/16/2012  M1.00 INCH       TREMPEALEAU        WI   PARK/FOREST SRVC

QUARTER SIZED HAIL FOR 15 MINUTES AT PERROT STATE PARK

1242 AM     TSTM WND DMG     HOLMEN                  43.96N 91.26W
08/16/2012                   LA CROSSE          WI   911 CALL CENTER

POWER LINE KNOCKED DOWN FROM TREE BRANCHES BY HOLMEN
POLICE DEPARTMENT. TIME ESTIMATED ON RADAR.

1244 AM     TSTM WND GST     2 S HOLMEN              43.93N 91.26W
08/16/2012  E60.00 MPH       LA CROSSE          WI   NWS EMPLOYEE

REPORTED BY NWS EMPLOYEE

1244 AM     HAIL             4 N HOLMEN              44.01N 91.26W
08/16/2012  M1.00 INCH       LA CROSSE          WI   NWS EMPLOYEE

REPORTED BY NWS EMPLOYEE

1257 AM     TSTM WND DMG     2 NNW BANGOR            43.92N 91.00W
08/16/2012                   LA CROSSE          WI   911 CALL CENTER

TREE KNOCKED DOWN ON POWER LINES NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF
HWY 162 AND 16 NORTH OF BANGOR. TIME ESTIMATED ON RADAR.

0113 AM     HAIL             LEON                    43.88N 90.83W
08/16/2012  M1.00 INCH       MONROE             WI   TRAINED SPOTTER

0113 AM     HAIL             2 SSW SPARTA            43.92N 90.82W
08/16/2012  M1.00 INCH       MONROE             WI   TRAINED SPOTTER

3 MINUTES OF DIME TO QUARTER SIZED HAIL WITH WINDS AT 45
TO 50 MPH AT THE INTERSECTION OF INTERSTATE 90 EXIT 25
AND HWY 27.

0113 AM     TSTM WND GST     LEON                    43.88N 90.83W
08/16/2012  M60.00 MPH       MONROE             WI   TRAINED SPOTTER

0240 AM     TSTM WND DMG     1 E NEW LISBON          43.88N 90.14W
08/16/2012                   JUNEAU             WI   LAW ENFORCEMENT

TREE DOWN ON COUNTY ROAD A BETWEEN NEW LISBON AND HUSTLER

0304 AM     TSTM WND DMG     2 NW MAUSTON            43.82N 90.11W
08/16/2012                   JUNEAU             WI   LAW ENFORCEMENT

TREE DOWN OVER HIGHWAY 12/16 BETWEEN MAUSTON AND NEW
LISBON

 

A large blocking high to our northeast is forcing the jet stream in the Upper Midwest southward, making for a cooler stretch of days for us.

We're going to have high temperatures today and tomorrow that will be more reminiscent of late September than mid August.

If you’re looking for more seasonable weather, fear not.  We’re expecting a steady warm up through next week with highs in the 80s possible by mid week.

Posted under weather