OK, it’s another cold night. After Friday morning’s round of -20s and -30s, this is a piece of cake now. Right? No! It’s still COLD!

So, I’m tired of over-using the word “cold.” Thus, I turned to the fine viewers via Twitter and Facebook tonight and asked them to come up with some good adjectives for “cold.” Here’s some of what I got:
“Tundra-ish”
“Walk-Like-A-Penguin-Weather”
“Glacial”
“Numbing”
“Delightful”
“Gelid”
“Popsicly”
“Nippy”
“Mind-Numbing”
“Eyelash-Frost-Inducing”
“Stinging”
“Polar”
“Frigid”
“Unfriendly”
“Teeth-Chattering”
“Refreshingly Brisk”
“Siberian”
“Is-It-Spring-Yet-Weather”

I could go on and on. Thanks to everyone for tapping into their imagination (and, in some cases, their feelings!) on this. My goal is to try to introduce more of these words when it gets cold (dang! I mean….”polar”.)

(P.S. On a serious note, tonight’s  lows will be in the -10 to -20 range, with some locations dropping a few degrees colder. Wind chills will hover in the -15 to -30 range. No Wind Chill Advisory, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be taking care of yourself outside if you’re going anywhere tonight or Sunday morning….)

Posted under just cool, winter, winter weather

We regularly ask that anyone who has questions about road conditions, please check http://511mn.org for the latest road and travel conditions. The only problem there is that reports can be very general and perhaps a bit too objective for some people’s liking. To add, updates may be a bit more infrequent.

You can take advantage of social media to encourage the flow of information a bit more readily. Via twitter, you can post road conditions and include a hashtag such as #rochmn or #mnwx to find local reports. You can also check our facebook page where we’re asking people to offer road condition reports and snowfall amounts.

If you want information on the latest NWS headlines, we’ve got them here at kttc.com! If you want the latest radar picture, we’ve got that too! Just check interactive radar, it’s easily accessible via our weather page’s top menu. (http://www.kttc.com/weather) Check out 511mn.org, 511ia.org, or 511wi.org to see what the latest reports are in your area.

Being that it’s already snowing, and the going forecast of 4-8″ by the end of Saturday morning still looks on track, there are plenty of tools at your disposal to help make that decision of whether you stay in tonight or hit the roads. It’s slippery, but not impossible out there. Drive safely!

Posted under weather, winter, winter weather

Since we’re headed into the upper 70s this week, I thought it only appropriate to check out snowfall records for Rochester in April.

-The record for most snowfall in a calendar day is 19.8″ which fell on the 18th of March, 2005. Ranking 3rd in the top 10 for record one-day snowfalls is 14.0″ on April 20th, 1893. 4th is 13.0″ which fell on April 26th, 1988.

-The snowiest April was that of 1983 when 16.4″ fell on Rochester.

No need to worry about any chance of snow this week…highs will stay well above average, at least through Friday.

Posted under climate

Aside from our snowy, winter statistic–which includes one all-time record that we’ll likely smash this winter (consecutive days with 10″ snow depth)–we’re also on an impressive roll of chilly days. The high in Rochester, MN hasn’t been at or above 40° since December 1st. That’s 79 days and is the 20th longest stretch for Rochester. It may be quite some time before we hit 40, so the top 10 looks do-able!

source

Posted under winter weather

Not much to report on the weather front today aside from the bitter cold air moving into the upper Midwest. Highs for the next 4-5 days will remain in the single-digits and lows will be below zero for at least the next 7 days. It is indeed an impressive cold stretch we’re going into now and along with it there will be very little moisture.

Have a fun, safe night, and stay warm! Happy New Year!

Posted under winter weather

A few things to touch on:

We’ll escape the “brunt” of the slippery precip tonight- freezing rain is mainly affecting Wisconsin, Illinois, and eastern Iowa. As this system grazes us, we could manage to see some light freezing drizzle or light snow overnight. As far as accumulations go, we’re talking minor.

Tonight we’ll also have a cold front sliding through the area. On Sunday, we’ll reach our highs early and watch temps fall during the day. Some flurries will stick around, too.

Late Sunday night/Monday morning, another quick system will spin by to our south, dragging a swath of snow along with it. It appears we’ll be in on this, meaning possibly 2-4″ of snow on Monday morning. We’ll keep tabs on this and let you know more on Sunday.

Posted under winter weather

It would seem we got our fair share of winter back in October–which must explain the slow start to winter weather, right? There will be a few light snow showers tonight through Friday but little in the way of accumulation. A few spots may see some minor accumulations, otherwise we’re in for more of a “festive” snowfall.

On the lines of our past November weather and what to expect in your typical December, check out this climate summary from the NWS La Crosse.

Posted under climate

Today kicks off Winter Weather Awareness week in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The following information is being distributed, over the course of this week, by the National Weather Service.

Today’s nugget of information is the explanation of headlines used for winter weather events to keep people informed of pending or occurring winter storms.

Hazardous Weather Outlook (HWO)

The Hazardous Weather Outlook includes any potential weather hazard out to seven (7) days. It is used for planning purposes and will include a short description of what the weather threat is, when it is expected, and how much it may impact the region. The HWO is issued daily around 5:00 AM, and updated during the day as needed. It is also broadcast on NOAA Weather Radio near the top and bottom of every hour.

Winter Storm Watch (WSW)

A Winter Storm Watch is issued when there is a potential for a winter storm to affect the region during the next 1 to 3 days. It does not always mean the area will be hit by a winter storm, but there is still some uncertainity of the exact path or timing of the event. This is a planning stage. Use this time to ensure you have supplies at home, like some extra food, medications, baby items, etc.. If travel is planned, check ahead and see if a different route or delaying your departure may make your trip safer. Be alert for changing weather conditions.

Winter Weather Advisory (WSW)

Advisories are issued for those winter weather events that are expected to be more of an inconvenience and should not become life-threatening if caution is exercised. These are often issued for 3 to 6 inches of snow, blowing and drifting snow, freezing drizzle, or a combination of these elements. It may be issued for less snow for early season events, when drivers may not be accustomed to slick roads.

Winter Storm Warning (WSW)

Winter Storm Warnings are usually issued when dangerous winter weather is expected, occurring, or imminent. The weather can become life-threatening. Criteria includes snowfalls of 6 inches or more in 12 hours, 8 inches in 24 hours, or lower amounts if accompanied by strong winds or a combination of dangerous winter elements. Avoid unnecessary travel.

Blizzard Warnings (BZW)

The most dangerous winter event is certainly the blizzard. Blizzard Warnings are issued when snow or blowing snow lowers visibilities to a 1/4 mile or less, wind gusts hit 35 mph or higher, and the storm lasts for 3 hours or more. Travel is dangerous and should be avoided if possible.

Ice Storm Warning (WSW)

Ice storm Warnings are issued when freezing rain will cause widespread glazing. A coating of ice is expected to reach 1/4 inch thick or more on objects and make travel nearly impossible. For lesser amounts of ice, usually a winter weather advisory would be used, but even a thin glaze of ice can make travel difficult. Avoid travel.

Wind Chill Warning (NPW)

Issued when wind chills of -35 F or lower are expected with wind speeds of 10 mph or more. A wind chill advisory is issued for values between -20 and -34 F. Dress warmly and cover as much exposed skin as possible.

Here is the source for the preceding information.

Posted under winter, winter weather

Thanks to Jeff Boyne at the NWS La Crosse office for digging up some nifty, October ’09 weather statistics…

As of the 20th of this October, this is the 4th wettest start to an October with 3.45″, the wettest start to an October since 1970. That doesn’t include the 1.55″ of rainfall we received today, the 21st. This is also the 3rd coldest start to an October with an average temperature of 42.1°, the coldest start to an October since 1952.

Needless to say, this is making the soybean and corn harvest difficult…

Posted under climate, history, rainfall amounts, Rochester

4th coldest summer on record for Rochester, MN. 14th coldest for La Crosse, WI.

August was cooler and drier than normal in Rochester, MN…cooler and wetter in La Crosse, WI

Posted under climate