Have you wanted to learn how to become a storm spotter – one of the people that helps relay what’s going on outside during severe weather? The National Weather Service offers many classes during the spring months around the area, and they’re free. Consider taking one – they’re fun, informational, and are even good to re-take if you haven’t in a couple of years.

Here are the links to area classes (some have happened already, but there are many more!)

La Crosse’s classes
Twin Cities’ classes
Des Moines’ classes

Posted under KTTC, severe weather

Monday’s tornado in Hammon, Oklahoma was the first tornado in the US for awhile – since late January. Not only that, but there’s some good footage of it.

Posted under severe weather

While we don’t typically talk much about severe weather here in February, it’s the hot talk right now. And it’s because of the lack of a type of severe weather – tornadoes.

The folks in Norman, Oklahoma released this information yesterday – there were no tornadoes in the United States during the month of February. This is the first time since 1950 in the National Weather Service’s database where the month has gone unscathed from a tornado.

As far as what that means down the road – don’t count it as a hardcore sign of a lethargic severe weather season. NOAA says years that start out with fewer tornadoes can end up average or below average (number of tornadoes). There have also been years, however, where’s that’s been the case before a major tornado outbreak (May 2003, for example).

Severe weather season here at home gets going typically as we push into April. It’s still a little oddball-ish to see it here in March. It’ll get going soon further south.

Here’s more about the article on the NOAA website.

Posted under KTTC, severe weather

What other oddball weather stuff can we throw at you? Here’s one:

No tornadoes in the US during February of 2010.

Posted under KTTC, severe weather

Fish were falling from the sky in Australia last week. Here’s the story…

From the story…

WHILE the Top End and Central Australia have been battered by torrential rains, a Territory town has reportedly had fish falling from the sky.

The freak phenomena happened not once, but twice, on Thursday and Friday afternoon about 6pm at Lajamanu, about 550km southwest of Katherine, The Northern Territory News reports.

Christine Balmer, who took the photos of the fish on the ground and in a bucket, said she had to pinch herself when she was told “hundreds and hundreds” of small white fish had fallen from the sky.

“Thank God it didn’t rain crocodiles.”

Posted under severe weather

As we’ve been plugging the last couple days, we’re looking at a change in the pattern and with that a good shot at severe weather. Unfortunately, there’s an accompanying excessive rain threat as a front is going to be washing back and forth across southern Minnesota to north Iowa. Thunderstorm activity will primarily be focused on the front, bringing repeated thunderstorms to the same areas.

This morning’s thundershower activity is relatively tranquil, but more activity is expected this afternoon and there is a likelihood that whatever develops later today will quickly become severe. The severe weather threat will continue into Saturday and Sunday. I don’t expect rain all weekend, but when there are storms, they’ll pack a punch.

We’ll have all the latest warnings and watches right here at www.kttc.com and on KTTC as soon as they’re issued.

Posted under severe weather

The SPC still has us in a slight risk for severe weather on Tuesday.

A strong area of low pressure will pass across the upper Midwest, bringing first a warm front, followed by a cold front through our area.

The dynamics are certainly there for severe weather, but a few x-factors are going into the mix as well, such as morning cloud cover, cloudy periods throughout the day (i.e. how much heating we’ll see), and the timing of the cold front.

All said and done, if storms do erupt, all severe weather modes will be possible. It appears a tornadic threat could exist for a few hours in the evening, before transitioning over to a damaging wind event. Stay tuned!

Posted under severe weather

For weeks now, the jetstream has been approaching us from the northwest bringing occasional rain and seasonable to cooler than normal temperatures. Beginning Monday, this flow is shifting, becoming southwesterly and delivering a good chance for occasional thunderstorms through this week. Along with the chance for storms, warm and humid air is going to remain in place for a change. Summer is here.

Stay tuned for any strong to severe thunderstorm potential later this week.

Posted under KTTC, severe weather, weather

Honestly, it’s a struggle to find something new and different to talk about as our weather hasn‘t varied much lately. Since last Friday our highs have stayed 10 to 20 degrees below our climate average, but we’re headed back to the 70s beginning Friday afternoon. Woo-hoo!

While it’s been quiet here, severe weather activity has picked up a bit in locations to our south and west. Here’s a graphic of severe weather reports from Wednesday, June 10th.

Posted under severe weather

We head into the second half of the weekend with a slight risk for severe weather (so – it’s been awhile – you all remember what severe weather is like, right?) If this pans out, things look to be the diciest for us by the time Sunday evening rolls around, and if everything gets going as forecasted, could linger into Sunday night/Monday morning.

Biggest threats look to be large hail, damaging winds (especially if this gets into the overnight hours). Not looking very favorable for tornadoes – uh, whirlydoodles – but we won’t rule them out.

Stay tuned! I’ll update this later today if my thinking changes and especially as the SPC updates their outlooks heading into Sunday.

Posted under KTTC