Now that the snow has stopped, lets take a look back at where the heaviest snow fell.

As we thought there would be a heavy band of snow likely exceeding 8″. As the event drew close it became aparent that the brunt of this winter weather maker was going to spare the majority of the tri-states the heaviest bands. In fact, northern parts of the tri-states only received 1-2″ of accumulations.

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The snow that fell across the tri-states on Christmas Eve created quite a bit of travel problems. Anywhere from 2-6 inches of the white stuff blanketed the ground by the time the clouds parted. By definition, a white christmas is 1″ of snow on the ground on Christmas. The 4″ reported in Quincy was the first ‘White Christmas’ for the town since 2002 and only the 19th time in past 100 years.

Here are a list of other reports from Christmas Eve snow totals:

IN NORTHEAST MISSOURI…
BOWLING GREEN 1 E……………….5.0
CANTON LD 20……………………4.0
EDINA………………………….4.2
HANNIBAL……………………….4.0
LOUISIANA………………………4.0
MONROE CITY…………………….4.5
NOVELTY………………………..4.0
SAVERTON LD 22………………….5.0
VANDALIA……………………….6.0

WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS…
GREENFIELD……………………..4.0
JERSEYVILLE 2 SW………………..4.0
MOUNT STERLING………………….4.0
QUINCY LD 21……………………4.0
RIPLEY…………………………4.4
VERSAILLES……………………..4.9
WHITE HALL 1 E………………….3.5

From a meteorological stand point, the main center of low pressure passed well to our south. Keeping deep moisture and therefore higher snowfall totals away. Our trigger for snow was the upper level system which moved directly overhead and typically can cause a secondary area of high snow totals.

Don’t expect this snow to stick around too much longer. By the end of the week it appears much warmer temperatures will round out the 2010 calender year and melt all of the snow.

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A fast moving clipper system dumped the first batch of snowfall onto Illinois and Indiana during the 2010-2011 cold season. Just as we thought the accumulating snow ended up just northeast of the tri-states. With reports upwards of 8″ in just a twelve hour period in some parts of northern and central Illinois.

With a big shot of cold air on the way from Canada, the areas to our northeast with snow on the ground will drop another 10 degrees or so futher then places without snow. During the daytime, the snows high albedo will also reflect more of the suns energy directly back into space. Keeping a cap on daytime temperatures.

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After what was a very-above average October and mostly above average November, the first shot of winter air is in store just in time for Thanksgiving.

Typically, high temperatures are in the 30′s for daytime highs and low’s are in the 20′s. With the cold airmass on the way, it certainly looks like we will be well within those ranges or even slightly below. (Thanks to NWS St. Louis for the graphic)

Here are a few of the weather models we use to predict what lyes ahead. They show a large slug of cold air heading out way for the end of the week.

If you have ‘Black Friday’ plans, be sure to use A LOT of layers and bundle up as well as you can.

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The tri-states was in no threat of recieving snowfall this weekend but mother nature had her eyes set on the Upper Midwest. Residents in Northwest Iowa woke up to several inches of the white stuff.

The storm then set its eyes on Minnesota with snowfall rates approaching an inch per hour in spots.

For the Twin cities the 6 inches officially recorded at the airport was the highest total ever recorded on Nov. 13th, besting the old 1997 record of 4″. On Average, Minneapolis has their first 1″ snow accumulation on Nov. 15th.

As of 1:40PM, here are the latest totals from the Minneapolis NWS.

INCHES  LOCATION                 ST  COUNTY           TIME
——  ———————–  –  ————–   ——-
11.00   EDEN PRAIRIE             MN  HENNEPIN         1030 AM
10.10   NEW HOPE                 MN  HENNEPIN         0102 PM
10.00   AMBOY                    MN  BLUE EARTH       0930 AM
10.00   MANKATO                  MN  BLUE EARTH       0951 AM
10.00   MONTGOMERY               MN  LE SUEUR         1130 AM
10.00   3 N FOREST LAKE          MN  CHISAGO          0104 PM
   9.00   MAPLE GROVE              MN  HENNEPIN         0930 AM
  9.00   3 NNW MINNEAPOLIS        MN  HENNEPIN         1243 PM
  8.60   MADELIA                  MN  WATONWAN         1025 AM
  8.50   1 SE CHASKA              MN  CARVER           0112 PM
  8.00   WSW ST CLAIR             MN  BLUE EARTH       0951 AM
  8.00   WINNEBAGO                MN  FARIBAULT        1010 AM
  8.00   PRIOR LAKE               MN  SCOTT            1030 AM
  7.90   EDINA                    MN  HENNEPIN         1155 AM
  7.50   6 E MANKATO              MN  BLUE EARTH       0900 AM
  7.50   2 ESE MINNETONKA         MN  HENNEPIN         1115 AM
  7.30   BLOOMINGTON              MN  HENNEPIN         1248 PM
  6.80   2 SSW LAKEVILLE          MN  DAKOTA           0858 AM

These totals will revised later tonight as more totals arrive but this is just a reminder that Winter isn’t far off!

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Most folks kind of put their guard down as far as severe weather is concerned this time of year. But when we have our seasonal swing from summer to fall there is a mini severe season. Today is one of those situations.

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• Avoid Idling. If you spend time waiting during drop-off and pick-up times, kill the engine. An idling car creates air pollutants…and gets zero miles per gallon.
• Carpool. Team up with other parents in the neighborhood and take turns driving kids to school to cut down on morning traffic.
• Walk or bike. If the weather is nice and school is nearby, encourage your kids to walk or bike to school. If you are concerned about safety, help kids map out a safe route to school and make the trip with them.

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Does it feel like this Spring has felt more like summer? We’ll temperatures have been well above normal. An indepth look has been written by the NWS Lincoln, IL and you can read it below.

Summer-like temperatures prevailed across central and southeast Illinois for much of the first half of April.  Temperatures averaged 10-15 degrees above normal through April 15th with several days seeing highs in the 80s and lows in the 50s.  These readings were more typical of mid to late June!  Normal highs for early April are in the upper 50s and lower 60s, while lows are typically in the upper 30s and lower 40s.

The reasons for the extended period of warm air residing over the Midwest are complex but basically result from a “blocked” weather pattern which allowed high pressure at the surface and aloft to set up across the nation’s mid-section.  Several days of southerly to southwesterly winds allowed warm air to move into the region, and plenty of sunshine acting on relatively dry air produced further warming of the airmass. 

While it was very warm, few individual daily records were established.  A record high was tied in Springfield on April 6th at 85 degrees.  The most unusual aspect of this warm stretch is its duration.  Many locations in central and southeast Illinois were more than 10 degrees above normal for 12 of the first 15 days in April, while several days were more than 20 degrees above normal.  For detailed climate information  check out our Local Climate webpage. 

The map below shows the large area of above normal temperatures across the Midwest for April 1-14, courtesy of NOAA MRCC.  Note the area of highest above normal readings (bright red shading) across central Illinois and Indiana.

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Beginning around 1025 pm Wednesday evening, April 14, the NWS received numerous reports of a bright object falling from the sky somewhere in Central Illinois/Eastern Iowa. However, as close as the object appeared… the object was much further away than it appeared.  For the rest  of the evening… reports poured into National Weather Service offices from St. Louis, Missouri to Milwuakee, Wisconsin. 

The reports have described an event very similar to what a meteorite scenario might look like. The exact location any possible impact has been very difficult to discern, or whether or not the object in question has even reached the ground. 

Meteorites (meteors that reach the earth’s surface) do not ‘burn’ all the way to the earth’s surface.  According to the American Meteor Society, “at some point, usually between 15 to 20 km (9-12 miles or 48,000-63,000 feet) altitude, the meteoroid remnants will decelerate to the point that the ablation process stops, and visible light is no longer generated. This occurs at a speed of about 2-4 km/sec (4500-9000 mph). From that point onward, the stones will rapidly decelerate further until they are falling at their terminal velocity, which will generally be somewhere between 0.1 and 0.2 km/sec (200 mph to 400 mph). Moving at these rapid speeds, the meteorite(s) will be essentially invisible during this final “dark flight” portion of their fall.”
(Definition of ablation: The dissipation of heat generated by atmospheric friction, especially in the atmospheric reentry of a spacecraft or missile, by means of a melting heat shield)

The reports have described an extremely bright object flying rapidly through the sky, even breaking into several smaller objects, before possibly reaching the ground. No additional reports have been received of any damage on the ground.  Although most meteors burn up while passing through the earth’s atmosphere, some will blaze a trail across the sky, rivaling the sun in its intensity.  Certainly this event qualifies by looking at the video below courtesy of our sister station KWWL out of Iowa.  The video is from a Howard County, Iowa, Sheriff.  
http://addins.kwwl.com/blogs/weather/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/fireball-web.wmv

The National Weather Service does not verify if meteorite activity has occurred.  However, several NWS offices have some very interesting video/information/pictures on their webpages, as well as some screen captures of the dust/smoke trail left behind the fireball being caught on radar.  Here are some links to the surrounding offices’ stories:
National Weather Service Quad Cities
National Weather Service Milwuakee
National Weather Service La Crosse

This is a bit of an early start for the next expected meteor shower event, as the Lyrids are supposed to start in a couple of days.

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50th Anniversary of the Satellite that “Forever Changed Weather Forecasting”

NOAA-NASA Partnership Fostering Better Understanding Of Our Changing Planet

April 1, 2010

One of the first images from the TIROS-1 satellite, April 1, 1960.

High resolution (Credit: NASA)

Fifty years ago today, the world’s first weather satellite lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Fla., and opened a new and exciting dimension in weather forecasting. Top leaders from NOAA and NASA hailed the milestone as an example of their agencies’ strong partnership and commitment to flying the best satellites today and beyond.

The first image from the satellite, known as TIROS-1 (Television Infrared Observation Satellite), was a fuzzy picture of thick bands and clusters of clouds over the United States. An image captured a few days later revealed a typhoon about a 1,000 miles east of Australia. TIROS-1, a polar-orbiting satellite, weighed 270 pounds and carried two cameras and two video recorders. Though the satellite only lasted 78 days, its impact is still visible today. 

“This satellite forever changed weather forecasting,” said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “Since TIROS-1, meteorologists have far greater information about severe weather and can issue more accurate forecasts and warnings that save lives and protect property.”

“TIROS-1 started the satellite observations and interagency collaborations that produced vast improvements in weather forecasts,” said NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden, Jr. “It also laid the foundation for our current global view of Earth that underlies all of climate research and the field of Earth system science.”

First image from NOAA-19 satellite, the last of the TIROS satellites, on February 6, 2009.

High resolution (Credit: NASA)

Throughout the 1960s, each TIROS spacecraft carried increasingly advanced instruments and technology. By 1965, meteorologists combined 450 TIROS images into the first global view of the world’s weather.

In 1975, the first Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) was launched 22,300 miles into space. Its ability to orbit in sync with the Earth’s rotation, combined with the polar-orbiting satellites enhanced NOAA’s forecasting.

“We could not provide skillful hurricane forecasts without the crucial imagery and data from geostationary and polar-orbiting satellites,” said Chris Landsea, Ph.D., science operations officer at NOAA’s National Hurricane Center in Miami. “Before satellites, tropical storms and hurricanes were often missed if they stayed out over the open ocean.”

When the more advanced TIROS-N satellite series were launched between 1978 and 1981, the name of the spacecraft changed to Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites, or POES. The POES orbit the Earth at an altitude of about 500 miles and circle the poles once every 102 minutes.

With continued improvements of the instruments and technology, the satellites began giving scientists the ability to track changes in climate – from the subtle

onset of drought and its impacts on vegetation, to monitoring global sea-surface temperatures that signal atmospheric phenomena, such as El Niño and La Niña.  

“Securing critical climate data records from the advanced sensors flying on NOAA satellites helps us understand the Earth’s changing climate,” said Tom Karl, who heads the emerging NOAA Climate Service. “For 50 years, NOAA satellites have advanced our ability to monitor the Earth’s climate and will continue to provide critical data in the years to come.”

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