When the wind's in the East, It's neither good for man nor beast

Current Conditions 9:20 PM
Temperature - 53°F     
Dew point - 46°F   
Relative humidity - 77%  
Wind direction - E
Wind speed -  12 mph 
Barometric pressure - 1008.0 mb
Sky conditions - Overcast
Current conditions courtesy of NOAA

Today was a windy day with strong gusts coming from the east. As the old saying goes When the wind's in the East, It's neither good for man nor beast. This saying hasn't been more true over the last two weeks in Wisconsin. Last week we were on top of a large low pressure system and another is moving in right now but it doesn't appear to be as large or strong. With temps in the lower 60s today I anticipate heavy storms overnight and into tomorrow morning but ending quickly. 

Today started off clear as the previous storm moved through but low stratocumulous clouds formed quickly and stuck around as the winds increased in intensity. This tells me that low level moisture is moving through the area which has been brought in by the low pressure. As the system moves it will increase the moisture in the area and create conditions perfect for rainfall and even thunderstorms. Look for rain tonight and into tomorrow with slightly lower temps and pressure.

The start of an omega?

Current Conditions 1:00 PM
Temperature - 54°F     
Dew point - 32°F   
Relative humidity - 43%  
Wind direction - E
Wind speed -  12 mph 
Barometric pressure - 1017.4 mb
Sky conditions - Overcast
Current conditions courtesy of NOAA

This past weekend was beautiful. Even the temperature was wonderful. It was in the range were you could wear either shorts or pants and not feel cold or hot. This week and into end of the school year should be almost perfect as temps rise into the 70s and higher. This weekend looks to be bringing with it some rain but it shouldn't be anything like last week. 

Above is the current pattern of the jet streams at 250 hPa. It looks like this may be the beginning of an omega pattern for the US. If the jet streams move the way I anticipate and follow he arrows I drew in we should expect to see perfect weather for a very long time. For tomorrow expect more clouds and wind accompanied by higher temps and less humidity.

Clouds. So many clouds

Current Conditions 5:15 PM
Temperature - 47°F     
Dew point - 40°F   
Relative humidity - 77%  
Wind direction - N
Wind speed -  13 mph 
Barometric pressure - 1007.8 mb
Sky conditions - Overcast
Current conditions courtesy of NOAA

The rain is even lighter today but there hasn't been any major changes to the pattern of weather this week besides that. It is a tad warmer but that's due to the lighter rain. The low pressure system is moving northeast as predicted which means that this weekend should start to be sunny. Next week appears to be a wonderful week by the forecast the professionals are making. For tomorrow anticipate very little rain and rising temps. The clouds should move on by the late afternoon.

The rain has ceased... almost

Current Conditions 9:10 PM
Temperature - 42°F     
Dew point - 40°F   
Relative humidity - 92%  
Wind direction - NW
Wind speed -  5 mph 
Barometric pressure - 1005.8 mb
Sky conditions - Light Rain
Current conditions courtesy of NOAA

For the most part the rain has stopped falling, at least, heavily that is. I can tell that the low pressure system is moving on because of how the winds have changed to the northwest. I was correct in saying we would have lower winds and a little rain but I didn't mention that the wind direction would be changing. The occluded front has fallen apart showing that the system is moving on and no longer stationary like it has been for the past few days. Here in Eau Claire it was a pleasant morning but then some residual rain clouds moved in and brought with some light rain which wasn't welcomed but it is definitely feeling warmer with the lower winds. 

For tomorrow look for light rain at various times throughout the day. Temps should continue to increase as the rain moves on and winds will be lower with the high pressure starting to creep in.
 

Still raining, everywhere

Current Conditions 2:30 PM
Temperature - 39°F     
Dew point - 37°F   
Relative humidity - 93%  
Wind direction - NE
Wind speed -  14 mph 
Barometric pressure - 1003.0 mb
Sky conditions - Light Rain
Current conditions courtesy of NOAA

If you live anywhere besides the west coast in the US you would have noticed a large amount of rain and thunderstorms this past weekend and today. These storms are all stemming from a massive mid-latitude cyclone which has pretty much stalled and become stationary with the focus over Iowa. This system has caused massive amounts of tornadoes in the southeastern US. A few people have died from these tornadoes and I'm sure the number will only rise as the storms pass through.

Today the system is starting to finally break up but the remnants of it will stick around for the rest of the week as it slowly moves on. The tornadoes are hopefully but they could always pick up with there still being precipitation riding in front of the dry line between the cold and stationary fronts. On the Wundermap  there is a layer called Model Data which projects forward over 350 hours into the future what the weather is most likely to be and according to it the center of the system will move northeast then finally fall apart this weekend. The east coast will continue to have rain into next week but the there should be clear skies and warmer temps for the entire US. For tomorrow, in Eau Claire, expect more rain and slightly lower winds. 

Looking to get wet this weekend

Current Conditions 10:30 PM
Temperature - 44°F    
Dew point - 32°F   
Relative humidity - 63% 
Wind direction - NE
Wind speed -  5 mph 
Barometric pressure - 1012.7 mb
Sky conditions - Fair skies
Current conditions courtesy of NOAA

Today was overall a nice day with the only exception being the strong wind earlier in the day. It was the first day of shorts for me and it looks like it'll be the last for a few days at least. The pressure increased from yesterday when it rained all day from the large amount of low pressure we had. We are still feeling the after effects of the low pressure from yesterday and that is why the wind felt chillier than it may have if it were a high pressure system over us. 

In the next few days we should notice a cool down in temps from a cold front moving north into Wisconsin as indicated by the dark blue area from Canada going Southeast into Illinois. As this system moves northwest we should also see more rain showers over the weekend. For tomorrow expect cooler temps and slightly higher pressure with similar winds. The weekend should be chilly and maybe a bit wet but still better than anything from this winter.
 

Still sweater weather

Current Conditions 8:30 PM
Temperature - 49°F    
Dew point - 23°F   
Relative humidity - 36% 
Wind direction - NE
Wind speed -  5 mph 
Barometric pressure - 1017.9 mb
Sky conditions - Fair skies
Current conditions courtesy of NOAA

Weather today is the same as yesterday but a tad cooler. I was correct in saying the temps would cool off from the higher pressure. The northeastern winds are the main cause of the cooler temps today. I've heard a lot of talk of rain for the next few days and my intuition tells me it will rain but just to be sure let's check out the wunderground surface map.

I looks as though the only rain we will be receiving will be patchy and not very significant but there is a clear trail of precipitation which will be pushed north by the high pressure. The stationary front from Canada down into Nebraska will move west just ahead of the high pressure and this is where most of the rain will come from if it manages to stay south enough for us. For tomorrow look for patchy rain throughout the day with similar temps. Winds should be changing as the high pressure moves in and that will keep things cool for a few more days.
 

You know it's hot out, right?

Current Conditions 2:15 PM
Temperature - 72°F    
Dew point - 41°F   
Relative humidity - 33% 
Wind direction - W
Wind speed -  13 mph 
Barometric pressure - 1010.7 mb
Sky conditions - mostly sunny
Current conditions courtesy of NOAA

Last night was a hot one and today was very humid in the early morning. With the western winds we are receiving a lot of warmth from the Pacific. We are currently stuck between  high and low pressure systems with he low pressure to our north and the wind is from the west because of he way the systems spin. This is causing us to experience a few clouds with mostly sunny skies.

For tomorrow expect cooler air from the north and higher pressure which will clear up the skies slightly. It looks like this week will be nice but towards the weekend it will start to dip down into the 50s once more as this jest stream pattern moves on and allows for cooler weather to remind us that it's not yet summer in Wisconsin.

UWEC home of the mid latitude cyclones

Current Conditions 6:15 PM
Temperature - 39°F    
Dew point - 29°F   
Relative humidity - 67% 
Wind direction - NW
Wind speed -  8 mph 
Barometric pressure - 1025.9 mb
Sky conditions - Overcast
Current conditions courtesy of NOAA

A blanket of stratocumulus clouds helped make today feel warmer than it actually was. Even though the surface temps were in the low 40s it felt like it was near the mid to upper 40s because of the increased clouds. The clouds are because of the low pressure system in the form of a mid latitude cyclone which is right now centered over Lake Superior. We are receiving some winds from the northwest which are cooling things off slightly but nothing like what it would be if high pressure were around.

With this system moving northeast expect for high pressure to move in tomorrow  clearing the skies. I was wrong today in saying the skies would be cleared by noon but the rain that fell did dry up around then. The rain in Kansas which I thought would maybe move northward last night kept going east following the cool front. With the clear skies tomorrow temps are looking to stay the same with the way the high pressure will move in. Even though the temps are expected to be higher next week I don't think tomorrow will be a great day for a temp increase.

What winter weather advisory?

Current Conditions 10:50 PM
Temperature - 40°F    
Dew point - 33°F   
Relative humidity - 77% 
Wind direction - NE
Wind speed -  10 mph 
Barometric pressure - 1015.4 mb
Sky conditions - Overcast
Current conditions courtesy of NOAA

I found out that Northern Wisconsin including Eau Claire county was under a winter weather advisory today but after looking at the weather from yesterday being projected to today I don't understand how that prediction could have been made.  We did end up with a little rain today but not a downpour. Yesterday was just warm enough to allow for no snow and with today being warmer it only makes sense that snow has no chance at falling any time soon. The surface winds are changing signaling a change in pressure. Low pressure is moving in but the center is to our south which is why we are getting rain tonight. To see just how much we could be getting overnight let's look at the wundermap surface map for radar and fronts. 

The stationary front to the east of the system is helping to form the precipitation as the warm and cool air mixess. With the system moving northeast and spinning counter-clockwise we should expect much more rain overnight making tomorrow morning very damp but it should dry up by the afternoon. The rain in Kansas is trying to move north but I think it's going to lose strength and moisture since it is on the back side of the low pressure which is typically where little precipitation happens.

For tomorrow expect warmer temps with the lower pressure and similar winds. The rain may stick around into the morning but i wouldn't count on it. Tomorrow should be a nice day in the afternoon but not nice enough for shorts. next week appears to be amazing if what the experts are saying is true.
  

Another brisk day

Current Conditions 7:20 PM
Temperature - 35°F    
Dew point - 5°F   
Relative humidity - 28% 
Wind direction - SW
Wind speed -  8 mph 
Barometric pressure - 1019.5 mb
Sky conditions - mostly sunny
Current conditions courtesy of NOAA

Freezing weather today from the North was a great way to wake up and start a fresh new day. This weather is from the high pressure which is moving down from Canada like so many times previously this semester. The jet is once again helping the northern winds to move south.

 We can expect warmer temps throughout the week and into next week as the jetstream will start to be pushed back North allowing for southern winds to blow into our area. For tomorrow expect warmer temps in the mid 40s and similar wind speeds. The pressure should be dropping as the high pressure passes on and low pressure moves in.

Not what we wanted

Current Conditions 6:45 PM
Temperature - 34°F    
Dew point - 37°F   
Relative humidity - 35% 
Wind direction - N
Wind speed -  15 mph 
Barometric pressure - 1016. mb
Sky conditions - mostly cloudy
Current conditions courtesy of NOAA

Waking up to snow today was not on my priority list. It was a cold and windy day here in Eau Claire. Snow fell overnight but quickly melted as the sun started to break through the clouds. It's only a matter of time until snow stops falling completely and that day will be a glorious event for all of Wisconsin. This weekend was pretty crazy with the amount of precipitation and crazy weather we experienced. The jet stream caused some weird surface wind patterns across the northern United States but hopefully the winds will calm down and we can start feeling more consistent weather.

Looks like we'll have some high pressure moving through this week which will keep temps cooler than last week but with little chance for precipitation. The East coast will be getting hit hard with rain and snow today and into tomorrow as the low front moves through. For tomorrow look for slightly warmer temps and lower winds with clear skies. The high pressure system in Canada will wok its way south bringing these conditions with it.

And the rain is gone

Current Conditions 11:45 AM
Temperature - 43°F    
Dew point - 37°F   
Relative humidity - 80% 
Wind direction - N
Wind speed -  8 mph 
Barometric pressure - 1015.7 mb
Sky conditions - overcast
Current conditions courtesy of NOAA

The rain moved in overnight here in Eau Claire and then quickly moved on. The roads are still a little damp but should be completely dry by this evening. Since winds are from the north it tells me that high pressure will be moving into the area in just a few short hours and in fact I can see rays of sun light already breaking through the clouds. This should make for a lovely evening here for the annual Viennese Ball at UWEC. 

The polygons in the surface map above show the estimated start time for precipitation. The more blue, the sooner it will rain. With the high pressure moving behind the rain we should see clear skies for the rest of the day. New York will have rain almost all day as a stationary front moves through. For tomorrow Expect clear skies with little chance of precipitation. Highs in the low 60s, upper 50s and low winds.

Tomorrow, rain

Current Conditions 10:00PM
Temperature - 46°F    
Dew point - 21°F   
Relative humidity - 37% 
Wind direction - W
Wind speed -  3 mph 
Barometric pressure - 1012.1 mb
Sky conditions - Partly Cloudy
Current conditions courtesy of NOAA

I'm gonna skip my usual intro since today was pretty much the same as yesterday and get right into the prediction for tomorrow. Expect rain; and a decent amount of it. 

The two surface maps above of the jet streams and fronts tell me that there will be rain moving into Wisconsin tomorrow in the early afternoon or sooner. The East coast is going to be pounded by storms overnight as the tail of a Nor'easter moves through. At the end of that tail is a high pressure system which has some moisture moving the northern half of the system as the surface winds spin clockwise. For tomorrow expect cooler temps and rain throughout the morning and afternoon with higher pressure moving in towards the evening clearing the skies.

Good thing I have errands to run on this nice day

Current Conditions 10:00PM
Temperature - 58°F    
Dew point - 34°F   
Relative humidity - 41% 
Wind direction - S
Wind speed -  9 mph 
Barometric pressure - 1001.5 mb
Sky conditions - Partly Cloudy
Current conditions courtesy of NOAA

I look outside and see all of campus outside enjoying the weather while I'm stuck inside at work meetings or school. I love the nice weather but would enjoy it more if I could go cycling. Cycling is an amazing activity because to me it's probably the closest I'll get to flying without being in a plane. The only bad part about cycling is going against the wind which there was plenty of today. With the high southern winds today we were able to experience more warm air from the Caribbean.

Since the jet stream moved on from yesterday it opened up a gap for the southern winds to move north. The East will soon experience a warm up like we are presently experiencing in a day or two. For tomorrow expect a little bit of a cool down but still nice temps in the upper 40s. Winds will still be near 10mph and there should be slightly more cloud cover with all the moisture from the snow evaporating but no precipitation just yet.

A bit chilly but still wonderful

Current Conditions 10:30PM
Temperature - 38°F   
Feels Like - NA°F   
Dew point - 26°F   
Relative humidity - 62% 
Wind direction - W
Wind speed -  3 mph 
Barometric pressure - 1015.4 mb
Sky conditions - Partly Cloudy
Current conditions courtesy of NOAA

Today was a slightly windy day with winds from the North/Northwest. The winds brought with them a rush of cool air which definitely changed the weather compared to yesterday. Even though it was a chillier day doesn't mean that tomorrow will be similar. In fact, it may be the warmest day so far this year! 

The image above shows exactly why it will be a beautiful day for Wisconsin. As the Jet stream moves East it will carry the chilly air with it allowing for the warm air from the south to rise and help burn off more snow. This warm air only appears to be around for a day or two until more high pressure moves in dropping temps once again. If you're not a fan of cold weather like I am don't worry, these swings in temps are common for the Midwest in the springtime. With more solar energy coming in we should expect to see this trend of changing weather keep up until may at least.

Is that...rain?

Current Conditions 10:15PM
Temperature - 40°F   
Feels Like - 34°F   
Dew point - 34°F   
Relative humidity - 79% 
Wind direction - N
Wind speed -  0 mph 
Barometric pessure - 1008.1 mb
Sky conditions - Mostly Cloudy
Current conditions courtesy of NOAA

I woke up a bit late to see if the clouds that moved in grew slowly or if they were here to begin the day. The winds definitely changed throughout the day starting off calm then as a rain cloud moved through they picked up and now it's a calm night with a few clouds blocking the stars. Today was the first really humid day of the year and I can't wait for more of them....... To figure out why the rain passed through today let's take a look at the wind map below.

The circling winds centered over Ohio right now passed through southern Wisconsin earlier today. The Eastern winds on the north side of the low pressure were bringing with them moisture from the Atlantic Ocean. This moisture allowed for clouds to form then for rain to precipitate down helping to melt some of the snow. For tomorrow expect similar warm temps and low pressure. There shouldn't be any precipitation but don't be surprised if we get another light sprinkling like we did today.

It snowed much more than I anticipated

Current Conditions 7:20PM
Temperature - 36°F   
Feels Like - 29°F   
Dew point - 28°F   
Relative humidity - 73% 
Wind direction - NW
Wind speed - 10 mph 
Barometric pressure - 1013.4 mb
Sky conditions - Mostly Cloudy
Current conditions courtesy of NOAA

I was certainly wrong with saying we wouldn't get snow. The system moved further east than I anticipated it would and we not only got hit by one wave but another one came through early this morning leaving multiple inches of snow. The good thing about today is that as the system moved on the clouds began to break and it warmed up a lot. This temp change has already caused melting of snow on most roads and parking lots which is great because I left my winter shoes at my parents house for the year. 

Looking at the surface map above you can see a high pressure system is moving in which will stick around for a day or two this weekend then once we get more low pressure look for temps to rise into the 50s next week. With higher pressure moving in expect less clouds and by the look of the isobars less wind. The clouds are already clearing up which will make for a nice sunny weekend.

Where's all the snow?

Current Conditions 6:45PM
Temperature - 32°F   
Feels Like - 24°F   
Dew point - 31°F   
Relative humidity - 96%  
Wind direction - NE
Wind speed - 9 mph 
Barometric pressure - 1011.6 mb
Sky conditions - Overcast
Current conditions courtesy of NOAA

Today we are experiencing the edge of a storm which blew through the Chicago land region today. I was wrong in saying that high pressure was moving in when in reality a low pressure system is moving north into Wisconsin and bringing with it a mess of precipitation which the Chippewa Valley won't be receiving much of at all. Yesterday I was accurate in predicting the amount of precipitation we received which was very little but since it was freezing rain it felt worse than it could have been. 

In the surface map above you the large blue swath is heading almost straight north. This pattern coincides with what has been happening all winter. We will still be getting some precipitation but not even an inch of rain or snow. For tomorrow expect this low pressure to bring with it higher winds as it moves through but once it's past we should have warmer temps into the weekend. The clouds won't break until this system moves through but that also means there will be a chance at more precipitation but I'm not going to worry about it.

It's getting a bit nippy outside

Current Conditions 7:00PM
Temperature - 41°F   
Feels Like - 34°F   
Dew point - 18°F   
Relative humidity - 39%  
Wind direction - E
Wind speed - 12 mph 
Barometric pressure - 1021.2 mb
Sky conditions - Overcast
Current conditions courtesy of NOAA

It started out as a nice warm day but now it's starting to show signs of bad weather moving in. With temps starting to drop it is easy to notice a difference in weather from earlier in the day and this large change in temp has made it feel much colder than it really is. Today I was out surveying the campus mall with a group from a field methods class and we all had numb hands afterwards because we didn't wear gloves due to it being a nice day until then. This shift in weather is due to the high pressure system which moved in during the day. yesterday it was sitting over Canada but now we are feeling the full force of it. This system is expected to bring with it a lot of nasty weather and maybe even some snow.

After checking the radar map provided by Wundermap I'm beginning to doubt that we will receive much precipitation from this system. There doesn't seem to be anything growing besides the blue patch in Minnesota but that appears to be staying to the north of the Chippewa Valley avoiding us altogether. For tomorrow I expect higher winds due to the high pressure and more clouds. Right now we have some stratucumulous clouds and I expect them to stick around until this system moves on. Temps should dip into the low 30s tomorrow as well with little precipitation.

And now it's cold, again

Current Conditions 1:00PM
Temperature - 25°F   
Feels Like - 12°F   
Dew point - 17°F   
Relative humidity - 75%  
Wind direction - W
Wind speed - 14 mph 
Barometric pressure - 1010.7 mb
Sky conditions - Overcast

Well, it's much colder than yesterday. I was correct in my wind and precipitation prediction but it started raining/snowing later than I thought. This large cool down in temps because of the location of the low pressure system. As the wind from the system spins counter clockwise we first experienced warm tropical air yesterday and now we are getting the northern continental air which is much colder but won't be too bad for us here in the valley. For tomorrow expect warmer temps and lower wind speeds with more clouds as a high pressure system moves in from Canada.

Current conditions courtesy of NOAA

Look for this cold weather to linger into the early parts of tomorrow but should soon move on and warmer temps will move start moving in, again. Winter just doesn't want to end this year but I highly doubt there is anything significant about it. One year out of hundreds isn't significant and two years ago we had an extremely short and warm winter. I suspect that this may be the beginning of a trend but I hope I'm wrong. 

It's nicer here than it was in Louisville last week

Current Conditions 12:45PM
Temperature - 45°F   
Feels Like - 40°F   
Dew point - 35°F   
Relative humidity - 68%  
Wind direction - E
Wind speed - 9 mph 
Barometric pressure - 1005.2 mb
Sky conditions - Overcast
Current conditions courtesy of NOAA

I apologize for the lapse in my postings but I wasn't able to keep up because I was presenting research at the American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) annual conference last week in Louisville, KY. 

Today is one of the nicest days of the year and it is mostly due to the Earth's tilt allowing for the northern hemisphere to receive a lot more energy from the sun which has been melting the snow and unfreezing lakes and rivers. Today we have a Easternly wind which is actually part of a low pressure system. This center of this system is located in the central plains and is drawing up a lot of warm air and moisture from the Caribbean.  

The image above shows how much area this low pressure system covers. Expect for showers later today and into tomorrow. The temps should increase and the winds will also see an increase as this system moves east. Once this system moves on there should be a slight cool down but only for a day or two then temps should go back up. 

Ice cold, but not too bad

Current Conditions 9:25 PM
Temperature - 16°F   
Feels Like - 15°F   
Dew point - 4°F   
Relative humidity - 59%  
Wind direction - N
Wind speed - 0 mph
Barometric pressure - 1020.7mb
Sky conditions - Partly Cloudy
Current conditions courtesy of NOAA

For as cold as it was today it sure felt warmer. With the high pressure dome now over the region there was little cloud cover. A few cirrus clouds were present early today but quickly burned off. Some students were still wearing just sweatshirts but I decided to put my jacket back on.

A stationary front will be pushing through tomorrow which will help drive up temps just slightly. Also expect the winds to increase. Throughout the day they were fairly calm not getting above 5 mph. Tomorrow expect winds around 10mph. The pressure should drop a little but not much. I would still suggest wearing a winter coat.