More snow, yay

Current Conditions 7:05 PM
Temperature - 14.7°F   
Feels Like - 15°F   
Dew point - 7°F   
Relative humidity - 70%  
Wind direction - S
Wind speed - 0.7 mph   
Barometric pressure - 1004.1 mb rising slowly
Sky conditions - Overcast
Current conditions courtesy of NOAA

It snowed again today making me and everyone else a little upset. I think at this point we are numb to feeling bitter about snow. The light dusting was just enough to cover all of the ice making every step an adventure. As to why this snow occurred let's take a look at the condition of the jet streams.

 

A trough is beginning to form in mid America. This is great news for anyone who loves warm weather because this trough is pushing out the polar vortex from our area causing warmer weather to creep in. I suspect this trough will continue to develop gaining strength bringing with it more warm air from the Pacific. For tomorrow expect warmer temps with similar wind speeds as today. Snow shouldn't be a factor tomorrow but I suspect we haven't gotten the last of it yet this winter.

Going outside? Nope.

Current Conditions 9:30 AM
Temperature - -11°F   
Feels Like - -29°F   
Dew point - -23°F   
Relative humidity - 54%  
Wind direction - NW 
Wind speed - 9 mph   
Barometric pressure - 1023.1 mb rising slowly
Sky conditions - partly cloudy
Current conditions courtesy of NOAA

I heard today that if the current jet stream pattern over the northern part of the US doesn't break soon we could experience a similar Winter as last year. The polar vortex is so prominent in society that someone created a twitter account for the system you can follow @PolarVortex. 

The westward motion of the jetstream is bringing down the continental arctic air which is freezing the midwest and almost all of the great lakes. If you've seen an image of the lakes it is astounding to see how much ice cover there is. To show just how cold the air is I have included a surface wind map showing wind temperatures. Notice how the purple air (coldest) is already into Wisconsin directly over Eau Claire and surrounding towns. 

The high pressure dome we are in right now appears to be in no danger of being pushed out anytime soon. We can only hope that the vortex heads back north in the next few days but I don't see that happening. For tomorrow expect rising temps maybe breaking 10 degrees. Winds have definitely died down as I predicted and I believe they'll stabilize around 5 mph tomorrow.  

The clouds are back!

Current Conditions 1:30 PM
Temperature - 7°F   
Feels Like - 13°F   
Dew point - -5°F   
Relative humidity - 57%  
Wind direction - SW 
Wind speed - 20 mph   
Barometric pressure - 1008.4 mb falling quickly
Sky conditions - mostly cloudy
Current conditions courtesy of NOAA

Conditions today are a tad more tolerable than yesterday but nothing compared to what we had last week. It's crazy to think that temperature can swing 40 degrees in a matter of days but that's what happen when you live in a continental region like the Midwest. Wisconsin's location in the US allows for it to experience both ends of the temperature spectrum but so far it feels like it'll never warm up. Sooner or later the Earth will tilt enough so that solar radiation will force the temperatures to rise. I cannot wait for that day. I'm over this cold weather. 

The general pattern of the wind is a a west to east motion and in the image above you can see how the wind has shifted from the West to the Southwest for Wisconsin. This should be bringing with it some slightly warmer temps but so far no warm up is in the forecast from anyone. This southwestern wind is trying to draw up warm air to our area but the rocky mountains in Colorado are preventing the air to to move through.

For tomorrow expect slightly lower pressure with similar temps, a few degrees warmer. The wind speed should also calm down a little but for today don't expect any major changes in the conditions throughout the day.

At least it's not snowing

Current Conditions 12:00 PM
Temperature - 0°F   
Feels Like - 16°F   
Dew point - -9°F   
Relative humidity - 65%  
Wind direction - W  
Wind speed - 10 mph   
Barometric pressure - 1026.5 mb rising slowly
Sky conditions - Clear
Current conditions courtesy of NOAA

Well, my prediction for today is off. I blame myself for not looking at the surface wind measurements. The surface winds are still coming from Canada and once in Wisconsin are blowing to the East. I walked outside for 10 seconds and my nose began to hurt so bad that I was forced to wear my face mask. Even though the air pressure is the same as yesterday the humidity has dropped and so too has the dew point causing the air to feel much drier. 

The surface map above shows the low wind and low temps across the region. I expect temps to stay low like this as long as the wind is coming from either the West or North. We can only hope that the southern jet stream drives north bringing with it warmer temps pushing out the coldness of winter. 

Why is it always so cold?

Current Conditions 12:00 PM
Temperature - 8.5°F   
Feels Like - 1°F   
Dew point - 0°F   
Relative humidity - 68%  
Wind direction - W  
Wind speed - 4 mph   
Barometric pressure - 1026.8 mb rising slowly
Sky conditions - Clear
Current conditions courtesy of Wunderground from the Third Ward, Eau Claire station

It may not be the polar vortex but a lot of high pressure is sitting over most of the country in between the Rockies and Appalachian mountains. Storms along the east coast have moved out but now there is some precipitation in the Dakotas moving East but I don't believe anything major will come of it since there isn't any kind of southerly wind to draw up warm water vapor from the gulf. 

Wundermap

For tomorrow expect higher winds but with slightly lower pressure. There is a stationary front which I suspect will move east and bring in some lower pressure. This won't raise the temps much but there should be a little more humidity and clouds coming in. 

I think the snow may be done with

Current Conditions 11:30 AM  
Temperature - 12°F   
Feels Like - -7°F   
Dew point - 6°F   
Relative humidity - 72%  
Wind direction - N  
Wind speed - 22 mph   
Barometric pressure - 996.8 mb rising slowly
Sky conditions - Mostly Cloudy
Current conditions courtesy of Wunderground from the Third Ward, Eau Claire station

I looked out my window today and everything was white. There was many inches of snow covering virtually everything. People cleaning off their cars were having problems because not only did a lot of wet snow fall, it quickly froze overnight as the temps dropped to the teens. The low pressure system moved through fairly quickly and now we are going to be experiencing some high pressure for a few days before temps rise again. 

An interesting thing is happening on the East coast with the long line of high pressure and the horizontal low system. This is creating a large mess of storms but at least it's not snowing there anymore.

My prediction for yesterday was accurate besides the time I said it would start snowing. For tomorrow expect similar conditions as today with clearer skies and slightly lower temps. Wind speed should drop as the the high pressure starts to sit over us. Having both systems so close to us right now is creating the large amount of wind so it will be nice once that settles down.

Big Thick Snow

Current Conditions 10:45 PM  Temperature - 32.6°F   Feels Like - 33°F   Dew point - 31°F   Relative humidity - 95%   Wind direction - N  Wind speed - 9 mph   Barometric pressure - 991.7 mb falling slowly
Sky conditions - heavy snow Current conditions courtesy of Wunderground from the Third Ward, Eau Claire station

If you're in Wisconsin just look outside. I can almost guarantee you'll see a fresh blanket of heavy snow covering everything! My prediction for today was spot on besides the pressure being lower than I expected. 

The weird pattern in the surface map above is all due to the jet stream. The jet stream is dipping into the center of the US moving west to east and coming back up through Wisconsin. With all the high and low pressure in one area the weather conditions are bound to be crazy. Most of Wisconsin already has a few inches of snow and it only started about two or three hours ago. I expect this storm to stick around through the evening and into the night with it letting up in the early hours of the morning. 

For tomorrow expect a cool down of temps with higher pressure as the storm moves on to the east to nail Canada. They deserve it for beating the US women's hockey team in the gold medal match at the Olympics earlier today.

Bright sunny day!

Current Conditions 10:45 PM 
Temperature - 36.4°F  
Feels Like - 36°F  
Dew point - 30°F  
Relative humidity - 79%  
Wind direction - SE  
Wind speed - 0 mph  
Barometric pressure - 1009.1 mb staying steady  
Cloud cover - Overcast  
Current conditions courtesy of Wunderground from the Third Ward, Eau Claire station

Today was such a gorgeous day! My prediction for today was spot on even though I wasn't very specific. I decided to wear a sweater as usual today but in hindsight it was a terrible choice. It was so warm out that I joked with a friend about walking around in a tank top and jorts. The weather for the day hit 40 degrees here and the snow could not melt any quicker. Pools of water formed all over in parking lots and on the sidewalks. Let's take a look at the surface maps below and try to figure what caused this weather and what will happen tomorrow. 

Wundermap

The Weather Channel

Looking at the first map showing fronts notice how the winds from the south are moving north. This is pushing the low pressure system north and as the high pressure moves from west to east the two fronts will collide in Wisconsin. The southern winds are picking up moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and the high pressure is bringing the cold air from the Rockies. This mixture along with the sudden change that will happen in pressure will cause a massive amount of snow to fall. You can see in the map from The Weather Channel that there is a large chunk of moisture in southern Iowa. this will dump almost a foot of snow over parts of Wisconsin tomorrow. I expect the pressure to decrease slightly with higher winds. The rising dew point will continue to rise into tomorrow and this will help the snow storm gain power.

Another nice day

Current Conditions 9:30 AM
Temperature - 26.6°F
Feels Like - 27°F
Dew point - 24°F
Relative humidity - 89%
Wind direction - SE
Wind speed - 3 mph
Barometric pressure - 1004.7 mb falling slightly
Cloud cover - Clear
Current conditions courtesy of Wunderground from the Third Ward, Eau Claire station

Rising temps can only be a good thing, right? For now the weather is amazing but it appears that it will be changing to more snow in the next few days. Walking to class today I saw some people wearing just sweatshirts and I'm outside wearing my normal winter coat with my hat and facemask. I feel like I don't fit in with how everyone else is dressing but at least I'm comfortable. Just because the temps are in the upper 20s doesn't mean it's time to put away you coat. You can still get pretty sick from this weather if you aren't safe. 

The Weather Channel

The water vapor map above shows that the skies across the country are filled with vapor but the large pockets of vapor are in New England, off the West coast, Oklahoma, and southern Minnesota. The vapor in Southern Minnesota shouldn't have much of an effect on us but I suspect that it'll keep the temps lower than previously predicted. 

It may be the time of day I'm posting but my prediction so far is off but I expect it to be much closer as the day goes on. Tomorrow should be another warm day with similar conditions as today and slightly lower pressure.

Is it still snowing outside? Of course

Current Conditions 12:40 PM
Temperature - 25.8°F
Feels Like - 26°F
Dew point - 22°F
Relative humidity - 85%
Wind direction - SSE
Wind speed - 3 mph
Barometric pressure - 1008.5 mb falling slightly
Cloud cover - Overcast
Current conditions curtesy of Weatherunderground from the Third Ward, Eau Claire station

Today would be a great Winter day if it wasn't for the thick snow we are receiving in western Wisconsin. We have received about an inch since it began falling last night but it should taper off into the afternoon. The southern winds are helping immensely with the warmer temps we are enjoying and I expect the temps to stay where they are or even warm up over the week.

WunderMap

The surface map above shows a lot of low pressure all over the county. With this low pressure we should expect warmer temps as well as some cloud cover for the next couple of days. It looks like there will be some high pressure moving in from the south west but hopefully it just stays to the south. I know that California is in desperate need of precipitation of any form so they'll definitely not be enjoying this week.

My prediction for the weekend was off because I didn't expect any snow to fall on Saturday. For tomorrow I foresee risings temps into the low 30s with low winds and some cloud cover. Hopefully I'm pretty close this time.

Warm air is gone

Temperature - 17.7°F
Feels Like - 18°F
Dew point - 5°F
Relative humidity - 57%
Wind direction - W
Wind speed - 3 mph
Barometric pressure - 1013.7 mb rising slightly
Cloud cover - Clear
Current conditions curtesy of Weatherunderground from the Third Ward, Eau Claire station

Outisde is much cooler than yesterday. It seems as though we have received a rush of high pressure bringing with it cooler temps and ridding the skies of clouds.  Even though it's colder than yesterday it's still nice overall compared to the winter we've been having.

WunderMap

Instead of receiving warm southern temps the surface temps are drawing in the colder air from that country up north. It's been predicted by professionals that next week wednesday we'll be experiencing 40 degrees! I would like to believe this but I just don't see a system on it's way over yet.

For the weekend I expect a slight warm up of 2 or 3 degrees with low winds and clouds moving in on Sunday evening.

When it snows it's windy

Current Conditions 9:30 AM
Temperature - 20.9°F
Feels Like - 21°F
Dew point - 17°F
Relative humidity - 85%
Wind direction - SE
Wind speed - 4 mph
Barometric pressure - 1000.8 mb falling slightly
Cloud cover - Overcast
Current conditions curtesy of Weatherunderground from the Third Ward, Eau Claire station

On my walk to class I knew it would be windy but I wasn't expecting it to be in my face the entire time. I walk towards the SE on my way to class and of course that's the direction the wind is out of so the whole time I'm getting snow in my face causing me to continue to wear my face mask.

My prediction for today is a little off with the temps and humidity which is partially due to the time of day I'm recording the measurements but also due to the strength of the low pressure system. On the map below you can see where the low pressure is and the following image will show wind direction.

WunderMap

Earth Wind Map

With the low pressure sitting over the Twin Cities we aren't getting the full effect from it but it's still enough to give us a light dusting of snow for the second day in a row. The winds from the SE are bringing with them much needed warmth but as this system moves East we'll be experiencing slightly colder temps but then another warm up and hopefully warm temps for the rest of winter (it's starting to look promising).

My prediction for tomorrow is a very similar to the conditions today with low winds of under 5mph, temps in the low 20s high teens, and a 75% humidity (+/-5%).

It's not what it used to be

Current Conditions 2:10 PM
Temperature - 22.3°F
Feels Like - 22°F
Dew point - 15°F
Relative humidity - 72%
Wind direction - SW
Wind speed - 0 mph
Barometric pressure - 1019.7 mb falling slightly
Cloud cover - Clear with clouds moving in
Current conditions curtesy of Weatherunderground from the Third Ward, Eau Claire station

With the low pressure front moving in snow fell early and often last night but not leaving more than an inch which was excellent. Warmer temps have moved in accompanying the light snow but even though it's about 20 degrees warmer than a few days ago the air is still fairly cold. To me it won't be warm until the temps are consistently in the 40s or higher.


WunderMap

Temps around the area all over 20 which I assure you will be welcomed by everyone. My prediction from yesterday is fairly accurate. I was wrong with the winds and a over with the temp but not by much. For tomorrow I foresee warmer temps in the upper 20s with a similar humidity. The jet stream should continue to push the lower pressure into the area for the next couple days.

Whether or not this is the end of winter in terms of cold temps I cannot say but I do hope temps stay above 0 degrees for the rest of the season.

Clouds moving in slowly

Current Conditions 1:00 PM
Temperature - 10.6°F
Feels Like - 11°F
Dew point - -2°F
Relative humidity - 55%
Wind direction - SE
Wind speed - 3 mph
Barometric pressure - 1031.3 mb falling slightly
Cloud cover - Clear with clouds moving in
Current conditions curtesy of Weatherunderground from the Third Ward, Eau Claire station

Walking around outside you will definitely notice the temperature rising. The clouds moving into the sky indicate a low pressure system because in high pressure there are few if any clouds. With low pressure comes warmer temps but also snow when it's this cold.

WunderMap

If you examine the above map to the front map from yesterday you'll notice that the high pressure from the north is being pushed west from the low pressure system that was over Colorado. The warmer temps will be much appreciated by all of Eau Claire but the snow being brought with them will most certainly not be.

For tomorrow much warmer temps maybe even into the low 30s (75% sure on that) with slightly higher winds (more than 5 mph). I predict this because of the low pressure front moving in which will bringing with it more tolerable winter weather.

Cold, the whole country is cold

Current Conditions 1:20 PM
Temperature - 1.8°F
Feels Like - 2°F
Dew point - -8°F
Relative humidity - 62%
Wind direction - WSW
Wind speed - 2 mph
Barometric pressure - 1032.7 mb rising slightly
Cloud cover - Clear
Current conditions curtesy of Weatherunderground from the Third Ward station

Why do I say that the whole country is cold? Because it is.

Earth Wind Map

The image above shows the surface wind speed/direction and also the temperature (Red=warm, purple=freezing).

WunderMap

These two weather maps show a high pressure system sitting over most of the continental US. Low pressure is trying to creep in on the East Coast but it hasn't made much headway and I don't expect it to for quite some time. The low pressure in the West over the Rocky Mountains most likely will not be going anywhere as well because of how strong the system over the middle of America currently is.

Looking more locally temps are barely over 0 with weak winds but plenty of sunshine to give the illusion of warmth. If you're going outside I suggest covering as much of your skin as possible and please wear some warm pants. I'm not sure how warm black leggings are but I'm guessing they aren't the best thing to wear right now.

My forecast for the weekend was accurate in saying low temps and low winds but I didn't foresee the light snow we had on Saturday. For tomorrow I predict more of the same but with slightly warmer temps from the west moving in overnight.

More maps

The first map shows what the names of the air masses are and a short description. I will be referencing this map a few times throughout the post. Notice how there is not an air mass specific for the central US. As the surrounding air masses move in the climate in this region can change drastically which is partially why tornadoes and other drastic storms are common in this area.

Next is the jet stream. I have posted maps before showing the jet stream but I think this one is a lot easier to read. It comes from Intellicast and has some very useful information on it. You can see that right now that the stream is moving East and trying to bring up some of the warmer continental tropical air from the south.

Intellicast

The fronts correspond very well to the jet stream map above. A high pressure mass is moving in from the north while low pressure is pushing up on the southeastern part of the states. 

Accuweather

Lastly is a map showing current water vapor readings. Notice how in areas of high pressure there is very little vapor but as you look east there is a lot because of the low pressure.

NOAA

Same as yesterday

Current Conditions 10:10 AM
Temperature - 1.9°F
Feels Like - -9°F
Dew point - -7°F
Relative humidity - 66%
Wind direction - SW
Wind speed - 4 mph
Barometric pressure - no update
Cloud cover - Mostly Sunny
Current conditions curtesy of Weatherunderground from the Third Ward station
Pressure recording from Phillips Science Hall station

Right now is pretty much the same as yesterday. The wind feels higher but actually isn't different from yesterday. My prediction for today right now is off but I suspect that the temps will increase a few degrees by the end of the day. The pressure is feeling a little bit lower today but without an update from the weather station it's hard to say for sure.

WunderMap

Looking at the map winds are coming from the SW across the region with low temps being recorded at all the stations besides the twin cities which is mostly due to the urban landscape and the amound of heat that is generated from that environment. Besides the slight change in wind nothing special has occured which is exactly what I pedicted (besides being off with the temp).

For tomorrow expect warmer temps from the southwest. The surface winds and the jet stream should be bringing up the warm air from those directions. Winds should be a little higher and the dew point should also rise a few degrees.

Bright and sunny...but also cold

Current Conditions 1:00 PM
Temperature - 1.3°F
Feels Like - 1°F
Dew point - -7°F
Relative humidity - 67%
Wind direction - W
Wind speed - 3 mph
Barometric pressure - no update
Cloud cover - Mostly Sunny
Current conditions curtesy of Weatherunderground from the Third Ward station
Pressure recording from Phillips Science Hall station

Todays weather mimcs what we had a week ago when the polar vortex was hitting the region. It may be sunny but without many clouds to trap the infrared radiation most of the heat associated with the rays is going back into space.


WunderMap

Temps across the region are teetering around in the low single digits with very light winds. There may be no update for pressure from the station I'm using but I can assure you that it is still high which is causing the air to continue to be dry. There is nothing interesting happening with weather fronts currently and the jet stream is identical to yesterday.

My prediction for tomorrow is slightly warmer temps with increasing winds and dropping pressure. Don't expect anything drastic to occur. Snow shouldn't fall for a few days at least considering the low dew points we've been experiencing.

Clouds and dry air

Current Conditions 1:00 PM
Temperature - 8.2°F
Feels Like - 8°F
Dew point - -9°F
Relative humidity - 45%
Wind direction - NNW
Wind speed - 2.2 mph
Barometric pressure - no update
Cloud cover - Mostly Sunny
Current conditions curtesy of Weatherunderground from the Third Ward station
Pressure recording from Phillips Science Hall station
My walk to class today was not as pleasant as I had hoped for but was exactly what I thought it would be when I predicted it yesterday. The cold air from canada managed to creep south just enough to push out the slightly warmer air we had been enjoying for the past few days. Temps west of Eau Claire are primarily single digits whereas to the east along Lake Michigan temps are in the teens due mostly to the lake effect keeping the air a little more stable in terms of temperature than the rest of the state.

Wundermap

Below is the composite map with the arrows representing the jet-stream at 250hPa. The numbers are temperature readings and the small lines coming from the circles show from which direction surface winds are coming from and to what speed (hatchers).

Wundermap
Jet-Stream direction

With the polar air hanging over us right now I expect it to lose energy within the next few days giving us a very pleasant weekend with temps reaching 20. For tomorrow I predict slightly warmer temps trying to break double digits and low winds with slightly lower pressure. This high pressure system is drying out my mouth really bad at night and I would love to not have to deal with it anymore so if my prediction is correct I would love it. Have a great day and be sure to keep checking back for more Weather by Drew.

More of the same

Current Conditions 2:40 PM
Temperature - 16.3°F
Feels Like - 16°F
Dew point - 2°F
Relative humidity - 61%
Wind direction - NNW
Wind speed - 2 mph
Barometric pressure - 1019.7 hPa and Rising Rapidly*
Cloud cover - Mostly Sunny
Current conditions curtesy of Weatherunderground from the Third Ward station
Pressure recording from Phillips Science Hall station
*: The station has not updated since 2/1/14

Walking around today you'll notice that the weather is almost identical to yesterday and in fact only the dew point changed more than one degree for all the measurements I included above.

Wunderground

Wind speeds are fairly low for all reporting stations and temperatures are higher in the eastern part of the region compared to in Minnesota and this is mostly due to the arctic air that's creeping in from the jet stream over us right now. Below is the surface map showing fronts and jet stream direction and if you look at the one from yesterday you'll notice that the fronts followed the path of the stream almost perfectly.

Wundermap

My forecast yesterday was a little inaccurate because I thought today would have been colder. I'm going to stick with saying that it will get colder because everywhere I've looked shows that it will be colder but if I'm wrong it will be because of the continental Tropical air mass that's slowly creeping to the north pushing the cold air out but it typically doesn't warm up significantly until late february/early March here in Eau Claire, WI. Look for higher winds as well for tomorrow along with higher pressure.

Heating up, again

Current Conditions 12:45 PM
Temperature - 16.4°F
Feels Like - 16°F
Dew point - 7°F
Relative humidity - 61%
Wind direction - NW
Wind speed - 2 mph
Barometric pressure - 1019.7 hPa and Rising Rapidly
Cloud cover - Partly cloudy

Current conditions curtesy of Weatherunderground from the Third Ward station
Pressure recording from Phillips Science Hall station

As you step outside today you'll be welcomed by a blast of sunshine and warmer temps compared to this weekend. This weekend was a little bit of a cool down and I expect that there will be a couple more colder days before temps reach what we're experiencing today due to the rising pressure and relatively low winds.

Weatherunderground

As you can see above the entire area is enjoying the low winds and warmer temps but the wind direction appears a little sporadic. To understand what the wind means I have attached another surface map to show where the fronts are as well as which direction the jetstream is pushing the wind around. 

Wundermap

It's easy to see that the temperatures will be a bit variable for the next few days by looking at the mix of warm and cold fronts coming into the valley. I just hope that the fridgid temps in Canada stay up there where they belong because I cannot stand people complaining about col weather anymore. fIt's getting ridiculous here at UWEC.