Monday, January 23, 2012

Chilly Tuesday; January Thaw Returns This Week

Todd's SCTIMES Outlook for St. Cloud and all of Central Minnesota:

TUESDAY: Cold start. Lighter winds and more sun. High: 22. Winds: SW 5-10mph

TUESDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear and quiet, not as cold. Low: 10. Winds: SSW 5-10mph.

WEDNESDAY: Increase in clouds, turning breezy with a few light snow or flurries up north late. High: 30. Winds: WSW 10-20mph

THURSDAY: Intervals of sun and breezy. Another thaw. Low: 22. High: 32. Winds: W 10-20mph

FRIDAY: Still mild with some sun. Low: 16. High: 30. Winds: WNW 10-15
SATURDAY: Turning colder with more clouds and a few afternoon flurries up north. Low: 10. High: 21.
SUNDAY: Colder with a few passing flurries. Low: 3. High: 16.


MONDAY: Feels like January again, passing flurries: Low: 5. High: 21


One Last Look At Monday's Bad News On The Roads
I don't want to have to have you relive your bad Monday's commuting experience again, but here's one last look at what the roads looked like. Good thing we haven't too many days like the what my good friend and colleague, Aaron Shaffer, captured in the video HERE: 
      Thankfully Monday's weather event is in our rearview mirror. I'm sure after yesterday morning's commute, many are happy that we haven't had many of those kinds of daySs this winter season. A light coating of 'frizzle' on Sunday topped off with 1" to 3" of snow AM Monday was the perfect recipe for fender benders.
     This storm was also responsible for another fairly rare tornadic outbreak across parts of the middle Mississippi Valley and the Southeast. Not sure I can recall tracking supercell thunderstorm at 6AM in the middle of January. It's another reminder that although rare and not unprecedented in January, severe storms and tornadoes can happen at any time of the year and at any time of the day.
     Technology and warnings systems are getting better, but it's up to you be aware of the situation. My wife probably wouldn't agree that hearing my 2 weather radios going off in the middle of the night is something that she wants to hear, but to be honest, it's one of the cheapest forms of life insurance one could get.
     Today's cold start will give way to more sunshine and mild temps later this week. I'm still wondering when winter will really rear it's head.

 Snowfall Reports From Monday
Here are the snowfall reports from Monday's snowfall event:
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
300 PM CST MON JAN 23 2012

...SNOWFALL TOTALS FOR THE JANUARY 22-23RD WINTER STORM...


SNOW REPORTS LISTED BY AMOUNT

 INCHES  LOCATION                 ST  COUNTY           TIME
 ------  -----------------------  --  --------------   -------
  3.50   OWATONNA                 MN  STEELE           1006 AM
  3.50   SW ELLENDALE             MN  STEELE           0700 AM
  3.40   NORTH ST PAUL            MN  RAMSEY           0252 PM
  3.30   ST PAUL                  MN  RAMSEY           1047 AM
  3.20   ST CLOUD                 MN  STEARNS          1205 PM
                 MEASURED AT THE PRISON.
  3.00   GLENCOE                  MN  MCLEOD           1241 PM
  3.00   CUMBERLAND               WI  BARRON           0957 AM
  3.00   MANKATO                  MN  BLUE EARTH       0953 AM
  3.00   3 SE ALBERT LEA          MN  FREEBORN         0800 AM
  3.00   ZUMBROTA                 MN  GOODHUE          0700 AM
  2.80   HUTCHINSON               MN  MCLEOD           0655 AM
  2.80   E OWATONNA               MN  STEELE           0615 AM
  2.50   CLEAR LAKE               WI  POLK             0139 PM
  2.50   MANKATO                  MN  BLUE EARTH       0821 AM
  2.50   3 SE NEW ULM             MN  BROWN            0735 AM
  2.50   1 NNW SPRINGFIELD        MN  BROWN            0700 AM
  2.40   RICE                     MN  BENTON           1021 AM
  2.40   NORTHFIELD               MN  RICE             1012 AM
  2.30   RUSH CITY                MN  CHISAGO          0112 PM
  2.10   MONTICELLO               MN  WRIGHT           1123 AM
  2.10   ST CLOUD                 MN  STEARNS          0600 AM
                 MEASURED AT ST CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY
  2.00   INVER GROVE HEIGHTS      MN  DAKOTA           0259 PM
  2.00   8 NW MORA                MN  KANABEC          0252 PM
                 OCCURRED IN LAKE TOWNSHIP.
  2.00   MENOMONIE                WI  DUNN             1238 PM
                 REPORT RELAYED VIA WQOW.
  2.00   LAKEVILLE                MN  DAKOTA           1204 PM
  2.00   HASTINGS                 MN  DAKOTA           0956 AM
  2.00   3 SW CARLOS              MN  DOUGLAS          0851 AM
  2.00   MADELIA                  MN  WATONWAN         0811 AM
  2.00   1 SSW RIVER FALLS        WI  PIERCE           0700 AM
  2.00   6 NNW AMERY              WI  POLK             0700 AM
  2.00   3 SE LAKE ELMO           MN  WASHINGTON       0700 AM
  2.00   ELK RIVER                MN  SHERBURNE        0700 AM
  2.00   3 N KIMBALL              MN  STEARNS          0600 AM
  2.00   RED WING                 MN  GOODHUE          0600 AM
  2.00   1 NNW COLD SPRING        MN  STEARNS          0600 AM
  1.90   MINNEAPOLIS              MN  HENNEPIN         1210 PM
  1.80   ST PAUL                  MN  RAMSEY           1123 AM
  1.80   ELK MOUND                WI  DUNN             0800 AM
  1.80   2 WNW LAKEVILLE          MN  DAKOTA           0700 AM
  1.50   LAKEVILLE                MN  DAKOTA           0805 AM
  1.50   1 S RICE LAKE            WI  BARRON           0802 AM
  1.50   WINNEBAGO                MN  FARIBAULT        0800 AM
  1.50   DURAND                   WI  PEPIN            0800 AM
  1.50   1 S BLUE EARTH           MN  FARIBAULT        0800 AM
  1.50   9 NNE BIRD ISLAND        MN  RENVILLE         0730 AM
  1.50   FAIRMONT                 MN  MARTIN           0700 AM
  1.50   3 SSW MINNEAPOLIS        MN  HENNEPIN         0700 AM
  1.50   3 N BOYCEVILLE           WI  DUNN             0700 AM
  1.30   1 ENE MINNESOTA LAKE     MN  FARIBAULT        0201 PM
  1.30   1 SW MINNEAPOLIS         MN  HENNEPIN         0856 AM
  1.30   MORRIS                   MN  STEVENS          0800 AM
  1.30   MILACA                   MN  MILLE LACS       0730 AM
  1.30   6 ESE DRESSER            WI  POLK             0700 AM
  1.20   WACONIA                  MN  CARVER           0201 PM
  1.20   EAU CLAIRE               WI  EAU CLAIRE       1210 PM
                 MEASURED AT WQOW TV.
  1.20   NORTH MANKATO            MN  NICOLLET         0700 AM
  1.10   ST LOUIS PARK            MN  HENNEPIN         1204 PM
  1.10   ONAMIA                   MN  MILLE LACS       0800 AM
  1.10   RICE                     MN  BENTON           0700 AM
  1.10   REDWOOD FALLS            MN  REDWOOD          0600 AM
  1.00   BROOKLYN CENTER          MN  HENNEPIN         0203 PM
  1.00   VESTA                    MN  REDWOOD          0108 PM
  1.00   3 N WATERTOWN            MN  WRIGHT           0844 AM
  1.00   BLOOMER                  WI  CHIPPEWA         0800 AM
  1.00   1 ENE ST MICHAEL         MN  WRIGHT           0700 AM
  1.00   3 N CAMBRIDGE            MN  ISANTI           0700 AM
  1.00   HOLCOMBE                 WI  CHIPPEWA         0700 AM
  1.00   LITTLE FALLS             MN  MORRISON         0630 AM
  0.80   CHANHASSEN               MN  CARVER           1205 PM

Severe Storms & Tornadoes
This system also brought severe weather to parts of the Mississippi Valley and the Southeast. Unfortunately, some of the storms did prove to be fatal.
The picture below is from ThePinson ClayNews

Fairly Rare January Tornado Outbreak
Take a look at some of the tornado tracks from Sunday Night into Monday's event.
Disclaimer, the graphic title below should be be 2012, not 2011.
 
 
Bringing Back Old (Bad) Memories
This is a look at one of the tornado tracks on the north side of Birmingham, note how close it is to one of the tornado tracks during the BIG outbreak earlier last spring... scary!
Photo courtesy: Kevin Manross

 More On The Tornadoes
"(CNN) -- Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley declared a State of Emergency for all 67 counties in Alabama after severe weather tore through the state early Monday morning, killing at least two people and injuring more than 100.
 
Northern Lights Potential! 
"The strongest Solar Radiation Storm since September, 2005 is in progress and continues to get stronger and a very fast Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) is headed towards Earth. Geomagnetic storming is a near certainty from this event, but pending preliminary analysis, no estimates are available yet for timing or strength of the storm. The associated solar flare peaked at the R2 (Moderate) level on January 23 at 0400 GMT (11pm Jan 22 EST). Radiation storms are a concern for astronauts, for communications at high latitudes, for satellites in space and for many rockets being launched…The model guidance is back and it shows the coronal mass ejection arriving Tuesday at 9am EST (1400 GMT). The ‘bump’ on Jan 24 in the green traces is the coronal mass ejection arriving at Earth. The radiation storm is continuing. A correction is needed on the previous post, it is the strongest storm since December, 2006." 
 
 
 Thanks for checking in, have a great rest of your week.
Don't forget to check me out on Twitter: TNelsonWNTV

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