All Things Weather

[gopher7]

The west continues to get much needed rain and snow, and it looks like that will continue for awhile.

 

[GophersInIowa]

Those places need to find ways to capture more of the flooding waters.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

Woke up to several inches of snow on the ground, and now the real heavy stuff has arrived.

Getting hammered in SW MN. Snow rates at 1 to 3" per hour, and winds gusting from 20 to 30mph.
looks like heavy snow through mid-day Tuesday. a little break, and then another wave of lighter snow expected Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.

the 'ol plastic snow shovel is going to get a workout when this settles down.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

and once again:
"Travel not advised" on I-90 and all state highways in SW MN.

lots of reports of spin-outs, stalled vehicles and jack-knifed semis.

go to 511mn.org and check out some of the highway cams.

 

[Breakin' The Plane]

I remember being a kid on days like this and staring out the window all day at school, just thinking, "Come on, call it already."
My kids are in school, but I assume they'll be there exactly long enough for this to count as a full day before they send them home (and they'll be off tomorrow).

 

[jamiche]

I had an important meeting today that was sheduled two months ago that couldn't be done on Zoom. I left the house at 10:30 and drove about 15 miles to my destination. It was not fun. I left the meeting at 1:30 to return home in near blizzard conditions. Made it to within about twenty feet of my garage door (my driveway has a modest incline). I spent the next hour and a half digging the car out and digging a path to my garage to get the damn thing in.

Only morons live here.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

I had an important meeting today that was sheduled two months ago that couldn't be done on Zoom. I left the house at 10:30 and drove about 15 miles to my destination. It was not fun. I left the meeting at 1:30 to return home in near blizzard conditions. Made it to within about twenty feet of my garage door (my driveway has a modest incline). I spent the next hour and a half digging the car out and digging a path to my garage to get the damn thing in.

Only morons live here.

True dat!

its going to be 62 in NYC today - Good weather for a mugging

 

[short ornery norwegian]

No school here (Windom MN) on Tuesday or Wednesday.

at this rate, they're going to be going to class until July. A lot of schools have already used up all of their schedule snow days and e-learning days.

I shoveled Tuesday and Wednesday morning, and it's still snowing.

 

[Ope3]

These winter/snow events that last more than 48 hours/2+ days seem really rare, but now we have had 2 within the past 3 weeks.

It sucks.

 

[Breakin' The Plane]

No school here (Windom MN) on Tuesday or Wednesday.

at this rate, they're going to be going to class until July. A lot of schools have already used up all of their schedule snow days and e-learning days.

I shoveled Tuesday and Wednesday morning, and it's still snowing.

Our district's superintendent decided not to call off school or dismiss early on Tuesday. Parents are ticked off. Several buses in ditches, kids at the middle school were still waiting for their buses to arrive more than an hour after school ended, bunch of high school kids got stuck trying to get out of the parking lot (which hadn't been plowed). Initially had a late start today that was rather quickly moved to a school closure.

 

[GophersInIowa]

No school here (Windom MN) on Tuesday or Wednesday.

at this rate, they're going to be going to class until July. A lot of schools have already used up all of their schedule snow days and e-learning days.

I shoveled Tuesday and Wednesday morning, and it's still snowing.

Are there only so many days that can be e-learning?

 

[From the Parkinglot]

True dat!

its going to be 62 in NYC today - Good weather for a mugging

Sounds like great cape weather.

 

[fan of Ray Williams]

This shoveling has got the best of me. Get done, look out the window a few hours later and it reappears.

 

[GophersInIowa]

50:1 is crazy!

 

[short ornery norwegian]

Are there only so many days that can be e-learning?

Yes. there is a limit from the State Dept of Education. 5 E-learning days per school year.

I suppose it's possible that the MDE could consider waivers if we get more winter storms, but that might require legislative action.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

Since we're going to see a triple dip La Nina, which is pretty rare, there's not a lot of data to go off of. The last two were snowier winters in the Upper Midwest, especially the last one in 00-01 with 76" of snow at MSP, and 100" where I was living in eastern SD. 75-76 saw around 55" at MSP. The only other one was 56-57 which was a little drier, with only 39" at MSP.

The most interesting thing to me is that the last two started early, with a lot of snow in Nov and Dec. We also had drier, warmer falls, until the switch flipped in Nov.

Overall I think we'll see below average temperatures with above average snowfall. I think we'll know where we are heading by the end of November though. If the pattern changes to more active in Nov and looks to continue into Dec, I think we'll see a lot of snow. If it says dry into Dec, I think we'll stay dry throughout the winter. We really need to start transitioning back to more neutral or El Nino conditions so that we can begin to chip away at the drought.

I keep going back to this post and how closely we are following the 00-01 winter, which was the last triple dip La Nina. This winter has been very similar to that one so far.

 

[GophersInIowa]

I keep going back to this post and how closely we are following the 00-01 winter, which was the last triple dip La Nina. This winter has been very similar to that one so far.

The only thing different is the temps? Been warm and looks like it will stay that way for at least the next two weeks. Could be a record warm month here in Wisconsin.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

The only thing different is the temps? Been warm and looks like it will stay that way for at least the next two weeks. Could be a record warm month here in Wisconsin.

The Mississippi River has been roughly the dividing line this year. To the east it has been warmer than 00-01, to the west it has been very similar to that year. Much of the northern half of the country including WI was below average in December.

 

[Gophers_4life]

No more snow, please.

 

[fan of Ray Williams]

I always look at the temps on an app that I think came with the phone. So today it says “air quality unhealthy for sensitive groups”. What’s with that? During the middle of winter? Seems odd.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

The only thing different is the temps? Been warm and looks like it will stay that way for at least the next two weeks. Could be a record warm month here in Wisconsin.

I forgot to add that January temperatures were also well above average across the northern part of the country in 2001, despite the deep snowpack in many areas. And that's where this January is headed as well.

 

[Full Speed Ahead]

We've got snow here in Minnesota, but there isn't much of it in Europe. The ski areas are in a significant amount of hurt. Here's a picture of the Adelboden ski area (in Switzerland) that just hosted a World Cup skiing event.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

Drive through at a Carl's Jr. in Mammoth Lakes, CA from last night.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

 

[JimmyJamesMD]

Flooding could suck in spring but we really need it overall

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

Flooding could suck in spring but we really need it overall

Everything was so low last fall, it'll take a lot to get bad flooding. A little flooding would be helpful.

 

[GophersInIowa]

Drive through at a Carl's Jr. in Mammoth Lakes, CA from last night.

You took this?