You know the saying…if March comes in like a lion, it’ll go out like a lamb, or vice versa.  The phrase apparently originated with the constellations Leo (the lion) and Aries (the ram/lamb).  It has to do with the relative positions of these constellations in the sky at the beginning and end of the month.  

March is a month of changes.  Not only do we see warm spring-like temperatures, but late season snow storms certainly prove to be vicious, therefore you can see how this saying may hold true in many instances.  Last year we started the month on the cool side with temperatures in the mid teens and ended the month in the low 40s with a trace of snow. Looking a little further back to 2007, as we neared the end of March (25th & 26th), temperatures were in the low 80s! 

The Climate Prediction Center has predicted that March in northern Wisconsin will be near average or slightly above average due to the El Nino weather pattern that has set up.  Check out the link at http://www.cpc.noaa.gov/.

Enjoy!

Meteorologist LeAnn Lombardo

Posted under Weather

The hours of daylight are increasing by 2-3 minutes each day as the sun moves higher and higher in the February sky, and on March 20th, it will be directly over the equator which marks the first day of Spring.   Another date you’ll want to mark on your calendar is March 14th…this is when Daylight Saving Time begins and you’ll want to set your clock AHEAD one hour.   Although the rest of February is looking fairly quiet with temperatures slightly below average…don’t rule out March for some hefty snow storms! 

Meteorologist LeAnn Lombardo

Posted under Weather

How romantic – just the thought of gently falling snow on February 14 gives me a warm, tingling feeling inside!  Seemingly out of nowhere - from a blue, sun-filled sky to clouds and slippery roads -  Sunday’s snow came as a surprise more because of where it came from. 

Typically, the weather across North America moves from west to east, or at least some variation of.  In this case, however, snow came at us from the northeast.  A persistent area of low pressure has been lingering over the extreme northeast U.S. and eastern Canada since late last week.  Over the weekend a series of disturbances began retrograding (or moving from east to west) across Quebec and Ontario.  Eventually, those disturbances rotated southwest through the UP of Michigan into Wisconsin Sunday afternoon.  In addition to the disturbances themselves moisture from the Atlantic also moved through Canada and into the Badger state.  Snow began Sunday afternoon, periodically becoming heavy for brief periods in certain areas.  Monday featured more of the same, with two more waves of light snow and additional accumulations.  When all was said and done, a range of 1-4″ had been deposited.  Here is a brief list of snow totals from select communities:

Other totals not listed on the image above include 3.3″ at Prescott, 2.1″ at Medford, and 2″ at Elk Mound, Baldwin, Ladysmith, and Whitehall.  This snowfall will likely be the last accumulation we receive for a while because a ridge of high pressure will gradually edge into the area later in the week, leading to a prolonged quiet period across western Wisconsin.  Winter enthusiasts should be happy because sub-freezing temperatures mean the snow will last for a while.  Meanwhile, if you find yourself tiring of winter, fear not . . . the official start to the spring season is less than five weeks away!

Enjoy the quiet and seasonable conditions, and have a great week!

Chief Meteorologist Doug Michaels

Posted under Hometown Weather

It has been quite an active winter so far across North America.  In particular, the southern and eastern U.S. have been hit the hardest with numerous rounds of heavy rain and snow.  If you are familiar with a typical El Nino winter, then this may not come as a big surprise. 

Just to review . . . El Nino winters occur when the waters in the equatorial Pacific warm to a higher temperature than normal.  The result is a slight shift in the overall weather patterns which determine the position of the northern and southern jet streams, and consequently where winter storms end up developing and ultimately moving.  There have been a few winter storms that have impacted the upper Midwest, but I would say that most of those situations have been marginal compared to the monstrous storms the southern and eastern U.S. have seen thus far.  Here is a typical sequence for the development and movement of several winter storms this winter:

The setup for these storms is perfect!  Perhaps, ‘ideal’ would be a better word to describe the situation created when an area of low pressure slides through the Gulf coast region, ingests that rich Gulf moisture, and then rolls up the eastern seaboard dumping that moisture in the form of heavy rain, snow, and ice.  As I mentioned, we have seen our share of wintry systems here in the upper Midwest, but the numbers don’t lie.  I would dare to say that we have had it easy compared to many other U.S. cities since early December.  Here is just one comparison:

Those numbers were through February 10.  Overall, I haven’t heard too many complaints other than the normal inquiry of “when is spring coming?”.  I will admit that lately (since the holidays ended!) I have been longing for those milder days of April . . . the time when we can once again open windows and let in the fresh aroma of blossoming flowers, growing grass, and a gentle warm breeze in the evening.  Alas, we are still five weeks – and perhaps a few winter storms – away from experiencing that, but be thankful that the winter hasn’t been more brutal than it certainly could’ve been.  In the meantime, enjoy the sunshine and seasonable weather in the coming days, and a happy Valentine’s Day to everyone!

Chief Meteorologist Doug Michaels

Posted under Hometown Weather