On Thursday, May 20th I had the privilege, along with my co-anchor Amie, to spend the morning with a special group of kids at Lake Wissota State Park.  The weather was beautiful and the crowd was even better!

A fabulous meal was served by many volunteers and the kids had a fun time competing in the dance contest.  Thank you to Tom for inviting us and hope to see you all next year!  Here are a few photos from the event:

Shawn, Amie, LeAnn and Tom

The winner of the News 18 Dance Contest!

The overall winner of the dance contest...congrats!

Waiting for the limo!

Posted under Hometown Weather

I’m always eager with anticipation for the summer months:  time outside, Express games, summer storms, and local festivals.  Unfortunately it also means a brief hiatus from the classroom and chatting about one of my passions – weather!  If you have been a News 18 viewer for a while then you know how much I enjoy visiting local schools and sharing my knowledge of meteorology with Chippewa Valley youth.  On Monday I escaped from the 93 degree heat for a while inside Robbins Elementary, where three second grade classes were gathered for what was my final weather talk of the school year.  Air pressure experiments, thunderstorms, and storm chasing were the main topics.  A big thank you to Mrs. Shafer, Ms. Lien, and Mrs. Walters for the invitation. 

There is one addition that I also need to make here.  Every spring I make the drive to Bloomer to visit Miss Cruise and her young fourth grade scientists at St. Paul’s school.  It was a gray and chilly day, and perhaps the wet conditions zapped my memory because I forgot to include this great picture in an earlier blog.  I’ll blame it on the weather!  I wish a wonderful summer for all of the kids out there, and I look forward to next year and more great times in the classroom!

Posted under Hometown Weather

It may not officially be summer, but as we know the atmosphere doesn’t always wait for a season to start before giving us a preview!  Monday was a prime example with searing heat and oppresive humidity throughout the Chippewa Valley.  Eau Claire set a new record high for May 24 at 93 degrees, while the heat index soared to 96 at one point.  Unbelieveable right?  Well . . . it kind of is since there just haven’t been many 90 degree days these past couple of summers.  Here is another stat:  Monday’s high of 93 was the second warmest temperature we’ve seen since the summer of ’07!

So just how long is this sultry mid-summer weather going to ‘stick’ around for?  Not too much longer, although an upper level ridge of high pressure does ensure that temperatures will remain slightly above normal heading into the holiday weekend.  The more noticeable change will be drier, much less humid air returning after Wednesday.  Here is a look at the maps for the next couple of days – notice the cool front which is going to usher in slightly cooler but much drier air by Thursday.  Have a great week!

Posted under Hometown Weather

Check out these amazing photos from NASA taken via satellite of the Eyjafjallajokull Volcano in Iceland.  According to the Icelandic Meteorological Office and the Institute of Earth Sciences at the University of Iceland, activity has remained steady and the plume has slightly decreased. Amazing none-the-less. ~ Meteorologist LeAnn Lombardo

Posted under Hometown Weather

Wednesday was yet another cloudy and cool day here in Eau Claire, so what better way to spend an afternoon than with kids from Longfellow Elementary.  I arrived to a roomful of second graders waiting anxiously, and we got right into it with a couple of air pressure experiments.  Then they really made me put on my thinking cap as they bombarded me with weather questions and ’what would you do if . . . ‘ .  I decided to take a day off from human tornado (since I’ve lost at most of the schools I’ve visited this year!) and show the kids some actual tornadoes online (courtesy of an excellent stormchaser named Roger Hill).  As the kids were getting situated for the usual class picture, one of the teachers pointed out my likeness on the back board.  Not sure about the red vest but I love the shoes!  Anyway, take a peek at the wonderful second graders of Longfellow, and enjoy the rest of your week!

Posted under Hometown Weather

Following what has been our wettest period of the spring so far, the pattern begins a gradual shift this weekend.  The unusually mild and dry April abruptly transitioned to a wetter and unseasonably cooler start to May early last week and that has continued right on through this week.  Since the spring got off to a very dry start the recent rains are quite welcome – the landscape around western Wisconsin is looking a lot more lush!  Unfortunately, there’s been one drawback and that is the cool weather with even a little wet snow at the tail end of last week. 

Looking ahead, high pressure settles into the Midwest to open the weekend which is going to mean a lot more sun and milder temperatures returning.  This is just the beginning of a pattern shift that will eventually lead to above normal temps by the middle to end of next week.  Time to break out the shorts and sandles again!  The surface and temperature maps below are valid Saturday morning and afternoon respectively.  Get ready to enjoy a fantastic weekend!

Posted under Hometown Weather

Last Friday evening we saw some unusual weather considering that it’s May - snow!  In fact, communities north and northeast of Eau Claire even saw some minor snow on grassy surfaces and cars.  During the day I gave a weather presentation to the second graders of Meadowview here in Eau Claire, and we talked about how weird it is to see snow this time of year.  I showed the kids StormTracker Interactive, which is WQOW’s online radar.  They were amazed at just how close I could zoom into the local area.  I was astounded at how much they knew about radar!  Take a look at these great second graders and enjoy the next round of rain on the way this week!

Posted under Hometown Weather

It’s that time of year again when we’re cutting our lawns, planting our flowers and listening to the kids enjoy a nice spring day outdoors, maybe skateboarding, fishing, playing baseball or soccer and most often, not paying any attention to the weather what-so-ever.  We have now entered severe weather season and it’s a good time to talk to your kids and go over a plan with them if severe weather should pop up.  You’ll want to remind them that if it looks like it’s going to storm, they should be ready to get indoors or in a vehicle quickly.   When we do weather talks at schools, one thing we teach the kids is if they see lightning, start counting (one-one thousand, two-one thousand, etc…), if they can’t get to 30 before they hear thunder, they are close enough to get struck by lightning.

A few other things they should know:

            -Never hold a baseball bat, golf club or fishing pole during a storm. These items attract lightning increasing the chances for the individual to be struck by lightning as well.

            -Don’t hide under a tree in a storm, for the same reason as above.  The tree will attract lightning, distributing it through the tree and into the ground where they are standing.

            -Don’t try to outrun a tornado in a vehicle. Get out and lay flat in a ditch or in the lowest spot you can find.

            -Be aware of flying debris. Flying debris from tornadoes causes the most deaths and injuries.

            -If home alone, don’t be on the computer or the phone and don’t watch TV.  Lightning can come through the wires and give a fatal electric shock.

Storms and tornadoes can develop very quickly so it’s important that kids pay attention to the weather outdoors and know what to do should it occur.  Have a happy and safe spring!

Meteorologist LeAnn Lombardo

Posted under Hometown Weather