Friday, April 4, 2014

Current Conditions:
Temperature: 31°F
Feels Like: 21°F
Wind: North @ 13 mph, Gusts @ 21 mph
Humidity: 92%
Pressure: 1006.5 mb é

More snow in the region, after a large snowstorm moved through. Starting late afternoon, yesterday, a steady rain/sleet was constant over much of the region. This transitioned into snow overnight and has proceeded to dump a solid few inches of snow over the area! We are very near the freezing point right now, at 31°F, with a projected high of 36°F today, so I cannot imagine that the snow is going to linger for too long. A second wave of this storm system is on its way to Eau Claire, currently, but once it blows through, we should see a clearing of skies and a warming of temperatures. The next few days we will see a warming of temperatures, reaching into the lower 50's by Saturday and Sunday. For much of the weekend, there is a chance for rain and potentially some snow, though that would most likely be overnight.

This is the current pressure and front situations over the country. The large low pressure system that brought this storm through is currently centered over Michigan. Of note, the cold front that is pushing through, spanning from Ohio to Texas is a very storm heavy belt right now, with severe weather spanning much of the front. 

This Accuweather map shows the current prediction for jet stream pattern, precipitation, and pressure systems for the weekend. A high pressure system is going to move through the area, though temperatures in our region are expected to return to seasonably normal levels. A small depression in the jet stream through Illinois and Indiana should lead to somewhat cooler temperatures in Kentucky and Tennessee.

This shows the current jet stream pattern over the country. The jet is taking a very southern track, bringing warmer air up from the Pacific, as well as continental tropic air masses.

This shows the current surface data for the Midwest. Currently, snow is present in our area. Skies are mostly overcast over the entire viewing area. Finally, due to the rotation of the mid-latitude cyclone to our east, winds are out of the north for us.

This shows the current sounding for Minneapolis, Minnesota. The KI value is a little higher, showing that there is non-severe atmospheric activity in our area.

This shows the current sounding for Fort Lake Charles, Louisiana. Conditions down there show very significant activity in the form of severe storms. The air parcel is very unstable, which is shown by the track of the yellow line.