Ed's Weather Journal

Wimpy Storm

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Wilson) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:04:00 +0000

This storm of wintry mix is slowing down and wimping out. Dryer has set up over Central Iowa and is sucking away all of the moisture.

There will be some areas of slick roads later today... but measurable snow will be very difficult to accumulate here.

The messy weather will move in before noon but we'll finish by 3 o'clock this afternoon.

Watch out for slick patches of roadway this afternoon and evening. The weekend is still looking dry and I think you're going like the temperatures next week.

Check out central Iowa's only 24 hour local weather news channel...13.2. We will have new updates on this changing forecast all day long.

Winter weather advisory tonight

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Wilson) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 22:51:00 +0000

The northern one half of Iowa is under a weather advisory tonight. It includes the Des Moines metro area. We are expecting 1 to 2 inches of snow by tomorrow morning.

This storm will start out as rain this evening and then turn to snow late tonight.

Another issue with the storm will be high wind gusts near 30 mph.

Much colder air will filter in behind the storm and could cause some icy roads by tomorrow morning.

Tuning the channel 13 tonight at 6 and 10. Brett McIntyre will have the full forecast.

Snowfall Totals Update

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Wilson) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:40:00 +0000

Here is the latest snowfall total map for the state. We expected the heavy snow to stay in the northern counties.

The highest amounts were in a line from Mason City to Fort Dodge to Waterloo. Many area near the Highway 20 corridor recorded 5 to 7 inches of snow.

Now we have the very cold lows below zero tonight. The snow and clear skies will allow our temperatures to bottom out near -10 in northern Iowa.

It will be cold Saturday. Highs are expected to be around 20.

The latest road condition map at 5:45 PM showed the snow covered roads in north central and eastern Iowa.

Check out the latest road report at ... http://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/roads/

Northern Iowa Snowstorm

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Wilson) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:04:00 +0000

http://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/data/lsr_snowfall.png
The latest snowfall totals show 6+ inches in northern Iowa.

This storm stayed right on track with the forecast last night showing Des Moines missing the snow.

Several schools canceled or delayed their classes today. The University of Northern Iowa canceled classes this afternoon too.

This storm still has a punch left for eastern Iowa. Travel is expected to be tricky in that area of the state through the overnight.

Now we have to brace for very cold overnight low temperatures. We are looking at a low tonight of two below zero.

It will remain cold on Saturday with a high of 20. But warmer temperatures on Sunday will give us a chance for rain snow mix.

Coldest Weather This Winter...Thursday

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Wilson) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:30:00 +0000

A wind chill advisory is in effect for northern Iowa tonight and tomorrow morning. Wind chills will drop to -20 to -30. You can see the counties in the advisory are shaded in light blue.

The NW wind will gust to over 30 mph. We will have dangerous conditions for all who might be caught in the cold tonight.

There is also a chance for light snow Thursday. This will allow for little more than a dusting. There could be some slick roads...but much of that will come from the melting today and re-freezing after sundown.

A more potent storm is setting course for Iowa Friday. There is a good chance for 1 to 3 inches of snow in Des Moines. Right now the forecast is showing more snow in northern Iowa...but if the storm track moves to the south we could see additional snow.

This is the more active weather pattern we expected at the beginning of the season. La Nina usually means a peaceful start to winter...but more significant storms for the second half of the season.

Looking ahead... there is a stronger storm that is brewing for next week. This one looks like it will be in the area Tuesday and could have rain/freezing rain and snow. It is far too soon to give an accurate measure ...but is one to certainly watch.

Stay warm and make sure to check on pets and those who are not able to stay warm.

3rd Warmest Winter

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Wilson) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 23:48:00 +0000

I know there are snow lovers out there that want, even need, to see some snow. Many of us love the seasonal changes in Iowa.

This year there is a snow withdrawal. If you have missed the snow...there is a chance for light snow tomorrow. There is a better chance for much colder temperatures.

A cold front will move through the state and take our early highs around 40 to the teens. This front also has the potential to give us some wind-driven snow. Only about 0.2" of snow...but the gusty NW wind will reduce visibilities as the snow moves in tomorrow afternoon.

For now... Des Moines is sitting at the 3rd warmest winter on record.

Waterloo and Mason City are too. Mason City had another record of 53 today.

Here are the other stats for the state.

...UPDATED STATISTICS FOR WARMTH SO FAR THIS WINTER...  THE METEOROLOGICAL WINTER TO DATE...DECEMBER 1ST THROUGH JANUARY  10TH...HAS BEEN CHARACTERIZED BY UNUSUALLY WARM TEMPERATURES AND  VERY LITTLE SNOWFALL ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL IOWA. MANY AREAS ARE  EXPERIENCING ONE OF THEIR WARMEST WINTERS-TO-DATE ON RECORD. THE  WARMEST WINTERS FROM DECEMBER 1ST THROUGH JANUARY 10TH...IN TERMS OF  AVERAGE TEMPERATURE...FOR SOME STATIONS ACROSS CENTRAL IOWA ARE AS  FOLLOWS:     ----DES MOINES---- 1. 1889-90  36.0 DEGREES 2. 2006-07  34.9 DEGREES 3. 2011-12  33.5 DEGREES    1881-82  33.5 DEGREES 4. 1965-66  33.0 DEGREES     -----WATERLOO----- 1. 2006-07  30.9 DEGREES 2. 1913-14  30.0 DEGREES 3. 2011-12  29.9 DEGREES    1931-32  29.9 DEGREES 5. 1959-60  29.8 DEGREES     -----MASON CITY---- 1. 1913-14  29.3 DEGREES 2. 2006-07  28.9 DEGREES 3. 2011-12  27.1 DEGREES    1931-32  27.1 DEGREES    1959-60  27.1 DEGREES     ------OTTUMWA------ 1. 1931-32  34.5 DEGREES 2. 2006-07  34.5 DEGREES 3. 1965-66  33.9 DEGREES 4. 1982-83  33.4 DEGREES 5. 2011-12  33.3 DEGREES

Thanks to to the NWS in Johnston for the updated information.

Records Smashed

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Wilson) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 20:11:00 +0000

At 2PM we have 64 degrees on the thermometer! A new record for Des Moines.

The old record was 59...we could be warmer by 3:00.

The clear sky and jet stream in Canada will keep busting records today.

Tonight on 13HD we will see how many places smashed record highs.

Enjoy the amazing January thaw.

Snow and Slick Roads...Last Night & Today

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Wilson) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:41:00 +0000

The roads were still slick this morning after the snow we told you about coming yesterday...came last night. The commute was still pretty sketchy as I took kids to school around 7:30. We all had slippery commutes this morning in the metro.

The snow really did not start coming down until midnight in the Des Moines metro. The temperatures finally were cold enough and the dew point was high enough to give us bursts of snow in isolated areas.

The road pictures were at a stop sign in Clive last night. The tracks in the snow were left behind my car around 1 AM.

The fog and frost slowed traffic to a crawl...and the untreated lanes of roads had drivers skidding and sometimes crashing.

The highs today will quickly climb to the 30s and 40s. The rest of the week is still looking pretty quiet.

Follow all the latest weather and other stuff on twitter. @EdWilsonWX13HD

Snow Possible...Won't Be Here Long

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Wilson) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:14:00 +0000

Snow lovers...here you go. A chance for some snow over the next 36 hours.

The latest forecast map shows a chance for maybe an inch or so of snow over central and southern Iowa tomorrow.

This snow is going to make it slick...so now is a good time to remind travelers to take it slow. Expect delays and your brakes to not work when you slam on them as you see the ice or snow on the roads.

Here is the link to the latest road conditions in the state. http://lb.511ia.org/ialb/

The problem for those who want a white Christmas is this.... 40 degrees and mostly sunny skies by Wednesday.

There will be another slight chance for snow late Friday night into Saturday. Check out the forecast tonight at 5, 6 and 10 on 13. You can always watch our live news and get weather updates on your computer or smart phone. www.whotv.com for live streaming.

Follow me on twitter @EdWilsonWX13HD

Have a great night.

Slightly Slick ... Snow Totals

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Wilson) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:13:00 +0000

The roads were slick this morning...but in our neighborhood we did not see Amy major traffic problems to and from the school commute.

The radar image was from the storm last night as I was watching from the weather center.

Where it was snowing at that time is where the heaviest snow totals are coming from this morning.

Des Moines had 1.2 inches of snow. Up to 2 inches of new snow was reported in SW Iowa.

The extra snow will make it a cold day
In Iowa. We also have that cold Canadian air pushing down on us today.

Highs today will be in the low to middle 20s. Lows tonight will drop back to 12.

The weekend is still looking warmer. We will watch this snow melt away.

Have a great weekend,

Follow the weather with Ed on Twitter. @EdWilsonWX13HD

Very Slick Roads...Early Snow Reports

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Wilson) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 04:45:00 +0000

These images were from 11:00 tonight. We are hearing about the accidents all over the central Iowa area as the roads continue to be very slick under the light snow that has been falling through the evening.

Earlham in Dallas County had 1.4 inches of snow. Johnston..in northern Polk County was reporting 1.3 inches and .5" was reported in Centerville.

Please take extra time for travel. The icy roads are still going to be an issue through the morning hours. It will clear out..but stay very cold, so we will see re-freeze late Friday.

Over 100 accidents were reported by 11PM. The towing crews and police/state patrol officers are busy.

It will be warmer over the weekend....the snow will go.

Slick Roads Tonight...Snow Moving Through

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Wilson) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 02:34:00 +0000

The light snow continues to fall over central Iowa tonight. We are already watching the slick roads take over central Iowa.

The roads will continue to be icy tonight. The snow will end late tonight. ...but there will be one more round of snow after midnight.

Make extra time for your morning commute.

Umbrellas...Not Shovels for Des Moines

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Wilson) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 00:21:00 +0000

The weekend is going to be messy. The mess will come in heavy rainfall and heavy snow.

The snow is staying to the northwest of the central Iowa area. Des Moines is going to stay warm enough to keep the umbrellas over your head.

In northwestern Iowa 5 to 7 inches of snow will keep the shovels on the sidewalks and driveways.

There is a winter storm watch for the northwest. The snow will be wet and heavy.

Cold and dry air takes over the rest of the weekend...and most of next week.

Sloppy Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Wilson) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:14:00 +0000

There was light snow this morning on the picnic table and back yard of Steve Gardner's home in Norwalk.

We had some of the coldest temperatures of the season with lows around 14 in Des Moines. It will warm up to around 40 today. It will allow us to melt away the light snow before the mess moves in tomorrow.

There is a winter storm watch for the NW 1/3 of Iowa tomorrow. Up to 7 inches of snow will fall in that area of the state.

In Des Moines we are expecting a full day of rain. Up to an inch or so of rainfall will make central Iowa soupy. Heavy snow will cause travel problems for folks in NW Iowa.

This storm system has winter watches and warning from New Mexico to Wisconsin.

The rain will change to snow in Des Moines early Sunday morning. 1"to 2" of snow is possible over the metro before the storm moves east by early Sunday afternoon.

Fly-Over State...Cold Flying In

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Wilson) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:38:00 +0000

We know we are a "fly-over" state, but this picture from Drew Sorenson really puts a perspective on the stereotype.

This photolink was taken last Friday. Pretty cool...as long as there is safe distance between the folks in the friendly skies.

Cold temperatures are going to make up the morning forecast again tomorrow. Today we had lows in the 20s and teens.

There is a slight chance for light snow this afternoon...basically flurries. It will clear tonight and lows will be in the lower to middle 20s.

More sunshine is on the way for the rest of the week. A few showers are possible with warmer highs on Saturday before we head into colder temperatures Sunday and much of next week.

Still no major storms expected through Thanksgiving.

Have a great day... follow along on Twitter @EdWilsonWX13HD

5th Earliest Snowfall!

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Wilson) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 18:19:00 +0000

These two kids could not wait to get out in their Urbandale yard to build and leaf-packed snowman today!

Olivia and Sophia were so happy and excited. Some of the rest of us were not so pleased.

Snow facts for Des Moines. Courtesy our National Weather Service.

...EARLY NOVEMBER SNOWFALL ACROSS SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL IOWA...

A POTENT FALL STORM SYSTEM BROUGHT A QUICK BURST OF MODERATE TO
HEAVY SNOWFALL TO MANY LOCATIONS ACROSS SOUTH AND CENTRAL IOWA.
THE DES MOINES AIRPORT REPORTED 3.7 INCHES OF SNOW...WHICH RANKS
FIFTH IN HIGHEST SNOWFALL AMOUNTS THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON.

DES MOINES HIGHEST EARLY SEASON SNOWFALL (OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 9TH)
 1.10-27-1980 7.4 INCHES
 2.10-26-1997 6.6 INCHES
 3.11-08-1932 5.7 INCHES
 4.10-27-1925 4.8 INCHES
**5.11-09-2011 3.7 INCHES**

THE AVERAGE DATE OF THE FIRST INCH OF SNOWFALL IN DES MOINES IS
NOT UNTIL DECEMBER 1ST. THE AVERAGE DATE FOR AMOUNTS NEAR 3.7
INCHES IS NOT UNTIL EARLY JANUARY...SO THIS WAS QUITE AN ANOMALOUS
EVENT.

The anomalous snow will soon melt off with highs back in the 50s over the weekend.

Follow along with Mr. Ed via Twitter @EdWilsonWX13HD

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Wilson) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Early snow! Roads over central Iowa are a mess this morning. It will be slow travel for most of the I-35/I-80 cross over the central 1/3 of Iowa this morning.

The storm that brought us so much rain yesterday stalled last night as we had temperatures fall below the freezing point. The wet/slushy mess also had a great amount of wind.

Power lines are down across the area as slush and ice stuck to power lines that were rocked with up to 30 mph hour wind.

The first snow picture is from Waukee. 2 to 3 inches of snow had been pushed off the streets by 6 this morning. The last picture is from Rick Reed in Creston. Rick had 6 inches of snow. That amount of snow and power outages kept school delays running on the bottom of the Channel 13 screen this morning.

Last night we expected around 2 inches of snow...that was true for most of the metro, but many ares of the state had up to 6" ... even 7" of snow.

The better news is the snow is already starting to melt. The temperature at 7AM was 36. We are expecting lower 40s today....mid-40s tomorrow and 50s for the weekend.

Please drive safe and stay updated with us here and on Twitter @EdWilsonWX13HD

Snow in Earlham Tonight!

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Wilson) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 04:04:00 +0000

Jeff Baker sent us this picture of the snow on the ground in Earlham. This was the scene as of 9:45PM.

Road conditions were just starting to get slick in western Iowa tonight. The rest of the state had wet roads.

There will be slick areas across central Iowa tomorrow morning. We are expecting about 1-2" of snow in the metro...most of the snow will be on grassy areas, but there will be slick condition on roads before the sun comes out by noon.

Remember to follow along on Twitter @EdWilsonWX13HD.

Winter Weather Advisory Update

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Wilson) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 23:22:00 +0000

Heavy rain continues this evening in central Iowa. There will be rain/snow mix tonight.

We have a Winter Weather Advisory that has expanded into central Iowa. It includes Des Moines.

This will be tricky tonight as the rain slides in over 40 degree temperatures...but much colder air is just above the ground.

I expect a total change to snow overnight...but most of it melting as it hits the ground.

Grassy areas will be filled with slushy conditions...but most roads in central Iowa will remain wet.

Follow along on Twitter @EdWilsonWX13HD

Winter Weather Advisory Tonight-Wed. Morning.

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Wilson) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 19:31:00 +0000

A winter weather advisory is still scheduled to begin at 9 tonight for counties west and north of Des Moines.

There is a good chance for rain to switch to snow by early Wednesday morning. We could see about an inch or less of snow in Des Moines. This could make for some slick spots in the metro tomorrow morning.

Heavier amounts of snow are expected from Ft. Dodge to Mason City. Those folks could see 3 to 5 inches of snow by Noon Wednesday.

We are going to update this through the day on Channel 13... 5, 6 and 10 newscasts.

Also follow me on Twitter @EdWilsonWX13HD for frequent updates.

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Wilson) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:49:00 +0000

Sleet started to fall in Waukee around 2PM today. This picture is from the deck on the back of our house.

We had reports through the early afternoon of ice pellets in Iowa Falls and sleet in Perry and Urbandale.

The metro will see the sleet/flurries through the rest of the afternoon. There may be some light accumulation on patios and decks. The commute this evening could be slick...but more from the rainfall than the chance for ice forming on the warm pavement.

The rain and mix of sleet and flurries will end this evening. It will be cold, breezy and dry tomorrow.

This is probably a good time to give you the location for Iowa road conditions.

http://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/roads/

We will have complete coverage of this wet and cold Wednesday tonight at 5, 6 and 10PM.

Follow for updates on Twitter.... @EdWilsonWX13HD

Trending...Kids in Pumpkins?

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Wilson) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:50:00 +0000

We love the fall photos that are being sent to our photolinks on www.whotv.com. Recently, many have sent in pics of their little pumpkins inside real pumpkins.

Is this a new Halloween trend? These pictures are cute, I guess. But the kids do not look particularly happy about the situation. The first kiddo in the gourd is Charlotte "Charlie" Dorsey. She is 7 Months old and is the daughter of Katie and AJ Dorsey from Gowrie.
Next we have Gia. Gia is the 8 and 1/2 month-old daughter of Kaily Defino. The Defino family is from Indianola.
The last kid in the pumpkin pic is from Taylor Breuklander, also of Indianola, showing off her "5 month-old pumpkin."

We do have a picture at the bottom of the page with a kid outside the pumpkin...in the pumpkin patch. Maybe little Benjamin is just checking the pumpkins in the Carroll Pumpkin Farm for a perfect fit. Thanks Mindi Blizek of Promise City for that picture.

Keep sending the pictures our way. Photolink upload is... http://www.whotv.com/weather/who-weather-photolink,0,6687110.framedurl

Also follow me on twitter for the latest weather and random news @EdWilsonWX13HD

Wonder Northern Lights Last Night

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Wilson) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 13:24:00 +0000

This picture was taken last night around 9PM just north of Winterset. Donna Rayne had the chance to get away from the city light and capture this great shot.

It was an active night for the northern lights. From spaceweather.com : A coronal mass ejection (CME) hit Earth on Oct. 24th at approximately 1800 UT (2:00 pm EDT). The impact strongly compressed Earth's magnetic field, directly exposing geosynchronous satellites to solar wind plasma, and sparked an intense geomagnetic storm. As night fell over North America, auroras spilled across the Canadian border into the contiguous United States.
Auroras were seen or photographed in more than half of all US states including Alabama, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, Nebraska, Kentucky, North Carolina, Indiana, Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Maryland, New York, Montana, Ohio, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Washington, Minnesota, Maine, Michigan, Oregon, Arkansas and California. Many observers, especially in the deep south, commented on the pure red color of the lights they saw. These rare all-red auroras sometimes appear during intense geomagnetic storms. They occur some 300 to 500 km above Earth's surface and are not yet fully understood.

www.spaceweather.com is a great source for checking out the forecasts of northern lights. They even have an app that will call you when there is a good chance to see the Aurora displays in your area.

Winter Forecast! La Nina...Cold Winter Witch

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Wilson) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:25:00 +0000

This beautiful graph is the 5-day temperature mean of the waters over the Pacific Ocean. Buoys in the Pacific record the temperatures on the hour. The data is sent to NOAA and recorded.

I took a picture of a similar buoy at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. It is used to collect data of wave heights for tsunami events...but is similar to the floating recorders used to take the water temperature in the ocean.

La What?

Right now we are in a La Nina event. La Nina is Spanish for "the girl". In weather geek terms it means the water in the Pacific is cooler than normal.

El Nino...Spanish for "the child". Means warmer waters over the Pacific Ocean.

What the heck does it all mean for Iowa? Good question.

In La Nina years we usually have colder than normal temperatures during the winter months. Over the southern 1/2 of Iowa wetter than normal winters can be expected. Drier than normal winters are common for the northern 1/2 of the state.

Notice how we are split in half? These mid-latitudes are great for seasonal change, but murder when forecasting who is going to be slammed with snow during La Nina years.

Here are the forecast maps for November through January. (All maps are provided by National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center.)

You can see we have equal chances (EC) of above or below average temperatures or snowfall. There is a slight chance for above average precipitation over the extreme southeastern corner of the state....but just for about 3 or 4 counties in Iowa. It really doesn't look that bad. In fact in La Nina years we usually have a pretty mild end of fall and start to winter.

Now check out the forecast maps for January, February and March. The two lower maps.

For the January through March period we see a mostly equal chance of average snow and a greater chance for below normal temperatures over the northern counties.

Last year we had our 34th coldest winter and 9th snowiest winter. It was the 5th straight snowier than normal winter...and the 4th straight that was colder than normal. We only had about 3 inches more snow than average in Des Moines. It was nothing like the 2009-2010 season that left us with a near record 69+ inches of snow.

The Winter Weather Wrap....Ed's Prediction.

La Nina is not particularly strong this year...but is trending cooler. So I agree with the equal chances of just above or just below the average snowfall this year in Des Moines. So expect to move about 33 to 35 inches of snow. This is better than 69 inches of winter wonderland, but much of the state is under a mild to moderate drought conditions. We could use some rain now and some snow to melt into water tables next spring.

Temperatures are easier to read with a weak La Nina. It will be cooler than normal. The jet stream will be farther south this winter. It will keep us cooler than average and it should send more precipitation south of Iowa. It could be really good news for the drought-ridden states of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.

45th Anniverary of Belmond Tornado

noreply@blogger.com (Ed Wilson) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:39:00 +0000

Today is the 45th anniversary of the worst October tornado to hit the state of Iowa. Belmond was devastated as a tornado killed 6, injured 172 and wiped out 75% of the businesses and over 100 homes.

This was a major storm that could have taken more people if it would have moved into town about 1/2 hour earlier when 100s were sitting on main street watching a homecoming parade.

That same day a tornado swept over Clive, Urbandale and Saylorville. No injuries were reported in those towns.

The backside of the storm left 4 inches of snow on the ground in Sioux City.

Pretty amazing to see the film of the devastation on Youtube. There are some pretty amazing accounts of the storm in the comments below the video.