Today, April 2, marks the three year anniversary of a historic tornado outbreak across the central United States. On today’s date in 2006, there were 67 total tornadoes that spawned as a result of a cold front triggered by a deep low pressure system. A warm and humid air mass ahead of the front along with high wind shear helped produce super cell thunderstorms throughout the region. What made this outbreak even more historic is that it was the second major tornado outbreak to affect the area in the season.
Illinois was hit with the most tornadoes which ranged from F0 to F2. While these twisters produced a significant amount of damage, the most intense and devastating tornadoes were in Tennessee. An F3 tornado, with estimated winds up to 200 mph, ripped through the northwestern portions of the state and caused 16 deaths. There were 27 total, deaths from the tornado outbreak which affected 7 different states. Aside states that have been mentioned already, tornadoes also affected Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Indiana.
April has arrived and for many of us that means that it is time to start shedding layers and looking forward to outdoor activities. But not so fast, April weather isn’t exactly what it’s cracked up to be. While I am ready, for temperatures in the 70s and 80s, they aren’t readings that we see on a regular basis in April.
The average high goes from 47° on the first of the month to 62° on the last day of the month. Meanwhile, the low temperature ranges from 29° at the beginning of the month to 39° by months end. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that these are averages, and warm summer like conditions are possible… if we are lucky.
We have all heard the phrase April showers bring May flowers, but in April, these showers don’t always come in the form of rain. On average, 2.9” of snow fall in the month, an amount we could see with a storm over the second half of the weekend.
The bottom line is that spring is underway, but just because it is Spring, it doesn’t mean that winter weather is out of the pictures. Let’s put it this way, I have my eyes set on May.
With the (possible) launch of the Space Shuttle Sunday night ,and it's visit to the International Space Station it's would be a good time to look for them in the sky. I've listed the viewing time of each near Green Bay. For viewing times in towns across Wisconsin Click Here. Sky conditions should be partly cloudy Sunday night and Monday night; good but not great for viewing.
With the (possible) launch of the Space Shuttle Sunday night ,and it's visit to the International Space Station it's would be a good time to look for them in the sky. I've listed the viewing time of each near Green Bay. For viewing times in towns across Wisconsin Click Here. Sky conditions should be partly cloudy Sunday night and Monday night; good but not great for viewing.
Tornadoes occur every March, but when it comes to tornadoes, March of 2006 will be remembered for quite sometime. A severe weather outbreak which spanned from Oklahoma to Illinois lasted from the 11th through the 13th. The most severe weather came on the 12th, three years ago today, when there were 49 confirmed tornadoes. Wisconsin saw fewer tornados in the entire severe weather season on 2008. Most of the tornadoes on the 12th came in the state of Missouri which took on considerable damage. There was on F4 tornado reported, which generally consists of winds over 200 mph. Unfortunately seven lives were lost on the 12th.
Only one tornado from the outbreak occurred in Kansas, but a strong storm that moved through Kansas City was enough to cause problems at the University of Kansas. Gusty winds actually caused air conditioners in the dormitories to fall onto cars in the parking lot below.
The other ten tornadoes on the 12th came in the state of Illinois, where hail was also an issue. The storms were strong enough to knock the power out in the state capital building in Springfield.
As waves of warmer weather move into Wisconsin spring floods can become a problem. This weekend one to two inches of rain is forecast to hit southern Wisconsin. This rain combined with already saturated soil could cause some flooding on area rivers. As of Thursday March 6th the Fox River along the Wisconsin/Illinois border is near flood stage. More rivers will be added to this list as rains move in. To see the latest river stages and forecast for southeast Wisconsin Click Here. For information on river stages in northeast Wisconsin Click Here.
Here are some flood tips along with links to more information on the internet.
#1. Make sure you have flood insurance, and it’s up to date.
#3. If flash flooding is occurring, head to higher ground.
#4. Don’t driver over a flooded road; it only takes 24” of water to float a car.
Have a safe weekend everyone! --Doug--
As waves of warmer weather move into Wisconsin spring floods can become a problem. This weekend one to two inches of rain is forecast to hit southern Wisconsin. This rain combined with already saturated soil could cause some flooding on area rivers. As of Thursday March 6th the Fox River along the Wisconsin/Illinois border is near flood stage. More rivers will be added to this list as rains move in. To see the latest river stages and forecast for southeast Wisconsin Click Here. For information on river stages in northeast Wisconsin Click Here.
Here are some flood tips along with links to more information on the internet.
#1. Make sure you have flood insurance, and it’s up to date.
#3. If flash flooding is occurring, head to higher ground.
#4. Don’t driver over a flooded road; it only takes 24” of water to float a car.
Have a safe weekend everyone! --Doug--
We taped our trees today! About 60 in all. Many of them started running right away. As the days get warmer the better they will run. I do not think we will have as good of year as we did last year. I can not wait to start boiling as we got a new pan for this year and should go alot faster. We boil over wood fire and is a whole lot of fun but alot of work. Great for the kids too.
March is here and many of us are looking forward to warmer weather. I for one, just got back from a cruise, and I am ready to put the cold weather and the snow behind me. Unfortunately we can’t always count on warm and nice weather during the month of March. You may have heard the saying, “In like a lamb, out like a lion.” According to this folklore statement, if the beginning of March is quiet, the end of March will be stormy.
So far March has come in on the quiet side, but the models do point to a period of active weather for the week ahead. One system will pull through this weekend to produce a rainy mix on Saturday which will switch to light snow on Sunday. A second storm will pass on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. The computer models aren’t in agreement on this storm just yet, but we will keep an eye on it as we head closer to next week.
We typically see around 9 inches of snow throughout March, but it can prove to be a brutal month. In fact the most snow that ever fell in a month came in March of 1888 when Green Bay received 48.2”. A bulk of that came on the first and second of the month when nearly 30 inches fell in Green Bay’s largest snowstorm.
March of 1997, the year the Packers won the Super Bowl, was also a memorable one. Snow Storm Holland dropped 17.5” of snow on Green Bay with 28” in Wautoma on the 13th and 14th. A total of 20.7” of snow fell during March of 1997, which has went down in history as the sixth snowiest March on record.
Northeast Wisconsin woke up to a sunny and frigid Monday morning, but for folks in Milwaukee, a completely different story. 10 inches of snow fell overnight at General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, and by Monday afternoon, around 14 inches of total snow accumulation had fallen. While Milwaukee was buried today, just 20 miles west, Waukesha didn’t see more than a trace of snow. The snow was confined to Ozaukee, Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha Counties with the heaviest snow falling between Milwaukee and Racine.
So just what causes lake effect snow in southeastern Wisconsin? First you need winds out of the northeast to pull cold air across the warmer waters of Lake Michigan. The general temperature of Lake Michigan right now is hanging around 33 to 34°. The cold air riding across the warm water creates instability and the moisture across the lake will rise, cool and condense to form clouds and eventually snow.
So if Milwaukee got snow, why didn’t northeast Wisconsin. The key here is called the fetch. A fetch is defined by the distance the colder air can travel across the warmer waters of the lakes. The longer the fetch, the better the chance of snow. Milwaukee was right in line with an impressive fetch today. With the bay frozen over, the chance of Green Bay getting lake effect snow is very low. Throughout Northeast Wisconsin, Kewaunee, Manitowoc and Sheboygan counties, have the best opportunity for lake effect snow, as wind blowing in from the right angle can be just enough to trigger snowfall. In fact earlier today Sheboygan County was under a Lake Effect Snow Advisory, but the snow only fell over the lake.
Multiple tornadoes struck parts of Georgia yesterday, one of which turned deadly. One man died after being thrown from his mobile home in the town of Sparta, about 100 miles southeast of Atlanta. Two other injuries are also to blame from the tornado which hasn’t been rated yet on the Fujita scale. It was reported after 10 PM last night. A separate tornado not far away, but earlier in the evening, was rated EF2 in intensity. It was responsible for destruction to several homes and a restaurant.
A total of 6 tornadoes have been reported by the storm prediction center, four of which occurred in the southern portions of the state. As the National Weather Service surveys damage this week, the number of reported tornadoes may rise as there were several reports of “possible” tornadoes on Wednesday across Georgia.
The outbreak of severe weather was in response to the same system that produced Winter Storm Ian in Northeast Wisconsin.
I’m always looking at new cell phones. It’s a technology that has woven itself into nearly everyone’s life. And these phones continue to evolve, with cameras, video cameras, web browsers, and even computer applications. So what are the latest features offered by cell phone manufactures? Phone companies had a big convention (Called GSMA Mobile World Congress) to show off the latest technology in Barcelona Spain. The coolest new feature I found was a phone with built in video projector! Click here to see it in action. For a list of new phones unveiled at the conference click here. For reviews, blogs, and video from the GSMA event check out this web site.
FOX 11’s 9th Winter Storm of the season, Ian, dropped anywhere from 1-6 inches of snow throughout Northeast Wisconsin between Tuesday and Wednesday. For some the snow was just another quick chore of shoveling the driveway, while others had their snow blowers out in full force. Since temperatures throughout the period hung around the freezing mark it created a wet heavy snow. For folks in places like Shawano, shoveling, meant a great workout. 4-6 inches of snow fell from Waupaca County northeast to Menominee County in Michigan. 2-4 inches generally fell across and north of a line from Oshkosh to Two Rivers. South of this line, most locations in the FOX 11 viewing area picked up 1-2 inches.
The snowfall forecast here at FOX 11 worked out very well, which is very gratifying because it was far from easy. The latest storm system was caused by a low pressure system streaming in from our southwest and also another system to the north. As the two systems slowly came together, it made for a tricky forecast. Early this week the computer models were pointing towards a significant snow event, but they were having a hard time pinning down exactly where the heaviest snow would fall.
We forecasted 3-6 inches of snow
with lower totals south of Appleton.
This lined up very well with where the snow actually fell. Find out how much snow fell in your neck of the woods from the snowfall total list below.
Last year, southern Wisconsin witnessed two tornadoes in January, an extremely rare event. What isn’t quite so rare, are tornadoes in the southern Plains in February. That was exactly the case earlier this week.
Tuesday evening’s tornado which tore through the town of Lone Grove, OK has been rated an EF4 in intensity with estimated winds near 170 mph. It is the most intense tornado ever recorded in the month of February. The tornado was actually on the ground in three different counties which means that its track was over 40 miles long. According to the National Weather Service in Norman, OK, the tornado was as wide as a half mile. This is the same tornado that was responsible for 8 deaths and over a dozen injuries.
Three other tornadoes occurred on Tuesday. Two of them were in Oklahoma, and on in northern Texas.
The countdown was on this morning
as NASA launched the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) N-Prime
Satellite at 5:22 am from California.
The launch comes after being delayed several days due to technical problems
involving the launch equipment.
From the stand point of a
meteorologist, the more satellites the merrier. We have come a long way since
the first weather satellite was launched in 1960. The latest satellite will
provide images of clouds and surface features as well as vertical profiles of
the atmosphere. You may be thinking that meteorologists just use satellites for
analysis on the current situation of the atmosphere, but that’s not the case.
The satellites provide data for models that meteorologists use day in and day
out to produce an accurate forecast.
For more information on the satellite visit the link to the NASA website here
I signed up for Facebook just as a curiosity. I was reading news reports about it and watching my step daughter use it. A social network, it’s a way to share ideas, pictures, favorite web sites, video’s, and even live chat. My step daughters initial reaction, was OMG (oh my gosh) your too old for a Facebook page. Not true I told her. I found a lot of friends on it. Many of these people I have not seen in over 20 years! That’s what I like best about this site; you get back in touch with so many people. My 8th grade year book has come in very handy remembering old friends. There are a few ways of finding people on “FB” (short for Facebook). You can look for friends by just typing in a name in the search bar. You can search for your grade school, high school, or college. You can even get as in depth as finding interest groups such as “I grew up in Titletown”. But where the social networking really shines is when you visit friends Facebook page. Your long lost pal from grade school might be located on their site.
Drawbacks to Facebook. Any information you post could potentially be accessed by your employer, future employers, college admissions etc….. So post carefully. If you don’t want to share it with the world don’t post it on FB. I’ve have heard of peopled fired because of inappropriate content.
A good site for FB do’s and don’ts for parents and teens Click Here:
Click Here for an article on FB etiquette
So what do you think of facebook, post a comment below?
