Updraft: November 26, 2008 Archive

Thanksgiving travel

Posted at 6:25 AM on November 26, 2008 by Craig Edwards

Not expecting bad travel weather today in the upper Midwest. However, the forecast does call for the possibility of a couple inches of fresh snow on Thanksgiving Day in northern Minnesota. Air travel may be delayed in rainy southern California.

In 1992, we had a fun-filled travel adventure from the Twin Cities to Chicago Land the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. My son was in his senior year in Minnetonka H.S. so we waited until his dismissal at 2PM to hit the highway. I knew leaving that late in the day was going to be a problem, as I expected snow to fall in Wisconsin in the evening.

Short story, we observed our first flakes of snow in the dusk around Black River Falls. By Tomah the traffic on I94 had narrowed to a single lane. About the Dells, snow had already accumulated a couple of inches and visibility was about 100 yards. If I could have seen the exit we would have pulled off.

Motoring on in a caravan of vehicles we navigated safely to Portage with the snow piling up to about five inches. I was hopeful that the snowfall rate would decrease as we drove south.

The weather guy got lucky, by Madison snow was slushy on the roadways and by Janesville the snow was mixed with a cold rain.

We caught a break and arrived in Elgin adding only about two hours to our trip.

Travel safe and give Thanks!

CE
naturesmessenger.com

Plenty thankful

Posted at 4:35 PM on November 26, 2008 by Paul Huttner (3 Comments)

There's a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving in the Huttner Weather Lab.

First off, for those of you who have been wondering where I've been the last two months, it's great to be back. I had some surgery in September and ran into what my doctors might call "the perfect storm" of complications. After a second surgery, I've pretty much been taken out of the game for a while. The good news is I should be "right as rain" in the long run.

We can be thankful that travel weather is good around the Midwest as we head into Thanksgiving weekend. A little clipper may dust Minnesota and Wisconsin with some light snow Thanksgiving Day. Look for an inch or two in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin, probably just a Turkey Day dusting here in the metro.

Twin Cities NWS weather story

If you are heading to Chicago or Indiana and the Ohio Valley, be ready for a potential rain and snow event by Sunday. A storm in the southwest will wind up and track into the eastern U.S. by then.

Chicago forecast

Watch out for thin ice on area ponds and lakes this weekend. I can remember many Thanksgiving weekends playing hockey on the lake as a boy, but not this year. Check out this week's edition of Jet Streaming for more on ice thickness.

DNR ice safety

Have a great Thanksgiving from the Huttner Weather Lab!

PH

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