Updraft: January 12, 2009 Archive

Why we live here

Posted at 7:10 AM on January 12, 2009 by Craig Edwards

Active winter weather will play out the headlines this week in the upper Midwest. Snow, wind and cold will be the fare through Friday.

A low pressure system near Brookings, South Dakota at daybreak will travel through Iowa and be near Moline, Illinois by evening. A steady snowfall will leave several inches of fresh powder through the southern third of the state, as well as Iowa and southern Wisconsin.

Graphical forecast from Chanhassen NWS

Winds are expected to increase as the low churns through the Hawkeye State. So there will be some blowing and drifting snow as well as biting cold wind chills.

More snow is in the picture for Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, to be followed by some of the coldest air of the season.

Personally, I'm looking ahead to the January thaw. We still have time.

CE
naturesmessenger.com

Manic Monday

Posted at 3:14 PM on January 12, 2009 by Paul Huttner

Weather trouble on slick roads at Highway 169 and Anderson Lakes Parkway in the southwest metro.

When the weather maps are showing bright colors it's time to look out.

Winter is kicking into high gear this week. We've got everything from blizzard warnings to wind chill warnings splashed across the map in Minnesota today.

Twin Cities NWS warnings

An Alberta Clipper is paving the way for the arctic cold front by laying down a swath of snow across the region. A large area of 2" to 4" has fallen around Minnesota.

Snowfall totals

As the arctic front blasts through this evening, strong northwest winds will kick up the snow an cause blowing and drifting in open areas. This is not the best night for travel in the region.

This "Siberian Express" arctic outbreak is bringing in the season's coldest air. This may be the coldest week of the year and we may see our coldest day of the year on Thursday. This air mass has a history of reading between -40 and -60 tracking it all the way back through Alaska and Siberia.

Stay warm this week, and look forward to a potential thaw by late next weekend!

PH