Can you believe this weather???  We can blame (or thank - depending on who you are) a very stubborn high pressure on the east coast.  As air flow clockwise around a high pressure, very warm air travels from the south and southwest into the better half of the country.  Over a hundred cities across the country have set record highs since Friday.  For us, that heat will come to an end today with the passing of a very strong cold front.  Typically our high of the day comes in the afternoon, but today our high will be around Noon.  The reason is because that cold front will pass through around that time and begin to drop our temps the rest of the day.

These cooler, more seasonable will make the trips this weekend to see the changing leaves more pleasurable.  Hopefully, you'll be able to get out and see the leaves change before it's too late.

Thanks for checking in!

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

I thought this was a great picture to look at.  It's a picture taken from outer space with one of our satellites.  It shows the color change for leaves in the upper part of Wisconsin and Michigan.  You can also make out some color change in Minnesota.

Here's the explanation from the National Weather Service:

The image below was taken by the MODIS AQUA satellite around 2 pm on Wednesday, October 3rd. The MODIS satellites are polar orbiting satellites at an altitude of roughly 435 miles. In this true color image the changing fall colors (the orange hues) can be seen across much of northern Wisconsin into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The bulk of this color change is Sugar Maple, along with some of the oaks. Some color change can be seen into central Wisconsin where there is Red Maple mixed with oak and other hardwoods. Further west and south the maturing corn and soybean fields are the tans and browns seen across much of southern Minnesota and northern Iowa.

Thanks for checking in!

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Until next time,

Andrew Thut
News Nineteen Meteorologist

Dexter, MN                  -  29mph / 40mph gusts
Austin, MN                   -  17mph / 38mph gusts
                               Prairie du Chien, WI   -  21mph / 35mph gusts
                               Sparta, WI                   -  20mph / 32mph gusts
                               Winona, MN                 - 22mph / 30mph gusts
                                La Crosse, WI             - 24mph / 30mph gusts

The winds picked up as a high pressure moved in to our northwest bringing northerly winds into our region.  The storm system we saw Sunday has only moved slightly to our east so that combined with the high pressure system to increase our winds.  It's what we call a pressure gradient.  Around a Low Pressure air spins counter clockwise.  While around a High Pressure air spins clockwise.  The closer two opposing spins of air get near each other, the tighter the Isobars (lines of equal pressure) get packed together and the faster the wind blows.  You also experience this sort of occurrence when you walk between two buildings.  You may be blown around a little if you're not careful!  Check out the picture below for what I just described.

Thanks for checking in!

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Until next time, enjoy the fall weather!

Andrew Thut
News Nineteen Meteorologist

We are very near the peak of the color changing season so hurry and send those pictures in!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Thanks for checking in!

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Until next time,

Andrew Thut
News Nineteen Meteorologist

Here are a couple of pictures of some fall colors that were emailed to me.  They come from Theresa and Serena from Loyal, Wisconsin.  They took the pictures as they were heading through Neillsville, Wisconsin.

Don't forget to send in your fall color pictures.  Email them to me at zbrown@wxow.com                                                                                                                                          

Thanks for checking in!

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

I mention the great weather tomorrow not just because this is a weather blog :-) but because there is a lot of events going on tomorrow.  First, head down to the south side Oktoberfest grounds in La Crosse for the 16th annual State Bank Financial's Chili Cook-Off!  Tickets are only $5 PLUS that counts as a raffle ticket for prizes!  You can also get five tickets for $20. The cook-off begins at 11:30 a.m. and goes until 1:30 p.m. tomorrow afternoon.  100% of the proceeds to directly to D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) and G.R.E.A.T. (Gang Resistance Education and Training) and Habitat for Humanity of the La Crosse Area.  I also mention this because yours truly along with the other members of the Forecast Team have an entry in the competition and we need your votes!!  Remember to stop by our table and say hi and vote for our "Chili Today ... Hot Tomorrow" entry!  Hope to see you there!

Another event going on is the 5th annual Buddy Walk, presented by Children of the Heart.  Head down to Riverside Park for registration at 10 a.m.  The walk starts at 11 a.m.  This event is to raise awareness about Down Syndrome as well as raise money for those affected in the La Crosse area.

Thanks for checking in!

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

The word Meteorology comes from the Greek word meteoron which means "high in the sky" and the word logo which means "knowledge".  When you put -ology at the end of a word, you're describing the study of that subject.  Examples would be Sociology (the study of society and human interaction) or Biology (the study of life).  When you add -ologist to the end of a word, you're describing a person that studys that particular subject.  In our case, we're scientists who study phenomena high in the sky.  This applies to us because the earth's weather happens within 10 miles of the surface.  We study the weather high in the sky!

Thanks for checking in!

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

                        "Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky in morning, sailor's warning."

    This phrase has been around a long time. In fact,  similar lines have been used in both Shakespeare's work and in the Bible. There is truth to the age old saying though.
When the western sky is clear, there is often a red sunset. That's because as the sun sets, its light shines through much of the lower atmosphere which contains dust, smoke and pollution. These particles scatter away lights shorter wavelengths,  blue and violet.  This leaves the longer wavelengths which are orange and red.  When there is even redder sunsets their is usually an area of high pressure present. High pressure produces sinking air which keeps the pollution and contaminants near Earth.
    Now for the second half of the saying concerning sunrise (shown left).  Keep in mind throughout this explanation that weather generally travels from west to east. If the sky is red in the east morning sky high pressure has most likely already passed. Usually as a high pressure system passes a low pressure system follows in its wake.  Low pressure produces more clouds and rain and thus sailors should take warning.

Sunrise (Left), Sunset (Right)

Over the next couple of weeks I will continue to point out a few weather folklore phrases that I find an interesting and that you to may be interested in.

Until next time,

Andrew Thut
News 19 Meteorologist.

GO PACKERS!

Andrew Thut
News 19 Meteorologist

A typical thunderstorm produces three or more lightning flashes per minute and about 10 to 25 percent of all lightning strokes are cloud to ground. Each year in the United States lightning kills, on average, 85 people and injures approximately 300 people... And with that in mind, do you ever wonder why most umbrella's are a metal rod... doesn't make a lot of sense during a thunderstorm.

Until next time,

Andrew Thut
News 19 Meteorologist

The days of sunshine and warm weather have come and gone.  Although you won't be able to do a lot of the outdoor activities like head to the pool or head over to the waterparks in The Dells, you will be able to have a night indoors.  By that I mean a nice dinner or take in a theatre show.  I've gone to several of the waterparks and theaters since I've been here and there are some great things to do in The Dells.  I've been told several times to go to check out the waterparks and theatres they have to offer since I was new to the area.  It's a great place for a little day trip if you have time.  The way the weather is shaping up, this coming weekend may be perfect for a little fun!                                                                                                                                                             

Thanks for checking in!

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

September showed a nice stretch of reasonably dry conditions until the very end when an inch of rain fell at the  La Crosse Municipal Airport. Still the rainfall came up just shy of the average for the month of September.

Now October is showing a wet streak. In the first two weeks of the month just over 2 inches has fallen, double the normal amount in the same period. Since the rest of this week looks wet, with Tuesday, Thursday and Friday showing good chances of significant rainfall, the rollercoaster ride of weather just keeps rolling along. Let's hope we can still get some nice sunshine before winter gets here.
Here's a look at the last three months of rainfall statistics:

August:
    -Actual: 13.75"
    -Normal: 4.28"
    -Departure: +9.47"

September:
    -Actual: 3.25"
    -Normal: 3.40"
    -Departure: -0.15"

October(so far)
    -Actual: 2.08"
    -Normal: 1.06"
    -Departure: +1.02"

These last few gloomy days with occasional rain, and cool, almost chilly temperatures have kept me indoors of late. Alas, what to do? For me it is a no-brainer because I am a crossword puzzle addict, a real word junkie. I have been doing them since elementary school, but the real bug hit me a few years ago when I discovered the online versions that abound on the information superhighway. Don't get me wrong, I still love the daily puzzle in the the local newspaper, but it is so easy to change answers electronically; you don't have to sweep away those annoying little eraser shavings. Plus, if you erase as often as I do, it's hard to read the little numbers in the grid after awhile. (My eyes aren't what they used to be.)

I'd like to think that those thought-provoking clues in crossword puzzles help to keep me sharp, but I couldn't find any  scientific studies that prove it. Nevertheless, I will keep doing them daily because they are just plain fun and you get better at them with time. Puzzle compilers, or "cruciverbalists"--yes, that is what they are called in the trade--love to throw you real head-scratching, sometimes whimsical clues that sometimes require two or even three word answers.

The first print "cruciverbalist" was Arthur Wynne.  He compiled the first puzzle (shown here) on December 21, 1913 in the New York World, a now-defunct newspaper. It was called a "word-cross", but as time wore on and puzzle popularity increased it evolved into the name we use today. Word puzzles go back much farther to ancient Roman times, but officially the 20th century ushered in the first print crosswords.

People have been hooked ever since. Here at WXOW I've discovered a few dedicated crossworders, and we enjoy working on them alone or as a team, especially on those big  Sunday puzzle monstrosities.

It turns out we are not alone. President Bill Clinton and Oscar awards ceremony and "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart are both crossword enthusiasts. They even made cameo appearances in a documentary called "Wordplay" about crossword fanatics and a big crossword tournament in Stamford, Connecticut in 2005.

Since the rain seems destined to spoil much of this week's weather, maybe it's time you tried your hand at the crossword puzzle.

News 19 Chief Meteorologist Dan Breeden

News 19 Weather Academy consists of an hour-long assembly during the school day which is held exclusively for students and faculty. In addition, a two-hour open house is held for the public after school. The open house consists of various stations which include weather experiments, autographs, interactive quizzes, free door prizes, and live weather broadcasts with Chief Meteorologist Dan Breeden.

On Thursday, October 18th we are at Independence Elementary School, in Independence, Wisconsin. We invite everyone to attend the open house from 4:30-6:30 pm.

If you would like more information, or perhaps you'd like for us to visit your school email us at: news19.weather@wxow.com

See you in Independence!

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist
 

I took over organizing our academies back in January when I started work at News 19.  There's a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes into the academies.  There are flyers to print up, posters to make, supplies to buy, and people to call.  It takes a lot of work to take our weather show on the road.  We do several science experiments through the afternoon assembly, and ensuring that I have everything we need for the experiments.  We do one experiment with soda cans that implode when we stick them into ice water.    This shows the kids how warm air expands and cold air contracts.  The hot air in the can contracts rapidly when placed in the cold water thus crushing the can from the inside.  The night before the academy, I spend an hour or so boiling and peeling two dozen eggs for the famous "Egg In A Bottle" experiment.  This is the experiment that everyone knows.  Most people I encounter say it's their favorite.  This experiment shows how air flows from a High Pressure to a Low Pressure.

I think one experiment that took me a little bit of time to master would be the experiment showing how hail forms.  We take a blow dryer and turn it on high.  Then we place a ping pong ball in the center of the air flow and try to balance it in the wind.  This shows that there has to be really strong winds in a storm cloud to keep transferring the hail stone up and down through the cloud.  As the stone gets closer to the bottom of the cloud, some of the ice begins to melt.  The high winds push the stone back up to the top of the cloud where it's colder and that melted ice freezes and forms another layer of ice.  That's how hail forms and can get so large.  Here's a little water cooler knowledge for you: the largest hailstone ever recovered in the United States fell in Aurora, Nebraska on June 22, 2003.  It had a 7-inch diameter and a circumference of 18.75-inches.  That blew out the old record of  5.7-inch diameter and 17.5-inch circumference.

Everyone is invited to come out and say hello to us during the open house that runs from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.  You'll get a chance to see the experiments again, get some take home weather facts, and even get an autographed picture from the Forecast Team.  The biggest draw is probably the fact that you'll get to be on television!

Time to gather up the equipment.  I hope to see you there!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Thanks for checking in!

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

But I  need to point out the most important part of the event, the students. They were the highlight of our trip to Indee Boulevard. The kids learned alot from Meteorologists Zach Brown and Andrew Thut, and of course the kids got to be on TV;  always a high point.

Before I wrap this up, I'd like to invite schools that wish to host a Weather Academy to email us with your request at news19.weather@wxow.com . There is no charge and we'd love to visit your school. We are booked up for this school year.

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Until next time,

Andrew Thut
News 19 Meteorologist

I am particularly looking forward to Saturday because I recently found out that the UW-L Planetarium is open for business that afternoon. I can't get to their regular Monday night programs, so I am ready to jump into the car and head over to Cowley Hall for the program at 1 PM. The planetarium director is Gordon Stewart, and I only recently had a chance to meet  and chat with him. I am excited to see his presentation about the sun, moon, stars and all kinds of neat astrononmical objects.

As you can probably tell by now, astronomy is an interest of mine; I even have an inexpensive, but nice telescope. Not only am I excited to see the program Saturday, but I am also going to enquire about the La Crosse Astronomy Club. I'd like to join and go out on some of their viewing nights.

Have a happy and safe weekend.

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Andrew Thut
News 19 Meteorologist

Until next time,

Andrew Thut
News 19 Meteorologist

On a different subject, my legs are a little sore today.  I had dance practice last night for the first time.  Why you ask?  Well, the Scenic Bluffs Chapter of the American Red Crosse is holding their 2nd Annual "Dancing with the La Crosse Stars" fundraiser this November and they asked me to dance as one of their stars.  I met my dance partner a couple of weeks ago, and we got together last night to go over some of the steps.  We decided to do a swing style dance.  We got through just less than half of the dance moves last night.  The biggest thing I noticed about me and dancing ... I have to find my rhythm!

Go ahead and mark Saturday, November 17 on your calendar.  That's the night of the dancing event.  You'll see several dance numbers along with dance groups from Misty's Dance Studio.  The winner of the competition will be determined not only by the judge's score, but the amount of money raised for the Red Cross.  Each dollar you donate counts as one vote for the dance couple.  You can send your pledges to the Red Cross by calling them at (608) 788-1000 or (800) 837-6313.  When you call, don't forget to tell them you want to vote for Zach & Chelsey!!!  You can also email me for more information at zbrown@wxow.com.

Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

First a little lesson in humidity:

You may have noticed that some weather instruments you can buy indicate an indoor and an outdoor relative humidity. That's because temperature plays a big part in the humidity.

Here's an example:
1. Assume the outdoor  air temperature equals 45 degrees and the outdoor humidity equals 60 percent.
2. Then suppose that you bring the air indoors and keep only the same amount of water vapor in that air.
3. In that case, if the air is heated to 70 degrees, then the indoor humidity would equal only 24 percent.

That would be pretty dry and could cause drying out of wooden furniture in your house over an extended period. Dry skin is also a common problem in winter for many people as the humidity drops. Some respiratory conditions can worsen as humidity levels drop.

The common solution is to add water to your indoor air with a humidifier. Keep the humidity at about 40 percent indoors. I remember my mother firing up the humidifier in my room when I got a cold.

As for dry skin, a good moisturizing lotion applied liberally and often will help. Even your hair can be affected by low humidity, so consider using a conditioner to replenish and retain the moisture in your hair.

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Wind shear is a term we use to describe the change in wind speed and direction with height. Most of the time there is wind shear in the atmosphere. Just watch the skies when there are different layers of clouds. In general the higher clouds move more from the west to east and the lower clouds move more with the lower level winds. Their direction is dependent on the position of lows and highs. For instance, if a low pressure area is approaching, the lower level clouds will move from the south or southwest to the north or northeast, while the upper level winds will often be from the west or southwest.

The surface wind speeds are usually at their strongest when the upper level winds are blowing from the same direction as the surface winds. When that happens the upper level winds "drag" the surface winds along as if they have established a connection. That's what happened this evening. Fortunately the winds died down quite a bit within an hour or two after the front passed.

Here are some of the highest gusts recorded for Tuesday evening:

Grand Meadow School (MN)        58 mph
Rochester - Kellogg (MN)                51 mph
Mt. Sterling (WI)                                   44 mph
La Crosse Municipal Airport       43 mph
Sparta (WI)                                                43 mph
Preston (MN)                                            41 mph
Decorah (IA)                                              37 mph

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

I print out my forecast data information from a couple of different sources.  If the forecast calls for rain, I'll check on how much rain is expected and if any of the rain storms will be severe.  After looking over a couple of the computer models, I'll fill out my forecast sheet.  From there, I input my forecast numbers into a computer program that generates my forecast graphics for me.  While my computer is building those graphics, I will make my futurecast graphic.  When I say make my graphic, I mean I physically draw the cold and warm fronts and the high and low pressures on the map myself where they are at that moment and where they'll be in in 48 hours.  I then tell the computer to animate the moving parts into the graphic you see me use on the air.

Not only is forecasting apart of my job, but I also record radio weather forecasts that can be heard throughout the day on COW 97 Country, Real Country KNEI 103.5, and KHPP 1160 AM.  I also record a forecast for our 24 hour weather line (507-895-1900) and I put together our Hollywood Minute segment for the morning show with the latest news and gossip from Hollywood.

After all that, I put a microphone on and put my earpiece in to get ready for showtime.  The earpiece (called an IFB ... interruptible fold back) helps those of us on air hear the newscast as you do at home plus it allows our director and/or producer to talk to us in our ear during the show.  They provide me time cues so I now how much time I have left in my weather show.  I have only 3 minutes to tell you the weather and I have to stick by that time limit.

After Daybreak is over, I do weather cut-ins for Good Morning America alongside Sam Champion.  I also record a forecast that is uploaded to our website.  After our news and weather cut-ins for GMA are over, I chat live with the Morning Moo Crew on COW 97 Country every morning between 9 and 9:30 a.m.  The rest of my day is spent replying to emails and updating the forecasts for our radio partners and 24 hour weather line.  My day usually ends around 10:30 or 11:00 in the morning.

So that's a typical day for me unless severe weather threatens and then I'm in the Forecast Center longer.

Thanks for checking in!

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Since I've discovered the new technology, I've found some of the coolest new products and services. My latest discovery are podcasts. Briefly, a podcast is a recorded program that you download from the internet that is intended to be played back either on your computer or your portable MP3 player. The name "podcast" is derived from the "iPod"--the most popular MP3 player--and "broadcast". Many different kinds of people record these and then upload them to the internet. You can find them either by visiting specific websites or, more commonly, by using iTunes. ITunes makes it easy to find and subscribe to various podcasts, and it turns out that they are free, unlike their downloadable music.

I love science and technology and there are many podcasts dedicated to those subjects. Astronomy is a very popular subject and it fits right in with my interests. I love the NPR science shows and every one of those are available as podcasts. In fact nearly every public radio program is available. I especially like Car Talk with Click and Clack the Tappert Brothers. Since I can't always catch it on the radio, I can now download it and listen at my leisure.

I heartily recommend podcasts for all who like to keep up with the latest in whatever subject you fancy.

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Although the guy in Texas had a pretty powerful telescope, any ordinary backyard telescope can catch a glimpse of the station.  The reason for that is because more and more pieces of the space station are being installed by the space shuttles.  The station is growing so big in size with each shuttle delivery.  Space shuttle Discovery has now docked with the station to deliver a new module and crew member.  NASA also has a great website to keep up on the latest with the shuttle and space station (www.nasa.gov).

If you want to scan the sky and see if you can find the space station or the space shuttle, here is some information for you:

I hope everyone finds this information useful!

Thanks for checking in!

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Until Next Time,

Andrew Thut
News 19 Forecast Team

It just so happens that right now that's just what the next seven days holds for us.  I know a lot of people are heading out this weekend for a multitude of Halloween activities.  You'll definitely want to bundle up for those haunted trails and houses.  I'm thinking about heading to the House of Shadows in Sparta this weekend.  I've heard some great things about it.  I do get scared and, when i get scared, I tend to laugh more than scream.  It's a nervous twitch sort of a thing.  I'll let you know how that turns out!  I'm definitely going to have to wear a jacket while I wait outside in line.

Have a great weekend everyone and I'll see you bright and early Monday morning at 5:30 a.m.!

Thanks for checking in!

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Until Next Time,

Andrew Thut
News 19 Forecast Team

Until Next Time,

Andrew Thut
News 19 Forecast Team

1)  Call the Red Cross office at (608) 788-1000 and use your credit card.
2)  Send your check to the Red Cross at 2927 Losey Blvd, La Crosse, WI  54601
3)  Donate during intermission the night of the event.

However you vote, make sure you put on the check or let the Red Crosse know you want to vote for Zach & Chelsey!!

Please help out by giving to the Red Cross!

Thanks for checking in!

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

That day marks the "official" end of the growing season for 2007. Actually that is a little later than average. Weird, huh?

The progress of the transition toward winter this year illustrates that it is never a smooth one. Cold air masses begin to come southward at this time of the year and with each passing week they get colder and colder. In fact they alternate with the warm air still present over the northern hemisphere and that leads to big swings in our temperatures.

It is inevitable that winter will win out, so it might not be a bad idea to start your preparations now. Schedule a furnace check before the snow flies, and think about putting together a winter travel kit for your automobile. We will have more on those types of things as we get closer to winter over the coming weeks.

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

This has been going on the past couple of days.  It's called an exploding comet.  This picture of comet 17P/Holmes was taken by someone in Buffalo, New York.  It looks like science fiction, but I guess he took the picture at the right moment as the comet was pulsating.  You'll need to look north after sunset if you want to see this space event.  Without a telescope, the comet will be as bright as the stars of the Big Dipper.

Another tid bit of knowledge that I didn't know, Halloween is actually called a cross-quarter date.  It's midway between an equinox and a solstice.  There are four cross-quarter dates during the year: Groundhog Day (Feb. 2), May Day (May 1), Lammas Day (Aug. 1), and Halloween (Oct. 31).  Long ago, the Celts of the British Isles used cross-quarter days to mark the beginning of seasons.  Winter begin on Halloween, or as the called it, Samhain.


You think that's strange?  A massive solar wind stream hit Earth on September 30, 2002 causing about a week of amazing displays of the Northern Lights.  Check out this picture of the Northern Lights taken in Quebec City, Canada:

                     I hope everyone enjoyed these little bits of spooky statistics.  Have a happy and safe Halloween!

Thanks for checking in!

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

One might think so, but I'm not so sure. Critical scientific thinking seems to be in short supply. Some people still believe in UFOs and aliens. People are still willing to believe in alternative medicines or techniques without a shred of actual medical proof that they work. Quick weight loss diets and other snake-oil medicines abound, with potential dangers if abused.

Here's one of my favorites that should be immediately dismissed by critical thinkers: Every few months viewers call in and ask if Mars will really be as bright and big as the full moon. Apparently email hoaxers love that one and keep sending it out periodically. Critical thinkers should and will dismiss that notion right away.

Another myth that should be thrown out is that of the wooly bear caterpillar. How would a lowly insect be able to sense what kind of weather will happen over the following winter season. Same reasoning for Punxutawney Phil and Sun Prairie Jimmy.

A little common sense and knowledge will go a long way.

See you next time!

Dan Breeden

News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Weather Academy teaches students to Be Safe, Not Scared during storms.  Andrew Thut and I teach them some cool facts and make weather fun during an hour long assembly during the afternoon.  It's a great time with the kids interacting with us and showing their enthusiasm for the weather and the experiments.

Come on out and say HI!  We hope to see you there.

Thanks for checking in!

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Anyway, back to Weather Academy. It has been one of our most successful programs. The kids get a great learning experience and a chance to see themselves on TV as we broadcast on location. The Forecast Team and our fellow station volunteers get a chance to see the kids having a ball. Even though it takes a bit of work to put it all together, it's safe to say it is a labor of love. So, thanks to Viroqua for having us and making it all worthwhile.

Our next Weather Academy is at Houston Elementary School in Houston, MN. on January 17, 2008. We invite everyone to attend and check out what we have to offer.

Until next time.

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

    The day was capped by an open house which extended from 4:30 to 6:30. We had all sorts of activities for the kids including experiements, a chance to get autographs and even an opportunity to get on television. We aired the weather portion of our newscast from the school during the five and six o'clock news. The open house was a great success and it was a great turn out. I enjoy getting the opportunity to speak to students to share with them information about the weather and also I like to explain how my career got started. The next Weather Academy will be a bit of a wait though. We skip December because of hectic schedules during the holiday season but we will be back in Houston for a Weather Academy in January.

Until Next Time,

Andrew Thut
News 19 Forecast Team

According to the records  our first flakes of snow will be late this year.

Average first TRACE of snow:                         October 25th
Average earliest measurable snowfall:      November 11th

Average last TRACE of snowfall:               April 18th
Average latest measurable snowfall:     April 4th

Earliest first TRACE of snow:                September 23, 1928

Earliest measurable snowfall:                          September 26, 1942 (0.2")
Earliest first inch of snowfall:                          October 18, 1991 (1.2")

Latest measurable (and TRACE) snowfall:      May 28th, 1947 (0.2")

If you would like more information visit: National Weather Service-La Crosse Snowfall Records

We'll check on other snow facts and trivia as we get into the winter season.

Until next time...

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist
 
 

Until Next Time,

Andrew Thut
News Nineteen Meteorologist

Lake effect snow forms when cold air moves over a warmer body of water. In this case cold air fueled by northwest winds between 25 and 35 mph will pass over the warmer waters of Lake Superior. The cold air close to the surface of the water will warm up and the amount of moisture in the air will increase. Eventually evaporation will raise the moisture higher into the atmosphere and an unstable air mass is created... in turn, snow will fall on the land downwind.

I am looking forward to the next ski season and hopefully I get a chance to make it up to the "U.P."

Until Next Time,

Andrew Thut
News 19 Forecast Team

The first few flakes of snow have arrived, a little late as a matter of fact. I refer to a previous post about important snow milestones. Check back to November 2nd's post called "Early snowfall statistics..."

Lastly, I have been posting comments in response to a viewer's comments regarding that same post about forecasting and global warming, so feel free to comment there. I will start a new post regarding these same topics in the near future.

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist
dbreeden@wxow.com

See ya' next time.

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Okay, I wasn't far off, but the tale of the tape surely shows it. From the numbers above November, December and January are the cloudiest. There is another spike in the cloud normals in March and April. It is no coincidence that these are months in which larger, more powerful storms occur leading to larger areas of stratiform clouds. Typically the sunniest months are July, August and September when there are fewer large low pressure areas and the storm track is farther north.

Hmmm! Maybe that is why I like summer a bit better.

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!


Thanks for checking in!

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Lest you think this has degenerated into a sports blog, I'll get you a weather forecast for the game. They are playing at Lambeau, So here's the Green Bay forecast:

Expect a 30% chance of light showers especially early in the game, otherwise cloudy skies will prevail. The gametime kickoff temperature will start at about 45° and by the end should rise to about 50°. Winds will be from the SSE at 6-12 mph.

Go Pack Go!!!

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Until Next Time,
Andrew Thut
News 19 Forecast Team

Until Next Time,

Andrew Thut
News 19 Forecast Team

Winter Storm Watch means that we're watching a storm system that could bring us winter conditions in 1 to 3 days.  This doesn't mean the storm will affect us, but it means you should watch more closely.

Winter Weather Advisory is issued for winter weather events that are expected to be more of an inconvenience rather than life threatening if caution is exercised.  Usually 3 to 6 inches of snow along with blowing snow and and freezing drizzle are expected.

Winter Storm Warning mean that dangerous winter weather conditions are likely or imminent.  When this is issued, you should tune in to News 19 for the latest weather conditions to keep you safe.

Blizzard Warning is issued when snow or blowing snow reduce visibilities to a 1/4 mile or less with wind gusts of 35+ miles per hour and lasts for three hours or more.  When this is issued you need to remain inside and not travel if you can help it.

Ice Storm Warning is issued when freezing rain will cause a glazing on the roads.  Ice is also expected to reach 1/4 of an inch thick and make travel dangerous.  Travel is not recommended once the storm begins.

Wind Chill Warning means that we're expecting the wind chill to reach -35° below 0° with winds of 10mph or more.  Dress warm and cover all exposed skin as much as possible.  Frost bite sets in very quickly with the wind chill that low.


Now let's talk a little Winter Weather Climatology.  On average, our area gets two to three winter storms every season and one "blizzard" every three years.  Parts of southeast Minnesota and northeast Iowa experience more "blizzards" on average than areas along the Mississippi River and western Wisconsin because of the terrain.  Since 1998 the La Crosse office of the National Weather Service has issued 730 winter related warnings.  Here's a breakdown for you:

Season	# of Warnings
1998-99	55
1999-00	61
2000-01	185
2001-02	69
2002-03	73
2003-04	90
2004-05	105
2005-06	92
2006-07

We'll be talking about the Wind Chill Index, frostbite and hypothermia, winter preparedness, and the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, Weather Radio in the coming days.


Thanks for checking in!

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Wind Chill (F°) = 35.74 + 0.6215T - 35.75 (V^0.16) + 0.4275T (V^0.16)

Where T = Air Temperature (F°) & V = Wind Speed (mph)

The temperature you get is the Wind Chill and that's how cold it's going to feel on bare skin.  The National Weather Service in La Crosse issues a Wind Chill Advisory when the chill factor reaches -20F°.  Levels this cold can cause frostbite to exposed skin in 30 minutes.  A Wind Chill Warning is issued when the chill factor drops to -35F° or lower.  Levels this cold can cause frostbite in as little as 10 minutes.

If you need to go outside, make sure to cover as much exposed skin as possible.  Don't forget to wear lots of layers and put on a hat too.  Most of our heat escapes through our head and a hat will help keep us warm.

Tomorrow we're going to talk about frostbite and hypothermia.


Thanks for checking in!

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

When you're outside, make sure to check the forecast to see what the temps will be along with the wind chill.  You'll want to dress warmly, with several layers.  Dress for the worst just in case.  You can always shed layers later.  Use a warm coat, gloves or mittens, a hat, and water-resistant boots.  Cover as much exposed skin as possible.  If you're outside for a period of time, watch for frostbite on the finger tips, ear lobes, the nose and toes (refer to Winter Weather Topic #3).  Avoid over-exertion.  The cold already puts a strain on the body and heart.

When you're at home or work, make sure you have extra flashlights and batteries.  A battery-powered NOAA Weather Radio or AM/FM portable radio.  Keep a two to three day supply of extra food and water along with extra medicine and baby items.  Stock your first aid kit with supplies.  Invest in a carbon monoxide detector.  If you already have one, change the batteries in it now.  The carbon monoxide detector will help in case you decide to use an emergency heating source.  Never place the heating source near another object that may catch fire.  Many house fires during the winter are caused by incorrect use of a space heater.  Keep the heater at least 36 inches away from other objects and turn it off if you leave the room.

Out on the farm, make sure to move animals to a sheltered area and keep an extra supply of food for them.  Have a fresh water supply for the animals too because most animal deaths during the winter are from dehydration.

At school, have an action plan ready.  School officials will watch the weather carefully and make the decision to cancel, delay, or shorten a school day because of the weather.  You can find that information on our School Closings page on our website here at www.wxow.com/Closings or on the air with our bottom-of-the-screen crawl.

A lot of people will be traveling this winter to visit family for the holidays or vacations in warmer climates.  If you venture out on the roads, make sure to winterize your vehicle and check the battery.  Check the forecast and road conditions before you head out the door.  You may need to consider adjusting your route to avoid poor driving conditions.  Carry a cell phone for use during an emergency.  Always keep your gas tank close to the full mark.  Make sure others know the route you'll take and an approximate time you will arrive at your destination.  If you're late, they will be able to retrace your route and find you.  Yield to snowplows around you.  The snow cloud they can produce can lower visibilities to near zero.  Remember this phrase "Stay Back - Stay Alive!"

Keep an emergency kit in your car at all times.  That kit should include:
- Extra blankets or sleeping bag
- Flashlight with extra batteries
- First Aid kit with pocket knife
- Booster cables
- A rope
- A small shovel
- a bag of sand or cat litter for traction
- Plastic bags (for sanitation)
- Extra gloves, hat, socks
- Non-perishable food items and bottled water
- Road maps (for alternative routes)

If you do get stuck, stay with your car.  DO NOT try to walk to safety.  Start the car for about 10 minutes ever hour for heat.  Keep the exhaust pipe clear of snow.  Tie a bright colored (red or orange) cloth to the antenna.  If you must venture away from the car, use a life-line or rope.

Be careful of dense fog.  Do not drive into a dense fog bank.  Others may be stopped.  In October of 2002, a pile-up on Interstate 43 in eastern Wisconsin killed 10 people during the dense fog.


Tomorrow, we'll wrap up the week with information about the NOAA Weather Radio.



Thanks for checking in!

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

City	ID	Frequency
Rochester, MN	WXK41	162.475 MHz
La Crosse, WI Winona, MN	WXJ86 KGG95	162.550 MHz 162.425 MHz
Black River Falls, WI	WNG564	162.500 MHz
Prairie du Chien, WI Richland Center, WI	WWG86 WWG89	162.500 MHz 162.450 MHz
St.Ansgar, IA Decorah, IA	KXI68 KXI60	162.450 MHz 162.525 MHz
Withee, WI	KZZ77	162.425 MHz

You can pick up a NOAA Weather Radio at any electronics store or on-line.

Make sure you read these tips and prepare yourself for the upcoming winter months.  Abiding by these simple rules will save lives.  Click HERE for more information about weather radios.

Thanks for checking in!

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Here's a list of the 10 longest streaks on record:

  Longest Stretch of Days Without
             Measurable Precipitation
                in La Crosse, WI
                   1872-2007

                Number of
                 Without
               Measurable
    Rank      Precipitation           Dates
    ----      -------------           -----
      1         44 Days       Oct 20 to Dec 2 1976
      2         35 Days       Apr 21 to May 25 1939
      3         32 Days       Dec 13 1947 to Jan 13 1948
      4         30 Days       Apr 10 to May 9 1980
                30 Days       Oct 17 to Nov 15 1952
      6         29 Days       Dec 6 1943 to Jan 3 1944
     7         28 Days       Oct 19 to Nov 16 2007
                28 Days       Dec 9 1986 to Jan 5 1987
                28 Days       Oct 17 to Nov 13 1930
     10         27 Days       Oct 23 to Nov 18 1953
                27 Days       Dec 13 1899 to Jan 8 1900
                27 Days       Nov 16 to Dec 12 1888

Until next time...

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Until Next Time,

Andrew Thut
News 19 Forecast Team

Thanksgiving weather is supposed to be cooler while you're outside playing a game of football with your family.  We will definitely see that cooler weather by the end of the week.  Actually, I'm gonna call it frigid weather by the end of the week.  That's because our highs should be in the lower 40s this time of the year, but we'll struggle to reach 32° by Thursday and Friday.

Along with the cold weather, there is a chance for some more snow accumulation Wednesday through Thursday morning.  The track of the storm has shifted more to the south, so southern Wisconsin appears to be the spot for the most accumulations of snow.  Make sure you check the latest forecast before you head out for the holiday.

Use today and tomorrow to get out those really warm clothes to keep you warm this Thanksgiving.


Thanks for checking in!

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

(thanks to the National Weather Service for this information)

Thanks for checking in!

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

My kids are more grownup now, and it seems that the possible gifts for them have grown more expensive with each passing year. We have gone from Legos and toy trucks to iPods and video game systems. Sheeshhh!

Here I am ranting about Christmas, and we are just passing Thanksgiving. I guess I'm just reflecting the rest of society.

Have a happy Thanksgiving and happy eating!!!

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

What?  Huh?  Oh sorry...I must have dozed off there for a minute.

Have a great Thanksgiving!


Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

I guess it is all in the way you go about it. You can grouse about how unfair it is to have to work on a holiday, or you can treat the day as a great time to enjoy and be with your colleagues. I choose the latter. Of course for it to work it helps to do something different than the normal workday. In this case those of us who have to work joined a fellow coworker for his family's Thanksgiving dinner. Since we work in the evening, there was plenty of time beforehand to pull it off.

It helped to have a Green Bay Packer game on to watch, and of course it was nice to socialize with everyone. The dinner was superb and we all ate too much, but we had fun. To top it off the leftover pumpkin pie joined us in the evening!

I hope your day was as enjoyable as mine.

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Until Next Time,

Andrew Thut,
News 19 Forecast Team

Until Next Time,

Andrew Thut
News 19 Forecast Team

Thanks for checking in!

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

The article quotes information from Temple University and the University of Delaware. Researchers there say old-fashioned simpler "retro" toys  encourage the development of creativity and exploration more than the new high-tech toys and games.  “Your child gets to build his or her imagination around these simpler toys; the toys don’t command what your child does, but your child commands what the toys do,” says Temple University developmental psychologist Kathy Hirsh-Pasek.

When you are choosing toys remember:

1. Choose toys that encourage the child to direct the playing, not the other way around.
2. Choose toys that allow children many options for play. Options for play will encourage imagination.
3. Don't choose toys that promises too much. Chances are a toy won't be able to teach your child calculus or another language.
4. Choose toys that will allow or encourage a child's social interaction skills to develop.

Once again here's the link to a very informative article: Science Daily News-Retro toys...

Happy toy shopping everyone!

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

The battle between that cold air and warmer air to the south will provide the breeding ground for bigger and more powerful low pressure systems, the kind that produce shoveling snow. It also looks like the upper air jet stream will line up to enhance the snow potential, so we shall see.

Of course it is too early to pin down specifics like the track and availability of moisture, so we will need to watch for forecast updates over the next several days. The best chance will be Saturday night and into Sunday, so stay tuned!

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Here is the caption that goes along with the photograph:

Travel will also be impacted from the weekend storm.  During the middle part of the day on Saturday, we could see some of the snow turn to rain and sleet to our south.  We will remain below the freezing mark all weekend, so the roads will likely freeze over and have slick spots.  Click the link below to be taken directly to travel information on our weather page:

News19 Forecast Team Travel Center

We will continue to update you on this storm system through today and tomorrow so you'll know how to plan your weekend.


Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

In this case the computers have been fairly consistent in the big details such as the track and the strength of the low pressure area, so we are pretty confident that Saturday and Saturday night are going to be a mess with heavy snow and a possibility of freezing rain. That means travel conditions will be hazardous. We are still uncertain about the smaller scale details so the amounts of snow are still in question. Plus enough warm air will move northward and the snow could turn into freezing rain or rain. In any case the roads are likely to be messy. Keep in touch with the latest forecasts as we get closer to the weekend.

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

The snowfall rates will reach 1 to 2 inches per hour and accumulations of 4 to 6 inches should occur before the storm system moves far enough north to allow sleet and freezing rain to take over on Saturday afternoon. That should effectively keep the snow amounts down somewhat. However, the roads will likely experience significant glazing because temperatures will remain below 32 degrees.

The storm will then pass us Saturday night and the heavier precipitation will become freezing drizzle and the system will end for Sunday afternoon, though flurries could linger.

Lastly, cold air will once again flow in to start next week, and the snow cover will keep our readings down even more so. Highs will struggle to reach 20 degrees.

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

FILLMORE COUNTY...
SPRING VALLEY 3E              6.0         0524 PM 43.68N 92.31W
SPRING VALLEY 3SW             6.0         0519 PM 43.66N 92.43W

...HOUSTON COUNTY...
HOUSTON 5E                    5.5         0527 PM 43.76N 91.49W
RENO 3SW                      4.8         0532 PM 43.53N 91.33W

WINONA COUNTY...
GOODVIEW                      4.3         0641 PM 44.07N 91.71W
ST CHARLES 5N                 4.0         0516 PM 44.04N 92.07W

...TREMPEALEAU COUNTY...
ETTRICK 2W                    6.0         0925 PM 44.15N 91.35W

...VERNON COUNTY...
DE SOTO                       6.1         0851 PM 43.43N 91.2W
VIROQUA                       6.0         0917 PM 43.55N 90.88W

...LA CROSSE COUNTY...
HOLMEN                        5.0         0508 PM 43.96N 91.26W
LA CROSSE                     4.8         0620 PM 43.83N 91.23W
LA CROSSE 4NW                 4.6         0506 PM 43.85N 91.27W
LA CROSSE NWS                 3.7         0620 PM 43.28N 91.19W

Until Next Time,

Andrew Thut
News 19 Forecast Team

A break from the winter weather won't last long. Round two will come on Tuesday. As of right now it looks like the heaviest snow will occur  Tuesday evening, but flurries will likely start falling Tuesday morning. All of the precipitation should be in the form of snow and accumulations between 2 and 4 inches are possible.

Until Next Time,

Andrew Thut
News 19 Forecast Team

As the title of this blog suggests, this will be a week with a few winter storms to watch out for.  Our first starts Tuesday which could leave us with as much as another 4" of snow by Wednesday morning.  Thursday night brings us another round of light snow.  This particular storm doesn't look like it will leave too many inches, if any, of accumulation.  There is another, stronger winter storm that may arrive by this weekend.  It could produce more measurable snow fall.

While I can't give out exact tracks and snow amounts for the Thursday storm and the weekend storm, I mention them for you to be aware of.  It helps to know ahead of time when you may need to watch out for the weather if you're going to be traveling or having fun outside.

What I can say for sure is that tomorrow's storm will be mainly snow and many of us will see as much as four more inches of snow.


Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Now to make matters worse another snow system is making its way into our neck of the woods. It should produce 3" to 5" inches in the area, this time without the sleet and freezing rain. It should start in the morning Tuesday and continue well into Tuesday evening; even a few flurries are possible on Wednesday. The storm itself will also keep the colder than normal weather around for the rest of the week.That itself is an interesting contrast to the Autumn we just passed. Meteorological Autumn--September, October and November--was the 9th warmest on record.

As long as I am quoting climate statistics here are two more:
1. 8th wettest year on record (thanks to August and its flooding)
2. 8th driest November on record (Here's to balancing things out?)

Until next time...

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

A third winter storm will arrive this weekend, and it appears to be a little stronger then its predecessors.  The timing of that storm is still uncertain, as are the snow amounts, but we'll track it closer as the week progresses.


Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
0625 PM CST TUE DEC 04 2007

...RECENT REPORTED SNOWFALL TOTALS...

LOCATION      SNOWFALL  TIME    LAT/LON

IOWA

...ALLAMAKEE COUNTY...
WAUKON 8NW                    1.0         0327 PM 43.34N 91.6W

...HOWARD COUNTY...
CRESCO                        0.5         0338 PM 43.38N 92.13W

...WINNESHIEK COUNTY...
OSSIAN                        1.5         0336 PM 43.15N 91.77W


MINNESOTA

...DODGE COUNTY...
MANTORVILLE                   2.0         0523 PM 44.07N 92.75W

...HOUSTON COUNTY...
SPRING GROVE                  1.5         0253 PM 43.56N 91.64W

...OLMSTED COUNTY...
BYRON                         3.3         0548 PM 44.03N 92.65W
ROCHESTER KTTC TV             3.0         0617 PM 44.08N 92.51W
ROCHESTER AIRPORT             2.7         0613 PM 43.94N 92.5W

...WABASHA COUNTY...
KELLOGG 4S                    1.5         0324 PM 44.24N 91.99W
OAK CENTER                    1.0         0327 PM 44.35N 92.4W

...WINONA COUNTY...
WINONA                        2.0         0327 PM 44.05N 91.66W


WISCONSIN

...BUFFALO COUNTY...
MONDOVI                       3.1         0612 PM 44.57N 91.67W
GILMANTON 8SE                 2.0         0242 PM 44.39N 91.6W

...CLARK COUNTY...
NEILLSVILLE                   3.3         0611 PM 44.56N 90.59W

...GRANT COUNTY...
CASSVILLE 8NE                 1.0         0623 PM 42.80N 90.89W

...JACKSON COUNTY...
MERRILLAN                     2.5         0513 PM 44.45N 90.84W
HATFIELD                      1.0         0351 PM 44.42N 90.73W

...LA CROSSE COUNTY...
WEST SALEM                    2.6         0548 PM 43.90N 91.08W
LA CROSSE NWS                 2.3         0555 PM 43.28N 91.19W
HOLMEN                        2.1         0454 PM 43.96N 91.26W
LA CROSSE                     2.0         0607 PM 43.83N 91.23W
HOLMEN 2S                     1.8         0459 PM 43.95N 91.26W

...MONROE COUNTY...
KENDALL                       3.0         0443 PM 43.79N 90.37W

...RICHLAND COUNTY...
RICHLAND CENTER               0.8         0351 PM 43.34N 90.38W

...TAYLOR COUNTY...
LUBLIN                        3.0         0317 PM 45.08N 90.72W

...TREMPEALEAU COUNTY...
OSSEO                         3.5         0535 PM 44.58N 91.21W

...VERNON COUNTY...
DE SOTO                       1.8         0547 PM 43.43N 91.2W
WESTBY 3ENE                   1.2         0432 PM 43.66N 90.82W

OBSERVATIONS ARE COLLECTED FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES WITH VARYING
EQUIPMENT AND EXPOSURE.  NOT ALL DATA LISTED IS CONSIDERED OFFICIAL.

These are pretty early results, but they certainly indicate a real mess on area roads.
As always exercise caution on area roads.

Until next time,

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Get ready 'cause here it comes...


Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Until Next Time,

Andrew Thut
News 19 Forecast Team

There is not other word for it.  It was just plain COLD this morning.  Yeah, I'm sure there are those of you out there saying "it wasn't that bad" or "its supposed to be this cold".  I don't mind the cold or the snow.  I really don't, but when you get down to -22°F, you're allowed to say BRRRRRR!  Owen in Clark County Wisconsin reached that frigid temperature at around 7 a.m. this morning.  You can bet that those wind chills were down between -30°F and -40°F.

To top things off, the snow has continued to fall from the sky.  I've heard some people say this is a rare occurrence to have this much snow so early in the season.  Thanks to help from the National Weather Service in La Crosse, I can tell you that this isn't that unusual.  As the graphic below shows, we only have to go back two years to the 2005-2006 snow season to find that 10.5" of snow were on the ground by December 6.  Our snow depth is greater this year than it was that year (8" compared to 3").  Hopefully we'll see the snowmobile trails open real soon!  1996 was the year of greatest snowfall by December 6.  Around 16.2" of snow was already on the ground that year.

I would not be surprised if we see over 12" of total snow on the ground after the snow tonight.  Although the heaviest amounts will be well to our south, our area is expecting 2" to 4".  This snow, and the snow coming this weekend, will be the white, fluffy stuff.  It's going to be very easy to clear off of cars and driveways and sidewalks.  I'm sure everyone will be (if not already) sore by this weekend and will be happy for the relief we are seeing come to us next week.

Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Until Next Time,

Andrew Thut
News 19 Forecast Team

Until Next Time,

Andrew Thut,
News 19 Forecast Team

These are my opinions, but I would love to hear yours.

On another topic now, this is also the season for Christmas music, movies, and even theater.  The one play that always come to mind when you think of Christmas theater is A Christmas Carol.  I had the pleasure of watching my first play since I moved to the area in January.  The La Crosse Community Theater cast did a bang up job bringing one of the classic stories of the Christmas season to life.  Scrooge is still mean and grumpy and the ghosts still teach him an important lesson.  There is nothing like seeing a live play on stage.  I think everyone should have the opportunity to sit in a theater and see one on stage.


Thanks for checking...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

I remember a winter back in the late 1980s in which I helped my sister change a flat tire. It was Christmas Eve and she was driving up from Laredo, Texas. The winds were blowing and the wind chills were about 20 to 30 below zero. I think I actually suffered frostbite in a couple of fingers that night, but I managed to get her to my residence.

Since then I have paid closer attention to general shifts of weather patterns and it seems this year that we are a bit early. So far we haven't broken any record low temperatures, but we certainly have been below average and late in the week we will get even colder, so bundle up folks!

Do you have any cold weather stories to tell? Email me at: dbreeden@wxow.com I'd love to hear about them.

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Which brings me to the latest cool climate info for La Crosse. We are only 11 days into the month and we are already talking about a very wet and snowy start to December. So far the La Crosse Municipal Airport, the official site for the city, has its wettest start to this month since 1927 with 1.69" of precipitation. It is also the snowiest start to December since 1990 with 10.3". Here's more:

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
441 PM CST TUE DEC 11 2007

...LA CROSSE WI HAS THEIR SNOWIEST START TO A DECEMBER SINCE 1990...

DURING THE FIRST TEN DAYS OF DECEMBER...LA CROSSE REGIONAL AIRPORT
HAS RECEIVED 10.3 INCHES OF SNOW.  THIS IS SEVEN TENTHS OF AN INCH
ABOVE THE DECEMBER NORMAL OF 9.6 INCHES.  THIS WAS THE SNOWIEST
START TO A DECEMBER SINCE 1990 WHEN 14.4 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION
FELL.  THE TABLE BELOW CONTAINS THE SNOWIEST STARTS TO A DECEMBER IN
LA CROSSE.

               TEN SNOWIEST STARTS
                   TO A DECEMBER
                 IN LA CROSSE WI
                    1909-2007

                  DECEMBER 1-10
         RANK      SNOW TOTAL        YEAR
         ----     -------------      ----
           1       23.3 INCHES       1927
           2       14.4 INCHES       1990
           3       11.8 INCHES       1925
           4       10.3 INCHES       2007
           5       10.2 INCHES       1926
           6       10.0 INCHES       1950
           7        9.6 INCHES       1947
           8        8.1 INCHES       1969
           9        7.5 INCHES       1978
          10        7.3 INCHES       1972

Plus:

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
440 PM CST TUE DEC 11 2007

...LA CROSSE WI HAS THEIR WETTEST START TO A DECEMBER SINCE 1927...

DURING THE FIRST TEN DAYS OF DECEMBER, LA CROSSE REGIONAL AIRPORT
HAS RECEIVED 1.69 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION.  THIS IS 0.46 INCHES
ABOVE THE DECEMBER NORMAL OF 1.23 INCHES.  THIS WAS THE WETTEST
START TO A DECEMBER SINCE 1927 WHEN 2.07 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION
FELL.  THE TABLE BELOW CONTAINS THE WETTEST STARTS TO A DECEMBER IN
LA CROSSE.

                TEN WETTEST STARTS
                   TO A DECEMBER
                 IN LA CROSSE WI
                    1872-2007

                  DECEMBER 1-10
                  PRECIPITATION
         RANK         TOTAL          YEAR
         ----     -------------      ----
           1       2.07 INCHES       1927
           2       2.01 INCHES       1879
           3       1.93 INCHES       1925
           4       1.82 INCHES       1912
           5       1.69 INCHES       2007
           6       1.56 INCHES       1875
           7       1.51 INCHES       1947
           8       1.44 INCHES       1990
           9       1.41 INCHES       1926
          10       1.29 INCHES       1971

Until next time,

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Until Next Time,

Andrew Thut
News 19 Forecast Team

Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

StormVision allows us to more quickly and accurately diagnose and track severe summer and winter storms. In fact, this latest upgrade affords us a better way to track the bands of rain, snow and mixed precipitation, so it was very nice to get a look at the latest. It will be very helpful as we get throught this winter. There are also a number of improvements to the interface we use behind the scenes, so you won't notice them, but they will be very helpful to the meteorologists here.

Gotta go now!

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Until Next Time,

Andrew Thut
News 19 Forecast Team

Until Next Time,

Andrew Thut
News 19 Forecast Team

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

The chances of a "white" Christmas are pretty good anyway. On average the La Crosse National Weather Service says 7 to 8 out of 10 have either an inch or more of snow on the ground, or an inch or more falls on the holiday itself.

Here are more fun facts from the NWS:

La Crosse Christmas Facts

Temperatures...

Precipitation...

Overall chance for a "white" Christmas in La Crosse: 72%

Until next time,

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Getting back to the forecast, expect drizzle to end the work week and on Saturday the next winter storm will be heading into our picture. The forecast models have been fairly inconsistent with this storm so it is difficult to put our thumb down on the exact track of the storm. However, as of right now expect a chance of a wintery mix early Saturday morning but as cooler air approaches it will likely switch over to snow. As of right now I am leaning towards 2-4 inches of snow on Saturday but we will keep you updated with that storm as it draws closer. If you plan on doing any traveling on Saturday, it wouldn't be a bad idea to give yourself some extra time as the roads could get slippery. The holidays are a time to enjoy family and friends, and staying safe in your journeys from point A to point B is important too.

Until Next Time,

Andrew Thut
News 19 Forecast Team

    As far as today goes, fog will cause some traveling problems. A Dense Fog Advisory is in effect until noon for all of the counties in the viewing area except Jackson and Monroe. This morning visibilities were down as low as 0 to 0.25 miles in southeastern Minnesota so if you are traveling west this morning you will likely encounter some thicker fog.

Drive Safe and Happy Holidays!

Andrew Thut
News 19 Forecast Team

The computers are leaning a bit southeast of here for the heaviest, but the supercomputers that forecast the weather patterns have had a tough time handling the complexity of this upcoming system. That means you should monitor the forecasts closely right up to and through the weekend. The preliminary estimates are in the 4 to 6 inch range for the La Crosse area with less west and a bit more, up to 8 inches or so, to the east.

Once the rapidly intensifying low pressure area gets to the east Saturday night and Sunday the winds will blow vigorously, and you can expect considerable blowing and drifting, and falling temperatures and wind chill values. Highs Saturday will start in the middle 30s and drop into the upper 20s by late afternoon. On Sunday the afternoon will show readings only in the upper teens.

Bundle up and be careful when venturing out this weekend.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Travel safe this holiday weekend and enjoy the snow!

Andrew Thut
News 19 Forecast Team

Merry Christmas,

Andrew Thut
News 19 Forecast Team

Will we add to it? Quite probably, as a couple more low pressure areas will affect us the rest of the week and another on New Years Eve. The first one will spread light snow later tonight and into early tomorrow night adding an inch or so to the snow cover.

The second is a more powerful storm for Friday and it could bring out the snow shovels and snowblowers yet again. 4 or more inches of snow is possible to end this holiday week. The third system will be weak and we are uncertain of amounts at this time.

Typically, according to the National Weather Service, the average or normal snow cover on Christmas morning is 4 inches. 78 of the last 114 years have had an inch or more. That makes 36 that have not, so we usually get our wish.

Have a great Christmas and a happy holiday season!

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

I'll start with our own modern calendar used by most on the planet earth. It is called the Gregorian calendar, which was adopted by and named for Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. It is a reform of the Julian calendar, which was adopted by the Roman emperor Julius Caesar in 45 BC.

The Julian calendar, in turn was an approximation of the tropical year. What is a tropical year you say? Here I quote from Wikipedia:

"A tropical year (also known as a solar year) is the length of time the Sun, as seen from the Earth, takes to return to the same position along the ecliptic (its path among the stars on the celestial sphere) relative to the equinoxes and solstices, or the time interval needed for the mean tropical longitude of the Sun to increase by 2π (360 sexagesimal degrees, a complete turn)."

Phew, That's a mouthful! There are also the Sidereal year. Again I quote from the Wiki...:

"The sidereal year is the time taken for the Sun to return to the same position with respect to the stars of the celestial sphere." "The sidereal year is 20 minutes and 24 seconds longer than the tropical year."

Finally, there are other astronomical years:
-anomalistic year
-Draconic year
-heliacal year
-sothic year
-Gaussian year
-Besselian year-variant of the tropical year

Arrgh! I am getting a headache! If you want to know more, you know where to look it up!

Until next time,

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Until Next Time,

Andrew Thut
News 19 Forecast Team

Until Next Time,

Andrew Thut
News 19 Forecast Team

Until Next Time,

Andrew Thut
News 19 Forecast Team

10. December 1 Winter Storm

After the eighth driest November in La   Crosse, December started off with a bang. The first snow storm of the 2007-2008 winter season occurred during the first weekend of December and produced treacherous conditions that made driving difficult. The storm system started in the Rockies before pushing into the central Plains and eventually the Midwest. Initially the storm brought heavy snow which made for quick accumulations, but warm air advection from southerly winds caused the precipitation type to change to sleet by the early afternoon. The temperature at the surface was still in the mid to upper 20s, but warm air aloft caused the precipitation to fall in the form of sleet. The warm air mass continued to push northward and by the evening temperatures pushed near the freezing mark. At this point the precipitation became less widespread but on and off freezing rain fell in La Crosse. Most areas ended up reporting between 3 and 6 inches of snow and sleet accumulation. In most cases a quarter of these totals were from sleet alone!  The freezing rain arguably had the biggest impact on the area. Our station is located on top of the bluffs in La Crescent and the roads were more slippery than they were during the largest snow storm in La Crosse history which occurred last February. Believe it or not, it was so slippery on December 1 that some road crews were even pulled off the roads. The snowy start to the month was just an introduction to what became the fifth snowiest December on record.

9. Drought 2007

While it was the sixth wettest year in La   Crosse history, drought developed this summer. During June and July, up to 4" precipitation deficits produced moderate drought conditions across west central and central Wisconsin. Conditions became even worse by August for southeast Minnesota when a moderate to severe drought developed. Record rains eventually alleviated the drought in southeast Minnesota and west central and central Wisconsin but moderate drought continued in north central Wisconsin till mid October.

8. February Cold and Wind Chills

It is hard to think about winter, without thinking about cone chilling temperatures. That was the case last February as cold weather and wind created dangerously low wind chills for the area from February 2 - 5. The lowest wind chill recorded during the period was -42F at Monona, IA and Medford, WI. It was so cold that on February 4th the areas high temperatures were below zero. It was the coldest start to February since 1996 and the month eventually became to coldest February on record since 1989. Temperatures throughout the month generally ran around 8 to 9 degrees below zero.

7. December 22-23 Winter Storm

This storm should be fresh in your mind as it caused all sorts of traveling problems for the holiday weekend. A cold front passed through the region during the afternoon of Saturday, December 22^nd. Snow picked up and became heavy by the evening and snowfall rates reached 1 to 2 inches per hour. Snow totals were the highest near the Mississippi river and across western Wisconsin. By Sunday evening snow reports in La Crosse were as high as 14 inches and 11.4" officially fell at the La Crosse airport making it the 6^th largest December snow storm on record. Aside from just heavy snow, winds became increasingly strong on Sunday. At higher elevations and in open areas blowing snow produced drifting and near white out conditions.

6. February 28 - March 2 Winter Storm

This storm marked the second major winter storm in less than a week as it followed the largest snow storm in La Crosse history. The second storm dropped anywhere between 6 and 12 inches of snow throughout the News 19 Viewing area. Blowing and drifting snow was again a problem as many roads were closed. Snow wasn't the only issue with this storm, up to a quarter of an inch of ice in some locations made travel nearly impossible.

5. July 17 - 18 Flash Flooding

Not much of the area will remember this storm but areas struck by the storm had stories to tell that will go on for years to come. During the evening of July 17^th, thunderstorms dropped nearly 10 inches of rain near Marquette, IA. Flash flooding caused numerous mud and rock slides and debris flows. In Bagley, WI (Grant County) flood waters collected in valleys and sent waves of debris into area bridges and flood water were backed up into the community. Fifty people had to be rescued from their homes and around 400 homes were damaged in the village. The storm caused plenty of financial headaches… railroad tracks were washed out which caused damages over a million dollars.

4. June 7 Severe Weather

On June 7^th supercell thunderstorms developed which caused wind damage and large hail. 37 warnings were issued as a result of the event which produced up to baseball sized hail in Rockland and Bangor. Hundreds of cars were damaged at car lots in West Salem. This was the same storm that also produced the largest tornado in Wisconsin for 2007 in the northeastern portion of the state. That tornado caused a very impressive line of damage which was viewable from satellite images.

3. August Rainfall

Numerous rainfall records were set in August through out the region. While many of the daily records were established from the August 18-19 flash flooding, 43 locations had their wettest month ever (including La Crosse, WI and Rochester, MN) while 13 had their wettest August ever. The cooperative observer 1 mile south of Hokah had 23.86" of rain for the month setting a brand new record in Minnesota, while Viroqua, WI had 21.74" that broke the Wisconsinrecord. This was also one of the wettest years on record.

The following table has the top 20 locations that set records for the wettest month (most rainfall) on record. (23 other locations not listed also set records)

2. February 23-25 Blizzard

A major winter storm produced blizzard conditions, heavy snow, and significant ice over a several day period that harshly impacted the region towards the end of February.   Freezing rain led to ice accumulation nearly an inch thick in parts of northeast Iowa and southeast Minnesota isolating communities and knocking hundreds of power poles down.  Two rounds of heavy snow fell that included lightning and significant drifting from strong winds.  Blizzards conditions were experienced nearly everywhere on February 24th.  Snowfall totaled 20" or more in many areas (nearly 30" in Winona County, MN) and set new records for daily, event, and monthly snowfall.

1. August 18-19 Flash Flood

A historic heavy rain and subsequent flash flood event hit mainly southeast Minnesota and western
Wisconsin when up to 17" of rain fell along and near Interstate 90 west and south of La Crosse. Flash flooding led to major mudslides, river flooding, and road closures as bridges were washed away. Seven fatalities were directly related to the flash flooding in southeast
Minnesota and another occurred in Richland County, WI. Ten counties in the region were declared federal disaster areas. A new official 24-hour rainfall record was set in Minnesota and an unofficial record was set in Wisconsin. Rush Creek flooded the city of Rushford, MN while other creeks hit
Stockton and Minnesota City, MN hard. Some river locations in southeast Minnesota hit record levels. Whitewater State Park in southeast Minnesota was closed due to heavy damage. The Kickapoo River in southwest Wisconsin flooded and remained high for numerous days afterward hitting the 2nd highest crest on record. In addition to river flood warnings, a total of 30 flash flood warnings were issued in just over 24 hours.

Until Next Time,

Andrew Thut
News 19 Forecast Team

In addition, a powerful storm will move into the central United States for early next week, and you can expect a round or two of significant rainfall. Because of the warmer readings and the rain lots of runoff is likely and even some minor flooding, so be cautious in flood prone areas next week. Colder weather comes in for the middle of next week.

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Amy DuPont asked me back in August what sort of meals I was really looking forward to when I went home then.  I had talked about an oyster roast as being one of my favorite types of "family style" meals.  Well, we didn't get to have one in August, but this time was different.  One of my oldest brothers brought about two and a half bushels of oysters to my parent's house.  A bushel is anywhere from 25 to 30 pounds.

There are many ways to purchase oysters.  You can get clusters of them which is where there are multiple oysters in shells in the same group.  You can also get singles.  That's where the clusters have been cracked apart from one another and you only open one at a time.  Oh, and the saying goes that oysters are only good to harvest and eat during the months with an "R" in them.

There are many ways to cook them.  You can fry them, turn them into stew, or steam them.  We prefer to steam them.  To do that, you place a small amount of water in the bottom of a steamer and then throw a load of the oysters in the basket and place it into the steamer for about half an hour depending on how juicy you want them.  The longer you cook them, the less juice there is.  Some folks in the south even eat the oysters raw.  That's a little too much for my taste buds, but my brother seems to like them that way.

After steaming, you throw them on a table with newspaper down and use an oyster knife  to pry open the shells and retrieve the meat inside.  Sometimes we dip them in a ketchup based sauce and eat them on a saltine cracker.  Like I said, there are many ways to eat them.

Below you will find a few pictures of our family oyster roast and what an oyster looks like.  Get out and try them sometime.  They may look gross, but they taste so good!

Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown,
Daybreak Meteorologist

Jordann Ojanpa and I talked a little about our pet peeves, and I was surprised to find out she has a pet peeve about onions.  I'm not sure what that's all about.  I do agree with her when she said people should chew with their mouth closed nor should they talk with a mouth full of food.

I have a problem with certain drivers on the road.  First, the blinker situation.  Yes, there is a situation when it comes to the blinker.  Ever find yourself sitting at the stop sign waiting to turn, but a car's coming.  You wait and wait and the driver of the other car doesn't turn their blinker on.  The first thing I typically think to myself is, I could have turned already if the blinker had been on.  Automotive companies put the blinkers there for a reason.  Use 'em!

Another pet peeve has to do with stop lights.  When the light turns green, that means go.  I understand sitting at the light for a second to make sure no one decides to run the red light.  I'm a very cautious driver myself, but there isn't a need to continue to hold up traffic for more then a second or two.  When the light turns green, look around and go!

Ok, I'm off my soap box for today.  Enjoy the weekend, but make sure your umbrella is nearby in case a little shower passes by.  Temps will warm to the mid 40s by Sunday, and the snow will melt causing some minor flooding.  Keep an eye on the forecast through the weekend.

Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown
Daybreak Meteorologist

This all brings about a possibility of some minor flooding, not this weekend, but for Monday and into Tuesday. A stronger storm system will tap into gulf moisture and produce a heavy, at least by January standards, amount of rain. The big lingering question is whether the heaviest will line up with the Seven Rivers Region.

Just another good reason to keep an eye on the forecast everyday.

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Until Next Time,

Andrew Thut
News 19 Forecast Team

Another low pressure area will then come into play for Thursday and since colder weather will be in  place expect snow to be the precipitation of record. The storm should be a bit stronger, so it has a potential for bringing shoveling snow for part of the Upper Midwest. The big question is whether the heavier snow will favor the News 19 viewing area. It is certainly possible, but our computer guidance is not real definitive right now, so keep an eye on the forecasts leading up to Thursday.

Behind that system colder air should return leaving us with highs in the 20s.

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

The stats for the month of January are pretty clear cut. We just don't get tornadoes in the middle of winter. Until yesterday, only one twister had been reported in January in the state of Wisconsin over the last 163 years. The last one happened in 1967, forty one years ago. Be careful of that fact however. Population has grown, and standards and awareness for reporting severe weather have changed, especially over the last 30 years or so. It probably means that more than one has occured, but they either weren't spotted in less populated zones or they may have been considered too small to be reported. No tornadoes have been reported in the month of February in Wisconsin.

That being said, tornadoes are still very rare in the cold season here in the northern part of United States. Here's another interesting fact to consider in the News 19 viewing area. It turns out that no tornadoes have been reported in December, January and February around here.

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

The cold weather will also make a return this weekend.  Typically we should be in the mid 20s for our normal highs right now.  We'll be near that this weekend and into next week.  Lows will also tumble this weekend into the middle teens and then the single digits next week.

This winter has brought the entire country some really odd weather.  I still can't imagine the Sierra Nevada area getting the nearly 12 feet of snow this past weekend.  At some point, you won't have anywhere else to shovel or blow that snow to.  I'd think the only thing to do then would to stay inside and keep your doors clear so at least you don't get snowed in.  I'd also like to see snow tunnels built everywhere so you just walk through the tunnel to get to a neighbor or the store.  That might be fun.  The southeast has had an extremely warm winter.  I believe nearly 16 cities saw record highs Monday.  Plus the tornados that were seen all over the Midwest were amazing too.  Like Dan said, it's been over 160 years since the state of Wisconsin has seen a tornado in January.

I mention these facts because it goes along with the predictions for the winter season that the Climate Prediction Center put out.  They said that we would have an equal chance for a normal winter in the Seven River's Region.  The southwest and southeast had a very high percent that they'll have a warm winter, while the northwest had a very high percent that they'd have a wetter than normal winter.

I just thought that was a little interesting piece of information since I get several phone calls in the fall asking what the predictions were for the winter.  It looks like the forecasts are in line this year.


Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

This year our party starts a little earlier for those that want to take in the Packer-Seahawk playoff game. Count me in!!! I say that with a little trepidation, though. The last time our party included a Packer playoff game, was in 2003  against Atlanta and the outcome was not pretty. The Packers lost 27-7 in a blowout at Lambeau. The mood was somber for awhile that year for WXOWers.

Of course, I also remember watching a Packer victory against San Francisco in January of 1996 when they were rebuilding toward a Super Bowl victory. I was so amazed after 30 years of futility, that they could beat the 49ers and get to the NFC Championship game. They did lose the next week to the Cowboys, but that still was a very special Christmas party.

Hopefully this year will bring a Packer victory and a great celebration.

By the way, in researching this entry I came across a complete history of Green Bay Packer playoff results. Here is the link: Green Bay Packer Playoff History.

The weather will be a bit dicey with the threat of light snow and slippery roads, but the storm won't be a big snow maker; maybe an inch or so; but we should be in relatively good travel shape for the weekend.

Until next time,
Have a great weekend!

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Go Pack Go!

Andrew Thut
News 19 Forecast Team

I would have to say that the highlight of the past year was getting to fly on Fat Albert during the air show last summer.  In case you don't know what that is, Fat Albert is the cargo plane that travels with the US Navy Blue Angels and opens the show for the Angels.  Eight solid fuel rockets are strapped to the sides of the plane and they ignite sending you straight into the air at a 45° angle.  Once the desired altitude is reached, the pilot slams the stick forward to level the plane out and everyone is weightless for a few seconds.  That was a trip!  My legs went out from under me and if I hadn't been belted in, I would have been floating to the top of the plane.  After many twists and turns above the airport in La Crosse, my stomach didn't fare so well as we went to land.  I'll save you the details, but I was the only passenger to get his shirt dirty and need a breath mint after the flight.

The last year has also allowed me to meet so many wonderful students across the area with our Weather Academies.  This is a great tool to teach the younger generations about severe weather and how to be safe during those severe storms.  I love seeing the smiles on the kid's faces and answering the many questions they may have.

I've also enjoyed working with the great people at the station.  They have made my first year go really smooth and have been very helpful.  It's been a joy working with Amy DuPont and watching her develop with little Bryce.  Jordann Ojanpa has been a hoot to work with the last few months while Amy has been out.  What would a newscast be without a producer, director and production crew.  They are the best in the business.

The weather here is a far cry from the steamy temps in the south that I grew up with, but I have grown to love the seasons in the Seven River's Region and I look forward to what this year has in store.


Thanks for checking in!

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

For the next week or so we will bolster the colder side of the equation and make up for some of the warmer readings earlier this month.

The colder air is coming in steps this time around. We got a shot of the chill today as highs slipped into the middle teens for the afternoon. The jet stream is starting to orient more north to south. As you look at this first map you will notice a weak overhead ripple in the jet. That ripple dragged in somewhat colder air that came from southern Canada. Colder air but only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. If you look at the eastern Pacific you will see another trough of low pressure moving in. That one will approach and pass through on Wednesday, triggering a batch or two of light snow and possibly slippery roads. We don't foresee a major snowfall, but a couple of inches are possible.

In this second graphic you will see the trough deepen over the central US and drag even more cold air into the country, but it is still not the main event.

That will come just in time for the weekend. Expect single digit highs and lows that will have miuns signs in front of them. Those readings should represent the coldest air of the season. The third map shows the expected jet stream pattern for Saturday and Sunday. If you are lucky enough to get Packer-Giant NFC Championship tickets, be ready for extremely cold weather.

Finally, this jet stream configuration could repeat itself, so don't be surprised by colder than normal temperatures for an extended period of time.

Until next time;

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Double-breasted suits are also a big thing, but not everyone should wear them.  Traditionally, single-breasted suits tend to flatter the slim guy, while the double-breasted suit makes the broad look mighty.  Think about this, watch David Letterman sometime.  He most often wears a double-breasted suit.  He gets away with it because he sits behind a desk most of the time when the jacket is on.  Watch him during his monologue and notice how many times he fiddles with his buttons.  Is he uncomfortable with the way the jacket sits or is it just a nervous twitch?  You make the call.

The next topic for discussion is the necktie.  It started as a trend during the Thirty Year War when soldiers wore neckerchiefs tied around their necks.  It evolved into the late 17th with both men and women wearing laced cravats around their necks.  You can even see the Terracotta Warriors in China wearing knotted neckerchiefs around their necks.  The necktie, as it's become to be known, is standard business or formal attire.  Its also apart of many uniforms.  It gives the person a more dignified look.  The real reason to wear a tie is to cover the buttons on your dress shirt.

After tying the tie around your collar, the wide end should hang down to the center of your belt buckle.  It can either be tucked in to the waistband of your pants or left out.  If you wear suspenders, the wide end of the tie should just touch the waistband of your pants.  Depending on how big you want the knot to look on your neck, that will determine how low the wide end hangs down.  Here's a broadcast secret for you.  Next time you watch the news, look at the ties of the anchors.  The larger the knot, the shorter the tie will be if they stand up.  That is, if they stand up.  Most news anchors get away with a larger knot and shorter tie because they are sitting behind a desk and you never see it.  If the anchor is standing and they have a big knot, the tie can still be shorter.  As long as the bottom button is undone and you can't see their shirt, that is alright.  You should be able to see the tie otherwise.  My knots may not be that big, but my ties hang where they are supposed to be (from a fashion stand point).

I thought these would be some helpful tips in case someone points out to you that your tie is too long or short and that your jacket isn't buttoned properly.  I was able to Google all this information.  I encourage everyone to do that and read over the other great fashion tips out there.

Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

My initial thought was that if the object were Texas-sized I would already have heard about it. That would certainly be worthy of a national news story. I was a bit skeptical, but I tried to answer his questions as if it were true. No, I did not think that it would alter Mars' orbit. Yes, debris ejected into space could eventually make it to earth, but not in great enough quantity to affect our weather. (I love those kinds of challenging what-if questions.)

After thanking him for the call, I visited the NASA JPL website to check for updates. The asteroid in question, 2007 WD5, was only about 50 meters  or 164 feet in diameter; not exactly Texas-sized, but certainly a large piece of rock. It also turns out that more observations have been done and the path of the asteroid will take it past Mars without impacting its suface. Martians can breathe a sigh of carbon dioxide relief. An object that size would have made a half mile wide crater.

As a side note, the two functioning Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity would have escaped any hit by the asteroid, so they can safely continue to send data back to earth.

Lastly, scientists have been watching an asteroid named Apophis for a possible close approach to earth in 2029 and again in 2036, but the current calculations leave only a miniscule chance of a collision, so we can rest easy.

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist
  

Highs for Saturday and Sunday will struggle to reach zero degrees and overnight lows will drop to between 10 and 20 degrees below zero. The below normal temperatures are likely to continue well into next week. BRRRRRRR!!!!!

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Stay warm this weekend!

Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Now, on to the next phase of this mid-winter pattern. It involves another low pressure system coming in from the northwest. Light snow will fall, perhaps an inch or two, but the biggest threat will be from blowing and drifting snow, especially in the rural areas. Near white-out conditions will occur by Friday afternoon. In addition, the coldest air of the season will flow south into the area for the weekend.

It includes Saturday and Sunday highs near zero and overnight lows of -10 to -20. Wind chill values for Friday night and Saturday will be in the -20 to -35 degree range. All in all a great weekend to be indoors, if you want to avoid frostbite or worse.

The weather patterns are a result of cold air building up across Canada, some of the air straight from across the North Pole from Siberia. The north-south oriented jetstream will continue to funnel the air into the country this weekend and into much of next week. It should be a relatively dry weather pattern after Friday with only coupld of chances of flurries next week.

Until next time;

Dan Breeden
News 19 Chief Meteorologist

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Our next featured pet is Jasmine.  She's a 5 month old lab cross.  She was recently surrendered to the shelter and they want to find her a new home quick.  She is a puppy and acts like one too.  The ideal home for Jasmine is one where she can learn to not jump and bite and have a daily exercise routine.  She isn't house trained yet, and could go well with other dogs and cats.  A house with children over the age of 5 years old is recommended.  Jasmine is pictured below.



If you want adopt one of our featured pets or any of the pets at the Coulee Region Human Society, give them a call at (608) 781-4014 or visit their shelter at 911 Critter Court in Onalaska.  They will be glad to help answer any questions and arrange and one-on-one visit with a furry friend.


Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Here's Melody...

If you want adopt one of our featured pets or any of the pets at the Coulee Region Human Society, give them a call at (608) 781-4014 or visit their shelter at 911 Critter Court in Onalaska.  They will be glad to help answer any questions and arrange and one-on-one visit with a furry friend.


Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

Until Next Time,

Andrew Thut
News 19 Forecast Team

These girls are full of energy and are very curious.  They'll need a family that has the time and the energy to give them lots of physical and mental exercise.  They'll also need to learn the basics such as house training and what not to chew on.

They have wonderful dispositions and they need lots of attention and training time so they can grow into great adults.

Here's Aubrie and Addison:

 

If you want adopt one of our featured pets or any of the pets at the Coulee Region Human Society, give them a call at (608) 781-4014 or visit their shelter at 911 Critter Court in Onalaska.  They will be glad to help answer any questions and arrange and one-on-one visit with a furry friend.


Thanks for checking in...

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist

If it is difficult to see this information you can click on the data or the charts and they will increase in size in a new window. Another interesting fact pertaining to the latest cold snap is the coldest temperature. This years coldest temperature is -22 degrees. It happened on two occasions. That is colder than last years coldest temperature when the low dropped to -19 degrees on February 5th.

Until Next Time,

Andrew Thut
News 19 Forecast Team