Friday, April 11, 2014

Our New Website - ourquadcities.com/weather

Have you checked out the new ourquadcities.com?  It's our new website and it will now serve as the CBS4 weather blog site as well!  We hope you check it out, you'll find tons of useful info on the weather page.  Overall, the site acts as a community portal, not just a television station's website.  That means you'll find all kinds of helpful info about the Quad Cities area, do us (and yourself) a favor and check it out!



And when you're looking for blog posts that you've been finding ou this blog just head to the Weather page and click on the Weather Blog tab!

As always, thanks for looking us up!

www.ourquadcities.com.weather

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Multiple Chances for Rain This Week

We experienced a beautiful spring weekend in the Quad Cities.  Highs on Saturday were in the lower to middle 50s with plenty of sunshine.  After a chilly start in the upper 20s on Sunday, plenty of sunshine and gusty southerly winds aided in warming temperatures into the lower to middle 60s.  Typically this time of year we should be in the middle 50s.

An area of low pressure will be strengthening to our west and head northeast throughout the day on Friday.  Fortunately, we will be on the warm side of the storm with another day of temperatures in the 60s and gusty southerly winds from 15 to 25mph+.  The low pressure will have a cold front that will plow through the area later Monday evening, and that's when we have the best shot of seeing scattered showers/isolated t'storms.  Out ahead of the front during the day, there is also the threat for a few scattered showers.  Rain fall amounts will be a tenth of an inch or less as moisture is limited.
Once the front rolls through, brisk northwest winds will usher in colder temperature for Tuesday.  The cool temperatures will continue through the rest of the week, with highs averaging in the upper 40s.  We get a break from the rain on Tuesday before more chances of rain come in Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  Rain totals could be approaching 1 inch by the end of the week.

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Warm End to the Weekend

It was a fine start to the weekend with partly to mostly sunny skies (after an overcast Saturday morning) and temperatures in the upper 40s to low 50s.  Average highs this time of year are in the middle 50s, so not too bad for early spring standards.

If you liked the temperatures during the first half of the weekend, you'll love the second half.  After a chilly start near 30° Sunday, we'll see a warmup to the 60s!
High pressure will be off to the east which will bring our winds in warmer winds from the south between 15 and 20 mph, gusting 25 to 30 mph at times.  Humidity will be low so brush fires are a possibility on Sunday.

Looking ahead, Monday temperatures will be in the middle to upper 60s with a chance of showers and even a few thunderstorms ahead of a cold front that will sweep through Monday evening.  This will usher in cooler temperatures for the rest of the week, as well as a few other rain chances.  Unfortunately, I don't see a big warmup in the next week, after Monday.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Cold Today, But A Warming Trend Follows

Spring is officially here, but it sure doesn't look or feel like it across the Mississippi Valley.

The 0.9" of snow that fell in Moline Monday night brings our winter total to 65.1".  That is more than double the snow we see in an average winter!  We're still 4.6" shy of the snowiest winter on record.

While it will be very cold today and tonight with temperatures running about twenty degrees below average for late March, a warming trend in on the way.

We'll see highs well into the 40s and 50s Wednesday through Saturday and highs in the 60s Sunday and Monday!

This will be the first time we've seen back-to-back highs in the 60s since back in mid-October, more than five months ago!

But, it doesn't appear that it's going to last.




The Climate Prediction Center is forecasting below average temperatures for the month of April for Illinois and Iowa.

CBS4 Meteorologist Anthony Peoples

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Where's Spring?

Spring officially began at 11:57am last Thursday, March 20th.  The high temperature that day was 52°, and the first full day of the season featured highs around 62°!  Temperatures Saturday were in the 40s and on Sunday, they were in the 30s!
Sunday's temperature of 34° was 18° below the average high of 52°.  The trend for much of the next week is below average.  By Thursday we creep close to 50, and by the end of next weekend we could be approaching the 60° mark once again.

But before that, a couple bumps.  We have a clipper-type system that is going to track southwest of the Quad Cities, bringing us a shot at some light snow.  The "heavier" snow is going to stay in southwestern hometowns, where an inch to perhaps two inches will fall.  Elsewhere, a half inch to an inch looks like a good bet.  This system isn't as organized as it looked a few days ago, and doesn't have much moisture to work with.



Behind the system?  More cold air.  Lows Monday night into Tuesday will be in the teens and lower 20s, with highs struggling to reach 30° for many areas by Tuesday.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

More Chill To Come

While we may see some rain tonight and some light snow Wednesday, highs today, Thursday, and Friday are expected to reach the 50s in the Quad Cities!

This is good news considering that our temperatures have been below average since October 2013.

However, after Friday, we're back into the chilly air again. 

The average highs this time of the year are now above 50° in the metro area and check out these predicted temperatures through the end of March from the Climate Prediction Center.



Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

CBS4 Meteorologist Anthony Peoples

Friday, March 14, 2014

A Mild Saturday, Then Snow At Night!

It's hard to believe that with high temperatures Friday in the 50s and highs Saturday near 50° that snow is, once again, in the forecast Saturday night and Sunday morning.

Early indications point to an inch with slightly higher amounts to the north.



But, it should come as no surprise when you think of how snowy its been this winter (62.4" officially in the Quad Cities).

And, it's even more fitting that the snow chances arrive on the weekend.

This winter, we've only had one weekend that a snowflake didn't fall (January 10-12, 2014) and three others featured only a trace of snow.

The Top Five snowiest weekends this winter:

7.8"  January 3-5, 2014

5.5"  December 20-22, 2013

3.9"  January 31-February 2, 2014

3.7"  February 28-March 2, 2014

3.3"  December 13-15, 2013

CBS4 Meteorologist Anthony Peoples

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Where is the Snow?

The Quad Cities and hometowns to the northwest got cheated out of a decent accumulating snow Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

It took longer for the rain to transition over to snow and once it started snowing, the precipitation shield was already heading out of the metro area.

Officially, 0.2" of snow fell at the airport in Moline.  That brings us up to 62.4" for the winter of 2013-2014.



Look at how close the cut-off line was at 3:45 a.m. Wednesday.

Snowfall amounts to the south and east of the Quad Cities were in the 1-3" range.  Chicagoland snow totals are around 2-7".

Flurries are possible today and tonight, but no accumulation is expected.

Highs in the 40s return tomorrow and we'll be in the 50s Friday!

CBS4 Meteorologist Anthony Peoples

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Another Winter Storm On The Way

A late winter storm is on the way tonight and early Wednesday and threatens eastern Iowa and the northern half of Illinois with snow.

After an official high of 58° Monday, highs today should make it into the upper-40s to help melt away more of the old snow.

Light rain developing this evening will quickly change over to light to moderate snow tonight and early Wednesday.


A "Winter Weather Advisory" goes into effect tonight through Wednesday morning south and east of the Quad Cities.


Here is how much snow is expected with the storm.  Keep in mind that if the storm track shifts, the snow totals would shift also.

Right now, we're at 62.2" of snow this winter, which is just 7.5" shy of the snowiest winter on record in the Quad Cities.

CBS4 Meteorologist Anthony Peoples

Monday, March 10, 2014

Long Stretch Above Freezing

It's going to be a very nice, warm late winter day across eastern Iowa and northern Illinois.  Highs Monday will range from the mid-50s north, around 58° in the Quad Cities, and the low-60s in our southern hometowns.

The last time we saw highs in the 50s was back on December 4, 2013, when we reached 53° in the Quad Cities.

The last time we hit the 60° mark was November 17, 2013.  We also achieved another weather milestone that day, the 70° mark!  It was 71°.


High temperatures were above freezing last Friday and this weekend.  If you add those three days to the ten days in the 10-day forecast you see above, that will be, at least, 13 days above the 32° mark.

The last time we saw ten days above freezing was November 13-22, 2013. 

Those ten days would have been much longer, eight months, in fact, from March 21-November 22, 2013,  had it not been for the high temperature of 31° on November 12, 2013.

Interestingly enough, with highs near 60° today and well into the 40s Tuesday, accumulating snow is likely Tuesday night and early Wednesday!

CBS4 Meteorologist Anthony Peoples