Friday, November 30, 2012

World Record For Most Snow to be Broken?

It's possible we could see a pretty impressive world record broken over the next several days.  The world record for MOST SNOW from 1 storm belongs to Mt. Shasta in northern California.  The peak is at the Southern end of the Cascade mountains and stands over 14,000 feet above sea level.  Back in 1959, over the course of 5 days or so, a storm dumped 189" of snow on the mountain!  It's possible the mountain could see well over that as a huge, strong Pacific storm slams the West Coast over the next few days...

To read more about Mt. Shasta in California Click Here

Thursday, November 29, 2012

International Space Station Flyby

If you're into checking out all things space related Friday morning could be a morning to get up early!  The ISS will be flying by before 6am..on a clear night, it would be pretty bright and not too difficult to spot!  It will be zipping by about 78° above the horizon!  One problem will be fog though, some of us could end up with thick fog by early Friday morning...





For a list of things you could spot this week Click Here

Dense Fog Tonight

With the possibility of some dense fog later tonight and early Friday this is a good opportunity to share this story from the Weather Channel...Research has shown how dangerous driving in fog can be and just last week there was a massive pileup in Texas thanks to some very thick fog. 

Here's a link to their story and with fog in the forecast it's worth a look!

Click Here


Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Jupiter and the Full Moon

It's not the best picture ever but here's a shot of the full Beaver Moon and Jupiter right next to the moon!  With clear skies tonight if you see what looks like a star by the moon it's actually Jupiter, the planet!


Tuesday, November 27, 2012

A Cold Start

This Morning!







 As predicted our Tuesday morning was very cold!  Some spots dipped into the single digits!  Tuesday night looks chilly, but not quite as cold.  If you're missing the warmer weather there's good news in the forecast...early next week we'll see highs in the 60s!






Tuesday night/Wednesday Morning

A Full Moon - The Beaver Moon

Its that time of the month again where we begin to expect the full moon.  The full moon for the month of November will occur Nov. 28th (tomorrow) at 9:46 a.m.  Most months have a single full moon occurrence, but when we are lucky enough to have two full moons in one month the second is called a "Blue Moon".  This happens, on an average, every 33 months or 2.7 years.  Another odd fact about full moons; some months don't even see a full moon!  This only happens in the month of February since it has less than the 29.5 day cycle of the moon.  In the past decade there are only 4 February's without full moons, the latest being 1999.  If you are looking forward to the next February without a full moon, here is a list of the upcoming years with a full moon-free Feb.; 2018, 2037, 2067, and 2094.

November's full moon by the way is the Full Beaver Moon!

For the Wikipedia Beaver Moon page Click Here

Monday, November 26, 2012

Warm Weather Ahead...

We can count on some warm weather coming up in the quad Cities!  That's after a cold Monday night though...lows tonight will be way down in the teens!  Our moderation starts slowly on Tuesday, with highs ending in the upper 30s.  After that the warming trend really kicks in on Wednesday with highs close to normal and then rising well above average late this week.  If it weren't for some clouds late this week 60° would be a possibility!  Here's the 6-10 day temp outlook from the CPC, it shows a good portion of the country set to enjoy warmer than average weather!

50s late this week/weekend!

Cold and Snowy Monday

After our long holiday weekend it's back to the grind for a lot of folks today...and the weather's not helping!  Although with weather like this maybe people don't mind being stuck inside all day long!  There's light snow falling South of the QC, but this will stay down in that direction.  One thing we can't escape for now though - cold temps are here to stay for another 24 hours!  It will be warmer by the weekend though (something to look forward to!)

Light Snow
3pm temperatures


Friday, November 23, 2012

A Blustery Black Friday!!

(Wind speeds at 8:00 a.m. on Nov. 23rd)
With the passage of a cold front on Thanksgiving, temperatures have dropped quickly and the winds have begun to pick up.  Highs today were at midnight with the temperatures falling throughout the day.  Wind speeds this morning were 25-35 mph with gusts up to 40 mph, allowing of wind chills to be in the teens and single digits.  As temperatures continue to fall today the winds will decrease giving us a little relief for the overnight hours.  Though another chilly day is forecasted for Saturday with highs in the mid 30s, sunny skies and a NW wind at 5-10 mph.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Thanksgiving Cold Front

A strong cold front is now getting closer to the Quad Cities...and will send our temps plummeting later tonight!  If you're heading out for some Black Friday (or is it Black Thursday night now?) sales don't let today's mild temps fool you, it will be much colder late tonight and Friday!

Cold Front Coming!

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Another Foggy Night

We're looking at more dense fog tonight across the QCA!  Visibility in spots will be close to zero!  If you're out driving make sure you're careful as there are sure to be a few tricky spots out there! 

And here are some pics from earlier today in Muscatine, courtesy of P Brooks Photography!




A Foggy Start

Temperatures this morning dipped into the upper 30s and lower 40s, bringing them close to the dew point.  With light winds and plenty of moisture in the air, fog began to form.  A dense fog advisory was then issued for the counties in orange until 10 am.  The fog could reduce visibilities to 1/4 of a mile.  Make sure you leave a few minutes early for work or school so you can get there safely. 

Monday, November 19, 2012

Warm Weather Ahead (Thanksgiving Included!)

After a mild weekend temps are a little cooler Monday thanks to some extra clouds...but the middle of the week looks like it will be nice and MILD!  Here's a model plot of temps through the next 7 days.  I've circled the highs through the middle of the week, we could be close to 60° for the next 3 days, and in the 60s for Thanksgiving!  Our QC climate records go back to 1872, and though that time we've only had a Thanksgiving high in the 60s 7.2% of the time!


Sunday, November 18, 2012

More Mild Weather Ahead....

Temperatures will be well above average to start out of the week before they fall back to the 40s by black Friday.  Enjoy the warmth while it lasts!

Friday, November 16, 2012

Leonid Meteor Shower

Don't forget the LEONID METEOR SHOWER peaks tonight!  If you're outside late, and far away from city lights, you'll likely see up to 25 "shooting stars" per hour!  Get as far away from city lights as you can and look up to the darkest part of the sky.  We should have clear skies and the moon will not be a problem so it should be a decent night of star-gazing in the Quad Cities!


Thursday, November 15, 2012

Thanksgiving forecast

It's only a week away from The Thanksgiving Holiday and many will traveling, so what can we expect.  Rain is expected on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, then the skies look to clear for Wednesday and Thursday.  Above is the 0z GFS model from 11/15, it shows high pressure just to the East of the Quad Cities.  This will make for a great day fro travel on Wednesday and also a very nice Thanksgiving day.  There is however the chance for some rain late on Black Friday, so get that shopping done early! 

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Leonid Meteor Shower

We're just a couple days away from the peak of the Leonid Meteor Shower!  It's typically one of the top 3 meteor showers each year and if we're lucky we'll see up to 20 "shooting stars!" 

A few things to keep in mind:

1.  Places in the country (without city lights) are much better for meteor shower viewing.
2.  The peak happens LATE at night (more accurately EARLY in the morning)
3.  The peak looks to be early Saturday (from midnight to dusk on Saturday.)

For everything else you need to know Click Here! 















Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Northern Lights

It's another night where some folks MIGHT see the Northern Lights!  It's far more likely North of the QC but if the clouds hold off for long enough there's a slight chance some of us could see the Northern Lights...

It's more likely we'll be able to take advantage of a meteor shower this weekend, I'll post about what could be a great Leonids Meteor Showers this weekend later this week...

 Forecast
Another Aurora Forecast

Monday, November 12, 2012

Veterans Day Snow

As temperatures crashed on Sunday some wet snow mixed in with the rain in a lot of towns across the area.  The official QC weather report, from near the airport in Moline, included a trace of snow Sunday evening.  Here's a pic from Galesburg on Sunday night, where weather watcher Larry picked up about a quarter inch of snow!


Big Temperature Changes!!

After the passage of a strong cold front, temperatures have dramatically dropped.  We tied the record high of 71° Saturday afternoon, but we are having single digit wind chills this Monday morning.  Temperatures were in the low 60s Sunday morning, prompting an almost 40° temperature drop in the last 24 hrs.  Above is a representation of our 24 hr temperature change. 

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Sunday's Rainfall Totals...

Some much needed rain fell once again around the QCA.  Many neighborhoods to the west of the Mississippi River picked up an inch or more.  Our weather watcher in Galesburg even reported some light snow!  

Saturday, November 10, 2012

A Rainy Sunday Ahead in the QC...

A strong cold front is going to push through the region on Sunday and bring the chance for some heavy rain!   Right now, some weather forecast models have 1-2" of rain falling in and around the Quad Cities on your Sunday. 

So if you're heading out the door grab the umbrella and the heavier coat.  This cold front will also cause our temps to tumble from the 60s into the upper 20s by Monday morning.  A very cold start to upcoming work week!


Friday, November 9, 2012

Wild Weather this Weekend

So far this month our weather has been pretty quiet...we've had a little bit of rain (0.21") and our highs have ranged from 44° on the 6th to 59° on the 1st.  This "quiet" weather ends this weekend though!  With a strong cold front set to arrive on Sunday we'll warm up, ahead of the front, considerably on Saturday!  The record high for Nov 10th is 71°, set more than a half century ago (1949!)  We'll be close to that by 3 pm on Saturday...then the cold front arrives on Sunday. 

We're looking at heavy rain Sunday afternoon and evening, with a few t-storms mixed in for good measure!  By Sunday night the temps will be crashing back into the 30s and there could be some wet snow mixing in with the rain by the times things wind down late Sunday night...Monday will be cold and blustery, with highs in the 30s!

After some tame weather so far this month a weekend cold front is about to mix things up big-time!


Sunday rain could top the 1" mark!
Saturday's Highs (QC Record is 71)



Thursday, November 8, 2012

Free Motorola 2 Way/Weather Radio Giveaway!

This Friday we're giving away 4 pairs of Motorola 2 way/weather radios!  Travis Michels will announce our first 2 winners on CBS4 News this Morning and I'll announce 2 more winners on CBS4 News at 6pm!  Signing up is easy and you can do it at out website: Click Here to Sign Up!



Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Winter Weather Safety Awareness Day in Iowa

Winter's not too far away and Thursday is WINTER WEATHER SAFETY AWARENESS DAY in Iowa.  It's a good day to brush up on some winter terms like Winter Storm Warning, Winter Weather Advisory and Wind Chill Warning!  It's also a good time to get your car/truck ready for the winter season and toss the emergency kit back in the trunk! 

Our local office of the NWS has a nice page dedicated to winter weather and you can find it here.

December 9, 2009 Davenport, Iowa (NWS)

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Rain on Election Day

We are getting a few showers on Election Day as the tail end of a cold front slides through the area.  The rain is expected to end in the QCA by early evening.  The cold front will keep our highs on the cooler side today and tomorrow.  We do have warmer weather on the way with high pressure late this week. 

Monday, November 5, 2012

Election Day Forecast

It's looking like a good chance for light rain in the Quad Cities on Election Day...rain totals should be very light and as long as you've got a rain jacket or umbrella you'll be fine heading to the polls!


For some election Day weather history in the Quad Cities check out this link!  Click Here

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Election Day Weather Outlook...

If you're heading out to vote on Election Day this Tuesday, you can expect a cool, cloudy day with a small chance for some light rain.  The best chance for rain is during the morning and afternoon hours of your Tuesday.  So while you'll need to remember to bring along your voter registration card and I.D. you might also need to bring along the rain gear! 

Friday, November 2, 2012

Daylight Saving Time Ends this Weekend

Don't forget to change your clocks this weekend before you go to bed on SATURDAY NIGHT!  Daylight Saving Time will end and that means our clocks get set BACK one hour (Fall Back) and we end up with an extra hour of sleep Saturday night!  It also means it will get dark early on Sunday, with the sun setting before 5pm!


Thursday, November 1, 2012

Average November Temperatures

We're into November now and look what typically happens to the temps this month in the Quad Cities!  The averages right now are 57 on the high side and 38 for the normal low.  By the 30th we'll see holiday lights up, T-Giving will be behind us and the normal temps will have dropped to 41 and 24!  Get ready, much cooler weather is sure to arrive later this month!


Satellite View

Here's a hi-res satellite view of the Midwest today, notice around the Quad Cities we've been in and out of the clouds for most of the day so far...

With the latest surge of sunshine this afternoon temps have warmed considerably and as of 4pm we are sitting at 59°, which is finally back up above normal.  some places that have seen even more sunshine, like Galesburg and Muscatine, are sitting in the 60s this afternoon!