A Warm Saturday Afternoon!

I hope you had a chance to get out there and enjoy the warmer weather across the QCA today. Temperatures climbed into the low to mid 70s for most of us with the one exception being Galena. The folks in Galena experienced a high temperature of 67°.
Temperatures will be a bit cooler for your Sunday with highs in the upper 50s, but we shall see plenty of sunshine!

Warming Up!

After a chilly start things are finally warm up under the April sunshine! Look for more mild weather Saturday, but there is a chance for rain also...

Tornado Video

Finally!

We'll finally see a nice spring day on Friday, with sunshine and highs near 70! Also, notice on this 7 day forecast there are more days with sunshine than days with clouds and rain...it's about time!

Worst Day So Far?

So we've had lots and lots of severe weather lately across the country, but today could be the worst day yet. So far there have been more than a 100 tornadoes reported, with at least 5 people losing their lives (that number is very likely to go up) Here are the storm reports as of 8:00 pm.

CBS4's Pride and Joy

We have a new friend in the parking lot at CBS4...and the duck's being taken care of very nicely by several members of the newsroom!

Ugggh...$3.99

This is nothing new, but it'd be nice to see the price of gas go down, or at least stop going up!

Another Severe Weather Outbreak...

It's not often the SPC issues a 'High Risk' for severe weather. It happens on average about 3 or 4 times a year...but today is one of those days! A High Risk for severe weather is in place from Texas to Tennessee and strong, long-tracked tornadoes are likely. Things will go downhill quickly late this afternoon and the stormy weather will last through the overnight hours...

St. Louis tornado - EF4!

Here's a report from the NWS in St. Louis, Friday evening's tornado has been rated as an EF4! Winds upward of 200 mph caused widespread damage through a large area in/around St. Louis...

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lsx/?n=04_22_2011

A Busy Tornado Season...

It seems like every week when you turn on the television you hear about another town destroyed by a tornado. So just how bad is this tornado season compared to years past? The first image shows the average number of tornadoes by month for the past three years (2008-2010). As of right now, according to the Storm Prediction Center (SPC), there have been a total of 751 tornadoes reported. Now this number is a preliminary count and will likely drop once all of the damage assesments have been made. However, that is still an astonishing number of reports. Regardless of the final counts, it appears March and April will be well above the average. Remember tornadoes peak in May and are quite common in June so tornado season is far from over! Thank you for visiting our blog!

Any Relief from the Rain and the Cool Weather?

The Climate Prediction Center's recent 6-10 day temperature (1st image) and precipitation outlook (2nd image) shows the QCA have below normal temperatures and above normal precipitation as we head into May. This not good news for those fighting the rising flood waters and those of us tired of the dreary, cool weather! Hopefully, things will turn around for the better soon!

Warmer Temperatures Return...

For most of us, temperatures were 10 degrees warmer when compared to yesterday's (Friday) highs. Although, temperatures did remain below our average high of 65°. Our temperatures will make it into the lowers 60s for Sunday!

Scattered Showers

We've had some t-storms today, and now the light rain just won't give up! For the rest of the evening in the QC we can expect damp, dreary weather. Most of the showers will be light from here on out, and should diminish by midnight...

More Storms by St. Louis

We've had a rough weather week here in the QC. But St. Louis has had it much, much worse! They're dealt with several rounds of severe weather and had large hail multiple times this week. Their weekend is officially off to a stormy start with the Cards/Reds delayed by yet another storm!

Severe Threat Friday

There's rain in the forecast for Thursday night, and we could see a few strong to severe t-storms Friday. The best chance for severe weather is from the Quad Cities south through St. Louis.

Hail Video

Here's some video of a thunderstorm with hail on Tuesday, I hope their car is OK! (Arkansas)

A Near Miss...

While our weather was far from perfect on Tuesday we narrowly escaped another major severe weather outbreak! Here are the storm reports from the SPC, and there are hundreds of them! All together, about 15 states had some form of severe weather on Tuesday, with strong, damaging winds the most common form of nasty weather!

Severe Weather Threat...

While we've already seen plenty of rain today in the QC it does appear the severe weather threat will stay south of the QC this evening. Here are a couple Tornado Watches that have been posted for areas to the South. Places at risk today include Tulsa, Little Rock, St. Louis, Indianapolis, and eventually Dayton and Cincinnati.

Tuesday Flood Update

The forecasted crest has gone up a little bit, and looks on track for Friday evening...

THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT ROCK ISLAND LD15.* UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.*

AT 10:00 AM TUESDAY THE STAGE WAS 19.5 FEET...AND RISING.* FLOOD STAGE IS 15 FEET.* MAJOR FLOODING IS OCCURRING AND IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE.* FORECAST...RISE TO AROUND 21 FEET FRIDAY EVENING.*

IMPACT...AT 21 FEET...WATER AFFECTS THE STREET AT DAVENPORTS 2ND STREET POST OFFICE MAIN ENTRANCE AND MARQUIS HARBOR MARINA IN MOLINE. IN BETTENDORF...WATER AFFECTS RIVER DRIVE BETWEEN 6TH AND 8TH STREETS.

Flood Update...

Here are the latest Flood Warning products from the NWS for Rock Island... ...FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE... THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT ROCK ISLAND LD15. * UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. * AT 10:00 AM MONDAY THE STAGE WAS 19.0 FEET...AND RISING. * FLOOD STAGE IS 15 FEET. * MAJOR FLOODING IS OCCURRING AND IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE. * FORECAST...RISE TO AROUND 20.5 FEET FRIDAY MORNING. * IMPACT...AT 20 FEET...WATER IS AT THE FOUNDATIONS OF DAVENPORTS UNION STATION AND THE FREIGHT HOUSE BUILDING.

A Cool Sunday!

Temperatures started out in the low to mid 30s this morning. Here in the QCA our temperature dropped to 35° while the lower 30s were common to the North and Northeast of the Quad Cities. Temperatures this afternoon remained rather cool. Most areas have climbed into the lower to mid 50s. Unfortanetly, it appears we are going to have to wait a while before temperatures climb back into the 60s!



Clouds will increase as we head into Sunday evening and those clouds will stay with us for Monday. There is a chance for some light, spotty rain showers across the region tonight and for much of Monday as a disturbance parks itself just south of the QCA. Heavy rain is likely on Tuesday. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and thanks for checking out our blog!

48 Hour Rain Totals

Here are the rain totals from the system that passed through our region this past Thursday through early Saturday morning. In the QCA we had just under an inch of rain. Our weather watcher Larry in Galesburg, IL recorded a total of 1.45 inches of rain over a 48 hour period. So it appears that the rain gauge in Galesburg needs to be calibrated! If you have any weather photos send them to weather@cbs4qc.com anytime! Thank you for stopping by our page and enjoy your day!

Another Day of Twisters...

Yesterday twisters ripped through the states along the Gulf Coast. Today tornadoes were responsible for 10 fatalities and several injuries in the Carolinas. In total, there were 90 reports of tornadoes as of 830 CT Saturday evening.

A Rainy Friday Night...

We're looking at more rain in the QC this evening. As of 7:30 showers are working their way back in from the South. This round of rain will move through the QC over the next few hours. So far we've seen about a quarter of an inch of rain so far today, with another .25" looking likely this evening.

Tornado Outbreak

Severe weather continues to ravage the Southland tonight. So far today there have been more than 50 tornadoes reported (that number will be scaled down once the surveys are completed Saturday and Sunday.) While there were a few possible tornadoes in Illinois the worst of today's weather by far was found in Alabama and Mississippi!

A Stormy Night

It's been a stormy night so far in Oklahoma and Kansas! At last check there are reports of 10 tornadoes, and dozens of hail reports too. Some of the hail has been up to the size of baseballs and softballs (4.25" diameter!)

Soak it Up...

Soak up the sunshine while you can today...clouds and rain are on the way! We'll see the chance for showers arrive Thursday and a steady rain is likely Friday. In the meantime, today is very nice with sunshine and temps hovering near 70°!

Rain Later this Week

There's rain on the way for later this week. In the QC we can expect some showers Thursday evening, a steady rain Friday and then more showers Saturday! Once all is said and done we could see a little more than 1" of rain, this certainly won't the river as it continues to rise! Here's a look at expected 5 day rain totals across the country...

Flood Update

The latest update from the NWS on Mississippi River flooding doesn't offer much good news. Due to recent rains and more snow melting well north of our area the river continues to rise, and it will be a steady climb through the next week or so. Right now the river is at 16.65' in the Quad Cities, and should climb to 18.9' a week from now. After that, and depending on our weather and the weather off to the North over the next week or 2, the river should climb to somewhere between 19 and 21 feet! Needless to say preparations are well underway and our local cities will keep on adjusting their plans as the forecasted crest creeps closer!




















Here are some of the results of expected river levels, these are taken from the NWS Flood Page...
21.5' - Water affects the Rock Island Arsenal bridge. Bettendorfs Leach Park is underwater.
21' - Water affects the street at Davenports 2nd Street Post Office main entrance and Marquis Harbor Marina in Moline. In Bettendorf...water affects River Drive between 6th and 8th Streets.
20.5' - Water is at the foundations of Davenports Union Station and the freight house building.
20' - Water affects the Quad Cities Sports Center parking lot. Water is over the top of the jetty at Lindsay Park Yacht Club. Water affects buildings at Sunset Marina in Rock Island and Molines River Drive from the 2300 to 5500 block.
19.5' - Water is at field level at Modern Woodmen Park. Water affects the Quad City Times parking lot and Bettendorfs River Drive between 6th and 8th Streets.
19' - Water affects Rock Islands Sunset Marina parking lot and River Drive in Moline from the 2700 to 4800 block. Davenports Le Claire Park is entirely underwater. Water affects most of River Drive from Division to Federal. Water is also at the base of the loading docks of the 2nd Street Post Office.
18.5' - Water surrounds Modern Woodmen Park.
18' - Water affects sections of River Drive in downtown Davenport from Gaines Street to 4th Street. Water affects 2nd Street at Iowa. Most of Le Claire Park is under water. Water affects Credit Island.

Hail from Friday Night

Monday was nice, Sunday wasn't as stormy as it could have been, but Friday night delivered some good-sized hail in Rock Island! A few storms drifted into the Illinois Quad Cities and dropped hail up to about an inch in diameter! The storms rolled through around 4 am, and if you slept through them in Rock Island you are in the minority! I asked around at work today and everyone who lives in Rock Island that I talked with definitely heard the hail late Friday night! Here's a pic from some of the hail stones collected in my yard...and stored in the freezer since then! Remember, you can always send your weather pics to us at weather@cbs4qc.com We'll be happy to share them with the rest of the QCA!

Tornado Watch Until 1 AM

All the counties shaded in red are under a tornado watch until 1 AM Monday morning. Now a watch means conditions are favorable for severe weather development. A warning means a severe storm and/or tornado has been indicated by radar or a trained spotter. A warning is when you seek shelter, while a watch means that you should monitor the situation.

Sunday's Severe Weather Update

Temperatures have climbed well into the 80s. We are now starting to see a few more clouds work into the region after mostly sunny conditions earlier this morning. There is still the potential for strong to severe thunderstorms as we head into the evening, however, we are now under a slight risk for severe weather with the main threats being large hail and gusty winds. The moderate risk that we were under yesterday has been shifted to our north and now covers most of Wisconsin. Stay with CBS4 News and CBS4QC.com for more updates!

Severe Weather Potential for Sunday

The mercury will continue to climb on Sunday as temperatures break into the 80s, but unfortunately we will likely experience strong to severe thunderstorms late Sunday afternoon into the evening. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has issued a moderate risk for our area on Sunday. The main threats will be large hail, strong, damaging winds, and even tornadoes cannot be ruled out.




Tonight should be quiet for most of us, however, if you live in places like Clinton or Galena, you could see a passing shower or thunderstorm late tonight. We will start off Sunday dry with some sun, but it will be during the late afternoon and early evening hours of Sunday when showers and thunderstorms will begin. Stay with CBS4 News and CBS4QC. com for the very latest as Chief Meteorologist Andy McCray and I will be monitoring the situation!

Severe Weather Threat on Track...

The closer we get to the weekend, the more likely a severe weather outbreak looks for the QCA on Sunday. The Storm Prediction Center has the QC smack-dab in the middle of a Moderate Risk. The fact that we're still 48 hours away from Sunday afternoon means a couple things...

On the scary side: This high of confidence 2 days out means the risk is very serious.
On the bright side: There is still some time for the ingredients to change, let's hope they do!

Rain Arriving this Evening

It's looking more and more like some rain for the QC this evening. While there cold be a little bit of thunder and lightning too, most of us should see a steady, light to moderate, rain for a few hours this evening. We're still on track for a warm-up and thunderstorm chances this weekend.

A Stormy Monday...

After severe weather rolled through the QC Sunday night things got really bad in the Southeast Monday night into Tuesday. Here's a graphic from the Storm Prediction Center showing storm reports across the Southeast. There were more than 1200 reports of damaging/severe winds across several states. Many meteorologists have commented that this is one of the worst, most widespread wind events they can remember!

Storm Pics

Here are a couple images from 2 of our most loyal viewers (thanks to both)
Stormy skies in Galesburg, IL from Larry.
Hail in Moline from Bill.

What A Difference A Day Makes!

On Sunday we saw our temperatures climb well into the 70s and lower 80s. In fact, we broke a record high yesterday of 80° that was set back in 1996. Officially in the Quad Cities we reached a high of 83° on Sunday, which set a new record for April 3rd! However, there was nothing record breaking about our temperatures on Monday. Our temperatures when compared to 24 hours ago are 20-33° cooler. The system that moved through yesterday was rather strong and is currently reaking havoc in parts of the Ohio Valley and in the Southeastern U.S. A nicer day is in store for Tuesday and even warmer temperatures will arrive for your Wednesday!

Hail in Colona, IL

A thank you goes out to Danny McDonald of Colona, IL for sending in a picture of hail from Sunday. The hail was an inch in diameter and it resulted from the severe thunderstorms that moved through our region on Sunday evening. There were several reports of large hail (hail reports are the green circles while yellow indicates reports of strong winds) across the area including hail up to the size of golf balls! If you have any weather photos that you would like to share send them to weather@cbs4qc.com anytime!

Tornado Watch Until 12 AM

There is a tornado watch until 12am for all the counties shaded red. A watch means conditions are favorable for development, but severe weather is not occurring just yet. A warning means a tornado has been indicated by radar or by a trained spotter. A warning is when you take shelter. A watch is just to let you know that you should monitor the situation.

Sunday Severe Weather Update

Temperatures are climbing well into the 70s in some locations as expected with 60s north of the Quad Cities. We will likely see our temperatures continue to warm especially in locations that are seeing some sun this afternoon. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) still has our area under a slight risk for severe weather for today. The main threat will be large hail and strong, gusty winds. There is a possibility of an isolated tornado. The trend will be for mostly cloudy to partly cloudy skies for the remainder of this afternoon. The threat of showers and thunderstorms will increase later this evening as a cold front progresses eastward into our region. The cold front is currently located to our west in eastern Nebraska. Stay with CBS4QC.com and CBS4 NEWS Tonight at 5pm and 10pm for the latest details.