The "1991 Halloween Blizzard"

It's Halloween and our weather today is going to be more of a trick rather than a treat.  After a record-setting (for October 30th) 1.6" of rain Wednesday in the Quad Cities, another soaking is on tap today.  New rainfall amounts in the Quad Cities will be around one-half inch, but south and east of the metro area, another inch or so is possible.

It could be worse.  Twenty-two years ago, the Midwest was experiencing the "1991 Halloween Blizzard"!

The Des Moines National Weather Service office reports that "Snow moved into southern Iowa on the afternoon of the 30th and changed to mixed precipitation and ice on the morning of the 31st and continuing into late afternoon on November 1st. Total ice accumulations ranged from 1 to 2 inches from southwestern into north central Iowa and 2 to 3 inches across southern and southeastern Minnesota. In northwestern Iowa the precipitation fell as all snow, with total accumulations of 8 inches or more across the area ranging up to 15.0 inches at Estherville and strong winds producing blizzard conditions into November 2nd."

And, this is what it looked like in Duluth, Minnesota, on November 4, 1991, after the storm.  The city saw 4.2" of snow on Halloween 1991 (which was a record for the date).  But, the following day, a record 24.1" of snow accumulated!  By the time the storm was over, 36.9" of snow fell, which was the most single storm snow total there.

While not ideal today, I'm sure this makes the rain a little more bearable this Halloween in the Quad Cities.

CBS4 Meteorologist Anthony Peoples

Rain Totals So Far...

It's been a very impressive storm so far around the Quad Cities, with more than an inch of rain at the official reporting station for the Quad Cities as of 9pm!  Some towns South of the Quad Cities have picked up more than 2 inches of rain!  As the storm rolls through the Midwest we'll see another half inch to inch of rain tonight...

Here are some totals as of 9pm -

Burlington, IA 2.08"
Fairfield, IA  1.57"
Galesburg, IL 1.40"
Iowa City, IA  1.18"
Moline, IL  1.06"
West Davenport, IA  0.89"
Muscatine, IA  0.86"
Clinton, IA  0.80"
Davenport, IA  0.79"
Sterling, IL  0.65"
Galena, IL  0.20"

Here's the latest map from the WPC showing additional rain tonight and Thursday...

November Warm-up?

After a morning low of 37° and an afternoon predicted high of 57°, today will mark the fourteenth consecutive day with below average temperatures in the Quad Cities.

Tomorrow's highs in the 60s and lows in the 50s will end that streak, but cooler weather is expected by the weekend into the early part of November.

However, the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) is expecting a turnaround for the first third of November 2013.

If this projection comes true, the eastern half of the country will be snow-free.  But, it will be wet since the CPC is looking for above average precipitation for the Quad Cities.

CBS4 Meteorologist Anthony Peoples

 

Motorola 2-Way Radio Giveaway

It's back!  Over the next 4 Fridays we're giving away 16 pairs of Motorola 2-Way radios!  They also work as NOAA Weather Radios so they'll come in handy all year long, especially during t'storm season!  Here are some of the specs:

And the contest details - for full regulations check out the contest page at cbs4qc.com Click Here

Basically, we'll announce 1 winner on CBS4 News this Morning, CBS4 News at 5, CBS4 News at 6 and Ten at 10 on CBS4 for each of the next 4 Fridays!  If you've signed up before and your name hasn't been called this is another chance to win!  the retail value on these radios is about $80 or so!  Good luck...

Potential for Beneficial Rain

Drought conditions have not been improving much over the last month as much of the area is under a moderate to severe drought.  So far in October, the Quad Cities has received 1.40" of precip, which is about 1.17" below the normal.  Since September 1st we have only had 2.36" of rain (and melted snow) which is 3.30" below the average of 5.66"!  However, for the year we are still in a surplus.  We've seen 34.97" which is 2.15" above the average of 23.83" through October 27th.

Fortunately there is some good news in the rain department.  We have an area of low pressure that will roll in here from the Plains states, giving us several round of rain.  The first wave is set to arrive on Tuesday with a scattering of rain across the area.  Amounts with this wave aren't expected to be too impressive.  A warm front is due to arrive late Tuesday night & Wednesday, warming temps up to the 60s in many areas on Wednesday, and with ample Gulf of Mexico moisture we'll see a better chance of heavier rain.  That lasts Wednesday night and at least the first half of Thursday.  The numerical weather models we use are in a little disagreement as to how fast this system is going to move through the area.  Here is what the WPC is predicting as far as rain

Weather Prediction Center's rainfall forecast thru Friday evening

This particular output is showing anywhere from 1 inch north to 1.75" south.  In general, it's looking like a good three quarters of an inch to inch and a half is possible, with locally higher amounts.  Again, it all depends on the track the storm takes and how fast(slow) it moves.  Either way you slice it, we've got much needed rain on the way for the Quad Cities!

A Look Back: Snow of October 26-27, 1997

It's not at all common to see measurable snow during the month of October in eastern Iowa and western Illinois.  Parts of the Quad Cities area saw their first measurable snowfall this past Tuesday, tying for the 3rd earliest measurable snowfall ever at the airport in Moline.  Rewind 16 years ago this weekend -- the QC was dealing with a rare snowfall that left quite a range of accumulation across the area.

Courtesy: National Weather Service Quad Cities (KDVN--Davenport, IA)

Most of the heavier snow fell in parts of Iowa and Minnesota, but as you can see we got our fair share in the QCA.  Here are some totals from eastern IA and western IL:

Illinois:                                         Iowa:

             Galva: 7.0"                                Wapello: 5.0"          

                            Galena: 6.0"                               Washington:  4.9"                   

                  Aledo: 3.0"                                Iowa City: 4.0"            

                        Princeton: 2.5"                             Muscatine: 3.5"                  

                              Moline: 1.4"                          Columbus Junction: 3.0"                 

                        Galesburg: 1.0"                             Mt. Pleasant: 1.0"                

Luckily there is no snow in the forecast anytime soon.  In fact, our temperatures should hover right around average and beneficial rain is on the way.  Updates on CBS4 and www.whbf.com/weather!

Record Low Tied

As skies cleared out Thursday night our temperature quickly dropped down to 23° by 11:59pm and that was cold enough to tie the record low for October 24th.  The last time it was that cold on 10/24 was in 1981!  That also turned out to be the low for Friday, but Friday's record low was much lower...17° set way back in 1887!  Friday night's temperatures will stay noticeable warmer, bottoming out in the upper 30s and lower 40s...have a great weekend!

Did your yard look like this Friday morning?

Little Change in Drought Conditions

If there is any good news in the drought situation, it's that it hasn't really changed all too much since last week.  The bad news is it hasn't improved too much.

Effective through 10/22/2013

 In Iowa, 89% of the state is considered "Abnormally Dry"; 68% of the state is under at least a "Moderate Drought"; at least 35% having a severe drought and the red area (extreme drought) making up 2% of the state.  These numbers aren't too different from last week's report.

Illinois drought is virtually the same as last week.  At least 84% is classified as "Abnormally Dry"; 39% "Moderate Drought"; 16% "Severe Drought."

With the precipitation we picked up on Tuesday along with the forecast rain early next week, there's a good possibility drought conditions might improve by next week's report.  We'll have updates on those rain chances on CBS4 News and at www.cbs4qc.com/weather!

October SNOW!

As expected we picked up some early season snow in the Quad Cities on Tuesday!  A potent clipper system rolled just south of the Quad Cities on a perfect path for snow in the metro area!  If this was January it probably would have dropped about 5 inches but since the temps were so mild and we did have some rain mixing in at times we ended up with about 1-2 inches across most of the metro area.  Here are some totals from the storm:

CBS4 - WHBF Quad Cities, IL-IA News Weather Sports

Snow in October?!

It's hard to believe, but we are actually talking about our first flakes of snow during late October!  It is likely to happen for parts of the QC area Tuesday as a quick moving clipper drops down from Canada.

The last time the Quad Cities saw snowflakes flying around in the sky was April 19th, just over 6 months ago!  The last measurable snowfall occurred on March 24th with 4.40" at the airport in Moline.  Fortunately, snowfall amounts for this event will be nowhere near 4 inches.  In fact, because the ground is still relatively warm (temps were in the 60s Sunday), only expect a half an inch to *maybe* an inch on grassy surfaces in areas north of the Quad Cities.  Some models are a bit more bullish with the amounts, but given the time of year and temperature of the ground we aren't looking for a huge accumulation.  We'll fine tune the forecast as more information comes in to the Weather Center.

WSI RPM Simulated Reflectivity (effective 7AM Tuesday)

As you can see, this particular model is indicating mainly all snow north of the Quad Cities with a mixture of rain and snow from I-80 south.  Many of our southern hometowns will receive a cool rain with temperatures only making it to the low/mid 40s!

Updates all the time at www.whbf.com/weather!

Changes Brewing...

Sunday will start of with areas of frost, especially north of I-80, and then southerly winds take over ahead of our next front that will move through Sunday evening allowing temperatures to reach the low to mid 60s!  As the front passes, we can't rule out a few showers north of the area.  After that temperatures cool down significantly and all eyes are on a clipper system set to roll in on Tuesday that could bring everyone's (least) favorite four letter 'S' word...no accumulation is expected at this time, but the flakes may be flying!

 The first image is of the GFS model (an American model) showing the area of precip passing directly over us, and is the most aggressive with the snow probability.  The 540 decameter line (the thickness between the surface and about 3 miles above the surface) indicates the transition between the rain and snow.  Since it's still Fall, we generally look for lower thickness levels for snow.  (This is valid ~1PM Tuesday)

 This is the European model which generally does pretty well in handling wintry precipitation.  It's got a very similar output to the GFS, but is just a bit less progressive.  The GFS is also much faster (this is valid ~7PM Tuesday).

This is the Canadian model, another model meteorologists use to forecast.  Generally this model is colder and more aggressive with systems coming from Canada, and it's evident here that this model is colder.  Nonetheless, it puts precip over our area.









The true outlier is the North American Model (NAM).  It is much less aggressive with the precip chances, whether it is in the form of rain or snow.  One thing is for sure, temperatures are going to be very chilly for October standards!

Drought Conditions Not Really Improving Too Much

The good news is that the drought across the Midwest, especially Iowa and Illinois, is not getting any worse.  The bad news is that it's really not improving much either.

In the first five days of October, 0.83" of rain fell at the Quad City International Airport in Moline, Illinois.  Since then, only 0.11" has accumulated and we're running below average on precipitation for October 2013.

Across Iowa, 89% of the state is still experiencing "abnormally dry" conditions, compared to 92% last week. 

68% of the state is still in a "moderate drought" (71% last week).  A "severe drought" is still affecting 35% of Iowa and 2% is still experiencing an "extreme drought".

In Illinois, 84% of the state is still "abnormally dry", 39% is still under a "moderate drought" with 16% at "severe drought".

Rainfall amounts into the weekend don't look too impressive.

CBS4 Meteorologist Anthony Peoples

Colder Pattern Setting Up

Last week we the area was spoiled with temperatures nearly 10 degrees above normal.  That's all about to change.  We could be 10 to 15 degrees colder than normal later next week!  Here is a model average of temperatures.  This isn't necessarily a forecast, but more "guidance."

The reason for the colder weather is a dip in the polar jet stream.  The jet stream is an area of enhanced wind speeds roughly 8 miles above the Earth's Surface that acts as sort of a "steering wheel" for weather patterns.  Jet stream will dig deep into the Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys beginning this weekend, allow cold air from Canada to take over.  Along the jet stream, we'll see a few disturbances ride along the edge, bringing a few slight chances for light precipitation.

Just to show how cold it may get, one computer model has been consistent the past few days in giving us a few tenths of an inch of snow next week.  This is NOT a forecast at all, just ONE of many models forecasters use.

This model is just confirming what we've been thinking the last few days or so...colder air is on its way!

Leaves on Quad City Trees

It dropped below freezing for the first time this fall Monday morning when the official low in the Quad Cities reached 31°.

With the chill settling in and below average temperatures expected through next week, we'll definitely start noticing more leaves changing color and falling.

Folklore says that "if autumn leaves are slow to fall, a cold winter is in store."

If this picture taken in Moline this past weekend is any indication, we might be in for a cold winter!

However, if you don't like the thought of that, keep in mind that deciduous oak trees drop their leaves later in the autumn.

And, here's another bit of folklore for you.  Corn husks, apple and onion skins, and nutshells are traditional indicators, too.  The thicker the exterior, the harsher the winter.

CBS4 Meteorologist Anthony Peoples

Update on Tuesday's Rain

As an area of low pressure out in the planes states continues to spin about and move east/northeastward, a trailing cold front will move through later tomorrow allowing for rain along and ahead of front.  The rain is expected to start after midnight and last through late morning/early afternoon in most areas.  Here's a snapshot from the RPM model, depicting what the radar will look like:

RPM radar reflectivity valid 6AM Tuesday 10/14

As with the last system, this system is moving relatively quickly, and coming in at a time where the atmosphere isn't "charged" so there's really no threat for heavy rain amounts.  Overall a good tenth of an inch to quarter of an inch of rain is possible, with higher amounts north of the Quad Cities.

After the front moves through, temperatures are cooling down!

First Frost Possible Across the QCA.

Sunday featured mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the mid and upper 60s...a typical Fall afternoon here in the Quad Cities.  With skies staying clear Sunday night and winds becoming calm, temperatures are dropping rather quickly and frost is a possibility, especially northeast of the QCA.

Frost Advisory in effect from 3am to 8am Monday 10/14

So how does frost form?  A common misconception about frost is that it can only form when the air temperature is below freezing (32°F).  This is not the case.  Frost can form when the surface temperature of an object (grass, top of car, rooftop, etc.) falls below the dewpoint (measurement of water vapor available in the air) temperature of the surrounding air and the temperature of the surface is at/below freezing.  With all the moisture condensed on the cold surface, frost occurs.
If the object's surface temperature is still below the dew point but its temperature is above freezing, you would have dew.

While frost can do damage to sensitive plants, it doesn't necessarily kill them.  A hard freeze, however, can.  A hard freeze occurs when the air temperature drops to 28° or below.  Here in the Quad Cities, our 30 year average first hard freeze date occurs sometime during the last 10 days of October!

Courtesy Midwest Regional Climate Center

 Stay warm!

Tropical Cyclone Phailin Wreaks Havoc in India

Tropical activity in the Atlantic Ocean has been anything but active this season, but that's not the case overseas in the Bay of Bengal.  Tropical Cyclone Phailin made landfall earlier Saturday around noon our time (about 9:30 to 10pm India time) near Gopalpur, Odisha in India.  (By the way, a "tropical cyclone" is the equivalent of a hurricane in the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Ocean).

Phailin is being compared to Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall in southern Louisiana back on August 29th 2005, killing upwards of 1,200 people.  Meteorology departments in India estimate winds of at least 120 to 130mph (with higher gusts), the equivalent to a high end Category 3 hurricane in the Atlantic.  There have been reports of 15ft to 20ft storm surge.  Due to the size, the powerful cyclone is expected to affect more than 12 million people in India.  If there is any good news in this situation, it's that the storm is now over land and is weakening, since it is no longer getting energy from the warm waters of the Bay of Bengal.  Flash flooding is expected to be a huge problem in the country.

For more on the storm, including video, click here.

Weekend Outlook

As advertised the past few days, a weak cold front is headed toward the area late tonight and early Saturday, bringing with it a chance for scattered showers.  This is not a strong system and with the front arriving late tonight and the wee hours of Saturday, there isn't much instability to work with.  Below is a simulated image of the radar for 5:30 Saturday morning from the RPM model, showing a light scattering of rain across the area.

As the front moves eastward, it will have a little more energy to deal with as the day goes on, giving higher rainfall amounts.  As for the immediate area, expect a tenth of an inch or less of rain.

Clouds begin to break up later on Saturday, allowing for sunshine to warm temperatures into the lower 70s.  We'll clear out Saturday night allowing for a pretty typical fall day on Sunday & Monday.

Better chances for rain come in with a stronger system next Monday night and Tuesday.  Right now, it looks like areas could see anywhere from a half inch to an inch of rain.  Of course, this system is still a few days out so there will be plenty of time to hammer out the details.  We really could use a decent soaking across eastern Iowa and western Illinois.

Much Cooler Temperatures Are On The Way

High temperatures in the Quad Cities Friday could reach 80° before a cold front brings a few showers and cooler weather for the weekend.  Another front drops in with a better chance of seeing a decent amount of rain Monday night and Tuesday and it will be turning much cooler after that front.

In this 10-day forecast, you see highs in the 50s and lows in the 30s by the middle and end of next week.

However, it could be worse.  By this time last year, we had already experienced a frost and light freeze and three nights below the freezing mark (32°) in the Quad Cities.

This season, the coolest low temperature has been 39° back on September 14th.

Have a great rest of the week and weekend.

CBS4 Meteorologist Anthony Peoples

Latest Drought Monitor

The new U.S. Drought Monitor was released Thursday morning, and it doesn't deliver great news for eastern Iowa and western Illinois.  However, the states as a whole had a little relief within the last week.

Latest Drought Monitor, effective thru Oct. 8th

As you can see, much of the QCA is still classified under a "Severe Drought."  As a whole, Illinois' has improved quite a bit in the last week.  This week, 15.16% of the state is classified as no drought, while it was just 9.96% last week.  The percentage of areas under "Moderate Drought" have decreased from 30.67% last week to 22.86% this week.  Areas under "Severe Drought" have slightly decreased from 16.28% of Illinois last week, to just 16.01% this week.

As for Iowa, the changes aren't as dramatic, but there is still improvement.  Last week just 5.32% of the state had no drought, this week that has increased to 8.34%.  The percentage of "Moderate" and "Severe" droughts have also decreased within the last week.  The good news is that the area of exceptional drought has not increased since last week, staying the same at 1.76%.

There is some rain in the forecast this weekend, but that will not do much to help the drought situation.  Early indications show there are better chances for beneficial rain as we go into next week.  Here is the CPC's precipitation outlook for the 6 to 10 days:

CPC shows above average precip for the region.

Above Average Fall Temperatures

Aside from the damp, cool weather we had on Saturday, this October has been above average temperature wise here in the Quad Cities.  Normally, the average temperature between the first 8 days of October should be 68.8625°.  This year we have averaged 75.875° between those days, a little over 7° above average!  Keep in mind, these are just high temperatures.  Our lows have not been far from where they are supposed to be for this time of year.

The next few days will continue to be above average in the mid and upper 70s as high pressure is in control.  However, our next front is set to roll through this weekend, and that will cool temperatures down to near seasonal.  Here is the Climate Prediction Center's 8-14 day outlook for temperatures.

Much of the area expected to see seasonable temperatures through the next two weeks.

While this is just one take on the forecast, there are signs of temperatures falling a bit below average the beginning of next week after another cold front swings through later Monday and Tuesday.  Of course, this is still a week away, so there is plenty of fine tuning to do.

Meanwhile, hopefully you can get out and enjoy the warm weather while you can!  A fantastic time to mow the lawn and get other yard work done.

Northern Lights Tonight?

It's another night with a chance to see the Aurora Borealis!  That's right, the Northern Lights have been spotted in places like Wisconsin and Minnesota already on this Tuesday evening.  There'll be a few clouds rolling through at times tonight but if you're out in the country and especially North of the Quad Cities it's worth a look!   On the map above everybody North of the green line (including the Quad Cities) has a chance of seeing the great display!  As I type this entry I've now seen a report from Iowa that the Northern Lights have been spotted...and remember the last time we talked about this (last week) thousands of people in Illinois and Iowa lucked out and caught a glimpse of the Northern Lights! 

South Dakota Blizzard -- Before & After

While the Quad Cities experienced the coolest daytime high Sunday since Memorial Day weekend at 54°, we've still haven't seen freezing temperatures, a killing frost, or snow!  That isn't the case across South Dakota.

Check out these amazing photos by a colleague, meteorologist Mark Schnackenberg.

In South Dakota, Deadwood picked up 48" of snow, Lead reported 43.5", and Piedmont was blanketed by 35"!

Back home in the Quad Cities, the earliest measurable snow in the past five years was 0.3" on November 9, 2011.

CBS4 Meteorologist Anthony Peoples

Rain Deficit Update

On Thursday we showed you the latest drought monitor, showing the Quad Cities area is still classified under a severe drought.

Since June 1st, we are averaging 5.70 inches below average, even though June itself was just over one and a half inches above average.  August has been the "contributor" to the drought conditions with a deficit of 3.76 inches!  Believe it or not, October is starting off wetter than average.  Our average monthly rainfall through October 6th is 0.29" and we have seen 0.56".  Sunday's scattered light rain was not measurable at the airport in Moline.

Looking forward, our next chance of rain does not roll in until late Friday night and Saturday.  Right now, rainfall amounts aren't looking great but as always we will take what we can get.  Here is the Weather Prediction Center's 7 day rainfall totals.

Totals from 7pm Sunday 10/6 through 7pm Sunday 10/13

For the entire year of 2013, we have accumulated 34.40" of accumulated precipitation which is 3.59" above our normal of 30.81".  Earlier in the summer we were nearly 8 inches above avg. for the year, so that just goes to show how dry it has been.

Wild Weather Across the US

The past few days have been a wild one all across the country.  A rather large fall storm has been spinning about in the planes states for a few days now, and has everything from large, damaging tornadoes to upwards of 4 feet of snow!  Click HERE for video of the blizzard conditions in Wall, SD.

Closer to home, tornadoes touched down in parts of western Iowa and eastern Nebraska.  Here is the Storm Prediction Center's storm reports from Friday.

 There were 18 reports of tornadoes across the two states.  The National Weather Service says preliminary assessments lead to an EF4 tornado nearly leveled the town of Wayne, Nebraska Friday evening.  EF4 tornadoes of winds between 166mph and 200mph!  There were also several other reports of EF1 and EF2 tornadoes across IA & NE, having winds anywhere between 100mph and 135mph.  It was a very active day.  CLICK HERE to see a slide show of the storms that affected the Sioux City area from our sister station KCAU-TV.  Amazing photos.  Luckily there were no reports of death or *major* injuries.

Those tornadoes were in association with a trailing cold front from the intense low pressure system.  That cold front rolled through the Quad Cities around midday Saturday, having just a few scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms.  We did not have the instability from daytime heating to produce any severe weather.  Temperatures will cool down into the 50s with scattered showers in the afternoon on Sunday as the low pressure moves over our area.

There is also a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico.  "Tropical Storm Karen" is in a weakening stage and is expected to affect parts of southern Louisiana as early as tomorrow!  Karen has struggled to stay alive due to a dry air & high shear environment, both unsuitable for tropical development.

Strong T'Storms Possible

The Storm Prediction Center has issued a Severe T'Storm Watch that includes parts of the CBS4 viewing area tonight.  The watch is in effect West of the Quad Cities until 5am.  Right now scattered storms are firing up across parts of the QCA while the stronger storms are still a bit further West.  In fact, there's a tornado warning in effect for a couple counties in Nebraska right now. 

Once the stronger storms reach the Quad Cities they will be fairly widespread and the biggest threat looks to be hail, which in some spots could reach 2"!  As of 9pm it looks like the best chance for widespread storms tonight will be West/NW of the Quad Cities.

Svr. T'Storm Watch

Threats

I'll have an update on Ten at 10 tonight...

Welcomed Rain Coming, But Drought Still Persists

We saw scattered showers and thunderstorms across the Mississippi and Illinois Valleys Thursday morning. Some hometowns in Knox and Henry counties in Illinois picked up more than an inch of rain.

More showers and storms are possible today, tonight, and, again, Friday night and Saturday. Generally speaking, rainfall amounts of one-half to more than an inch of rain are expected. However, as with any thunderstorm, there will be isolated higher totals.

While this rain is definitely needed and appreciated, it won't end our drought. Here is the latest update from the U.S. Drought Monitor report that came out this morning.



This shows that much of Iowa and west-central Illinois are still experiencing moderate to severe drought conditions.

Unfortunately, I'm not able to give you the specific percentages.  This is what pops up on NOAA's website when I try to access that information:

Due to the Federal government shutdown,
NOAA.gov and most associated web sites
are unavailable.

Only web sites necessary to protect lives
and property will be maintained.

CBS4 Meteorologist Anthony Peoples

 

Northern Lights Timelapse from Iowa

Here's a great timelapse video of the aurora from late Tuesday night and early Wednesday...

It looks like Dan Gottschalk made the video and I first spotted it thanks to Mark Schnackenberg



And another...



And one from just North of Macomb, IL

Several Days of Rain Chances

An unsettled weather pattern is shaping up for the Midwest and this will likely bring a soaking rain to eastern Iowa and northern Illinois.

This comes after the Quad Cities just endured the ninth driest September on record with only 0.96" of rain.

While I'm expecting widespread rainfall totals of one-half to one inch of rain from late Wednesday night through early Saturday, some hometowns may have isolated higher totals, especially with thunderstorms.

However, look at the rainfall forecast of more than 3" across parts of Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.  And, if that not surprising enough for you, some of that could be in the form of heavy snow across South Dakota and Wyoming Friday!

CBS4 Meteorologist Anthony Peoples

Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) Tonight?

WEDNESDAY EVENING UPDATE: 

It's looking like we'll have another chance to see the Northern Lights tonight, as long as we have a few breaks in the clouds.  Last night's event was spectacular as evidenced by the many pictures and videos from places all over the northern half of the United States!  The aurora update from Europe this evening looks like things be promising for portions of the U.S. again tonight! 

Previous Post:

Thanks to a recent solar storm there's an outside chance we could see the Northern Lights tonight in the Quad Cities.  We've gotta be really lucky to see the aurora this far south but every once in a while it happens, so if you're out late tonight, especially in the country, it's worth a shot.  Look off to the North and if you see a greenish or blueish tone to the sky consider yourself lucky!  Here's one forecast that shows the Northern Lights are likely tonight well north of the Quad Cities...

And a FB page you might want to check out to get aurora alerts: Click here

And while we're at it:  Andy's FB page - click here

Anthony's FB page - click here

Kyle's FB page - click here