Friday 3/1

Temperature: 24°F (Low 5°F)
Humidity: 57%
Pressure: 1027.3 mb
Wind Speed: N 6 mph

It's finally March! A high pressure system moved through Wisconsin today, and brought with cold winds from the North. The temperatures were cold throughout the day, and while the winds were not a that strong, it was certainly a cold wind. The morning and early afternoon had partly sunny skies with some cirrus clouds, but the evening brought some lower stratus clouds. There appears to be some more high pressure headed our way, so we will probably see some clear skies through the weekend.

Tuesday 2/26

Temperature: 35°F (Low 26°F)
Humidity: 67%
Pressure: 1011.6 mb
Wind Speed: NE 16 mph
Today is an overcast day with gusty conditions. The sky is blanketed with stratus clouds which are non-nimbus (no precipitation). The temperatures today were fairly warm, but the wind throughout the day made it feel quite a bit more chilly than the temps indicated. The Jet Stream dipped unusually far South today, which was an effect of the mid-latitude cyclone that went through the Great Plains yesterday and today. As for Wisconsin, everything is pretty uneventful. The Jet Stream is pretty much straigh West-East through the Midwest, and there doesn't appear to be any major precipitation headed our way.

Sunday 2/24

Temperature: 34°F (High 34°F)
Humidity: 56%
Pressure: 1018.9 mb
Wind Speed: W 5 mph

Could it be!? Is there a chance we are finally going to be finished with the cold weather? I think it's true. It's a beautiful day today, with warm temperatures, clear skies, and hardly any wind. After Winter Storm Q came through on Thursday all we've seen is sunshine. Hopefully this nice temperature will continue into the Spring. As for this week, I think it's going to be fairly eventless weather-wise. The radar shows no precipitation headed our way, so expect more sunshine.

Friday 2/22

Temperature: 25°F (Low 17°F)
Humidity: 85%
Pressure: 1011.1 mb
Wind Speed: W 6 mph

Today Eau Claire got hit by the Northernmost extent of Winter Storm Q. We received between 5-6 inches of snow throughout the day, but for the most part, it was a pretty pleasant day (at least I thought so).  The effects of the storm have passed over the Midwest already, but from the water vapor map below you can see that the Tropical Jet Stream has been attracted upwards into Gulf of Mexico and the Southern states, which will be receive large amounts of precipitation.

Wednesday 2/20

Temperature: 15°F (Wind Chill -9°F)
Humidity: 61%
Pressure: 1031.0 mb
Wind Speed: NW 7 mph

Today Minnesota and Western Wisconsin are located directly under an area where the air in the Jet Stream are converging. This causes air aloft to be forced downward towards the surface, which leads to very clear skies and high pressures.



This high pressure probably won't last long however, as we are still preparing for Winter Storm Q to hit us later tomorrow evening.

Tuesday 2/19

Temperature: 7°F (Wind Chill -14°F)
Humidity: 52%
Pressure: 1017.3 mb
Wind Speed: NW 15 mph Gusts up to 24 mph

Yesterday evening the wind direction changed from a East or Southeast wind to a straight NW wind. This wind direction change brought much colder air from the North than the air from the South. As a result, the temperature has dropped nearly 30° from the high yesterday. Also, it's worth noting that a midlatitude cyclone is formulating out West, and will need to be monitored throughout the week. As of right now, this storm (Winter Storm Q) is predicted to drop 5-8 inches of snow on Eau Claire around Thursday or Friday. On the map below, there is a stationary front along the East side of the Rocky Mountains that will funnel cold Arctic air towards the East, and towards Wisconsin. Bundle up, and get your shovels ready.

Monday 2/18

Temperature: 35°F (High 34°F)
Humidity: 72%
Pressure: 999.5 mb
Wind Speed: W 6 mph

The current conditions are turning out to be a little different than the forecast. As you can see, we have already surpassed the forecasted high temperature, and there was supposed to be a 90% chance of snow, which we have not seen yet. Based on the doppler radar, I would say that there is a better chance of not getting any snow today in Western Wisconsin.



We are in an elongated area of low pressure (trough) today, so we will be seeing some more cloud formations later this evening.