Alright, alright, who let the snow out again? Apparently, even Chicago woke up to intermittent snow showers today, which are sure to garnish the roadways ahead of the morning commute. Meanwhile, in Madison, Wis., people are bracing themselves for snow totals of 2 to 5 inches, with the white stuff slated to wind down on Monday afternoon. Can we please have some consistency, Mother Nature?
Well, well, well, look who is getting all the snow in Wisconsin! The Wisconsin DOT shared some footage from their cameras, showing parts of the western region getting over a foot of snow out of this system! Meanwhile, over in Milwaukee, we are expecting nothing but a measly inch or so, with our inland counties maybe getting 2-3 inches. It looks like the farther west you go into western WI, the higher the snow levels – so if you’re a snow bunny, now might be the perfect time to head over there!
It seems like this late-season snowstorm is really doing a number on the surrounding areas of the Twin Cities. Plowable snows, and even thundersnow in some places, as the system intensifies. Is it just me, or is this starting to feel like a rerun?
Folks, it’s time to break out the boots and the warm jackets once again, because we’re getting a cooler pattern that will bring below-average temperatures to much of the eastern United States into the end of April. Instigating the active weather is a mature low-pressure system over Lake Michigan that will transfer its energy to a new low-pressure center that will slip northeast into central Ontario. On the bright side, at least we can finally start dressing a little more sensibly for the weather!
Ah, hello there counterclockwise-spinning low, it’s so kind of you to say hi. Thanks for bringing mildness and moisture northward, and for the lovely highs in the lower-to-mid-80s on Thursday and Friday. Wasn’t that just great? Behind the low, however, frigid northwesterly winds are pumping in South Canadian air with temperatures of 20s and 30s, which is helping flip moisture to snow in the cool air wraparound of the system. So, basically, you brought the sunshine only to have it replaced by snow. Thanks for nothing.
Oh, just your average Spring day in Chicago! Friday was 83 degrees, and now it’s snowing. Gotta love the erratic weather patterns in the Midwest! Ah, well.
It was predominantly light snow around sunrise over Michigan, Lake Michigan, northwestern Indiana, and northeastern Illinois. However, a more solid band of moderate snowfall was tracking east through central Wisconsin, where the winds are gusting up to 45 mph at times – which could signal localized blizzard conditions. Blizzard warnings will remain in effect across northern Wisconsin until 7 p.m. Monday. Just another Monday, am I right?
Let’s get to the latest snowfall reports, shall we? Places like Neillsville, Wis., are reporting a whopping 19 inches of snow, while Sparta, Wis., is trailing behind with 16 inches, and Irving, Wis., is at 14 inches. Meanwhile, Loyal, Wis., has 13 inches, Onalaska, Wis., has 12.8 inches, and Windona, Minn., has 10 inches. We are just glad we live in Milwaukee, where we are expected to get about an inch. Phew!
Here’s some food for thought: Late-season snowstorms are quite common over the Upper Midwest. Minneapolis averages 3.5 inches of snow during the month of April; La Crosse typically sees on the order of 2.9 inches, and Green Bay, Wis., gets a mean of 4.7 inches in April. Even in Chicago, where a half-inch or so is expected, April snows are far from unheard of. Wait, does that mean we should just get used to this by now?
Let’s take a trip down memory lane, folks. Roughly 20 percent of years feature an April with more than 3 inches of snow in Chicago. April 1975 tallied a whopping 11.1 inches, and in 1966, the Windy City saw measurable snow as late as May 11 – when 0.2 inches fell. Looks like we might have to say goodbye to outdoor activities soon.
The cooler temperatures should help us usher in May, though, right? Unfortunately, the swirling twirl of low pressure is pumping in some chilly air mass, which is going to knock temperatures back briefly – but not to worry, as it’s nothing we can’t handle. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center, we can expect below-average temperatures for much of the eastern United States, with cold-skewed weather favored across the entire Lower 48, save for Florida. At least we have something to look forward to – right?
Serious News: washingtonpost
