Saturday, November 2, 2013

Fall Back; A Windy Sunday and Chances of Slush This Week

Winter comes later
By Paul Douglas


Remember the movie "Grumpy Old Men"? Minnesotans were ice fishing on Thanksgiving. When's the last time THAT happened? Like it or loathe it, most years winter arrives later than it did a generation ago, spring starts up sooner. Ask a farmer - our growing season is about 2 weeks longer. Not hand-waving climate theory; it's reality. I don't hear too many complaints about shrinking winters or fewer subzero lows at MSP, true, but it's what we don't know that makes scientists nervous. The unknown unknowns.

The Arctic is warmer than anytime in the last 120,000 years - the Pacific Ocean is warming faster than anytime in the last 10,000 years. Everything is interconnected. How will this impact us? Great question. Climate volatility is flavoring all weather now.

Winds gust to 30 mph as highs reach the mid-50s today. Not bad for early November. Showers pop up Monday afternoon - steadier rain Tuesday from a sloppy southern storm may end as a slushy coating Tuesday night.

A positive phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation hints at a mild bias into mid-November. Yes, we're pushing back the inevitable.

Did you remember to "fall back" and check the batteries in your smoke detectors?
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SUNDAY: Dim sun, windy and milder. Winds: SSE 20-30 High: 55

SUNDAY NIGHT: Increasing clouds, slight chance of showers late. Low: 43

MONDAY: A little light rain early. Rain lingers up north. Some clearing later in the day. High: 49

TUESDAY: Increasing clouds. PM rain/snow mix develops, turning a little slush through the evening Wake-up: 36. High: 42

WEDNESDAY: A few flakes possible early. Gradual clearing and colder. Wake-up: 30. High: 40

THURSDAY: Mix of sun and clouds. Chilly. Wake-up: 27. High: 40

FRIDAY: Nothing rough, not as chilly. Wake-up: 32. High: 46

SATURDAY: Quiet start to the MN Deer Hunting Opener. Breeze SE winds develop. Wake-up: 36. High: 49.

SUNDAY: Clouds thicken. Breezy south wind with chance of rain. Wake-up: 35. High: 49.
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Daylight SAVING Time Ends
You may feel a little more refreshed with the extra hour of sleep on Sunday. However, those with young kids (like myself) probably won't see any benefit as they tend to wake up super early anyway. The good news is that we get an extra hour of light in the morning, but it'll be dark when you get home from work now.

(image courtesy Louisville.com)


Entering the Season of "SAD"
The lack of daylight can take a toll on your psyche. "SAD" or Seasonal Affective Disorder is real and can explain why you might be feeling so irritable as we head through the winter months. Here's a write-up about SAD from the Mayo Clinic.

"Seasonal affective disorder (also called SAD) is a type of depression that occurs at the same time every year. If you're like most people with seasonal affective disorder, your symptoms start in the fall and may continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody. Less often, seasonal affective disorder causes depression in the spring or early summer.
Treatment for seasonal affective disorder includes light therapy (phototherapy), psychotherapy and medications. Don't brush off that yearly feeling as simply a case of the "winter blues" or a seasonal funk that you have to tough out on your own. Take steps to keep your mood and motivation steady throughout the year."

See more HERE:

(Image courtesy: CartoonStock.com)


Halloween Hangover?
I don't know about you, but I'm still stuck in a candy coma. I can't seem to get my fingers out of my kids' candy stash... UGH!

Kidshealth.org has a few good tips on how to get rid of or at least chip away at that mountain of sugar!

"Once you have a couple of Halloweens under your belt, you start to know the deal. Like which of your neighbors give out oversized chocolate bars and which ones greet you with toothbrushes.
But you also start to realize something else: That even though it's fun to own a mountain of candy, it's probably not the best idea to eat it all.
So this year, after sorting through your favorites, why not find something else to do with the rest? We've got 15 awesome ideas — from selfless to the silly. Give them a try and your teeth (and your dentist!) will thank you."

See ideas HERE:



SPOOKY Forecast
This is too good not to share... WCHS TV out of Charleston, WV had a special guest during their weather forecast. HA! Good one!!

See the full forecast HERE:



Average November Sunshine
This is interesting, according to CurrentResults.com (Mean hours of sunshine calculated from 1961 to 1990. The other data are averages taken from years of weather watching.), several cities from the Midwest/Great Lakes and the coastal communities of the Pacific Northwest see the least amount of sunshine during the month of November. It is said that for some locations, November IS the cloudiest month of the year.

See more HERE:




Average November Snowfall
How about average November snowfall? Here's a look from CurrentResults.com (Data: 1981 to 2010 from NOAA's NCDC)

See more HERE:





American's 25 Coldest Cities
Ever wondered what some America's coldest cities are? TheDailyBeast has Fairbanks, AK at the #1 spot. In 2009, the average winter temperature was -0.6F and 39% of the days there was snow. Minneapolis is #16 - in 2009 the average winter temperature was 22.8F. 35% of the days there was snow.



Not So Cold in Alaska
October was VERY warm for folks in Alaska. Here's a blurb from ClimateCentral.org:

"According to the National Weather Service in Fairbanks, rain in the city is rare after October 20, yet it rained there on Oct. 28 with no snow on the ground, an occurrence that “appears to be unprecedented in more than a century of weather observations,” the NWS said in a note on its Facebook page. Temperatures in the 50s at Eielson Air Force Base and Fort Greely were the warmest on record for so late in the fall."

Read more HERE:

(Image Courtesy: WeatherBell Analytics)


Temperate Outlook For Mid November
Here's the 6 to 10 day temperature outlook, which shows the U.S. divided in it's temperature profile. From November 6th to the 11th, there appears to be a warm bias in the east, while the west remains cool.



Weather Outlook
There are a couple of systems that we'll have to keep an eye on over the next few days. The first creates kind of a windy situation for central part of the country on Sunday. Take a look at the big wind field setting up on Sunday. Winds from south to north (Texas to Minnesota) could gust to 30mph+ by the PM hours.



Sunday Wind Headlines
The National Weather Service has issued a WIND ADVISORY for areas shaded in tan below. These are areas that could see winds up to 40mph+



Next Storm by Midweek
Here's our next storm that looks to develop around midweek in the central part of the country. Interestingly, it looks like the temperature profile looks warm enough for mostly rain, except for places along the far northern edge of the system, which could see a little slush.



Snowfall Potential Thru Midweek
Here's an early look at potential snowfall thru midweek. It doesn't look like much in the central part of the country, but there certainly could be some snow accumulation from some areas of the Central Plains to the Upper Mississippi Valley. The higher elevation in the Pacific Northwest could certainly get a good dump!



Winter Weather Headlines
There are a number of winter weather headlines that have been posted in the Northwest thru Sunday for as much as a foot or more of snow in the mountains.



Precipitation Potential
According to NOAA's HPC, the precipitation forecast thru PM Thursday shows a decent amount of precipitation potential. Again, most of this looks like rain (possibly thunder in the central/southern part of the country).



Thanks for checking in, have a great rest of your weekend!
Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @TNelsonWNTV

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