Friday: 2/27/15

6:30 P.M.

Current Temperature: 11° F 

Humidity: 53 %

Wind Direction: SW

Wind Speed: 7 mph

Sky Conditions: Clear

Today was a little bit warmer than yesterday, the skies remained clear but the wind picked up a little bit.  The high temperature was 15°F but it felt much colder than that.  The high pressure system floating around the middle of the states moved directly over Illinois.  A cold front reached the Gulf of Mexico, brining temperatures down all across the United States, seen in figure 2 below.

The seven day forecast looks pleasent as temperatures are starting to reach the 30's, this is average for this time of the year.  I see no heavy storms in sight but there is some potential for little snowfall.  Tomorrow the high is forecasted for 19°F and the skies to be clear again. The high pressure system is still going to impact the east and central portions of the United States, calming winds and colder temperatures.

Figure 1: A high pressure system and cold front is bringing cold
 temperatues across easter and central United States.

Figure 2: This image really shows the effect of the high pressure system
creating a line of cold air across much of the United States. 

Thursday: 2/26/15

11:30 P.M.

Current Temperature: -2° F 

Humidity: 62 %

Wind Direction: SW

Wind Speed: 3 mph

Sky Conditions: Clear

After the little warm-up earlier in the week the temperatures have dropped again.  It is currently -2°F and the skies are clear with no wind.  A big high pressure system is currently floating over the mid west causing skies to be clear and winds to be calm.  The clear skies are causing temps to drop as there is "no blanket" to hold the heat.  In figure 1 below shows the skies are clear and winds are tending to come from the West and North West, expect for Eau Claire.

Temperatures are expected to rise for the weekend reaching the upper 20's.  It should make for a pleasant weekend as March approaches.  I am predicting March to be much like February, colder than normal temperatures but not much in terms of snow.  Tomorrow is expected to be around 14°F and clear skies again.  Expect little wind and chilly temperatures.

Figure 1: This surface map shows a high pressure system, clearing the skies and calming the winds

Figure 2: The high pressure system is riding over South Dakota

Tuesday: 2/24/15

4:30 P.M.

Current Temperature: 27° F 

Humidity: 34 %

Wind Direction: W/NW

Wind Speed: 22-30 mph

Sky Conditions: Clear

Today was fantastic.  The skies opened up and warm air came in.  I believe the temperatures reached almost 32°F which is about a 45 degree increase from Sunday night.  Seen, in figure 1 below a warm front moved through the area bringing warm temperatures.

Unfortunately, cold weather is coming back. The winds have turned from South West to North West as a cold front approaches.  The temperature will dip below zero through the night but as the high for tomorrow is expected to be around 12°F.   The skies are expected to remain fairly clear the next couple of days as the temperatures will remain in the teens until Friday.

Figure 1: A warm front moved through the Eau Claire area, warming the air.
This will be followed by a cold front, bringing back cold air. 

Figure 2: Strong Winds from the North West are will continue to bring cold air to Eau Claire. 

Monday: 2/23/15

1:00 P.M.

Current Temperature: -1° F 

Humidity: 53 %

Wind Direction: SW

Wind Speed: 10 mph

Sky Conditions: Partly Cloudy

My first post since last Thursday, I didn't miss much except for a little warm up and then cold temperatures came back Sunday.  Friday less than 1 inch of snow fell from the low pressure warm front that moved through the area.  It brought temperatures to highs around 20°F, but as it passed the cold came back.

Yesterday the skies were clear and the sun was shining but the temperatures dropped down to around 0°F.  I was in Madison for the weekend, when I left the temperature was 9°F at noon and when I arrived in Eau Claire the temperature was 1°F.   It dropped down all the way to -14°F when I last checked around midnight.

Right now the temperature is -1°F, however it is rising.  Temperatures are expected to rise all the way through the day to about 25°F by tomorrow.  A high pressure system right above Missouri is bringing winds from the southwest, which should warm up the area tomorrow.  Then the winds will switch back from the northwest, bringing yet another cold blast.

Figure 1: A high pressure system is clearing the skies, and bring some warmer
air to the area. 

Figure 2: Winds from the south enter the Eau Claire area

Thursday: 2/19/15

4:00 P.M.

Current Temperature: 2° F 

Humidity: 52 %

Wind Direction: S

Wind Speed: 7 mph

Sky Conditions: Clear

Today "warmed up" a little bit compared to yesterday.  Right now the skies are clear and the temperature is 2°F.  The winds also died down a little bit as they are blowing around 7mph, the wind chill is currently -11°F.  It still feels a bitterly cold out but not as bad as yesterday.  The high pressure system floating to the south, in figure 1, is bringing winds from the NW, seen in figure 2.

The weekend is expected to warm up a little bit as a low pressure warm front moves in.  Right now the warm front is over the Dakotas and Nebraska and temperatures are in the 30's.  It is not expected to be that warm in Eau Claire, but expect temperatures to be in the 20's.  This low pressure front will also bring a light snow on Friday, but not a lot is expected because of the little amount of water vapor in the air.

Figure 1: A high pressure system to the south is bringing chilly winds from the northwest.
The low pressure front over the Dakotas will arrive Friday and bring warm weather and snow snow. 

Figure 2: The winds blowing up the Dakotas from Texas are resulting in warming temperatures.
As the low pressure front moves east, it will also bring warmer weather to Wisconsin

Figure 3: Because the air is so dry, water vapor in the air is almost non-existent.  Expect
an inch or two of snow tomorrow. 

Wednesday: 2/18/15

3:15 P.M.

Current Temperature: -2° F 

Humidity: 48 %

Wind Direction: NW

Wind Speed: 13 mph

Sky Conditions: Overcast

Today is COLD, the temperature is currently -2°F and the wind chill and "feels like" temperature are equally -21°F.  Today easily could be one of the coldest days of the winter so far.  I remember saying a week or so ago that the coldest days of winter could be behind us.  Boy was I wrong, these last five days cold weather has blasted Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the rest of the Midwest.  Skies are currently partly cloudy, with the sun peaking through as we rotate.

The high pressure system located near North Dakota and Montana is causing the air to sink and blow out towards the east.  This is bringing chilling winds and cold air into the Eau Claire area.  Tomorrow will not get much warmer, only increasing by 5°F.  Expect tomorrow to be as just as cold today if the winds continue to blow.

Friday there is a possibility for a couple of inches of snow in the Eau Claire area and to the north.  I will be watching this storm closely as I am driving down to Madison this weekend.

Figure 1: A high pressure system in North Dakota is pushing winds towards Wisconsin,
as seen by the iso bars, the wind speeds are decently high 

Tuesday: 2/17/15

6:00 P.M.

Current Temperature: 6° F 

Humidity: 54 %

Wind Direction: NW

Wind Speed: 10 mph

Sky Conditions: Mostly Cloudy

Today was bitterly cold as the skies opened up and the winds from surrounding low pressures came our way.  Right now the temperature is 6°F and the wind chill is a frigid -8°F.  Earlier in the day the skies were fairly clear but as the day moved in clouds moved in.  There is a possibility for light snowfall around midnight tonight.

Tomorrow will be even colder.  The high is expected to be around 0°F, I am also expecting the wind to be the same as today, making for dangerous wind chills.  Looking below at figures 1 and 2 you can see a correlation of wind patterns.  The low pressure front along the Rocky Mountains is bringing winds across the Midwest.  This low pressure front will continue to move west, with winds continuing to hit the Eau Claire area.

Figure 1: Low Pressure front along the rocky mountains is bringing winds to the Midwest. 

Figure 2: Strong winds from the northwest is causing a frigid wind chill

Monday 2/16/15

2:30 P.M.

Current Temperature: 14° F 

Humidity: 67 %

Wind Direction: SW

Wind Speed: 7 mph

Sky Conditions: Cloudy

Again, just like yesterday today felt much warmer than the weekend.  The air wasn't very dry and the winds were basically non existent.  I filled up my gas tank with ease, without feeling too much cold.  Right now it is currently 14°F and the skies are cloudy.  I see no signs of sun peaking through the clouds any time soon.  This morning the temperatures dropped down to around 0°F but they increased throughout the day.

Figure 1 below, actually shows a tiny warm front pushing up some warm air towards the area.  When this warm front passes the temperature will drop into the single digits and below zero.   Tomorrow the high is expected to be 7°F and Wednesday, 1°F.  Expect the air to be colder and drier the next couple of days before the weekend.

Figure 1, A low pressure warm front has warmed up the Eau Claire area the last two days

Figure 2: A map showing temperature change, the Eau Claire area has
warmed up 13°F to 11°F since Friday and Saturday. 

Sunday: 2/15/15

6:15 P.M

Current Temperature: 7° F 

Humidity: 47 %

Wind Direction: SE

Wind Speed: 9 mph

Sky Conditions: Cloudy

This weekend was brutally cold, Friday and Saturday temperatures were around 0°F, making being outside very difficult.  Walking to the bars on Water Street Friday night was a mistake, as it was one of the coldest days of the year.  The winds were medium, but when they blew it was remarkably colder.  That high pressure system definitely brought cold air from the the north.

Today it warmed up a little, being around 10°F, and the winds really died down.  Walking outside was comfortable but tonight the weather will once again drop down.  There is a small chance for some flurries as the high pressure system moves out and cold front gets closer.  However, right now the weekend looks pretty calm. With temperatures staying cold early in the week but then getting warmer by the weekend.  Expect below freezing temperatures all week with not much sunshine.

Figure 1: A Stationary front moves closer to the Eau Claire area, the winds
have really died down as seen by the isobars above. 

Tomorrow the high is expected to reach about 22°F, by 3 p.m. The sky will remain cloudy and the winds will be around 10 mph again.

Friday 2/13/15

1:30 P.M

Current Temperature: 18° F 

Humidity: 73 %

Wind Direction: WSW

Wind Speed: 10 mph

Sky Conditions: Cloudy

I missed yesterdays posts (Thursday 2/12) so I will get started there.  Yesterday was brutally cold as the high only reached 7°F and low was -4°F.  Standing outside for than five minutes was tough, as the cold dry air went right through my jacket and pants, not very fun weather at all.

Today warmed up a bit compared to yesterday as the temperature right now is 18°F.  The air actually does not feel to bad because the humidity is relativity high at 73 %.  This was the result of a cold front that brought warm air moving through the Eau Claire region, as seen in figure 1.  However, the weather will dip back down tonight as the cold front moves past.  

This weekend the temperatures are expected to remain in the single digits and dip below zero at night and in the morning.  Not much sun is expected to shine this weekend keeping the blanket of air the clouds create.

Figure 1: This shows a cold front right over the region of Eau Clare, bringing some warm air on Friday.

Figure 2: This weekend looks like it will be very cold as the jet stream will bring in cold
air from the north.  The southwest may reach record highs on Saturday or
Sunday as the top of the jet stream is reaching above Seattle. 

Wednesday: 2/11/15

5:00 P.M

Current Temperature: 16° F 

Humidity: 49 %

Wind Direction: W

Wind Speed: 13 mph, gusts up to 21 mph

Sky Conditions: Sunny

As I predicted yesterday the weather became much colder today as the low pressure moved out and a high pressure system in Canada brought cold weather.  This morning, the wind was brutal as gusts were up to 20 mph making it feel below zero.  However, in the afternoon the sky cleared up and the sun peaked.  It actually felt decent with the sun warming things up a bit.  Right now the sky remains clear and it will continue to be until tomorrow morning when some clouds move in.

Figure 1: As the low pressure front moved passed Eau Claire, winds from the north blew in making
the air cold and dry.  This high pressure system will continue to bring cold air from the arctic.

Figure 2: Eau Claire is located near the 22 on the map, explaining the gusts from Canada.

Tomorrow will be even colder than yesterday, reaching below zero overnight and then reaching a high of around 10°F.  The weekend is expected to be even colder with highs in the single digits.  Expect a cold Valentines weekend.

Tuesday: 2/10/15

4:30 P.M

Current Temperature: 27° F 

Humidity: 71 %

Wind Direction: SE

Wind Speed: 8 mph

Sky Conditions: Cloudy

It is around 4:30 p.m. and a light snow is falling from the sky.  Snow started to fall from the sky around noon and has been off and on ever since.  The temperature is is 27°F and the skys are filled with clouds, the idea conditions for some snow.  Seen in figure 1, a low pressure front bringing warmer weather has resulted in a light snow storm hitting the twin cities area and Western Wisconsin.  The snow fall may continue all the way past midnight resulting in another inch or two, of right now there is probably an inch or two on the ground.

Figure 1

Figure 2:
This map displays the amount of water vapor in the air.  It is from weather.gov (noaa) Seen above 
there is not much feeding the winter storm in Wisconsin and Minnesota, resulting in little snowfall

Tomorrow the temperature will remain about the same, in the upper 20's, but then is expected to drop to frigid temperatures later in the week.  This is the result of the low pressure system moving through and opening up for polar winds from the arctic to move in, as seen in figure 3.   Temperatures will be below zero and some points during the day, especially when the wind starts to blow.

Figure 3: Figure showing an arctic blast from the north, causing temperatures to plummet

Monday: 2/9/2015

5:00 P.M

Current Temperature: 27° F 

Humidity: 53 %

Wind Direction: NE

Wind Speed: 5 mph

Sky Conditions: Sunny

The week started off very calm, with temperatures in the upper 20's and the sky clear and sunny.  Currently the temperature is 27°F and cooling with sun setting.  There is very little currently and clouds are expected to move in within in the next couple hours and filling the sky by morning.

Starting around noon tomorrow a snow storm is expected to roll into Eau Claire and be off and on the entire day.  Right now there is a winter weather warning and watch in North Dakota and Northern Minnesota.  This storm isn't expected to bring much snow but a light fall for a long period of time may bring up to three or four inches of snow.  Tomorrows temperature will be about the same as today around 25°F however it will be cloudy.  The wind will remain low causing no warning for hazardous driving conditions.

Figure 1: Montana is experience some snow in the northern part of the state,
other than that there is not much in the Midwest.  Possibly we could see zero snow tomorrow

Figure 2: Winter weather advisory in purple and freezing rain advisory in pink

Sunday: 2/8/2015

10:00 P.M.

Current Temperature: 24° F 

Humidity: 63 %

Wind Direction: NNE

Wind Speed: 8 mph

Sky Conditions: Mostly Cloudy

Picking up from a couple of days missed over the weekend, Eau Claire experienced a relatively calm and nice weekend.  It felt "warm" and the weather 30°F and the air being less dry than it usually is.  Friday and Saturday morning the sun was shining bright but then clouds developed later in the day and remain in the sky now.  It is starting to feel as if the coldest days of winter are behind us by staying above 0°F consistently.

Seen in figure 1 below, there is a low pressure front moving towards the mid west area which could bring some snow on Tuesday.  Tomorrow the temperature will remain decently warm as the high is expected to be around 28°F.  Tuesday a couple of inches of snow is possible, more information will be clear tomorrow.

  

Thursday: 2/5/15

5:00 P.M

Current Temperature: 15° F 

Humidity: 44 %

Wind Direction: SW

Wind Speed: 19 mph

Sky Conditions: Mostly Sunny

As I predicted yesterday, today was a little colder than yesterday.  This morning the sky was clear and the air was cold floating around 0°F.  As the day started to move towards noon, clouds filled the sky but the wind picked up with gusts around 30 mph.  Right now the sky is partly cloudy.  As you can see in figure 1 below, there is a line of high pressure systems from Ohio to Texas.  This has resulted in freezing temps that passed through Eau Claire.  Comparing figure 1 and 2 it is easy to see a correlation between the low temps and high pressure systems.

Figure 1: Map showing the the band of high pressure systems from Ohio to Texas

Figure 2: Temperature map to compare to figure 1

I am expecting warming temperatures over the weekend, around 30°F.  As the Llow pressure systems moves through and winds from the southwest will bring more temperatures.  There is not much chance for precipitation, but, as always, things could change quickly.

Wednesday: 2/4/15

4:15 P.M

Current Temperature: 13° F 

Humidity: 49 %

Wind Direction: NW

Wind Speed: 10 mph

Sky Conditions: Cloudy

Today, as I predicted, was a little colder than yesterday.  This is because the sky is much clearer, resulting in no blanket from the clouds.  The wind has picked up a little bit, when it blows the air feels extremely cold, as seen in figure 1 below.  Accuweather has Eau Claire's cloud cover listed as cloudy, but currently there are not many clouds in the sky.  The sky is mostly clear and a few clouds remain very high in the sky and thin.  Tonight the temperature will drop below 0°F and then coming back to the teens around 2 p.m.

figure 1: Wind Chills in °F, Eau is anywhere between 2°F and -4°F

Tomorrow will be about the same temperature.  In the morning expect it to below zero and then warming up in the afternoon.  The sky will be clear resulting in some sunshine, helping warm up the day.

Tuesday: 2/3/15

4:30 P.M

Current Temperature: 14° F 

Humidity: 77 %

Wind Direction: WSW

Wind Speed: 4 mph

Sky Conditions: Cloudy, snowing

Today was much warmer than yesterday, this probably had to do with increased cloud cover and a rise in humidity.  Walking outside was much easier than yesterday, there is not much wind at all and the air feels much warmer and stickier, good conditions for snow fall.  Currently there are light flurries falling as Eau Claire is in a winter weather advisory.  About one to two inches is expected to fall ending before 12 p.m.  

figure 1: NOAA map showing the winter weather advisory in purple and
winter weather warning in pink

Tomorrow the temperatures are expected to remain the same although no snow fall.  I am expecting the weather to feel much colder than yesterday because the sky will have less cloud cover and the air will be more dry.  

figure 2: Today we were introduced to a wind map that shows the earth's entire wind patterns and speeds.
Blue represents lighter winds, while light green represents the fasted wind speeds. 

Monday: 2/2/15 - COLD

4:30 P.M

Current Temperature: 13° F  

Humidity: 44 %

Wind Direction: WSW

Wind Speed: 7 mph

Sky Conditions: Partly Cloudy

Today is one of the coldest days of the year.  The 'feel like' temperature is close to zero and when the wind blows off the Chippewa River temperatures feel as if the are below zero.  The sky was pretty clear making it very bright outside as the sun reflected of the white snow that Eau Claire received on Sunday morning.  The clouds appear to be very high in the sky and very thin.  The air once again is very dry making it tough on our skin.

Tomorrow is expected to warm up a tiny bit with clouds moving in.  There is a slight chance for some snow later in the day, but if it is anything it will be very light.

Friday: 1/30/15

High: 19°F
Low: 2°F

Humidity: 60 %

Wind Direction: SW

Wind Speed: 5 mph

Sky Conditions: Partly Cloudy

Today was bitterly cold when walking home from class.  The wind blowing off the Chippewa River made it feel below zero.  The air was very dry and the sky was partly covered with clouds.  Even though the forecasts called for some sun I did not notice much sun throughout the day, especially on my walk home from class.  I can tell the weather is expected to drop and I am predicting a little snow over the weekend.  Chicago and Milwaukee are expected to receive snowfall but not much in the north.