A few severe thunderstorms, and even one tornado warning, was issued this evening across southeast Nebraska and southeast South Dakota. Warnings are still ongoing across parts of central/eastern Nebraska along the cold front, however, these storms are only capable of large hail at the moment. Other...
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Severe Weather Update - May 31
A broken line of thunderstorms has erupted along the cold front across eastern/central South Dakota and into northern Nebraska. With surface winds from the southwest along the cold front, low level shear is pretty weak; combined with high LCL's due to only mid 50s dew points and you are left with fairly...
Severe Weather - May 31
With the lack of an update last night and early this morning, you may have been able to tell that I am not too excited about the severe weather threat today. A warm front will likely push east/northeast through the afternoon into western Iowa by this evening. A cold front will also be located over...
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Severe Weather Potential - May 31
It would appear that surface features and upper air parameters will come into play for tomorrow and allow one of the better risks of severe weather across the plains in nearly two weeks! While surface moisture will still be fairly meager across the northern plains with surface dew points only in the...
Friday, May 29, 2009
Severe Weather Threat - May 29 (Update)
The latest SPC outlook for severe thunderstorms has greatly limited the potential for severe weather across the state this evening and overnight. This is likely due to the lack of convergence along the quasi-stationary front that is now over northern Missouri. With this front located that far south,...
Severe Weather Threat - May 29
A weak cold front is positioned across northern Iowa this morning, and should slowly push southward through the morning hours to be positioned near/along the I-80 corridor by this afternoon. Areas along and south of this front will be in position to see strong/severe thunderstorms this afternoon and...
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Feels like May!
After yesterday's high temperatures across the state in the 50s and 60s, along with cloudy and rainy skies, today is much of a relief for those wishing it would actually feel like May. Morning lows were on the chilly side in the mid 40s in the northwest, to the mid 50s across much of the southern tiers...
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Return of Severe Weather?!?
A small area of 'See Text' as issued by the Storm Prediction Center covers extreme southeast Iowa today for the risk of an isolated brief tornado. This is in regards to a weak warm core low that has spun across Missouri the past two days, and is continuing to move northward near the Iowa/Missouri border...
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Severe Weather Drought
Today marked the eighth straight day in which the Storm Prediction Center had not issued a Severe Thunderstorm or Tornado watch over any part of the United States. This is essentially a May record, with eight days of minimal organized severe weather and even one day (May 21) in which not even a single...
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Wet Weekend
Memorial Weekend has been fairly wet and cool across northwest Iowa, as a cold front is draped across the state leading to showers/thunderstorms along and north of the boundary. Today's highs over northwest Iowa where rain and cloud cover dominated were only in the mid 60s to lower 70s. Other parts...
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Summer Arrives!!
After a weekend with near record lows, we now enter a couple of days with high temperatures that will be well above normal for late May. We saw our first hint of that today with temperatures across the state ranging from near 90 along the Missouri River, to only the upper 60s along the eastern portions...
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Freezing in May!?!
Unfortunately that statement above is likely going to come true tonight, as several National Weather Service offices have already issued Frost Advisories for parts of the state. Overnight lows last night ranged from the mid 30s across northwest Iowa to the mid 40s across southeast Iowa. Temperatures...
Friday, May 15, 2009
May 15 Thunderstorms
The combination of a warm front lifting northward and a cold front sliding southeast will create the chance for thunderstorms across much of the state of Iowa from this afternoon through the overnight. A cold front is currently located over central SD/ND this morning, with a warm front draped across...
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Brayden James Prentice
The next-generation storm chaser was born early this morning, May 12, at 1:56 AM.Brayden James Prentice was 20" and weighed 7 lbs 5 ...
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Chilly Start
After the cold front and associated thunderstorms moved through parts of the state last night, temperatures were finally able to drop well below average across much of the state. Many woke up this morning to temperatures in the mid 30s in northwest Iowa, to the mid 40s across the south and east. The...
Friday, May 8, 2009
May 8 Severe Weather Update #2
The severe weather threat across the state is coming to an end, as the current line of severe warned storms is just entering Illinois. Other showers and isolated thunderstorms will continue during the overnight for much of the state as precipitation wraps around the low pressure system. Thus far it...
May 8 Severe Weather Update #1
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for much of Iowa that will be in effect until 8 PM. For more details please read the watch discussion via the SPC page:http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/watch/ww0270.htmlThis watch includes areas east of the low pressure system and cold front, and areas south...
May 8 Severe Weather Threat
Once again a weak low pressure system is centered just southeast of Sioux City, with a warm front extending eastward parallel to Highways 20 and 30. This warm front and low pressure system already has a few clusters of isolated thunderstorms just north of the boundary and near the center of low pressure....
Thursday, May 7, 2009
May 7 Severe Weather
A Tornado Watch is now in effect for portions of southwest Iowa and will remain in effect until 8:00 PM tonight. A weak surface low is positioned over northeast Nebraska, and a warm front appears to be draped along eastern Nebraska and southern Iowa. Areas along and south of this warm front will see...
May 6, 2009 Chase Report
Had an impromptu chase yesterday evening as a weak cold front and associated disturbances kicked off thunderstorms yesterday afternoon over northwest Iowa. One cell was able to become severe warned over...
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Unofficial Meteorologist
As mentioned in this mornings' update, I walked off of the Iowa State University campus a short time ago early this afternoon after my last final as a student here at ISU. This makes me for the time being, an unofficial meteorologist, not having my true degree in my hand until later this summer when...
Fairwell Ames, Iowa
In the same tune as Tony Laubach's last post, today is my last day of college at Iowa State University in Ames, IA. Spent the past four falls and springs on-campus, enjoying the college life and getting my work done. As of approximately 1:30 PM this afternoon I will be leaving the campus as a student...
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Stormy Week Ahead
We've seen a few stormy days as of late, and this week looks to have at least two more days of storm weather for the state. The first chance of storms will come into the picture late Monday, more likely on Tuesday as a front passes over the state. Although a few showers/thunderstorms may linger into...
