Uh-Oh…Major Christmas Snow?

Good morning,

Gooseberry Falls in Winter

We are looking at and watching a major snowstorm that is aimed at Minnesota for Christmas Eve through the day after Christmas. It appears now to be packing a foot or more of snow over those three days. Much can change between now and then, but it’s not a bad idea to start thinking about it now.

Quercus, Inc. provides our snow clients with a bevy of information about future and past snow events. Here is our latest Wrap Up email following Sunday’s snow. You can find more information at Quercus, Inc.’s Snow & Ice Management Journal.

A small event is working its way through the area tonight leaving an inch or so of snow between midnight and noon tomorrow.

Have a great day!

Brad

Very interesting insight into forecasting

Good morning –

Courtesy Daffodilblue on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26351789@N07/3149197110/

I thought this article was very interesting from Paul Huttner of MPR on their Updraft blog. He discusses the perils of mid-range forecasting and how difficult it is right now to predict anything with winter weather for Minnesota.

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/updraft/archive/2009/12/forecast_models_all_over_the_m.shtml

Have a great day!

Brad

Winter Weather Prediction #2 – Farmer’s Almanac Calls it ‘Bitterly Cold & Dry’

Today was a big day for weather news. MPR reported that we were 1.6 degrees below normal for the meteorological summer, multiple locations hit record lows with freezing cold (27 in Embarrass) and – are you ready? – the Farmer’s Almanac released its winter predictions. It ain’t pretty for

Minnesota.

I love their word choices: “numbingly cold temperatures” and “this winter will see more days of shivery conditions.” In short, the Farmer’s Almanac is calling for most of Minnesota to be bitterly cold east of a line from Fargo to Windom to Des Moines with Very Cold and Snow to the west. Southern plains are to be colder and wetter while the east and west coast range are generally warmer and wet with California/Nevada mild and dry. Don’t forget, the Farmers’ Almanac proclaimed they were ‘On the Money’ with last year’s prediction.

I get a kick out of these predictions but put absolutely no stock in them whatsoever. It is interesting that the Farmers Almanac is about opposite of NOAA, who is expecting warmer than average temperatures and average precipitation.

Have a great day!

Brad

Oh – and here is the link to buy the Farmers’ Almanac if you were left craving more.