Day 54

Temperature: 52 F, feels like 52 F

Humidity: 38%

Dew Point: 27 F

Wind: 2.7 mph ENE
Pressure: 30.00 in
Visibility: 10 miles
Cover: Overcast 6000 ft
Observation: 5:30 PM
Moon: Full, 98% visible

This weekend has been partly cloudy and pleasantly warm with a mixed sky of stratus and stratocumulus clouds with greater horizontal development than vertical. There has been little precipitation, nothing much more than sprinkling and mist today. The high pressure system over us and a low pressure system over the northern Rockies has caused the wind to shift and blow from east to west across Wisconsin. Winds from the east are expected to stick around a lot of this week which will contribute to cooler temperatures and higher chance for precipitation as air masses are drawn across the Great Lakes. There is also a moist system coming from the west over the Rockies and these forces combining will cause the next week of moist weather. We are currently under a stationary front and another is expected to follow with the mass from the Rockies, so daily high and low temperatures should be pretty stable throughout the week.

Day 53

Temperature: 31.9 F, feels like 32 F

Humidity: 59%

Dew Point: 19 F

Wind: 1 mph N
Pressure: 30.16 in
Visibility: 10 miles
Cover: Overcast 2700 ft
Observation: 12:30 PM
Moon: Waxing Gibbous, 99% visible

The winds have definitely shifted. A low pressure system in the south has strengthened yesterday's winds coming down from Canada and now there are strong northern winds coming across our area. This has caused a significant temperature drop (20-25 F) compared to yesterday's high of nearly 65 F. There is no chance for precipitation today but the humidity is the highest it has been in a week or more because of the rain yesterday and low level cloud cover. Tomorrow will be clear and sunny because the winds are expected to shift from the north to coming from the west over the Rockies. There is a low pressure system to the north of the Rockies that will come to our area and pull those winds to us. The temperatures will rise to about normal Wisconsin spring temperatures (mid 40s/50s F) for the rest of the week with little to slim chances for precipitation. 

Day 52

Temperature: 65.8 F, feels like 65.8 F

Humidity: 13%

Dew Point: 14 F

Wind: 3.7 mph WSW
Pressure: 29.70 in
Visibility: 10 miles
Cover: Clear
Observation: 4:30 PM
Moon: Waxing Gibbous, 98% visible

The storms arrived last night around 11pm and the lightning/thunder was amazing. The storm stuck around longer than I thought it would but the rain was very brief. There were a few bursts of heavy rain but otherwise just light rain while the lightning raged on. I tried to get a few pictures and video but it was pretty dark. 

Today is warm and dry feeling even with the rain last night. It is less warm than yesterday, but still in the mid 60s. There is intermittent sunshine as a mixed sky of cumulus clouds and high level cirrus clouds pass over the sun. Winds are continuing to come up from the south but temperatures are expected to drop over night as a cold front attached to a high pressure system comes to the area from the north. Tomorrow will be much cooler (47 F) and partly cloudy with no chance for precipitation.

Day 51

Temperature: 77 F, feels like 77 F

Humidity: 17%

Dew Point: 29 F

Wind: 11.4 mph S
Pressure: 29.38 in
Visibility: 10 miles
Cover: Clear
Observation: 6:30 PM
Moon: Waxing Gibbous, 94% visible

Today is extremely warm, at one point it hit 80 F because of a warm front tied to a low pressure system that is passing through. There have been very few defined clouds, but the high levels of the atmosphere have appeared hazy, but not defined enough to really be called anything cirrus. Right now there are very strong winds coming up from the south because we are centered under various low pressure systems and there are multiple high pressure systems in the southern states and east coast. The jet stream is also currently pretty strong and is pulling moist air across and under the Rockies and shooting it up to us. PLUS there is a moist cold front attached to another low pressure system coming down from Canada. In other words, we have three pretty powerful storms fronts all meeting over the Mississippi area (us) right now. 

Jet Stream (top) and Surface winds (bottom)

All of the heat from the day will be released from the ground overnight in combination with these three powerful, moist fronts and all of the wind will produce a storm tonight around 1-2am. I think it will be strong but very short lived and while the rain could be heavy in some areas at times, I think it will blow itself out pretty fast. I also believe these fronts have created pretty intense friction in the atmosphere today so there could be some cool lightning (I hope so!)

Here is the big picture where you can see all of the fronts together:

Day 50

Temperature: 64 F, feels like 64 F

Humidity: 28%

Dew Point: 30 F

Wind: 5.8 mph NW
Pressure: 29.88 in
Visibility: 10 miles
Cover: Clear
Observation: 4:30 PM
Moon: Waxing Gibbous, 89% visible

Today is very warm and tomorrow is expected to be even warmer because of the continuation of a warm front extending from Canada. There is currently a high pressure system in the center of the country circulating warm temperatures that also contributes to today's warm weather. This morning there was significant advection fog from the ground releasing moisture after the showers the day before and cool morning air blowing over the ground. It was thick enough to cause some concern for driving and took until nearly 11am for it all to burn off. Tomorrow is expected to also be quite warm but with more cloud cover. The warm front combined with the moisture from the clouds could potentially cause thunderstorms tomorrow night, but the current LI index from the Unisys stuve charts is at 10.9 so I would predict that the storms won't hit (if they do at all) until late tomorrow evening after 9-10pm or so. 

Day 49

Temperature: 47 F, feels like 47 F

Humidity: 80%

Dew Point: 41 F

Wind: 1 mph N
Pressure: 29.96 in
Visibility: 10 miles
Cover: Overcast
Observation: 2:30 PM
Moon: Waxing Gibbous, 81% visible

Right now it is overcast with status clouds at about 6000 ft. A rain shower just passed through the area and brought a little rain, as expected. The sun is slowly starting to make its way through the low cloud level. It is still a bit above average for temperature and even with today's rain, we continue to have a pretty dry spring. Even though there is a cold front to the north of us, the winds are coming in from the west and south. There is currently a high pressure system coming off of the Rockies that will affect the temperatures in our area later in the week, but the band of precipitation over us currently is slow moving is it is expected to stay partly cloudy with higher humidity and chances for showers through Wednesday. 

Spring Break

Current Stats in Eau Claire:

Temperature: 29 F, feels like 29 F

Humidity: 43%

Dew Point: 10 F

Wind: 1.7 mph WSW
Pressure: 30.20 in
Visibility: 10 miles
Cover: Clear
Observation: 9:30 PM
Moon: First Quarter, 58% visible

Currently in Eau Claire there is high pressure system in the area which brought sunshine and very few clouds into the area today. Coming in from the west there is a low pressure system tied to a warm front behind a pocket of precipitation, but it should hold off hitting the ground until Sunday morning. The winds are pretty calm across the United States as there is a huge storm off the eastern sea board which is where most of the energy is focused right now. 

I have been in Chicago all week on vacation, and there was a pretty interesting weather swing while I was there. 

On our way down there was snow falling in Eau Claire and a little snow had fallen in Chicago once we arrived, however throughout our travels in the whole state of Wisconsin, there were obvious pockets where the storm hadn't even come close. (For example, there was no snow in Wausau, which was a stop along our route to see family). Monday and Friday were the coldest days in Chicago, with an obvious warm front and pressure system moving through the area during the week. Wednesday was the warmest day at around 55 F while Monday and Friday it was only a high of around 35 F. It was frequently overcast most of the week but the only precipitation (light snow) occurred Monday before we arrived and Friday morning before we woke up and melted quickly. 

On our way back into Eau Claire, the skies were sunny and mostly clear, but there were some really nice mare's tails that I sadly couldn't get a picture of because I was driving.