Bitter Week

2/3/1996 Trib

On Track for Plowable (4-8") Snowfall Sunday PM - Coldest Pop in 15 Years Next Week

Excerpt:

By midweek, we may see the coldest temperatures since 2004, when the mercury at MSP sank to a face-chapping -24F. Records show only 6 mornings of 20 below or colder at MSP since 2000. It's increasingly rare, but little pieces of the polar vortex still flake off and meander south of the border. I suspect next week's invasion will be the coldest of the winter and possibly the chilliest outbreak since 2004. BTW, subzero lows become less frequent in February, due to a higher sun angle. If that's any consolation. A strong clipper may still drop 4-8 inches of powder late Sunday and Sunday night, with the best chance of a half foot or more south of the Twin Cities. Expect a memorable AM commute Monday morning.

Coming our way: A snowstorm, then dangerous cold

Excerpt:

The midweek cold spell will rival the frigid February of 1996, which closed schools and challenged septic systems, car batteries and guys who wear shorts no matter what, the Weather Service said. Next week's arctic surge will have one feature the 1996 spell didn't have — winds of 10 to 15 mph on Tuesday night and Wednesday, Calderone said. That will yield windchills of 45 below zero in the metro and of up to 60 below zero in the country, where the wind has more room to move, he said. Winds will die down a bit Wednesday night and Thursday. Tuesday's high will be 7 below zero, and Wednesday's will be 11 below, with Thursday "warming up" to a high of 4 below, Calderone said. What to do? "Stay inside," he advised. "Keep your pets inside. Telecommute. If you really have to go out, dress in layers, and make sure you have emergency gear in your car." If it's any comfort, Calderone said, "we're not looking at setting records here." For the record, here are the record temperatures at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport — 29 below for Jan. 29, set in 1951; 30 below for Jan. 30, set in 1887, and 27 below for Jan. 31, also set in 1887.

Forecast of -29 for Tuesdayhttps://t.co/lEYl3c4IK6 pic.twitter.com/2rBIPfsbBS

— James Peet (@jrpeet) January 27, 2019

UPDATED snow start times. Everything slowed down a bit.#kare11weather pic.twitter.com/QpULSyDAE4

— Laura Betker (@LauraBetker) January 27, 2019

Comment: We moved here June of 1996

Snow delayed but 8-12 inches still expected in Twin Cities https://t.co/iyVt1cWxOs

— James Peet (@jrpeet) January 28, 2019

.@WCCO 's forecast

8" pic.twitter.com/zqvJV7gqbs

— James Peet (@jrpeet) January 28, 2019

@kare11 @StarTribune forecastshttps://t.co/OLaKSw5t4D pic.twitter.com/o0OZrSwLuT

— James Peet (@jrpeet) January 28, 2019

FLASHBACK: The last time temperatures were as cold as they're projected to get mid-week was back in 1996, when it dipped below -20 not once, but twice. (And in one case, for a week!) | https://t.co/J5YmqBjlCV pic.twitter.com/TzfQbP4wuQ

— WCCO - CBS Minnesota (@WCCO) January 28, 2019

Maybe 4". Today at 4pm. Now about 14

#jimpeet69 pic.twitter.com/Z4MrltiyBA

— James Peet (@jrpeet) January 28, 2019

Due to weather, all City of Plymouth warming houses and skating rinks are closed Monday, Jan. 28 through Wednesday, Jan. 30. pic.twitter.com/A65DFKKPze

— City of Plymouth, MN (@PlymouthMN_gov) January 28, 2019

Update: It currently feels 145° to 150° colder in the Twin Cities metro area than it did on Memorial Day, 2018. And, it’s going to get colder still. #mnwx #PolarVortex2019 pic.twitter.com/odGTvbB07g

— Mike Augustyniak (@MikeAugustyniak) January 29, 2019

Furnace is laboring. Coldest temperatures in 23 years

Windchill is -52#jimpeet69 pic.twitter.com/6ec5k2ouzB

— James Peet (@jrpeet) January 30, 2019

-28 (-51 windchill) today and 42 and rain on Sunday. What???? Then back to the deep freeze. Well everyone should come out to ⁦@PlymouthMN_gov⁩ Fire & Ice on Saturday at Parker’s Lake. It’s going to be so fun! pic.twitter.com/cKRZzodaPU

— Judy Johnson (@judyinplym) January 30, 2019

@StarTribune Front Page #jimpeet69 pic.twitter.com/z0uXKI6Qt8

— James Peet (@jrpeet) January 30, 2019

Natural gas outage in NW Minneapolis exurbs:https://t.co/UXIO6OALWe pic.twitter.com/yQpKd2KS5s

— James Peet (@jrpeet) January 30, 2019

We didn't / now -20https://t.co/YFyQQVVQtQ#jimpeet69 pic.twitter.com/efMyV37x45

— James Peet (@jrpeet) January 31, 2019

Snowzilla [or Snowmageddon, Snowpocalypse]

Photo by neighbor

above and below - out front window

Winter Storm Xanto Spreading a Snowy, Icy Mess from the Upper Midwest to the Great Lakes and Interior Northeast @weatherchannel https://t.co/YnutrQq0R1

— James Peet (@jrpeet) April 15, 2018

Comments:

• Mayflower Spring banquet (Yesterday) - CANCELED
• Church - CANCELED
• Spring - CANCELED

Another neighbor:

I am going to Miami soon. I am going to Miami soon. I am going to Miami soon. #southbeach pic.twitter.com/Di3feM27wK

— Judy Johnson (@judyinplym) April 15, 2018

More coming today!

Heaviest snow today has fallen over heaviest populated area of MN meaning MSP. Another 4" to 6" MSP thru Sun. @KSTP pic.twitter.com/OiSr09LDqu

— Jonathan Yuhas (@JYuhasKSTP) April 15, 2018

Blizzard eases, but snow will continue https://t.co/KCv7Kh2Ikv

— James Peet (@jrpeet) April 15, 2018

Snow totals (so far) pic.twitter.com/SaD1Zr3tZU

— James Peet (@jrpeet) April 16, 2018

PUPDATE: It’s official. Minneapolis has been hit with a corgi’s worth of snow. pic.twitter.com/UHJal1LJii

— Kyle Potter (@kpottermn) April 15, 2018

Spring storm

Snow complicates commute in metro area; flood consequences mounting

Excerpt:

Wednesday is bringing an all-too-familiar scenario to Twin Citians and their fellow Minnesotans: accumulations of snow, fender benders and school closings.

Meanwhile, the consequences of a snow-filled winter continue to mount. The latest: Highway 101 over the steadily rising Minnesota River in Shakopee is set to close with the conclusion of Wednesday's rush hour, the State Patrol said.

Comment: Back to work today. I am actually working from home today and probably will for some time. I saw my Dr yesterday. More drugs to take - not sure what (don't remember what she called them) but will pick them up tomorrow. Kathee in Des Moines on business - returning tomorrow. Just me and the cats at the house.

Long Slide

Map

I'm out driving today and going a little faster than I should have been. There was about 2" of snow on the road. There's a 90 degree turn right up ahead ... I hit the brakes and take a L O N G slide ... Map above

How much snow?

Hey, it's still February, ya know: 10-plus inches of snow in forecast

Excerpt:

The National Weather Service has put much of southern and central Minnesota under a winter storm warning starting about dawn Sunday and continuing for at least 24 hours.

Heavy snow "now appears likely" in a wide swath from Morris in the west to St. Cloud to Cambridge, just north of the Twin Cities. Those cities are looking at accumulation above 10 inches.

Then the southern edge of Twin Cities will be joined by Mankato, Faribault and Hutchinson looking at nearly a foot of snow, the Weather Service anticipates.

Winds ranging from 15 to 30 miles an hour over the weekend -- in particular Sunday afternoon and into the night -- "could create areas of blowing and drifting snow," according to the Weather Service.

"Significant amounts of snow are forecast that will make travel dangerous," the Weather Service is cautioning. "Only travel in an emergency."

Comment: Tired of Winter! But close to the end

December snowfall - breaks record

Take it to the snowbank: December snowfall is a record

Excerpt:

Up to 6 inches of snow fell overnight and pushed the monthly total to 33.4 inches at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. The previous December record was 33.2 inches, set in 1969.

Comment: It's beautiful. When we left for work today our road had not been plowed nor had our driveway.

Winter experiences

I would like to thank my dear Brother Dan S. who volunteered to come by to help me. I did not take him up on the offer but I really appreciated it.

Kathee and I went outside at 10:00 a.m. There was a large (2' tall) drift by one garage door. We worked outside for more than half a hour. My across the street neighbor (Paul) helped as well (the tractor got stuck three times). I normally do my side neighbor's but I knew I wouldn't be able to so Paul volunteered to snow blow her driveway. Now inside relaxing. I'm not going to plow a second time ... relying on the promise that Green Horizons will plow tonight.

Planning for Snow

Monster Storm Could Be Winter's Worst

Excerpt:

In areas hit by the monster snowstorm this weekend, these could be the worst conditions of the winter months, factoring in snow and returning wind, cold, and lake effect into next week.

The monster snowstorm slated for this weekend will hit portions of the Midwest, eastern Great Lakes, central Appalachians, Ontario and Quebec hardest.

Comment: Sometimes I look forward to snow ... like Saturday or Sunday storms. Snow that hits at rush hour really make for a long drive either to work or home. We have to gas up the John Deere in prep for this weekend

Worst ice storm in 29 years

Icy roads lead to hundreds of accidents in metro area

Excerpts:

Mark Fischbach of MnDOT told KSTP this morning that the rain is causing potentially the worst ice storm that he's seen in his 29 years with the department.

The treacherous conditions left bridges and hills largely impassable, Hennepin County sheriff's dispatch reported. About 40 cars were off the curvy stretch of road at Hwy. 7 and County Road 44 in Minnetrista, and about 20 cars were stopped at Medicine Lake Road and Hwy. 169 on the Plymouth-New Hope border, a dispatcher said.

Icy conditions also led to the closure of southbound Hwy. 169 at Rockford Road in the same area.

In the Minnetonka area, side roads were glare ice Sunday morning and cars were unable to get up even slight hills. Some main roads were icy but navigable at very slow speeds.

At 6:30 a.m., Interstate Hwy. 494 in Minnetonka and I-394 into downtown Minneapolis were more wet than icy, but bridge decks were slick. Most traffic was moving at about 40 mph.

At the curvy stretch where 394 enters downtown, a tow truck at 7 a.m. Sunday was removing several cars that had been in accidents.

Motorists leaving traveling southbound on 35W late Saturday and early Sunday morning reported hours-long travel times and glare ice at the new junction with the Crosstown.

Comment: We just made the decision to stay in this morning (I called our class coordinator and our discipleship Pastor). Our street and driveway glazed over.

953 millibars - Lowest Pressure On Record For The USA

"Land Hurricane": Record-Breaking Storm For Minnesota (and the USA)

Excerpts:

"Land Hurricane" Yes, our weather seems to be getting more extreme over time: 145 tornado reports this summer in Minnesota, the most in the nation. More frequent flash flooding events, annual flooding on the Red & Minnesota Rivers, more severe thunderstorms and hailstorms around the USA. Yesterday's "land hurricane" was an atmospheric explanation point coming at the end of what turned out to be a wild summer season.

...

October Superstorm. Lowest Pressure On Record For The USA. Welcome to the Land of 10,000 Weather Extremes. Yesterday a rapidly intensifying storm, a "bomb", spun up directly over the MN Arrowhead, around mid afternoon a central pressure of 953 millibars was observed near Orr. That's 28.14" of mercury. Bigfork, MN reported 955 mb, about 28.22" of mercury. The final (official) number may be closer to 28.20-28.22", but at some point the number becomes academic. What is pretty much certain is that Tuesday's incredible storm marks a new record for the lowest atmospheric pressure ever observed over the continental USA. That's a lower air pressure than most hurricanes, which is hard to fathom.

How did this happen, especially coming after 4 dry, mild, unusually sunny & quiet weeks/row? Generally speaking, the larger the "baroclinicity" (the north-south temperature contrats across N. America) the greater the potential for an epic storm to develop. Yesterday all the ingredients converged over Minnesota, an unusually powerful jet stream core (blowing at close to 200 mph 5-8 miles overhead). The approach of a "jet streak" aloft caused a partial vacuum to form over the MN Arrowhead, air rushing into this low pressure system accelerated to speeds as high as 60 mph, downing trees and powerlines, cutting off power to WeatherNation in Excelsior for a time during the evening hours.

Comment: The wind howled last night! The house seemed to shudder.

Double strike

The moment lightning struck twice in the same place at the same time: Stunning images as storm breaks over Chicago


Excerpt:

Electricity rushed down the lightning rods atop the The Willis Tower and the Trump Tower at the exact same instant last night.

Comment: Really cool pics ... click through

Snowpocalypse!

Snowpocalypse When? Snowpocalypse Now!

Excerpt:

It won't be a silent night this Christmas Eve and Christmas, atmospherically speaking, as the Twin Cities can expect up to a foot of snow and further north could get up to two.

A winter storm warning for all of the Twin Cities begins Wednesday evening at 9 p.m. and will last until Saturday morning.

The snow will start Wednesday evening coming in from the south, said WCCO meteorologist Chris Shaffer. If you're traveling to the north this afternoon, you should be fine. However, if you're traveling to the south, you'll be heading straight into the storm.

That line will move up into the Twin Cities as Wednesday turns into Thursday. South of the line of snow will be another line of rain-snow mix, with some sleet and freezing drizzle.

Drivers should be aware that traveling in the southern third of the state will be difficult late Wednesday, though conditions may only devolve from there.

The heaviest snow is expected to fall Thursday, providing an extremely white Christmas Eve. From there, it doesn't show signs of stopping until early Saturday.

The snow fall will remain pretty consistent throughout Christmas Eve and into Christmas Day. Shaffer said the snow should come in waves.

Comment: Cool word - "Snowpocalypse"! We are ready. I am downtown today. Kathee is working from home. We are both going to work from home tomorrow. The tractor (Deere with plow) is gassed up and ready! Heard that the Christmas Eve service at 4th has been canceled!

Heavy snow for Christmas?

2 feet for Christmas? You better watch out

Excerpt:

A large winter storm with the potential to dump a foot or more of snow is grinding its way toward Minnesota, and its arrival is likely to mess up travel plans, complicate last-minute errands and ensure a very white Christmas.

"It's not definite yet, but it has an uncanny resemblance to the East Coast storm last Saturday," meteorologist Paul Douglas posted Monday on his Facebook page. "I want to see one to two more computer runs, but this could be the snowiest Christmas for Minnesota in 30 years."

According to a winter storm warning issued this afternoon for central and southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin, the mess is expected to begin Wednesday afternoon -- and go on and on.

"This is major," said James McQuirter, meteorologist at the Twin Cities office of the National Weather Service. "It might not get out of here until Saturday."

Douglas said in an interview that, depending on the temperature, freezing rain, sleet and/or ice could enter the picture, particularly to the east and south. Either way, "I think travel conditions Christmas Eve and Christmas Day may be pretty bad," he said, encouraging people to leave earlier on Wednesday if they have that option.

Comment: I think this would be super!

How much snow today?

wcco

When all is said and done, Augustyniak thinks the Twin Cities will see between 7 and 10 inches of snow.

kstp

By tonight there may be 1 to 2 inches of new snow. The big show is tonight with snow and blowing snow with another 2 to 3 inches overnight and 1 to 2 inches tomorrow leaving us with 4 to 7 inches of total accumulation.

kare11

One-two inches of snow is expected in the Twin Cities by late Tuesday afternoon. The Twin Cities could see 5-8 inches of snow by dawn Wednesday.

StarTribune

The first course, snow flirting with eventual double digits in depth, will start falling just in time for the Twin Cities' Tuesday evening commute, said National Weather Service forecaster Tony Zaleski.

In fact, areas south of the metro, such as New Ulm, are already reporting snowfall, the Weather Service said.

The next plate of wintry conditions: high winds, creating blizzard-like conditions when daybreak comes Wednesday, Zaleski said. And metro residents should expect to see about a half-foot of snow Wednesday morning on top of the 1 to 2 inches that had fallen Tuesday evening.

Specifically, according to Zaleski, "the bulk of the heaviest snow" should be in northern Washington and Hennepin counties and bending down to Waconia in the extreme southwest metro.

And for dessert? Who can resist temperatures dipped in sub-zero readings.

A "big dam of cold air" will be moving in from northeast Montana in time to send temperatures late Wednesday and early Thursday into the 5- to 10-below range, Zaleski said. "All of that is coming our way."

Thursday's high will be no more than 5-above, he said, with windchills busting through 20-below and then some.

Comment: I think I am ready. We expect a long commute home tonight (if we leave at 5:15 should be home by 6:15). I have the snow plow on my tractor and it is all gassed up. I am a little worried about the tractor battery as it is 10 years old. I probably won't plow tonight if it is just 2" ... just wait until tomorrow.

Minnesota October fortnight 16 degrees below normal

Brrrr! First half of October the coldest ever - High temperature averaged a chilly 47 degrees for the first two weeks of the month - 16 degrees below normal.

Excerpt:

With 19 consecutive days of below normal temperatures and accumulating snow falling a few weeks before normal, news that this has been the coldest start to an October on record in the Twin Cities probably isn't all that shocking.

On Friday, the National Weather Service confirmed that there has never been a colder first two weeks of the month ever. Typically the average high temperature for the Twin Cities from Oct. 1-14 is 63 degrees but this year the average high temperature was only 47 degrees, or 16 degrees below average. That breaks the old mark of 52 degrees set back in 1875. The last time we experienced cold of this magnitude was in 1979 when the average daily high temperature was 54 degrees, the Weather Service said.

On the other end of the scale, the average low temperature for the first two weeks of October is 42 degrees. This year the average low temperature was 36 degrees, which ties it for 10th place on the list of coldest starts to October. The 36-degree low was matched in 1985, 1987 and 1993.

With an official total of 2.8 inches of snow for the month thus far, 2009 is now seventh all time in terms of snowy Octobers and the snowiest since 1977. The snowiest October was in 1991 when 8.2 inches fell on Oct. 31. This month also is one of the 10 wettest of all time.

Comment: On the good side, the moisture is needed!

Timelapse: Lightning storm over St. Paul

Minnpost.com


Comment:

St. Paul saw a lively electrical storm last night -- with all the flash, but none of the rumble -- as cloud-to-cloud lightning lit up the sky. MPR news reporter Tim Post captured the storm as it passed over Como Park from 10:48 to 10:51 p.m.

Winter not over

Today started at about 35 degrees with a gloomy heavy foggy mist. We gassed up the car as we were done to 1/16 of a tank and I did not want to have to fill up on the way home.

We anticipate a long commute home!

I checked my tractor last night and I have 1/4 of a tank. So I should be good to plow tonight (or perhaps tomorrow morning).

Major snow storm

Traffic Seizes Up As Snow Blasts Twin Cities

Excerpt:

parts of the Twin Cities to see anywhere from 4 to 8 inches of snow

Comments:

Kathee and I are downtown so we will have to brave the commute home. I canceled the Metro Women's Center board meeting for tonight. Will need to plow tonight: I'm thinking ... do I have enough gas in my John Deere tractor???

Antarctic cold

HT: Between Two Worlds

-23 Plymouth MN 1/15/2009

Comment: At 6:45 a.m.

Updated: We had low air in our right rear tire and stopped at Jerry's Service Center (Plymouth) to have it filled up. We were able to pull into their warm garage. Derrick (attendant) filled all tires. Thanks Derrick!