A storm system deposited 3.9 inches of heavy wet snow overnight. The anemometer is frozen and the other weather equipment is encrusted in snow.
Archive for February, 2008
Wet Snow
Tuesday, February 26th, 2008Lunar Eclipse
Saturday, February 23rd, 2008Viewing conditions were perfect for the lunar eclipse that occurred on the evening of Feb 20, 2008. The temperature was around 8°, nevertheless I made an attempt to get a few pictures by holding my digital camera up to the eyepiece of my spotting scope. The results were nothing like the pros but here are a couple of images.
Freeze, Thaw, Rain, Flood, and repeat…
Monday, February 18th, 2008This seems to be the cycle over the last many weeks. Yesterday’s max temperature topped out at 53° followed by thunderstorms, pea-sized hail, and a wind gust to 53 MPH. Now we are back in the freeze with temperatures in the teens, strong winds, and windchills in the single digits. Spring is not that far off, although Punxsutawney Phil did see his shadow.
Flood Watch
Saturday, February 16th, 2008
A developing low pressure system moving out of the southern plains has the potential to dump between 1 and 2 inches of rainfall across Grundy county during the next 24 hours. This rainfall will likely lead to renewed rises on area rivers and additional flood problems. The image depicts the latest 24 hr Quantitative Precipitation Forecast or QPF through Sunday evening.
Too Cold to Play Outside Today
Sunday, February 10th, 2008
Temperatures just above zero combined with northwest winds of between 20 and 30 mph created brutal windchills of -20° to -25° today. It was even too cold for our normally non-stop dogs. Maggie left is a Border Collie and Hector is part Border Collie, part ?. Both are rescues.
Storm System Number??
Tuesday, February 5th, 2008And yet another storm system will be affecting Grundy county over the next 24 hours. As much as 5 to 9 inches of snow are possible. Also, a combination of runoff from snowmelt and rain is resulting in rises on area rivers.
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL 408 PM CST TUE FEB 5 2008 ILZ019>022-060615- /O.UPG.KLOT.WW.Y.0002.080206T0000Z-080207T0000Z/ /O.EXB.KLOT.WS.W.0003.080205T2208Z-080207T0000Z/ LA SALLE-KENDALL-GRUNDY-WILL- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...OTTAWA...OSWEGO...MORRIS...JOLIET 408 PM CST TUE FEB 5 2008 ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST WEDNESDAY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHICAGO HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST WEDNESDAY. THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. A STORM SYSTEM ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS WILL LIFT NORTHEAST INTO THE REGION TONIGHT. A MIX OF RAIN...SLEET...AND SNOW WILL CHANGE OVER TO SNOW LATE THIS EVENING...AND BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES OVERNIGHT...WITH THE SNOW CONTINUING INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. STORM TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 TO 9 INCHES ARE EXPECTED BY EARLY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. IN ADDITION TO THE HEAVY SNOW...NORTHEAST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 15 TO 25 MPH THIS EVENING WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH RESULTING IN BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AND SNOW COVERED ROADS. AREAS OF REDUCED VISIBILITIES DUE TO BLOWING SNOW ARE ALSO LIKELY. SNOW WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH TO LIGHT SNOW AND FLURRIES ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW... SLEET...AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.
Sun Pillar
Sunday, February 3rd, 2008
I took this image of a sun pillar from our backyard at sunrise in mid January.
From the University of Illinois online weather guide:
A sun pillar is a vertical shaft of light extending upward or downward from the sun. Typically seen during sunrise or sunset, sun pillars form when sunlight reflects off the surfaces of falling ice crystals associated with thin, high-level clouds (like cirrostratus clouds).