Goose Lake Weather Blog

An intense low pressure system brought rain with some thunder yesterday and overnight. The rain changed over to heavy wet snow around 4am this morning. We have 0.3 inch of snow on the ground at present. Northwest winds gusting to 30 mph are producing wind chills in the low 20′s.

We are only into mid March and yet precipitation has been over 300 percent of normal. Monthly rainfall currently stands at 4.67 inches.  Image courtesy Midwestern Regional Climate Center.

Goose Lake Weather is now a member of the Quake Catcher Network. The Quake Catcher Network is a collaborative initiative for developing the world’s largest, low-cost strong-motion seismic network by utilizing sensors in and attached to internet-connected computers. The sensor is a small accelerometer that is connected to our computer via a USB port and continuously monitors for movement. The sensor is attached to the basement floor for best possible isolation from other sources of movement.

Although Illinois is not nearly as seismically active as the western half of the US and other areas, it does experience quakes from time to time. Last April, a 5.2 magnitude quake occurred in southern Illinois and was felt by some in this area.  An area of great interest in Illinois is around the New Madrid fault.

Accelerometer

It will be interesting to see exactly what the sensor will detect. Obviously, it is not nearly as sensitive as the equipment used by the US Geological Survey and other agencies.  I have also added a page on our web site for monitoring earthquake activity from the USGS. I hope to add data from our own sensor in the future.

Today marks the first day of Severe Weather Awareness week in Illinois. Now is a good time to make sure you and your family are prepared for severe weather.  Download the severe weather preparedness booklet from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency here.

NOAA All-hazards Weather Radio

One of the best ways to be prepared for severe weather is to have a NOAA Weather Radio. Find out more here.

Meteorological (as opposed to astronomical) Spring begins today. It sure doesn’t feel springlike however with gusty north winds and temperatures in the mid 20′s. Wind chill values are averaging between 10 and 15 degrees. March is a month of wide variations in temperature with average high temperatures warming into the mid 50′s by month’s end.