Very Warm Temperture Report, Highs top the 70s for the first time this season & Least snowiest March on Record.

Greening-up Fields March 31st.

Temperatures were very warm both Tuesday and Wednesday, with a warm air mass that moved in after a strong warm front moved through Tuesday, which brought very strong southerly winds, gust as high as 30-35MPH were reported. Tuesday March 30th was actually the day I officially hit 70.F for the first time this season. This was earliest 70 degree reading that I've recorded in my records, in the past 3 years. Last year my first 70 was April 16th.

Wednesday,winds were more calm, and temperatures soured well into 70s, after lows well in the middle 50s. Party sunny to sunny skies lead to many places reaching the low to mid 70s. Shorts and Short sleeve shorts were common through out the area today. Toady's highs were 30 degrees warmer then average! The average high is about 45.F, our low temperatures the past couple of nights, have not even been anywhere near the average highs for this time of year! last night my low was a very mild 55.F, I left the windows open all night!


Highs reported Wednesday.

The warmest location was Baldwin, with a high of 76.F the coolest place turned out to be Spooner at 68.F this area held under the thin cloud cover for longer.

our yard March 31st.

March 2010 was definitely a Warm and Dry one, But this March has a significant different then most Marches we experience, because we haven't even had a trace of snow at all! My location spent all 31 days this month with high temperatures above 32.F, 15 days were spent above 50.F, 6 days were above 60, we even spent the very end of the month in the 70s! with the highest temperature in March reported at 74.F on the 31st. The overall monthly mean temp this month at my location was 51.F, This is well above the mean March average high of 38. Our snow cover was completely melted by the second week of the month the last day I had measurable snow on the ground was March 13th. a mild rainy weather system did our snow pack in, since then it has been warm and dry, with only a couple cool days. This was the perfect set-up for a snow less month of March.

During the entire month of March I've haven't had any snow at my location, so go in the records as 0.00" and 0.61" of Rain. This will go down as a fairly dry month, The average snowfall for March is 8.20". Snowless Marches are not unheard of, but are extremely rare in Wisconsin, so rare that this was the least snowiest March in modern history according to my local NWS, completely snow free Marches have only occurred twice at Minneapolis/St Paul airport twice since weather records began there. in my experience, this was the least snowiest March I've ever experienced. This was the second March in a row with below normal snowfall, last March I recorded 3.50" of snow.

Remaining Mild for Tuesday & Friday, but then Showers and Thunderstorms move in, Cooler for Saturday.

Regional Weather Map.

No this isn't no April Fools joke! Mild, Dry weather will continue for Thursday, Highs will be in the 70s and 80s across the Upper Midwest, But a change is coming, a cold front will begin to move it's way East Friday & Saturday, braining with it a good chance of showers and Thunderstorms, and much cooler temperatures for Saturday, highs will be in the mid 50s. The chance of Severe Storms are low, but a few isolated strong storms are possible with in the green lines above.

Local View.

What this means for the local area is, the Mild weather we've been enjoying across the area so far this week will stick around for a couple more days! Thursday, there isn't many clouds, We have to potential to reach to upper 70s, but Mid 70s appears more likely, Winds will be strong from the S. Most of Friday should be dry, but late in the afternoon showers and thunderstorm chances will increase. Highs will be in the 70s once again Friday. the best chance for showers and Thunderstorms will be in the evening Friday it appears, the chance for severe storms are low, but a few strong storms can't be fully ruled out, then some remaining left over light showers may linger into Saturday Morning, The front will pass through sometime late Friday or early Saturday, temperatures will cool down quite a bit with this front. Highs Saturday will be in the mid 50s, with lows slipping back into the 30s. Hopefully we can get some good rains from this because many areas are becoming dry. Daily forecast below.

Thursday, Partly Cloudy to Partly Sunny, Very Mild, with highs in the mid 70s. Thursday Night, Mild, partly cloudy, lows in the mid 50s.

Friday, Partly Sunny, Then a chance of Showers and Thunderstorms late in the afternoon. Friday Night, a good chance of Showers and Thunderstorms, lows in the upper 40s

Saturday, cooler, a chance of lingering light rain showers, highs in the mid 50s. Saturday Night, cooler, mostly cloudy with lows in the upper 30s.

Looking Ahead.

It looks like things may clear out for Easter, highs will rebound back into the 60s. with mild and dry weather with warming temps for the start of next week, but by Midweek to models show things getting active again showers and thunderstorms look possible for Tuesday & Wednesday, with a cold front, Cooler weather will follow this front. this cool patter appears to hold out for the rest of the work-week. Then it looks like warmer temps will move in by Saturday April 10Th. then the models hint at some Warm temps moving back in the for the middle of April We will have to see if this pattern holds, Remember changes will occur over the next few weeks.

Following Spring-Growth, First Spring Flower, and Daffodil bloom of the season! also Tulip Project planted.

First Flower in my yard of the 2010 season, Opened March March 24th.

Well it's the time of year again when I start following the spring time growth! The first flower of the season goes to a purple Crocus flower which bloomed last week March 24th. It is planted on the South side of my house along with Daffodils, This isn't the only Crocus currently blooming, I've seen Crocuses of all colors blooming across my area last week, This is Much earlier then last year for the first Crocus bloom, which didn't happen until near a month later then this! April 16th, 2009 was when I reported my first crocus bloom last year. The lack of March Snow, along with mild temperatures is what brought the early spring blooms.
First Daffodil bloom March 29th.

The first Daffodil to bloom in my yard is this small, strange-looking double Daffodil, I'm not fully sure what type of Daffodil this is, but it is short, and have quite small flowers compare to my others. These are the same plants that I've been following here since Late Feb when they sprouted.

An interesting thing to note is, although I've mentioned in Feb that spring flowers planted along this southern exposure was new experience to me, This is the earliest Daffodil bloom in all on my gardening records. I've never even once had Daffodils blooming in March, normally Mid to Late April is when I'm talking about first Daffodil blooms,

Sprouting Spring flowers, taking in the sunshine March 29th.

My Tulips projects have been planted, and they were planted March 26th, The Tulips are the reddish sprouts on the far corner, and the ones near the light. You can also see Hyacinths near the side, Those are actually getting some color, and are showing signs of blooming. The dark green sprouts in the middle are last years Daffodil projects, that I left in the ground because they were doing so well, There will soon be on their way to blooming! and this ensures that my long time "mushy-daffodil bulbs curse" is over!

So how early is this years tulip project planting date compare to 2009? It is definitely earlier, This is the first year, that warm temps and lack of snow, have allowed for me to plant both the Daffodil fridge projects, and the Tulip fridge projects in the ground on the month of March, last year I planted the Tulips on April 3th, so I've been able to plant the Tulips more then a week earlier then last year! I will have to see how this early sprouting/planting will influence blooming schedules.

I've also noticed many trees/bushes which are showing the early signs of growth, and with a Warm week forecasted, I'll have to watch how they respond to the warm weather, I will continue to bring updates through the week, if needed.

Very nice, and very mild upcoming week ahead. 70 degree highs looking likely by Midweek! No cold or snow in sight.

Regional View.

A very warm week ahead for all of the Upper Midwest. Also looking quite dry, with no preip in sight. Monday, looks warm across the entire region, then a warm front will begin to approach by Tuesday, bringing even warmer weather for Wednesday and days beyond this.

Local View.

It's about to get warm over Western Wisconsin! This will be the type of week when you will want to get outside! because it will be Very nice. Were looking at a Dry next 3 days for the local area, with sunshine all 3 days, and highs in the 50s and 60s Monday and Tuesday, then Tuesday & Wednesday, a warm front will approach from the SW, the forecast models show that this front will come in dry with no rainfall. more importantly, this warm front will give us a good shot at 70 degree high temperatures on Wednesday with sunny skies! Night time lows will be No where near the 30s come time Monday Night, by Wednesday Night, We could be having night lows as mild as the lower 50s! daily forecast below.

Monday, Nice! Mild, sunny with highs in the upper 50s. Monday Night, Mild, Partly Cloudy lows in the low 40s.

Tuesday, Nice Mild & Sunny, with highs in the lower to middle 60s. Tuesday Night, Clear, lows in the mid 40s.

Wednesday, Nice, Very Mild temperatures. Sunny with highs in the upper 60s, to lower 70s. Wednesday Night, Very Mild, partly cloudy with lows in the upper 40s to lower 50s.

Looking Ahead.

Snow and Cold are definitely not a part of this warm forecast, because the future forecast models don't show our mild streak ending at Wednesday! Mild & Dry weather looks to continue as we start of the month of April, Thursday April 1st, we may have to potential to reach the middle to upper 70s! Mild weather continues into next weekend. finally by Next Saturday, The models show a system moving in, This would likely come in the form of showers and Thunderstorms. This system will probably have to be watched for potential Severe Weather threat. after this system, Monday April 5th, continues to show mild temperatures! it also looks like we go back into a temporary dry spell by that time. More on this later as we progress through the week.

Success for Earth Hour in Wisconsin!

Video showing the before and after photos of my residence for Earth Hour 2010!

Earth Hour actually turned out to be quite a success for Wisconsin, the Untied States and across the globe. 566,477,0 people signed up for Earth Hour globally, and 241,199 people participated in the U.S. By the time the day of Earth Hour had come, nearly 100 additional people signed up from Wisconsin alone! making for a total of 247 people who showed their support for Earth Hour in WI. Even several local area people took place in the event, I seen people signed up from such areas Rice Lake and New Richmond! Also Wisconsin University River Falls shut off it's lights for the event, even the State Capital building in Madison was shut down. In Minnesota, Minneapolis shut lights on several Downtown skyscrapers to show their support. Here at my house, every single light was shut off, and we had supper by candlelight, and we made sandwiches so I would not have to require the use of a stove. I've been emailing my community's village board an although Clayton wasn't a supporter this year because it came at too short a notice, Their going to work on signing up for Earth Hour next year!

Chilly right now, but Much warmer weather by Friday with sunshine, then Chance of showers Saturday.

Regional View.





Cold weather has moved in behind a fairly strong cold front that moved through late Wednesday, highs Thursday will likely only make it to the mid 30s, But this cold snap will be very short lived, because much warmer weather will begin to move in already by Friday. Saturday a warm front will be moving across the area, this could produce some scattered showers across the Upper Midwest, but it looks fairly light.

Local View.

Friday will bring much warmer temperatures to the area, with sunny skies and dry weather in place, highs will warm into the mid 40s it will remain dry through Friday night, but Saturday a warm front with a weak system will move across the area, a few scattered showers will be possible, it's possible Not everyone will get wet, and rain will be light where it does fall. I even have a feeling there may even be sunshine Saturday, with highs in the upper 40s, and lows in the low 30s. Sunday it appears things will really clear out it is looking quite a nice Sunday ahead, Sunshine with highs in the 50s is what we can expect at this time. lows remaining warm in the low 30s. Daily Forecast below.

Friday, Much Warmer! Sunny with highs in the mid 40s. Friday Night, Partly Cloudy, lows in the upper 20s.

Saturday, A chance of light scattered rain showers, Otherwise partly sunny to partly cloudy, Highs in the upper 40s. Saturday Night, Partly cloudy, lows in the low 30s, and Don't forget to turn off your light for Earth hour 8:30PM to 9:30PM!

Sunday, Nice! Partly Cloudy at first, then clearing, highs in the low 50s. Sunday Night, partly cloudy, lows in the low 30s.

Looking Ahead.

the models continue to show an interesting pattern setting up. Another dry spell looks to be setting up for next week, with any rain holding off until late next week. The bigger story is a Significant warm starting early next week!, starting as early Monday the 29th, highs could already warm into the 60s, but By Wednesday the 31st, we could be seeing highs in the upper 60s with even a shot at lower 70s! it appears this warmth will last through all of the upcoming week. Then the models are showing a chance at some rain by the time we reach Sunday the 4th. Which could come in the form on thunderstorms. so it appears we may have a very nice week ahead, More on this later, as we passed through the next few days.

Earth Hour this Saturday March 27th at 8:30PM

Streetlights in downtown Clayton March 24th.

Many people may have noticed all the earth hour logos on my blog this past week, especially as we get closer to the final set date. Everyone has heard of Earth Hour at least once! Well, Earth Hour 2010 will take place Saturday evening March 27th, at 8:30PM to 9:30PM local time. People across the globe will turn of there lights for this event. 236,949 people in the United States have already signed up for earth hour, and will turn off their lights for one hour. In Wisconsin nearly 150 people have signed up, and Wisconsin is an official earth hour state, which means the lights will be turned off at the State Capital building in Madison, also another close by city, The City of Minneapolis will also go dark. In the local 6 county area, Wisconsin University-River Falls, and 2 individuals have signed up to turn out the lights, but there is still plenty of time for people to sign up, I myself would love to see more local people signing up for this event!


I would like to take the opportunity to show people where they can sign up if anyone is interested.

For anyone interested in participating, sign up here on the Earth Hour home page, its real easy, just click the Orange button, and sign up the information and your done! Hopefully we can get some more people from the local area and across the state signed up!

If anyone viewers from the local area or anywhere else have already signed up comment on this post and talk about your plans!

slight chance light rain or snow chances Tuesday, then clearing once again. Remaining mild!

Regional View.

There really isn't much precipitation to talk about for the next 3 days. A small weak system may bring some light rain or light wet snowflakes to parts of the area Tuesday, But that chance appears pretty light. Wednesday Sunshine will come back into the picture. Mild temperatures will continue all 3 days, but Thursday things will cool down.

Local View.

A Flood Warning continue for the St Croix River at Stillwater,MN and Houlton,WI. The River is expected to rise near flood stage by Friday evening.

A few stray rain or wet snow showers may pass through the area Tuesday. But accumulations will remain light, and the best chance of any rain or snow will be in the north. Otherwise Tuesday, we can expect partly sunny skies, with mild temps, and highs in the 50s. Wednesday looks nicer, with Sunshine and mild temps once again. Thursday, a cool down. with partly cloudy skies. Night lows will be in the low 20s. Daily Forecast Below.

Tuesday, A small chance at a stray light rain or snow shower. Otherwise partly sunny with highs in the low 50s. Tuesday Night, mostly cloudy, lows in the low 30s.

Wednesday, Sunny & Nice! Mild with highs in the low to mid 50s. Wednesday Night, partly cloudy, with lows in the low 30s.

Thursday, Colder, Partly Cloudy with highs in the low 40s. Tuesday Night, Cold, lows in the low 20s.

Looking Ahead.

Toward the weekend, were looking at mainly dry weather, with a slight warming trend. Friday and Saturday. Then it looks to cool down with a slight chance at rain or snow by next Sunday. Monday the 29th, it looks like a fairly good cool airmass may move over the area, with light snow chances once again. After this, The models show a quick warm-up by the time we reach the 1st, Then by the 3rd The models show a fairly strong rainy system, possible thunderstorms, may impact the area, Shortly after, towards the end of the model run, It continues to show a fairly strong warm up in the early part of April. So the models mainly show a fairly dry end to the month, with No big snowstorms anywhere in sight. Will we escape March with no snow at all? Only time will tell!

Dry next few days. Chilly for the first day of Spring, but Turning Warmer by Sunday

Regional View.

A cold air mass has moved in behind a strong cold front which passed through late Thursday. Temperatures will remain chilly as we head into the first day of astronomical spring. but temps will moderate pretty quickly. It will also be a dry next 3 days.

Local View

Flooding Warning

First I thought I'd talk a bit about the Flood Warning which is in effect for St Croix County. The Flood Forecast issued by the NWS shows, the St Croix River at Stillwater,Minnesota is expected to pass flood stage by Tuesday. This will put the low spots just outside of the Community of Houlton at risk. And the Stillwater Bridge may have to be closed. see the NWS for the lastest flood forecasts and warnings. The good news is It will be dry the next 3 days .

Local Forecast

Now for the local forecast. It will be starting off chilly for the weekend. this cold front has brought with it quite a bit of cool air, Saturday highs will be near 40 but could even be in the upper 30s. Night lows will fall well below freezing reaching the mid 20s, But the coldest weather wont last too long with the Sunshine expected, highs will quickly moderate by Sunday we will have temps in the upper 40s. and by Monday we will reach the upper 50s! night lows in the mid 30s by Monday Night. Daily forecast below.

Saturday, Happy 1st day of Spring! Chilly with Sunny skies. Highs in the upper 30s to lower 40s. Saturday Night. Chilly. Clear with lows in the mid 20s.

Sunday, Warmer, Mild, Sunny with highs in the low 50s. Sunday Night. Clear lows in the mid 20s.

Monday, Mild and Sunny, Highs in the upper 50s. Monday Night, partly cloudy with lows in the low 30s.

I'll have to carefully watch the expected low temperatures closely these next couple of nights. With lows in the mid 20s. This will really prove what my daffodils can handle. Especially the near-blooming ones on the south side.

Looking Ahead

The Forecast Models are showing a the warming trend which showed for Monday, continuing into Tuesday. Then the models show slightly cooler temperatures then stead temps from the 24th through the 26th. It appears like it will be dry through this entire time. then the 27th a system passes to the north which brings colder air in behind it, but then it shows warmer air again moving quickly in by the 31st. on the 31st. Them models also put a system passing over us which could bring a mix of rain or snow. Then as we head into early April. The models are hinting at some Very warm temps with rain moving in towards the end of the model run. So quite a change from what the models were showing last week! Continue to visit. As changes are likely.

Continued warmth into Wednesday, but turning much cooler by weeks end with snow chances.

Regional View.

We will continue to enjoy Mild and Pleasant weather which will continue to sit over the area for Wednesday and Thursday. But a change is on the way. Much cooler weather will follow this by the time we reach Friday. Snow will be possible in parts of MN, WI and IA.

Local View.

It looks like weather will remain nice the next 2 days. With very mild temperatures, and some sunshine to speak of! Highs will be near 60.F with Lows will continuing to be well above freezing both Wednesday and Thursday nights, but the change in the weather comes Friday, Friday much cooler weather will arrive. highs will be in the mid 40s and lows falling below 32.F for the first time in a week. There will also be some snow chances for Friday. The models are hinting at most of this system missing us to the southeast, but there could still be a few snow showers even here in the 6 county area. Daily forecast below.

Wednesday, Partly Cloudy and nice! Highs in the lower 60s. Wednesday Night. Partly Cloudy lows in the upper 30s.

Thursday, Partly Cloudy and Nice! Highs in the lower 60s. Thursday Night. Partly Cloudy to Mostly Cloudy lows in the mid 50s.

Friday, Cloudy. Much cooler. with a slight chance of snow. Highs in the mid 40s. Friday Night. A chance of snow. Mainly light accumulations. lows in the upper 20s.

Looking Ahead.

Things dry out shortly after the weekend. towards Monday, But temperatures will not warm up much. Highs will commonly be in the upper 30s to lower 40s, with lows below freezing. Which is much closer to normals for this it of year. The models show a slight warm up with dry weather from Tuesday the 23rd to Wednesday the 24th. But the models are also hinting and what could potentially be another chance at a snowstorm the 25th. behind it cooler air moves in. but then it shows a warm up bu Sunday the 28th. before another system could potential come in. It appears like we will avoid this first snow coming this weekend. But can we luck out twice? I will have to keep watch on that snow potential for the 25th. Things will definitely be changing so be sure to check back.

Daffodil/Hyacinth projects planted with pleasant surprise! How early is this compared to past years? Also update on southside daffs.

Photo showing sprouts from spring flowers March 15th

We had another awesome weather day across Western Wisconsin. Highs sored into the middle 60s under sunny skies. at my location had high of 65.F! Many signs of spring showing up today. I heard Canadian geese, and I heard the first croaking frogs of the season! The ponds behind my house are ice free.

This weather was perfect for planting some spring flower fridge projects, but This year I came across quite a nice surprise! Normally I leave the projects in the ground overwinter. Then in spring I move the old ones to a new location while I make room for the fridge grown flowers. But this year while inspecting the Daffodils that were left in the ground from last spring, I found out not only did they survive the winter. They have flower buds starting to show! The Daffodil sprouts from last spring are in the line closest to the camera in the show above there about 1 inch tall already. This appears to bring an end to my once "daffodil curse" which kept me from growing Daffodils. I just needed to find the right Daffodil type I guess! So instead I decided I am leaving the last years one there permanently. and just found other places in the garden for the fridge Daffodils. I also left a couple tulips sprouts.

Today I planted the Daffodil and Hyacinths only. I'm waiting to plant the tulips until I know the weather is going to stay nice. This year isn't much of a difference compared to last year's planting time. Last year I planted the Daffodils on March 16th. So this is only a tad earlier then last year. This is the second year in a row, an early snow melt has allowed for an early planting!

Daffodils along southern foundation March 15th.

My Daffodils along the warm southern foundation of my house have really progressed in this sun with 60+ temps. They are now 5 inches tall, and actually very nearly blooming. (notice the bud on the one near the end of the line ) I feel I will really soon be talking about the first bloom of 2010 with these flowers located here! I will post once they open.

First 60s of the season!

South of Clayton,WI March 14th

It was a beautiful day across the area. Clouds broke up late last night and it remained clear all day on Sunday which was a pleasant un expected surprise!. A mild airmass overhead along with no snowcover caused temperatures to rise into the lower to middle 60s for the first time this season! this was warm enough that some areas broke record high temperatures today. It was a great day to get outside! and many people were out taking advantage of the beautiful weather, and many people began clearing gardens and raking lawns! Which reminds me that I soon need to go out and do that in my own gardens! Reported highs below.

Fairly sigificant rainfall with heavy rain showers and some of the first thunderstorms of the season! Snowpack nearly completely gone.

Garden View March 12th.

What a wet past 3 days it has been! 2 low pressure systems moved north from the southern plains. These systems started effecting the area Tuesday March 9th and are lasting through the current day March 12th. They brought a waves of moderate to heavy rain to the area the past few days and even some of the first thunderstorms of the season! The warm rain also brought up all that was left of the dormant spring flowers in my yard and garden by Thursday I had Crocus, Daffodils and Tulips all sprouting up through the dirt, and the spring flowers that were already growing on the south side were getting a nice dose of spring-like rain.

large stream of water rushing down our driveway March 11th.

It was definitely quite an interesting set of systems, which brought a quick end to most of the snow pack at my location and most of the area. These systems brought with them some very mild air. Highs during the day were in the upper 30s to mid 40s, and night lows were well above freezing. Because of this mild air over the cold snow pack it lead to thick fog and drizzle which blanketed the area each time the rain ended, but when it began raining again the fog cleared.

Standing water on our yard March 11th.

These systems did bring quite a significant amount of rain with them. With all 3 days of rain added to together I received 0.60" of rain. receiving the most rain on the 10th when I pick up 0.35" It wasn't a cold rain either. It was a warm, spring-like rain. This rainfall with the melting snow lead to some minor flooding across the area. In my yard we had some standing water in our yard. Ditches were full and there was lots of standing water in fields as well.

First Thunderstorms of the season!

What was left of the snow in the front yard March 12th.

These system brought a lot of firsts to the area. The first full fledged rain of the season, and even the first thunderstorms! at about 11:30AM Thursday a thunderstorm began forming near Menomonie on the leading edge of some moderate rain, at one point the radar even detected possible hail! I would not be surprised if the Star Prairie and Amery got some small hail from this. The storm continued northwest all the way through to the Minnesota boarder and north. At 12:30PM it passed close enough to my southwest, that I was able to hear some of the first rumbles of thunder of the season! The thunder was even loud enough that I was able to hear it from inside the house. It was a welcomed sound! shortly after the storm past heavy rain showers moved into my area

Front yard March 12th.

The snowpack definitely took a very large hit. These systems put a near end to the winter snowpack. On Monday the 8th we started out with 5.50" of snow on the ground, But the warm rain and thunderstorms were no match for the winter snowpack. We were losing more then an inch per day Wednesday and Thursday! By Friday only a few snow patches remained in my yard less then 1.0 inch, which was one of the more quicker snow melts I've seen. and this systems not even over! more light rain and drizzle is expected to continue I think is safe to say, it is likely what is left of the snow in my yard will be gone with in the next couple of days. My forecast below!

Rainy weather continues. Light showers possible through the weekend. Finally drying out Monday, and remaining mild!

Regional Weather view.

Well it appears that our wet rainy streak will continue for the weekend. all the heavy rain is over, but lingering showers or will continue. Mild temperatures will remain a fixture over the Upper Midwest as well and Melting snow will continue.

Local weather view.

This means that for the local area. Showery weather will continue for Saturday and Sunday. It will likely be pretty scattered and maybe not everyone will see the showers, But it is a possibility. Monday it looks like things will finally dry out. It's not a good chance but we may see out first peak at sun by Monday. Temperatures will remain quite mild for Mid March normals. with highs near 50 everyday. Lows remaining well above freezing. Dayliy Forecast below.

Saturday, Scattered Showers or drizzle possible. otherwise cloudy, with fog at times. Highs in the upper 40s. Saturday Night. mild light drizzle or showers possible. fog possible, with lows in the upper 30s.

Sunday, Scattered light showers of drizzle. Otherwise cloudy. Fog possible, highs in the upper 40s. Sunday lingering showers or drizzle. Otherwise cloudy with lows in the upper 30s.

Monday, drying out. Mostly cloudy skies with some clearing possible. Highs in the upper 40s. Monday Night mostly cloudy with lows in the upper 30s.

Looking Ahead.

We may finally see some more real sun by the middle of next week. With temperatures remaining mild. We actually see some near 60 degree temperatures during this time! But, The models are hinting a big cool down as we head towards March 20th. Right now it shows a large system which needs to be watched because if it comes during a bit cooler temperatures we could get a fairly big snowstorm. Right now though it is showing rain changing to snow. With colder temperatures by the 21st. cool temperatures look to remain a fixture in the models through the 26th. It also shows another possible snowy system at the end of the run. But this can still change so stay tuned.

Spring-Like system-Rainy weather ahead with mild tempatures. Rapid snowmelt likely.

Regional View.

A Spring-Like weather system will move into the Upper Midwest from the south. But with mild air in place it will actually bring just plain rain showers to nearly all of the Upper Midwest. Light Rain Drizzle with Fog possible weather will last through the rest of the week. from a 0.25 to as much as 0.75" of rain are possible in parts Minnesota and Iowa, Temperatures will remain mild and even becoming warmer as we go through the rest of the week even night time lows will be well above freezing.

Local View.

A very wet few days ahead is in store for us, as we get the first full fledged rain showers of the season. A couple of fair sized weather sytems will move into our direction from the southern plains, and Temperatures will be quite mild. Highs will be in the mid 40s, even near 50 on Friday! With night time lows will be well above the freezing in the mid to upper 30s, which will allow for an all rain event. With a cool snow cover in place this could allow for some fog to form as well. Rain will light and will be off and type showers for Wednesday lasting through Friday and into Saturday. Total Rainfall amounts will be near a quarter to a half inch for the entire event. This weather pattern has me wondering if it's spring, It sure feels that way!

Rapid Snowmelt Likely.

Rain showers and warm temperatures in the 30s and 40s will allow for a rapid early March snow melt across the entire area. some areas have as much as a foot of snow on the ground currently and this entire snow pack could melt in the next 4 days, This would allow for some minor yard street or ditch flooding. I will have continued coverage and updates in my short term forecast & snow depth information on the right column. I also will have my live streaming camera on.

Daily forecast below.

Wednesday, off and on light rain Rain and drizzle. Mild with highs in the mid 40s. Wednesday Night. Dense Fog possible. Drizzle and Rain possible. Lows in the mid 30s.

Thursday, Light Rain and Drizzle. Mild with highs in the mid 40s. Thursday Night. Dense Fog possible. light Rain and Drizzle with lows in the mid 30s.

Friday Light Rain and Drizzle Highs in the upper 40s Total rainfall amounts from 0.25" to 0.50" Friday Night. Cooler. Rain ending. lingering light drizzle possible. lows in the mid 30s.

Looking Ahead.

the models actually show mild air continuing behind this rain system. which will remain in place from the 13th to the 16th. It also looks fairly dry between this time. with just a small chance at some light rain showers. then it shows warmer air moving in the 18th. ahead of a cooler airmass which looks to come in around the 19th. during this time, the models show a chance at some snow as well. then by the 24th. The models show warmer air moving back in ahead of a large system. But it's March and things could change quickly. So stay tuned through the week.

Birthday Post, A little more about me.

Picture taken on my 19th Birthday March 8, 2010.

Well here it is. March 8th I am now 19! anyway, Last year on my birthday I took the opportunity to talk about what sparked my interest in weather. This time I would like to focus more on my other hobbies, lifestyle changes for me this past year, and to share a little on my plans.

Plants! It's the other hobby I have that I do not talk as much about. But My viewers probably have seen plenty of photos of them here. I really enjoy caring for plants of all kinds, I have palms blooming cactus places, lots of tropical climbers and even indoor trees. I've always had a liking for plants, just as my weather interest. I've had my interest in plants for as long as I can remember. I started with just one flower in my Garden when I was about 6 or 7 which I post pictures of all the time It is know as the "garden view photo" Not only do I have a lot of indoor plants. I also have 4 outdoor gardens. With every kind of perennial plant I can think of. My favorite flowers would have to be Spring flowers. Daffodil/Tulips Because they come Early and I love their smell. My favorite kind of houseplant would have to be Thanksgiving Cactus (one seen next to me in the photo above) Because they always flower even if you show no attention to them at all, all Mine are flowering twice this year! It is an odd combination Weather and Plants all in the same blog, but I do use this blog for my weather as well as my gardening posts I like having the picture records that this blog provides because I can come back and look when certain plants have flowered last year.

I have had quite a few changes in my lifestyle between last year this time and now. Because over the past Fall/Winter. I was diagnosed with Asthma, Under active Thyroid Disease and High blood pressure over the course of just 3 weeks apart! It was quite a shock, but after a complete lifestyle change and fixing my metabolism through Thyroid pills. I've lost 39 pounds. Starting at 253 pounds in late October I now weigh 214 Which is the thinnest I've been in many years. Now I'm healthy and on the right track!


After being Home schooled for a number of years and 2 years of online Clayton school I am currently working on getting my HSGED at WITC-New Richmond. after which I will officially be graduating from my high school plan. After this I am actually still unsure of what I want to do. I know what I love doing which is Weather or Plants but I cannot decide which I would rather go into for a career. But I am currently trying to get a part time job at the local greenhouse Which is something I've wanted to do since I was very young because not only do I like caring for plants. I love sharing my knowledge in plants with others!

Another thing I enjoy doing is helping out my community. I have a deep respect for my hometown Clayton,WI, I always read every local paper that has come and I've looked up all the history and photos I could find online to learn more about my hometown and even though my blog I love helping in any way I can even if it's a simple as posting about a community event on my blog.

So Really I share all of my interests here on my blog It's really not just a weather blog! You can find other useful information wither it's about Western Wisconsin, Weather Reports, Forecasts, plant care/tree identification, or information on the Clayton Community you can find info on them all here!


Thanks for reading this post and showing an interest in the person behind the blog posts!

Spring-Like weather, First 50s of the season in some locations, Daffodil update also included.

photo showing patchy snow cover March 7th.


Temperatures were warm and enjoyable Sunday. It was a perfect day to get outside as a mild air mass sat overhead behind a small system that brought drizzle last night. Where Skies cleared many places hit there first 50s of the season! The most common area for this was North of Dunn and St Croix Counties. Some places were even in the Middle 50s today! I also recorded my first low temperatures at or above 32.F this morning before we reach a wonderful high of 55.F degrees Sunday afternoon It felt great to go outside without a coat, Reported highs below.

Daffodils March7th.

Look how much the Daffodils have progressed on the south side of my house over the past week! They are now over 2 inches tall, with flower buds well out of the ground. These are noted for being an early variety but this seems Especially early. But also then again, This is my first year with spring flowers planted in mirco climate-like conditions such as this. either way they have been especially loving this Spring-like weather and will be soon on there way to blooming if the weather continues!

Daffodil sprout from last years projects in Main Garden.

I was scouting around today in the bright sunny weather and I found Daffodils which have started to sprout now even in my main garden which is away from the protected side of the house. I also keep records of when past projects left in the ground began sprouting and last year they did not start popping up until March 16th.

From Winter to Spring just like that? Snowdepth update also included.

Garden View. Showing the most grass I've seen since early December.

A flip from Winter to Spring, just like that! seems to be what happened over the past two weeks. It has been a very Spring-Like week With warm temperatures and even Drizzly conditions March 7th. Everyday so far this March highs have been near 40 and even near 50 degrees! lows have been in the teens and 20s every night. and Sunday March 7th. I had my first at above 32.F degree low since January 24th! Temperatures at my location reached near 50.F two times this week. when I hit 49.F on March 4th and again when I git 49.F on March 6th. I also had three Mid 40 degree readings this week. Which is quite above normal as highs are normally around the middle 30s. But I'm not complaining!

Front Yard March 7th.

Wow has the snow depth been going down! with all the Sunshine we had over the past week. Our driveway has been a stream of water during the day, and a frozen ice patch at night. We lost quite a bit of snow, and it is turning more slushy and loose with each passing day. We are now down to 6.50" of snow in my yard. Which is the lowest we've seen since December! I know the snow pack will definitely be continuing to go down this week. We have another warm week forecasted. I even our first chance at significant Rain (up to 0.50 inch) later this week. More on this later in my next forecast issue.

Wow Is it really that warm? reasonible thermomitor arguement.

My Backyard Thermometer.

The past few days I've noticed my thermometer had a temperature reading higher then that of all the local NWS weather stations. But when my station shot up to a high temperature of 49.F today while my nearest NWS station reported a high of 39 I needed answers as to why. I thought maybe it was because it was warming up too hot in the sun. But it is hard to determine what exactly is happening. I found some thins supporting my stations reading. This made for a reasonable argument and I needed to find out what was going on, This is what I found out.

I first must say this thermometer has been in this same location for more then a year. and it has gave me many trustworthy reports. It went through last spring with no problems at all. This made it wonder what could be causing such warm temp readings this week. So I did some digging and found out not only are my high temperatures warmer then the local NWS stations. but my night time lows are also much warmer. I compared my lows with the NWS Osceola Airport weather station for March 4rd and this is what I found. 10.F was the low at Osceola Airport with a high of 39.F. While my station reported a low of 18.F and a high of 49.F what could cause a difference like that? This caused me to do some more digging and, I found that a local Weather bug station located to my west in Amery reported a low of 12.F and high of 47.F March 4th. So this looked more likely to support that my weather station was correct. After this I decided to see what Wunderground stations were reporting. nearby and they also supporting that my "warm" temp reading was correct. I seen highs all in the upper 40s. but all the NWS stations were in the lower 40s Why does it seem like the NWS stations are all reporting "coolish" temperatures? Or is it that my station along with others are reporting "warm" temperatures?

Here are some reason why I think my station might have a warmer. My station has some protection as you can see in the 2nd picture above There is a collection of buildings, sheds and dark trees behind my thermometer, that are location on the North side of my yard. This may help reflect heat towards my yard? Also as seen in the picture above is a lot of brown grass this can heat up more then snow pack as well.another reason I thought up is Maybe since the air has been so still lately from a strong high pressure system maybe this is helping a lot more heat to build up in such locations as my yard?

A possible explanation to why the NWS stations are reporting colder temperatures is most NWS weather stations are located in open fiends near airports where there is no trees around to have heat build up. Same with nigh time lows. Trees and buildings may help hold in heat instead of radiating it away like an open field would do.

This was my best guess as to why my station might be warmer. Anyone else who may be able to shed some light on this should feel free to comment on this post.

near 50.F temps for Friday! then light rain/wet snow possible for this weekend.

Regional View.





The weather the rest of this week will continue to be Spring-Like and mild. On Saturday a weak system will move in and bring some light rain or wet snow showers to parts of the Upper Midwest. Temperatures will remain mild all 3 days with highs in the 40s everywhere.

Local View.

What a nice week it has been so far! perfect sunshine everyday! Highs at my location were in the lower to mid 40s everyday. The snow has really been going down.

It looks like this beautiful weather will continue at least for a little while longer! Fridays weather looks great with sunshine and highs in the middle 40s. Some spots could be near 50! But if morning fog holds on too long we might not make it to that temp. but we have a pretty good chance. Saturday will be a bit of a different story. Clouds will moving in. along with those clouds light rain or snow will be possible. We will keep the mild temps though even with the clouds highs should make the upper 30s to 40. Sunday will still be mild with mainly cloudy skies and highs in the 40s. Detailed forecast below.

Friday, Nice! Sunny highs in the middle to upper 40s Mild temps. Friday Night Clear lows in the upper 10s.

Saturday. Possible sunny at first then clouds moving in. Light rain or wet snow possible especially in the late afternoon. Highs in the lower 40s. Saturday Night. lingering light wet snow showers possible otherwise Cloudy with lows in the low 30s.

Sunday, Partly Sunny skies. Mild highs in the middle 40s Sunday Night. Mainly cloudy with lows in the upper 20s.

Enjoy!

Looking Ahead.

I've decided to do a short looking ahead forecast since the models seem to be all over the place. The weather looks to become even warmer early next week Monday and Tuesday as a rainy system at this point looks to stay to our south. as that system moves east it does look like it will drag some slightly cooler weather down with it. Weather looks pretty steady from the 9th through the 11th. After this day is when the models area all over the place with what happens. So I think I will hold off part of the forecast until next week.