Shower and Thunderstorm chances Tuesday, Then clearing out and turning nice again Wednesday and Thursday.

Regional View.

All attention is turned towards a system moving through that will bring fairly chance of severe thunderstorms somewhere in the Upper Midwest. although it is not certain will this will occur At this time it appears like Iowa, Much of Minnesota and Wisconsin appear to be at risk. Weather will quiet down a lot for Wednesday and Thursday.

Local View.

Tuesdays Severe Weather Potential

I had quite a bit of trouble trying to decided what to wright in this forecast, but this is whats going on so far. although I have mixed feelings about these chances, It appears like our local area has some Severe Weather potential for Tuesday, at this time it looks Thunderstorms will form along a northwest to southeast cold from in the afternoon, some of these storms may become strong to severe, with hail, high winds and heavy rainfall, the SPC shows that this is one of the higher risks of severe weather we've been under. There is some other information that says severe weather chances may not be highs as thought. but for now I will go with a chance of severe thunderstorms I will updated this forecast as needed.

Wednesday/Thursday

things clear out and dry out, Skies may remain kinda cloudy at first Wednesday but things should clear and become pleasant Thursday looks sunny, temperatures will be cooler the in the 70s ,lows in the 50s. Daily Forecast Below

Tuesday, Sunny, Then Thunderstorms in the afternoon, some severe, Highs in the mid 80s. Tuesday Night, lingering storms otherwise Cloudy lows in the mid 50s.

Wednesday, Cloudy skies possible at first, then clearing skies, Highs in the low 70s. Wednesday Night, Clear lows in the low 50s.

Thursday, Sunny and nice, highs in the low to mid 70s. Tuesday Night, Clear lows in the low 50s.

Looking Ahead.

The models are now showing a persistently more active pattern for this week, with off and on shower and thunderstorm chances. Friday the models show a system pulling in with shower and thunderstorms possible then shower and thunderstorms continuing for the for Saturday and Sunday as a couple of systems keep the chance in the forecasts. It dries out for a but Monday but already the models show another system moving in Tuesday and Wednesday, this one may be a stronger system, and may have to be watched for severe weather potential. Temperatures look seasonal to mild at first then turning very warm towards the end of the run Saturday June 5th then again Tuesday June 15th
Here is a picture of a perfect full Rainbow that we had yesterday after the passing late afternoon showers and Thunderstorms, it was one of the most full rainbows I've ever seen, with a perfect one end to the other end rainbow

Isolated severe storms possible today.

Image from SPC Wind threat.

The SPC has issued a small risk for severe weather for parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Although the risk is quite minimal, there is a chance some afternoon storms may become strong enough to become severe, the severe activity will likely be isolated, the main threats are hail and strong winds.

Drier and turning very warm for the next few days, some T-storms possible for Sunday/Memorial Day

Regional View.

The next few days for the Upper Midwest look dry and very warm, before a cold front brings a chance of isolated thunderstorms late Sunday into Monday. Temperatures may approach 90 both Friday and Saturday across much of the Upper Midwest.

Local View with festive Red, White and Blue theme

I am doing a 4 days forecast due to the upcoming Holiday Weekend, which is quite a large travel weekend for our local area, many people will be driving into the area up to cabins, and families and such due to the 3 day weekend.

Locally, we will have Dry and Sunny weather Friday and Saturday, Temperatures look to be on the quite warm side, mid to upper 80s, although this time it looks like it wont get as muggy as last warm spell. Sunday will be sunny and warm most of the day, but then there will be a risk of isolated thunderstorms, this isolated risk will continue into Monday, temperatures will cool off some for Memorial Day back into the mid 70s. It is too early to tell at this time if any severe weather is expected with Mondays activity, It will depend on how much moisture we have in place, and I currently don't have any moisture maps to look at, although I'd like to find some. Daily forecast below.

Friday, Sunny skies, and calm winds with very warm temperatures in the mid to upper 80s. Friday Night, Clear lows in the upper 50s.

Saturday, Sunny, Very warm Highs in the upper 80s, Some locations might get close to 90. Saturday Night, Clear lows near 60.

Sunday, Sunny at first, then some clouds moving in, a small chance at some isolated showers and thunderstorms highs in the mid 80s. Sunday Night, lingering showers and thunderstorms possible, lows in the mid 50s.

Memorial Day, a small chance of lingering showers or Thunderstorms, mainly before 10AM, skies clearing in the early afternoon. Highs in the mid 70s. Monday Night, Clear lows in the low 50s.

Looking Ahead.

Tuesday through Thursday looks pretty dry for the local area, Expect for a system which looks to bring rain passing just to our south Thursday, if this shifts north some we could be getting some rain. then Friday through Monday, there may be a small chance of thunderstorms, with an approaching Warm air mass. Tuesday June 8th, The models show an impressive amount of rain possible,along a warm boundary if this plays out, this will probably have to be watched for severe weather, the June 8th system might be the start of a more active period. more on this later.

have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

Heavy Storms pass much of the area, minor flooding issues. Some storms came from an usual direction Also more 90 degree temps then all of last year!

Video of the Late Afternoon Thunderstorms

An Interesting day Weather-Wise if you were watching the radar, several outflow boundaries passed through in several directions sparking Thunderstorms, one boundary even moved from East to West! The afternoon storms them selves were not too special, at my location they came with very heavy rain, and Breezy ESE winds, I measured 0.40" of rain in a short time, The direction the afternoon storms moved made it more interesting, The storms moved from East to West, which is rare! The reason for this usual movement was an outflow boundary which formed off of Severe Thunderstorms that were moving through Central Wisconsin, an outflow boundary of rain cooled air developed and began moving West, as it moved west, Thunderstorms sparked from this boundary, although the Actual cells were moving North, the developing thunderstorms were moving west!

Then later on during the day after dark, Thunderstorms that were forming in Minnesota on a nearly stationary cold front push another boundary back through in the opposite direction of the first one, This one moved SW to NE, these storms brought more Heavy rain and lightning and this time gusty SW winds to my location. with another 0.35" of rain, I had no damage from the storms, but I did see a few very small branches down and a part my peony plant blown and beat down from thunderstorm winds and very heavy rain. Highest wind gust on my station 21MPH

In total for the day including both storms, I picked up 0.75" I our driveway was washed out some with this rain, Some areas had much more, and had minor flooding. Up to 3.0" of rain fell in parts of Barron County in about and hour, and from some of these areas I have un official reports of washed out field crops, and ditches.

Picture of the very west edge of a heavy Thunderstorm May 25th.

What else made the day very interesting about the East to West moving outflow boundary is and storms, was the increased dew points/humidity it brought as it passed. Earlier during the day, my Temperatures was 92.F and Dew point was in the low 60s, and the haze in the sky was minimal to none, but a very weak boundary held very humid, hazy air just to my east over Eastern Barron County, As this outflow boundary passed it brought that humid air back west on breezy East winds to 21MPH, I was able to watch as the boundary passed, and I could literally see haze blowing in from the East and you could feel the air had much more moisture, it was quite a neat thing to see, I have never seen anything like it before, The very Western edge of the thunderstorm pictured above hit just after the boundary passed. The Dew point raised from 63.F to 68.F and the temperature dropped from 92.F to the low 80s with in about 25 to 30 minutes, and by 5PM rain cooled air lowered the temperature into the upper 60s!

I'd Also like to say, as mentioned above I hit 92.F today, this puts the number of days so far this year at or above 90.F at 2, This already Surpasses the number of 90 degrees days we had last year in 2009. Hitting 92.F also means I've tied the warmest temperature that I recorded last year, and the warmest temperature I've ever recorded on my station so far in the past 3 years or recording.

Slight Risk of Severe Weather Today

Image from SPC

The Storm Prediction Center in Norman,OK has put parts of the area under Slight Risk for today, A cold front moving across the state may spark some thunderstorm activity this afternoon, A few of the storms may become strong to severe, if storms form, the main threats at this time are large hail and gusty winds, People in the area should just be aware that there is a chance that storms may turn severe this afternoon.

Record Highs Broken. Hot Sticky Weather Monday, many places topped 90 degrees.

Photo showing the Hot & Sticky conditions May 24th

Warm air from the Gulf a Mexico south of a strong warm front brought Hot & Humid conditions across the area today, Under Sunny to Partly Cloudy skies, temperatures sweltered into the upper 80s, to lower 90s, some places even reported Mid 90s today, This broke Record highs for this date in May, these hot temperatures with high humidity brought heat index values today into the upper 90s to lower 100s. the high at my station was 90.F Which is the first 90.F of the season, Looking back in my records, this is the earliest 90-degree temperature I've recorded since I began recording in 2008. So these were the earliest 90 degree temps in recent history.

Reported High temps.

The Warmest temp in my blog coverage area was 95.F which was reported in Hudson, The coolest high 87.F which was reported in both Spooner and Balsam Lake.




Front yard corner May 24Th.

One thing many people noticed is how quickly the leaf-out happened this year! Early last week on the 16Th, leaves were quite small, and lilacs were in full bloom, This week, trees are completely leafed out in full, and lilacs have finished blooming, so our entire leaf out happened with in 8 days time Lilacs finished blooming Quicker then normal due to the hot weather, Lilacs like cool temps, and don't last long in heat.

I normal don't cover areas so far North, but this was quite an interesting difference, while we were down with sweltering temperatures in the upper 80s to 90s Duluth/Superior,WI spent the day in the mid 50s! then is nearly a 40 degree temperature difference between my location and Superior,WI, but this temperatures difference occurred as close as only 30 miles from the lake shore! Duluth/Superior were much cooler because winds were blowing off Lake Superior, Providing them natural air conditioning!

In other news Iris are in full bloom this week, and look great, Last year I did not post about these until the first part of June! so a there a bit early.

A Steamy & Hot couple says ahead, with off and on Thunderstorm some could be strong Tuesday, then cooler Wednesday - Updated.

Regional Weather View.

A Hot and Humid start to the week for the Upper Midwest. A system and stationary front will move, turning back into a warm front Monday, then a cold front makes it's way into the region Wednesday, This will cause isolated afternoon thunderstorm chances. then Wednesday, a cold front may produce some severe weather, right now the places with the highest risk are in parts of Eastern Iowa, Northwest Illinois, Eastern Minnesota and Western Wisconsin.


Local View.

This forecast has been updated, strong thunderstorm chances have been moved to Tuesday.

Locally, were looking at a Hot and Sticky next few days ahead, as temperatures sour into the summer-like upper 80s to even lower 90s Monday for the first time this season 90s would especially be true if we stay in sunshine most of the day. Tuesday will be in the mid to upper 80s, and it will remain humid. Monday looks to be hot and dry, Tuesday A front and system which has been moving back and forth the past couple days, will finally close in, Thunderstorms should form ahead of this front, although it's still not complete sure where this will be, I've added it anyway. With a very humid air around Tuesday, some of the storms may have enough energy to be strong in the afternoon, Some could even be severe, but with some ingredients lacking, I've decided to go with mainly strong storms, with a severe storm or two possible, I've kept the areas highlighted above for the highest risk of severe storms. Wednesday a weak cold front passed through, with lingering shower and Thunderstorms chances, it will be humid at first, then with the passing of the cold front it should become less humid and more comfortable.

Monday, Hot and Humid, Partly Cloudy, a slight chance of a Thunderstorm, highs in the upper 80s to low 90s. Monday Night, Warm, Partly Cloudy, lows in the low 70s.

Tuesday, Partly Cloudy to Partly Sunny, Very Warm & Humid with a chance of Thunderstorms in the afternoon, some could be strong, maybe Severe, Highs in the upper 80s. Tuesday Night, Warm Partly Cloudy, lows in the low 70s.

Wednesday, Warm, Humid at first then cooling off some, A chance of thunderstorms early, some maybe still strong, Mostly Cloudy, then becoming Partly Cloudy, highs in the low 80s. Wednesday Night, Partly Cloudy, lows in the upper 50s.

Looking Ahead.

Thing clear out Thursday, and become a little cooler with highs in the 80s, Then warm air rebounds in time for the weekend, highs may approach Mid 80s again. next shot of rain comes Monday the 31st, as a stronger cold front pushed through, This will be the next system that may have to be watched for the threat of severe weather. then June 1st through the 6th, Calm and cooler weather, Monday the 7th, Rain and Thunderstorm chances, then warm air makes a comeback? more on this later.

Slight Risk of Severe Storms continue for parts of the area Today.

Image from SPC

The Storm Prediction Center in Norman,OK has issued a slight risk for parts of the Upper Midwest including parts of Western & Northwest Wisconsin for today. Models suggest Thunderstorms will break out in Eastern Minnesota and then move east towards Wisconsin, Not all the ingredients are there, but some storms may still become severe, especially in Western and central sections of the 6 county area. Storms may be severe with, Damaging winds, Large hail, frequent lightning and very heavy rain. People in the area should be aware that some severe storms are possible this afternoon.

Updated Sunday's Forecast, looking Warm & Humid with a few Severe storms possible.

Regional View.

Sunday, Hot and Humid conditions develop across the Upper Midwest, with a system and stationary front/boundary will sitting stead across Minnesota, scattered thunderstorms are expected to develop on either side of this front, a few of these storms could be severe in Minnesota, Western Wisconsin, and Northern Iowa.
Local Weather.

Updated- Originality posted 02/19/2010

I've decided to do a 4-day forecast since I'm very busy preparing for my brother's High school Graduation from Clayton High, and after party which is planned for this upcoming Saturday, as we celebrate the last few days before he moved to a new location.

Huge changes were made to Sundays Forecast there were not seen on Wednesday when I made this forecast, I've added Thunderstorms chances, even the possibility for some being severe. It still looks Very Warm and Humid for Sunday, highs are expected to reach the upper 80s, although with any rain, this would hold temps down some. It now looks like a stationary front and the unorganized left overs from a system in SD/Minnesota will make for some thunderstorms. The front will trigger a few scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms, Some of these showers and storms may become severe across the area in the afternoon, especially with this humid air mass. I don't think it will be a huge outbreak of severe weather, But I believe the potential for a few severe storms are definitely not out of the question here in Western Wisconsin..

Sunday, Warm, Humid, Scattered afternoon Showers and Thunderstorms, A few storms could be severe in the afternoon, highs in the upper 80s. Sunday Night, Humid & mild, Partly Cloudy, lows in the low 60s.

Looking Ahead

Looking ahead shows Hot temperatures will continue through at least the first part of the upcoming week, Temperatures may reach as high as the low 90s Monday, It also appears some more afternoon scattered thunderstorms may be possible Monday and Tuesday, then by Midweek, a system and cool front may trigger a few thunderstorms Wednesday and Thursday, Temperatures look mild. then Friday, very warm air makes a comeback, The models show it looking dry & hot at this point for the end of next week, and even through Monday the 31st. Then right around the starting of June the models show a second stronger system and cold front which could bring rain and cooler temperatures around that time, Although this looks shorted lived, at the end of the model run they show warm air trying to return around June 4Th. Any systems that interact with this warm air mass may have to be watched for severe weather potential. More on this later.

Helicopter landing from Eau Claire to Turtle Lake,Wis

Mayo Clinic Helicopter doing a landing near the Cheese Factory in Turtle Lake,Wis May 19th.

I attended a fire hall open house in Turtle Lake this afternoon, where a Mayo Clinic helicopter from Eau Claire,Wisconsin did a landing for people to view, and look first hand at the aircraft. After a fast smooth landing, I had the opportunity to ask one of the pilots how long it took to fly from Eau Claire to Turtle Lake, and she said it took 20 minutes. A normal drive to Eau Claire from the Highway takes about an hour and a half! We also talked about what you could see from that height and she talked about how not only could they easily see the communities surrounding Turtle Lake such as, Clayton, Almena and Amery, from one point, but in the far distance, she said, they could nearly see all the way to Duluth,MN Which is 100 miles North!
Backyard Whit Ash & surrounding trees May 19th.

On another side note, I've also noticed is how quickly the trees are leafing out this week. It didn't take long in this sunny and warm weather. After a wet rainy week last week, We've had 5 days of sunshine and highs in the upper 70s and low 80s causing the trees to leaf out quite fast, Most trees have now reached 75% to 85% of full leaf sized, but some trees like Maple have reached full leaf sized

Front yard White Oaks.

Late last week, We still had lots of sun in our yard because the tree leaves were still small. This week, our entire yard is shaded, this happened in the past 5 days, It is easily to see the difference the sun and warmth made in trees in the back round of my photos of the lilacs from Sunday, just 2 days ago!

My forecast below.

Lilacs Galore- Lilacs are in full bloom!

Dark Purple double lilac May 16Th.

Lilacs began blooming about a week and a half, and are now in full bloom this week, as warmer weather has finally moved in. This lilac above had some problems the previous spring, from a rough cold Winter, It only had a few flowers, and has some die back, but this year it has really sprung back!
Double White Lilac,



This White double lilac, as picture last year is really starting to fill out, I planted this bush from my Great Grandmas garden about 6 to 8 years ago, It started out just one stalk and was pretty ratty, now it has several blooms, this is one of the main features in my garden this time of Spring, One thing I noticed is our double lilacs seem to flower about a week later then that of our regular old fashioned light purple lilacs, also all the colors seem to have there own unique fragrance.

Old Fashioned Light Purple Lilac.

We have 5 of these large bushes scattered through-out our yard planted from the previous owners many years ago, I really like the way these have been planted, they are widely spread and have been planted all around our yard/house, so when the wind blows from any direction, you get the nice smell of lilacs every time! Our house is one of the pretties areas to be in my area this time of year.

Closer view of another one of the light purple lilacs in our yard.

Like all the other flowers so far this Spring, lilacs are a bit early, flowering a little over a week earlier then last year.

Pleasant weather next 3 days, Turning warmer by midweek. highs appoching 80.F

Regional View.


Quite a nice weather pattern setting up across the Upper Midwest, It looks fairly dry, expect for a few stray showers which will be possible in Northern Minnesota on Monday. By Wednesday warmer air and clearing skies move in from the west.

Local View.

Locally, Were expecting some nice weather for the start of the work week. For Monday, Skies will have some cloudiness to them, but it should be partly cloudy, to partly sunny across the area,. either way I do expect at least some sun, and Can't rule out a stray shower even down in this area, Highs will be in the low 70s. Tuesday, things clear out, we will have partly cloudy skies with highs in them mid 70s. Wednesday, a Warm up starts to move in. Under sunny skies, highs will begin to approach, 80.F some spots may hit 80.F Daily forecast below.

Monday, Partly Cloudy, to Partly Sunny, with a light showers possible in the afternoon, Highs in the low 70s. Monday Night, Partly Cloudy, lows in the mid 40s.

Tuesday, Partly Cloudy, Nice! Highs in the mid to upper 70s. Tuesday Night, Partly Cloudy, lows in the upper 40s.

Wednesday, Warmer! Sunny with highs in the upper 70s, to lower 80s, Wednesday Night clear, lows in the low 50s.

Looking Ahead

looks like a warm and dry rest of the week ahead with mainly clear skies, temperatures look to remain warm near if not hitting 80 everyday to the weekend! The models are a bit un predicable past Sunday of next week, but it main dry and continued warmth from for the start of the next work week, Monday the 24th to Wednesday the 26th, but then it shows a system pulling in which might produce some showers and thunderstorms which could pull in Wednesday and Thursday, around this same time, the models show a very warm day is possible before the rain moved in, then it shows cooler weather for late next week, with warm air making a quick return. More on this later. Remember May can bring Severe Weather easily so stay tuned.

More rain on the way, A rainy late afternoon and Thursday expected, But warmer weather with in reach!

Regional View.

Yet another low pressure system in parade of storms wet, rainy storm systems will push through the Upper Midwest late today and Thursday. Rain is expected both late Wednesday and Thursday. Heavy rain is possible across southern Wisconsin Illinois and Iowa. It will also be chilly both days as clouds and rain hold down temperatures. Warmer and drier weather will be on the way for Friday, but it will be turning much warmer once we reach Saturday. Highs will look to reach the 60s and 70s all across the Upper Midwest.
Local View.

Instead of re forming Wednesday forecast, I just decided to update Wednesdays forecast in this new issue.

Locally, we can expect steady rain late Wednesday and through part of Thursday, before it turned more showery as we go into Thursday. It looks as though some rain may be heavy for a time in parts of southern St Croix and Dunn counties. I shouldn't rule out the chance for some thunder with this. This system has the potential to bring more widespread totals of a half inch or more. Chilly temperatures are also expected Wednesday and Thursday with highs only in the upper 40s to low 50s. Temperatures will be quite steady even into the night, with lows staying in the 30s and 40s. The rain should end some time Thursday, making for Warmer weather Friday, Then much warmer Saturday as clouds clear. Friday, should be partly sunny with clearing late in the afternoon with highs in the 60s. Saturday is looking really nice at this point, Partly Cloudy skies with highs in the 70s! which is more normal for this time of year. Daily forecast below.

Rest of Wednesday, Cloudy at first, Then rain developing after 12PM Highs in the upper 40s. Wednesday Night, a good chance of Rain, possibly heavy in the south, lows in the low 40s.

Thursday, Rain especially in the morning, then a chance for a lingering shower lasting through the day, Highs near 50. Thursday Night, Cloudy, lows in the 40s.

Friday, Warmer, Cloudy to Partly Sunny, Highs in the low 60s. Friday night clearing, lows in the mid 40s

Saturday, Much Warmer! Partly Cloudy with highs in the low 70s Saturday Night, Partly Cloudy, lows in the mid 40s.

Looking Ahead.

The rest of the weekend looks pleasant and dry with highs in the 70s, It also looks like a dry start to next week, with sunny to partly sunny skies and highs still in the 70s. Towards the middle part of next week a warm up that I've been talking about for the past 2 forecasts will start to move in from the west,. we might have a couple shots of near 80.F temps. The models show a system bringing rainfall in towards Friday the 21st. This will probably have to be watched for the potential for severe weather. Then it looks dry, Warm weather looks to continue through the weekend into the early party of week after, the 23rd into the 24th, then towards them middle of that week around the 27th. I see rainfall potential and very warm temperatures. So Much warmer times ahead in the extended forecast.

Much needed soaking rains Monday/Tuesday

Image from Weather.com Interactive Radar.

A large Low pressure system tracking across the middle of the county brought much needed soaking rains and chilly weather to the area, and the Upper Midwest. This system was actually kind of impressive, it spread steady rains across all of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa, and was a part of a series of systems that hit Oklahoma. Rain started late Monday, and was light to moderate at times, but there was no heavy rain so it came down in a nice soaking manner. Rain took a short break Tuesday morning, but quickly filled in by the afternoon.

light rain on newly leafed trees May 11th

Most of the area picked up at least half of rain, which is very good news for drought effected areas of the local 6 county area, it seems the trees have leafed out much more since we got this rain, as now early trees have reached full leaf size and late trees are now about 50 to 60% to full leaf size. Some spots even had as much as nearly one inch of rain, with 0.95" reported in Webster. I picked up 0.60" at my location. this brings my monthly total to 1.39" Breezy conditions were also noted with this system, We had gusts of 29MPH near 30MPH from the ESE both Monday night and early Tuesday, before winds subsided late Tuesday. The rain also held down temperatures and made for a cold day across the area, highs were only in the low to mid 40s. I had a high of 43.F and a low of 39.F which is nearly 30 degrees below normal highs for May.

More rain is expected from yet another system forecast to move in late Wednesday at this point I may need to update the forecast before Thursday.

Monday Dry during the day, but Rainy weather moves in again late, Wet Tuesday expected.

Regional View.





A Wet $ Chilly start to the week for the Upper Midwest, as a low pressure system passed across Mo, and Illinois, Rain should spread north and bring wet weather Tuesday for Iowa, Southern and southeastern Minnesota, Southern, Western, and North Central Wisconsin, and all of Illinois. Heavy rains are possible in Southern Minnesota, Southern Wisconsin, and Iowa. Things dry out once again Wednesday as the low moves East.

Local View.

Monday during the daylight hours will be the last dry day for at least the next 2 days for Western and Northwestern Wisconsin, Although it will be chilly Monday skies are expected to be partly sunny. Rain does start to move in late during the day though. Monday night and all of Tuesday looks especially Wet and Chilly for the area, as off and on rain showers will be likely, Although some models are questioning on how far the Rain/Snow line will move, I believe the bulk of the preip will be Rain, for most of the area, but I cannot rule out some snow mixing in, in far northern Burnett and Washburn counties, This system should bring another good dose of rain to the area, Wednesday is when things appear to dry back out, although it will still be Chilly, highs 50s Monday, the 40s Tuesday and back to the 50s Wednesday, which is below average, Normal highs are in the upper 60s. Daily forecast below.

Monday, Partly Cloudy in the Morning, then turning Partly Sunny, Rain chances increases late. Highs in the mid 50s. Monday Night, a good chance of rain, lows in the low 40s.

Tuesday, Quite Chilly, A good chance of off and on Rain possible mixing with snow as far south as Northern Burnett and Washburn counties. Highs in the low 40s. Tuesday Night, A chance of Rain, lows in the Mid to upper 30s.

Wednesday, Warmer, Any rain ending early, Partly Sunny skies, highs in the low 50s. Wednesday Night, Mostly Cloudy, lows in the upper 30s.

Looking Ahead.

By Thursday we could be dealing with yet again another system which could bring rain. Then after a week of rain and chilly temperatures, the weekend looks Much Warmer and Drier. Sunday though may have a spotty shower. Then the models showing the start of a significant warm-up by Tuesday the 18th ( as seen last week in the models ) It also looks dry for this time. then by the following Thursday the 20th a system looks to bring Stormy weather, Temperatures remain warm & mild during this time. around Friday the 21st the models show Very warm temperatures and the chances for more rain, then it shows a slight cool down for the 23rd, before it warms right back up. It is too early to tell if Severe Weather will come with any systems during the warm temperatures, but it will have to be watches as those dates approach. More on this in further forecasts.

Late Season Frost & Freezes across the area, some spots hit the upper teens!

Frosty leaf May 9th.

We had a hard frost last night across the entire area, as temperatures fell to the lower 30s, and upper 20s. Some spots of the North even reported upper teens, After highs yesterday only made it to the middle to upper 40s across the area, I has a high of 48.F, Average high temperatures this time of May are in the middle to upper 60s, and average lows are in the mid 40s.

I Recorded a low warmer then expected, I had a low of 30.F, There was frost even in my yard limits, Trees and Bushes, such as Lilacs even though trees have leafed out and lilacs are in full bloom, were not effected the slightest by the cold temps. Garden Plants a my location were were virtually not effected. Although when I first woke up, some of my plants like Seedum with succulent-like leaves had frost on the leaves, and were droopy, they popped back up by 10AM and were fine, Even tender plants like Bleeding Heart made it through with no damage. I believe a lot of this has to do with my house being on top of a hill where the warmest air lasts the longest, I believe if it would have gotten much colder I would not have done so well with the plants, lower spots and valleys didn't fair so well, My Aunts gardens located down the street from me, did have some frost damage to some plants, as I've experimented before on calm nights, It can be up to 5 degrees colder in the low spots near my house compared to up at my yard.


Here are reported temperatures from this morning, The warmest locations were Cumberland and my location where temps remained in the lower 30s, But the coldest area was Minong-Grantsburg area with lows in the lower 20s, and even upper teens!

The good news is, This is the last of the cold weather, for the week, lows are expected to be much warmer from this night on, so frost will no longer be an issue. Hopefully were done with the cold for the season!

Another picture of mine from this morning made local news!

Video of the news clip that was showing my picture, location, and name!

A Picture (as seen in post below) I sent to KSTP channel 5 in Minneapolis was shown regionally across the area this evening. Just after 6, I got a call from a friend, and he told me immediately my picture was on the news! This is the second time this year a picture I took actually was shown on local news, Which is very exciting!

Early May Snow accumulates across parts of the area, Latest snowfall in rescent history.

Light snow cover and spring leaf growth May 8th

Our Warm spring weather has come to a dead halt as a late season snowfall accumulated as far south as Western Wisconsin and piled to as much as 2 inches! Friday Night into Saturday, Light to Moderate rain much of the day Friday turned to light snow during the evening Friday as temperatures dropped into the upper 30s, then the lower 30s as cold air wrapped into a fairly strong low pressure system South of the area that was tracking SE

Photo showing how elevated surfaces had the most accumulation, while the ground was too warm.

Snow in early May is not completely out of context in Western Wisconsin, but it is certainly usual, and it does not happen year after year! What is interesting is, We had No snow in March or April this Spring, but then May comes along and it snows, The last time I receive mensurable snowfall, was way back on the 23rd of February! Friday After receiving as much as an half inch of rain, Snow began to Accumulate as winds turned northerly, and temps droped from the mid 40s to the lower 30s. overnight, snow especially accumulated in Burnett and Northwest Polk counties , Snow at my location after getting 0.53" of much needed soaking rains, managed to accumulate to a quarter inch 0.25", mainly on elevated surfaces like cars, roofs and tree branches, making to a total water count of 0.56"


Snow covered lilac blooms May 8Th.

This will go down as the latest snowfall I've ever recorded in my records since I began recording weather 3 years ago in December 2007. It is also one of the latest snowfalls in recent memory according to local news stations, and in all of me or my dads memories and experience of living in Western Wisconsin, We have never seen snowfall this late in the growing season, I cannot remember even one time where we got snow at the same time that lilacs were blooming nor at the same time that all the tree leaves had emerged! An early start to spring has allowed for everything to be 2 to as much as 2 and a half weeks early, this is much of the reason what brought snow and lilacs together!

White Lilacs as seen covered early Saturday Morning.

The snow has it's moved predominate cover in the early morning hours Saturday when temperatures were at there coolest. By 10AM the next morning, the temps quickly rose to around 40, and the snow quickly melted away.

snow covered Bleeding Hearts, another thing virtually "never" seen in the garden world!

As I was telling my family, Only in a place like Wisconsin can you get 70s and snowfall in the same 1 week time span! It was in the low 70s just 4 days ago,

Snowfall reports below.

Centuria 2.0"
N Grantsburg 1.0"
Clayton 0.25"

Very Chilly end of the week. Rain & late season Snowfall likely, accumulations possible, also Frost and Freezes likely Sat Night-Updated

Regional View. Low shown for effects, may not be actual placement of low.


We got ourselves quite a Chilly end to the week ahead, with a good chance for widespread rains Friday and even the possibilities of some unusually late Snowfall accumulations across portions of the Upper Midwest Friday. Updated models now suggest the accumulating snow could be father south then first thought. Thursday will be the warmest of the next 3 days, with things cooling down significantly by Friday. The best chance of accumulating snow will be in Northern Minnesota and Northern and Northwestern Wisconsin, with a mix possible occurring just south.

Local View

Although this forecast sounds more normal for late March early April, Friday A very chilly air mass will rush south into the area. it will be cold, windy and very wet, with a good chance of widespread rainfall during the day changing to snow late, highs will only in the mid 40s! Accumulation Snowfall chances have been shifted south and now even includes the local area. As we go into late Friday and Friday Night, things will cool off into the 30s, and be cool enough for some late season snow across the area, With the best chance of snow in the North. Accumulations are now possible up to 1 to even 2 inches! It would be very wet heavy snow and would not last long.. We also have the watch the Freeze potential for Friday Night, but clouds should keep us from going too low. Saturday will not be much warmer, But it will be drier with partly Sunny skies and highs again in the 40s. Saturday Night is when we will really have to watch closely for frost or freeze. if clouds clear out enough temperatures could drop like a rock. People in the area should bring in tender plants and prepare for a possible late season snowfall and frost or freeze. Daily forecast below.

I will be updating this forecast if necessary.

Friday, Very Chilly and windy, with a good chance rain most of the day, changing to snow late. Highs in the mid 40s. Friday Night, Very Chilly, a good chance of rain or snow, minor accumulations of 1 to 2 inches possible lows in the low 30s.

Saturday, Very Chilly, any rain or snow ending in the morning. then turning partly sunny with highs in the upper 40s. Saturday Night, Partly Cloudy, Frost or Freeze possible throughout the entire area. Lows in the upper 20s to lower 30s.

Looking Ahead.

The chilliest air will not be lasting for long because Warmer air will already begin to arrive by Sunday, We should be done with 30s by this time. Monday looks fairly cloudy but dry. Tuesday our next weather system already arrives, with a few rain showers possible, but it moves out quick. then Wednesday things clear out and warm up even more. it continues to look dry with fair temps into the end of the week, into Friday and Saturday the 14th and 15th. then them modes show another quick moving system for Sunday the 16th. the by the end of the model run, it continues to show a very warm air mass possible building and beginning to move east. More on this later.

Picture showing the lilacs blooming in front of my house May 6Th.

All my hard work in the yard these past few weeks in paying off, I've done a lot of planting garden remodeling and trimming of the lilacs and trees. As you can see light purple Lilacs are in full bloom now across my yard, and smell great! there about 2 and a half weeks earlier then normal. I will have A more official post about lilacs with pictures coming once the rest of the colors start to bloom, That is of course if they make it through the next few days!

Time Lapse Project Update.

Although I've been very busy and have not had the time to post pictures of the front of my house. (hoping to restart again this week) I've been continuing to take a picture of my garden with my Webcam everyday since January. A big Thanks goes out to Josh at OSNW3 blog for showing me the program I used to put these pictures together!

This is the first time lapse project I've ever done and I think this project so far is pretty cool, you can actually watch the snow melt away and my garden come to life! and towards the end of the video, you can see the Apple tree in the back round begin to flower. I plan to continue this time lapse project as we progress through summer and fall.

The pictures start on January 9th, and go to May 3rd, A Red colored Month/Date/Year label pops up in Early March on the lower right hand corner of the screen.

Video Highlights are

March 12th snow is melted away,

April 2nd grass begins to green up.

April 12th First Yellow Daffodil bloom.

April 21st Spring Garden in full bloom.

April 26th first lawn mow.

April 29th first Apple tree flower.

Gusty showers with strong winds hit the area today

Clouds from a frontal system May 4th

We has some very windy conditions across the area this afternoon. Showers began forming in a line along a strong cold front in Eastern Minnesota and then moved East along with the front. this line swept across Western Wisconsin at 40MPH and brought light rain and strong winds. Reported winds were between 35 and near 45MPH with the strongest winds reported in New Richmond with a gust of 44MPH an unofficial report of small trees down were reported in Rice Lake and Chetek areas.

Pines blowing in the strong westerly winds May 4Th.

Here at my location, the winds really began to pick up in the late afternoon, then as the showers approached, it became very windy for about 45 minutes. as winds quickly switch from S to W My highest gust was 35MPH from the West, but sustained winds were around 30MPH for about 10 minutes. total rainfall from the line of showers was only 0.02 Shortly after the strong winds hit, winds quickly subsided and were completely calm with in a hour.



Video of the winds

This video shows some of the strongest winds, so it was quite a windy evening across the area. Winds are fairly quiet now, but are expected to pick up some again tomorrow, winds will not be as strong as they were this evening.

Slight Risk Tuesday.

Image from SPC

The Storm Prediction Center has issued a slight risk of Severe Thunderstorms across parts of Eastern Minnesota, Western and Central Wisconsin and Northern Iowa. including all of my 6 county blog coverage area. A strong Warm front/Cold front system will pass through the area today. This will bring the potential for strong to severe storms to fire over Eastern Minnesota and move east. If this happens the area will be dealing with the risk of damaging winds, large hail and even the heightened risk for tornado's. People in the local area should pay close attention to the forecasts this afternoon.

Quick warm up Tuesday before another cooldown Wednesday- Updated, Severe Weather Potienal Tuesday.

Regional View.

This forecast has been updated to show viewers the severe weather potential for Tuesday.

The next few days will bring A roller coaster in temperatures across the Upper Midwest, as temperatures will start out in chilly Monday, Then warm significantly into the 70s Tuesday before cooling back down Wednesday. With a strong cold front Tuesday, Severe Thunderstorms will be possible across Eastern Minnesota and Western and Central Wisconsin. Wednesday behind the front, it will be winder and much colder. with highs in the 60s.

Local View.

The roller cost in temperatures mentioned above will also be observed here in Western Wisconsin. with highs starting out in the 60s Monday, then the lower to middle 70s Tuesday, then falling back to the 60s once again Wednesday, as the center of a warm/cold front system passes well off to the North. Tuesday there is the potential for Severe Thunderstorms across all of the local area. Now it's not for sure things will develop, But if they do we could be dealing with a line of strong to severe storms Tuesday Afternoon. Expect Wednesday to be much colder. Daily forecast below.

Tuesday, Warm! Partly Sunny to Partly Cloudy, A chance of Thunderstorms in the afternoon. Some could be strong to even severe. highs in the lower to middle 70s. Tuesday Night. Mild, mostly cloudy with lows near 50.

Wednesday, cooler and breezy, Showers possible early. otherwise partly sunny with highs in the mid 60s. Wednesday Night, Cooler mostly cloudy with lows in the upper 30s.

Looking Ahead

Wednesday Cold front looks to be the start of a fairly large cool down for our area. Late next week a strong second cold front looks to usher in cold temperatures from the north, temperatures appear as through they may be quite chilly especially Friday and Saturday, Highs could be as cold as the upper 40s! This will have to be watched closely if you have tender vegetation planted out already because it is possible we may be dealing with a few nights close to if not below freezing. there could be a few cold showers around Saturday and Sunday. It does look like Temperatures will improve significantly by early the following week. it also appears like it will be wetter for Midweek around Wednesday/Thursday the 12th/13th. then the models show a period of dry and wet weather between the 13th and 17th. Then toward the end of the model run, the models continue to hint at some very warm temperatures pushing in with some wetter weather as well, More on this later.

2010 Tulip project in full bloom & many other plants/trees blooming!

Yellow fridged Tulips, as a part of the Tulip fridge Project 2010 May 4th

My Tulips from the 2010 fridge project are in full bloom now as we just start out May, They were a little later then normal because I planted them much later so that they would extend my tulip flowering season.

Red Tulips from 2010 project. 4th

The red ones ended out being shorter then I thought they would be, but there nice none the less. so 2010 tulip projects ended out being a good success. the Daffodils from 2010 were also successful. Some people may remember a 2 last minuted bags of bulbs I bought in early February, which were mixed colors of both Daffodils and Hyacinths, these also both turned our pretty well. The last minute Daffodils did not have enough time in the fridge to set good roots, so I ended up planting them outside the garden in a more hidden spot. These ended out leafing out much later because of the set-back, and they have just begun blooming now.
Apple Blossoms May 3rd

Apples and Crab apple trees are in full bloom across my neighborhood, they really have a nice scent, you can smell them just being near the trees! Lilacs have also begun to bloom this week, I will submit pictures here once they reach full bloom!

Wild Crab Apple Tree in the woods near my house May 3rd

Colorful newly planted Pansy's May 3rd.

I went ahead in planted my annuals in my planters across my yard this week in the hopes that below freezing temperatures would be over for the season. The blue pansy's below the put actually came back and were not planted, They reseeded themselves after originated in the pot above, This is their 2nd year. Which is stunning for Pansy's because there not known to survive in Wisconsin.

Bleeding Heart in my garden May 4Th.

Bleeding Hearts are truly pretty and very reliable old time favorite flowers. This one has been here for 4 years now, and it has really exploded with growth the past 2 years, It is now one of the main features in my spring garden.

Bleeding heart in the front yard May 4th.


This one in our front yard proves how reliable they can be. This one has been here for about 10 years, planted when I was very young and when my interest for plants was just starting. Though this one is not as large as my other, this one still continues to flower in this place year after year.