The Weather Insider - KHAS-TV News 5

Ominous Signs in the Northland

John Walsh — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:16:52 +0000

So far November has been just what the doctor ordered to bring us out of the October doldrums. Temperatures remain above average with crisp nights and that is pretty much how the week will play out. Through the weekend temperatures will stay in the 50s but don’t get too used to it.
In the northern latitudes, cold air is being manufactered over the snow fields of northern Canada back to Siberia. Bitterly cold air was widespread in Asia last week and that cold air is now being felt in Alaska where temps have fallen to 35 below. In these northern reaches there is more heat energy leaving than is taken in due to the shorter days and lessening daylight. Temperatures have dropped well below zero and in the next week the jet stream will begin to amplify north and south allowing colder air to transport southward into the lower 48.
So in the the short term enjoy the 50s. It’s been a good run but changes are on the way.

Winter Storm

Brittany Rainey — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:41:53 +0000

A winter storm will begin impacting the region tonight lasting through Monday. South Central Nebraska and North Central Kansas will see the most significant snowfall, 4 to 7 inches by Monday night. Cloudy skies with rain and snow will prevail through Monday Night. Highs will be in the upper 30s and lower 40s for Sunday and Monday, with lows in the lower 30s. The Tri-Cities could see 1 to 4 inches from this storm. By the end of the week temperatures will be back in the lower 50s with partly cloudy skies.

Snow Storm in the Works

John Walsh — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:26:35 +0000

If your travel plans take you west this weekend, plan carefully. A pretty significant snow storm will impact the central Rockies and High Plains this weekend dumping as much as a foot of snow in the mountains and several inches in the Denver area by Sunday afternoon.
I does look like parts of Nebraska will be impacted by this system but there are still some question as to what degree. The forecasting models are coming up with a variety of resolutions to this storm which makes it difficult to determine which areas will see snow and how much.
Two big questions that we’ll be trying to solve as we head into the weekend:
1. Where will the storm track. This will have a bearing on whether accumulating snow will impact Goodland to Grand Island to Omaha versus Dodge City to Salina to Des Moines.
2. Temperatures. Right now it appears surface temperatures will range from about 33 to 36 degrees. How much will this compromise snow accumulations remains to be seen.
While the models have this storm slowing down, at present we’re looking at a Sunday night to Monday time frame. Should be interesting. We’ll be fine tuning this over the next couple of days.

Fog Settles In

John Walsh — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:42:19 +0000

Visibilities are beginning to deteriorate. Fog in southeast Nebraska has dropped visibility in Hebron to a quarter of a mile, and it is beginning to get foggy in the Tri-Cities with 4 mile visibilities in Grand Island.
Ceilings will continue to lower tonight wiht fog and drizzle to start the day on Wednesday. Overcast skies will persist through tonight with cooler temps in the mid 50s.

Weather Pattern Changing?

Travis Klanecky — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:36:01 +0000

After what I would call a horrible October…2nd coldest on record for many of us…we’ve seen a recent string of decent to very nice weather. That may come to an end as we get toward the end of this week. Today is looking great and Thursday should be fantastic. But beyond Thursday, our temperatures will be a little closer to normal, which is now in the upper 40’s to around 50 depending on where you live. We’ve got a decent chance of rain come Friday with the possibility of a few isolated shower remaining on Saturday. Question marks start to arise beyond that. One forecast model, called the GFS, is bringing a closed low pressure system in for Sunday into Monday that could have a big impact on our weather. I saw the same sort of pattern with our late October winter storm when it was still 6 or 7 days out. As of now, the National Weather Service has kept things dry, but I have decided to throw in at least a slight chance of precipitation. The next questions is, what kind of precipitation. Current forecast models keep most of the area warm enough for just rain. But there is a chance the backside of this storm system could draw in enough cold air for a little snow. If that’s the case, we’ll need to keep an eye out for the potential for some heavy snow, especially out west. Again this is still quite a few days out, but just be on alert that there is the potential for a winter storm around the middle of the month.

Another Nice Week

Brittany Rainey — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:24:50 +0000

Monday temperatures will get back near normal in the mid 50s and partly cloudy skies. There is also a chance for a few sprinkles across the region. Then Tuesday through Thursday high pressure will dominant our weather, bringing mostly sunny skies and increasing temperatures. We could see some showers Friday into Saturday morning as a system moves into the area. Temperatures will cool down with the system as they drop back into the lower 50s for the weekend.

More Sunshine on the Way

Brittany Rainey — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:41:10 +0000

We are expecting partly cloudy skies during the day Sunday, with increasing clouds in the evening as a front moves into the region. There is also a slight chance for showers overnight Sunday into Monday morning. Temperatures will be in the upper 50s for Monday and Tuesday. High pressure will bring mostly sunny skies Tuesday through Thursday. Another system will bring a chance for rain starting Friday into Saturday.

“High” on a Milder November

John Walsh — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:57:18 +0000

It would seem as if nature is trying to make amends for the unusually cool, damp autumn that we’ve had to endure. Apology accepted. As an upper level ridge builds in the wave of warmer air is truely extensive with climbing temperatures from the prairie provinces of Canada all the way to Texas.
To lend some perspective, temperatures in the teens are possible this time of year as far south as central North Dakota, but during the next couple of days they will be warming into the 60s with 50s across the border into Canada. Certainly unusual.
So what is this ‘high pressure ridge’ that is responsible for this turnaround?

A high pressure ridge is an elongated region of high atmospheric pressure occuring both at the surface and with altitude. It can influence weather over a long period of time and is characterized with generally cloud free skies, dry conditions and warmer temperatures. Air tends to sink to the east of a high pressure ridge suppressing cloud development while conversely to the west it rises, promoting cloud formation and precipitation.
Usually considered a fair weather pattern, a ridge in summertime may have a different connotation than one in late autumn, producing dry conditions with oppressive heat and poor air quality. Conversely, in late autumn and winter it usually means milder conditions and relief from the cold.
October 2009 was the second coldest on record but with our current setup, November is opening up mild. With 70s forecasted for Friday I figure it will be worth the wait.

Clipper Season is Here

John Walsh — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:43:57 +0000

The only sign of it’s influence was the clouds of this morning, but to our north is an Alberta Clipper that will track through the Dakotas to eastern Minnesota by midnight tonight. The air at the surface is very dry so we did not realize any precipitation from those clouds because it evaported before it hit the ground. So what is a “clipper”?
This is a term you’ll be hearing us say more often now that we are in clipper season. Clippers, often refered to as Alberta Clippers because they originate in the Canadian Province of Alberta, are low pressure systems that track from western Canada through the Northern Plain states of the Dakotas thus ‘clipping’ the lower 48 states as they pushing southeast to the mid Atlantic states. They are typically fast moving sytems that generate light to moderate rain or snow, with very few producing significant snowstorms. Sometimes these storms can intensify along the east coast and blow up into a nor’easter, a powerful storm that hugs the eastern seaboard. They are also known to produce rapid temperature changes as they tap colder air from the north and pull it southward. Winds from these systems can also be quite strong.
Less common names are Saskatchewan Screamers or Manatoba Maulers, which is pretty much the same type of storm named according to the Provinces from where they originated.

Nice Start to November

Brittany Rainey — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:32:04 +0000

Monday will be a little cooler than the weekend, with highs in the mid 50s. We will also see partly cloudy skies through Tuesday. Tuesday highs will get back in the upper 50s with breezy conditions. The rest of the week highs will be in the upper 50s and lower 60s with mostly sunny skies. Lows will be in the mid and upper 30s.