Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Travel Tuesday will Be No Joy Ride


The map above shows the Grinch storm impacting much of the Midwest today. This is the nickname I have given this storm because it will likely cause travel delays on our busy travel day. Check those flights ahead of time and you will certainly have to pack more patience than normal today. If you are going to Chicago from Lafayette or coming home make sure you leave both by early afternoon. If you are traveling farther west and south things will quickly go downhill by late morning with freezing rain being the big threat along the Interstate 70 corridor. You see the purple above showing where heavy amounts of
freezing rain could fall. Ice accumulations could approach .25" in these areas hampering traffic.

Farther north including the Lafayette area we will have less in the way of freezing rain like we saw last week and an ugly mix of snow a
nd sleet this afternoon and freezing rain and rain mixing in this evening before changing to all rain after midnight. I think we can keep our ice amounts close to .10" while our snow and sleet accumulations could come out close to a crunchy inch. This would be much better than the .25" of ice we saw in many locations north of Lafayette last week. This is a very tricky forecast so make sure to check back today for the very latest.


The Grinch eventually did give back all the presents as his heart grew bigger and this storm may try to give back our White Christmas it is taking away from us. We easily would have had 6 or more inches of snow, but the Grinch storm may still in fact give us a nice Chrismas Eve coating of snow on the back side of this storm as it moves by. Precision and at least two other models are showing light accumulations Wednesday afternoon and evening. It will not be enough to cause travel trouble but just add a nice touch before Santa arrives. The good news is we have gotten rid of the dangerous cold weather that hit the are
a. That brings us to the blog question of the day:

When was the last time winter started this cold?


It took awhile for me to find because I had to go back to 1989 when we had a low of -16 and a high of just 6 degrees. On Sunday the first day of winter we officially recorded a high of 30 close to midnight and dropped to zero degrees by late evening! There were a few places that actually dropped below zero as you can see above. On Monday it was our coldest December day since 2005 and it was the first time since December 7, 2005 that parts of Tippecanoe County dropped below zero. Congratulations you have made it through the worst of this arctic blast! But it is bittersweet with another wintry mess on the way by later today and tonight. Be careful please. I will be back soon with an update.


24 comments:

Anonymous said...

We will keep hope Mike! If anything we may at least see snow flurries to showers possible! Even that would be good for me!

With Indiana we can never be sure until it is here! Yes our wild Indiana weather! :) you gotta love it!

Have a great day bloggers! I'M going to go get some sleep!

I'll catch up with you all later!
We got a winter mess ahead of us! Or the ((GRINCH!!!!!)) Which sounds better! I like that the GRINCH! Good name Mike! :)

Justin in Lafayette

Anonymous said...

I really enjoy your blog! Thanks for keeping it up to date! We don't get local TV due to our satelite but I check your website daily! Thanks again!

Anonymous said...

Does January still look like it will be above average temps?

Anonymous said...

someone just told me there are snow storms in lafayette right now, anyone awake to comfirm this? thanks!!

Anonymous said...

Could be looks like there is activity on radar

Anonymous said...

i was out at 3am til about 3:20 and i saw no snow
renee in laf.

Anonymous said...

latest from NOAA:
TIPPECANOE COUNTY:
345 AM EST TUE DEC 23 2008
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO
4 AM EST WEDNESDAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN INDIANAPOLIS HAS ISSUED A WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR LIGHT SNOW...SLEET...AND FREEZING RAIN...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 AM EST WEDNESDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.
A STORM SYSTEM WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE PLAINS AND SPREAD PRECIPITATION ACROSS INDIANA THIS AFTERNOON. IT WILL INTERACT WITH
COLD AIR AT THE SURFACE AND THIS WILL ALLOW FOR PRECIPITATION TO
FALL AS SNOW AND SLEET THIS AFTERNOON BEFORE CHANGING OVER TO
FREEZING RAIN THIS EVENING. PRECIPITATION WILL CHANGE OVER TO ALL RAIN AFTER MIDNIGHT AS WARMER AIR ARRIVES.
LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF LESS THAN ONE INCH ARE POSSIBLE BEFORE
THE CHANGEOVER TO FREEZING RAIN...WHICH WILL BRING AROUND A TENTH OR TWO OF AN INCH OF ICE ACCUMULATION.
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW...SLEET...OR
FREEZING RAIN WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR
SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

WHITE COUNTY:
509 AM EST TUE DEC 23 2008
...WINTER WEATHER TO IMPACT THE REGION ONCE AGAIN....ANOTHER POTENT STORM SYSTEM WILL AFFECT THE REGION TODAY INTO WEDNESDAY. PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN AS SNOW THIS MORNING...MIXING WITH SLEET THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE MAJORITY OF THE SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED NORTH OF A HILLSDALE TO
LOGANSPORT LINE THIS MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON...WITH
PRECIPITATION OVERSPREADING THE REMAINDER OF THE REGION LATER THIS
AFTERNOON. FREEZING RAIN IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS PORTIONS OF INDIANA AND OHIO LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...MAINLY SOUTH OF ROUTE 24...AND EVENTUALLY TRANSITION TO A PERIOD OF ALL FREEZING RAIN...POSSIBLY MIXED WITH SLEET AT TIMES.
SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE MOST LIKELY NORTH OF ROUTE 24...AS 2
TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW AND SLEET ARE EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT...WITH
THE HEAVIER ACCUMULATIONS LIKELY ACROSS SOUTHERN MICHIGAN. A BREAK
IN THE PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED AFTER MIDNIGHT ACROSS AREAS NORTH
OF ROUTE 24...AT WHICH TIME A PERIOD OF FREEZING DRIZZLE MAY BE
POSSIBLE. ANOTHER 2 TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED WEDNESDAY AS
THE MAIN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE PUSHES ACROSS THE REGION. IN
ADDITION...WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE OUT OF THE WEST BEHIND A
COLD FRONT WEDNESDAY. THIS WILL SUPPORT AREAS OF BLOWING AND
DRIFTING SNOW...WHICH COULD IMPACT TRAVEL.
LOCATIONS SOUTH OF ROUTE 24 CAN EXPECT TO SEE A MIX OF FREEZING
RAIN AND SLEET THIS EVENING WITH ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO 2
TENTHS OF AN INCH POSSIBLE THROUGH EVENING AND EARLY WEDNESDAY
MORNING...BEFORE TEMPERATURES RISE ABOVE FREEZING SUPPORTING ALL
RAIN. THE BEST CHANCE FOR ICE ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE SOUTH OF LINE
FROM LOGANSPORT TO OTTAWA. MAINLY RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED ON
WEDNESDAY.
THERE IS STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY WITH THIS EVENT...PERTAINING TO
SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ACROSS THE NORTH ON WEDNESDAY AND ICE
ACCUMULATIONS IN THE FAR SOUTHEAST THIS EVENING. MUCH HEAVIER SNOW
AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS COULD BE POSSIBLE WITH A SLIGHT SHIFT IN
STORM TRACK AND INTENSITY. PERSONS SHOULD LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER
RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA FOR LATER UPDATES ON THIS SITUATION AND
POSSIBLE UPGRADES TO WARNINGS. PERSONS TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE 94
OR THE INDIANA TOLL ROAD SHOULD ALSO EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION
DURING THIS PERIOD.

Anonymous said...

It is now snowing in Rochester.

Anonymous said...

We have had wind in Laf, but that is about it, however the temps 21* this morning! Feels warm out there:)

Teri in Laf.

Anonymous said...

INZ021-028>031-035>042-231645-
/O.UPG.KIND.WS.A.0007.081223T1800Z-081224T0900Z/
/O.NEW.KIND.WW.Y.0015.081223T1800Z-081224T0900Z/
CARROLL-WARREN-TIPPECANOE-CLINTON-HOWARD-FOUNTAIN-MONTGOMERY-
BOONE-TIPTON-HAMILTON-MADISON-DELAWARE-RANDOLPH-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LAFAYETTE...FRANKFORT...KOKOMO...
CRAWFORDSVILLE...ANDERSON...MUNCIE
345 AM EST TUE DEC 23 2008
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO
4 AM EST WEDNESDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN INDIANAPOLIS HAS ISSUED A WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR LIGHT SNOW...SLEET...AND FREEZING RAIN...WHICH
IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 AM EST WEDNESDAY. THE
WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

A STORM SYSTEM WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE PLAINS AND SPREAD
PRECIPITATION ACROSS INDIANA THIS AFTERNOON. IT WILL INTERACT WITH
COLD AIR AT THE SURFACE AND THIS WILL ALLOW FOR PRECIPITATION TO
FALL AS SNOW AND SLEET THIS AFTERNOON BEFORE CHANGING OVER TO
FREEZING RAIN THIS EVENING. PRECIPITATION WILL CHANGE OVER TO ALL
RAIN AFTER MIDNIGHT AS WARMER AIR ARRIVES.

LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF LESS THAN ONE INCH ARE POSSIBLE BEFORE
THE CHANGEOVER TO FREEZING RAIN...WHICH WILL BRING AROUND A TENTH
OR TWO OF AN INCH OF ICE ACCUMULATION.

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW...SLEET...OR
FREEZING RAIN WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR
SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE
DRIVING.

Anonymous said...

Its coming down pretty good here in Monticello right now...some big 'ol flakes!

Anonymous said...

mike i am traveling north tomorrow around 4:30 pm after work.. i am going north of chicago.. how bad will my travel be? any help will help me prepare.
thanks mt lafayette

Anonymous said...

Nothing at all in Tipp Co, just wind! I would love to see snow. Lucky Brow!

Anonymous said...

WeatherAlarm™!
Heavy rain occurring on Dec 23 | Dec 24 | Dec 25 | Dec 26 | Dec 27. Total amount 2.16 Inches.
Ice occurring on Dec 23. Total amount 0.2 Inches.
High wind occurring on Dec 26. Maximum sustained 27 mph (maximum gust 44 mph).

Anonymous said...

Dang its windy out there, I thought wind was out of the forcast...temp may be 22 degrees but the sind chill in 8 degrees.

Anonymous said...

MIKE,

I WANT A NEW PATTERN NOW!!! More snow, less rain and ice.

Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Hey everybody! The good news is even right now the Ice amunts are still low! Only around a tenth of an inch! This is a lot better then last week!

Everybody is still keeping hope for at least snow flurries on christmas! Hang in there!

Justin in Lafayette

Anonymous said...

Snow showers now in Laf...temp up to 25*.

Teri

Anonymous said...

Yep Teri snow flakes here to. Penny size!!!!!

Sure wish it would do this all day and not change over to a mix!

Justin in Lafayette

Anonymous said...

Some of the snow is already changing over to an Icy mix down in and around Fountain County!

Justin in Lafayette

Anonymous said...

Has anyone been on the local roads yet?

ML

Anonymous said...

Montgomery County Road
Advisory
Commissioners: Severe weather is
affecting roads
Last Edited: Tuesday, 23 Dec 2008, 3:28 PM EST
Created On: Tuesday, 23 Dec 2008, 3:22 PM EST

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Ind. - The Montgomery County Commissioners have issued a County Road Advisory. "While county roads are not closed, severe weather is affecting County roads, and the risk of travel on them is upon the person traveling," the Commissioners said in a news release Tuesday afternoon.

As a result of the advisory, the Montgomery County Commissioners said drivers interfering with highway snow removal crews or emergency vehicles may be directed to remove their vehicles from the roadway. Unoccupied vehicles impeding snow removal or emergency vehicles may be towed at the owner's expense.

Anonymous said...

Winter storm warning for Jasper Newton and other counties, not in tipp yet

Anonymous said...

Benton co too oh my