tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51305973577322897802012-02-14T07:19:10.272-06:00WTVO Channel 17 and WQRF FOX 39's First Warn Weather Team provides comprehensive weather information for the Northern Illinois & Southern Wisconsin area, based out of Rockford, IL. http://www.mystateline.comFirst Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.comBlogger17401100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-68831499135543137982012-02-14T07:16:00.001-06:002012-02-14T07:19:10.285-06:00

An upper level trough in eastern Iowa helped redevelop light snow early this morning.  This snow is now passing through north-central Illinois and south-central Wisconsin.  What I've noticed the past hour or so is the snow is expanding a bit in coverage and there has been a little enhancement with a few embedded snow bands.  While it's likely not going to amount to much it may be enough to cover

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-1546407221376437662012-02-13T21:49:00.000-06:002012-02-13T21:49:47.577-06:00

The NWS office in Chicago has issued a special weather statement for the potential for freezing drizzle overnight. Although this freezing drizzle will not amount to more than 0.1", this will still be enough for tricky travel... Especially on untreated roads. Here is the NWS statement: WINNEBAGO-BOONE-MCHENRY--OGLE-LEE-DE KALB- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ROCKFORD...BELVIDERE...WOODSTOCK... ...

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-66437193664792782412012-02-13T09:50:00.001-06:002012-02-13T09:57:25.173-06:00

Two systems will impact our weather this week; the first has been bringing widespread snow across Iowa and Missouri early this morning.  This snow will continue to spread into Wisconsin and Illinois with accumulations nearing two inches or so. The second is currently punching into northern Canada and will be with us late Wednesday night and Thursday.   Probability of snow > 4" Wednesday 

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-15107654921263039802012-02-13T08:07:00.000-06:002012-02-13T08:07:44.155-06:00

High pressure dominated the weekend with blue skies and chilly temperatures.  This morning clouds have replaced the clear skies and those clouds will continue to thicken through the morning and afternoon.  Light to moderate snow has been moving through Iowa all morning with accumulations ranging between 1" to 3".  Looking at current surface observations the snow is now falling from Cedar Rapids

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-43687748164784080752012-02-12T21:48:00.001-06:002012-02-12T21:50:27.015-06:00

The arctic air mass has moderated considerably as it continues to move toward the east, It will be over northern Alabama by midnight, and still is the main weather maker over the eastern half of the nation. Skies will be clear across northern Illinois early tonight, but high clouds from a system over the southern plains are already moving east though Iowa.  So, clouds will edge into the Stateline

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-66617664340421483502012-02-11T21:55:00.003-06:002012-02-11T23:18:40.313-06:00

Arctic high pressure over the central plains continues to feed very cold air across the Stateline tonight. It will be clear overnight with northwest winds slowly diminishing. The low will be around 7 degrees around daybreak. The winds will be from the northwest 10-18 mph. That is still rather brisk, but not as strong as the past couple of days. With temperatures in the single digits, wind chills

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-37026754122564016882012-02-10T09:58:00.002-06:002012-02-10T15:40:39.778-06:00

Back edge of the more moderate snow band is now moving through Winnebago county.  Totals remain under an inch, but what's causing all the trouble this afternoon is the blowing snow.  It is blowing over roadways and has caused near zero visibility at times.  There is a little light snow being reported behind this band but it isn't much.  The winds will remain through the night so the snow will

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-69294399597063465082012-02-10T08:40:00.001-06:002012-02-10T08:47:43.892-06:00

8:45am:  The light snow is now moving east of the Rockford Metro but here is a heavier band of snow now nearing Janesville and Monroe.  This will continue to slide southeast. The cold front is just west of Freeport as of 8:30am and out ahead of it snow has begun to fall.  A little more widespread snow is now falling in southern Wisconsin and this will continue its southward movement as the

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-13120167220594359062012-02-09T21:58:00.000-06:002012-02-09T21:58:40.147-06:00

With the jet stream remaining locked across northern North America for most of the winter, the lower-48 experienced its 4th mildest January on record. For more on this mild start to 2012, here's an article from NOAA.

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-12812319045307006232012-02-09T11:00:00.001-06:002012-02-09T11:00:47.066-06:00

NOAA's POES (Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellite) captures the most recent evolution of La Nina, which according to the Climate Prediction Center, is expected to weaken and return to ENSO neutral conditions in Spring. From the Climate Prediction Center:  La Niña is likely to transition to ENSO-neutral conditions during March-May 2012. A mature La Niña continued during January 2012, as

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-10513885071100050452012-02-08T20:47:00.000-06:002012-02-08T20:47:46.298-06:00

It's possible that the winter of 2011-12 will rank among the mildest winters in Rockford history. So far, our average temperature (highs and lows together) since Meteorological Winter began on December 1st is 30.2 degrees. If winter ended right now, this would be good enough for our 3rd mildest winter on record! Although we are expecting temperatures to be somewhat below average this weekend,

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-84343948952597871022012-02-08T19:00:00.000-06:002012-02-08T19:00:22.853-06:00

Check it out!  This is a visible satellite image (from the Miami NWS) of jet contrails over the Gulf of Mexico today.  It's not too often that you see this on satellite imagary!  Pretty cool!

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-45846552747398900952012-02-08T09:14:00.000-06:002012-02-08T09:14:11.289-06:00

We may only be a little over a week into the month of February but already temperatures are running close to 10° above average. Going into the weekend temperatures will fall into the 20s for the first time since January 21st, when the high reached 24°.  A strong jet stream will bring mild, pacific air into western Canada and Alaska the next couple of days providing a little relief from the brutal

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-76543441040674990412012-02-08T03:35:00.003-06:002012-02-08T08:11:46.009-06:00

UPDATE:  AMBER ALERT CANCELED...CHILD LOCATED IN CHICAGO BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED CHILD ABDUCTION EMERGENCY ILLINOIS STATE POLICE SPRINGFIELD IL RELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 305 AM CST WED FEB 8 2012 ...CHILD ABDUCTION EMERGENCY AT THE REQUEST OF ILLINOIS STATE POLICE... AN ILLINOIS AMBER ALERT IS BEING INITIATED FOR THE RACINE, WISCONSIN POLICE DEPARTMENT TO

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-26199547026360932852012-02-07T22:50:00.000-06:002012-02-07T22:50:05.378-06:00

Is winter over? Well, that depends on how you define it. We've got Astronomical Winter, which began on December 22nd and ends March 20th. That winter won't be over for another six weeks. Meteorological winter began on December 1st and will end on February 29th. But SOLAR winter is already over! Solar winter -- the quarter of the calendar in which the northern hemisphere receives the least amount

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-47233812477061119952012-02-07T20:20:00.001-06:002012-02-07T20:22:30.852-06:00

courtesy: WeatherBug Media Timelapse of the 'snow moon' rising tonight over DC

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-28759647152269739192012-02-06T18:40:00.000-06:002012-02-06T18:40:18.396-06:00

With a layer of warmer air aloft and an upper-level disturbance moving in from the southwest tonight, some precipitation in the form of freezing drizzle is possible after midnight. Although the precipitation won't be heavy enough for significant ice accumulations, motorists should still watch out for slick spots on bridges, overpasses, and un-treated roadways on Tuesday morning. With colder air

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-56730275021441317192012-02-06T10:06:00.000-06:002012-02-06T10:06:56.394-06:00

The thick cloud cover this morning has really kept temperatures from rising the past several hours.  In fact, we've been stuck at 29° for the past 6 hours!  At 10am we just moved up to 30°.  The clouds are beginning to thin some to our northeast, but expect the mostly cloudy skies to last through the afternoon. The weather this week will remain quiet, however a cooling trend will begin to take

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-5413972677095832592012-02-05T21:41:00.002-06:002012-02-05T22:51:18.560-06:00

High pressure provided the Stateline with another fabulous February day on Sunday.  There was plentiful sunshine across north central Illinois, and temperatures topped out in the low 40's.  However, there is a large area of low level stratus clouds and fog over Iowa that appears to be sliding eastward tonight.  Clear skies early tonight will give way to clouds later tonight, and there could be

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-39808460341033803912012-02-04T20:19:00.001-06:002012-02-04T20:22:48.387-06:00

A weakening  of low pressure is over western Kentucky this evening  passing well to the south of the Stateline. The cloud shield associated with the low will gradually draw off to the south and east as high pressure across the upper mid west takes charge of northern Illinois weather. It will become mostly clear this evening. There is a chance of patchy fog developing late tonight.  The best

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-33928769177452272662012-02-03T10:26:00.000-06:002012-02-03T10:26:43.671-06:00

What a mess it has been for parts of northeastern Colorado this morning.  And what a mess is will be for residents in Kansas and Nebraska.  An area of low pressure in Texas this morning continues to bring wind and heavy snow to parts of the Rockies and central Plains where double digit accumulations will be likely.  East of the low warm, moist air has brought heavy rain and even severe weather

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-24151832139196378732012-02-03T09:39:00.001-06:002012-02-03T09:40:19.842-06:00

A Dense Fog Advisory will continue through noon today for almost all of southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.  Low level moisture has been very slow to leave the past couple days and now that high pressure has moved into the upper Midwest winds have remained fairly calm and we haven't been able to mix our atmosphere very well. This is the upper level sounding (snapshot of the atmospheric

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-38017987889922917562012-02-02T18:26:00.000-06:002012-02-02T18:26:21.841-06:00

Visibilities are already less than 1/2 mile in Freeport this evening, and the NWS Quad Cities has issued a Dense Fog Advisory for northwestern Illinois until noon tomorrow. Green and Rock counties in Wisconsin are also under a Dense Fog Advisory until noon. We'll continue to watch for an advisory from the NWS Chicago for the rest of our counties, and let you know if they issue one. In the

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-12915912484827034362012-02-02T11:29:00.003-06:002012-02-02T11:44:07.994-06:00

It's one year later but still fresh in everyone's mind.  The third largest snowfall in Rockford's history hit on the eve of January 31st and lasted through February 2nd.  Hard to believe one year has passed and how things have been so different this year than they were last winter.  The snow that fell came in two parts; an upper level disturbance out ahead of the main low January 31st and then

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-71359092910846937282012-02-02T07:10:00.003-06:002012-02-02T12:50:06.429-06:00

12:50pm Update: This is the sounding from the NWS in Davenport, IA and it shows a pretty strong inversion just above the surface with light winds through about 900 mb.  An inversion is when the air at the surface is cooler than the air above.  The layer is also fairly saturated so it's no wonder the fog has stuck around for so long.  With limited atmospheric mixing the fog isn't able dissapate

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-62743698562093520302012-02-01T21:44:00.001-06:002012-02-01T22:29:12.755-06:00

10:30pm Update: NWS Chicago has now issued a Dense Fog Advisory for the remainder of the Stateline area until 9am tomorrow. Here it is: WINNEBAGO-BOONE-OGLE-LEE-DE KALB INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ROCKFORD...BELVIDERE...OREGON...DIXON... DEKALB. 1014 PM CST WED FEB 1 2012 ...DENSE FOG ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CST THURSDAY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHICAGO HAS ISSUED A DENSE FOG

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-33073388475574902572012-02-01T09:18:00.000-06:002012-02-01T09:18:56.415-06:00

NOAA: 2011 a year of climate extremes in the United States NOAA announces two additional severe weather events reached $1 billion damage threshold, raising 2011’s billion-dollar disaster count from 12 to 14 events Selected Annual Climate Records for 2011 - Green dots show the wettest, yellow dots the driest, red dots the warmest and blue dots the coolest records. According to NOAA scientists

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-64337623303242045772012-02-01T08:44:00.001-06:002012-02-01T08:44:50.641-06:00

January 2012 will go down in the record books as a mild month.  As far as temperatures, January ended almost 6° above the monthly average and really wasn't too far behind in terms of precipitation. There were six 50° days during the month, two in the beginning, two in the middle and two to round out the end of the month.  A few record highs were also tied.  So, is this any indication as to

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-89496917444678609062012-01-31T19:05:00.000-06:002012-01-31T19:05:32.469-06:00

An Alaska Department of Transportation thermometer recorded a reading of 79 degrees below zero at Jim's River on Saturday morning, then mysteriously stopped transmitting. The state and U.S. record low temperature is -80 at Prospect Creek Camp set on January 23, 1971. Here is a link to an article from accuweather.com discussing the possible "record-setting temperature that wasn't." The article

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-32968025920998380402012-01-31T12:18:00.000-06:002012-01-31T12:18:56.362-06:00

While we'll continue to enjoy April like weather at the end of January, mother nature may have something up her sleeve in regards to the weekend storm. A surface low pressure system will develop later in the week in response to a cut-off low that will be spinning in the southwest within the southern branch of the jet stream.  At the same time, a trough of low pressure will be moving through the

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-87753182568275584612012-01-31T07:45:00.000-06:002012-01-31T07:45:30.100-06:00

Did you feel it last night?  A minor earthquake (M2.4) occurred around 9:54pm in McHenry County.  The epicenter was located about 10 miles south of Twin Lakes, WI.  There were a few reports of shaking reported to the USGS in western Kenosha and eastern Walworth counties.  There were also a few in far northern Illinois.  No damage was reported as earthquakes of that magnitude are weak. Click here

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-40149685251689043052012-01-30T17:54:00.000-06:002012-01-30T17:54:16.997-06:00

A record high temperature was tied today at the Rockford Airport. The mercury climbed to 52 degrees at 3:22pm this afternoon. This tied a record high that was also set in 1944 and 1926. Today's high temperature was 22 degrees above our average high of 30. The unseasonably mild weather will continue tomorrow, despite more cloud cover and a chance of drizzle and light rain in the afternoon. We're

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-74833207575153562282012-01-30T09:22:00.001-06:002012-01-30T09:39:41.858-06:00

What little snow cover we have will continue to melt away as the mercury rises into the 40s the next several days. The first image on the left shows the current snow depth across the Midwest.  Most locations in north-central Illinois and south-central Wisconsin have anywhere between 2" to 4" of snow remaining on the ground, with an inch or less further east and south.  With the southerly winds

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-73861814434112835072012-01-29T21:59:00.003-06:002012-01-29T23:06:06.502-06:00

A bubble of high pressure will allow for a quick drop of temperatures into the teens early tonight, but clouds will move in from the west and stabilize temperatures. With a warm front approaching from the plains temperatures will rise back into the 20's before daybreak. There could be some snow flurries after midnight. On Monday there could be some early morning freezing drizzle and flurries

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-28872052107805222962012-01-28T22:01:00.001-06:002012-01-28T23:46:30.513-06:00

A fast moving weather system is approaching from the northern plains this evening.  An impulse crossed northern Illinois around 8 pm causing brief moderate snow.  An upper impulse associated with a Canadian cold front will approach the area later tonight.  A brief period of light to moderate snow will move across the area late tonight bringing around 1" of new snow to northern Illinois. Light

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-42911623024388733402012-01-27T21:40:00.000-06:002012-01-27T21:40:52.971-06:00

A Pacific system will move across the area tonight with frontal passage around midnight.  There is enough moisture with the system so that it may generate a little snow, but only about 1/2" is expected. Drier air will follow in right behind the front shutting down the precipitation. A brisk breeze will set up across the area late tonight with winds gusting to 25 mph. Skies will start out mostly

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-36441909860768586382012-01-27T11:41:00.000-06:002012-01-27T11:41:37.642-06:00

First, I want to start with the forecast for this weekend.  A weak clipper system moving through the Midwest late this morning has been spreading light snow across central/north-central Iowa northward through Minnesota.  That system will move east through the remainder of the afternoon and likely bring light snow to the Stateline this evening and overnight.  Accumulations will range from 1" to 2"

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-12584125912078525202012-01-26T10:41:00.001-06:002012-01-26T10:42:08.514-06:00

This article was written in response to the recent Yahoo Blog post regarding useless degrees.  As a person with a farming background, I find this very interesting and true! The Importance of Careers in AgricultureIn light of misleading recent published articles, AgCareers.com wanted to share some current statistics regarding education and careers in agriculture. The value of

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-91845404508215430942012-01-26T05:35:00.002-06:002012-01-26T09:54:39.761-06:00

Just as I finished typing this, the Quad Cities NWS extended the Dense Fog Advisory through noon for our northwest Illinois counties.  Update: The Dense Fog Advisory for Stephenson, Jo Daviess, Carroll and Whiteside counties until 11:15am.  The Dense Fog Advisory for Green, Rock and Walworth counties has also been extended to 10am.  I wouldn't be suprised if these advisories were extended even

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-30253380516735407462012-01-25T21:44:00.000-06:002012-01-25T21:44:01.454-06:00

With temperatures already approaching the dewpoint in many parts of the Stateline, fog is beginning to form. Visibilities are generally in the 2-4 mile range still, so the fog isn't a big hindrance to travel just yet. However, the fog has the potential to thicken overnight as the air continues to cool, which will in turn give us more condensation. So drivers should be sure to use their low-beam

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-60921141405027810042012-01-25T08:48:00.000-06:002012-01-25T08:48:27.878-06:00

We've got a series of clipper type systems that are basically going to move through every day  for the remainder of this week.  The first is currently moving through the Midwest and has brought some light snow across northern Wisconsin and Minnesota while we've been dealing with a little haze and fog this morning.  It's possible that as this upper level disturbance moves in we may see a light mix

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-40937070134190879412012-01-24T21:10:00.000-06:002012-01-24T21:10:30.034-06:00

Here's a look at how the winter of 2011-12 stacks-up against our mildest winters so far. Our average temperature (highs and lows together) so far is 29.8. If this winter ended tonight, we'd place 6th in Rockford's all-time mildest winters!

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-61090919454283007062012-01-24T19:45:00.000-06:002012-01-24T19:45:30.710-06:00

Here's a look at current snow depth across the region. The Rockford area is sitting in the 2-4" range, with Freeport and much of the northwestern part of the state at 4-8". However, just to our south and east there is no snowcover in the Chicago metro area and along the I-80 corridor. With temperatures at or just above freezing over the next couple of days during the afternoon, the snowcover

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-62580570136900173812012-01-24T12:52:00.003-06:002012-01-24T13:04:09.501-06:00

The current solar storm has produced some amazing displays of the northern lights. This video was captured in Norway!

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-42467300415347810792012-01-23T20:37:00.002-06:002012-01-23T20:41:37.443-06:00

Strong low pressure just east of Lake Superior continues to cause brisk winds across the Stateline early this evening.  The wind will slowly ease up, but it will remain cloudy for most of the night. The overnight low will be in the mid to upper teens. Canadian high pressure will settle into the area on Tuesday. It will be chilly with highs around 27 degrees, but it will become mostly sunny in the

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-51468071845840358302012-01-23T10:48:00.000-06:002012-01-23T10:48:34.394-06:00

GOES Satellite Image of Solar Storm It could be one of the biggest solar storms since May 2005.  That's according to the National Weather Service Space Weather Prediction Center. The associated earthward directed Coronal Mass Ejection is anticipated to arrive around 9am EST (8am CST) Tuesday, January 24th.  Because of this the SWPC has issued a Geomagnetic Storm Watch with G2 level storming

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-6956541743240190902012-01-23T10:36:00.001-06:002012-01-23T10:38:35.519-06:00

A split flow pattern within the jet stream this week will keep active weather in the south and several disturbances moving across the north.  Once we've finished with this low that brought storms as close to us as Ogle county, high pressure will move in Tuesday helping clear our skies.  A cut-off low will begin to develop late Tuesday in the southwest and move into Texas Wednesday before

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-21428357203530605272012-01-23T06:44:00.003-06:002012-01-23T09:36:53.165-06:00

Severe weather started Sunday evening and lasted through the overnight and into Monday morning in the south.  In fact, that same storm brought thunderstorms to parts of north-central and northeast Illinois very early this morning.  The storm will continue to push a cold front into the southeast as the tornado threat continues into the afternoon.  A preliminary count of 21 tornadoes were reported

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-81264778494392930402012-01-23T05:37:00.005-06:002012-01-23T08:46:29.037-06:00

(8:42:39 AM) nwsbot: LOT expires Dense Fog Advisory for Boone, Cook, De Kalb, DuPage, Kane, La Salle, Lake, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Winnebago [IL] 7:30am Update: Current visibility this morning is still below one mile in many locations.  A Dense Fog Advisory continues for Green, Rock, Walworth, Winnebago, Boone, McHenry, Ogle, Lee and DeKalb counties until 9am.  Gusty northwest winds later this

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-19093655670831788602012-01-22T21:43:00.001-06:002012-01-22T21:48:52.547-06:00

Low pressure is over north central Missouri with a warm from stretching eastward across central Illinois. There is a southerly wind across Illinois causing widespread drizzle and fog. The low will move toward the northeast overnight, and be positioned over eastern Iowa at midnight, and near Milwaukee by 6 am on Monday. Rain showers will spread across the area from southwest to northeast. Because

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-9036733735114353572012-01-22T09:20:00.001-06:002012-01-22T10:41:11.614-06:00

Update: A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for Green and Rock county until 8pm and for Winnebago, Boone, Ogle, Lee and DeKalb counties until 6pm. Freezing drizzle is developing across the area this morning and could put down a light glaze on roadways; especially untreated roads.  Temperatures remain below 32° so going into the afternoon freezing fog and even light freezing rain could

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-59863601850625620412012-01-21T20:32:00.002-06:002012-01-22T09:26:19.006-06:00

Arctic high pressure which has shifted off to the east. The Stateline has had 4 days in a row with below average temperatures. That has not happened since the last week of October when Rockford recorded 6 days in a row below average. With the high pressure shifting off to the east, temperatures will hold steady in the middle teens tonight, and may rise a few degrees toward daybreak. With milder

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-33072585481851223812012-01-20T21:38:00.000-06:002012-01-20T21:38:04.908-06:00

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-16928485402632568922012-01-20T20:24:00.000-06:002012-01-20T20:24:37.157-06:00

The snow has ended in Rockford and points to the northwest. Southeast of town, the snow is still falling in portions of DeKalb, Ogle, and Lee counties. However, this snow is diminishing and should end within the next hour. Therefore, the National Weather Service has cancelled the Winter Storm Warning: URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL 814 PM CST FRI JAN 20 2012

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-89924706821740397942012-01-20T19:42:00.000-06:002012-01-20T19:42:16.131-06:00

The NWS has cancelled the Winter Weather Advisory for Green and Rock counties. The Winter Storm Warning is still in-effect until 9pm for our Illinois counties, but the back edge of the snow is pushing through the area. Here's the advisory from NWS Sullivan: URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 625 PM CST FRI JAN 20 2012 ...SNOW TAPERING OFF THIS

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-76712067619039124922012-01-20T15:59:00.000-06:002012-01-20T15:59:27.445-06:00

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-66219779687013093592012-01-20T11:28:00.017-06:002012-01-20T14:11:15.598-06:00

(2:10:51 PM) nwsbot: DVN: W Freeport [Stephenson Co, IL] public reports SNOW of M3.2 INCH at 01:58 PM CST -- relayed by wtvo tv (1:56:38 PM) nwsbot: LOT: Forreston [Ogle Co, IL] public reports SNOW of M3.5 INCH at 01:50 PM CST (1:51:48 PM) nwsbot: DVN: Stockton [Jo Daviess Co, IL] public reports SNOW of M3.0 INCH at 01:37 PM CST (1:50:28 PM) nwsbot: MKX: Janesville [Rock Co, WI] trained

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-83305492252502994122012-01-20T06:43:00.016-06:002012-01-20T13:40:36.644-06:00

***Don't forget, any weather questions you may have throughout the day the weather chat is the place to go just to the right of this post**** Send storm reports, pictures and snowfall totals to: weather@wtvo.com 12:45pm Update: Winter Storm Warnings continue for Jo Davies, Stephenson, Carroll, Whiteside, Winnebago, Boone, McHenry, Ogle and DeKalb counties. Winter Weather Advisory for Green,

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-70752002904660082492012-01-19T21:42:00.000-06:002012-01-19T21:42:35.552-06:00

The NWS has upgraded us to a Winter Storm Warning: WINNEBAGO-BOONE-OGLE-DE KALB- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ROCKFORD...BELVIDERE...OREGON...DEKALB 926 PM CST THU JAN 19 2012 ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TO 9 PM CST FRIDAY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHICAGO HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TO 9 PM CST FRIDAY. THE WINTER

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-7965295432398097012012-01-19T20:49:00.000-06:002012-01-19T20:49:41.809-06:00

At left is a graphic showing predicted snow totals. The new model runs are just now coming out and it appears that 3-6" is too conservative for most areas. Now it looks more like 5-8", with lesser amounts south of Rochelle. The snow will begin in Freeport around 8:30am, and quickly spread to the east so that all of the area is getting snow by about 10am. It appears that the heaviest snow will

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-9510121623306525442012-01-19T14:50:00.000-06:002012-01-19T14:50:51.956-06:00

From NWS Chicago: WINNEBAGO-BOONE-OGLE-LEE-DE KALB- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ROCKFORD...BELVIDERE...OREGON...DIXON... DEKALB 241 PM CST THU JAN 19 2012 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TO 9 PM CST FRIDAY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHICAGO HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TO 9 PM CST FRIDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-91294306158432864752012-01-19T11:22:00.000-06:002012-01-19T11:22:54.545-06:00

Mother Nature has her 'one..two' punch ready to go for the next 36 hours.  Even though we had a little light snow early this morning, the bigger story for this afternoon is the cold.  Temperatures area wide are in the single digits and wind chills are close to -10°F to -15°F!  I made the mistake of not wearing gloves when walking from my car to the station and my fingers are still trying to thaw!

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-37178652669963690872012-01-19T08:13:00.000-06:002012-01-19T08:13:29.990-06:00

This image is a surface plot of the Midwest from about 7:45am.  The lines represent wind speed and direction, temperatures are the red numbers and dew points are the green numbers.  The colored circles that you see around the Great Lakes indicate current sky condition and cloud cover. What I want you to look at are the sub-zero temperatures across the upper Midwest!  A very cold Arctic high

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-25496670887397499762012-01-19T06:12:00.003-06:002012-01-19T11:03:24.272-06:00

A Winter Storm Watch has been issued for southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois beginning Friday morning and lasting through Friday night. An arctic cold front continues to move east this morning pulling very cold air in behind it.  In fact, temperatures will fall into the single digits by this afternoon with possible wind chills as cold as -15°.  A few flurries and even light snow showers

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-71323645353311564372012-01-18T23:07:00.000-06:002012-01-18T23:07:15.963-06:00

There are no winter storm watches yet, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the National Weather Service issue one within the next 12 to 18 hours for the Stateline area. We're anticipating an area of low pressure to move out of the central Plains on Friday and through southern Illinois late Friday afternoon into Friday night. On this track, we'll have warmer air aloft riding up and over the Arctic

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-48518815831458489352012-01-18T09:46:00.000-06:002012-01-18T09:46:44.945-06:00

Arctic air from Alaska and Canada has settled into the Stateline.  Temperatures in and around Rockford were the coldest they have been so far this winter dropping below zero in Belvidere, Harvard,  Monroe, and Galena.  The unofficial low at the Rockford airport was 2 degrees.  It has not been that cold in Rockford since February 11th of 2011.  The cold ridge of high pressure stretches from Lake

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-28676498063176813542012-01-17T14:12:00.001-06:002012-01-17T14:52:58.656-06:00

2:55pm Update: The Snow Advisory for the Stateline area has now been cancelled by the National Weather Service. Although the NWS has us under a winter weather advisory until 9pm, it appears that the snow is mainly over. Recent radar trends show the back-edge of the snow pushing to our east and falling apart. Therefore, I only expect flurries at most for the remainder of the afternoon. However,

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-77304601991771701032012-01-17T12:00:00.001-06:002012-01-17T12:00:03.856-06:00

Light to moderate snow will continue to push east across southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois through the afternoon before tappering to flurries.  So far totals are near the 2" mark with a few isolated higher amounts being reported.  Blowing and drifting will remain a concern going into the afternoon and early evening until the winds calm some tonight.  Don't forget to send your storm totals

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-2461229409271311792012-01-17T06:55:00.003-06:002012-01-17T15:28:05.490-06:00

9:00am update: Moderate band of snow moving through northwest Illinois.  Temperatures continue to fall this morning with the passage of the low.  Reports of around an inch of snow have come in so far...some locations have been reporting a little sleet mixed in as well.  Several reports of slick roads have come in across northern Illinois.  The snow will continue into the afternoon before

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-60376227171466093682012-01-16T20:54:00.000-06:002012-01-16T20:54:41.100-06:00

As Meteorologist Candice King said in a previous post, travel could be tricky tomorrow morning. Although the radar is still looking pretty quiet at this time, a deepening area of low pressure in western Illinois will continue to pull-in moisture toward the area. Our computer models are suggesting that the heaviest precipitation will fall sometime between 5am and noon, just in time to make your

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-52747839684068299672012-01-16T10:22:00.002-06:002012-01-16T14:17:38.490-06:00

11am Update:  The breaks in the high based cloud cover early this morning have allowed temperatures to rise into the upper 30s, so it's possible we may hit 40° this afternoon.  The difference between the temperature and dew point continue to increase so this will likely keep the fog development low for this afternoon. Some drizzle or even a few light rain showers will be possible later this

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-14674963467489559192012-01-15T20:39:00.001-06:002012-01-15T20:42:47.910-06:00

A brisk southeasterly air flow has developed on the backside of retreating cold high pressure over the northeastern states. So, there was a nice recovery in temperatures after the recent cold snap to around 30 degrees on Sunday afternoon.  The southerly winds will back off a little overnight, but temperatures will not drop much... with a low in the middle 20's. With the warmer air sliding across

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-21997239923765271152012-01-14T20:53:00.000-06:002012-01-14T20:53:02.636-06:00

Canadian high pressure provided the Stateline with the coldest weather so far this winter.  The high was only 18 degrees in Rockford this afternoon which was the coldest daytime high the Rockford airport has had since February 10th, 2011 when 17 degrees was reached.  High clouds associated with a warm front stretching from central Iowa northwest across western Minnesota into south central Canada

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-85527413782978352792012-01-13T17:09:00.000-06:002012-01-13T17:09:36.217-06:00

Jodi Heitkamp works in the Geography Department at NIU and sent in this picture of fellow staff and faculty before and after the snow.  Amazing...middle 50s one day to the low 20s and snow the next! Thanks Jodi!

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-71152018145630648792012-01-13T16:35:00.000-06:002012-01-13T16:35:32.346-06:00

Looking back through the climate data, it's been quite some time since we've experienced a snowfall this late in the season.  This was put together from the Chicago NWS: THE JANUARY 12TH CALENDAR DAY BROUGHT 4.5 INCHES OF SNOW OFFICIALLY AT ROCKFORD. THIS WAS THE FIRST EVENT WITH AT LEAST TWO INCHES OF SNOWFALL THIS SEASON. LOOKING BACK SINCE 1940..THE AVERAGE FIRST CALENDAR DAY WITH TWO

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-32707315544982888882012-01-13T10:29:00.000-06:002012-01-13T10:29:24.613-06:00

We've just finished one storm and our eyes are already watching the potential next one.  A weak clipper system will move through Saturday providing a few snow showers during the afternoon, shouldn't be anything too significant.  A cold front will move in from the northwest Sunday night as an area of low pressure develops in the southern Plains.  Lows that develop in the southern Plains and lift

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-85385214317716415292012-01-13T07:41:00.001-06:002012-01-13T09:24:59.806-06:00

Averaging anywhere between 3"-6" of snowfall Thursday (some locations did pick up a little more than 6") flurries/light snow showers are all that's left.  Now that snow has ended the bitter cold temperatures have moved in.  Temperatures this morning are starting off in the mid teens and wind chills in many spots have fallen below zero.  While the chills will rise above zero this afternoon, it's

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-87182585982295150002012-01-12T19:42:00.001-06:002012-01-12T19:42:57.009-06:00

 After seeing 3-5" of snow in most parts of the Stateline during the daytime hours, the snow will become more scattered tonight. The back edge of the main area of snow is now working its way into western Winnebago county and will continue to move to the east. There are still several reports of flurries and light snow showers in eastern Iowa, however, so another inch or two is still possible by

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-82745787491292856012012-01-12T11:04:00.010-06:002012-01-12T17:13:35.472-06:00

(4:39:54 PM) nwsbot: LOT: 4 Nw Rockford [Winnebago Co, IL] co-op observer reports SNOW of M4.1 INCH at 04:00 PM CST — (4:33:34 PM) nwsbot: LOT: Capron [Boone Co, IL] broadcast media reports SNOW of M4.4 INCH at 04:24 PM CST — (4:34:16 PM) nwsbot: LOT: Loves Park [Winnebago Co, IL] broadcast media reports SNOW of M4.5 INCH at 04:20 PM CST — (4:48:51 PM) nwsbot: LOT: Machesney Park [Winnebago

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-75335970459292852312012-01-12T09:26:00.015-06:002012-01-12T12:36:34.113-06:00

Visibility is down to a mile or less in many spots (12:33:47 PM) nwsbot: LOT: Rockford [Winnebago Co, IL] broadcast media reports SNOW of E3.0 INCH at 12:15 PM CST -- north side (12:02:26 PM) nwsbot: LOT: Rockford Airport [Winnebago Co, IL] official nws obs reports SNOW of M1.8 INCH at 11:55 AM CST -- 6 hour report (12:04:49 PM) nwsbot: LOT: 4 Nw Rockford [Winnebago Co, IL] co-op observer

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-16908221400528122402012-01-12T07:43:00.004-06:002012-01-12T08:37:45.916-06:00

8:30am Update: Remember to take it easy out there this morning.  Moderate snow continues to fall and there have been some reports of slick roadways.  Visibility continues to drop with many locations reporting a mile or less.  Here are the links for the road conditions in Wisconsin and Illinois: Illinois roadway conditions Wisconsin road conditions (7:41:34 AM) nwsbot: DVN: 3 Se

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-54868169794683998522012-01-11T19:39:00.000-06:002012-01-11T19:39:57.398-06:00

Here's an updated map showing how much snow we think will fall across the Stateline viewing area. Most of us -- including Rockford, Freeport, Rochelle, Rockton, Beloit, DeKalb, and Belvidere -- can expect between 4 and 7" of snow Thursday and Thursday night. A few of us -- like Harvard residents -- could see some lake-enhanced snow totals of 7" or more! If you live in Dixon or to the southwest of

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-30155281143427912532012-01-11T17:00:00.000-06:002012-01-11T17:00:58.476-06:00

A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for all of the WTVO viewing area beginning early Thursday morning and lasting through early Friday morning.  This replaces the previous Winter Storm Watch due to the fact that the snow will be falling throughout the day Thursday rather than receiving it in a short duration of time.  Either way travel will be tricky; especially during the afternoon.  Gusty

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-44633959366360606772012-01-11T14:23:00.000-06:002012-01-11T14:23:31.327-06:00

Instead of talking about snow, let's talk about the weather right now!  Have you been outside?  It's beautiful!  Temperatures have soared into the low to mid 50s ahead of that cold front in Iowa.  In fact, records have been broken including here in Rockford.  The record high for today was 50° set back in 1980.  As of 2pm we are currently sitting at 55°.  Thank you compressional heating! Here are

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-493435896631509832012-01-11T08:41:00.005-06:002012-01-11T14:20:00.423-06:00

Winter Weather Advisory in effect for Winnebago, Boone, Ogle, Lee, DeKalb and McHenry counties.  This replaces the Winter Storm Watch due to the fact this snow will be a prolonged event rather than receiving the snow in a short amount of time.  We'll likely see the surrounding areas follow later this afternoon. NOON UPDATE:  Going over some of the morning model runs and the going forecast looks

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-58927797896739108362012-01-11T03:23:00.003-06:002012-01-11T07:52:06.560-06:00

5am Update:  Winter Storm Watch issued for the entire viewing area for Thursday A Winter Storm Watch has been issued for Winnebago, Boone, Ogle, Lee, DeKalb and McHenry counties for Thursday morning through late Thursday night. More info to come soon!

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-68941010998453374542012-01-10T17:26:00.000-06:002012-01-10T17:26:36.737-06:00

From the Chicago NWS: AFTER ANOTHER UNSEASONABLY MILD DAY ON WEDNESDAY...AN ARCTIC FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH THE REGION WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND BRING AN ABRUPT END TO THE MILD AND DRY WEATHER. PRECIPITATION WILL START WEDNESDAY NIGHT ACROSS NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SPREAD EAST OVERNIGHT...POSSIBLY STARTING AS A RAIN SNOW MIX BEFORE TRANSITIONING OVER TO ALL SNOW AS TEMPERATURES FALL

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-73085533054073738212012-01-10T10:18:00.001-06:002012-01-10T10:19:44.835-06:00

An interesting change occurred with Monday evening's model runs in regards to the next weather system forecast for the end of this week.  The cold front is still forecast to move through Wednesday night and will be just to our east as the sun rises Thursday morning.  The one thing that has changed is the track the of the upper level low.  Earlier this week the upper level low was to our north

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-28475673006621685642012-01-10T09:13:00.000-06:002012-01-10T09:13:54.007-06:00

It's hard to believe that this should be the coldest time in winter when we're talking temperatures that will be in the low 50s this afternoon.  Climatologically high temperatures should be right around 29° with a rise in averages closer to the end of the month.  Not only will we be in the low 50s but we'll be just a short distance from the record for this afternoon which is 55° set back in 1975.

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-87827913976381591322012-01-09T20:49:00.000-06:002012-01-09T20:49:02.349-06:00

As Meteorologist Candice King said in a previous post, heavy snow is impacting portions of central and western Texas tonight as a strong upper-level low continues to spin over the area. So far, Midland has received a record snowfall for the date of 10.4"! (The old record was 5.9" set back in 1955.) The seasonal record snowfall for Midland has also been smashed; 19.3" of snow has fallen so far

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-31174543714028024572012-01-09T10:01:00.001-06:002012-01-09T10:04:07.300-06:00

Severe weather has erupted early this morning across sections of Texas producing Tornado Warnings, including for the city Houston.  Here is LIVE coverage from KTRK-TV ABC13 http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/livenow?id=8495867

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-81893739916041286842012-01-09T09:17:00.002-06:002012-01-09T09:20:11.286-06:00

A cut-off low pressure system in southwest early this morning has been producing snow in west Texas and strong to severe storms along the Gulf.  Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories have been issued for western sections of Texas as cold air funnels in behind the low producing potential snowfall rates of 1"-2" per hour, especially if any thundersnow occurs. Warm and moist air

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-28600759633997768322012-01-09T08:36:00.000-06:002012-01-09T08:36:23.825-06:00

This winter has been anything but your typical winter in terms of cold and snow.  In fact, there have been only a handful of days that have actually been below average since December 1st.  The mild weather this weekend added to the number of above average days, but that will soon be changing later this week.  Today, tomorrow and Wednesday temperatures will be in the middle/upper 40s and even

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-48294064551072365242012-01-08T23:59:00.000-06:002012-01-08T23:59:17.569-06:00

Sunday was another above average day for the Stateline.  The high temperature was 40 degrees when the average high should be 29 degrees, and the low early this morning was 19 degrees when the  average low should be 14 degrees.  During the last 39 days since the 1st of December only 5 days have averaged below normal.  The above average trend will continue through Wednesday January 11th.  Mild

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-34994632769519383482012-01-07T21:27:00.000-06:002012-01-07T21:27:52.613-06:00

Our mild weather pattern continues. After reaching 57 degrees on Friday the temperature topped out at 43 degrees on Saturday afternoon. The average high for this time of year is 29 degrees. Sunday will be just a tad cooler, but it will still be around 40 degrees in the afternoon. A surge of warmer weather will move into the mid west from the the plains states on Monday and Tuesday pushing

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-18839982761059985672012-01-06T22:24:00.000-06:002012-01-06T22:24:28.659-06:00

The mercury continued to soar today across the Stateline. After hitting 50 degrees yesterday, Rockford enjoyed a high of 57 today. Although that missed our record high of 60 set back in 2008, it is still 28 degrees above average and represents a day that we would more typically see in early April. (Our average high on April 6th is 57 degrees.) Here are some high temperatures from across the

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-29465585249980583262012-01-06T09:52:00.001-06:002012-01-06T09:52:56.630-06:00

Numerous record highs were broken Thursday afternoon from the Plains to the Midwest.  Officially in Rockford we reached 50°, just shy of the record which was 54° set all the way back in 1909. The mild January weather will continue into early next but then the temperature roller coaster will once again dip down following a pretty strong cold front.  A cut-off low pressure system will develop this

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-12531987782530016372012-01-05T21:00:00.000-06:002012-01-05T21:00:09.713-06:00

Not only are we experiencing a snow drought in the Stateline, the white stuff is failing to appear (or not appearing in its normal abundance) across most of the U.S. this winter season. As of yesterday, only 22% of the country had measurable snow cover. This is the smallest percentage we've seen since 2004. Unless the second part of the winter reveals a major change to colder, snowier weather, a

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-13844386719190851762012-01-05T11:19:00.001-06:002012-01-05T11:20:01.689-06:00

Our record high for today will likely stay in place but for others it's in serious jeopardy.  A major warm up will be found across the Plains today where temperatures will reach the middle 60s all the way into North Dakota.  That's a good 30° above their average highs.  That's impressive considering the low sun angle we have this time of year!  Record highs may either be tied or broken for some

First Warn Weatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212812281371986166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130597357732289780.post-41602601255592627842012-01-05T10:40:00.001-06:002012-01-05T10:41:57.773-06:00

We've only officially received a whopping 1.7" of snow so far this winter season and with mild temperatures in the forecast for the next several days this snow drought will continue.  This has caused a few people to wonder if there's ever been a 'snow-less' winter.  Looking back, we've never had a winter season where no snow has fallen.  However, as little as 1.3" fell all the way back during the

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