Is Winter Over?

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 of sunlight -- ended on Sunday February 5th.

Don't let this fool you though! We have a major cool-down on the way later this week where highs will stay in the 20s and lows could reach the single digits.

Snow Moon Rising: Must See!

courtesy: WeatherBug Media

Timelapse of the 'snow moon' rising tonight over DC

Freezing Drizzle Possible Tonight

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 coming in aloft tomorrow morning, this freezing drizzle will transition over to scattered flurries and light snow showers with little to no accumulation.

Quiet, but cooler weather expected this week

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 place closer to the weekend.  A cold front moving out of southern Canada will replace whatever cloud cover we may lose this afternoon.  A few flurries remain possible tonight and again on Tuesday but probably nothing you'll need your shovel, or even broom, for.  A second and stronger cold front comes through late Thursday as a narrow ridge of high pressure moves up the west coastline.  Temperatures in Alaska are expected to warm above average for the first time in quite some awhile.  Meanwhile, as the old saying goes: "What goes up, must come down" will hold true for the remainder of the country.  The cold air that's been bottled up north will become displaced and move south Friday and Saturday.  It's modified Arctic air but even so it will be cooler than what we've felt the past couple weeks. -CK 

A Cool Spell on the Way

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 areas of freezing fog with a low temperature in the middle 20's.  The areas of freezing fog may persist though the morning hours, and the low clouds may linger for most of the day.  Because of the clouds and fog, temperatures will be a little lower on Monday, holding in the 30's all day.  Areas over northwestern Illinois may break out of the clouds during the afternoon, and with more sunshine, temperatures in that area could be back in the 40's once again.  It will be cloudy on  Monday night with the passage of a new Canadian cold front. No precipitation is expected overnight, but there could be a few flurries on Tuesday and Tuesday night.  It will be partly sunny on Wednesday with a high in the low 30's.  That is actually pretty close to normal for this time of year, but colder than we are used to.  Temperatures will recover a little on Thursday with the chilly Canadian high moderating as is slips southeast across the lower Mississippi valley.  It will be partly cloudy on Thursday with a high in the middle 30's.  A new Canadian cold front with modified arctic air behind it will be crossing the US/Canada border on Thursday, and pass through the Stateline around daybreak on Friday.  Once again, very little moisture will be present when the front moves across northern Illinois, so little if any precipitation is anticipated.  Flurries cannot be ruled out.  Behind the front cold air will settle into the Stateline.  Low temperatures will drop into the teens, and high temperatures will only be in the middle 20's.  That is not exceptionally cold, but it will be the coldest weather the area has experienced since the last brief cold snap back in January.  The cold high will move fairly quickly to the east, and by Sunday afternoon it will be back in the middle 30's once again.

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 chance of fog will be over northwestern Illinois. The overnight low will be in the middle 20's.  Any fog will burn off quickly in the morning.  It will be mostly sunny on Sunday, and mild with a high in the low 40's. It will remain mostly clear on Sunday night with a low in the middle 20's again.  High pressure will still be in charge on Monday, skies will be sunny, and it will be unseasonably mild by afternoon, with a high in the upper 40's.  A Canadian cold front will be approaching the area from the northwest on Monday evening.  It is expected to pass through the Stateline early on Tuesday morning.  Because of dry air in place, little if any  precipitation is expected.  It will be mostly cloudy and colder being the front on Tuesday with a high around 33 degrees.  Canadian high pressure will drop southward into plains on Wednesday.  It will be partly cloudy with a high in the low 30's.  The air will moderate a little on Thursday with the center of the high sitting over the central plains.  The afternoon high on Thursday will be around 37 degrees.  A strong Canadian front with modified arctic air will cross the US/Canadian border early on Thursday, and push across the Stateline before daybreak on Friday.  Once again, little if any precipitation will accompany the front, although there may be a few flurries or snow showers.  Friday and Saturday will be the 1st days to have below average temperatures so far in February.  Lows will be in the middle to upper teens, and highs will be in the middle 20's.  It will be mostly sunny under the influence of high pressure from Canada.

Weekend storm shifts south

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 for parts of Texas and Oklahoma. 

Over the past 24 hours the trend has been to shift the storm track a little further south through southern Illinois and weaken it as it does so.  This means the heaviest of the precipitation would stay to our south.  I still believe a light rain/snow or even wintry mix will be possible late tonight and then again on Saturday but it shouldn't amount to much heading into Saturday night.