with Meteorologist Mitch Keegan   

Mitch Keegan | Create Your Badge

Friday, July 30, 2010

 

Most of our rain came overnight and into this morning.  The image I've included is radar estimated rainfall from doppler radar.  The numbers are reports from airport observation sites.  There is still a very slight chance for some isolated showers today as the low pressure system moves East.  Because of the extra clouds today, our highs are going to be held back into the middle 70s.  The good news is, we get the rain out of the way today and set the stage for a nice weekend.

 

High pressure will build in, meaning mostly to partly sunny skies and highs in the low to mid 80s for both Saturday and Sunday.

 

Late on Sunday an isolated shower or storm can't be ruled out, but there's a better chance of that as we head into Monday.

 

Farmfest starts on Tuesday at the Gilfillan Estate near Redwood Falls.  The weather is looking great for the 3-day event.  I'll see you out there on Tuesday and Thursday!

 

Thursday, July 29, 2010

 

Yesterday was certainly a day you wish we could bottle up and save and today will be pretty similar.  Look for mostly sunny skies and highs around 80 with comfrotable humidity levels.  We're watching a low pressure system off to the west that will move in and bring the chance for showers and storms, starting after midnight and into tomorrow. 

 

This next storm does present the chance for some heavy rainfall for some of us.  There remains some disagreement between our forecast models.  One wants to bring the heaviest rain right over the heart of our viewing area.  Another wants to keep most of it in southwestern Minnesota into northwestern Iowa.  That being said, we all should be on the lookout for some heavier rainfall as we move into Friday.  Some of us could easily pick up over an inch of rain.  Because of tomorrow's rain, highs will be held back into the 70s.

 

The weekend looks quiet, with mostly to partly sunny skies and highs in the low to mid 80s.  Monday brings another chance for showers and storms, so you could call it a weekend sandwich, with rain on Friday and again Monday.

 

Tuesday looks quiet for the start of Farmfest.  Some isolated showers may be around for day 2.

 

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Yesterday's cold front passed us by with NO severe weather reports across our area.  The bulk of the severe weather was along or north of I-94.  Some of us could have used some rain and we got some, but not a lot.  We picked up 0.15" here at KEYC and most other reports are on the light side.  There was some heavier rain along the Iowa-Minnesota border.  The image I've included shows reports from airport observation station.  The colors you see are radar estimated rainfall amounts.  As high pressure moves in, we'll see quiet conditions today. 

 

The humidity will drop through the day. Highs will top out around 80.  It'll be a super comfortable night, with lows in the upper 50s and mostly clear skies.  Should be a great night to open up the windows.

 

Tomorrow will pretty much be a repeat of today.  A storm system will move in and bring back the chance for rain starting Friday.  The upcoming weekend looks quiet with highs in the middle 80s.

 

There's another chance for rain as we head toward next Monday.

 

Farmfest kicks off next Tuesday at the Gilfillan Estate near Redwoof Falls.  Next Tuesday looks quiet with mostly to partly sunny skies and highs in the lower to middle 80s.  The long range forecast hint at highs around 90 for Wednesday and Thursday.  Hopefully, it'll be a little cooler than that!!  I'll be there next Tuesday and Thursday, so I hope you stop by and say hi!

 

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

 

Midday Update:  It's looking more and more like we'll have a cap in place this afternoon, preventing most storm development.  Remember, a cap is a layer of warm air in the mid atmosphere which prevents storm development.  That cap doesn't look like it will break until after 7 or 8:00 tonight.  This doesn't mean there won't be an isolated storm this afternoon, but the chances aren't that high.  If a storm does pop-up this afternoon, it could be on the strong to severe side, with damaging winds and large hail.  And any of these isolated storms that get enough wind shear with them could produce an isolated tornado, though the chances aren't that high.  The better chances for severe weather comes this evening, with damaging winds and large hail.  The picture I've included is from one of our models.  It's for 10 PM this evening.  Outside of a few isolated storms, it keeps us quiet until after 8 PM.

 

It's going to be a warm and muggy day, with highs around 90 and dewpoints in the lower to middle 70s.  The saving grace will be a southwest breeze, gusting to 20 mph.  But, it's still going to be warm and muggy and for that reason, a heat advisory is in effect from noon until 7 PM for much of the area.  We'll see more comfortable weather move in tomorrow behind a cold front.

 

That front will bring showers and storms as we head into the evening and overnight hours.  There is a chance for isolated storms this afternoon.  There is also a chance for some strong to severe storms.  In fact, we have a slight risk for severe weather.  The greatest threats will be damaging winds and large hail, along with some heavy rain.  There is a very small chance for an isolated tornado, especially if a storm gets going early and has enough rotation to it.  It is hard to get tornadoes to form from storm systems that move in from the northwest, but there is a very small chance.  The best chance for storms looks to come in this evening, after 6:00 and continue into the early overnight hours.

 

More comfortable conditions will be with us starting tomorrow and Thursday, with highs around 80.  There is another chance for showers and storms late Thursday and into Friday.

 

The weekend looks quiet, with partly sunny skies and highs in the middle 80s.  Yesterday it looked like some rain chances would be with us, but those look to go much farther south now.  Another chance for rain is in the forecast for Monday.

 

Monday, July 26, 2010

 

After a round of showers and storms on Friday night, the weekend turned out to be quiet.  We'll see another quiet day today, with mostly to partly sunny skies and highs in the lower 80s.  We'll start to see the humidity increasing as we move through the afternoon.

 

Tomorrow will be a warm and muggy day, with highs around 90 and dewpoints getting into the lower 70s.  This will happen ahead of a cold front that will move in late Tuesday, in the evening and overnight hours, bringing showers and storms.  There is a chance some of those could be strong to severe.  The main threats would be large hail and damaging winds.  There is also the possibility for some heavy rain.

 

The rest of the week does hold the chance for some isolated showers and storms, mainly later in the evening and into the overnight hours.  Not all of us will see the rain, but nonetheless, there is still a slight chance.  Otherwise look for partly sunny skies and highs in the lower 80s.

 

RAGBRAI kicked off this weekend  in Iowa.  RAGBRAI, or Registers Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, is moving across the northern part of Iowa.  Tonight, they'll stop in Algona before starting out for Clear Lake early tomorrow morning.  Today will be good, but tomorrow is looking warm and muggy with highs in the lower 90s and dewpoints staying in the 70s all day.  Tomorrow night brings the chance for showers and storms as a cold front moves through.