[LeArc] Significant Weather Outlook

[Tony Coniglio]

> 
> 
> SIGNIFICANT WEATHER OUTLOOK
>  NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
>  604 AM CST MON JAN 28 2002
>  
>  ...CHANGES ON THE WAY...WITH MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES AND THE
>  POTENTIAL FOR ACCUMULATING SNOW...
>  
>  THE MILD TEMPERATURES OF LATE...WILL BE A DISTANT MEMORY FOR MUCH
>  OF US TODAY. A COLD FRONT...MARKING THE LEADING EDGE
>  OF ARCTIC AIR...WAS LOCATED FROM NEAR DUBUQUE...TO MUSCATINE EARLY
>  THIS MORNING. THIS FRONT WILL MOVE SLOWLY EASTWARD ACROSS THE
>  REST OF THE AREA TODAY...USHERING IN COLDER TEMPERATURES.
>  LOCATIONS WHERE THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH THIS MORNING...WILL SEE THE
>  MOST DRAMATIC CHANGE IN CONDITIONS...WITH TEMPERATURES SOME 20
>  DEGREES COLDER THAN THOSE ON SUNDAY. LOW CLOUDS...AND AREAS OF FOG
>  AND DRIZZLE WILL ACCOMPANY THE COLDER TEMPERATURES.
>  PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL EVEN BE POSSIBLE ALONG AND NORTHWEST OF
>  CEDAR RAPIDS TO DUBUQUE LINE.
>  
>  NORTHEAST MISSOURI...SOUTHEAST IOWA AND WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...WILL
>  HAVE ONE MORE RELATIVELY MILD DAY...WITH TEMPERATURES EXPECTED
>  TO CLIMB INTO THE MIDDLE 40S TO MIDDLE 50S BEFORE THE FRONT MOVES
>  THROUGH.
>  
>  THE LOW LEVEL COLD AIR WILL GRADUALLY INFILTRATE THE REGION TONIGHT
>  AND TUESDAY. HOWEVER...THE AIR ALOFT WILL STILL BE RELATIVELY WARM.
>  THIS VERTICAL TEMPERATURE CONTRAST WILL SET THE STAGE
>  FOR FOG AND DRIZZLE TONIGHT...WITH LOCALLY DENSE FOG POSSIBLE.
>  POCKETS OF FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE...MAINLY NORTHWEST
>  OF A LINE FROM ROCKFORD...TO THE QUAD CITIES...TO FAIRFIELD.
>  
>  ON TUESDAY...A WEAK SYSTEM WILL TRAVERSE THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY...AND
>  WILL COMBINE WITH DEEPENING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE...TO PRODUCE
>  AREAS OF LIGHT RAIN OR DRIZZLE. FOG WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO BE FOUND.
>  SOME FLURRIES AND LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL ALSO REMAIN
>  POSSIBLE ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80.
>  
>  A RELATIVE LULL IN PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TUESDAY NIGHT AND
>  EARLY WEDNESDAY...WITH FOG AND LIGHT DRIZZLE...FREEZING DRIZZLE AND
>  FLURRIES POSSIBLE.
>  
>  LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPING OVER THE PLAINS WILL TRACK EAST ALONG THE
>  COLD FRONT ON WEDNESDAY...WHICH WILL BE LOCATED WELL TO OUR SOUTH.
>  THIS LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL SPREAD PRECIPITATION BACK INTO
>  THE AREA MAINLY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH THE
>  PRECIPITATION LASTING THROUGH MUCH OF THURSDAY. THE LATEST COMPUTER
>  MODELS CONTINUE TO OFFER DIFFERING SOLUTIONS WITH REGARD TO THE
>  TRACK AND EVENTUAL LOW LEVEL THERMAL STRUCTURE...WHICH WILL
>  HAVE A BIG IMPACT ON PRECIPITATION TYPE...AMOUNTS AND LOCATION.
>  AT THIS TIME...IT APPEARS AS THOUGH LOCATIONS NORTHWEST
>  OF A CLINTON...TO WASHINGTON LINE STAND THE BEST CHANCE AT SEEING
>  SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF GREATER THAN 6 INCHES.
>  FURTHER SOUTH...A WINTRY MIX GOING OVER TO SNOW...IS LOOKING LIKE
>  THE MOST REASONABLE SCENARIO...WITH LESSER SNOW ACCUMULATIONS
>  OF 3 TO 6 INCHES. THIS WOULD INCLUDE THE QUAD CITIES...STERLING ROCK
>  FALLS AND BURLINGTON. EVEN FURTHER SOUTH...IT APPEARS
>  AS THOUGH RAIN GOING OVER TO SNOW IS THE MOST LIKELY SCENARIO. THIS
>  INCLUDES NORTHEAST MISSOURI AND WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. ANY SNOW
>  ACCUMULATIONS WOULD GENERALLY BE AROUND 2 INCHES.
>  ASIDE FROM THE PRECIPITATION THERE IS ALSO THE POTENTIAL FOR VERY
>  STRONG WINDS...AS THE STORM SYSTEM DEPARTS LATE THURSDAY.
>  CURRENT DATA SUGGESTS THE POTENTIAL FOR WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 40
>  MPH DEVELOPING LATER IN THE DAY ON THURSDAY. AGAIN...THESE ARE
>  JUST PRELIMINARY INDICATIONS REGARDING THE POTENTIAL.
>  ANY CHANGE IN THE STORM TRACK WILL AFFECT PRECIPITATION TYPE...
>  AMOUNTS AND LOCATION.
>  
>  THE CORE OF THE STORM SYSTEM IS STILL JUST OFF THE WEST COAST.
>  AS IT COMES ASHORE IN THE NEXT 24 HOURS AND GETS SAMPLED
>  BY THE UPPER AIR NETWORK...FORECASTERS SHOULD THEN HAVE A MUCH BETTER
>  IDEA OF WHAT AREAS WILL BE IMPACTED BY THIS STORM.
>  
>  BE SURE TO STAY TUNED TO LATER FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS REGARDING
>  THE POTENTIAL FOR A SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM MIDWEEK.
>  
>