Sandy’s torrential rains missed U.S. heartland

Reuters / Recent snow, rain and cooler temperatures helped to ease suffering in some drought-stricken areas of the U.S., but others saw conditions worsen. Monster storm Sandy, which devastated the eastern U.S. with heavy rains and high winds, had little to no impact on the driest areas of the American heartland. Indeed, the worst level

Now anyone can be a weather forecaster

The Weather Underground Internet site gives amateurs the tools they need to create their own localized forecasts

It’s been awhile since I’ve discussed weather-related websites, and I figured it was about time to share one of my favourites — The Weather Underground (www.wunderground.com). The Weather Underground is literally the first-ever Internet weather website, and I think it is the best weather website out there. I figured the best way to introduce you


Cold and wet – new pattern?

In the last issue we took a look ahead to see what the winter might have in store for us. In this issue we’re going to take our monthly look back at the weather and then look only a little ahead to try and see what November might bring us weather-wise. Well, I guess we

Colorado low coming our way

Last week’s forecast didn’t turn out quite as well as I would have hoped. High pressure never really made it into our region and temperatures didn’t really warm up like they were supposed to. As a result, any precipitation that did fall ended up falling as snow, and over some western regions it ended up


Sandy’s torrential rains missed U.S. heartland

Reuters / Recent snow, rain and cooler temperatures helped to ease suffering in some drought-stricken areas of the U.S., but others saw conditions worsen. Monster storm Sandy, which devastated the eastern U.S. with heavy rains and high winds, had little to no impact on the driest areas of the American heartland. Indeed, the worst level

U.S. drought deepens in plains states, wheat crop suffers

reuters / Hot and dry conditions in parts of middle America have deepened an ongoing drought in many states. October is typically the third-wettest month for Texas, but instead last month was the ninth driest since 1895. Oklahoma was also dry and like Texas, saw above-normal temperatures. The persistent drought was hindering growth of the


Flood or drought: Which should we expect?

Recent rains have been more than welcome here in the Red River basin after a summer of drought-like conditions in much of the basin and surrounding region. Given the large floods of 1997, 2010, 2011 — and smaller floods in between — you would never have thought we would be looking so anxiously to the

Problems trying to create winter forecast

Last issue we took a quick look at the different factors that must be taken into account when trying to create a long-range winter weather forecast. For those of you who missed the article, I think it’s easy to summarize it by saying — trying to make a long-range forecast is so complicated that you


Quieter and milder weather

An interesting note to start off this forecast is that if the weather models are correct, areas as close to us as Thunder Bay will be feeling the effects of the remnants of Hurricane Sandy, as the system stalls out over Eastern Canada this week. For us here in Manitoba, this will block a ridge

Active weather pattern; a little taste of winter

It definitely seems like we’re in a new weather pattern as the cool, wet weather looks to continue for pretty much this entire forecast period. The weather models have been having a heck of a time coming to a consensus on how the weather will play out during the first half of this forecast period.