The Cincinnati Fire Kite

Current Conditions:

Temperature: 9º F
Wind Chill: Feels like -6º F
Wind: 14 MPH S
Dew Point: -4º F
Precipitation: 0 inches in the last 24 hours

Some of you may be wondering why today's title is "Cincinnati Fire Kite," well today in lab we learned how to make a fire kite. It was a great demonstration of how hot air is less dense than cold air and hence rises. With so much cold air in our region the kites flew high! Back to the weather...It was once again chilly in Eau Claire, WI. The forecast for the week projects temperatures into the 30s, which means shorts weather to our ears. We are also guaranteed to get snow tonight still as the low pressure system that has been making its way south comes across the state. The skies have been cold and windy all day long, so it will be quite the change to be overcast and see snow fall yet again. The temperature is staying above 0º which is a pleasant change and is projected to get even higher tomorrow.

Image 1: The image displays a temperature map of the Midwest. It appears that a warm up is coming to Wisconsin shortly. 

 In Images 2 and 3 below it is apparent that Wisconsin is about to see a major difference in weather. Image 2 shows the type of precipitation that is occurring, while image 3 simply shows cloud cover. Wisconsin is about to get masked in a shroud of clouds while getting even more snow dumped upon the already heaping amount.

Image 2: Radar image of the Midwest describing precipitation and wind patterns. There is a large amount of snow coming our way.

Image 3: Image showing the cloud cover by percentage in the Midwest. Wisconsin is still fairly clear but will become overcast as the night wages on.

The predictions that I had made from yesterday were fairly accurate, however it was actually warmer today than it was yesterday. It was great having class today because we were able to learn even more new material that is relevant for our skills to interpret the weather.

Image 4: This image shows the wind direction and speed. The winds are currently low and coming out of the south.

Image 5: This image from The Weather Channel shows radar, isobars (wind) and pressure systems/fronts. 

I predict that tomorrow will be very overcast and snowing like a madman. NOAA.com's forecast is that it will snow all day tomorrow into Thursday where we will see an increase in temperature. It would be fantastic to finally see some warmer temperatures. Image 5 above shows the low pressure unit that will be hitting Wisconsin later tonight while image 4 above shows winds coming out of the south. As the low pressure system gets closer there should be a noticeable wind change where it will rotate counter clockwise away from the the low pressure. Tomorrow will be snowy so make sure to wear boots and snow pants!