I was at the Holiday Parade tonight in Wausau ..as many braved the cold temperatures tonight.  Alot of organizations, clubs, and businesses were  well represented.  Although our big winter storm has yet to really develop, all forecast models agree that we are going to be dealing with a very large and vigorous storm.  Winter Storm Warnings are now in place for the entire state.  And various weather advisories, watches, and warnings stretch across nearly 12 states,  pertaining to the same storm.  My snowfall totals for the storm will be generally 5 to 10 inches.  The 5 inches will be likely south and the heavier totals will be north.  It will all depend on when and if the snow changes to more of a freezing rain and sleet mix Saturday night.  The bulk of the snow will fall right away(Saturday afternoon through early Saturday night)….then the mix…than changing back to a light snow by midday Sunday.  This will certainly be an interesting storm as things pan out in the coming hours.  Stay tuned to TV9/34 for the latest

Meteorologist Brian Niznansky

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Expect chilly temperatures if you are planning on going to the Wausau Holiday Parade this evening; temps will be dropping into the teens. The good news is that winds will have subsided and we will have a mainly clear sky. Bundle up in all the winter gear if and when you head for any Friday night festivities! Another reason you might want to enjoy tonight is because you might not want to be out and about this weekend as our first potentially major winter storm of the season arrives just in time for the start of the meteorological winter season.

A Winter Storm Watch is in effect for the entire area beginning around lunchtime Saturday and continuing through Sunday. This watch will likely to be upgraded to a warning within the next 24 hours.

A vigorous area of low pressure will deepen as it enters the Central Plains gathering moisture from the Gulf of Mexicoin the process. A warm front associated with the strengthening low will arrive in Wisconsin during the early afternoon hours and this is when snow is expected to begin.  The cold air is in place and the moisture will be there when this storm arrives so precipitation will start out as snow. There will be a good surge of moisture so snow may be heavy at times. Once the warm front goes through by Saturday night, snow will mix with sleet and freezing as temperatures rise and push the freezing mark.  Some ice accumulation is also possible. If the low passes farther north, we may even see a period of all rain, but that is not very likely at this point.  In essence, travel will be very messy on Saturday so I would definitely not have any plans to travel! If you have to travel, try to do it today before the storm arrives!  There is still some uncertainty as to how much snow we will actually receive, it is going to depend on the exact track of the low and any small shift will drastically change snow amounts and precipitation changeover. The other complication is to how much dry air will wrap into the storm because if there is more dry air in the storm, we will see significantly less snow. Snow accumulations will vary by location, but anywhere from 4-8 inches is possible – maybe more or less.  This is based on current projections, which have been consistent for the past couple of days raising our confidence on this range of snow amounts, but keep in mind winter storms are very tricky and small changes can significantly change the forecast and actual weather. We will keep you updated!

Once the low moves east of the area, cold air will wrap around it changing precipitation from a mix back to all snow sometime on Sunday morning.  There is some variability as to when we will be on the back side of the low, but once that happens, temperatures will fall back into the 20s. There is also some question as to how much snow will be on the backside because there may not be enough moisture to support much more than snow showers, but there may be enough for a couple inches.

Well keep you posted so be sure to stay tuned to TV-9/34!!!  Have a great weekend and stay warm!

Meteorologist Megan Syner

Posted under Science

Last night’s storm system turned out to be pretty much nothing for northcentral Wisconsin.  We had a couple of inch reports out of Vilas County, but most saw just a dusting…if that.  As the low tracked north and as the front passed through central Wisconsin, it encountered still some fairly dry air with dewpoints only in the teens.  The storm system finally gathered moisture and is now bringing snow to Michigan.  Our next run at snow will be this weekend so stay tuned as we will know more about the upcoming system in a day or so.  Also check out channel 9′s Cami Mountain’s story about making snow at Granite Peak…pretty neat!!  You can find the video link on the waow.com homepage.  Have a great night.

Meteorologist Brian Niznansky

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I’ll get to the energy and lighting revolution in just a bit – first a little about the weather today and for the upcoming weekend. Some light snow showers are possible yet during the afternoon today. A few spots could end up with a dusting up to a half inch. After the weak storm system moves through it looks like another blast of cold and wind for tonight and tomorrow. High temps on Thursday and Friday will struggle to reach 20 degrees. The next storm on the horizon should arrive Saturday night and continue through the Midwest on Sunday. If it tracks through Wisconsin, it could be our biggest snowstorm of the season so far. A couple inches or more is not out of the question. We will keep a close eye on the evolution of this storm and provide updates over the next couple of days.

Energy Revolution:

As you know, I have been following the alternative energy and efficiency story for many years now and one product in particular that I have been anxiously awaiting is an LED lightbulb that screws into a regular light socket. It appears the era of LED lighting is upon us. Last week I posted pictures of a prototype LED bulb from Polybrite International. It is projected to be in major retail outlets early next year. It works and it works well. Not only that, it has many advantages over other types of lighting. There are so many I have to create a list:

1. It uses much less energy than compact fluorescent (CF) or incandescent (IC) bulbs.

2. It lasts much longer than CF or IC bulbs. Typically over 50,000 hours – which if you use it in normal household operation would mean more than 10 years.

3. It operates at all environmental temperature ranges. From over a hundred to 40 below.

4. It doesn’t get hot (anyway, the Polybrite bulb doesn’t)

5. It is environmentally friendly. CF bulbs contain small amounts of mercury and other heavy metals. The Polybrite bulbs does not contain any toxins.

6. Specific to the Polybrite bulb – it degrades naturally. According the the inventor of the bulb, if you bury it underground, the bulb would dissolve/degrade in 5 to 7 years.

7. LEDs typically don’t burn out. After their stated lifetime (50,000 hours) the bulbs slowly get dimmer.

8. Most LEDs (and the Polybrite bulb) are sturdy and not prone to breaking. The bulb I tested is made of plastic, so you could drop it on the ground without glass shattering all over the place.

9. They come in many colors. The bulb I tested was bright white, but they come in soft white, warm white, yellow, etc…

Drawbacks:

1. LED bulbs cannot be used with a dimmer switch. This is a capability that might be developed in the near future.

2. Cost. I heard rumors that the Polybrite LED bulb would retail between $10 and $15. That is 2 to 3 times more than CF bulbs and almost 20 times more than IC bulbs. However, the LED bulb is easily worth the purchase considering how long it will last and how little energy it uses. You will earn your money back in savings in no time.

I was lucky enough to interview the CEO and President of Polybrite International Carl Scianna yesterday. He is also the inventor of the bulb. Here is the interview:

Here is a little demo of the bulb I conducted on the morning show:

I titled this "A True Revolution in Lighting" because it is the truth. There has been a big focus on energy efficiency and compact fluorescent bulbs over the last couple of years but the LED bulbs represent a quantum leap forward over and above what can be achieved with CF bulbs. I kind-of feel sorry for all the companies that ramped up production of CF bulbs with the intention of selling them for many years down the road. If people find out about LED bulbs and mass production brings the price down, it won’t be long (a year or two) before most other lighting is left behind. It is a win for the consumer and a win for energy efficiency and the environment.

While I am on the topic of energy, Google has announced and initiative to go ‘green’. They want to invest in alternative energy and eventually bring the cost of solar, wind, and geothermal down to and below the price of coal – within the next decade! I think it can be done and Google has a good chance of doing it (along with many other companies working on alternative energy).

Another piece of good news when it comes to alternative energy: A new hybrid battery has been developed that will allow electricity to be stored and used more efficiently and used for a wide range of loads. One achilles heel of wind and solar has been the storage of electricity during times when the wind is not blowing and the sun is not shining. Now that piece of the puzzle is falling into place.

Lastly, how about a nice greeting from the second graders at Lincoln Elementary school in Wausau:

I am off on vacation for the next couple of days so see you back here on Monday. Please feel free to comment or ask questions about anything in the blog, such as the LED bulb. Go Packers! Meteorologist Justin Loew.

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I certainly underestimated the cold front which passed through this morning.  We only picked up a little bit of snow with the front, which was expected, yet the significant drop in temperatures was not.  As the front moved through during the early morning hours, temperatures dropped from the lower 20′s to around 10 degrees.  This dip in temperatures was also aided by clearing skies behind the front.  With the passing of the front we had some pretty gusty winds(around 40 miles per hour in spots).  The winds were intense but nothing what Michigan experienced.  Check out some of these wind reports.  A measured 74 mph gust!! Crazy!!.  The winds also pushed wind chill below zero throughout north central Wisconsin.

Still looking for a little snow tomorrow.  We have trimmed back the totals a bit since yesterday, but everyone at least has a chance of picking up an inch, with a few inches across the north.

Meteorologist Brian Niznansky

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Sorry about the short post for today. I have to head out to an area school for a presentation and I will also be trying to set-up and interview with the CEO of Polybrite, the company that produces the prototype LED light bulb for home use. If the interview is successful, then check back here tomorrow for the transcript and/or video.

The weather forecast is pretty simple for the rest of the week – cold. It will feel a lot like winter but it will not look too much like winter. We will have another chance of light snow on Wednesday (maybe a dusting up to an inch) and on Sunday. High temps will rebound a bit back into the low 30s on Wednesday but then remain in the low to mid 20s from Thursday through Sunday. Friday should be the coldest day when the mercury struggles to reach 20 degrees.

I didn’t have a long time to delve into the tech/science/climate news of the day but I did stumble across something rather interesting (not exactly weather related). It is a top ten list of technology usability bloopers from the movies. At the bottom of the article there are additional top ten list of well designed and poorly designed items.

Meteorologist Justin Loew

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                                  As mentioned in previous posts..we are closing in on records for the latest measurable first snowfall.  It looks like we are really going to cut it close to the previous record of November 27th in Wausau.  To start this week, we will have a couple chances for measurable snow, with the first shot coming tonight.  There is a very weak and quick moving area of low pressure which will track north of us overnight.  Our southern counties will only see a few flurries at best, while Wausau and north could at least pick up a dusting(will it be enough to measure???).  With that said, the farther north you go the better chance you will see snow.  There will also be some lake effect snow starting late tonight into tomorrow for the Lake Superior snow belt.  Ashland, Iron, and Vilas counties could see any where from 1" to 4" of snow, with the heaviest towards the U.P. border.  Any snow should hold off until midnight tonight.  If we pick up any snow in Wausau with this system…we will tie the old record(November 27).

    We all have a better chance for snow as we head into Wednesday.  There is a stronger area of low pressure gathering itself over the rockies, and could pick up enough moisture to bring a few inches of snow across central Wisconsin starting early Wednesday morning and wrapping up Wednesday evening.  This should not be a major snowstorm, but certainly enough to cause some headaches to and from work on Wednesday.  After the two systems…in comes the coldest air so far this season.  Single digit lows can be expected by the weekend:).

Meteorologist Brian Niznansky

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The title of today’s blog post contains a couple phrases we don’t usually like to hear in conjunction. When we think of colder weather, higher energy bills come to mind. With the price of oil nearing $100 a barrel, some people might shudder during the winter. When it comes to higher energy prices, we have two options: find a new cheaper source of energy or conserve it. Since conserving energy in the winter requires lowering the thermostat below levels that might be comfortable (like below 65), I would rather find new sources of energy and thus a couple stories today about alternative energy. Check out this article for a little review on biodiesel and how it is being used. Many of you have probably read about people who use vegetable oil in their cars. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to biodiesel’s potential, however there are some limitations. The amount of land needed to produce crops to process into biodiesel is limited. We could never replace traditional fossil fuels with biodiesel (using current technology). However, biodiesel can fill a significant niche. It is ‘greener’ than regular fossil fuels and using waste products to create biodiesel means it will generally be cheaper than other options such as ethanol. Most of the people who burn used vegetable oil in their vehicles get it for free.

What about nuclear power? A couple of stories today; One questioning whether nuclear power can experience growth over the coming decade and another detailing the potential of portable nuclear power. No matter what new technology is developed, the main objection to nuclear power is the radioactive waste. There still is no ‘good’ option for disposing of it except the Yucca Mountain proposal. Other forms of alternative energy (solar, wind, geothermal) are drawing a lot more investment than nuclear power so I doubt we will see a big increase in nuclear in coming years, barring a big breakthrough in fusion reactors.

Another alternative fuel source that has been a bit out of the headlines recently is hydrogen. It won’t help with the heating bills this winter but it could in the near future. On that note here is an article that is a review of a new hydrogen producing process that I first brought to the blog last month.

Colder Weather:

Stepping outside today you might think it feels like a late Fall day, and you would be correct. High temps should be very close to normal this Monday. After today it is all downhill. You will step outside tomorrow morning and think it feels more like winter. The only thing that is missing is some snowfall. Sorry snow-lovers, I still don’t have any real good news to report. It will be cold enough for Granite Peak to make snow like gangbusters later this week but mother nature will not help out too much with the white stuff. If you want to play around in the snow you will have to head north. In far northern Wisconsin there could be a couple inches of lake effect snow tonight into early Tuesday morning and again Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Some spots in the UP of Michigan could end up with 10 or 12 inches before the week is out. For central Wisconsin it looks like Wednesday will be the day with the greatest potential for accumulating snow. Right now I am calling for a 50% chance with an inch or so in the cards. Another storm system could move through late this weekend (Sunday) but it is too early to pin down any snow amounts. Both of the coming snow chances will be accompanied with colder air. High temps will only reach the low to mid 20s from Thursday through Sunday. Low temps might dip into the single digits on Saturday morning.

Viewer Picture Time, a northwoods theme today:

A northwoods sunset colored by distant smoke in the air from summer wildfires. Picture sent in by Wendy Ross of Boulder Junction.

Beautiful Cedar Waxwings getting a last meal before winter sets in. Photograph taken by Barb Neddo of Eagle River.

A moonlight lake near St. Germain with a thin coating of ice. Picture by Diane Misina.

A cute squirrel posing for a photo shoot. Picture sent in by Tom White of Sayner.

Meteorologist Justin Loew.

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It is hard to believe that it is almost the start of December and we have yet to receive any measurable snowfall.  Last night, I mentioned the possiblity for some accumulating snow this week and I still think it is a possibility on Wednesday.  Actually, it appears that we will be entering a more active weather pattern going into the start of the meteorological winter season.  There will be a couple storm systems over the next 7-10 days that will give us a chance for some snow, but so far only one of those storms seems like it’ll be enough to produce some accumulating snow.  That particular storm will arrive on Tuesday night and continue through Wednesday.  It isn’t a strong storm,  but there should be enough moisture and cold air to support a couple inches of snow over the area.  That may even be hopeful, but we’ll continue to keep an eye on the storm and give you the latest updates!

I received a couple inquries about the significance of a ring around the moon.  You may have noticed one on Friday.  This ring around the moon (or sun) is known as a halo.   The picture below is of a halo around the moon that was seen this past Friday (Nov. 23rd).

Photo courtesy of Cindy Drewek of Stevens Point

A halo occurs when the moon (or sun) shines through high, thin cirrus clouds, most commonly cirrostratus clouds and the light is then refracted (bent) by the ice crystals that make up the cloud.  Most of the time, the light is bent at at angle of 22 degrees from the center of the moon (or sun) and this creates a ring around the moon or sun.  Now, what does it mean?  You may have heard that a ring around the sun or moon can indicate a change in pressure or weather and this is partially true.  Typically, but definitely not always, cirrostratus clouds start to move in ahead of an approaching front and then as the storm gets closer the clouds get thicker and eventually rain or snow falls.  So, when there is a ring around the sun or moon, it is common to think that rain or snow may arrive within 12-36 hours of observing a halo.  So, did this theory work on Friday when many of us saw the halo?  Yes, it did, but like most science theories, a halo does not indicate a change in weather all the time, but it can be assumed for a good chunk of the time and in this case.  There was an upper-level disturbance passing by on Saturday and the cirrostratus clouds were filtering in ahead of it and since the moon was close to being full, the light was easily bent (refracted) through the ice-crystals the clouds were made up of so we observed a halo!  The next day on Saturday, there were some flurries and light snow showers across the area, about 12 hours later!

I wanted to take a look and find out what the latest measureable snowfall is for our main climatology stations in the viewing area, because I think we are rapidly approaching the record deadline.  Here is what I found the latest measurable snow dates to be and the data is courtesy of the Wisconsin Climate Office at the University of Wisconsin at Madison:

Antigo     Nov. 30    (Actual:  Nov. 24/.10")

Marshfield     Nov 29

Merrill    Nov. 28     (Actual:  Nov. 16/.25")

Rhinelander    Nov. 30    (Actual:  Nov. 5/1.0")

Stevens Point    Nov. 29

Wausau    Nov. 27

Wisconsin Rapids    Nov. 29

If Marshfield, Stevens Point and Wisconsin Rapids receive measureable snow on Wednesday (28th), then the "unofficial record" will not be broken, but if that is the case for Wausau, we would break the "unofficial record" of the latest measureable snowfall.  The Northwoods have had the best luck for snowfall, particularly in the lake-effect prone areas where they’ve had close to a foot in some locations!  So, if you are anxious for some snow to get you in the holiday mood, then you might not have to wait much longer – keep your fingers crossed!  Those of you who could do without the snow, count down the days until Spring!   That will do it for tonight, have a wonderful week!

Meteorologist Megan Syner

Posted under Science

Last night, Brian talked about lack of snowfall in both our area and in the Rockies.  If you live in the Northwoods, you probably have already received your first measureable snowfall, maybe even your first inch or more, but central and south-central Wisconsin have yet to recieve any measureable snowfall.  But, that may change as we go in the middle part of the week.  We aren’t expecting any big snow, but since there hasn’t been anything measureable in central Wisconsin, it will seem like a big deal.  By not much, I’m talking maybe an inch or two possible along a strong cold front from Tuesday night through Wednesday, but it will really depend on how much moisture wraps into the storm and it is still too far away to know for sure.  We may only receive a few flurries if there isn’t enough moisture to support snowfall.  The only thing this storm has going for it is cold temperatures because there will be plenty of those.  By the middle and end of next week, we are talking about highs in the 20s!  This may not seem very cold because our lows and evening temperatures have already been in the 20s, even in the Northwoods, there have been some high temperatures in the 20s.  So far though, our lowest high temperature in Wausau was 30 degrees and that was just yesterday (Friday)!  Winter is definitely knocking on our door…!

Sunday will be the mildest day of the week so if you haven’t already hung those holiday decorations, at least the outdoor ones, tomorrow might be your best bet!  High temperatures will be around 40 degrees and maybe even in the lower 40s if there is enough sunshine!  Tomorrow evening, I’ll update you on which climate reporting stations have had measureable snow, which ones haven’t and also what the latest dates are for receiving measureable snowfall so be sure to check back!  Have a great night!

Meteorologist Megan Syner

Posted under Science