August is the final month of meteorological summer (the warmest three months of the year).  It often brings mixed emotions as well as mixed weather.  There are usually hot and humid spells, and a few days where you can almost sense autumn.  Sunlight conditions certainly change with the sun getting a bit lower in the sky, shadows lengthening, and night getting longer.  Plants in the yard and forest often have reached their peak of glory and start to brown or shrivel a bit by month’s end.  Many folks have pondered these changes over the years.  There are quite a few weather folklore and quotes from literature and poetry that deal with August.  I hope you enjoy the ones I’ve listed below!

August Weather Sayings

• August 10th:  St. Laurence’s Day.  If the weather is fair, fine autumn and good wine we will share.
• August 15th:  St. Mary’s Day.  If on St. Mary’s Day we have sunshine, look forward to much good wine.
• August 24th:  St. Bartholomew’s Day.  If this day is misty with frost in the morning, a cold winter forecast is the warning.
• For every fog in August there will be a snowfall in the winter ahead.
• If the first week of August is unusually warm, the coming winter will be snowy and long.
• If a cold August follows a hot July, a foretells a winter hard and dry.

Quotes Related to August

“August rushes by like desert rainfall,
A flood of frenzied upheaval,
Expected,
But still catching me unprepared.
Like a matchflame
Bursting on the scene,
Heat and haze of crimson sunsets.
Like a dream
Of moon and dark barely recalled,
A moment,
Shadows caught in a blink.
Like a quick kiss;
One wishes for more
But it suddenly turns to leave,
Dragging summer away.”
-  Elizabeth MauaTaylor 

“In August, the large masses of berries, which, when in flower, had attracted many wild bees, gradually assumed their bright velvety crimson hue, and by their weight again bent down and broke their tender limbs.”
-  Henry David Thoreau

“Fairest of the months!
Ripe summer’s queen
The hey-day of the year
With robes that gleam with sunny sheen
Sweet August doth appear.”
-  R. Combe Miller

“Whilst August yet wears her golden crown,
    Ripening fields lush- bright with promise;
Summer waxes long, then wanes, quietly passing
    Her fading green glory on to riotous Autumn.”
-  Michelle L. Thieme, August’s Crown 

 ”Summer’s lease hath all too short a date.”
-  William Shakespeare 

“Let me enjoy this late-summer day of my heart while the leaves are still green and I won’t look so close as to see that first tint of pale yellow slowly creep in. I will cease endless running and then look to the sky ask the sun to embrace me and then hope she won’t tell of tomorrows less long than today. Let me spend just this time in the slow-cooling glow of warm afternoon light and I’d think I will still have the strength for just one more last fling of my heart.”
- John Bohrn, Late August

“When summer opens, I see how fast it matures, and fear it will be short; but after the heats of July and August, I am reconciled, like one who has had his swing, to the cool of autumn.”
-  Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Posted under Seasonal Items, Summer, Weatherlore & sayings

I’ve been noticing something lately that I seem to notice every year about late July or early August, an increase in early morning fog. It seems like day after day in late June and July we wake up to blue skies and brilliant sunshine.  It works out well for me, because I get up before 4 a.m. to cover duties for Great Lakes Weather Service.  It definitely helps keep the eyes open to see that bright light.  However over the past 10 days, we’ve had several mornings with patchy to occasional thick fog hanging over the landscape until about 7 to 8 a.m.  Being that it has been such a dry summer, I’m actually really glad to see the fog.  At least it deposits a nice layer of moisture on the plants.  I know it won’t save them, but it has to help a little bit, right?  After all there are some forests on mountains near the ocean in parts of the world that survive mostly on fog.  Of course there the fog is so persistent over weeks and months that the moisture that condenses on the needles and leaves drips down to the forest floor, acting like rain. 

In any case, it takes a little while to get used to the foggy mornings.  You have to imagine what everything might be doing on the other side of your yard that you can’t see.  It certainly puts you in the mood to crawl back into bed.  It also tends to muffle noises, and the birds don’t seem to chirp as much.  There is a very good reason that fog tends to increase in frequency as we head into early August.  The main reason is that the nights are getting longer.  We have about 1 hour and 20 minutes more night than we did at the end of June.  This allows for a few degrees of extra cooling overnight.  In addition we still usually have rather humid air in Wisconsin at this time of the year, especially if some rain fell during the previous afternoon or evening.  So the extra cooling overnight drops the temperature down to the dew point more quickly.  Often dew points are in the 60s to near 70 around early August.  The air becomes saturated and the end result is fog.   We often call this radiation fog.  This is especially true when the winds are calm.  Light winds are common around this time of the year as weather systems and fronts are typically quite weak.    River valleys and areas near lakes are more prone to fog because the warm waters infuses additional moisture into the cooler air above them.  Sometimes this takes the form of streamers of steam coming off the water.  As such it is called steam fog.

So fog will be a more frequent visitor in August, then not quite as much in September.  That’s because cold fronts get stronger in September and usher in much drier air and gustier winds to the Upper Midwest.   Well enjoy the fog that will come our way from time to time.  Just be extra cautious when you must drive through it!

Posted under Seasonal Items, Summer

Weather and rainfall is often a case of the “haves” and “have nots”.  It’s really strange that parts of southern and central Wisconsin have had less than 3.0″ of moisture for the entire growing season so far while parts of central Minnesota around Brainerd and Aitkin have had around 30.0″ for the growing season so far!  Yes that’s right… two and a half feet of rain since April just about 300 miles away from the drought zone.  I provide forecasts for some radio stations in that part of Minnesota, so it’s very interesting talking to them, and how they are hoping the rain misses them for a few days so they can enjoy more summer sunshine.  I have to definitely change mind sets when talking with clients in the drought zone versus the wet zone.  They have different things on their mind and opposite needs for sure.

Be that as it may, some substantial rainfall fell in northern Wisconsin early Wednesday.  The image below is the rainfall estimate from the Green Bay NWS Doppler Radar.  Parts of northern Price, Oneida, Vilas, Ashland, and Iron Counties had over 1.0″ of rainfall.  In fact 1.8″ fell around Winchester with 1.4″ in Park Falls.

This band of decent rainfall actually started back in northwest Minnesota Tuesday night.  Amounts of 1 to 3″ were reported in a strip from Grand Forks to Duluth.  Doesn’t that sound nice! 

Some people have been asking me how much rain would we need to climb out of the drought?  Well of course it depends on where you are and how much rain has fallen in your area this season.  However in general, according to the image below from the National Weather Service, it looks like the southern half of Wisconsin would need about 3 to 9″ to be come out of the drought status.  Ideally that would fall over a week or two, rather than in one short burst. Obviously that would cause flash flooding and most of it would run off into the rivers rather than soak into the ground.  You can find all kinds of in depth information about the drought around the country from the following link, http://www.droughtmonitor.unl.edu/

Posted under Drought, Rainfall Reports, Seasonal Items, Summer, Weather NEws

I heard someone mention the other day that the current drought and heat is just like the 1930s. I think that is taking things bit too far. We tend to have short memories and the 1930s are a long time ago as compared to the normal human lifespan. A quick look at this wikipedia page or this youtube video will remind you of how dry, hot, and devastating the 1930s were in the U.S. In Wausau, 9 of the top 20 warmest Summers we have recorded in the last 115 years or so occurred during the 1930s. Only 1935 failed to make it into the top 20. It ranks number 31 on the list of warm Summers. So it was not only hot back then, it was hot EVERY Summer for a decade. I shudder to think of the media coverage, intense anthropogenic global warming (AGW) discussions, and political machinations that would occur if the U.S. suffered a multi-year drought and heat wave like the 1930s. It is such a distressing thought, I want to block the image out of my mind and stop writing right now. Alas, we should not be surprised if such a pattern did develop because multi-year and even multi-decade droughts were much more common in North America prior to the 20th century.

Nothing growing in this field during the dust bowl years

That is not to say that there are NO comparisons to the 1930s. 1936 had the warmest July and 1933 had the warmest Summer (June-July-August) we have ever recorded here in Wausau (going back to the late 1800s). This year we are on pace to break both of those records. The mean temperature so far this July is 77.3. In 1936 the mean temperature was 76.7. It looks like we are going to be close to breaking that record. Current extended forecasts indicate a more substantial cool down could hit the area for the last few days of the month. If it does materialize, then we will probably not break the record. Otherwise, we are in the running.

For the warmest Summer record, at this point we are certainly in good shape to break that one, but we still have about a month and a half to go, which means a lot could happen. In 1933 the mean Summer temperature was 71.3. So far this year we are at 72.8. What is interesting to note is that our temperatures this year have not been as extreme as the 1930s, with multiple days at 100 or above (at least not in Wausau) but it has been persistently warm. Every day so far this July we have experienced high temperatures in the 80s or 90s. I forget what the 70s feel like.

Which brings me back to our “short-term memories”. Just remember that the last time we had a high of 98 in Wausau was 2006. After 2006, high temperatures in the 90s were very sparse. In 2009 we didn’t even get close to 90 in July (85 was the warmest). It wasn’t until last year (2011) when multiple 90 degree days become more prominent again. I also remember back to last year when on first weekend of May, there was still a large ice flow on the bank of the trout stream I was fishing. That is only 14 months ago when we were emerging from an abnormally long & snowy Winter.

For more on how the heat this year compares to past years in the U.S. as a whole check out this graphic.

Of course, it is common sense that the drought is linked to the heat wave, but it is one of those things that science sometimes needs to confirm, and it was confirmed in this recent study.

And going back further in the past, there is more evidence to indicate that the time of the Roman civilization and the Medieval Warm period were warmer than we are experiencing now. This does not mean that AGW is not happening, or at least a part of what is going on now, but it does help put the longer term climate in perspective and help us frame possible challenges going forward.

Have a good Tuesday! Meteorologist Justin Loew.

Posted under AGW, Climate Change, Drought, Heat, Records, Summer

The hot and sunny weather the past month has pushed the water temperature on the Great Lakes and inland lakes to near record levels for so early in the summer season.  Several people have told me that in fact at times the water on their ponds and small lakes has been so warm that it hasn’t even been refreshing or cooling to take a swim.  Basically it’s been like bath water.  Of course this has been hard on some fish species with fish kill reported in a number of areas around the Midwest.

The water temperature on the Great Lakes ranges from the upper 70s F in southern Lake Michigan to the low 70s in northern Lake Michigan.  Lake Superior is running from the upper 50s to mid 60s.  With a good month yet of summer warming yet before it starts to slowly cool, I imagine we probably will see some 80 degree water showing up in Lake Michigan by the end of July!  Lake Superior might even get into the 70 degree range in some of the shallower near-shore areas. You can track the Great Lakes’ water temperatures from the following link.  http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/glakes_tmap.html

On a different note we might see some much needed water falling through the warm air the next few days.    A weak front will slowly push in from the west and bring us our best chance of rain Friday evening through Saturday afternoon.  It certainly won’t be a c0ntinuous washout type rain.  Rather it would be several intermittent rounds of rain spaced out by hours of dry weather.  While the amounts aren’t expected to be huge, generally .10 to .50″ is anticipated.  There could be a few spots over .50″ through Saturday evening in the western half of Wisconsin especially.  See the map below from HPC for a better glimpse at the potential rain. 

Posted under Drought, Ecology, Environment, forecast, Nature, Recreation & Sports, Summer

Photo from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Untypical weather conditions in Wisconsin for the past few months have not significantly impacted the waterfowl population, according to a new report released by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. 

“Overall, wetland numbers this spring were down but in Wisconsin our abundant permanent water contained in 15,000 lakes reduces the impact of dry conditions on the ducks” Department of Natural Resources biologist Kent Van Horn was quoted as saying the report.    

Our warmer and drier than average winter, coupled with an earlier, warmer and drier spring left less water in wetland areas for waterfowl breeding this year.  It also sparked migration and breeding earlier in the season than normal.  

According to statistics released by the DNR, state-wide winter precipitation was down 25 percent below what is considered normal. 

The report also cited the month of March as a key factor in the activity of the state’s birds population.  The department says temperatures were around 15 degrees warmer than average.   

The warmer and drier conditions have proven challenging for Wisconsin’s birds, but has not been devastating.  The Department of Natural Resources says the populations of the birds have not been as far off their average numbers as the weather has been in the past few months. 

The duck population inWisconsinfor this year is estimated at 521,079, just higher than the 2011 numbers.  The average for the past decade is listed as 545,240. 

The Wisconsin DNR also says that though the weather has contributed to an usual season for the animals, it is not completely abnormal or bad for wetland areas to experience bouts of dry weather for a period of time.

“Variation from year to year in wetland conditions and breeding ducks is part of the natural cycle in the world of wetland wildlife.  Wetlands need dry periods to maintain long-term productivity and ducks are able to adapt to changing wetland conditions among years and across the continent” the report said. 

To read the entire article from the Department of Natural Resources, follow this link: http://dnr.wi.gov/news/WeeklyNews_Print.asp?id=2210

Posted under Drought, Ecology, Environment, Nature, Records, Science, Seasonal Items, Snow Totals, Spring, Summer, Weather History, Weather NEws, Winter Weather

The 35th anniversary of one of the worst thunderstorm wind events to hit northern Wisconsin is July 4th.  The landscape in a long strip from near Lake Mille Lacs in Minnesota to east of Rhinelander in Wisconsin was devastated by straight-line winds to 100 mph or stronger. 

The anemometers at the airports near Phillips and Rhinelander registered 100 mph winds before they blew away.  The storm cluster struck that area from around 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. as it rapidly raced eastward.   

It flattened huge amounts of forest, destroyed or damaged many buildings and killed one person, and injured 35 others.  This storm was extensively studied by severe weather and tornado researcher, Dr. Ted Fujita.  He of course developed the famous Fujita Scale to measure tornado intensity based on the damage caused.

Please see the following link put together by Jeff Last of the National Weather Service in Green Bay for more information on this incredible event.  http://www.crh.noaa.gov/grb/events/070477.php

Posted under Natural Disasters, Severe Weather, Storms, Summer

The National Weather Service has released some incredible photos of the wildfires impacting the western United States. 

In the included photo you can see what six wildfires in Montana and Wyoming look like from space.  The photos are from the MODIS satellite that snaps photos of our planet as it orbits Earth.

Photo from the National Weather Service.

In the photo you can see the distinction between smoke and clouds quite clearly.  In the photo, clouds look like a collection of cotton balls.  They are a more true white color and limited more toward the northern half of the photo.  The smoke can be identified by its grayish color, texture and shape.  The prevailing winds push the smoke to drift eastward over the landscape. 

This has been a very rough wildfire season so far. Colorado is seeing some astonishingly destructive fires that are encroaching on cities like Colorado Springs. 

Weather obviously plays an enormous role in how wildfires act.  Wind can blow embers from one fire and create a new one in an entirely different location.  Low humidity keeps the atmosphere dry and primes the landscape for kindling. 

Even when thunderstorms develop over wildfires it’s often a curse instead of a blessing.  Dry air is able to work into the storms, so essentially all you get is gusty winds, lightning and very little rain.  The wind helps fan the flames and lightning can get more going.

Though the west is known best for wildfires, we can, have and do get wildfires here.  Be sure to take caution, especially with the 4^th of July holiday approaching on open flames and fireworks when outdoors. 

For a color coded map of all ofWisconsin’s counties that details the wildfire risk, follow this link from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources: http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/ForestFire/restrictions.asp.

Posted under Clouds, Drought, Environment, Fire, Heat, Natural Disasters, Nature, new media, Science, Space, Summer, Weather History, Weather NEws, Weather Safety, Wind

I can’t believe we are basically half way through the calendar year already!  Besides meaning that Christmas is getting closer, it’s time for Astronomical Summer in the Northern Hemisphere.  The Summer Solstice is Wednesday at 6:09 p.m. CDT.  That’s when the sun’s rays will be directly overhead at the northernmost point for the year, 23. 5 degrees north latitude.  This is the latitude of the Tropic of Cancer.  Around the TV-9 area, the sun angle at mid-day will be about 66 to 70 degrees off the southern horizon at midday.  These high rays have plenty of power this time of the year.   You of course already know that by how hot the sun feels at this time of the year and how quickly you can get a sunburn.  Of course it also coincides with the longest daylight hours of the year for us.   We get a good solid 16 hours of daylight now, as opposed to just over 9 hours in early winter.

It will certainly feel summer-like Wednesday with rather warm and humid air overhead.  As a cold front slides east across the state, strong to severe thunderstorms may result, especially in the afternoon to early evening in our part of the state.  The Storm Prediction Center has a slight risk of severe weather highlighted from central Wisconsin through most of Upper Michigan.  This is where the upper level winds will be the strongest to support organized storm development and enhance wind gusts in storms.  At this point the tornado threat looks fairly low because the winds will be unidirectional with height.   Basically they will be from the southwest from the surface up to 30,000 feet.  A more typical wind pattern for tornado development is southeast at the surface to southwest or west aloft.  In any case straight-line wind gusts to 60 mph, hail to 1″ diameter, and torrential downpours of 1″ in a half hour all seem plausible.  Please monitor TV-9 for the very latest information.

Posted under Seasonal Items, Severe Weather, Storms, Summer, Weather NEws

The long spring we’ve had and plenty of sunshine has a lot of people ready to hit the water in their boats.  It is truly a great activity.  But as with many enjoyable things in life, one must use proper caution and common sense to stay safe and avoid tragedy.   To that end May 19th – 25th is National Safe Boating Week.  It’s the perfect chance to review safe boating practices.

Facts:

• In 2011 in the U.S., 758 persons died in over 4500 boating accidents.  70% of those fatalities were from drowning with most involved not wearing a life jacket.
• The majority of the deaths occurred on lakes and rivers, with only 21 at sea.
• Alcohol is a leading contributor to fatal boating accidents.
• Adverse weather often plays a role in boating accidents.
• Even 70 degree F water can cause hypothermia over a few hours time.

There is much more to learn about boating safety.  Find out the latest on safety equipment and technology and get expert boating advice from the following links.  http://www.noaa.gov/features/03_protecting/boat_safety_week3.html

http://www.safeboatingcouncil.org/index.php

Have a great summer on the water. Be careful, respectful of other boaters, and let’s make it the safest summer yet!

Posted under Recreation & Sports, Summer, Travel