[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1t0NeXf7CDM&w=480&h=360]
WINTRY SPICE ON BLARNEY STONE: Most of today will be semi-quiet ahead of the next storm that will move in late this evening into Monday bringing with it some rain snow mix that will change over to all snow before it ends Monday afternoon and evening. Accumulations of 1-3″ are possible mainly along and north of US Hwy 30 with the heavier totals closer to the Iowa Minnesota border. Wind will be a major factor behind the system with the possibility of some blowing snow creating some hazardous conditions Monday into Monday night in the northern counties of the state. Temperatures today will be in the upper 20s north to lower 40s south.
STAYING COLD: The very strong High Pressure Center over Greenland will begin to effect our weather as we head into next week. Known as a Greenland Block it typically shunts much of the cold air that is over northern Canada and the arctic southward into the eastern half of the country. This will keep temperatures below average for the middle to latter half of the month. It will also keep the area from seeing big storm systems for a while as cold and dry air seeps southward from Canada. A storm will approach the area from the west Thursday into Friday, but much of the moisture with the system will miss the state to the south, however the GFS does show some snow (perhaps mixed with some rain) may get into the western counties of the state Friday and move through the state Friday night into Saturday albeit light at best.
POT O’ PRECIPITATION: The Greenland Block will break down by next weekend that should allow warmer temperatures and better chances of precipitation to move back into the state. GFS is showing several systems over the last few days of the month that may bring some rain to the state at that time. It should be all rain at that point as temperatures are likely to be well above freezing during that time if the model pans out. Things may still change however as they have in the past.