12-15-2008 REPORTS:MN

[Bill Doms]

Headed up to Fergus Falls, MN where I94 was closed. Watched the temps fall from +41 to -3 over a span of about 150 miles. For those of you who are not familiar with this area, the Red River Valley of the north acts as a huge wind funnel and creates a Venturi effect of sorts. Really hard to tell how much snow fell for sure as when the wind would gust upwards of 50mph, everything on the ground would go airborne at once. Still trying to figure out how to thaw the truck out as when I got home, I parked it in the driveway. Went out 5 hours later to put in the garage and the starter, brakes, and passenger door are all frozen up solid. Ice hanging all over the bottom.

Here is some raw video:

http://www.vimeo.com/2527019

 

[Sam Stone]

In the Twin Cities, I went to go adopt a kitten around 12:30 out in Buffalo--temp was 41F. Upon leaving with said kitten, temp remained 40F, but 5 miles down the road fog began to form as the temp dropped to 33F, with light freezing rain and icy roads being present at 11F around 2:30 in the afternoon. Went home, pulled up twisterdata, and saw that I had just gone through a warm-front-cold-front air switch.

Weather is so cool.

Sam

 

[Jason Bolt]

While not in Minnesota, yesterday at about 2pm in Oswego, KS the temperature dropped from 69 to 46 in ten minutes. Last night in Baxter Springs, KS we had a period of heavy sleet w/ thunder. About 0.50" accumulated in under an hour. It's stayed well under freezing, thus the roads are not good. I wouldn't be surprised to see a few inches of snow tonight.

 

[Penny Lehner]

Iowa is fairing about the same as Minnesota. I got up this morning and it was 41 degrees. I went out at 2 this afternoon and it was 9 degrees with a 20 mph wind. Right now at midnight it is -5. Really makes me wonder what January is going to be like.