May 10, 1990 - Southern Wisconsin Snowstorm

[Tim Gonyo]

I was wondering if anyone could help me out with finding information about this event on May 10, 1990 that dropped up to a foot of snow in Southern Wisconsin. I was 9 years old at the time and can't recall much but what I can recall is this event was not forecasted at all by any met.

I want to know where the cold air came from that allowed it to snow so late in the year... I know the week before it was in the 70s and the week after it was warm too, the snow only lasted a day or two. I'm looking for any information on this storm -- weather charts, surface maps, upper air maps, etc. Thanks!

 

[Matthew Havin]

http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/dwm/data_r...ather_maps.html

...would be a good place to start for surface and 500mb charts for the week of the event. You have to install Dejaview, but it is small and plugs into Explorer. Does not work well with Firefox.

 

[Tim Gonyo]

According to that the low came out of Iowa and it was in the 80s the day before the snowstorm... there was no cold air surrounding the low, where the heck did the cold pool come from to produce that much snow?

 

[Robert Dewey]

Originally posted by Tim Gonyo
According to that the low came out of Iowa and it was in the 80s the day before the snowstorm... there was no cold air surrounding the low, where the heck did the cold pool come from to produce that much snow?

Hmm... I'm not sure, but that is VERY interesting.

 

[Tim Gonyo]

rdewey, did that storm hit you also? This is the perfect item for us to research until winter returns here.. LOL. 54 here yesterday.

 

[Robert Dewey]

Originally posted by Tim Gonyo
rdewey, did that storm hit you also? This is the perfect item for us to research until winter returns here.. LOL. 54 here yesterday.

If it did, I don't remember... I was -5 years old at the time LOL

BTW, I seen a fly outside today... I have NEVER seen bugs in January, even with the brief warm snaps that usually occur.

 

[Tim Gonyo]

Folks,

I'm getting the sinking sensation this 980 mb bomb that will hit Wisconsin in 42 hours could replay 5/10/1990.

*bites this fingernails*

 

[Robert Dewey]

A late season snowstorm with significant snow (>8 inches) would be one hell of a sight to see, especially with the foliage the way it is. It would probably be one of the most photogenic weather-related scenes possible, right up there with the Mulvane shots (IMHO obviously, as we have some people here that are incapable of enjoying such beauty, lol).