Weather
KCRG TV9 First Alert Forecast For Dubuque and the Tri-States
KCRG TV9 FIRST ALERT FORECAST FOR TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2018
TODAY: PARTLY CLOUDY. HIGH 30. SOUTHWEST WIND 5-15 MPH.
TONIGHT: MOSTLY CLEAR. LOW 24.
TOMORROW: MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH 33.
EXTENDED OUTLOOK THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY:
DRY THURSDAY, A CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN FRIDAY, DRIZZLE POSSIBLE SATURDAY. HIGH’S IN THE 30’S & 40’S. LOW’S IN THE 20’S & 30’S.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER STAGE AT DUBUQUE: 11-FEET & FALLING
KCRG Weather Blog
Snow cover makes a big temperature difference
You might not think that something as simple an inch of snow cover could make such a difference. In the case of our recent snowfall, it started with northeast Iowa going below zero in a few spots this past Sunday morning, then struggling to even get to 20 that afternoon. Even Tuesday, the temperatures will have trouble warming despite several hours of sunshine. This all has to do with albedo, which is the proportion of light or radiation reflected off a surface. Snow pack has very high albedo, meaning most of the sun’s light gets reflected back. Because it’s not being absorbed, the Earth’s surface doesn’t warm as effectively since most of the radiation is going back out to space.
Month so far among the coldest Novembers on record
The weather has been cold this month, especially for our high temperatures. In Cedar Rapids, the average high for November 1-18 was 38.9 degrees. That’s the second-coldest average high on record for the first 18 days of November. The coldest is 38.8 degrees in 1997. In addition, the warmest high this month was 54 degrees; only two other years (1997 and 2017) had a lower warmest high by this point. Dubuque’s average high of 37.1 degrees also puts it in 2nd place. The coldest was in 1997 when the average high was 36.7 degrees. The warmest high this month of 52 degrees is beat only by last year, when the highest temperature so far in the month was 51. In Iowa City, the average high has been 40.8 degrees. Like Cedar Rapids and Dubuque, that’s good for second place. The caveat is that the Iowa City Airport has only about 30 years of records. The long-term climate site at the wastewater treatment plant on the south side of the city had its third-coldest November 1-18 period on record. The airport’s warmest high of 57 is higher than two other years – 1997 and 2017. Waterloo has come in with an average high of 37.8 degrees, the third-coldest on record. 1991 was barely colder at 37.6 degrees, and 1997 had 36.9 degrees. Waterloo did manage a relatively mild day at 58 degrees; nine other years went through November 1-18 without getting that warm.
Beyond the Weather: Leonid meteor shower peaks this weekend
Saturday and Sunday feature the peak of the Leonid meteor shower. The best views will be after midnight, once the moon has set. Find the constellation Leo in the eastern sky. You will find 10 to 15 Leonids per hour radiating from the constellation under ideal conditions, away from city lights and after letting your eyes adjust to the darkness. Mars and the Moon have been putting on a great show. They have been very close together in the southern sky during the evening hours. This dance continues into the start of the weekend. Early next week, the moon will be near the planet Uranus. While this is not visible with the naked eye, you can see it with binoculars. We need to have the darkest sky possible with a good view of the eastern horizon. On Tuesday, find the moon in the evening in the constellation Pisces. The planet Uranus will be just above the moon. Happy stargazing!
First back-to-back sunny days this month
This time of year tends to be cloudier, and this month has certainly had its fair share of gray sky. According to the daily climate summary report, there have been only two days this month that counted as sunny, and Wednesday will be the third. A week ago, we were in the midst of a six-day streak of cloudy skies. The last time there were two consecutive sunny days was October 31 and November 1. Thursday looks to have quite a bit of blue sky, which would be our first sunny streak lasting at least three days since October 20-24. All of October had seven days that were marked as cloudy; there have already been seven so far this month, with a couple weeks left to go.
Lack of south wind this month
If you are looking for south wind, which usually leads to warmer temperatures, this month has been particularly lacking. Only three days so far this November have had any sort of south wind. Just two of those days were relatively mild (47 and 51 degrees, both of which were still below normal). On the other day, we didn’t even get to 30 degrees! As you might expect, west or northwest wind has been dominant this month, leading to temperatures staying well below normal. Moderation is likely for the rest of this week as the wind turns from the south again.