Slowly melting, it’s a late spring.
This is not ‘Nam. There are rules.
Chillin’
Archive for the ‘Minnesota’ Category
Lake Minnetonka thawing out
Monday, April 14th, 2008Whopping 0.8″ of snow Fri. + Are Minnesotans ready to move south?
Saturday, April 12th, 2008I saw on the local news that Minneapolis got a total of 0.8″ of snow (either Fri. or Thur.-Fri.). What a letdown! Madison, MN, got about 15″ though. It did snow lightly most of the day today, but no accumulation.
Are Minnesotans ready to move south? This poll on the local Fox news station shows that over half of the participants are “already gone” or “wearing thin.”
Here are some reports from the thunder snow Thursday night:
Fargo, ND: The most common foods picked up as the snow began to accumulate Thursday?
Milk, eggs, bread, meat, chips and canned goods.
http://www.mitchellrepublic
I still can’t understand the logic behind buying milk, eggs and meat…
A little smarter shoppers in Duluth, MN: Residents were prepared for the storm as local grocery stores saw a spike in sales Thursday night. Extra batteries, bread and water were the hot items.
The Duluth area is virtually shut down from the storm where winds up to 60 mph and heavy wet snow caused periodic power outages.
The weather conditions are so bad in Duluth all the plows have been forced off the roads.
Nearly every school in the area is closed and workers are being told not to come in Friday.
So far the snow accumulation has been minimal but high winds have forced power outages that caused television stations to become radio stations as voices can be heard but no pictures could be seen.
http://www.kare11.com/news/ts
The National Weather Service reports that 6.6 inches of snow had fallen at Duluth International Airport by 6:30 a.m. today. Another 5 to 6 inches are expected by Saturday morning.
Snowfall totals have been considerably less than predicted because of stubbornly dry air being pushed into the area by the strong winds.
While snowfall has been less than forecast, the wind is everything officials said it would be. A peak wind gust of 62 mph was reported at the airport shortly before 6 a.m. The strong winds have resulted in downed trees and power lines.
Waves of up to 16 feet are predicted on Lake Superior.
http://www.duluthnewstribune
Snow Shadows
Friday, April 11th, 2008Notice the “snow shadows” of the trees in the grass.
Snowfall reports for yesterday and last night
Friday, April 11th, 2008here are some snow storm reports from the area for yesterday and last night.
The MSP area got a little slushy snow. Maybe 2 inches total?
Fargo, ND: The most common foods picked up as the snow began to accumulate Thursday?
Milk, eggs, bread, meat, chips and canned goods.
http://www.mitchellrepublic
I still can’t understand the logic behind buying milk, eggs and meat…
A little smarter shoppers in Duluth, MN: Residents were prepared for the storm as local grocery stores saw a spike in sales Thursday night. Extra batteries, bread and water were the hot items.
The Duluth area is virtually shut down from the storm where winds up to 60 mph and heavy wet snow caused periodic power outages.
The weather conditions are so bad in Duluth all the plows have been forced off the roads.
Nearly every school in the area is closed and workers are being told not to come in Friday.
So far the snow accumulation has been minimal but high winds have forced power outages that caused television stations to become radio stations as voices can be heard but no pictures could be seen.
http://www.kare11.com/news/ts
The National Weather Service reports that 6.6 inches of snow had fallen at Duluth International Airport by 6:30 a.m. today. Another 5 to 6 inches are expected by Saturday morning.
Snowfall totals have been considerably less than predicted because of stubbornly dry air being pushed into the area by the strong winds.
While snowfall has been less than forecast, the wind is everything officials said it would be. A peak wind gust of 62 mph was reported at the airport shortly before 6 a.m. The strong winds have resulted in downed trees and power lines.
Waves of up to 16 feet are predicted on Lake Superior.
http://www.duluthnewstribune
Duluth reports:
8:07 a.m.: Two semi-trailers have completely blocked northbound Interstate 35 near Midway Road, according to Minnesota State Patrol. The dispatcher did not know when that area would be opened again.
7:33 a.m.: As the morning drive began, the Minnesota Department of Transportation said roads are so bad that if you can, stay home.
There are numerous semis and cars stuck in ditches along highways across the area, according to MnDOT spokesman John Bray, even though he said plows have been running non-stop since the snow started to fall.
“We’re advising no driving,” he said. “If I was able to, I’d go to the highest pinnacle in Duluth yelling for people to use common sense.”
Bray said that none of the roads are closed — but that’s more because MnDOT doesn’t have the ability to close them.
7:28 a.m.: The snow and wind got so bad overnight that Duluth pulled its plows off the road around 4:45 a.m., said city spokesman Jeff Papas. Plow drivers went back to work around 6:45 a.m. today, when the sun came up and visibility returned.
http://www.duluthnewstribune
St. Cloud, MN:
Today’s storm could break St. Cloud’s snowfall record for April 11 of 2.5 inches, set in 1993, Weisman said.
The biggest one-day April snowfall to hit St. Cloud since 1900 was 6.5 inches, set April 28, 1994.
http://www.sctimes.com/apps
Minneapolis:
Metro storm timeline:
This morning [Fri.]: Rainy mix … then back to snow … still breezy (gusts 25+ mph)
This Afternoon: Sloppy, wet snow … another 1″ – 3″ slush by evening commute
Tonight: Snow showers … still breezy … another 1″+ slush
Saturday: morning flurries … late day clearing
Snow totals in the metro are forecast between 4″ – 8″+
“But NOTE! … the snow will be melting off the bottom as the weight of the top compresses it — that’s why “official totals” (that are measured/cleaned/measured
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com
Scores of schools and some universities are closed or are starting classes late today in central Minnesota where some communities received a foot of snow overnight and 3 to 6 inches of additional snow are expected today.
http://www.startribune.com
Thunder Snow Storm Warning
Wednesday, April 9th, 2008I thought “thunder snow” must have been a typo in the National Weather Service “Urgent – Winter Service Message” that came out this afternoon. But, no, “thunder snow” is basically a thunder storm with snow instead of rain.
Blizzard of ’93 (“Storm of the Century”) anyone? Yup, that was a thunder snow. Even Birmingham, AL received over a foot of snow in some areas. I remember our power was out for days! My parents still have tire chain track marks in their drive way from my dad trying to back out of the driveway in his little pickup truck with tire chains (from West Virginia) – he was only able to back up a couple inches because the snow was so deep!
I’m sure it won’t be that bad here in MN since they have lots of snow clearing equipment, but I’m sure it will cause lots of traffic delays on the roads and at the airport Thursday evening and Friday.
We really came up at just the right time to get to see two big snowfalls in two weeks! I’m not being sarcastic either. We were pretty disappointed that we didn’t get to see a big snowfall when we were here in Jan-Feb for four weeks. And it’s not like I really have to go anywhere this weekend (except maybe the big 2008 Tax Cut Rally in St. Ron Paul this Sat.)
Plus, I did buy a nice ice scraper this week that I’ve been wanting to try out. I’d hate to waste $3 on that thing and never use it. Even if I never scrape ice with it, it’s worth having in the car to use as a burglar-beating weapon like this Iowa woman did on Monday.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Cedar Rapids police say a woman chased down a burglar, bagged him with an ice scraper and then made him pick up the stolen loot he dropped when he fled.
Here’s a home video of a thunder snow in Massachusetts. Is that really someone standing out in the middle of the storm?
The National Science Foundation even gave a University of Missouri researcher a $460,000 grant to find out when and why they occur. This USAToday piece discuss the research.
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
402 PM CDT WED APR 9 2008
…HEAVY SNOW AND GUSTY WINDS WITH SIGNIFICANT LATE-SEASON ACCUMULATIONS LIKELY ACROSS THE REGION THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT…
.A WINTER STORM WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHANHASSEN FOR A PORTION OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. THE WARNING BEGINS AT 1 PM FOR MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA INCLUDING THE COMMUNITIES OF APPLETON…HUTCHINSON…REDWOOD FALLS…AND ST. CLOUD. THE WARNING BEGINS AT 7 PM FURTHER TO THE NORTH IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA…INCLUDING ALEXANDRIA…LITTLE FALLS…AND MORA. THE WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT TO THE EAST AND SOUTH OF THIS IN PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN AND EASTERN MINNESOTA AND THE U.S. HIGHWAY 8 CORRIDOR IN WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. THE WATCH INCLUDES FAIRMONT…LADYSMITH…RICE LAKE…AND THE TWIN CITIES METROPOLITAN AREA. A WINTER WEATHER HEADLINE WILL LIKELY BE ISSUED LATER TONIGHT OR THURSDAY FOR THE REMAINDER OF SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN.
A SIGNIFICANTLY HEAVY SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED ACROSS WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA BEGINNING THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND IS BECOMING MORE LIKELY ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE REGION. THE SNOW MAY INITIALLY BEGIN AS OR BE MIXED WITH RAIN…HOWEVER A TRANSITION TO A WET HEAVY SNOW IS EXPECTED BY THE MIDDLE OF THURSDAY AFTERNOON ACROSS WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA. THERE REMAINS UNCERTAINTY ON EXACT PRECIPITATION TYPE DURING THE AFTERNOON IN PORTIONS OF EASTERN AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA…INCLUDING THE TWIN CITIES. HOWEVER…THE PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO BE ALL SNOW BY THURSDAY EVENING. THE SNOW IS EXPECTED TO EVOLVE NORTH AND EASTWARD ENCOMPASSING ALL OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN DURING THE EVENING. THE PRECIPITATION SHOULD LAST THE BETTER PART OF THURSDAY NIGHT AS WELL AS FRIDAY…WITH THE PRIMARY TYPE BEING SNOW. THE ATMOSPHERE APPEARS CONDUCIVE FOR THE SNOWFALL RATES TO BE HEAVY AT TIMES…INCLUDING WITHIN THUNDER SNOW. BY FRIDAY NIGHT…SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF AT LEAST A HALF FOOT ARE ANTICIPATED IN THE WARNING AREA WITH SIGNIFICANTLY MORE ACCUMULATION POSSIBLE. WITHIN THE WATCH AREA…SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF SIX INCHES OR MORE IS BECOMING INCREASING LIKELY.
IN ADDITION TO THE SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS AND THE HEAVY SNOWFALL RATES…GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS MAY LEAD TO BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW…PRIMARILY IN RURAL OPEN AREAS.
THE HEAVY SNOW IS IN RESPONSE TO A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVING FROM THE CENTRAL PLAINS THURSDAY TO WISCONSIN ON FRIDAY NIGHT.
A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW… SLEET…AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE. CONSIDERING THE LATE SEASON NATURE OF THIS STORM…ENSURE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ARE STILL PREPARED FOR WINTER WEATHER.
Minnesota No. 2 and 3 in wind power generation % and capacity
Tuesday, April 8th, 2008I didn’t realize there was so much wind power capacity in MN and Iowa!
According to the 2008 AWEA wind ranking report, Minnesota has overtaken Iowa to become #3 in total MW of wind power capacity. MN is also #2 in the % of electricity generated by wind turbines – just behind Iowa. Both MN and Iowa tail California and Texas in total wind capacity.
To put the amount of electricity produced by wind farms in perspective, the current TOTAL US wind capacity is 16,800 MW and the capacity of the 24 proposed new nuclear units is 32,064 MW according to the US EIA. The current installed nuclear capacity is 99,209 MW, also according to the EIA (2004).
Q: Why is there so little wind power in the south?
A: It’s not very windy in the south. There is quite a bit of hydro though, esp. in AL and GA.
MN No. 2 in % wind capacity
Minnesota now No. 3 for wind power – TwinCities.com
Iowa No. 1 in % wind capacity
Radio Iowa: Iowa tops in wind energy production
Xcel No. 1 in wind capacity among utilities
Xcel leads U.S. in wind power : Energy : The Rocky Mountain News
Texas No. 1 in wind capacity & No. 1 in new capacity
Texas sails to top in wind energy – Fort Worth Business Press
AWEA press release
Wind Energy Leaders Remain Dominant in Latest U.S. Market Rankings
“Studies indicate that an expiration of the tax credit will place $19 billion in renewable energy investment and 116,000 American jobs at risk.”
If wind power is so dependent on tax credits to be competitive, is it really a cost effective power source?
32 inches of snow in April? Apparently, it’s possible
Tuesday, April 8th, 2008While we got a few flurries in MSP Monday morning (no accumulation), parts of northern Minnesota received record April snowfalls – over 2 1/2 feet in Virginia, MN, from Sat. night through Monday!
32 inches of snow in April? Apparently, it’s possible
Springtime at Lake Calhoun
Sunday, April 6th, 2008Don’t let the large, lingering snowbanks or the (melting) ice on the lake fool you, it really felt like a warm spring day Saturday! More and higher resolution pictures here.
Now that it’s mid-spring, winter is finally melting away…
Everyone was out enjoying the wonderful weather.
Dogs aren’t afraid of the ice
Even dogskateboarding (summer form of dogsledding)
Playing some lawn games (croquet, bocce ball, block throwing/stacking)
Just waiting for the ice to melt.
And, of course, there were still some brave kiteskiers out on the lake
Historical note about the first dwelling in Minneapolis, built by two missionaries on the east side of Lake Calhoun in 1834.
Minneapolis skyline
Cool treehouse in St. Louis Park
More here:
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| Springtime at Lakes Calhoun & Harriet |
Hours of daylight
Saturday, April 5th, 2008The days are getting longer and longer as we approach summer. Here’s a little chart comparing the hours of daylight in Birmingham and Minneapolis. Currently, MN gets 20 minutes more daylight. During the summer, it stays light pretty late into the evening the further north you are so I’ll have to compare again in a couple months.
Tonka trucks
Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008
If you grew up playing with playing with Tonka trucks as a kid, here’s a little trivia you might find interesting. I always thought that “Tonka” conjured up the image of toughness and it’s a great brand name for the trucks. Coincidentally, “Tonka” is the Dakota-Sioux for “Great” or “Big.” The first trucks were produced in 1947, with the first Tonka dump truck coming out in 1949. The metal toys lived up to their name and the design idea “that a toy should be durable and provide the child with as much play value as possible.”
The company that produced the toys was founded as a metal-working company in Mound, Minnesota. After some early failures making garden tools, metal tie-racks, etc., they reinvented themselves as Tonka Toys. Their new name and logo (featuring the name above waves) were obvious references to nearby Lake Minnetonka. Mound is located on the north side of the western end of Lake Minnetonka.
More Tonka Toy history on Hasbro’s page “The History of Tonka Trucks / Tonka brand history” and the Tonka wikipedia page.
Briefly looking over results for old Tonka trucks on eBay, you’ll find that vintage trucks are going for well over $100. For example, this Gambles delivery truck sold for $1426 and this 1950′s Carnation Milk Van sold for $814!
Makes me wonder if I have any Tonka trucks to sell…
