The Midwest is undergoing a pattern change that will rid the central U.S. of the heat and humidity the season is known for much of the next week. Hey, summer needs a vacation too! These are the 7 day temperature departures the EURO is projecting over that period. Here's the trough that's forecast to dig into the Great Lakes and buckle the flow in strongly from the north. This comes as no surprise as it teleconnects well with the MJO (Madden Julien Oscillation) which cycles in

Things got interesting over parts of the area late Wednesday night and Thursday morning as an intense thunderstorm complex that formed in Minnesota and Wisconsin brought much needed rain to parts of the region. This was not predicted by the high-res models but it was something I was concerned about. Storms as strong as Wednesday night's develop their own cold pool as rain cooled air is drawn to the surface through the downdrafts. As it reaches the ground it's forced out ahead

When I'm wondering about weather folklore and historical events this is the man I go to. With more than 50 years of statistical and observational research, he's the dude! When it comes to lunar cycles, woolly bear caterpillars, insects, bugs, and animals, he tracks them, records them, and establishes ties to weather patterns. He's a knowledgeable and interesting man. His name is Steve Gottschalk by way of Lowden, Iowa. I'm grateful to him for lending his unique perspective to

We were in the steamer Tuesday with heat index values in the range of 100-107. Fortunately, debris clouds from storms up north tempered the heat on the thermometer. Had we experienced full on sunshine it would have been exceptionally brutal. In fact, highs from Dubuque to the Quad Cities and points east of the Mississippi did not even get out of the 80s. Humidity was the real key to the feel of the day with dew points that pushed 80. Here's some late day heat index reports. Y

The steam was rising again Tuesday as warm muggy air took another run at the region. Temperatures near and east of the Mississippi were held in check some by what's called convective debris, cloud remnants from a thunderstorm complex that grazed NE Iowa and SW Wisconsin. Where the clouds were a factor, highs remained in the mid 80s compared to the upper 80s to near 90 where sunshine was abundant. You can see what I'm talking about below. Scattered storms (or their remnants) w