Overall prior to Thanksgiving it looks like a somewhat benign pattern still. A weak system late Monday into Tuesday will lead to rain showers across the area, but the weekend is when we continue to watch for potentially more potent issues. Virtually every member of the American GEFS (above), the 20-member ensemble forecast, has a storm somewhere in the Saturday Nov. 29 through Monday Dec. 1 time frame which could have impacts during one of the most traveled days of the year.

The last few Decembers haven't been much to write home about. On the whole, recent ones have been relatively mild and short on snow. Not like the ones I remember as a youngster in the 60s. Back then, even if we didn't have a lot of snow, we at least had cold. Maybe It's just my age, but the good old days seemed just a little bit tougher. One fact that stands out the past decade or so is we rarely see a white Christmas. In the Quad Cities, only 3 of the last 14 Christmas days

I haven't seen the sun all week long, and chances are it won't be with us again Friday. A stagnant weather pattern remains entrenched that's trapping low level moisture, converting it to clouds. I'm seeing signs we should get some breaks for sunshine over the weekend, but Friday brings the need for more mental toughness as we deal with one more dark dreary day, and one that starts with patchy fog and drizzle. Be strong, it's a Friday. If there is one bit of positive news to p

With Thanksgiving just a week away, we've entered the time of year when the shadows are long and the days are short. Throw some clouds and drizzle into the mix, and it can be exceedingly dreary. It's what I call the dark days, the period where fall is about to transition into winter. It's not really cold, but far from warm and the clouds hang low as if to say, there's a lot worse where this came from, and you know it. Thursday will be the 4th day stuck in the muck, thanks to

Significant changes are taking place that will result in a pattern realignment in roughly a week. This will bring significantly colder temperatures and set the stage for what should be a wintry start to December. More on today's developments in just a moment. First, Steve Gottschalk, the Lowden climate guru, continues his reports on extreme November weather events. This one is a humdinger that involves all types of impactful weather and left the Midwest dazed and confused. He