November 22 Forecast

FORECAST FOR DEKALB AND VICINITY, 11/22/09, 11:00 AM

Today...partly cloudy. High of 55 degrees. Southeast winds at 5-10 MPH.

Tonight...partly cloudy. Low of 39 degrees. East-southeast winds at 5-10 MPH.

Tomorrow...mostly cloudy. High of 54 degrees. East-southeast winds around 5 MPH.

Extended outlook...Tuesday through Saturday...

Tuesday...cloudy with a good chance of showers. Low in the upper 30s. High around 50.

Wednesday...rainy with the possibility of snow later in the evening. Low in the upper 30s. High in the middle 40s.

Thursday (Thanksgiving)...chance of snow showers. Low in the lower 30s. High around 40.

Friday...partly cloudy. Low around 30. High in the lower 40s.

Saturday...partly cloudy. Low in the lower 30s. High in the middle 40s.

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CLIMATE DATA: Yesterday's high, 52 degrees; last night's low, 32 degrees. The average high/low temperature is 41/24. We had no rain at the DeKalb campus over the last 24 hours as of 7 AM this morning.

We have had 0.14" inches of rain this month. On average, we should see 2.82" of liquid precipitation by November 30. We have had 42.48" of rain as of this point this year. On average we should have seen 35.22" of annual liquid precipitation by November 30.
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SEVERE/HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK: No severe weather is expected through Saturday.
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PRECIPITATION: Tuesday and Wednesday: .5"-.75", and 60% coverage.
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FORECAST DISCUSSION: Not a bad start to the week, with temperatures just above average for this time of the year on Monday. Then Tuesday brings in our weather maker. There is a trough of low pressure in the jet stream, causing a cold front to push into the area, and the system is moving slow. Tuesday through Thursday we will have a chance of precipitation with the chance of seeing snow. As of now, temperatures seem a bit too warm to expect any accumulation.

This morning's surface map shows a cold front just west of Iowa, trailing back through Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. There is a low sitting in central Colorado, but mostly high pressure throughout the Rockies. There is also a decaying system off the coast of Washington, with a cold front crossing through western Oregon.

Our forecast concern is the cold front west of Iowa.

Since the front is nearby, we will go back to mostly cloudy skies Monday. Tuesday is when the system hits. Tuesday we can expect to see rain showers thoughout most of the region. This system is still here Wednesday, and it should begin to fall apart. Because of that we should see lighter rain on Wednesday. As the evening progresses on Wednesday, we have a chance of seeing snow. The system should have fallen apart by Thursday, so we should be seeing some left over precipitation. It is looking like we will be seeing some snow still falling on Thanksgiving, but at this time temperatures appear too warm for accumulation. Friday and Saturday the system is out of our area, and we will go back to partly cloudy skies.

So for those who will be staying home for Thanksgiving, this system gives you a reason to stay inside and enjoy the holiday. For those who will be out and about driving, stay safe on the roads. Finally, for those snow lovers out there, keep an eye open Wednesday night and through Thursday, because you might see some.


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Chuck Richie II
Northern Illinois University undergraduate meteorology student
e-mail: crichie2@gmail.com