Just a reminder that we're heading back to winter.

Today's daylight will be 1 minute and 26 seconds shorter than yesterday.

I'm already hating the longer nights.

MINNESOTA ANNIVERSARY TODAY

Minnesota became the 32nd state on May 11, 1858 and was originally settled by a lost tribe of Swedes seeking refuge from the searing heat of Wisconsin 's winters.

STILL WINTER

Cloudy and windy with some rain this afternoon.  That's as good as it will get in La Crosse today.  We lucked out and we're missing, what I hope is, the last blast of winter weather for Wisconsin.

WARM WINTER: GOOD FOR SOME~BAD FOR OTHERS

Interesting article in the LA CROSSE TRIBUNE about how business was affected by the warm winter.  READ IT HERE

I'M NOT SHOVELING ANYTHING BUT, JUST IN CASE.....

Here's a doctor to tell you how to shovel snow without hurting your back.

IT'S GREY AGAIN

Laid down and had a good nap.  When I woke up the grey skies were back with us.  Hibernation is the only way to go between now and the middle of March.

ARE YOU REALLY GLAD WE DON'T HAVE ANY SNOW?

LOOK AT ALL THE FUN WE'RE MISSING!



IT FEELS LIKE WINTER TODAY!

I walked over to Kwik Trip to get some doughnuts.  I won't be going out again today.  Winds are gusting to 35 MPH and the wind chill is 1 above.  That's more winter than I need.

NASTY WEATHER MOVING OUT

The National Wather Service says we got a half inch of snow but the parking lot is completely clear.  Maybe I'll see some on the grass when it gets light.  We're not going to get the snow they predicted but we are getting the wind.  Nearly 50 MPH gusts were reported around 5 AM.

A BAD WAY TO START THE NEW YEAR

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
406 AM CST SAT DEC 31 2011

...DANGEROUS BLAST OF WINTER WEATHER TO IMPACT THE AREA TONIGHT

AFTER A MILD DAY TODAY A STRONG COLD FRONT AND LOW WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING. INCREASING WEST AND NORTHWEST WINDS AND QUICKLY FALLING TEMPERATURES WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE AREA
BEHIND THE LOW AND COLD FRONT. PRECIPITATION, BEHIND THE FRONT WILL START OUT AS LIGHT RAIN AND QUICKLY CHANGE TO SNOW.

SNOW AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE NOW EXPECTED WITH THE HEAVIER AMOUNTS MAINLY NORTH OF A ROCHESTER TO NEILLSVILLE LINE.

THE COMBINATION OF FALLING SNOW AND INCREASING NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CREATE BLOWING SNOW AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR LOCAL WHITE-OUT CONDITIONS AT TIMES AFTER MIDNIGHT
TONIGHT. THE STRONGEST OF THE WINDS AND GREATER THREAT OF WHITE-OUT CONDITIONS WILL BE IN OPEN AREAS AND ON THE RIDGE TOPS. TRAVEL CONDITIONS LATER THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME
VERY DANGEROUS WITH THE LOW VISIBILITIES STRONG WINDS AND SLICK ROADS ESPECIALLY IN THE OPEN COUNTRY AREAS.

WINTER IS HERE TODAY!

Thunder looking out over a pretty gloomy neighborhood.  We've had just enough snow to cover the housetops and grass but it's too warm to stick anywhere else and there's no ice so I ran my outside errands with no fear of falling down.  As long as you can stay out of the wind it's not very cold.

WE GOT A LITTLE SNOW

Enough to turn the ground white and, if it stays as cold as it is, it will stick around for a while.  Maybe not until Christmas but a while.

FALLING SNOW

Duane reported snow falling in Rapid City yesterday afternoon.  I haven't heard how much Rapid City has received but I did see a report that Lead had more than 6 inches of snow on the ground late yesterday.  I remember, well, those big winter snowfalls in the Northern Hills when I lived in Deadwood.  There were times when I walked to work with snow up to my knees.

We were getting some light snow in La Crosse this morning and Eric and Bert were getting the same in Watertown.

While it was snowing around here, there was moderate rain falling in Dripping Springs.  That should put a smile on Donnie's face.

IT'S OFFICIAL

Image by FlamingText.com

The official arrival time was 11:30 PM (CST) December 21, 2011.

IT'S LOOKING MORE LIKE CHRISTMAS IN RAPID CITY

DUANE REPORTS
"It's snowing lightly.  The decks are getting white.  One to three inches by tomorrow."

SNOW TOTALS

We ended up getting about an inch of snow in La Crosse and Holmen.  Across the river, Spring Grove got 3 inches.

SNOW TOTALS

Winona is reporting 2 inchs of snow, on the ground, since 9:00 last night.

SNOW!

Looked out the window, when I got up this morning, and all was white!  We finally got some snow!  Not a lot but enough to let us know it's winter.  We'll get some snow totals later this morning.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

THE OFFICIAL ARRIVAL OF WINTER WILL BE AT 11:30 pm on December 21 (Central Standard Time).

OH NO! HERE COMES THE DREADED ICE!

FROM THE

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

WIDESPREAD FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT WITH LIGHT ICE GLAZING EXPECTED AS TEMPERATURES FALL BELOW FREEZING.

UNTREATED ROADWAYS AND SIDEWALKS WILL BECOME
SLIPPERY. DRIVERS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR SLICK ROADWAYS LATE TONIGHT AND EXERCISE CAUTION WHEN TRAVELING.