Chicago Storm

Had to have know it was coming, after that statement.

It's called we were in a +AO/+NAO/+EPO pattern. So no, it is/was not shocking.

Less than 4 days out now.

There's going to be little to none.

70% or more of precip being rain?

lol

You really need to move north.

Been a while, hasn't it.

Clarity is a thing?

The north guidance is not surprising, with a lack of blocking and continued +AO/NAO. .

The trend recently in this pattern has been for bigger storms out in that range to come in weaker/strung out/not-phased. Case in point see the strung out/un-phased system moving across the region and East Coast the past few days, and then the upcoming strung out system around mid-week. Both were shown as sig winter storms just several days back. .

It hasn’t been shown consistently, and given the pattern we’re still in...it’s probably not even worth much discussion this far out. .

0.5” at ORD and 0.6” here last night. .

Looks like there was a long corridor of totals of 3-6”, from SE. South Dakota on down into N-C. Illinois. That N. Iowa bullseye won though within that main corridor, with 6-9”. Nice over-performer compared to most guidance. .

Looks like the pivot will be between you and Hawkeye. That area from DVN up to E of CID has been getting the goods for a bit now. .

It’s going to weaken as it pushes ESE. .

There was actually a corridor of 4-5” that extended up NW into SW. Minnesota/SE. South Dakota as well. But yea, that N-C. Iowa area is jackpot with 6-10”. RGEM seems to have handled this event the best, as it was favoring a narrow corridor of higher totals, with even a few runs having 6-7” lolli’s. .

Yea, pivot point is currently transitioning from that N-C. Iowa area (near Clarion), to NE. Iowa now. Current trajectory would then bring it over towards DBQ-or nearby.

I'm tempted to say over. Either for you or just north.

3.8" Clarion, IA as of an hour ago. Probably going to make a run at 6" there, being in the pivot point. Edit: New report of 5.5" a bit north of Clarion now. Someone is going to make a run at 6-8" around that area.

RGEM likely has the best handle on that strong disturbance moving through the region. North/wet is the way to go.

Indeed. And it's not gonna happen in this pattern either.

If that happens in this unfavorable pattern...take it and run, and don't stop running.

Well...I was previously going to mentioned how the Euro and GFS ENS had trended towards showing the potential for a much more favorable pattern coming up after the first week of January (7th)...A continued +AO, though with an NAO trending more neutral to -, along with a deepening -PNA and finally a legit -EPO. However, the Euro ENS have quickly trended back in the opposite direction, and are now back to what they were previously showing...with the same pattern that has been in place continuing... +AO/+NAO/+EPO/-PNA...with a deepening -PNA. The GFS is kind of in the middle regarding things overall. There is also agreement between both the Euro and GFS ENS's on the MJO continuing to chug along, right on through the COD and into phases 4 and 5, which happen to be warmer phases of higher correlation at this time of year. I'd probably put more stock into what the Euro ENS are projecting, given their near stellar performance for a while now. If the Euro ENS are correct with teleconnections, combined with the projected MJO and upcoming movement of the main PV to settle in around Greenland in the future...more of the same pattern we've been in will continue (mild and snow-less overall), though more active overall. If the GFS ENS are correct, it will probably be a somewhat better pattern than we've been in, but still nothing to get too excited about. Probably a bit better cold/snow chances, however. tl;dr... zzzzz for now.