Happy Thanksgiving! If you're going to be hanging with extended family this holiday weekend (you know, the ones you only see once a year at Thanksgiving), after a while it can be a bit of a struggle to keep the conversation going. So, after you've covered how good the harvest was, who shot how many pheasants, dat Favre and dem Vikings, and heard the story about how Uncle Al drove off while Aunt Edna was still sitting on the can at the filling station (for the twentieth time), you can bring on the charm with a little Turkey Day trivia.

• Since 1940, there have only been 14 Thanksgiving Days with an inch or more of snow on the ground. That means that 45 Thanksgiving Days since 1940 have been brown (it'll be 46 after this Thanksgiving.)

• The average high temperature for Thanksgiving Day is 37.23°. The average low temperature is 18.99°.

• The warmest Thanksgiving Day was in 1914. The afternoon high temp was 67°.

• The coldest Thanksgiving Day was back in 1985. The morning low was -6° and the high only reached 3°. On Thanksgiving Day 1905, the morning low was -9° but by afternoon, the temperatures warmed into the low 20s.

• Since 1893, 22 Thanksgiving Days have had a high temperature of 50° or greater. 54 have had a high temperature of 40° or greater.

• Since 1893, only 8 Thanksgiving Days have had an inch or more of snow fall at some point during the day. The most was 5 inches back in 1940. The most recent Thanksgiving Day snow was back in 1993. 3.9 inches fell in Sioux Falls.

• There has been rain on 7 Thanksgiving Days since 1893. The greatest was .22 inch in 1931

• In Sioux Falls, the biggest Thanksgiving snowstorm happened in 1979. 4.4 inches of snow fell on Thanksgiving Day on top of 7 inches of snow that fell the day before. Since 1893 that's also the Thanksgiving that had the most snow on the ground.

The Aberdeen office of the National Weather Service has compiled information on some of the more significant Thanksgiving weekend weather events. Check them out below. They might bring back some memories.

November 25-27, 1896:
A major blizzard occurred throughout South Dakota, beginning on the 25th and continuing until the 27th. The storm began in most locations as rain and sleet, which turned to snow, accompanied by strong northerly winds. The 26th was the peak of the storm, and the heaviest snow and strongest wind occurred throughout the north, northeast, west and southwest portions of the state. In eastern and southeastern South Dakota, sleet was extraordinarily heavy on the 26th. There were many reports received of large quantities of trees stripped of smaller branches and limbs due to the weight of the sleet. Across the state, telegraph lines were flattened in all directions, and the poles were broken off in many places. Although there was very little loss of livestock in areas with available shelter, there were heavy individual losses on the ranges of South Dakota. Several people also perished on the ranges west of the Missouri River when they became lost in the storm without livestock. Reports of snowfall totals from the storm are very limited, but included 17 inches at Aberdeen and 12 inches at Mellette. This blizzard was the most prominent individual feature in a November that was overall very cold, with a state mean temperature of 16.5 degrees, which was 17.2 degrees below normal at the time. The month still stands as the coldest November on record in Aberdeen, with an average temperature nearly 7 degrees Fahrenheit colder than the next coldest November (1985). The lowest reported temperature during the month was -29 F at Webster. Aberdeen recorded a low of -25 F on the 29th with a high temperature of -8 F that same day. The month currently stands as the snowiest November on record and second snowiest overall month on record for Aberdeen, with 32.8 inches, behind 38.5 inches recorded in February

November 21-22, 1979:
Snow began falling during the morning hours on the 21st and continued until the evening hours on the 22nd. Snowfall totals were in the 6 to 13 inch range with thirteen inches at Sioux Falls being the largest amount reported. Moderate winds of 20 to 35 mph made travel very difficult. Approximately 50 percent of the corn remained in the fields. The snow did not harm the corn so most of it was still harvested.

November 26-27, 1983:
A weekend storm that began with light snow on the 26th continued to gather strength, culminating in a blizzard that was accompanied by thunder and lightning during the evening hours on the 27th. The heaviest snowfall occurred from Marshall County SSE to Gregory County in South Dakota, with the heaviest snow falling as thunder snow showers. Snow amounts ranged from 4 to 18 inches. Strong winds up to 50 mph created near zero visibilities and difficult driving conditions as numerous roads drifted shut with up to eight-foot drifts. Numerous accidents ensued, with many people forced to stay overnight in their stranded vehicles. Airlines were forced to cancel all flights as airports were closed into midday on the 28th. Almost all schools and businesses were closed on the 28th and even on the 29th in many areas. Storm total snowfall amounts included 8 inches at Clark; 7 inches at Artichoke Lake, Bryant 1NE, Clear Lake, Victor 4 NNE, and Browns Valley; 6 inches at Wheaton, Wilmot, and Harrold 12 SSW; 5 inches at Kennebec, Sisseton, and Mellette 4W; 4 inches at Watertown, Highmore 1W, Murdo, Redfield, Waubay, Ashton 2S, and Britton; and 3 inches at Aberdeen, Castlewood, Columbia 8N, Onida 4NW, and Pierre.

November 28-30, 1991:
The third major winter storm of the season moved from the central plains to eastern South Dakota. The storm generally dropped between 4 and 8 inches of snow over the eastern third of South Dakota from the 28th to the 30th. New snow accumulations of 2 to 5 inches occurred over most of the rest of the state. Some snow reports across the area included Aberdeen with 2 inches and Watertown with 3 inches. Five inches fell at Clear Lake and 3 inches fell near Summit. Strong winds developed after the snow fell, producing widespread blowing and drifting snow, especially across the northeast corner of South Dakota.

November 24-27, 1993:
A major slow-moving storm system traveled across the upper Midwest during the Thanksgiving holiday, dumping heavy snow across most of South Dakota and Minnesota from November 24 through the 27th. The heaviest amounts of two to three feet occurred in northeast South Dakota. Over a foot of snow accumulated in west central Minnesota, and needless to say, travel became extremely difficult across the entire area. Storm total snowfall amounts included 31.8 inches at Westport, 29.5 inches at Leola, 28 inches at Britton, 25.3 inches at Aberdeen, 24.3 inches at Mellette, 24.0 inches at McLaughlin, and 22.0 inches near Victor. The snowfall of 25.3 inches at Aberdeen was a single storm record (that still stands today), and it made November 1993 one of the snowiest months on record in Aberdeen with a total of 30.1 inches of snowfall (only three months have recorded more snow: November 1898, February 1915, and November 2000). The storm closed numerous schools and offices on November 24th across the area, resulting in an early start to the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Some freezing rain and freezing drizzle preceded the snowstorm in southeast South Dakota from late on the 23rd to the 24th, causing at least 60 vehicle accidents. The heavy snow also clogged roads, causing vehicles to become stuck and resulting in numerous accidents. As a result of the heavy snow, low wind chills, and low visibilities, a 23-year old man was stranded in his pickup truck in a snow bank north of Aberdeen for 18 hours on the 23rd and 24th. The weight of snow collapsed numerous structures in northeast South Dakota from the 25th to the 26th. The roof of a metal bard collapsed two miles northwest of Aberdeen, killing one dairy cow in the barn. In Castlewood, a 100-foot by 40-foot metal pole shed fell in, causing damage to a grain truck inside. A machine shed also caved in on a farm east of Bowdle. During the afternoon of the 26th, part of the roof and wall of the Roscoe Senior Center collapsed, causing a near-total loss to the building. Strong northwest winds followed the snowstorm in western and central South Dakota, causing considerable blowing and drifting snow and wind chills as low as 50 degrees below zero. In North Dakota, over two feet of snow fell over a large part of central and southeastern portions of the state. Most of North Dakota had over a foot of snow from this storm. The greatest snowfall amount was reported at Oakes, in Dickey County where 31 inches fell. At the National Weather Service office in Bismarck, 28.3 inches of snow were measures during the 108 hour snow event. This amount set a new single storm record for snow in Bismarck. The snow began the evening on the 22nd and did not end until the morning of the 27th. Except for about six hours during the day on the 26th, the snow was continuous through this period. Fortunately, the wind was only 10 to 25 mph during this storm, so it was well below blizzard conditions and blowing and drifting of snow was not a problem.

November 26-27, 1983:
A weekend storm that began with light snow on the 26th continued to gather strength, culminating in a blizzard that was accompanied by thunder and lightning during the evening hours on the 27th. The heaviest snowfall occurred from Marshall County SSE to Gregory County in South Dakota, with the heaviest snow falling as thunder snow showers. Snow amounts ranged from 4 to 18 inches. Strong winds up to 50 mph created near zero visibilities and difficult driving conditions as numerous roads drifted shut with up to eight-foot drifts. Numerous accidents ensued, with many people forced to stay overnight in their stranded vehicles. Airlines were forced to cancel all flights as airports were closed into midday on the 28th. Almost all schools and businesses were closed on the 28th and even on the 29th in many areas. Storm total snowfall amounts included 8 inches at Clark; 7 inches at Artichoke Lake, Bryant 1NE, Clear Lake, Victor 4 NNE, and Browns Valley; 6 inches at Wheaton, Wilmot, and Harrold 12 SSW; 5 inches at Kennebec, Sisseton, and Mellette 4W; 4 inches at Watertown, Highmore 1W, Murdo, Redfield, Waubay, Ashton 2S, and Britton; and 3 inches at Aberdeen, Castlewood, Columbia 8N, Onida 4NW, and Pierre.

November 28-30, 1991:
The third major winter storm of the season moved from the central plains to eastern South Dakota. The storm generally dropped between 4 and 8 inches of snow over the eastern third of South Dakota from the 28th to the 30th. New snow accumulations of 2 to 5 inches occurred over most of the rest of the state. Some snow reports across the area included Aberdeen with 2 inches and Watertown with 3 inches. Five inches fell at Clear Lake and 3 inches fell near Summit. Strong winds developed after the snow fell, producing widespread blowing and drifting snow, especially across the northeast corner of South Dakota.

I must admit, I'm really starting to get into this "Twitter" thing.

For the longest time, I resisted. In fact, at one time I think I might have even called it a "crock of hooey." Today, I'm becoming what some might call a "regular Tweeter" and in my short lifespan as a "regular Tweeter" I've learned that you don't really grasp what Twitter is all about until you get sucked in.

OK, enough already... I'll get to my point. My main purpose of this blog was to share some great links and tools that make Tweeting even easier:

Tweet Deck www.tweetdeck.com: Tweet Deck helps you manage your Tweets and will also post your tweets to Facebook and MySpces (does anyone even use MySpace anymore?) It's software and must be installed on your computer. Depending on your computer, it may slow things down a bit. There is a Tweet Deck app available for iPhone... Not that it matters to anyone around here. (For those reading this that don't live, here... yes, AT&T hasn't made it this far yet.)

Hoot Suite www.hootsuite.com; Hoot Suite is a great web based app. that lets you manage your Twitter account from anywhere you can access the web. Simply log in and go crazy. This is good for those that work someplace where they won't let you install software on your computer. (Of course, if they do that, there's a pretty good chance they block sites with their firewall so enjoy while you can.)

Über Twitter www.ubertwitter.com; If you have a BlackBerry, Search for the Über Twitter application. It's a great mobile ap that lets you manage multiple twitter accounts, upload pictures and video via TwitPic or some other photo server, and do a ton of other things. I was using Twitter Berry, but Über Twitter is much, much better.

With my wife and I expecting our new baby girl in the next few weeks, I'm thinking about using Twitter to make the initial announcement. Kind of like Hollywood celebrities use Twitter to announce they're going into rehab or sports stars use it to announce they're coming out of retirement for the third or fourth time. So, for daily weather updates, baby updates, and any other minutia my mind might be able to spit out, follow me - @shawncable.

We all know that meteorology isn’t an exact science. We’ve made great strides in the technology we use and forecast accuracy has improved significantly over the years. We only really blow a forecast about once or twice a year (give or take a couple here and there – or more – hey, it’s not an exact science) and when it happens, I’m usually pretty disappointed in myself. Today, however, I could care less.

This morning, my forecast was for a mostly cloudy day with some clearing by late afternoon. By some miracle that could only have been performed by the Lord above… or maybe Oprah… the sun came out early and stayed most of the day.

After a two-week long spell of clouds, drizzle, and temperatures 15-20 degrees below average, I think today is just what we all needed. I can tell by the Facebook posts and Twitter messages that if I had to be wrong, this was the way to do it. Of course, had things gone the other way and it was cloudy, rainy, 38 degrees, with flurries, I’d probably be calling in sick tomorrow.

Hi.  It's been a while.  Yes, I'm a little embarassed. 

By now, I think we all probably know that as much as I try, I'm not going to update my blog as often as many would like.  I'm no Brian Allen. That guy is a blogging champion! If you haven't yet, you should check out his blog... It's a must read.  Then, help him kick cancer in the butt.  Here's a link: Brian Allen's Blog .

I'm much more of a twitter/short blog type.  So, I'm adding my twitter feed below.  I'm much better at "tweeting" because I can do it on the go.  Feel free to leave a message in the comments section of this post.  I'll Tweet back at you or take care of it in another blog.  Enjoy! 

Shawn's Twitter Blog

We lucked out this week.  If temperatures would have been in the 20s or low 30s, we could have had a foot or more of snow across a good chunk of South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska. Fortunately, it was warm and we had rain instead of snow... most places did, anyhow.  

100 years ago today, however, it was a different story.  A big system moved across the central plains and cold air was much more abundant.  21 inches of snow fell in Sioux Falls with  strong northwest wind gusts to 50 mph creating blizzard conditions. 

The technology we have today makes forecasting a storm like this much easier.  I'll admit, the forecasts aren't always perfect, but if you think we're wrong a lot now, imagine what the forecast accuracy was like one hundred years ago.  There was no radar, no satellite, no weather balloons for upper-air measurement, no hourly observation network, no computer forecast models, etc. Weather observations were taken once daily (even less frequently in many rural areas) and sent to the US Weather Bureau in Washington, DC via telegraph. . 

Here's a link to an image of the February 9, 1909 US weather map. If you want to see a higher resolution version, go to the NOAA Daily Weather Map Archive.   You can pull daily weather maps all the way back to 1871.  You'll need to download the DjVu plug in for your browser to see the maps.  Don't worry, it's a quick and safe install.  Here's the link.

Check them out and you'll see that weather forecasting has come a long way, baby! 

 

It’s a busy day in the Action Weather Center and the KSFY newsroom. Blizzard warnings are in effect for most of South Dakota with a Winter Weather Advisory in effect for the I-29 corridor.

Be careful today! This is the type of storm system that will sneak up on you. Weather conditions may seem fine now, however, later today as the snow develops and the wind increases, whiteout conditions will develop very quickly. If you’re going to be traveling, be sure to have plenty of warm clothes and a winter survival kit in your car. Have a full tank of gas and a fully charged cell phone. Most importantly, if you get stuck in the blizzard, do not leave your vehicle. The whiteout conditions will cause you to get disoriented and you’ll wander off, get lost and freeze. Stay with your car! A large number of winter weather fatalities are caused by people leaving their car in the middle of a blizzard.

Stay tuned to KSFY.com and KSFY Television. We’re making some changes and working hard to keep the website updated with the very latest weather information so that you can keep your family safe during this storm and all winter long.

BLOG UPDATE 10/21/08 @ 4:20 PM
Forecast Still On Track

The forecast is still on track with my thoughts from earlier this morning. The latest forecast model runs continue to show that heavy rain is likely through Thursday with the heaviest rain falling tomorrow and tomorrow night.

There is still the potential for some snow mixed with the rain as cold air filters in from the north late tomorrow and tomorrow night. I don't expect much accumulation; however, as I said before, temperature is everything with this system. A change in just one or two degrees at the surface or aloft could make a big difference in the amount of rain vs. snow. Sioux Falls and the rest of the KSFY viewing area will see snow, however, the best chance for accumulation is across central Nebraska and portions of south central South Dakota. A Winter Storm Watch remains in effect for much of central Nebraska through tomorrow night. Patrs of west central Nebraska that are under the Winter Storm Watch for tomorrow and tomorroe night are under severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings this afternoon. 

Here are some links you can use for the latest information on this developing fall storm system.

Rain and snowfall forecast from the Sioux Falls National Weather Service

Latest Watches and Warnings from the National Weather Service

Below is the rainfall forecast for tonight through Thursday for Sioux Falls.




Previous Blog
Heavy rain and even some snow is possible across the KSFY viewing area later today through Thursday. Rainfall amounts of 2-3 inches are possible across parts of southeast South Dakota. As temperatures drop on Wednesday, snow will mix with the rain. I don’t expect snow to accumulate in Sioux Falls, however, 2-3 inches of snow or more are possible across parts of south central South Dakota. Heavier amounts are possible in northern and central Nebraska where a Winter Storm Watch is in effect from, Wednesday morning through Thursday evening.

Stay tuned, I’ll continue to update the blog as we get new information. There is still potential for change in this forecast. With this type of fall storm, a slight one to two degree temperature change could mean the difference between rain or snow. 

 

As I was growing up, KELO TV was a very popular channel at our house. Mostly because long time anchorman, Steve Hemmingsen, is from my home town of Morgan, MN and it’s always exciting to see someone you know on the tube. Imagine my family’s delight when they learned that I, too, would be hitting the airwaves of KELOLAND.

That little bit of fun lasted about two weeks. My family was able to watch me do the weather on three newscasts before they pulled the plug. KELO was gone… off the local UHF tower, off the local cable system. There were already two CBS affiliates in that area and they didn’t see a need for a third. So, for the next thirteen years, my mom and the rest of the family were without their family weatherman. The people of my hometown were left with one memory of me on TV: The poor, nervous guy that dropped the clicker. One lady even told me that she and her husband assumed that I walked off camera and wet my pants after each show. I didn’t, but let’s face it, the first couple of years were pretty rough. I like to think that I’ve gotten at least a little better since then.

Even though KELO was gone, KSFY stayed and very quickly became a favorite. Sometimes I think I underestimate how important our coverage is to people in southwest Minnesota and northwest Iowa. Even though my hometown and a lot of our southern and western Minnesota viewers are technically in the Minneapolis TV market, the folks there love getting their news, and especially weather, from Sioux Falls. I’ve heard many, many times that, “when watching KSFY, we know what weather is coming. If we were to wait for the Twin Cities stations, the barn would be long blown away before we heard about it on TV.”

The past thirteen years, every time I’d go home, my mother would talk about how much she loved watching Phil’s weather. Phil Schreck is a rock star at my parent’s house. Now, after thirteen years, mom is finally able to watch her son on TV again. She tells me how fun it is to be able to have her coffee with me each morning. I know she’s excited about my joining KSFY, but I’m still not sure if the bulk of her excitement comes from being able to watch me every day or from knowing that now I can get Phil to sign an 8 x 10 glossy for her to stick on her fridge.

I'll be honest. I'm not much of a blogger.  I don't write them and I don't read them. At least that's how it has been until now. When my wife started asking when I was going to get off of my duff and update my blog,  I figured it was about time. So, I'm sorry it's been so long.  I'll do my best to keep this baby updated on a weekly basis at the very least.

 For now, I'll chalk-it-up to spending most of my free time getting acclimated to my new TV home.  As with anything new, there's a bit of a learning curve. Things like being sure that I’m typing the right numbers into the right places on our weather system or knowing when I need to be on the air so that I don't get caught off guard with a day-old piece of Phil's slightly dry but still delicious strawberry anniversary cake in my mouth when I'm supposed to be doing the 7 Day Forecast have taken a bit of priority over my blogging.

 Fortunately, one of the most important parts of my job hasn’t changed at all… the meteorology.  One of the nice parts of being back on the air in Sioux Falls is that I already know how the weather works around here. I’ve had weathercaster friends move from the Midwest to the southeast coast and one of the most difficult things for them was learning to do weather in an entirely different climate.  Shifting from tornadoes and supercell thunderstorms of the Midwest to hurricanes and sea breezes is a big deal for a weather forecaster.  Already knowing the climate and meteorological subtleties of this area and, more importantly, how important the weather is to the people of this area has sure made my move to KSFY easier. 

 If you have any comments or questions, by all means, drop me an email.  My email address is scable@ksfy.com.  If you have weather to report, send an email to weather@ksfy.com.  Using the weather address will assure that your report gets to Phil, Derick, and me.

Thanks for stopping by!