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Showing posts from May, 2012

Observing Weather Is Fun & Worthwhile!

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Lately I've been drawn into the NCDC - Image and Publications System , specifically the COOP Data / Record of Climatological Observations Form in hopes to find numbers to back up photos of certain weather phenomena. What I've learned; Historically, Oshkosh weather observers have recorded daily observations with diligence and enthusiasm. That pleases me. (February 22, 1922 - Menominee Park, Oshkosh, WI) Photo courtesy of the Oshkosh Public Museum View of the sleet storm of 1922, showing fallen trees in Menominee Park. The statue of Chief Oshkosh is at center and covered with ice. On February 22, 1922, a freak winter thunderstorm turned into a devastating sleet storm that paralyzed the city and surrounding communities for several days. In Oshkosh the damage started early in the morning when the weight of the ice started bringing down trees by the hundreds, breaking electrical, telephone and telegraph lines as well as the electric streetcars that left passengers stranded t

Oshkosh's Third "10-Year" Storm In Four Years

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Early morning and into the afternoon on May 3 Oshkosh endured some hefty rainfall amounts. Thunderstorms trained over the city which kept the populous enthralled to sights of bright lightning strikes and sounds of deep thunder roars and pounding rain. (Winnebago County Precipitation Totals) 1.34 MNSW3 MENASHA-JEFFERSON 2.08 NAHW3 NEENAH-EAST 1.55 WNCW3 WINNECONNE-5NW-LK 3.56 OMSW3 OMRO-SOUTHEAST 3.26 OMWW3 OMRO-2 3.10 OOHW3 OSHKOSH-5 4.12 OSNW3 OSHKOSH-NORTH 2.76 OSH OSHKOSH-AIRPORT 4.15 OKHW3 OSHKOSH-WWTP 3.35 OOSW3 OSHKOSH-6 (Wisconsin Statewide Precipitation Totals) Travel around town was limited as high water made roads impassable rerouting traffic onto the path less traveled. The new surroundings brought the situation into light. Many citizens, again, were hit very hard by the flooding rains. Little Lake Waugoo re-fills for the first time in 2012.  #wiwx   twitter.com/streetwiseosh/… — Jeff Bollier (@streetwiseosh)  May 3, 2012 Looks like no recess for the kids a

April Brings Oshkosh Back To Reality

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After a bruising warm March, the warmest March in Oshkosh history, April began with a relative chill to the air. Daytime highs in the 40s and 50s were a far cry from the 70s just a few weeks prior. The chill stayed with us the entire month. Throughout the 30 days of April only 7 of them recorded a high temperature above 60 degrees. Accompanied with the cool daytime highs were cold nights that heightened concern for area crop damage. Few vineyards and orchards are suited to stave off sub freezing temperatures after an early start to the growing season like we had in March. As Wisconsinites we know April low temperatures can regularly dip below the freezing mark. Fortunately our area didn't have to endure a hard freeze as our lowest temperature recorded in April was 30 degrees. Temperatures dipped below the freezing mark 6 times with the most extreme stretch occurring between April 10 and April 13 when each night fell below freezing. We'll have to wait until June to get an accur