WHAT TO EXPECT IN MARCH AND APRIL 2011 - ISSUED MARCH 4TH

MARCH 2011:  MARCH WILL BE INTERESTING TO SAY THE LEAST.  I'VE BEEN SAYING FOR PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS THE WEATHER PATTERN FOR IOWA WOULD CHANGE - IT'S HAPPENING.


MARCH WEATHER HEADLINES:


"BATTLEGROUND" IOWA THRU MARCH:  STORM AFTER STORM WILL TRACK WEST TO EAST THRU THE END OF THE MONTH.  EXPECT A BUSY MONTH AS STORMS SLAM THE MID-SECTION OF THE U.S.  A HIGHER THAN NORMAL SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION HAS SET UP FROM SOUTHERN IA., TO OHIO, AND SOUTH INTO TENN/ARK.


EXPECT AT OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW 40'S EARLY IN MONTH - INCREASING TO MID 50'S BY MONTHS END.  AN AVERAGE MARCH LIQUID PRECIPITATION OF 2.4" IS LIKELY TO BE SHATTERED - EXPECT AT LEAST 4-5 INCHES OF LIQUID EQUIVELANT, AND DON'T BE SURPRISED TO SEE  AN EASY 4-8 INCHES OF SNOW THRU THE END OF MONTH.  NORMAL IS 4 INCHES.


WHILE MARCH IS GOING TO GO DOWN AS VERY BUSY MONTH OVERALL, THERE ARE TWO TIME PERIODS THAT REALLY NEED WATCHED.  THE 10TH THRU THE 13TH - AND THE 19TH THRU THE 21ST.  THESE COULD BE BIG ONES.


ONE MORE NOTE FOR MARCH:  IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE, FLOODING IS GOING TO BE A MAJOR ISSUE.  A COMBINATION OF 80" OF SNOW AND COUNTING IN SRN MINN., NEAR NORMAL SPRING TEMPS, ICE JAMS ALREADY IN PLACE, A WEATHER PATTERN DUMPING LOADS OF RAIN WITH ABOVE NORMAL SNOWS IN IOWA, AND MORE HEAVY SNOWS TO OUR NORTH WILL CAUSE REAL PROBLEMS.  NOT GOING TO BE PRETTY.


APRIL 2011:  BOUTS OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL CONTINUE THRU MID MONTH.  AS COMPARED WITH MARCH - WE'LL BE DRIER.  NORMAL LIQUID PRECIPITATION FOR APRIL RANGES FROM 2.70 INCHES IN THE NORTH, AND NEARLY 3.80 INCHES IN THE SOUTH...  EXPECT AT OR JUST ABOVE NORMAL RAINFALL - MOST OF WHICH WILL COME IN THE FIRST TWO WEEKS.  WE'RE LIKELY TO SEE A SHORT BOUT OF SNOW/ICE EARLY IN THE MONTH AS WELL, REACHING OUR NORMAL SNOWFALL OF 2 INCHES.  AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW 60'S WILL BE THE NORM - WITH AVERAGE LOWS NEAR 40F.



HERE'S SOME ADDED INFORMATION:

Extreme Super (Full) Moon to Cause Chaos?

Coming up later this month (March 19 to be exact) the moon will make its closest approach to Earth (called lunar perigee) in 18 years. A new or full moon at 90% or greater of its closest perigee to Earth has been named a "SuperMoon" by astrologer Richard Nolle. This term has been recently picked up by astronomers. An extreme "SuperMoon" is when the moon is full or new as well as at its 100% greater mean perigee (closest) distance to earth. By this definition, last month's full moon, this month's and next month's will all be extreme "SuperMoons".

READ BELOW TO SEE WHAT RICHARD NOLLE HAS TO SAY............

I have read several "new age" forecasts that go something like this: "Extreme SuperMoon this month (March 2011) will bring strong earthquakes and storms and/or unusual climate patterns." Google the term 'extreme SuperMoon March 2011' and see for yourself what comes up. The validity of these types of forecasts can be debated ad nauseum.

There were SuperMoons in 1955, 1974, 1992 and 2005. These years had their share of extreme weather and other natural events. Is the Super Moon and these natural occurences a coincidence? Some would say yes; some would say no.

Richard goes on to say - I'm not here to pick sides and say I'm a believer or non-believer in subjects like this, but as a scientist I know enough to ask questions and try to find answers.
We obviously know that there are scientific laws that say the moon affects the Earth (i.e. tides). There are also less proven theories that propose that the moon affects the Earth in other ways (i.e. abnormal behavior during a full moon). Can the Super (full) Moon contribute to extreme weather and other natural phenomenon?

Here's my opinion (Rj's).  The last extreme super moon occurred was on January 10th, 2005, right around the time of the 9.0 Indonesia earthquake. That particular extreme super moon was a new moon.

Is the SuperMoon Theory Quackery? What can we expect this time around? Earthquakes? Volcanic eruptions? Extreme weather?  I guess we can only wait and see........

If you read my March/April Forecast, you would know I pinpointed the 19th thru the 21st of March as a time period we really need to watch.  I want it well known, that I did NOT take into consideration of a "SuperMoon" for that time period.  Meteorologically speaking - that's what the current Weather Pattern is showing me.