Fox11online.com Blogs » Pete Petoniak

Man in the Moon & Clear Skies 020812

Pete Petoniak — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:55:07 +0000

Did you see the full moon last night or this morning? Just beautiful. That’s called the “Snow” moon although we don’t have a lot of snow to go along with it. In fact that full moon got so close this morning during the show, we could actually see the man in the moon (with a little help that is). Grab the sunglasses as you head out today because we’ll see abundant sunshine courtesy of a high pressure area that builds to our west. This will bring clear skies through Thursday then a cold front will drop down from Canada and give us a chilly weekend with high temperatures near 22 and lows in the single-digits.

Cracks in the ice of the Bay and Lake 020712

Pete Petoniak — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:06:06 +0000

The warm weather we’ve had lately is doing a number on the ice around here. Satellite images of the ice taken yesterday show large cracks on the Bay of Green Bay and Lake Winnebago. A rescue on the Bay took place yesterday when 7 men were stranded after a crack grew. A 3 year-old child was also with the group. The ice on Lake Winnebago is also not safe. All experts say that the ice is Never Completely Safe and with the mild weather we’ve had, that is never truer. Don’t endanger yourself and those around you. Cold weather is moving in today and again this weekend which could help the conditions.

Cooler Today 020712

Pete Petoniak — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:45:07 +0000

There’s a bite in the air and temperatures are dropping on strong north winds at 10-20 mph today. Temperatures will hold steady at about 28° but wind chills will be in the teens so bundle up. We are coming off a string of very mild days with a high of 44 in Green Bay on Saturday; 38° on Sunday and 40° yesterday. Now we are dealing with the effects of the passage of a cold front and very chilly air. An area of high pressure to our west will bring fair weather and sunshine the next couple of days then another shot of cold air will drop into the area Friday and be with us through the weekend. We may see some snow showers or flurries late Thursday into Friday as the front moves through but it shouldn’t amount to much at all. Grab the scarf and have a great day!

Clouds Today; Sun Appears Sat. 020312

Pete Petoniak — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:03:23 +0000

Cloudy skies will be the rule for us over the next day and a half but we’ll finally see the sun by mid-morning tomorrow. The temperatures will continue to be well above normal (Normal High is 25°) into early next week. A major storm to our southwest is bringing snow and wind to Colorado, Kansas and into Nebraska and Iowa over the next 24 hours. An area of high pressure to our west will keep this system from moving farther to the north so we should just get some clouds from the storm but no snow. Have a great weekend!

Foggy Start and Cloudy Day 012612

Pete Petoniak — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:49:18 +0000

It’s a foggy morning as mild southwest winds are flowing over a snow covered ground creating reduced visibilities. At 9 am visibility in parts of our area were a quarter mile or less. The fog will stick around for the morning hours and the low level moisture may also lead to slippery spots on the roads so drive with care. Other than that, it’s another mild day is on tap today with highs in the mid 30s. The normal high is 24° so we’re well above normal once again and even though a cold front is moving through later today, temperatures will still be warmer than normal through Saturday. We do have a storm system moving in tomorrow and for you snow-lovers, it could bring us 1-3 inches of accumulation. Not a named winter storm but at this point with a snow deficit of about 13″ so far, we’ll take it. It could make your Friday afternoon commute a bit hazardous though. As for the weekend, Saturday looks good then a cold blast will take hold for Sunday. Watch for fog and slippery roads this morning and Have a great day!

Cold Then Snow 011912

Pete Petoniak — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:52:50 +0000

It started to warm up today at about 3 am, that’s when we hit our low of -9° in Green Bay. With warmer air pushing in (although not too warm) so is the snow. Expect snow to start falling in Green Bay and the Fox Cities about noon and continue through this evening. Most of the area will see 2-4″ of accumulation and driving will not be the best as the day wears on.

The temperature will be near 10° when the snow starts flying and that means it will be the light, fluffy kind of snow so it won’t be a back-breaker as you shovel. At such low temperatures though, salt isn’t as effective at melting so roads will get slippery. If you’re traveling to the south you can expect snow all the way through Chicago with the heaviest amounts between Milwaukee and Chicago with a possible 6 to 9 inches of accumulation. Expect sun but cold conditions tomorrow and a wintry mix may make traveling Sunday afternoon a bit tough.

Cold Stretch Starts 011812

Pete Petoniak — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:27:23 +0000

We’re not used to this! So far it has been a mild winter with January’s average temperature running about 9° above normal. No wonder the sub-zero temperatures we woke up to this morning felt even colder. The morning low in Green Bay was -2° which is the first sub-zero of this season. Usually we see our first sub-zero temperature on December 20th. This cold snap will continue for the next few days. A quick-moving storm system moves to the north of the state tonight and will bring snow showers and then leave even colder air in its wake. Expect a high only near 6° tomorrow and strong west winds of 15 to 25 mph which keeps the wind chills below zero all day. After a morning low on Friday of -5° we’ll see accumlating snow on Friday afternoon and evening with 1 to 3 inches possible for us. Find the long underwear and have a great day!

Mild Monday with Snow Tuesday 0116

Pete Petoniak — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:47:11 +0000

Last night after the Packers loss to the Giants we may have thought that it wouldn’t happen but it has…the sun really has risen again. It’ll be obscured by the clouds most of the day but it will be mild with a high in the mid 30s. (Normal high for this time of year is 24°) A storm system pushes through the state tomorrow and colder air filters in. Expect a high near 24° with light snow accumulating 1 to 2 inches in most areas. The snow will likely start early tomorrow morning and be done by the late afternoon which means your afternoon commute may be slippery. Temperatures really cool down in the middle of the week as an Arctic air mass drops in for a quick visit then we warm up to the mid 30s again by Sunday. Very mild once again and in fact, it has been much warmer than normal so far in January, almost 10° warmer! Have a great day and remember…there’s always next year!

Record High Possible then Colder 011012

Pete Petoniak — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:22:31 +0000

We’ll see lots of sunshine today and possible record-breaking temperatures. Unseasonably warm weather has been the story in the midwest over the past 24 hours. Check out the highs from yesterday below. In Northeast Wisconsin we saw high temperatures in the mid 40s with strong southwest winds gusting to 30 mph. the wind has diminished and our high will once again be in the mid to upper 40s. Record High for January 10th in Green Bay is 48°; Appleton 49° and Oshkosh 50°. Enjoy it, things change Thursday and snow is on the way too. Right now it looks like 2 to 4 inches by Friday morning.

Will Tuesday be a record-breaker? 010912

Pete Petoniak — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:45:20 +0000

Mild weather continues today on strong southwest winds. At 10 am the winds were consistenly 15 to 20 mph with gusts near 30 mph so hold on to your hats. The winds will subside late this afternoon. Those winds are pumping up warmer temperatures and we’ll see possible record warmth tomorrow. Highs will be near 46 tomorrow under partly sunny skies. (Record in Green Bay for the date is 48 last set in 1978) A cold front will put an end to the mild weather by mid week and we’ll return to more normal temperatures. And if you’re heading to the Packers-Giants playoff game Sunday it’ll be milder than it was 4 years ago for their get-together. Back then (January 20, 2008) the kickoff temperature was 1° with a wind chill of -17° and it felt a lot wrse after that overtime field goal gave the Giants the win.