Breezers,
   So has anyone ever had pasta primavera for breakfast?  Somehow, I just did.  Don't ask.

On more sane notes, after a day of freezing rain and drizzle from the 'Sota to the 'Dota, a more potent winter storm is taking shape for the Upper Midwest, namely the Dakotas and the 'Sota.  We may come away pretty easy here in the Cities, but still a lot of uncertainty.  Looks like we could get some more ice which is somewhat rare up here, especially in January.  The "bread 'n' butter" for ice storms is southern Iowa, Missouri, northern and central IL and IN and northern OH.  That doesn't mean ice storms can't happen north, or even south of there. One of the biggest ice storms of this past decade, if not the biggest, hammered Paducah, KY one year ago.  It took out the beautiful dogwood blossoms on the drive to the riverfront.  That was a "baddy", as we call 'em in Minneapolis.

This current winter storm looks to give North Dakota and northwest Minnesota a double digit amount of snow.  That is bad news.  This snow will have a lot of water with it and the snow cover on the ground is already loaded with water.  Plus, the frozen ground contains an additional surplus of water due to a wet autumn.  This is a recipe for disaster in the springtime when one of the most volatile rivers in North America almost annually floods, the Red River.  You may remember last March and April watching the news center on Fargo, North Dakota when the Red River threatened to overtop the levee and flood the entire town, similar to 1997 but even worse.  Thankfully, the levees held but not after a lot of makeshift reinforcement.  The NWS River Forecast Center is predicting a high likelihood of similar flooding this year.  Not good for Fargo or Grand Forks.  And yes, people DO live in North Dakota. 

As for Ilinois, the River Forecast Center looks to be staffed 24-7 into early next week for the threat of ice jams and river floods along the Illinois, Fox, Kankakee, and Rock Rivers.   A project I've been working on over the past year to simulate snow melt based on our hourly forecast indicates most of the snow cover should disappear in central IL, if not some of northern IL as well due to warmth and rain.  Much of this will go to runoff creating big problems.

Non-weather notes...I have received some hilarious text messages the past few days.  While I am not a fan of texting for most pertinent stuff, the off-the-walls material is classic.  Take for instance..

MTF:  "Going to be a slick walk over to the Moose buddy.  Heads up"
Sparky:  "Ill slick walk ur head thru a wall"

Miles:  "We are going to be stapled jamokes in Vegas.  And let's ditch o'brien just for fun!  I am so excited to completely ignore him!

MTF:  "Should be real icy by later tonight and tom morning"
Heather:  "Okay.  That sucks"

Heather:  "I fell today.  niu workers were putting salt out and were like 'whoa!  Looks like we arent doing our job!'  jerks"

Mengler:  "I wish dickie v announced my life...'he's going to work, r u serious!!!!...he ate a piece of pizza, up up and away!'"

Mengler:  "Nadal is an injury waitin to happen...either roids or a has been?"


Hahaha, classics.  And on that last one, RAFA NADAL is currently winning in the third round.  Andy Roddick came back and won yesterday after loosing the first set.  Looks like week 2 is going to have the big guns left.  As long as Roddick, Federer, or RAFA win I'm happy.  RAFA SHORTS.

Haven't received any texts from Novak Djokovic's biggest fan, this guy below, in a while?  What gives?




From the 'Sota to the 'Dota to LOWELL,
MTF