Squirrel & Current Weather - COD Weather Camera

[Update, NWS at 1:21PM. Warrenville snowfall total so far 2.0 inches]
[Update, NWS at 3:30PM, Warrenville snowfall total so far 4.0 inches]
[Update, 4:00PM. With the current storm track, snowfall should end about 6:00 PM]
[Update, 5:40PM - It's over. NWS reported 5.0 to 5.3 inches total snowfall in our immediate area. See the following WeatherUnderground.com  radar plot of the storm continuing eastward.]

The view at about 6:00 PM:

COD Weather Camera
Here's a link to a weather camera over at COD. If it is working you'll get an image. Note that it updates about once every 5 minutes, but you will have to refresh your browser to get the latest image:

Clicking will open a  New Window> College of DuPage Weather Camera

Squirrels are Everywhere
Somebody said "Hey, where is a photo of that squirrel you see from your window?" This morning our neighbor squirrel visited again. He usually stops by after breakfast and I had returned from the office in time to get several photos. I don't feed the critters, that's a rule here at BLMH and this squirrel doesn't seem any the worse for wear this winter and is apparently well fed.

Weather Outlook

Today there is a weather advisory. I went to the office early to beat the snow, which was predicted to begin at 9:00am. Here is the radar of the snow (blue) and sleet (pink) as of 9:30am. The combination of Rain/Ice/Snow is to the south and it seems it will stay that way. I certainly hope so. Snow may be undesirable, but ice would be much worse.

Click Below to read more

The National Weather Service (NWS) prediction for our area as of 9:03am, CST:

Here's the NWS Chicago radar image at 10:16am:

This is the hydrologic data this morning, No flooding in the area.  That may change. See the Hydrologic Data Report. 

And this is the National Weather Service (NWS) 7-day forecast:

• Washington's BirthdaySnow. The snow could be heavy at times. Some thunder is also possible. High near 28. Breezy, with a southeast wind 15 to 20 mph becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 4 to 8 inches possible.
• TonightA 50 percent chance of snow before 9pm. Cloudy during the early evening, then gradual clearing, with a low around 17. West wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
• TuesdayMostly sunny, with a high near 38. Breezy, with a south southwest wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph.
• Tuesday NightPartly cloudy, with a low around 24. West wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
• WednesdayMostly sunny, with a high near 36. West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
• Wednesday NightRain or freezing rain likely after midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 30. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
• ThursdayRain, possibly mixed with freezing rain, becoming all rain after noon. Some thunder is also possible. High near 44. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
• Thursday NightA slight chance of rain and snow showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 23. Breezy.
• FridayMostly sunny, with a high near 33. Breezy.
• Friday NightA slight chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 21.
• SaturdayA chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 30.
• Saturday NightMostly cloudy, with a low around 9.
• SundayPartly sunny, with a high near 23.

Hydrologic Data Report, NWS, February 17, 2014 

HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
551 AM CST MON FEB 17 2014 /651 AM EST MON FEB 17 2014/

...INCREASING FLOOD POTENTIAL BY THURSDAY...

HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO CLIMB ABOVE FREEZING TUESDAY AND
POSSIBLY AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY RESULTING IN SOME SNOW MELT...THOUGH
TEMPERATURES DROPPING BELOW FREEZING AT NIGHT SHOULD LIMIT THE
RATE OF SNOW MELT. TEMPERATURES AND DEWPOINTS BOTH ARE FORECAST
TO CLIMB WELL ABOVE FREEZING THURSDAY...ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF THE
KANKAKEE RIVER WHERE READINGS WELL INTO THE 40S TO AROUND 50 ARE
POSSIBLE WHICH WOULD RESULT IN A MORE RAPID SNOW MELT.

SNOW DEPTHS ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST INDIANA RANGE
BETWEEN 8 AND 18 INCHES. MORE IMPORTANTLY...THE WATER EQUIVALENT
OF THE EXISTING SNOW PACK IS ESTIMATED BETWEEN 1 AND 4
INCHES...WITH THE HIGHER AMOUNTS CONCENTRATED MOSTLY NEAR THE
WISCONSIN STATE LINE. AN ADDITIONAL 4 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW WITH
WATER EQUIVALENT OF AROUND A HALF INCH IS LIKELY TODAY. FROST
DEPTHS BELOW THE SNOW PACK RANGE FROM 12 TO 16 INCHES. A DEEP
FROST LAYER CAN INHIBIT THE INFILTRATION OF WATER FROM SNOW MELT
AND INCREASE THE RUNOFF INTO AREA RIVERS AND STREAMS.

BASED ON CURRENT TEMPERATURE FORECASTS ALONE...RIVERS WILL LIKELY
START RISING DUE TO SNOW MELT DURING THE MID TO LATTER HALF OF NEXT
WEEK. THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN TO FALL LATE
WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY...ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF INTERSTATE
80. THE SEVERITY OF ANY POTENTIAL FLOODING WILL DEPEND LARGELY ON
THE WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT OCCUR DURING THE MELT PERIOD. IF HEAVY
RAINFALL MATERIALIZES THAT WOULD INCREASE THE RATE OF RUNOFF AND
SUBSEQUENT FLOODING. IDEAL MELT CONDITIONS TO MINIMIZE THE DEGREE
OF FLOODING WOULD INCLUDE DAYTIME TEMPERATURES RISING MODERATELY
ABOVE FREEZING...AND OVERNIGHT LOWS FALLING BACK BELOW FREEZING.
THIS WOULD HELP TO REGULATE THE RELEASE OF SNOW MELT RUNOFF INTO
AREA STREAMS.

ANOTHER MAJOR CONCERN IS THE AMOUNT OF ICE COVER ON RIVERS ACROSS
THE AREA. NWS CHICAGO ICE SPOTTERS REPORT MANY RIVERS HAVE 100
PERCENT ICE COVER. AS THE RUNOFF BEGINS...STREAM FLOWS BENEATH
THE ICE COVER WILL INCREASE WHICH WILL LIFT AND BREAK THE ICE. AS
THE ICE MOVES DOWNSTREAM...ICE JAMS ARE POSSIBLE. ICE JAMS CAN
RESULT IN RAPID RISES OF WATER LEVELS AND SIGNIFICANT FLOODING IN
THE VICINITY OF THE JAM.

PERSONS LIVING ALONG RIVERS AND IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD
PREPARE NOW FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF RIVER FLOODING IN THE COMING
WEEKS. CONTINUE TO CLOSELY MONITOR THIS DEVELOPING SNOW MELT
SITUATION. ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS OR
TEMPERATURES COULD AFFECT THE TIMING AND SEVERITY OF FLOODING.

FOR DETAILED RIVER FORECAST AND FLOOD INFORMATION GO TO
WEATHER.GOV/CHICAGO AND CLICK ON THE RIVERS AND LAKES LINK.

$$