Since the weather remains quiet across Minnesota, I thought I'd share some interesting weather information from the Tropics... hey - it's hard to find stuff to talk about sometimes when it's as quiet as it's been. Don't worry the weather will change, it always does. On that note, I want to thank my Aunt, Kaye Kruse, for sending me these photos from the Bahamas. She is on vacation and was hoping to spend a little time on the beach - catch up on a little R&R, but Tropical Storm Ida has been stirring the pot in the Caribbean and causing some rough surf as far East as the Bahamas. I actually got a call from her yesterday wondering if they'd be able to catch their flight out of Dodge, which (good news) it looks like they will. Unfortunately, their beach time was cut a little short. To be honest, I actually feel somewhat guilty, like it was my fault the storm formed and disrupted their fun in the sun. The funny thing - a weather geek like me, I would have enjoyed the storm. How many of us from the Midwest can say that we've ever been through a mild tropical storm or weak hurricane? I still have that on my Bucket List, how about you?

This image is from their hotel room - not what you'd imagine seeing when booking your trip to paradise

Red Flags fly on the beach, but some insist on tempting fate anyway - lifeguards on duty to rescue those who either succumb to heavy surf or sharks. YIKES!
(YEA, I WATCHED JAWS ONE TOO MANY TIMES AS A KID - the ocean freaks me out)

Infrared Satellite of Ida


Ida Track and Sea Surface Temperatures

The storm track is outlined in white, which is also known as the cone of uncertainty. The uncertainty grows with time, thus the wider storm track as it nears the U.S. Gulf coast states. The colors you see also show sea surface temperatures, which are still warm at this time of year. The storm should be able to gather enough strength to become a category 1 or 2 hurricane today or tomorrow - stay tuned!


Modeling the Storm

Here are a number of different models that attempt to forecast the correct path. Note how they all seem to follow the same path, but a couple are printing out different calculations and are nowhere near the others. Stay tuned for further updates!



Todd's Outlook for the Twin Cities

Today: Increasing clouds. Light rain possible. High: near 57

Tonight: Lingering sprinkles early, then decreasing clouds. Low: 41

Monday: Cooler and mostly sunny. High: 54

Tuesday: Partly cloudy, less wind. High: 54

Wednesday (Veterans Day): Partly cloudy, still dry. High: 52

Thursday: Mostly cloudy, chance of a few showers - chilly. High: 53