Midwestern Pressure System Sets New Low; Ruins my Day

♫ I don't know where I'ma going to go when the low pressure blows! ♫

A low pressure system slinking its way across the northern Midwest of the United States has set a new record  as its central pressure is now the lowest on record for a U.S. non-tropical land-based system with a barometeric reading of 956.31 mb 954.95 mb in Minnesota.  To put this into some perspective, a Category 3 hurricane usually has a atmospheric pressure of 964-945 mb, but unlike a hurricane the pressure system does not have a large, warm body of water to feed itself with so it isn't quite the same. 

The center of the storm is off to the northwest of me, and our local barometer is reading 979.68 mb.  The wind is howling, rain is coming down in sheets, and I need to walk the dog still.  Ugh.

Update: Walked the dog.  So at least that is out of the way.

Are you getting slammed by this storm?  Is the weather ruining your day?  If so consider the comment section open for our own private pity party.



Morning Updates
We survived the night here and I took the dog out for his morning walk.  Our yard had a lot of shingles in it, but fortunately they were from the neighbor's roof and not our own.  The wind is still whipping around like crazy, and it is still cold, cold, cold.

The national record of a low of 954.95 mb (28.20") held overnight, though Wisconsin managed to set a state record with 961.06 mb (28.38") at Superior.

The high winds have also knocked out power for about 60,000 people in Northern Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula.  The Big Falls Dam on the Flambeau river near Ladysmith, WI, also had a sinkhole developed in an earthen portion of the dam.  Crews are lowering water levels in the reservoir behind the dam to try and relieve pressure on the structure.

Wikipedia is telling me this storm has been dubbed "The Chiclone" because Chicago had some of the worst impacts from the storm.  The name looks to have stuck as several major media outlets are using the term.  It is, in my opinion, a silly name, but I can't come up with anything better.

It doesn't appear that the pressure system has moved all that much since last night.  Appearantly it really likes northern Minnesota.  Eventually, though, it should continue to move north toward Hudson Bay.  

A blizzard warning is in effect for North Dakota, with up to 10 inches was expected in some areas.  Light snowfall is being reported in Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN, but it is still rain in my neck of the woods.  We probably lucked out that rain was the main form of precipitation with this storm.  Had it been all snow the blizzard conditions would mostly likely have been awful and probably something more akin to the Great Lakes Storm of 1913.

Lake Superior is getting some major wave action from all the wind with 23 foot waves near Isle Royale this morning.  Hopefully no one is out there trying to surf.