Record Highs, Ice Fishing Woes and Drought

Record highs are expected in central Iowa Monday, Jan. 30th as spring-like weather will be replacing the "dead" of winter. Central Iowa has already hit 65 this month (Des Moines, January 5th) one of two record highs we've broken so far in 2012. 57 set back in 1988 should be replaced with low to mid 60s for a high in Des Moines today.

Temperatures have been on a wild roller coaster this winter, but if one thing has been consistent it's warmer-than-average temps! As of January 29th, Des Moines is tied for it's 4th warmest winter on record. During what is typically our coldest month of the year, we have been running 5-10 degrees above normal highs.

This significantly impacted late season hunting as warm weather threw game into nocturnal movements and subtle daylight patterns. Many hunters are concerned with Iowa deer populations declining, but the mild winter should allow a higher than normal survival rate and more deer for next year. Meanwhile, ice fishers have been experiencing some of the toughest ice conditions in years with a late-season onset of hard water. Ice thicknesses are borderline safe and with the type of temperatures in the 7-day forecast, it might be time to break the boat out from winter storage. Ice conditions could become quite dangerous by the middle to end of the week.

Along with this warmth, we've been seeing the dry conditions expanding. Moderate to severe drought has been strengthening it's grip in the NW 1/3 of the state. A dry spring on the heels of the winter we've seen could set the stage for a hot/dry summer here in Iowa.

Hunting seasons are winding down, so we'll soon shift focus to fishing, spring turkey and morel mushrooms. Coming up later this week I'll have a hunting season in review blog about some of the valuable lessons I learned this year with weather and hunting.

Many Season's Ending... Now What?

Most of the popular hunting seasons are over and have been for weeks leaving many outdoorsmen wondering what to do? Truth is, there are still season's to hunt (for at least a few days) and the weather has been quite cooperative to both hunter and quarry. One example is squirrel hunting.

Now I know it's not the most dramatic, but small game hunter's would argue that squirrel hunting is very exciting and rewarding! A reader of the Outdoor's Weather Guide informed me about an event to help raise money for a local fire department while enjoying the outdoors hunting bushytails. If you're scratching your head, looking for something to do this might be a fun one for you and a friend, plus last year's winnings totaled about $700.

This hunt is held this Saturday, Jan. 28th near Panora for the Panora Fire Departement. Registration for two man teams is from 6am to 9am at the Fire Department. If you have questions call George at 641-757-0783

This weekend's weather should be decent for hunting. Saturday will bring a brisk breeze as Canadian high pressure pushes in. It will also be chilly, with highs stuck in the 30s for most. Sunday high pressure will be sitting on top of us spelling light winds, a clear sky, teens to start and upper 20s to lower 30s for the afternoon. Keep track of central Iowa's most accurate 7-day here.

Here are the seasons still open:

Deer (January Antlerless) Ends Jan. 29th
Grouse, Squirrel Ends Jan. 31st
Cottontail Rabbit Ends Feb. 18th

More Snow Today, but Mild in our Forecast

Well, we picked up a bit of snow to start the week, but not enough to replace what we melted with Sunday's temperatures.

Updated totals available at the Iowa Environmental Mesonet

While this latest skiff of winter weather is unwelcome during the drive time, it is a good thing for last minute deer hunters and ice-fishermen alike.

Ice on the roads is generally bad, but ice on the lakes is
exactly what ice fishers have been asking for!

In central Iowa we are experiencing one of winter's latest entrances in several years. Last week was the first time this year that our daily average temperature went below freezing for more than a day. This is the perfect weather for manufacturing ice on the lakes and rivers and ice fishers are reporting good ice thicknesses of 6" or better on central Iowa lakes.

Climatology suggests we are in the coldest weeks of winter. Each day we are seeing a few minutes more daylight (click on the sunrise/moonrise calender link on the right) and that means spring is just around the corner and so are warmer temps. Bottom line, make time to ice fish in the next 3-4weeks because this colder pattern and fishable ice may only last that long.

Snow Chances Snowball



Jan. 17th Snow Totals in Iowa

 Well, here are the totals for today's storm courtesy of the Iowa Environmental Mesonet (linked to the right, click on "Iowa Current Conditions").

A narrow corridor of 1"-3" fell right in central Iowa into eastern Iowa. You can check it out from a satellite perspective here. This new blanket of white could help push Iowa over the edge from our mild pattern into a snowy 2nd half of winter. The basic meteorology behind this theory is snow is cold and with snow on the ground we'll be colder. Colder air tends to help direct the jetstream further south. The jetstream has been well north of Iowa most of the winter causing storm systems to miss us to the north. Now the pattern will have an easier time pushing more snow chances into Iowa. So in a sense, snow can help future snow chances snowball.

Are you sick of the word snow yet? Sorry, but here is our next chance of snow :) 

This is a computer model's prediction
for snow totals on the 20th.

It looks like Friday we might see a band developing overhead. Most models are taking this up into northern and NE IA, but I think colder surface air could help shift this storm further south. Keep track of this dynamic forecast in central Iowa with our 7-day on myabc5.com. Regardless, it looks like we'll be talking about a chance of snow every 2-3 days for the next two weeks which is perfect for the January Antlerless hunters trying to make the most out of the last two weeks and for the ice fishermen itching to get on the water. The more snow we get, the colder it gets!

This last storm had such cold air with it that it created waterspouts over the open waters of the Missouri river. This extremely rare phenomenon was captured on film so check out the link here.

A Good Jerky Recipe

Hunting season is winding down, and I have been very blessed again this year with several deer and some great memories with good friends. Although, I'm not quite out of hunting mode yet, this time of year I often shift into processing mode making custom burger, sausage and jerky. Here's one of my newest recipes for deer jerky. If you don't have any deer to spare (or perhaps you don't hunt) substitute venison with beef roasts from the grocery store. Go with an arm or shoulder roast instead of a chuck roast -the leaner, the better.

My favorite way to savor the season's success- Jerky!
Thanks to Kirk Butts from ABC5 for taking this picture.

Here's what you'll need:
5lbs of roast (venison or beef)
1 bottle of liquid smoke
1 bottle of soy sauce (could substitute with teriyaki or worcestershire)
3 shots of Jack Daniels Whiskey (don't worry, no one's getting buzzed off this recipe)
1/4 lb of brown sugar
salt and pepper (season brine to taste)

*If you want to turn up the heat, go with a healthy dose of hot sauce (flavor of choice and season to taste)

1). Put meat in freezer until it is half frozen. Take it out and slice it thin (about 1/4 inch thick). Cut across the grain of the meat and try to be as consistent with the thickness as possible. If you cut with the grain, your jerky will be tougher to chew. Set the meat aside.

2). Mix liquid smoke, soy sauce, sugar, whiskey and seasonings in a big bowl to make the jerky brine. Feel free to adjust recipe to suite your tastes but keep in mind the flavor will be a bit more concentrated once the jerky is done. Add meat in after the brine is thoroughly mixed. Pour into ziploc bags, squeeze the air and store for 24hrs in the fridge.

Watch out, they go fast!

3). A food dehydrator works best, but you can also use your oven to dry the jerky out. Place meat on racks and dehydrate for 8 hrs or put in the oven at the lowest temperature (usually 175)  for 4-5 hours. If you use the oven, be sure to line the bottom with foil to catch the drippings.

After that, enjoy your tasty treat! You'll get to savor the satisfaction of making your own jerky right along with that flavor that I think is better than store bought products any day of the week! Enjoy!

In my next post we'll talk about how much snow we'll see this week, and which days will feature the best hunting and ice fishing weather!

Mixed Bag of Weather Ahead

Well, Des Moines received the first snowfall of the year -a whopping 0.8". Better late than never, and we can now join the ranks of about 1/3 of the nation covered in snow.

Snow Depth Courtesy NWS

And you know what, I'll take it! Along with that snow comes the bitter arctic chill. Both of these factors are huge inhibitors for most folks going outside, but they are valuable assets in hunting. Take a look at Friday morning's temperatures for example.

Friday, January 13th Temperatures

We are physically 45 to 55 degrees colder than we were just 64 hours ago! That is not only a huge shock to you, but all living creatures in the environment. The regular 2011 hunting season ended for me without a shot being fired or an arrow loosed and I blame the edgy late-season whitetail and abnormally warm weather combination. But that same season stiffling warmth is now gone, and game animals are on a need-to-feed pattern. 

Hunting today and Saturday will be good, as will Sunday morning. Sunday afternoon, temperatures warm up and activity levels will go down. Fishing will be above average on Saturday as a weak storm slides in overhead. Please be very cautious on the ice as the forces of strong winds have served to break up a lot of the thin ice on the main lakes. Patience will pay off in a week or so for most ice fishermen. A stronger winter storm will drag down Canadian cold and temperatures will spend several days below freezing, shoring up the hardwater and hopefully making things safe enough for you on the ice.

Catch your Outdoors Weather Guide every Sat./Sun. on ABC5
or online at http://www.myabc5.com/

Ah, winter. The numbing numbers, bitter wind chill and fresh flakes... the hardy outdoorsmen's paradise! Enjoy and good luck.

Look to The Sky for Success



In a warm pattern like this, the days all seem to look the same on the 7-day forecast. Isolating subtle weather details can make all the difference in discovering good hunting/fishing activity. Subtle weather changes are often displayed in the clouds, so learn to read the sky and become a better outdoorsman.



Cirrus Clouds



Clear sky or Cirrus clouds. These wispy clouds are made of ice crystals and occur at high levels in the atmosphere. Cirrus are often a sign of high pressure. Add in a light wind and cool temperatures and the hunting will be about as fair as the weather. Fishing activity is usually slow, the bite is subtle and most game fish are close to cover.

Cirrostratus

Cirrostratus-Altostratus. These clouds are mid to high level clouds that are thicker in nature than just a few wispy cirrus. Jet stream energy usually makes these clouds and they’ll often come just hours before a change in the weather. It’s hard to tell how strong the storm will be by just the clouds alone, but if the pressure’s falling and meteorologist’s are calling for a low moving in with rain or snow followed by much colder conditions impacting your area -both hunting and fishing will be good before the storm. Game animals feed recklessly especially when mist, drizzle and light snow are thrown into the forecast, so hunt food sources and watch out for shifting winds. In a warm pattern like this, where precipitation is not in the forecast, these clouds may be your best sign for a good hunt. When these clouds move in during the afternoon/evening, hunt food sources and expect above average game movement. 

Cumulus Clouds

Cumulus Clouds. These “fair weather” clouds are in the lower layer of the atmosphere. They often occur in the transition zone behind or in front of storms. Game activity can swing either way with these clouds so we’ll just call this a neutral indicator of activity. Temperature, pressure tendency and wind speed will have more of an impact.

Stratus, Nimbostratus & Fog. Stratus are flat, sheet-like, low level clouds that will often give the sky that charcoal-grey look. Nimbostratus are just stratus clouds with precipitation falling from them. Hunting in rain,snow, or fog is often a topic of debate. In my experience, as precipitation gets heavier - game activity is reduced. My general rule is, if you don’t want to be out in it then neither do they. There is a big exception. While the overall game movement may be down, quality bucks really move when the weather seems at its worst –especially in snow. Some of the biggest deer and the best feeding activity I’ve seen has been in thick fog, mist or heavy snow. So don’t count these days out, just prepare your gear and mindset accordingly. You may be miserable for hours without seeing anything but in one moment it can all change.

Stratus Clouds

There are many different cloud types and learning to read the sky is just another piece of the outdoor puzzle. Putting it together can really boost your success!

Canadian high pressure will push into the state just in time for the last weekend of hunting season for most folks. This means some of the best conditions so far this January -cold with light winds and high pressure- will fall on the 7th and 8th. I hope you're able to take advantage of this good weather. Good luck with the end of the 2011 Hunting Season!

Near Record Warmth... Again

Wow, that cold air didn't last at all. Downslope warming behind this storm system will bring us even more mild, mountain air with a northwesterly wind for Wednesday.

We’ve seen a pretty unconventional weather for hunting season this fall with an early snow in November and near record breaking warmth in December and plenty of extremes in-between. The Des Moines National Weather Service and state Climatologist Harry Hillaker detail more of 2011’s crazy weather here. We’ll keep this wild but warm pattern going -even placing more records in jeopardy in central Iowa for January 5^th like the record of 59 set in 1956 for Des Moines on Thursday. While 50s and 60s in January aren’t unheard of, it still has been a pretty wild weather year. Keep track of central Iowa's Most Accurate Forecast on myabc5.com

Tomorrow I'll blog about how to read the sky. Find out what some of our clouds mean and how they can help make your hunt a happy ending.

Wild Weather Pattern Resumes



Chilly Canadian Air.... Finally! Hunt now because it wont last!

 We're in the Red Zone for Late Season hunting and finally Iowa is getting some decent cold weather!

We've been unusually warm the last 3 weeks in December so it took a massive storm with fierce winds to drag down quality cold from Canada. Here's a look at wind gusts around the state on New Year's Day:



Fierce Winds New Year's Day



Deer and other wildlife seem to have a pretty good internal barometer telling them when a storm is coming, and when it is departing. If you've hunted enough or make your living working outdoors, you actually develop these skills too. Its that type of feeling you get that tells you when the weather forecast is a little off. Animals read the sky and they know the patterns, and with a cold high pressure overhead for a few days -hunting action will be picking up.



Monday, January 2nd Wind Gusts



The strong winds will continue Monday, January 2nd but they'll back down briefly in the evening and for the morning of Tuesday the 3rd. Hunt these breaks in the wind because hunkered down deer will be on the hoof with this high pressure + cold temperature + lighter wind combination. The only thing better would be some snow on the ground. Unfortunately, our next possibility of snow is limited to a hail mary chance Sunday the 8th into Monday the 9th. I'd say less than 2% chance the ground will be white to end the 2011 Hunting Season. Check out the 7 day forecast for central Iowa and after we get past the 50s, we'll cool down to good hunting temps Saturday, Sunday Monday and Tuesday. Canadian high pressure settles in for the end of season which should give us (and me) a fighting chance to fill those tags.

Good luck and Happy New Year! P.S. Ice fishermen, I'm sorry. Quality hard water is weeks away for central Iowa.