The Cities - The national weather service - Winter weather - Q.c. boys & girls club - Wqpt

PRODUCTION FUNDING FOR "THE CITIES" IS PROVIDED BY A GRANT FROM THE DORIS AND VICTOR DAY FOUNDATION. >>> THIS WEEK WE SEEMED TO HAVE SURVIVED THE WORST THAT WINTER CAN THROW AT US, OR HAVE WE? IS THE WORST STILL TO COME? AND A WAY FOR KIDS TO FIND SOMETHING TO DO THAT MAKES A POSITIVE IMPACT OWN THEIR LIVES IN "THE CITIES." >>> AFTER THIS WEEK OF COLD WEATHER, YOU WOULD BE WELL WITHIN YOUR RIGHT TO ASK IS THE WORST OVER? IT HAS BEEN A TOUGH WEATHER PATTERN SINCE THANKSGIVING WITH THE SERIES OF TORNADOES HITTING THE REGION IN NOVEMBER, HEAVY SNOWS IN DECEMBER, AND BITTER COLD IN JANUARY. IT MAKES YOU WONDER ABOUT FEBRUARY AND BEYOND. JOINING US ARE TWO METEOROLOGISTS WITH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DAVENPORT, RAY WOLF ANALYZES LONG RANGE WEATHER PATTERNS AND CLIMATE CHANGES. MAREN STOFLT IS A TRAINED HYDROLOGIST KEEPS AN EYE ON THE CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE RIVERS, METEOROLOGIST AS WELL WITH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. THANKS FOR JOINING. I AM GOING TO ASK YOU THE NASTY PERSONAL QUESTION RAY, WHAT IS GOING ON? >>WELL, ITS A GOOD OLD FASHIONED COLD WINTER LIKE THOSE ARE ABOUT MY AGE OR OLDER REMEMBER BACK IN THE 70'S AND 80S, WE HAD PRETTY BRUTALITY COLD LONG TYPE WINTERS. OVER THE PAST 10, 15 YEARS, WE HAVE KIND OF FALLEN OUT OF THAT PATTERN. >>WE HAVE. >>AND SO WHEN WE HAVE A WINTER LIKE THOSE OLD ONES, IT IS SORT OF SMACKS YOU IN THE FACE. >>SO YOU REALLY ARE TRYING TO POINT OUT THAT I SHOULD SHUT UP, QUIT COMPLAINING. THIS IS MORE THE RULE THAN THE EXCEPTION. >>YEP, HOLD ON FOR ANOTHER MONTH OR SO, AND SPRING WILL GET HERE EVENTUALLY. >>SO YOU LOOK AT I MEAN YOU LOOK AT  YOU DOT FORECAST, OF COURSE, SHORT TERM, BUT YOU LOOK AT THE LONG TERM IMPACT. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN THEN? AS YOU HAVE SAID, WE HAVE HAD A SERIES OF RELATIVELY MILD WINTERS. IS THIS A HARBINGER OF FUTURE WINTERS? >> WELL, WHAT I THINK THIS SHOWS, EVEN THOUGH THE TREND FROM A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE IS TOWARD A WARMER CLIMATE, WE STILL HAVE THE YEAR TO YEAR VARIABILITY. HAVING THE OCCASIONAL VERY COLD OR UNUSUALLY SNOWY WINTER IS CERTAINLY NOT OUTSIDE OF THE REALM OF OUR EXPERIENCE. >>WE HAVE BEEN HEARING ABOUT THIS WEEK, OF COURSE, HOW COLD IT HAS GOTTEN FAR SOUTH TO US, EVEN INTO LOUISIANA AND GULF COAST STATES. IS THAT UNUSUAL, IS THAT AT ALL INDICATIVE HOW BAD IT HAS BEEN FOR US? >> RIGHT. IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS FREQUENT. BUT IT IS WHEN WE GET INTO THIS PATTERN WHERE WE HAVE THE COLD AIR SPILLING OUT OF ALASKA INTO THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN U.S., IT CAN GO ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE GULF COAST AND INTO FLORIDA AND AFFECT THEM AS WELL. MEAN WHILE, THE WEST COAST AND SOUTHWEST PART OF THE U.S. ARE PARTICULARLY WARM AND ESPECIALLY DRY, AND THERE ARE SERIOUS DROUGHT CONCERNS OUT IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD. >>YEAH, EVERYBODY SEEMS TO HAVE A DIFFERENT COMPLAINT. >>MAREN, LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT IS UNDERNEATH THIS KNOW AND ICE. THERE ARE RIVERS DOWN THERE. IS IT POSSIBLE AT ALL, EVEN TAKE A WAGER WHAT IT COULD BE LIKE FOR SPRING FLOODING? >>WE ARE JUST STARTING TO LOOK THAT FAR OUT. SO RIGHT NOW WE ARE LOOKING OUT THREE MONTHS WHICH PUTS US RIGHT THROUGH THE END OF APRIL. TYPICALLY, IF YOU LOOK IN THE RECORDS, THE CREST FROM FLOODING FOR SPRING SNOW MELT HAPPENED THE LAST WEEK OR TEN DAYS OF APRIL. SO WE ARE JUST TO WHERE WE ARE KIND OF LOOKING INTO THE FACTORS THAT LEAD UP INTO THAT. SO WE ARE KIND OF SHAPING UP RIGHT NOW AS IS IT STANDS. OF COURSE, WINTER IS NOT OVER JUST YET. BUT WE ARE LOOKING ABOUT NORMAL FOR THE SPRING SNOW MELT TIME PERIOD. >>I GOT TO ASK YOU TWO DIFFERENT QUESTIONS. FIRST OFF, WHAT FACTORS ARE YOU LOOKING AT? >> THERE ARE THREE MAIN FACTORS THAT WE REALLY LOOK AT. ONE IS THE CURRENT CONDITIONS OF THE RIVER. SO EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE FROZEN OVER, HOW MUCH WATER IS IN THE RIVER, WHETHER IT BE THE MISSISSIPPI OR SOME OF THE TRIBUTARIES LIKE THE ROCK RIVER, AND THAT'S RUNNING ABOUT NORMAL, MAYBE JUST SLIGHTLY BELOW, DEPENDING ON THE LOCATION. WE ALSO LOOK AT HOW MUCH SNOW IS ON TOP OF THE GROUND, HOW MUCH WATER IS GOING TO BE THERE, ONCE THE SNOW MELTS. IF THAT ENDS UP BEING HIGH, THEN, OF COURSE, THERE IS MORE WATER COMING INTO THE RIVERS WHEN THE MELT HAPPENS. RIGHT NOW, RIGHT AROUND HERE, WE ARE LOOKING AT ABOUT NORMAL SNOW PACK CONDITIONS. AS YOU HEAD FURTHER NORTH, THOSE GO UP, ESPECIALLY NORTHERN MINNESOTA, NORTHERN WISCONSIN, THE MISSISSIPPI. WE WILL KEEP AN EYE ON THAT. AND THE OTHER FACTOR IS THE SOIL MOISTURE. SO RIGHT NOW, WE ARE BELOW NORMAL. SO THAT'S KIND OF A NEGATIVE FACTOR IN TERMS OF CONTRIBUTING TO FLOODING. >>I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE WHAT IS UP NORTH. BUT YOU SAID THAT IT SEEMS IT IS GOING TO BE NORMAL AS FAR AS YOU CAN TELL RIGHT NOW. WHAT IS NORMAL? IS IT A LITTLE BIT OF FLOODING, LIGHT FLOODING OR NO FLOODING AT ALL? I AM TALKING MAINLY ABOUT THE ROCK RIVER, BUT THE MISSISSIPPI AS WELL. MISSISSIPPI RIVER IS USUALLY MORE OF A SUMMERTIME, LATE SPRING THING. THE ROCK IS USUALLY AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF SPRING IT SEEMS. >>SURE. AND ANY GIVEN YEAR, WE EXPERIENCE SOME DEGREE OF FLOODING AS KIND OF A RULE OF THUMB. WHETHER THAT IS KIND OF JUST REACHING OUT OVER THE BANKS VERSUS TOWARD THE HISTORIC. THERE IS A WHOLE RANGE OF FLOOD TYPES THAT CAN HAPPEN. WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT RISK OF FLOODING, I'D SAY GENERICALLY, THERE IS A 30 TO MAYBE EVEN 50% CHANCE OF FLOODING TO BE EXPERIENCED IN ANY GIVEN SPRING. >>RAY WOLF, WE HAVE SEEN HOW WEIRD 12 MONTHS. AS WE WERE TALKING, WE SAW AN AMAZINGLY WET SPRING LAST YEAR INTO AN EARLY SUMMER AND ALMOST ENDED WITH DROUGHT CONDITIONS AT THE END. THEN YOU GET THE SNOW OF THIS WINTER AND THE COLD WEATHER RIGHT NOW. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT WHAT THE LAST 12 MONTHS ARE LIKE AND HOW THAT INDICATES WHAT THIS FUTURE SPRING AND SUMMER COULD BE LIKE? WELL, THAT VARIABILITY IS SOMETHING GIVEN THE EXPECTATIONS WITH A CHANGING CLIMATE IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT. IN TERMS OF MAKING SPECIFIC FORECASTS BEYOND THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, IT IS KIND OF DIFFICULT TO EXTRAPOLATE THAT OUT ANY FURTHER. >>OUT OF CURIOSITY, LAST SPRING, WHEN, AS YOU WERE SAYING, BURLINGTON GOT RECORD RAINFALL AND MOISTURE IN THE SPRING, COULD YOU EVEN HAVE PREDICTED THAT THE SUMMER WOULD HAVE ENDED UP AS DRY AS IT DID? >> NO, I DON'T KNOW LOOKING BACK AT HISTORICAL RECORDS THAT WE HAD AT THAT SORT OF A FLIP IN THE CONDITIONS THAT WE HAVE SEEN, AND OUR RECORDS GO BACK TO THE LATE 1800'S. >>SO YOU THINK OF THAT EARLY SPRING RAIN AND YOU THINK OF ALL THE SNOW THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, HAS THAT AT ALL EASED THE DROUGHT CONDITIONS PARTICULARLY IN WESTERN IOWA? BUT OUR AREA AS WELL SAW MODERATE TO SOMEWHAT EXTREME DROUGHT CONDITIONS. >>YES, WE HAVE BASICALLY MODERATE TO SEVERE DROUGHT EVERYWHERE SOUTH AND WEST OF THE LINE FROM CEDAR RAPIDS TO STERLING, DOWN TO MACOMB. THE INTERESTING THING THIS WINTER IS THAT WHILE OUR SNOWFALL HAS BEEN ABOVE NORMAL, IN FACT, ABOUT A FOOT ABOVE NORMAL TO THIS POINT, THE WATER CONTENT OF THAT SNOW IS BELOW NORMAL. >>SO WE HAVE HAD REAL DRY SNOWS. >>RIGHT. EXACTLY. WHEN WE GET INTO THESE REAL COLD SPELLS, THE SNOW WE GET HAS A LOW WATER CONTENT. >>WHICH IS GOOD FOR SHOVELING. >>YEAH. THIS HAS BEEN MORE OF A SHOVEL YEAR THAN A SNOW BLOWER YEAR. SO THAT'S A REAL PLUS. BUT IN TERMS OF BEING A RESERVOIR TO REPLENISH THE SOIL MOISTURE SUPPLY, WE ARE KIND OF SHORT IN THAT REGARD. >>IF YOU LOOK, MAREN, AT NORTH DAKOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA, THE BLIZZARD COUNTY THAT IS ARE IN THAT AREA, YOU HAVE SEEN THEM DUMPED WITH A LOT OF SNOW, MINNESOTA AS WELL. THAT HAS PARTICULAR INTEREST FOR YOU BECAUSE WHAT IT IS UP TENDS TO COME DOWN HERE. >>AS I MENTIONED, THE SNOW AMOUNTS ON THE GROUND ARE ABOVE NORMAL. BUT AS RAY JUST SAID, THE WATER CONTENT IN THAT IS NOT TERRIBLY HIGH. SO THERE IS KIND OF A BALANCE THERE. THERE IS A LOT OF SNOW, BUT THERE IS NOT A TERRIBLE AMOUNT OF WATER TO MELT, MAYBE SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL. BUT NOT A SIGNIFICANTLY ABOVE NORMAL AS WHAT IT MIGHT FEEL AS MANY SNOWS AS THEY HAVE GOTTEN AND AS MANY BIG SNOWS THEY HAVE GOTTEN. >>LET'S BE HONEST THE OTHER FACTOR AT LEAST FOR SOME OF THE FLOODING, NOT SO MUCH THE ICE JAMS, BUT IS HOW IT ALL MELTS UP NORTH, HOW QUICKLY THAT SNOW ENTERS ALL THE TRIBUTARIES THAT ENTER INTO THE ROCK AND THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. IT IS SUCH A SPIDER WEB OF RIVERS AND CREEKS. IT WOULD SEEM VERY HARD TO PREDICT WHAT VOLUME IS COMING THIS WAY, BUT THAT'S WHAT YOU DO EVERY YEAR. >>RIGHT. IT IS TRICKY. WHETHER IT ALL MELTS AT ONCE, AND ACTUALLY MANY, MANY SPRING SNOW MELT SEASONS WE SEE WHERE WE HAVE CONDITIONS THAT ARE WARM, SOME OF THE SNOW MELTS, IT RUNS THROUGH. IT BREACHES US ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND THEN THINGS GET COLD A BIT LONGER, AND THEN EVERYTHING FREEZES IN PLACE AND DELAYS THE MELT A LITTLE BIT LONGER. THEN THAT LIMITS THE FLOODING THREAT. IT REALLY DOES DEPEND ON THE TEMPERATURES AND HOW QUICKLY THE SNOW MELTS, AND THEN THE WILD CARD THAT WE HAVE EVERY YEAR IS THE SPRING RAINFALL. >>ABSOLUTELY. >>AND HOW MUCH FALLS AND WHERE. >>RAY, LET ME ALSO TAKE YOU BACK, BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE WINTER. I MEAN RIGHT AROUND THANKSGIVING, WHAT AN ODD WEATHER SITUATION WE SAW IN IOWA AND ILLINOIS, PARTICULARLY CENTRAL ILLINOIS BEING DEVASTATED. WELL, ACTUALLY MUCH OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THREE DIFFERENT MAJOR WAVES OF TORNADOES THAT CAME THROUGH. YOU THINK OF WASHINGTON, PEORIA, PEKIN AREA THAT WERE HARDEST HIT. VERY UNUSUAL TO HAVE THAT STRONG OF A THUNDERSTORM, LET A LONE TORNADOES IN THAT LATE OF NOVEMBER. >>RIGHT. WE DON'T SEE THUNDERSTORMS IN THE COOLER PART OF THE YEAR VERY OFTEN. BUT WHEN WE DO, THEY TEND TO MORE LIKELY BE SIGNIFICANT AND PRODUCE MORE SIGNIFICANT WEATHER. >>IS THAT BECAUSE THE FRONTS ARE SO MUCH STRONGER? I MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE COLD AND HOT AIR? >> EXACTLY. THINGS ARE MORE ENERGETIC. EVEN OCCASIONALLY IN THE WINTERTIME, WE WILL GET STORMS WITH LIGHTNING, AND THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE INTENSE SNOW PRODUCERS FOR US. SO THESE LATE SEASON STORMS IN NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, WE HAVE EVEN HAD LOCALLY HERE IN THE AREA STORMS AROUND NEW YEAR'S DAY. THOSE ARE ONES REALLY TO WATCH OUT FOR BECAUSE WE CAN GET SOME NASTY SEVERE WHETHER WITH THOSE. >>SOME OF THE MOST FAMOUS STORMS WERE AROUND VETERAN'S DAY IN EARLY NOVEMBER, THAT HIT THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY IN ANY THE 40S IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY. >>RIGHT. >>A HUGE STORM THAT CAME THROUGH. WHEN YOU SEE THE MAJOR DIFFERENCES, TORNADOES, SNOWS, BITTER COLD TEMPERATURES, AND WINDCHILLS THAT ARE UNIMAGINABLE, YOU START TO WONDER TO WHAT EXCELLENT, BECAUSE YOU ALLUDED TO IT, IS IT A CASE OF A WARMING OF THE EARTH, GLOBAL WARMING IS THE CATCH PHRASE. IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE TO LINK ANYTHING LIKE THIS TO SOMETHING THAT IS MORE LONG RANGE SUCH AS GLOBAL WARMING DISCUSSION? >>I THINK THOSE ARE THE SORTS OF THINGS THAT ARE ONGOING IN THE RESEARCH COMMUNITY. BUT I THINK ONE OF THE OVERARCHING THEMES THAT IS COMING OUT IS THAT THESE EXTREMES ARE HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY BECAUSE THE WEATHER PATTERNS LOCK INTO PLACE. AND YOU GET A REPETITION OF WHATEVER PATTERN YOU HAPPEN TO BE IN. LIKE WE HAVE SEEN THIS WINTER WITH THE STORMS COMING OUT OF THE NORTHWEST, NOT ONE OF THEM PRODUCES VERY MUCH SNOW, A LOT OF ONE TO THREE INCH SNOW AMOUNTS. BUT WE ARE GETTING A COUPLE OF THEM EACH WEEK AND NOT MUCH OF A BREAK IN BETWEEN. SO WHEN YOU GOT LOCKED INTO THESE PATTERNS, BE IT WET OR BE IT DRY, THAT'S WHEN YOU START GETTING INTO THE ISSUES WITH EXTREME, EITHER ON FLOODING SIDE OR ON THE DROUGHT SIDE. >>WORLDWIDE, WE ARE SEEING EXTREMES RIGHT NOW. IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT GLOBAL PICTURE, YOU SEE HOW COLD IT IS IN NORTH AMERICA, WARM IN ALASKA, BY ALASKAN STANDARDS, BRUTALLY WARM IN AUSTRALIA AND SOUTH AFRICA, THAT WHOLE AREA OF THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE, I MEAN THE WHOLE WORLD IS SEEING SOME EXTREMES RIGHT NOW. >>RIGHT, AND EVEN EASTERN EUROPE AND NORTHERN ASIA HAVE BEEN MUCH ABOUT NORMAL FOR AS LONG AS WE HAVE BEEN BELOW NORMAL. SO WHEN WE LOOK AT ISSUES RELATING THE CLIMATE CHANGE, WE HAVE TO STEP BACK AND LOOK AT IT FROM A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE. AND WE ALSO  THE YEAR TO YEAR VARIABILITY THAT WE SEE, WE HAVE TO SMOOTH THAT OUT. BECAUSE IN TERMS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, WE ARE LOOKING AT TREND OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. SO WE WILL STILL LIVE IN THE WORLD OF YEAR TO YEAR, AND WEEK TO WEEK VARIABILITY, BUT THE TREND WITH TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO BE UPWARDS THROUGH THE REST OF THE CENTURY. >>AND MAREN, I WOULD ASK YOU PRETTY MUCH THE SAME QUESTION, WHEN IT COMES TO TRY TO GUESS THE RIVER FLOODING FOR OUR AREA, CAN YOU DEPEND ON HISTORY OR IS EACH YEAR SO UNIQUE, YOU REALLY HAVE TO DO ANY PROJECTION WITH THE DATA YOU HAVE AT HAND? >> RIGHT. WE USE THE HISTORICAL RECORDS AS PART OF WHAT COMPARISONS WE CAN MAKE. I THINK THAT WILL ALWAYS BE A PART OF IT BECAUSE IT INCLUDES THOSE TRENDS OVER TIME AS WELL. BUT IT IS TRUE THAT WE ARE SEEING THOSE HIGHER FREQUENCIES OF REALLY HEAVY RAIN EVENTS. SO, WE ARE LOOKING AHEAD IN THE CLIMATE OUTLOOKS FOR SEVERAL MONTHS OR WHAT THE TRENDS ARE IN THE LONG TERM, AND BEING ABLE TO FACTOR THAT IN A LITTLE BIT. I THINK THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE DIRECTION THAT WE GO. >>AS YOU KNOW, THERE IS A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT LAUGH AT THIS WHOLE CONCEPT OF 100 YEAR FLOODS, AND THAT WE KEEP GETTING THEM. YOU LOOK BACK AT 2008, HOW BAD THAT IS, BUT THERE ARE SO MANY YEARS BEFORE THAT THAT WAS REAL BAD FLOODING ON BOTH THE MISSISSIPPI, THE ROCK, AND ALL THE TRIBUTARIES LIKE THE IOWA AND THE CEDAR. >>UH HUH, AND IT IS SOMETHING WE WILL HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF IN THE FUTURE. BUT THEN IF YOU LOOK IN THE HISTORY, THERE HAVE BEEN REALLY SIGNIFICANT FLOODS HISTORICALLY, TOO. SO IT IS NOT JUST THAT THEY HAVE HAPPENED JUST RECENTLY, BUT THERE HAS BEEN A GREATER OCCURRENCE OF THEM RECENTLY. >>NOW IS MY TIME TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT RIGHT NOW. SO WHAT IS YOUR PREDICTION FOR FEBRUARY ON INTO, AS YOU SAID, APRIL, THE CRITICAL FLOODING MONTHS? >> WELL, AS WE HEAD INTO FEBRUARY AND MARCH, AS TEMPERATURES WARM UP, WE DO LOOK AT THE THREAT FOR ICE JAMS AND ICE JAM FLOODING. SO ANY GIVEN YEAR, WE ARE GOING TO SEE ICE JAMS IN ANY GIVEN PARTS OF THE RIVER. BUT THE BIG QUESTION IS WHETHER OR NOT THE LEVELS WILL RISE ENOUGH TO CAUSE FLOODING. SO RIGHT NOW THE RIVER LEVELS BEING NORMAL, NOT BEING SIGNIFICANTLY HIGH, ICE JAMS WILL LIKELY OCCUR AGAIN, BUT WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS FLOODING WITH THEM, IT WOULD TAKE A SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL TO REALLY GET THOSE RIVER LEVELS TO RISE AND THEN CAUSE ICE JAM FLOODING. SOMETHING WE WILL BE MINDFUL OF, BUT NOT LOOKING LIKE INCREASED THREAT IN THE ANY GIVEN YEAR. AS WE HEAD CLOSER TO THE SPRING WARM UP, THEN WE LOOK AT THE CHANCES FOR SPRING SNOW MELT FLOODING AS THE SNOW MELTS AND THAT WATER MAKES ITS WAY TO OUR AREA. SO WE WILL PROGRESS THROUGH THE SPRING SEASON AND KEEP AN EYE ON ALL THOSE FLOODING FACTORS. >>RAY, YOU GUYS CHARTED OUT BASICALLY IN THREE MONTHS INCREMENTS, WHAT DOES PRECIPITATION AND TEMPERATURES LOOK LIKE? >>TEMPERATURE IS EASIER TO FORECAST IN THE LONGER TERM THAN PRECIPITATION IS. IT LOOKS LIKE FEBRUARY WILL FAVOR A CONTINUATION OF THIS COLD PATTERN WE ARE IN. BUT THE UPSIDE FOR THE LONGER TERM INTO MARCH AND APRIL IS THE LONGER DAYS ARE A MAJOR DRIVER IN OUR CLIMATE AS WE ALL INTUITIVELY KNOW. SO THAT WILL HELP BREAK US I THINK CERTAINLY OUT OF THIS BITTERLY COLD PATTERN. WE MIGHT STILL TEND BELOW NORMAL. BEING BELOW NORMAL IN APRIL IS MUCH NICER THAN BEING BELOW NORMAL IN JANUARY. >>HOW MUCH CREEDENCE DO WE GIVE THE GROUND HOG AT THIS POINT? (LAUGHING) BECAUSE YOU ARE ON BROADCAST TV! (LAUGHING) THAT'S COMING UP AS WELL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE APPRECIATE IT. MAREN STOFLET AND RAY WOLF WITH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, HYDROLOGISTS AS WELL AS CLIMATOLOGIST, KEEPING AN EYE ON THE WEATHER FOR US EVERY DAY THROUGHOUT THE QUAD CITY REGION. WE ARE LOOKING FOR EVENTS TO KEEP YOU WARM DURING THE THESE WINTER MONTHS. THERE IS A HOST OF NEW IDEAS AS WE HEAD INTO FEBRUARY. LORA ADAMS HAS A COUPLE OF TIPS FOR YOU AS YOU HEAD OUT AND ABOUT. >>THIS IS "OUT AND ABOUT" FOR JANUARY 27 FEBRUARY 2. I AM LORA ADAMS. CHECK OUT NEW EXHIBITING ARTISTS AT BUCKTOWN CENTER FOR THE ARTS OPENING RECEPTION ON JANUARY 31. THE 37TH ANNUAL ROBERT BURNS CELEBRATION AND DINNER FEATURES PLENTY OF SCOTTISH PAGEANTRY AT THE RADISSON QC PLAZA IN DAVENPORT. RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED. ST. OLAF BAND CONDUCTED BY DR. TIMOTHY MARR PERFORMS AT BETTENDORF HIGH SCHOOL AS PART OF ITS WINTER TOUR. THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TEAL TIARAS HOLDS ITS THIRD ANNUAL COCOA AND COOKIES SOCIAL AT THE NORMA LEAH OVARIAN CANCER FOUNDATION HEADQUARTERS. BE SURE TO ENTER THE ANNUAL IDA KRAMER YOM HASHOAH STUDENT ESSAY CONTEST. THE WINNER RECEIVES A $500 SCHOLARSHIP. THE 20TH ANNUAL EAGLES AND IVORY'S RAGTIME WEEKEND IS COMING TO MUSCATINE. MUSIC OF ALL KINDS ARE ON TAP DURING THE THREE DAY EVENT. ENJOY THE ST. AMBROSE FIGHTING BEES BASKETBALL DOUBLE HEADER VERSUS WILLIAM PENN ON FEBRUARY FIRST. AND DISCOVERY TIME PLAY GROUP IS OPENED TO ALL MILITARY FAMILIES EVERY THURSDAY MORNING AT THE COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MOLINE. ON STAGE, NEW GROUND THEATER PRESENTS "NEXT FALL" THROUGH FEBRUARY 2 AT VILLAGE THEATER. WHILE "OUR TOWN" CONTINUES AT THE DISTRICT THEATER SET IN THE EARLY YEARS OF THE 20TH CENTURY, "OUR TOWN" HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS THE GREAT AMERICAN PLAY. THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY CONTINUES AT CIRCA 21, AND LIVE IMPROV COMEDY ABOUNDS AT ESTABLISHMENT THEATER EVERY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. FOR MORE INFORMATION, LOG ON TO WQPT.ORG. >>THANK YOU, LORA. CALLED MUSICIAN LOUIS KNUTSON HAS HAD AN INTERESTING 2013. HE LEFT HIS SUBSTITUTE TEACHING JOB TO CONCENTRATE ON MUSIC, AND WENT ONTO TRAVEL WITH STOPS NOT ONLY IN THE U.S., BUT EUROPE AS WELL. HE HAS TEAMED UP WITH HIS BAND, THE BANDITS TOW PERFORM AROUND THE CITIES. TONIGHT WE GET TO HEAR THEIR SONG "WITH YOUR SOUL." HERE IS LOUIS KNUTSON AND THE BANDITS. ¶¶ WITH MY WORDS, WITH MY HEART, WITH YOUR SOUL. IF I CAN MAKE IT ANY BETTER, WITH MY THOUGHTS, TRY TO MAKE IT BETTER, WITH MY WORDS, WITH MY WORDS. IF I CAN MAKE IT ANY BETTER, WITH MY WORDS, TRY TO MAKE IT BETTER WITH MY HEART WITH MY HEART. IF I CAN MAKE IT ANY BETTER WITH MY HEART, YOU WILL HAVE TO MAKE IT BETTER WITH YOUR SOUL, WITH YOUR SOUL. WHATEVER YOUR WORRIES, WHATEVER YOUR CARES, I AM THE ONE WHO REALLY LOVES YOU. I AM THE ONE WHO IS THERE, AND I WILL GIVE YOU ALL MY WORDS AND MY HEART, BUT YOU KNOW THAT I CANNOT GIVE YOU MY SOUL. WHATEVER YOUR WORRIES, WHATEVER YOUR CARES, I AM THE ONE WHO REALLY LOVES YOU, AND I THE ONE WHO IS THERE, AND GILL GIVE YOU ALL MY WORDS AND MY HEART, BUT YOU KNOW THAT I CANNOT GIVE YOU MY SOUL. >>LOUIS KNUTSON AND THE BANDITS WITH A SONG "WITH YOUR SOUL." HOW OFTEN DO YOU HEAR KIDS SAY THEY HAVE NOTHING TO DO AND NO WHERE TO DO IT? DON'T SAY THAT AROUND OUR NEXT GUEST. NOT ONLY DOES HE PROVIDE A GREAT RESOURCE FOR KIDS SIX YEARS OLD AND OLDER, BUT HE, HIMSELF, BEFITTED FROM THE PROGRAMS HE NOW LEADS AND HE WANTS TO HELP EVEN MORE CHILDREN IN THE CITIES. JOINING US IS THE NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY, TIM TOLLIVER. TIM, HOW ARE YOU DOING? >>DOING WONDERFUL. THANK YOU. >>WELCOME TO THE QUAD CITIES. WHAT MADE THIS JOB ATTRACTIVE TO YOU? >> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I GREW UP A CLUB MEMBER, DEFINITELY PLAYED A VITAL ROLE IN WHY I DECIDED TO START WORKING WITH BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS INITIALLY, AND THE QUAD CITY JOB, I AM A ST. LOUIS NATIVE, IT BEING VERY CLOSE TO HOME PLAYED AGAIN ANOTHER VITAL ROLE OF ME ACCEPTING A POSITION HERE IN THE QUAD CITIES. >>YOU HAVE BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN LARGER CITIES. YOU HAVE BEEN IN ST. LOUIS. YOU HAVE BEEN DOWN IN DALLAS, AND THEN YOU COME TO THE QUAD CITIES, A BIT OF A CULTURE SHOCK, AT LEAST THE SIZE OF THE COMMUNITY IS CONCERNED. WHAT HAVE YOU NOTICED THAT IS DIFFERENT? IT IS A CLOSE KNIT COMMUNITY, IT SEEMS. >>ABSOLUTELY. VERY MUCH SO. I WAS A LITTLE BIT TIRED OF THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE OF BIG CITY LIFE. THIS IS PERFECT FOR ME. I AM AN OUTDOORSMAN. SO I WILL GET TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FISHING, GOOD FISHING IN THE QUAD CITIES, ONCE WE GET A THAW! >>YEAH, WE REALLY BROUGHT YOU A NICE WINTER. >>ABSOLUTELY. BRUTAL. I FEEL LIKE I BROUGHT IT WITH ME. COMING FROM MUCH MILDER CLIMATE IN TEXAS. BUT IT HAS BEEN WONDERFUL. AGAIN, I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL THE FIRST THAW SO I CAN START ENJOYING OUTDOOR STUFF. >>I WANT TO TALK ABOUT YOUR LIFE STORY. WITH THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, YOU DO CREDIT CAN WITH REALLY HELPING FORM YOUR LIFE WHICH IS REALLY THE UNDERLYING CONCEPT OF THE CLUB ITSELF. YOU WERE A CLUB KID. >>RIGHT. RIGHT. I GREW UP, AGAIN, IN A VERY, VERY TOUGH PART OF NORTH ST. LOUIS. THE CITY AT THE TIME WAS VERY, VERY BRUTAL AREA TO LIVE IN, BLIGHT, AND KIDS AT MY AGE, YOU TEND TO EMULATE YOUR SURROUNDINGS. SO A LOT OF GANG ACTIVITY, A LOT OF DRUG DEALING, AND FOR ME, MY MOM, BEING A SINGLE PARENT, THERE NEEDED TO BE A A VOID NEEDED TO BE FILLED. SO SHE DECIDED THE BEST PLACE FOR ME TO GO AFTER SCHOOL WOULD THE BOYS CLUB. AT THAT TIME IT WAS BOYS CLUB, GIRLS WEREN'T INCORPORATED UNTIL AFTER 1990. SO, AGAIN, THAT FILLED A VOID FOR HER, AND I WAS SURROUNDED BY POSITIVE INFLUENCES, A WONDERFUL PLACE TO BE GROWING UP. SHE LITERALLY DRAGGED ME THROUGH THE DOOR THE FIRST TIME, BY THE WAY. BUT NEEDLESS TO SAY AFTER THAT, I WAS SOLD. >>AND SO MANY WAYS NOW YOU ARE PAYING IT FORWARD. I MEAN WHAT YOU WERE ABLE TO GET FROM THE ORGANIZATION, YOU NOW ARE MAKING SURE AS THE LEADER, A NEW GENERATION GETS. >>ABSOLUTELY. I THINK EVERY KID DESERVES A CHANCE. WITH OUR WONDERFUL STAFF, WONDERFUL PROGRAMS THAT WE OFFER, MOST OF OUR PROGRAMS ARE OUTCOME BASED. SO WE PROVIDE A STRUCTURED POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR THOSE YOUTH, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ARE CONSIDERED HIGH RISK. WE TAKE PRIDE AND OUR STAFF TAKE PRIDE IN IMPACT IN THE LIFE OF EVERY CHILD THAT WALKS THROUGH OUR DOORS. >>I THINK IT IS INTERESTING, TOO, BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE A MISCONCEPTION ABOUT THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB AS IT IS JUST A GYMNASIUM WHERE KIDS ARE ABLE TO BLOW OFF SOME STEAM. BUT YOU REALLY MADE A GOOD POINT IT IS OUTCOME BASED. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? >> WELL, EACH PROGRAM IS HANDED DOWN FROM OUR NATIONAL ORGANIZATION BASED IN ATLANTA, HAS MEASUREMENT TOOLS. WE WANT TO KNOW THAT WE ARE IMPACTING THE LIFE OF A CHILD. SO A PREPROGRAM, THERE IS ALWAYS A PRETEST TO TEST WHERE THAT CHILD IS AT THE START OF THE PROGRAM, AND THEN AFTER THE PROGRAM IS DONE, THERE IS A POST TEST TO DETERMINE HOW THAT CHILD WAS IMPACTED FROM THAT PARTICULAR CURRICULUM. SO WE ARE, AGAIN, A PREMIER YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION THAT IS VERY INSIGHTFUL AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE GOING TO IMPACT THE LIFE OF A CHILD. SO THAT'S THE WAY WE MEASURE IT. >>AND LET'S BE HONEST, CHARTING THE PROGRESS OF A CHILD IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT IF YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE ANY HEADWAY IN THAT CHILD'S FUTURE. >>ABSOLUTELY. >>ONE THING THAT IS INTERESTING, YOU HAVE CORE PROGRAMS. ONE CORE PROGRAM IS CHARACTER AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT. THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO YOU. >>ABSOLUTELY. YEAH, I MEAN CHARACTER IS EVERYTHING. WE WANT TO BUILD CHARACTER. INTEGRITY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE ONE I ALWAYS GO TO WHEN I AM TALKING TO THE CHILDREN. BECAUSE INTEGRITY IS WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO WHEN NO ONE IS LOOK. SO WE WANT TO BUILD CHARACTER. WE WANT TO BUILD LEADERS, AND THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. AND, YOU KNOW, ME, I KNOW FIRSTHAND THE IMPACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION LIKE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB HAS ON A YOUNG MAN OR WOMAN THAT COMES THROUGH THE PROGRAM. SO I AM FIRM BELIEVER AND I ALWAYS WILL BE. >> YOU ARE WELL KNOWN FOR YOUR OPERATIONS IN MOLINE AS WELL AS IN DAVENPORT. THE NEW TEEN CENTER AT THE FLOR CENTE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS JUST OPENED UP. HOW DOES THAT OUTREACH WORK? IF SOMEONE IS INTERESTED IN GETTING INVOLVED, HOW DO THEY GET INVOLVED? >> WELL, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WAYS TO GET INVOLVED. YOU CAN COME BY OUR ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE. AGAIN, WE ARE THIS MOLINE. STOP BY THE TEEN CENTER WHICH IS LOCATED ON FIFTH AVENUE RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF MOLINE. BUT YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEB SITE, BGCMV.ORG, AND THEN CLICK ON "DONATE" OR YOU CAN CLICK ON "VOLUNTEER." THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO GET INVOLVED OR CALL ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES AS WELL. >>LET'S BE HONEST, THE WEB SITE SHOWS GREAT OVERVIEW OF THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATIONS AND SOME OF YOUR PHILOSOPHY AS WELL, BUT IT CAN ALSO INSPIRE THE KIDS TO ACTUALLY GET INVOLVED. >>ABSOLUTELY. YES, DEFINITELY. THAT'S ONE OF OUR BIGGEST GOALS RIGHT NOW IS TO INCREASE MEMBERSHIP ESPECIALLY WITH THE TEEN POPULATION. THEY ARE SO IMPRESSIONABLE RIGHT NOW, AND WE WANT TO KIND OF CHANGE WHAT KIDS ARE DOING. I MEAN THAT'S THE ONE SLOGAN IS THAT  FOR PARENTS IS "DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR KIDS ARE AFTER SCHOOL?" WE WANT THE PARENTS TO KNOW. AND THAT'S PART OF WHY WE ARE DOING A LOT OF OUR GOING INTO THE JUNIOR HI'S RIGHT NOW. WE ARE DOING OPEN HOUSES FOR THOSE KIDS SO THEY CAN COME OUT AND SEE WHAT WE HAVE TO OFFER. >>BECAUSE ONCE THEY SEE IT. >>YOU ARE TAKEN BACK BY IT. YOU ARE TAKEN BACK BY IT. AS SOON AS YOU WALK IN THE BUILDING, YOU ARE TAKEN BACK. >>YOU GOT DRAGGED INTO IT SO MANY YEARS AGO. >>THAT WOULDN'T BE THE CASE RIGHT NOW IF I WALKED INTO THAT TEEN CENTER. TRIVIA NIGHT FUNDRAISER COMING UP NEXT SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28. FIRST TIME YOU HAVE EVER DONE THAT. AND FUNDRAISING IS A BIG DEAL. >>FUNDRAISING IS HUGE FOR US. WE DEPEND ON THE PUBLIC'S HELP FOR ASSISTANCE. A LOT OF WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST HAS BEEN MOSTLY GRANT RELATED. SOLICITATIONS WILL BE A BIG PART OF HOW WE HAVE SUSTAIN OURSELF IN THE FUTURE. THIS IS OUR FIRST FUNDRAISER OF THE YEAR. TRIVIA NIGHT, FIRST TIME WE HAVE DONE IT, AND I AM INTERESTED TO SEE HOW IT IS GOING TO GO. MYSELF I AM GOING TO HAVE A TEAM IN IT AS WELL. WE WILL SEE HOW IT, WOULD. MAYBE YOU CAN JOIN ME. >>AS YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, GETTING THE KIDS INVOLVED, GETTING THE KIDS INTERESTED. BUT FUNDING IT, IT WILL ELIMINATE THAT THERE IS NOTHING TO DO IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND THERE IS NO WHERE TO DO IT. >>A NOTION THAT PEOPLE NEED TO DISPEL FROM THEIR MEMORIES RIGHT NOW. >>TIM TOLLIVER, WELCOME TO THE QUAD CITIES. >>THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT. >>EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY JOINING US TODAY. STUDENTS AROUND THE CITIES CAN START APPLYING FOR A SCHOLARSHIP BEING OFFERED BY WQPT. EACH YEAR QUAD CITIES PBS STATION OFFERS A $500 BROADCAST SCHOLARSHIP TO WESTERN ILLINOIS STUDENTS INTERESTED IN A BROADCAST CAREER. THE FILING DEADLINE IS IN APRIL. BUT YOU CAN GET STARTED AT ANY TIME. CHECK OUT THE DETAILS ON OUR WEB SITE, WQPT.ORG. ON THE AIR, ON THE RADIO, ON THE WEB AND ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE, THANKS FOR TAKING SOME TIME TO JOIN US AS WE TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES ON "THE CITIES."