Storm Keeping Migrants South

The big weather system moving through the center of the country is really keeping a significant movement of birds from getting into the upper mid-west and Great Lakes region of the U.S..

Note all the circle images south of the weather front. This is a region where temps are in the 70s and 80s for daytime highs. North of this front (like Minnesota) it is snowing heavily with a predicted 8-12" of snow to fall by Thursday night. Highs here are in the 30s.

Further south you can see heavy movement of migrants into the south Texas area. Reports form a banding station in southern Mexico indicate that there are good numbers of birds heading north including early warblers and thrushes.

Movement into the northern U.S. is likely going to be held up by the cold air sliding south out of Canada for the next few days. Temperatures are not predicted to rebound in the upper mid-west for a week or so. Birders in the lower Mississippi River Valley and the south-east U.S. should be seeing significant numbers of new birds showing up.

...and I thought I was done shoveling this year...