Midwest Weekly Highlights - February 8-14, 2013

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Warm

Across the Midwest, temperatures were above normal in the second week of February. Departures from normal ranged from 4°F to 10°F above normal (Figure 1). The warmest state was Iowa where temperatures were 8°F to 10°F above normal for the week. Despite the warm temperatures, just a dozen or so daily temperature records were scattered across the region.
 

Welcome Precipitation

Precipitation totals were well above normal for large parts of the Midwest. Most of the northern half of the region received at least twice their normal total with totals in Minnesota of four to eight times normal (Figure 2). Above normal precipitation also extended into southern Missouri. As is often the case with precipitation there were also those with less than normal as well. In the southeast parts of the Midwest, and parts of southwest Iowa and northwest Missouri, precipitations totals were less than half of normal. Snow fell in southern Missouri and along the Ohio River, but amounts were limited to a inch or two. Snowfall amounts in the northern tier of states was more substantial with amounts over 6 inches in many parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan (Figure 3). The highest amounts were in west central Minnesota where totals of 12" to 18" fell during the week. The snowfall totals across the north ranged from two to eight times normal (Figure 4). Daily precipitation records topped 300, and snowfall records topped 100, for the week with many occurring on the 8th and 11th. In the upper Midwest, frozen ground may cause the water to run off rather than seep into the soils, but that runoff will help refill lakes and ponds. There were some improvements in Minnesota in the latest US Drought Monitor (Figure 5).
 

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