Midwest Weekly Highlights - November 24-30, 2019

---

Widespread Warmth

Temperatures were above normal across most of the Midwest during the week (Figure 1).  Kentucky was the only state where temperatures were near to slightly below normal.  The most above-normal areas were in Minnesota and northern Wisconsin, where temperatures were 4-7°F above normal.
 

Wet and Snowy

Moderate to heavy precipitation fell across a large portion of the Midwest during the week (Figure 2).  More than an inch of precipitation fell in northern Wisconsin and parts of Michigan, while more than two inches fell in the Ohio River Valley.  Many of these areas had more than twice the normal amount (Figure 3).  Meanwhile, snowfall in the Upper Midwest reached more than six inches from eastern Minnesota through northern Wisconsin and the western U.P. of Michigan (Figure 4).  This snowfall was part of a storm system that hindered travel across the entire Midwest during Thanksgiving weekend.
 

November 26-30 Thanksgiving Weekend Storms

Two major storm systems hindered travel across the Midwest around the Thanksgiving holiday weekend from November 26-30.  Moderate to heavy snow began overnight on November 26 through the morning of November 27 in the Upper Midwest (Figure 5).  Meanwhile, strong winds became widespread from Iowa through Ohio.  Wind gusts of over 50 mph were common (Figure 6), along with 30-40 mph sustained winds (Figure 7).  Heavy rain also fell across the Ohio River Valley through the morning of November 27 (Figure 8).  Snow continued in northern Wisconsin, northeastern Minnesota and the U.P. of Michigan through the morning of November 28 (Figure 9).  Snowfall totals from this storm included 14.5 inches near Bayfield, WI (Bayfield County), 12.0 inches near Isabella, MN (Lake County) and 18.4 inches at the Bergland Dam, MI (Ontonagon County).

A second storm developed and began impacting the Midwest on November 29.  Heavy rain began to fall across Missouri, southern Illinois and the Ohio River Valley through the morning of November 30 (Figure 10).  Three people were killed in Missouri from flooding-related incidents from heavy rains.  Light snow also began to fall in Minnesota (Figure 11).  During the day of November 30, heavy precipitation was recorded across the Ohio River Valley, with amounts over 3 inches in central Kentucky (Figure 12).  Meanwhile, northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and the U.P. of Michigan had significant snowfall (Figure 13).  Amounts of 6-12 inches were common, with locally heavier amounts over 18 inches.  Some of these totals included 18.1 inches in Marquette, MI (St. Louis County) and 25.4 inches near Bayfield, WI (Bayfield County).

These two storms led to precipitation amounts of up to 4 inches in the Ohio River Valley and snowfall amounts of more than two feet in the Upper Midwest.  More than 130 daily precipitation records were broken across the region (Figure 14).  More than 60 snowfall records were broken as well (Figure 15).
 

-BJP-