Midwest Weekly Highlights - February 1-7, 2017

---

Warm Weather Continues

After a warm month of January, above-normal temperatures remained common across the Midwest in the first week of February (Figure 1).  Average temperatures were 4-8°F above normal across Iowa, Missouri, Illinois and most of Indiana.  Kentucky was 2-4°F above normal, while Lower Michigan was 1-3°F above normal.  Near- to below-normal temperatures were common across most of Wisconsin, northern Minnesota and the U.P. of Michigan, however.  Average maximum temperatures were as much as 8°F below normal in these areas (Figure 2).  Maximum temperatures were much warmer to the south, especially during the day on February 6 through the morning of February 7 (Figure 3).  Over 100 daily high maximum temperature records were broken across the Midwest.  Many of these records occurred in the southern half of the region, where temperatures reached the 60’s.
 

Dry to the West

Little to no precipitation fell across Iowa, Missouri and southern Minnesota in a dry week across the Midwest (Figure 4).  Most of Wisconsin, Kentucky and southern Illinois also received less than half the normal amount (Figure 5).  A few areas were above normal, however.  Snowfall in northern Minnesota and lake-effect snowfall in the U.P. of Michigan brought up to twice the normal amount of precipitation. Most of Ohio as well as southern Lower Michigan and northern Indiana also received above-normal precipitation. Snowfall was limited to the Upper Midwest during the week (Figure 6). Most of northern Minnesota and the U.P. of Michigan received 5-10 inches of snowfall.  Most of Wisconsin and Lower Michigan received between a trace and three inches.
 

Winter Thunderstorms

A storm system that moved through the Deep South on February 7 also brought thunderstorms to Missouri, southern Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky.  Reports of pea sized hail were found in Illinois, eastern Iowa and western Kentucky.  Quarter sized hail was also reported in Trigg County, KY (Figure 7).
 

-BJP-