Midwest Weekly Highlights - December 1-8, 2014

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Colder Start to December

Average temperatures the first week of December remained colder than normal across much of the region, ranging from 2° to 9° F below normal, with a pocket of much colder air centered over the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and northern Wisconsin (Figure 1). Western Iowa, southern Missouri, and the Ohio River Valley regions maintained closer to normal temperatures.   Maximum temperatures for Week 1 remained near or below freezing across the northern states, with the southern states averaging maximum temperatures between 35° and 45° F.  However, for the region this is still below the mean average maximum temperature by 2° to 6° F (Figure 2). Average minimum temperatures were below freezing except along the southern borders of the region’s southern-most states (Figure 3).
 

Snow North, Wintery Mix and Rain South

Precipitation primarily fell in the form of rain across the Midwest during Week 1, with 0.50"-3.00" falling across Missouri, the southern halves of Illinois and Indiana, and most of Ohio (Figure 4) primarily on December 1st, 2nd, and 6th (Figure 5). Precipitation outside of this area primarily fell in the form of snow, with lake effect snowfall reaching 4"-10" along Lake Superior’s southern shoreline.  Across the region, accumulated snowfall totals range from 1"-6" below average thus far (Figure 6).
 

-OBK-