Midwest Weekly Highlights - December 9-15, 2014

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Warmer Temperatures Return

The second week of December gave way to warmer weather across the region setting records for maximum high temperatures (Figure 1) and highest minimum temperatures (Figure 2). primarily across Minnesota on December 13 and 14th, 2014.  Mean temperatures for the region ranged from 25°F to 35°F across the north and 35°F to 40°F across the central and eastern states.  Missouri remained warmer than the rest of the region with average temperatures from 40°F to 45°F degrees (Figure 3). Overall, the region’s average temperatures ranged from 10°F to 16°F above the mean in the northwest and 1 to 9°F above the mean across the southeast portion of the region, Michigan, and eastern Wisconsin.  Kentucky’s mean temperatures remained at or slightly below normal compared to the mean (Figure 4).
 

Drier Pattern for the Week

The region remained dry the second week of December, with southern Illinois, Indiana, most of Ohio, and all of Kentucky 0.5" or more below the mean (Figure 5). Accumulated snowfall was minimal except near the lake shores in Minnesota, Wisconsin, the Upper Peninsula and northern half of Michigan (Figure 6). However, these amounts remained well below the mean values seen for this time of year (Figure 7).
 

-OBK-