Midwest Weekly Highlights - August 1-7, 2017

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August Chill

Cool air invaded the Midwest during the first week of August as the entire region had temperatures below normal (Figure 1).  Most of Iowa, Missouri, southern Minnesota and southwestern Illinois were 5-8°F below normal, while Indiana, Kentucky, Wisconsin and the U.P. of Michigan were 4-6°F below normal.  Cloudy conditions in many areas kept daytime maximum temperatures lower, especially in Missouri where maximum temperatures were 7-10°F below normal (Figure 2).  More than 200 daily low maximum temperature records were tied or broken during the week, with an additional 70 daily low minimum records set (Figure 3).
 

Dry Again in Iowa, Wet For Others

Dry weather continued across Iowa as drought concerns continued (Figure 4).  Most of the state had less than half the normal amount of precipitation for the period, with similar departures in northern Missouri and western Illinois (Figure 5). Further south, heavy rain fell across southern Missouri and Kentucky.  Parts of central Missouri had more than four inches of rain, which was more than three times the normal amount. Central Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and parts of Michigan also received well over the normal amount.  Nearly 100 daily precipitation records were broken across the region (Figure 6).  Thunderstorms during the week mostly stayed below severe levels as there were only a few dozen storm reports (Figure 7).  An EF-0 tornado was reported, however, near Kewadin, MI (Antrim County).
 

Drought Expands in Iowa, Minnesota

Rain continues to evade parts of Iowa and Minnesota, as drought expanded to nearly 8 percent of the Midwest according to the August 1 U.S. Drought Monitor (Figure 8).  More than 35 percent of Iowa and 17 percent of Minnesota were considered to be in drought, while seven percent of Iowa was in severe drought.  Dry conditions in east-central Missouri also led to the introduction of drought in the state, which included St. Louis.  In total, over three million people across the Midwest were estimated to be living in drought-affected areas.
 

-BJP-