Midwest Weekly Highlights - December 15-21, 2016

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Bitterly Cold Temperatures

Well-below-normal average temperatures were widespread across the Midwest (Figure 1).  Many areas in the region were 10°F or more below normal.  Northern Missouri, northern Illinois and most of Wisconsin were 13-16°F below normal. Below-zero minimum temperatures were common across the Upper Midwest during the week (Figure 2).  Minimum temperatures were more than 10°F below zero in northern Illinois on the morning of December 19 (Figure 3).  Most of Minnesota, northwestern Wisconsin and northern Iowa were more than 20°F below zero.  More than 100 daily record minimum temperatures were recorded across the region during the period.  Some of the coldest temperatures reported were -38°F in Embarrass, MN (St. Louis County), -36°F in Badoura, MN (Hubbard County) and -35°F in Cotton, MN (St. Louis County).  Wind chill warnings were in effect in many areas, and schools closed due to the cold.
 

Wet Week in Kentucky, Southern Ohio

Over one-and-a-half inches of precipitation fell across Kentucky and southern Ohio during the week (Figure 4).  The much needed rainfall in these areas was more than one-and-a-half times the normal amount (Figure 5).  Most of this precipitation fell through the morning of December 18 (Figure 6). Meanwhile, drier weather was found across Missouri, Illinois, and most of Iowa and Indiana.  Near- to slightly above-normal precipitation fell in the Upper Midwest during the week.  Most of this precipitation fell as snow (Figure 7).
 

Upper Midwest Snowfall December 16-18

Heavy snow fell across the Upper Midwest on December 16-18.  More than six inches of snow fell from southern Minnesota and northern Iowa to northern Lower Michigan through the morning of December 17 (Figure 8).  Snowfall totals from the storm included 7.0 inches near Sherbern, MN (Martin County), 8.3 inches near Calmar, IA (Winneshiek County), 10.0 inches near Forestville, WI (Door County) and 13.7 inches near Marquette, MI (Marquette County).  Moderate to heavy snow continued during the day of December 17 through the morning of December 18 in Wisconsin, northern Illinois and Michigan (Figure 9).  Up to three inches of snow fell across parts of Iowa and Missouri as well.  Four deaths reported in Milwaukee County, WI were related to weather during or after the storm.  Three men died while shoveling snow and a woman was found frozen outside her front door.
 

Central Illinois, Indiana Ice Storm

During the evening and overnight hours of December 16, freezing rain fell across central Illinois through central Indiana.  Reports of a tenth of an inch of ice were found from Jacksonville, IL (Morgan County) through Indianapolis, IN (Marion County).  Temperatures dropped during the following days and made clearing secondary roads and sidewalks difficult.
 

Kentucky Drought Continues to Improve

Rainfall in Kentucky helped reduce drought area and severity in the December 20 U.S. Drought Monitor (Figure 10).  Severe drought was eliminated from the state, while total area in drought dropped from around 95 percent to 63 percent.  Despite the drop in drought intensity in Kentucky, abnormally dry conditions affected nearly a third of the Midwest. Most of Missouri and over 40 percent of Illinois and Indiana were considered abnormally dry or in moderate drought.

-BJP-