Temperature

Temperatures averaged 10-15°F above normal for almost the entire region (Figure 1). The most anomalous location this week was southern Wisconsin, where some locations were over 16-18°F above normal for the week.

Minimum temperatures were 8-12°F above normal for most of the region (Figure 2). Across Minnesota and Wisconsin, minimum temperatures were even more anomalous, with some observing locations over 15°F above normal.

Maximum temperatures were 10-15°F above normal for much of the region (Figure 3). For much of Iowa, northern Illinois, and southern Wisconsin, maximum temperatures were as much as 20°F+ above normal. In Red Lake Falls, Minnesota, a station with records dating back to 1913 recorded a maximum temperature of 53°F on February 17, which is the warmest February temperature in Red Lake Falls since 1958. In the Quad Cities area, temperatures rose above 60°F for 4 consecutive days, tying for the 2nd-longest stretch of 60°F days in February since 1871.

Precipitation/Severe Weather/Drought

Precipitation was most abundant across the Upper Midwest, where some locations were as much as over 500 percent of normal (Figure 4). Another belt of above-normal precipitation occurred along I-70 from St. Louis, Missouri, to Columbus, Ohio. Precipitation was less than 50 percent of normal across northern Illinois, southeastern Iowa, and Ohio’s lakeshore. Precipitation largely fell as snow across the north, where parts of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula received nearly two feet of snow (Figure 5).

Significant precipitation and severe weather occurred late on February 19 as part of a strong low pressure system moving through the region. In Indianapolis, Indiana, 1 inch of rainfall was observed on February 19, making it the wettest February day since 2022. In London, Ohio, a station with records dating back to 1918 observed 1.65 inches of precipitation. The 5th wettest February day on record. The system was most notable for its severe impact, with several confirmed tornadoes across Illinois and Indiana. 6 tornadoes were confirmed across Illinois, including an EF1 near Hardinville in Crawford County that threw a mobile home off its foundation, injuring an elderly woman in the process. At least 3 tornadoes were confirmed in Indiana, one of which tore through Bloomington and damaged several structures in the process.

From February 10 to February 17, drought improved in some areas while declining in others. The largest expansions were made over Missouri and Illinois, particularly in the D1 (moderate drought) and D2 (severe drought) categories (Figure 6) Even D3 (extreme drought) expanded across eastern Illinois and now covers over 3 percent of the region. Conditions improved most across Iowa and Kentucky.