Midwest Overview - June 1-7, 2003

The first week of June started out very cold for the time of year, with variable rain totals in the region. Most of Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky, and eastern Ohio received more than one inch of rain, with bands in the far western and southeastern Midwest receiving up to 2.5 inches of rain for June 1-7 (Figure 1). Portions of the northern and central Midwest missed most of the storm activity, receiving less than 50% of normal precipitation for the week (Figure 2). The most below normal temperature core in the Midwest was in central Illinois (Figure 3), which was more than 10°F below normal. Much of the southern two-thirds of the Midwest ranged from 7-10°F below normal due to a combination of cold air advection from the north and days of cloudy conditions as a slow moving low passed the area between June 2 and 4. The cooler temperatures slowed growth on the farm fields, but also reduced the plant needs for water even as conditions have turned drier. There was a slight increase in abnormal dryness in eastern Iowa as reflected in the US Drought Monitor for June 3rd (Figure 4, National Drought Mitigation Center).

A number of low temperature records were set on the mornings of June 1 and June 2. On the 1st, minimums below 40°F were common in northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, with a band of sub 40°F temperatures even extending south of Lake Michigan (Figure 5). Springfield, Illinois (39°F), and Rhinelander, Wisconsin (27°F), set new all-time low temperature records for the month of June, as well as for the day. Indianapolis and South Bend, Indiana; Oshkosh, Wisconsin; Muskegon and Saginaw, Michigan; and Mansfield, Ohio, set records for June 1st. Record lows also fell on June 2nd at Chicago O'Hare Airport and Moline, Illinois; Muskegon, Michigan; and Akron and Mansfield, Ohio.