Record Setting Precipitation

The Midwest set a record for the wettest year in history (1895-2019) for the second straight year (Figure 1). The old record from 1993 was topped by a mere 0.33 inches in 2018. That record was easily topped in 2019 with 46.21 inches which was 3.15 inches above the 2018 total. New statewide records were recorded across the upper Midwest in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota (Figure 2). Further west, the Dakotas also set new records in 2019 for calendar year precipitation. The six other states in the region ranked among the top-10 wettest in their respective histories as well. There were 13 straight months that set new 12-month records for the region, starting in December of 2018 and continuing to December of 2019. The record Midwest 12-month precipitation total (regardless of time of year) was set with the total of 48.01 inches from August 2018 to July 2019. More than 120 stations in the region set new annual precipitation records (minimum of 30 years of records) and 30 of those stations had at least 100 years of records. Minneapolis (149 years), Rochester (100 years), and Saint Cloud (125 years) all set new records in Minnesota. In Wisconsin, Green Bay (133 years) and Racine (118 years) set new records. Michigan saw records fall in Grand Rapids (124 years) and Muskegon (118 years). Aurora, Illinois (121 years) and Columbus, Indiana (119 years) also set new records.

Slightly Below Normal Temperatures for the Midwest with State Differences

Annual averaged temperature was 48.1°F for the Midwest which was 0.5°F below the 1981-2000 normal. Temperatures ranged from about 3°F below normal in the northwestern Midwest to about 2°F above normal in the southeastern Midwest. Statewide, Minnesota averaged 2.2°F below normal which ranked as its 37th coolest calendar year (1895 to 2019). Kentucky was 1.6°F above normal, ranked 9th warmest, and Ohio was 1.2°F above normal, ranked 12th warmest (Figure 3). September was the 3rd warmest on record for the region with six of the nine states in the region ranking among their top-5 warmest, including Missouri and Ohio which set new records (Figure 4). Kentucky had 3 months (February, September, and December) ranked among the warmest 10 percent and one month (November) ranked among the coolest 10 percent of that month's history (125 years). Lexington, Kentucky recorded its warmest year (131-year history) slightly topping 1921.

Drought Monitor Update

The Midwest was free of drought during more of 2019 than any other year since the US Drought Monitor began in 2000. There were 40 of the 53 weeks in 2019 with no drought depicted across the entire Midwest. In the 19 years (2000-2018) leading up to 2019, there were a total of 108 weeks without drought across the region. No previous calendar year had more than 21 such weeks (2004) and the next highest total in any 53-week stretch had 35 such weeks (June 2004 to May 2005). The year began with 32 straight weeks having no drought in the Midwest, easily topping the old record of 14 straight weeks set in early 2016. The last eight weeks of 2019 were also free of drought in the region which was the 5th longest such streak in the 20-year record. Entering 2019, there had only been two weeks (May 21st, 2002 and May 2nd, 2017) where the entire Midwest had no areas designated as abnormally dry. During 2019, there were 15 such weeks with 12 straight from February 26th to May 14th and three more weeks from December 3rd to 17th (Figure 5). Minnesota and Wisconsin were not touched by drought throughout all of 2019.

Despite the relative lack of drought overall, an intense flash drought developed in September and October particularly in Kentucky. As of the October 1st US Drought Monitor, more than 90 percent of Kentucky was in drought (Figure 6). This was the first of three straight weeks with extreme drought (D3) in the state. The very warm (2nd warmest in 125 years) September and the record dry month in September led to rapid development of drought. Crops and surface water supplies were hard hit across the state. Contrary to the dryness in Kentucky in September, the upper Midwest was very wet with Iowa (ranked 12th), Minnesota (3rd), Wisconsin (3rd), and Michigan (7th) all ranking among the wettest 10 percent of their Septembers on record (125 years). October ranked 5th wettest for the Midwest with all nine states among the wettest 20 percent of their histories, including Kentucky which ranked 4th wettest. The October rains reduced the areas of drought in the region considerably and drought was gone from the region by the November 12th release of the US Drought Monitor (Figure 7).

Agricultural Impacts

The wet conditions in the region, especially in the upper Midwest, affected agriculture. The growing season got off to a late start due to wet conditions in the winter of 2018-2019 (3rd wettest since 1895) and spring of 2019 (5th wettest). Summer conditions saw the wetness shift to the southern Midwest with Missouri, Kentucky, and Ohio ranking among the wettest 10 percent of their summers. Fall wetness (10th wettest) further complicated the harvest with Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan particularly affected with very wet conditions. Wisconsin and Minnesota had record wet falls (1895-2019) while Michigan ranked 2nd and Iowa 6th wettest. After a late planting season, then near average temperatures in summer, crops matured late, and wet fall conditions made it tough to complete harvest.

Severe Storms and Flooding

There were three deadly tornadoes in the Midwest in 2019, each causing one death. Two struck on May 22nd, an EF-2 tornado near Adair, Iowa and an EF-3 tornado near Barton, Missouri. The other fatality was from an EF-3 tornado that struck near Mercer, Ohio on May 27th.

Flooding was notable in the Midwest due to both the high flood stages and long-lived nature of the events. Rock Island, Illinois on the Mississippi River set a record flood stage, topping the old 1993 record value. Major flooding along the upper Mississippi River lasted more than a month and set records for duration at multiple locations. Flooding struck on the Missouri, Ohio, Mississippi, and many tributaries. March flooding damages in Iowa alone topped 1.6 billion dollars (Figure 8).