December 22-31, 2005
Midwest Weekly Highlights - December 22-31, 2005
A Mild End to December
Winter pulled back the last ten days of December,
with mild and generally dry weather across much of the Midwest.
The exception was across Minnesota and northern Wisconsin,
which experienced significant snowfall during the period.
Temperatures the last ten days of the month ranged from
2°F above normal in southeastern Kentucky to almost
20°F above normal in northern Minnesota (Figure 1).
The much warmer weather allowed ice to start breaking up on
some rivers, and flooding problems from ice jams were reported in
northern Indiana on the Maumee River. With the northward shift in the
storm track, most precipitation this period fell across the northern
Midwest (Figure 2), with much above normal precipitation across Minnesota and
normal to above normal precipitation across northern Wisconsin. This is
also where the heaviest snow fell during the period (Figure 3).
Other areas to receive normal to above normal precipitation this period
were northwestern Missouri, and much of lower Michigan, northwestern
Ohio, and Indiana. In contrast, very dry conditions persisted
across Iowa, southern Missouri, and Illinois. The December 27
edition of the U.S. Drought Monitor depicted at least Moderate Drought
affecting parts of all Midwest states except Minnesota, with
Extreme Drought persisting across northern Illinois and eastern Iowa (Figure 4).
Several Storms, But
Not Much to Show For It
A number of weather systems traversed the Midwest the last ten days of
the month, but most did not produce significant precipitation.
A weak low developed in the Central Plains early on Christmas
Eve, then moved across Missouri, Illinois , and Indiana though
Christmas Day. The system brought mostly light rain to
Missouri and Illinois, although there was some light snow in the cold
air behind the system. As the low moved through Indiana on
Christmas Day, a band from southeast lower Michigan through central and
eastern Indiana received several inches of snow, producing a white
Christmas and some travel headaches (Figure 5).
Indianapolis, IN received four inches of snow from this
storm.
A more substantial low pressure system developed on December 27 over
southern Kansas and moved eastward. This low intensified as
it moved across Missouri and into central Illinois on December 28 (Figure 6).
A band of heavy rain developed north and west of the low in
Illinois, producing a narrow band of precipitation totaling 1.50 to
more than 2.00 inches across central Illinois. Unfortunately, the
heavier precipitation did not manage to extend as far north as the dry
areas in northern Illinois.
Last Storm Clobbers
Minnesota
As the last storm moved to the east coast on December 29, another
system was developing over the Northern Plains. By December
30 moderate to heavy snow was falling over much of Minnesota and the
northern half of Wisconsin (Figure 7).
By New Year's Eve 5 to 8 inches of new snow covered the
northern half of Minnesota, with 1 to 4 inches across the southern
half. Northern Wisconsin received from 4 to 8 inches of
snow, with lesser amounts across central Wisconsin. An area
of rain developed ahead of the front across the central Midwest,
producing about 0.25 to 0.50 inch across eastern Illinois and Indiana (Figure 8).
The rain changed briefly to snow as cold air filtered in
behind the low on the evening of December 30, producing a quick inch or
so of wet snow in parts eastern Illinois and western Indiana. However,
surface temperatures remained at or above freezing much of
the night and the snow quickly melted.
SDH