Midwest Weekly Highlights - February 8-14, 2010

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More Snow This Week

A slow moving surface low tracked across the central Midwest early in the week (Figure 1). The system brought snow amounts over 6 inches along its path (Figure 2). Numerous daily precipitation and snow records were set with most (over 100 precipitation and over 400 snowfall) occurring on the 8th, 9th, and 10th. Light snow fell throughout the week and across the region with all locations picking up at least a half inch of snow during the week.

Precipitation was above average through the central Midwest with totals up to a half inch above normal in north central Iowa and southern Minnesota. Lower than normal precipitation totals were recorded in parts of the northern Midwest and the southern third of the region. The largest deficits were in Kentucky, especially western and southeastern Kentucky with deficits of a half to three-quarters of an inch for the week (Figure 3). Long-term drought conditions centered in northwest Wisconsin continued (Figure 4) and there was growing concern in northern Michigan where winter precipitation continued to track below normal.
 

Temperatures

Temperatures were below normal for most of the Midwest. Only Michigan, Wisconsin, and northeast Minnesota had normal or above normal temperatures (Figure 5). Upper Michigan was 5°F above normal while temperatures were as much as 10°F below normal along the Ohio River between Cincinnati, Ohio and Louisville, Kentucky. Fewer than 20 daily low temperature records were recorded during the week.
 

Flooding Eases but Concerns Loom

Flooding ended across the southern Midwest with the Mississippi and Ohio rivers dropping below flood stage by the end of the week. Dayton, Illinois (LaSalle County) was the only Midwest location reporting flooding. The Fox River at Dayton remained at nearly 10 feet above flood stage due to ice jams.

Concern about the potential for spring floods continued in Iowa and Minnesota due to deep snow on the ground (Figure 6). February 14th snow depths of a foot or more were widespread with five Cooperative stations in Iowa (Winnebago, Kossuth, Dickinson, Sac, and Clay counties) and one in Minnesota (Big Stone County) reporting snow depths of 36 inches or more.
 

-MST-