Midwest Weekly Highlights - March 8-14, 2011

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Cold West, Not So Cold East

Cold weather hung on west of the Mississippi River, while normal to slightly above normal temperatures occurred east of the Mississippi River this week. The largest departures below normal were located in Minnesota, where temperatures ranged from near normal along the Minnesota-Wisconsin border to 9°F below normal along the western edge of the state (Figure 1). The cold weather in Minnesota was aided by deep snow that still blankets the state (Figure 2). Temperatures were 2°F to 3°F above normal from the Michigan Upper Peninsula southeast into Ohio. There were only a few temperature records this week, mostly record lows in Minnesota.
 

More Rain in the Ohio Valley

The heaviest precipitation this week occurred from southern Missouri east-northeast through the Ohio Valley (Figure 3). Precipitation in this band was from 200 to 300 percent of normal. The heavy precipitation kept rivers and streams at or above flood stage in southern Ohio and Indiana (Figure 4). The driest portion of the region was Minnesota, where precipitation was only 25 to 50 percent of normal. Snow occurred across the upper Midwest, with the heaviest amounts in the eastern Michigan U. P. and in northeastern Ohio (Figure 5). A slow-moving upper level disturbance on March 14th produced a band of snow across central Missouri, with accumulations as high as nine inches near Fulton, MO (Callaway County) (Figure 6). Thunderstorms in southwestern Missouri associated with the approach of this system produced up to 1.75 inch hail (golf ball size) on March 13th (Figure 7). This was the only severe weather this week.

There was little change in the Drought Monitor at the beginning of this week (Figure 8). However, the precipitation across southern Missouri this week, not included in the March 8th Drought Monitor, likely held off any expansion of the Abnormally Dry area across southern Missouri.

-SDH-