Widespread Below Normal Temperatures

Below normal average temperatures were widespread throughout the Midwest this week (Figure 1). Most locations were in excess of 5°F below normal. More extreme departures were observed throughout Wisconsin, eastern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky where average temperatures were in excess of 10°F below normal. Trumbull County, Ohio, recorded an average temperature of 6.2°F (18.8°F below normal). Maximum temperatures followed a similar pattern with most of the region at 5-10°F below normal. The exception was in southwestern Minnesota, western Iowa, and western Missouri where maximum temperatures were 1-4°F above normal (Figure 2). Minimum temperature departures in excess of 10°F below normal were widespread across the Midwest (Figure 3). Isolated areas in eastern Ohio and Wisconsin were over 15°F below normal. There were 80 low minimum and 20 low maximum daily temperature records broken or tied in the Midwest (Figure 4).

Precipitation Observations

Several locations through southern Iowa, western Illinois, western Kentucky, and Missouri missed out on precipitation this week (Figure 5). From southeastern Minnesota, southwestern Wisconsin, northern Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio, precipitation ranged from 0.1-1.5” of precipitation. In Tuscarawas County, Ohio, 1.08” of precipitation fell, which was 0.21” above normal for the week. A few isolated locations received above normal precipitation, much of the Ohio River Valley was 0.5-1.5” below normal (Figure 6).

Snow in the North and East

A sharp contrast in snowfall occurred north and east of a line stretching from southern Minnesota through southern Kentucky (Figure 7). Widespread 1-7.5” of snow fell north and east of this line, with isolated locations receiving 15” to over 20" due to lake effect snow. In Alger County, Michigan, 22.7” of snow fell, which was 8.7” above normal for the week. Widespread snowfall totals were in excess of 100 percent of normal (Figure 8). Further to the north, snowfall totals ranged from 25-75 percent of normal through northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. There were 47 daily snowfall records broken or tied this week (Figure 9).