Midwest Weekly Highlights - January 1-10, 2012

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Warm and Dry to Start the New Year

The new year was off to a warm and dry start from January 1st to 10th. Temperatures were above normal across the region ranging from just a degree or two above normal in southeast Kentucky all the way to more than 20°F or more above normal in northwest Minnesota (Figure 1). Minnesota and Iowa were particularly warm, averaging 10°F or more above normal for the period, with the warmest stretch in the middle of the period (Figure 2). More than 500 daily maximum temperature records were set including 250 on the 6th (many of these stations report in the morning for the previous 24 hours, so the maximum temperature actually occurred on the 5th). Eight of the new records were also records for any date in Janurary> at that station. New statewide records were set on the 4th in Minnesota (54°F at Marshall and Minneota (Lyon County)) and on the 5th for Iowa (68°F at Sioux City (Woodbury County)) and Minnesota (64°F at Minneota (Lyon County)). No station in the Midwest has set or tied a record low temperature since December 7th, 2011.

The first ten days of the year saw relatively little precipitation in the Midwest with the only totals exceeding 0.50" coming from Upper Michigan (Figure 3). Precipitation deficits were more than 1.00" in the southern reaches of the region (Figure 4). Despite the dry conditions there was little change in the US Drought Monitor for the Midwest (Figure 5). Snowfall for the period was concentrated downwind of the Great Lakes (Figure 6) but seasonal snowfall remains below normal across the Midwest.
 

-MST-
The Iowa Climatology Bureau also contributed to this report.
The Minnesota State Climatology Office also contributed to this report.