Midwest Weekly Highlights - January 25-31, 2012

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Warm End to Month

The last week of January brought a return to region-wide above normal temperatures similar to the first half of the month (Figure 1). Temperatures were at least 5°F above normal everywhere with departures running 10°F to 15°F above normal in the northwest part of the region. Jan 31st saw the warmest temperatures of the week with readings in the 50s across the southern two-thirds of the of the Midwest and 60s from Missouri to southern Ohio (Figure 2). Daily temperature records for the week were all record highs with record high maximum and minimum temperatures both topping the 100 stations mark on the 31st (Figure 3). Emmetsburg, Iowa (Palo Alto County) had a minimum temperature of 36°F on the 31st breaking its record for the warmest minimum temperature for any day in the month.
 

Dry in Most Locations

Most of the region was drier than normal for the week with the driest area centered on Iowa (Figure 4). Totals more than two times normal extended along a narrow swath from southern Missouri to northeast Ohio with daily precipitation records set at more than 100 locations. Snow totals exceeded a couple inches only along the northern extent of the Midwest with some totals over 6" in northern Michigan (Figure 5). The heavy wet snow was responsible for power outages near Lake Michigan due to downed power lines. Drought status remained largely unchanged from last week (Figure 6). The dry conditions in Iowa and Minnesota helped lower the risk of spring flooding but farmers and water managers in those areas are concerned that impacts will crop up quickly come spring.
 

Deadly Thin Ice in Iowa

Warm temperatures in Iowa have left ice covered lakes with much thinner ice than is typical for the season. A man and woman fishing on a lake in rural Madison County, Iowa fell through thin ice and died on January 30th.
 

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The Iowa Climatology Bureau also contributed to this report.