We don’t get to the use the word “historic” or the words “all-time” very often, but it has happened a couple of times in the last 2 years. First it was the “all-time” warmest March for the state of Wisconsin (and most cities in the state) last year. This year it is just the opposite. We can’t seem to get rid of wintry weather and we just had a “historic” snowfall for not only Wisconsin but for Iowa and Minnesota as well. Not only did we end up with single day snowfall records for May 2nd (and probably today as well) for all three states, the snowfall has also broken the snow records for the entire month of May for all three states. Here are the old records for most snow in one storm for May:

Wisconsin: 10.0″  (new record 14.0″ but potentially as high as 17″)

Minnesota: 12.0″  (new record 15.4″)

Iowa: 10.0″  (new record 11.0″)

These are not officially in “the books” yet, but they look pretty solid. Climatologists will review the reports over the next couple of days and certify them.

And this comes after a very cool April, which was the 8th coldest on record for Wausau. If we had not seen the 5-day warm-up into the 70s and 80s at the end of the month of April, we would have easily set the mark for the 3rd coldest April and might have even challenged for second place. It was quite amazing that from February 1st through April 25th, we only had one day when the temperature hit 50 degrees (April 24th). We did not have any nice stretch of real Spring weather with high temps in the 50s and 60s. We jumped straight into Summer during the last 5 days of April, then we slipped back to Winter in a big way over the last couple of days. Here are the preliminary stats for April in Wausau:

Average High: 46.1  (normal: 54.8)

Average Low: 30.1 (normal: 33.3)

Precipitation: 4.39 inches  (normal: 2.73 inches)

Snowfall: 10.1 inches  (normal: 4.1 inches)

Highest Temp: 82 on the 30th

Lowest Temp: 14 on the 3rd

Have a fine Friday! Meteorologist Justin Loew

Posted under Monthly Recap, Records, snow, Snow Totals, Spring, Winter Weather

Even though the weather we have experienced since late January is unusual because of the persistent cold and getting even colder (than normal) as time goes by, we still have not broken any records for snow or cold. The length of time that we have had snowcover in Wausau is highly unusual, that is for sure, but the snow amounts with each storm have not been all tha big. The real difference with this Spring and other Springs where we might have seen some snow in April or even May, is that the snow is sticking around. In 2008 we had a few inches of snow between April 8th and April 12th, but it melted within a couple days and we were back to warmer-than-normal temps. This year, there is still no sign of an extended warm-up. The best we will do is get close to 50 today and tomorrow, which is better than nothing.

So is there any record that is about to go down? The most interesting record would be for the coldest month of April. The old record for coldest April in Wausau is 34.0 (average temp) set in 1950. So far this year our average temp is 32.5, so we are on pace to break the record. However, I think we will have enough 40 and 50 degree high temps for the rest of the month to ensure that we don’t end up breaking the all time record. We might end up in the top ten though.

What about snow? We are now up to 75.4 inches of snow for the season. The record is a little over 103 inches, so we have a ways to go on that one. If we get 30 inches of snow yet before Summer arrives, I would be amazed. There is some potential for snow later this week, but it looks like a few inches at the max. The good thing about all the snow is that it should help alleviate the drought. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows most of the state in moderate to severe drought, which is odd, since our precipitation total since January 1st is 7.66 inches, which is a whopping 2.81 inches above normal. I talked to the folks at the Drought Monitor and they said they did not want to remove the drought classifications just yet because they wanted to see how dry the soil was once it thawed. I think it will have a good deal of moisture.

Many people are asking if the cool Spring means a cool Summer as well. It is not necessarily the case that this would happen, although the “hot” March last year was followed by a hot Summer. What we can say for now is that temps will continue to remain below normal for the next week or two, which will almost being us to May. This does not mean it is going to be bitterly cold, just that we are more likely to have high temps in the 40s and 50s, instead of the 50s and 60s. Sometimes the El Nino/La Nina trend can give a clue what might happen a few months into the future, but right now the surface waters in the central Pacific ocean are about neutral and it is expected to stay that way through the early Summer, so neither El Nino or La Nina will be affecting us. Check the latest ENSO discussion here.

Have a fine Monday! Meteorologist Justin Loew.

Posted under Drought, ENSO Update, Freeze, Records, Winter Weather

Judging by all of the grumbling going on recently, you might think that we are setting some records for cold or snow during this month of March. Interestingly, we are not even close. So far we have not set any daily records for snow or cold and it is highly unlikely that we will break any monthly records, that is unless we do not hit 40 degrees during the month. That might be an odd record that we set. I haven’t looked at all the March records all the way back to the 1800s, so I don’t know for sure if we have ever had a March without 40 degrees, but if it would happen this March, I will be sure to find out.

So how far away are we from the all time coldest March? About 5 degrees. The coldest March on record (in Wausau) occurred in 1899 when the average temperature was only 17.4 degrees. This year’s cold does not even put us in the top 10 for coldest March. In the 10 spot is March of 1926 and 1956. In both of those years the average temperature for the month was 21.9. This year our average temperature through the 20th is 22.1, which puts us in 11th place. With a bit milder weather on the way, I would expect our average temperature to rise up to around 24 or 25 yet before the end of the month, which would probably put us on the outside of the top 20 for coldest March. This March sure is one of the coldest in recent memory, but it doesn’t compare to the era prior to 1960, where most of the records herald from.

CPC April Temp Prediction

So yes, it is cold, there is a lot of snow on the ground yet, and we might not hit 40 this March, and this is reason to grumble a little. However, be thankful you didn’t have to live through March of 1899!Is there any hope for a blast of Spring-like warmth as we head into April? Maybe. Just looking at the extended daily weather charts, it doesn’t look like anything real warm for the next week to 10 days, however the newest CPC extended outlooks indicate at least a chance for a warm-up in April across the southeastern half of the country including the eastern half of Wisconsin. It isn’t a very strong signal for warmer weather, and we still have a bit of snow to melt away, so I wouldn’t be too confident in a warmer April, but sometimes the weather pattern can switch dramatically.

CPC April Precipitation Outlook

What about later in the year? If you click through the 3-month forecasts at the CPC website, you will find that the CPC is forecasting a good chance nearly all the country will be above normal during the Summer (the “JJA” period). I sure hope it isn’t as hot this year as last year. Another hot dry year would be bad for food production and no doubt the media will go crazy with “end of the world/disaster” predictions. The possible good news from the CPC predictions is that there is a good chance that precipitation will be above normal in Wisconsin during April, May, and maybe early Summer.

Have a good Thursday! Meteorologist Justin Loew

Posted under CPC Outlook, Records, Winter Weather

A viewer recently sent me a question regarding how many storms we have had from a Sunday to Monday this winter?  They heard that we had one basically every Sunday-Monday couplet since mid-December.  So I checked the old weather records here at WAOW-TV for the Wausau area.  As it turns out, from November 1st until now, we have had seven significant storms during a Sunday-Monday time frame.  That’s seven out of  a possible twenty-one Sunday-Monday couplets.  In other words, we have been buried with snow or ice storms 33% of the time when the calendar said Sunday or Monday.  That’s fairly frequent.  Since Mondays tend to get people down anyway, this winter’s Mondays were especially tough.

There were also a few times where the storms hit other corners of the state but not right here in our area.  Also some of the Sunday and Mondays I did not include certainly had minor amounts of precipitation as well.  Precipitation has fallen in fact probably on at least 70% percent of all days this winter.  I suppose some people think the weather is personally picking on them if storms hit  on a day when they like to travel or do certain things outside.  This seems to be especially true in the summer.  If it rains a lot on weekends, we tend to get a lot of emails and calls from upset people.  They just don’t think it’s fair to have their picnic, or wedding, or camping trip, or ball game ruined by the weather.  Well anyway, you know it is time for winter to end when I write a blog on a subject like this (on what days of the week our storms have occurred.)

Posted under snow, Storms, Winter Weather

Eastern Wisconsin is digging out as you probably know from a very wet heavy snowfall.  This latest major winter storm has left a swath of deep snow on the ground all the way from the Texas Panhandle to Michigan.    If you recall, up to 20″ fell around Amarillo, TX (one of their biggest storms ever).  Areas around and east of Kansas City had over 15″.   Of course this is on top of a major snowstorm that hit the same general part of the country about a week earlier.  Many residents in the southern and central Plains region say they haven’t seen snow like this in 20 years.  While the travel troubles it has caused have not been good, in large part the moisture it will provide to the ground and streams and lakes when it melts is very good.  Much of the Plains has been in quite a drought in recent years.  By the way, Chicago got over 5″.  While that doesn’t seem like too much, it is the largest storm for them this season.  In fact it accounts for about 30% of their season so far.  They have been missed by most of the snows that have frequently hit Wisconsin this winter.

In Wisconsin, the heaviest snow piled up around Manitowoc, Sheboygan, Racine, and Kenosha with 12 to 15″ reported.  This combined with northeast to north winds of 20 to 40 mph created huge drifts to 4 feet deep.  Travel on certain roads was basically impossible Tuesday night to early Wednesday morning.  The extra snow they got in the eastern part of the state came basically because of the way the moisture wrapped in from the east on the north side of the low pressure system that traveled from central Illinois to southern Lower Michigan.  The band just stayed on top of them the longest.  There was no true lake effect contributing to the totals because the air wasn’t cold enough for that.  However, there probably was some lake enhancement.  That is, the snow bands that were already present from the storm picked up just a little extra moisture as they crossed over the humid air over Lake Michigan.

Posted under snow, Storms, Weather NEws, Winter Weather

Snow, snow, and more snow.  Since January 1st, we have had only 18 days without at least a trace of snow in the Wausau area.  In fact the really snow stretch started on January 23rd.  From January 23rd until February 20th, we have had only 6 days without measurable snow.  It’s no wonder you might be feeling like you are constantly scraping your driveway with the shovel or firing up the snow blower.   For the winter season so far, over 50″ has accumulated on the Wausau area.  Normal for this point in the winter season is about 42″.  What a difference a year makes.  Last year to this point in the season we had only picked up just over 27″ of snow.

It sure looks like February will be an even more impressive snow month than January was.  We’ve already had 10.1″ of snow in Wausau for February, while normal to this point is 6.8″.  Last year in February through the 20th we picked up just 2.8″.  It looks like another 4″ or so could fall on us Friday, with possibly that much again around Tuesday of next week.  So it is very realistic to think we could get up to the 20″ mark for the month of February.

That’s a good amount of snow.  Whether it is a good or bad thing really depends on who you ask.  Weather is kind of like beauty, in the eye of the beholder.  No matter what your opinion, please be extra careful on the roads over the next week with the hazards the new storm storms will be bringing.  Take care.

Posted under snow, Storms, Winter Weather

Posted under Recreation & Sports, snow, Winter Weather

As you may remember the early part of winter was quite warm and with the record warm Great Lakes’ water temperatures this fall, little ice formed on the Great Lakes.  Well now that we have had numerous bitter cold snaps in the past month, the ice cover is expanding.   Of course it grows earliest near the shore where the water is shallower.    There have been several years where nearly all of the surface of the Great Lakes freezes over, but it has been pretty rare.  I don’t expect that to happen this winter now that the sun is getting stronger already and average temperatures will continue to climb.  However it does look fairly chilly through the end of February, so the ice should at least expand 30 or 40% from where it is now.  Below you will find part of a  discussion from the National Weather Service in Marquette regarding current ice development and its relation to normal.  You can see there full article at this link. http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=mqt&storyid=92344&source=0  

Lake Superior Ice Cover

Posted under Seasonal Items, Winter Weather

February is a month that some dread. There are those who don’t like winter and February might seem to drag on with clouds, cold, and snow. To others it is a month of optimism as daylight increases fairly rapidly and temperatures start to slowly warm. It’s capable of balmy days up close to 50 and yet can slam you with brutal cold well below zero and fierce winds. Ice storms, snow storms, and a bit of rain are all within the month’s capabilities.

The warmest temperature ever recorded in Wausau for February came on February 26^th and February 29^th of 2000 when the mercury climbed to 59. Next in line was a 58 degree high from February 21^st, 1930. The coldest February temperature on record for Wausau is -40 from the 10^th o f 1899. On the next day of that year, it was a brutal -38 degrees as well. We plunged to -37 on February 9^th, 1951.

The heaviest one-day precipitation total (rain or melted ice and snow) occurred on the 21^st of 1937 when 1.50” fell. A nearby 1.28” fell on February 22^nd, 1981. The heaviest one day February snowfall for Wausau is 13.0” from the 5^th of 1908. An even foot of snow fell in Wausau on February 19^th, 1898.

 February Weather Folklore

• Feb. 1^st: St. Bridget’s Day. Bridget’s feast day white, every ditch full.
• Feb. 2^nd: More snow and ice if the sun shines on Candlemas Day.
• Feb. 2^nd: Groundhog Day: If the groundhog sees its shadow, 6 more weeks of winter, if it does not than an early spring is coming.
• Feb. 6^th: St. Dorthea’s Day: St. Dorthea gives the most snow.
• Feb. 12^th: St. Eulalie’s Day: If the sun smiles it’s good for apples and cider.
• Feb. 14^th: St. Valentine’s Day: Winter breaks her back.
• Feb. 22^nd: St. Peter’s Day: The night of St. Peter’s shows the weather for the next forty days.
• Feb. 24^th: St. Mathias Day: If it freezes on St. Mathia, it freezes for month together.
• Feb. 28^th: St. Romanus Day: Romanus bright and clear indicates a godly year.

 I hope you have a great February. Hopefully there will be enough different kinds of weather mixing it up to please just about everyone.

Posted under Weatherlore & sayings, Winter Weather

Before going into a discussion about heat, drought, and ice, I wanted to first highlight once again how the StormTrack9 weather blog is a place for insight and information long before it reaches a wider audience. Late last year I recapped the status of Peak Oil theory. In the blog entry I linked to the latest night-time image of the earth – a cool zoom-able image. I noted what looked like a new huge city in western North Dakota. I mentioned that it was not a city but the sign of all the oil and gas production occurring in the Bakken shale. If you were reading the weather blog, you were a month and a half ahead of Newscientist writers.  Keep reading the weather blog. Stay ahead of the crowd.

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Drought Monitor For Wisconsin

Heat and drought were big stories last year and unfortunately one of the stories continues. Mass media might have forgotten about how dry some parts of the country remain, but I haven’t. Here at StormTrack9 we keep a close eye on the Drought Monitor. If my eyes are not deceiving me, then we still have a problem in much of the country.  Yes, there have been some bouts of significant precipitation in drought-stricken areas, but not enough to budge the “drought” needle across the mid section of the country or in the southeast. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor still indicates extreme to exceptional drought in many areas. The biggest improvement since last Summer has occurred in parts of the Ohio valley in big food-growing states such as Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio.  As I have mentioned before, if we have another widespread drought this growing season, you will probably be blown away by apocalyptic media coverage, even though historically, we have had multi-year droughts and even multi-decade droughts many times on this continent through the centuries.

Here in Wisconsin, the drought situation has not changed too much in the last month or two, which is a bit surprising. We had above normal precipitation (in Wausau) in December and now again in January (check Tony’s January recap). This should start to show up in the Drought Monitor. One thing about the heavier snow that makes me happy is that we will have some Spring melt-off that should help lake and river levels somewhat. Deeper snow usually means a good start to the growing season too, based on my experience.

Ice cover in the Great Lakes

The other half of the big weather story last year – the heat - might be gone but its effects are still being felt. Take a look at the ice coverage map of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. Even though we have had some fairly extreme cold over the last couple of weeks, the ice cover is not too extensive. Fast (solid) ice can only be found in the bays. The heat from last Summer produced lake temperatures well above normal and that heat is slow to leave. With some colder weather now in the forecast for the next few days, I suspect we will have more ice floating around on the Great Lakes but most likely remaining below normal for the season. I think we saw some of the heat effects on the smaller lakes around here in NorthCentral Wisconsin as well. Even after we had enough ice on the lakes to put fishing shacks out, the ice was not firm enough to hold up during a couple of the mild spells. A handful of shacks fell through. I don’t think I can recall as many instances of vehicles and shacks falling through the ice as this year. During most years, once the ice is thick enough to drive on, it is good for the rest of the Winter. This was not the case this year.

Have a nice Friday! Meteorologist Justin Loew.

Posted under Drought, Freeze, Heat, Weather NEws, Winter Weather