February 2015 Observations and Discussion

[FarmerRick]

I'll take any moisture we can get in the Omaha area.

No real snowcover here other than the few leftover drifts from the last 8-9" that we got a few weeks ago. There are cracks in my yard so big I can stick my hand down in them.  

 

I am more than sick of these sub zero temps though... 

[CentralNebWeather]

I am with you.  Need a heavy wet snowstorm.

[winterfreak]

We're all in the same boat man ha. Cold and dry.

[FV-Mike]

Good post from Skillings blog about how cold February has been

 

[Maxim]

I think it's safe to say that this was the last subzero reading until next winter.

[Hawkeye]

12z nam and gfs holding firm with the clipper snow band well west of my area.  The GEM and UK have been much farther east.

[Tom]

I think it's safe to say that this was the last subzero reading until next winter.

I dunno about that, Thursday night looks bitter cold as well.

 

Some really cold low temps last night.  WI/MI seems to have been the epicenter!

 

 

 

-36 Champion MI -35 Land O Lakes WI -35 Grayling MI -34 Cadillac MI -4 Chicago I

[Tom]

I started a thread for the mid-week clipper....

[Snowshoe]

RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI
203 AM CST MON FEB 23 2015

...RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES SET ON SUNDAY FEBRUARY 22...

ARCTIC AIR FIRMLY ENTRENCHED ACROSS THE REGION ALLOWED FOR
THREE LOCATIONS TO SET THEIR RECORD LOW MAXIMUM FOR THE DATE.


               NEW RECORD        PREVIOUS
LOCATION       FOR FEB 22         RECORD       YEAR
---------------------------------------------------
ANTIGO              1               2          1965
MERRILL             3               4          1965
RHINELANDER         2               4          1965

Record low maximum temps and what do I do? Take the family snowmobiling!   I'm still waiting for that snowstorm to hit MBY. Getting tired of the 2 hour drive to play in snow!

 

[Tom]

LOT starting to mention LES potential Wed night for NE IL...might put this in the Clipper Thread.  GFS has been consistently showing a lake band developing.

 

 

 

AS THIS IS HAPPENING THE BITTER COLD AIR WILL COME MARCHING BACK IN
FOR THURSDAY. WE LOOK TO HAVE SOME CLOUDS AROUND WEDNESDAY NIGHT
WHICH WILL PREVENT A TEMPERATURE FREE FALL. AS THIS COLD AIR COMES
IN...DELTA T`S WILL BECOME PRETTY LARGE AND INVERSION HEIGHTS
INCREASE TO 5000 FT...AND THE FLOW WILL BE FAVORABLE FOR ANY LAKE
EFFECT TO COME INTO NE ILLINOIS OVERNIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING.
WILL HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON THIS FOR ANY BANDS THAT MAY SETUP.

[Tony]

This might be our only chance of seeing some flakes for the work week.

[jaster220]

I dunno about that, Thursday night looks bitter cold as well.

 

Some really cold low temps last night.  WI/MI seems to have been the epicenter!

 

Had -15*F here in Marshall this morning. I don't keep a daily log of such lows because normally we don't get anywhere close to -15 or below. But last winter and this winter we sure have been. Had -23*F Friday morning and I'm pretty sure that's a record for here or really, really close to it. Small town, so the nearest official records are KBTL about 12 miles west. I remember those -35*F (and COLDER) when I worked up in Grayling back in 1994. That's just rediculous for OH to have hit that cold too!

[Tony]

I'm liking the signs regarding the LES potential for later this week. Not saying it will be huge by any means but could be a snowy 24hrs showing up for some.

[Geos]

-8° here this morning for a low. Getting tired of the dry, frigid pattern now, but at least the sun has been out the last two days.

 

Pretty amazing that this February is going to finish off colder than 2014's! 

 

That's one thing you don't hear much about at this time of winter - LES. Kind of wondering what the effect the ice cover will have on the setup though.

 

[Snowlover76]

Impressive seeing Lake Ontario have more than 50% ice coverage, out of all the lakes, that is the toughest to get ice coverage on.

[Tom]

Fresh snow cover and temps tank...

[Tom]

Should be some very good radiational cooling taking place Thursday night.  Folks in IA may have their coldest night of the season.

[Tom]

Lake/McHenry county may be picking up 1-2" from this wave today....

[Maxim]

weenie band right over MBY

[Tom]

weenie band right over MBY

Very small area in Lake/McHenry may get a nice surprise today... .  Are you close to 1" by now??

[Snowshoe]

Interesting facts about the sustained cold of February. I was shocked to find these out quite frankly.

 

 

1st February without a 28 degree temperature at Duluth

 

Every February, since weather records began at Duluth in 1875, has recorded a high temperature of at least 28 degrees for the entire month. February 2015 will probably not achieve this feat as the highest temperature so far this month is 27 degrees reported on the 9th.

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=dlh&storyid=106969&source=0

 

 

@

Interesting record potential: There has never been a February in Wausau when the temp has NOT reached 32. This year could be the first!

— WAOW (@WAOW) https://twitter.com/WAOW/status/568397645011484672

[Tom]

Looking more likely we will tack on 2 more sub-zero nights at ORD both Thu & Fri night which will bring the season total to (12) if that happens.  ORD has 37.1" of snow this season.  Could it hit 50" this year???  We shall see.

[Niko]

My current snowpack is so old, that you cannot shovel it at all. You need a bulldozer to break it down and clean it up.

 

Another subzero night tomorrow night! I lost count on how many we had so far this winter. I'm thinking more than last year, if you can believe that. Also, last year my coldest temp was -13F. This year, it got down to -15F. So, it has been a colder winter this year than last year.

[Tom]

ORD may break some more record low temps later this week:

 

 

 

.CLIMATE...

TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST ONCE AGAIN TO BE CLOSE OR BREAK THE
FOLLOWING RECORDS LATER THIS WEEK...INCLUDING ONE IN ROCKFORD SET
JUST LAST WINTER:

ROCKFORD...

THURSDAY FEB 26TH LOW MAXIMUM: 11 IN 1920
FRIDAY FEB 27TH LOW MAXIMUM: 15 IN 2014
SATURDAY FEB 28TH LOW: -7 IN 1962
SATURDAY FEB 28TH LOW MAXIMUM: 17 IN 1962

CHICAGO...

FRIDAY FEB 27TH LOW: -6 IN 1897
SATURDAY FEB 28TH LOW: 0 IN 1884

[jaster220]

@ Niko

 

Yep. So many cold nights, I'm only keeping track of -15*F or below!  Had 3 so far. Old record all-time coldest was -20, so that should tell you something about the truly remarkable territory this winter is reaching.

[Tom]

ORD officially stands at 26.4" of snow for February making it the Top 3 Snowiest on record.  The month will come close to being the coldest February on record.  Pretty impressive month.

[Geos]

23.5" of snow here total for the month. The streak of snowy February's continue.

[james1976]

Waterloo is expected to break a 118 year old record tonight! Forecast is for -19, record is -14 set back in 1897.

[Geos]

-6° this morning. 19 days have had a low below 0° now. All within this month and last month.

[james1976]

Waterloo hit -24 this morning! Destroyed a 118 year old record of -14 from 1897.

[Tom]

Waterloo hit -24 this morning! Destroyed a 118 year old record of -14 from 1897.

Perfect conditions for radiational cooling last night and tonight.  Might not dip as low tonight but teens sub-zero are still possible.  

[Hawkeye]

Cedar Rapids hit -20 this morning, smashing the 118 year old record of -10.  I don't know what it hit here in town, maybe -15 or so.

[Geos]

-20s this far south in the last few days of February is nuts! Tomorrow morning might be the last sub zero day for the season. Predicted low is -4°.

 

12.9° for an average temperature here this month! -13.0° from normal.

[Maxim]

That cold shot for next week will probably be the last significant arctic cold shot of the season.

[Geos]

Well it really bottomed out last night/this morning. -9° for the low. Coldest February that I've ever seen here and the biggest negative departure I've ever seen - over -13°.

 

Took this picture yesterday near Burlington, WI. Sun setting behind a lone Oak tree in a field.

 

[Tom]

ORD avg temp for the month was 14.1F.  Beating the 1875 record by 0.5F.  We just witnessed the coldest February on record and 3rd snowiest.  Nice way to finish off the meteorological Winter with a Bang!

[Maxim]

ORD avg temp for the month was 14.1F.  Beating the 1875 record by 0.5F.  We just witnessed the coldest February on record and 3rd snowiest.  Nice way to finish off the meteorological Winter with a Bang!

ORD tied with 1875 as the coldest actually.

[Tom]

ORD tied with 1875 as the coldest actually.

Phil Schwarz had it up on his screen during his broadcast....unless he is wrong, where did you see it otherwise???

[Maxim]

Phil Schwarz had it up on his screen during his broadcast....unless he is wrong, where did you see it otherwise???

Check on LOT's FB page

[Geos]

Very chilly month. Biggest negative departure I've ever seen out of any month of the year. Not the snowiest February, but way above normal.