- Warnings
- Observations
- Forecasts
- Text Messages
- Forecast Models
- Climate
- Weather Safety
- Education/Outreach
- Information Center
- Contact Us
RSS Feeds
Climatological Report (Monthly)
Issued by NWS Marquette, MI
Issued by NWS Marquette, MI
Versions:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25 26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
000 CXUS53 KMQT 140210 AAC CLMMQT CLIMATE REPORT...PRELIMINARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI 910 PM EST SUN FEB 13 2013 ................................... ...THE MARQUETTE MI CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY 2013... CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010 CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1961 TO 2013 WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S) NORMAL ................................................................ TEMPERATURE (F) RECORD HIGH 53 01/26/1973 LOW -32 01/09/1977 HIGHEST 42 01/12 20 22 41 01/10 01/09 01/06 LOWEST -18 01/22 3 -21 -12 01/20 AVG. MAXIMUM 23.0 21.9 1.1 26.5 AVG. MINIMUM 8.4 5.2 3.2 12.1 MEAN 15.7 13.6 2.1 19.3 DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0 DAYS MAX <= 32 22 26.3 -4.3 23 DAYS MIN <= 32 31 31.0 0.0 31 DAYS MIN <= 0 7 10.5 -3.5 5 PRECIPITATION (INCHES) RECORD MAXIMUM 6.61 1997 MINIMUM 0.61 1965 TOTALS 2.76 2.41 0.35 2.68 DAILY AVG. 0.09 0.08 0.01 0.09 DAYS >= .01 18 17.3 0.7 16 DAYS >= .10 10 7.1 2.9 6 DAYS >= .50 1 0.9 0.1 1 DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.2 -0.2 0 GREATEST 24 HR. TOTAL 0.80 01/30 TO 01/31 SNOWFALL (INCHES) RECORDS TOTAL 91.7 1997 TOTALS 42.7 43.2 -0.5 48.5 SINCE 7/1 92.0 116.5 -24.5 93.9 SNOWDEPTH AVG. 13 19 -6 17 DAYS >= 1.0 10 11.6 -1.6 11 GREATEST SNOW DEPTH 27 01/31 25 01/29 01/25 01/24 24 HR TOTAL 17.0 01/30 TO 01/31 DEGREE_DAYS HEATING TOTAL 1523 1595 -72 1412 SINCE 7/1 4896 5237 -341 4583 COOLING TOTAL 0 0 0 0 SINCE 1/1 0 0 0 0 ................................................................. WIND (MPH) AVERAGE WIND SPEED MM HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION MM DATE MM HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 40/270 DATE 01/09 SKY COVER POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM AVERAGE SKY COVER MM NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR MM NUMBER OF DAYS PC MM NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY MM AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) MM WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH THUNDERSTORM 0 MIXED PRECIP 0 HEAVY RAIN 0 RAIN 0 LIGHT RAIN 3 FREEZING RAIN 0 LT FREEZING RAIN 5 HAIL 0 HEAVY SNOW 1 SNOW 6 LIGHT SNOW 22 SLEET 0 FOG 4 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 0 HAZE 0 - INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS. R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED. MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING. T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT. && ...JANUARY 2013 MONTHLY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR UPPER MICHIGAN... (THIS DISCUSSION DOES NOT INCLUDE CHIPPEWA AND MACKINAC COUNTIES) ...MEAN MONTHLY TEMPERATURE ABOVE NORMAL DESPITE SECOND HALF CHILL... ...GENERALLY NEAR TO ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION AND SNOWFALL... JANUARY CLIMATE STATISTICS FOR THE MARQUETTE NWS IN NEGAUNEE TOWNSHIP NORMAL DEPARTURE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 15.7 13.6 PLUS 2.1 AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE 23.0 21.9 PLUS 1.1 AVERAGE LOW TEMPERATURE 8.4 5.2 PLUS 3.2 HEATING DEGREE DAYS 1523 1595 MINUS 72 COOLING DEGREE DAYS 0 0 0 TOTAL PRECIPITATION 2.76 2.41 PLUS 0.35 TOTAL SNOWFALL 42.7 43.2 MINUS 0.5 HIGHEST TEMPERATURE: 42 ON 1/12 LOWEST TEMPERATURE: -18 ON 1/22 GREATEST CALENDAR DAY PRECIPITATION: 0.69 ON 1/30 GREATEST 24 HOUR PRECIPITATION: 0.80 ON 1/30-1/31 GREATEST CALENDAR DAY SNOWFALL: 14.3 ON 1/30 GREATEST 24 HOUR SNOWFALL: 17.0 ON 1/30-1/31 PEAK WIND SPEED: 40 MPH FROM THE WEST ON 1/9 MAXIMUM SNOW DEPTH: 27 ON 1/31 DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE ON 1/11...32 (OLD RECORD 27...2007) DAILY RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE TIED ON 1/21...-3 (-3...1963) DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE ON 1/28...27 (25...1989) DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE ON 1/29...27 (25...1993/2006) DAILY RECORD PRECIPITATION ON 1/30...0.69 (0.34...2001) DAILY RECORD SNOWFALL ON 1/30...14.3 (6.0...1984) --------------------------------------------------------------------- GREAT LAKES WATER LEVELS (FEET/METERS ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL) LAKE SUPERIOR LAKE MICHIGAN-HURON 1/01/13 DAILY MEAN 600.46/183.02 576.08/175.59 1/31/13 DAILY MEAN 600.32/182.98 576.04/175.58 AVG DEC 2012 DAILY MEAN 600.59/183.06 576.15/175.61 AVG JAN 2012 DAILY MEAN 600.42/183.01 577.41/175.99 LONG TERM JAN DAILY MEAN 601.50/183.33 578.40/176.30 MAXIMUM JAN DAILY MEAN 602.70/183.70 581.30/177.18 (1986) (1987) MINIMUM JAN DAILY MEAN 599.80/182.83 576.10/175.60 (1926) (1965) ...RECORD LOW LEVEL ON LAKES MICHIGAN-HURON IN JANUARY... INCREASED EVAPORATION DUE TO VERY WARM LAKE WATERS AND A LACK OF SIGNIFICANT WINTER ICE HAS RESULTED IN WELL BELOW NORMAL GREAT LAKES WATER LEVELS FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. IN COMBINATION WITH DROUGHT THAT PLAGUED THE LOWER LAKES THROUGH MUCH OF 2012...THE WATER LEVEL ON LAKES MICHIGAN-HURON THAT DROPPED 1 TO 2 INCHES BELOW THE PREVIOUS RECORD LOW LEVEL IN NOVEMBER REMAINED AT RECORD LOW LEVELS IN JANUARY 2013. THE JANUARY STAGE NEAR 576 FEET/175.6 METERS AVERAGED ABOUT 28 INCHES BELOW THE LONG-TERM NORMAL. AS IS TYPICAL IN JANUARY...LAKE SUPERIOR WATER LEVELS FELL SLOWLY...REMAINING ABOUT 15 INCHES BELOW NORMAL. A WEEK OF INTENSE COLD DURING THE SECOND HALF OF JANUARY RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT ICE BUILDUP ON THE BAY OF GREEN BAY BY LATE MONTH. ICE FORMATION ON LAKE SUPERIOR WAS LIMITED TO THE NEARSHORE AREAS...MAINLY OFF THE WEST COAST OF UPPER MICHIGAN AND IN THE MORE SHELTERED BAYS ELSEWHERE. OBTAIN GREAT LAKES WATER LEVEL DATA AS REPORTED BY THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS AT HTTP://WWW.LRE.USACE.ARMY.MIL/GREATLAKES/HH/GREATLAKESWATERLEVELS/ CURRENTCONDITIONS/GREATLAKESWATERLEVELS (ALL LOWER CASE). --------------------------------------------------------------------- JANUARY CLIMATE HIGHLIGHTS HIGHEST REPORTED TEMPERATURE...47 AT NUMEROUS LOCATIONS ON 1/10 AND 1/12 LOWEST REPORTED TEMPERATURE...-27 AT CLARKSBURG-CHAMPION IN MARQUETTE COUNTY ON 1/23 AND 1/24 HIGHEST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE...20.9 DEGREES AT HARVEY IN MARQUETTE COUNTY LOWEST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE...12.1 DEGREES AT CLARKSBURG-CHAMPION IN MARQUETTE COUNTY HIGHEST MONTHLY PRECIPITATION...4.93 INCHES A SITE 10 MILES SOUTH OF GRAND MARAIS IN ALGER COUNTY LOWEST MONTHLY PRECIPITATION...1.26 INCHES AT IRON MOUNTAIN HIGHEST MONTHLY SNOWFALL...83.0 INCHES AT ATLANTIC MINE IN HOUGHTON COUNTY LOWEST MONTHLY SNOWFALL...10.0 INCHES AT WITCH LAKE IN MARQUETTE COUNTY GREATEST SNOW DEPTH...37 INCHES SOUTH OF GRAND MARAIS ON 1/31 THE WEATHER PATTERN OVER THE GREAT LAKES IN JANUARY 2013 FEATURED A ROLLER COASTER OF SOME NOTABLE WEATHER EXTREMES. DURING MOST OF THE FIRST HALF OF THE MONTH...A MILDER PACIFIC AIR FLOW RESULTED IN SOME ABNORMALLY WARM WEATHER AND MEAN DAILY TEMPERATURES AS HIGH AS 20 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL ON 1/10 THROUGH 1/12. SOME PLACES AROUND THIS TIME REPORTED NO SNOW ON THE GROUND...VERY UNUSUAL FOR MID-JANUARY. BUT AT MID-MONTH...THE PATTERN MADE A SHIFT TO ONE THAT FEATURED A RIDGE OVER WESTERN NORTH AMERICA AND A DEEP TROUGH IN THE CENTRAL AND EAST. AS A RESULT...BITTERLY COLD ARCTIC AIRMASSES INVADED THE GREAT LAKES IN THE WEEK FROM 1/17 TO 1/24. AT SOME LOCATIONS DURING THE PEAK OF THIS COLD ON 1/21 AND 1/22 WHEN MEAN DAILY TEMPERATURES RAN 20 TO 25 DEGREES BELOW AVERAGE...THE MERCURY FAILED TO RISE ABOVE THE ZERO MARK FROM LATE ON 1/20 UNTIL THE AFTERNOON ON 1/23. DURING THE LAST WEEK...THE PATTERN TRANSITIONED BACK TO A WESTERN TROUGH/EASTERN RIDGE...ALLOWING A RETURN OF MUCH WARMER AIR TO THE UPPER GREAT LAKES. MEAN DAILY TEMPERATURES ON 1/27 THROUGH 1/29 REBOUNDED BACK TO NEAR 20 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. AS THE WESTERN TROUGH PUSHED INTO THE PLAINS...A MOISTURE-LADEN LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVED THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES ON 1/30...BRINGING SOME HEAVY SNOW UP TO 18 INCHES TO MAINLY THE EAST HALF OF UPPER MICHIGAN. AS JANUARY CAME TO A CLOSE...MUCH COLDER ARCTIC AIR FOLLOWED THIS STORM SYSTEM BACK INTO UPPER MICHIGAN ON 1/31. SINCE WARMER AIRMASSES DOMINATED MORE OF THE TIME IN JANUARY...THE MEAN MONTHLY TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 13 TO 20 DEGREES ENDED UP 2 TO 3 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL AND 7 TO 9 DEGREES LOWER THAN REPORTED IN DECEMBER AT MOST LOCATIONS. ALTHOUGH THE FIRST HALF OF JANUARY WAS DRY WITH FEW LARGER SCALE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS IMPACTING UPPER MICHIGAN AND A LACK OF ARCTIC AIR LIMITING THE COVERAGE AND INTENSITY OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW...THE SECOND HALF OF THE MONTH TURNED ACTIVE WITH ALMOST CONTINUOUS LAKE EFFECT SNOW IN THE SNOW BELTS FAVORED BY WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS. AT THE HOUGHTON COUNTY AIRPORT...LESS THAN 5 INCHES OF SNOW FELL THROUGH 1/12. ON THE OTHER HAND...ALMOST 70 INCHES OF THE WHITE STUFF ACCUMULATED AT THAT LOCATION FROM 1/13 THROUGH 1/31. IN FACT...THE ONLY DAY IN JANUARY AFTER 1/12 WITHOUT MEASURABLE SNOW THERE WAS ON 1/29...WHEN A MIX OF LIGHT RAIN AND FREEZING RAIN FELL. TOTAL JANUARY WATER EQUIVALENT PRECIPITATION RANGED FROM AS LITTLE AS 1.25 TO 1.50 INCHES OVER AREAS FROM IRON MOUNTAIN TO CRYSTAL FALLS AND IRON RIVER TO AS MUCH AS 3.50 TO 4.50 INCHES OVER THE KEWEENAW...VALUES FROM NEAR NORMAL TO AS MUCH 150 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. SIMILARLY...SNOWFALL VARIED FROM AROUND 12 INCHES ALONG THE WISCONSIN BORDER TO 70 INCHES OR MORE AT SEVERAL SPOTS IN THE KEWEENAW...WHERE ATLANTIC MINE IN HOUGHTON COUNTY LED REPORTING STATIONS WITH 83.0 INCHES. THESE ACCUMULATIONS WERE GENERALLY NEAR NORMAL TO 125 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. THE 30.0 INCHES THAT FELL AT MANISTIQUE IN JANUARY MAINLY DUE TO HEAVY SNOW ASSOCIATED WITH THE MAJOR STORM SYSTEM ON 1/30 WAS ALMOST 150 PERCENT OF NORMAL. --------------------------------------------------------------------- SOME OTHER TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION OBSERVATIONS ACROSS UPPER MICHIGAN IN JANUARY 2013 INCLUDE: IRONWOOD...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 13.9 (2.3 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL) PRECIPITATION 1.76 INCHES (0.17 INCH BELOW NORMAL) SNOWFALL 40.1 INCHES (4.1 INCHES BELOW NORMAL) WATERSMEET (GOGEBIC COUNTY)...PRECIPITATION 1.48 INCHES SNOWFALL 15.4 INCHES ONTONAGON...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 19.5 (2.7 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL) (6 MILES PRECIPITATION 3.45 INCHES (0.60 INCH ABOVE NORMAL) INLAND) SNOWFALL 60.0 INCHES (6.6 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL) ROCKLAND (ONTONAGON COUNTY)...SNOWFALL 55.9 INCHES GREENLAND (ONTONAGON COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 20.8 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 3.02 INCHES SNOWFALL 57.1 INCHES BERGLAND DAM (ONTONAGON COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 14.2 DEGREES SNOWFALL 36.2 INCHES TWIN LAKES (HOUGHTON COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 14.9 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 4.44 INCHES SNOWFALL 72.9 INCHES HOUGHTON COUNTY...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 18.0 (2.5 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL) AIRPORT PRECIPITATION 3.52 INCHES (0.94 INCH ABOVE NORMAL) SNOWFALL 74.0 INCHES (5.2 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL) ATLANTIC MINE (HOUGHTON COUNTY)...PRECIPITATION 3.61 INCHES SNOWFALL 83.0 INCHES MOHAWK (KEWEENAW COUNTY)...PRECIPITATION 4.59 INCHES SNOWFALL 74.5 INCHES COPPER HARBOR...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 19.1 DEGREES JACOBSVILLE (HOUGHTON COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 20.0 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 2.57 INCHES SNOWFALL 42.5 INCHES BARAGA...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 18.6 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 1.60 INCHES SNOWFALL 24.5 INCHES WATTON (BARAGA COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 15.5 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 1.52 INCHES SNOWFALL 17.9 INCHES HERMAN (BARAGA COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 13.9 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 2.64 INCHES SNOWFALL 55.7 INCHES CLARKSBURG (MARQUETTE COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 12.1 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 1.85 INCHES SNOWFALL 26.0 INCHES WITCH LAKE (MARQUETTE COUNTY)...SNOWFALL 10.0 INCHES BIG BAY (MARQUETTE COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 19.8 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 2.49 INCHES SNOWFALL 35.5 INCHES MARQUETTE CITY...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 20.7 (1.9 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL) PRECIPITATION 1.69 INCHES (0.14 INCH BELOW NORMAL) SNOWFALL 16.3 INCHES (13.2 INCHES BELOW NORMAL) HARVEY (MARQUETTE COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 20.9 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 1.54 INCHES SNOWFALL 21.2 INCHES CHATHAM (ALGER COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 19.0 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 2.05 INCHES SNOWFALL 37.2 INCHES MUNISING...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 19.5 (1.6 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL) PRECIPITATION 3.74 INCHES (0.47 INCH ABOVE NORMAL) SNOWFALL 54.9 INCHES (11.6 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL) GRAND MARAIS...PRECIPITATION 4.93 INCHES (10 MILES SOUTH) SNOWFALL 79.2 INCHES NEWBERRY...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 20.6 (3.9 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL) PRECIPITATION 2.79 INCHES (0.04 INCH ABOVE NORMAL) SNOWFALL 42.7 INCHES (6.9 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL) STAMBAUGH (IRON COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 14.2 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 1.44 INCHES SNOWFALL 13.5 INCHES AMASA (IRON COUNTY)...PRECIPITATION 1.59 INCHES SNOWFALL 18.5 INCHES IRON MOUNTAIN...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 16.5 (2.8 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL) PRECIPITATION 1.26 INCHES (0.03 INCH ABOVE NORMAL) SNOWFALL 11.8 INCHES (1.9 INCHES BELOW NORMAL) DAGGETT (MENOMINEE COUNTY)...PRECIPITATION 1.75 INCHES SNOWFALL 13.0 INCHES MENOMINEE...PRECIPITATION 1.94 INCHES SNOWFALL 12.5 INCHES GLADSTONE (DELTA COUNTY)...PRECIPITATION 2.00 INCHES SNOWFALL 17.3 INCHES GARDEN CORNERS (DELTA COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 18.4 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 1.99 INCHES SNOWFALL 22.3 INCHES MANISTIQUE...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 20.0 (2.4 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL) PRECIPITATION 2.28 INCHES (0.71 INCH ABOVE NORMAL) SNOWFALL 30.0 INCHES (9.0 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL) JANUARY WEATHER SUMMARY MORE TO COME LATER. FEBRUARY FORECAST THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER (CPC) IS FORECASTING AN EQUAL CHANCE OF AN ABOVE AND BELOW NORMAL MONTHLY AVERAGE TEMPERATURE AND MONTHLY PRECIPITATION OVER ALL OF UPPER MICHIGAN IN FEBRUARY 2013. FEBRUARY CLIMATOLOGY ALTHOUGH DAYLIGHT LENGTHENS NOTICEABLY DURING FEBRUARY (580 MINUTES OF POSSIBLE SUNSHINE ON 2/1 TO 664 MINUTES ON 2/28)...WINTER USUALLY MAINTAINS ITS ICY GRIP ON UPPER MICHIGAN DURING THE MONTH. IN FACT...THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE DURING THE YEAR OFTEN OCCURS IN THE SECOND MONTH. HUMBOLDT IN MARQUETTE COUNTY OBSERVED A FRIGID -49 LOW ON THE MORNING OF 2/10/1899...THE LOWEST READING EVER RECORDED IN UPPER MICHIGAN. THE FREQUENT ARRIVAL OF ARCTIC AIRMASSES CAN STILL CAUSE TEMPERATURES TO PLUNGE AS LOW AS 25 TO 35 BELOW ZERO EVEN DURING THE LAST WEEK OF THE MONTH. THE COLDEST FEBRUARIES IN RECENT MEMORY WERE IN 2003 AND 1994...WHEN TEMPERATURES ACROSS UPPER MICHIGAN AVERAGED 6 TO 9 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. DURING FEBRUARY 1994...THE MEAN TEMPERATURE AT IRONWOOD WAS A BRUTAL 6.5 DEGREES. BUT THAT WAS WARM COMPARED TO FEBRUARY 1936...WHEN IRONWOOD`S AVERAGE TEMPERATURE WAS -0.5 DEGREES. FEBRUARY 2003 RANKS AS THE COLDEST AT MICHIGAN TECH UNIVERSITY (AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 8.7 DEGREES) AND IN THE TOP FIVE COLDEST AT MUNISING...THE MARQUETTE NWS...AND IRON MOUNTAIN. MORE RECENTLY...INTENSE COLD PREVAILED THROUGH MUCH OF FEBRUARY 2007...WHEN THE MONTHLY MEAN TEMPERATURE RAN 4 TO 8 DEGREES BELOW AVERAGE. THAT MONTH WAS ONE OF THE TOP TEN COLDEST FEBRUARYS AT ONTONAGON...IRONWOOD...MANISTIQUE...MUNISING... MARQUETTE CITY AND THE MARQUETTE NWS. BUT THE CONTINUED CLIMB OF THE SUN IN THE SOUTHERN SKY PROMISES THE END OF WINTER IS IN SIGHT AND THAT SPRINGTIME IS GETTING CLOSER. AVERAGE TEMPERATURES RISE STEADILY AFTER THE FIRST WEEK OF THE MONTH...FROM 12 ON 2/7 TO 17 ON 2/28 AT THE MARQUETTE NWS. DURING THE LAST HALF OF FEBRUARY...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES REACH WELL INTO THE 50S AND 60S. AT MANY SITES...FEBRUARY 1998...1999...2000 AND 2002 ALL FALL INTO THE TOP 10 WARMEST ON RECORD. IN FEBRUARY 2000... RECORD WARMTH AFTER 2/21 CAUSED RAPID SNOW MELT...AND ICE JAM FLOODING WAS OBSERVED ON THE ONTONAGON RIVER. IN FACT...THE TEMPERATURE AVERAGED 39.3 DEGREES BETWEEN 2/22/2000 AND 2/29/2000 AT THE MARQUETTE NWS...MARKING THIS 8-DAY PERIOD AS THE WARMEST WEEK IN THE SECOND MONTH SINCE RECORDS BEGAN IN 1961. BUT AT MOST LOCATIONS IN UPPER MICHIGAN...FEBRUARY 1998 GOES DOWN IN THE RECORD BOOKS AS THE WARMEST FEBRUARY EVER. TEMPERATURES AT SOME PLACES ENDED THE MONTH AS MUCH AS 15 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL AS A STRONG EL NINO AND ZONAL PACIFIC FLOW ALOFT PREVENTED THE NORMAL PARADE OF ARCTIC AIRMASSES FROM INVADING THE UPPER GREAT LAKES. AVERAGE SNOWFALL OVER UPPER MICHIGAN DURING FEBRUARY IS LESS THAN IN JANUARY AS THE MEAN POSITION OF THE JET STREAM AND STORM TRACK MOVES A BIT FARTHER SOUTH. FALLING LAKE SUPERIOR WATER TEMPERATURES AND THE FORMATION OF ICE ON THE LAKE SOME YEARS ALSO REDUCE THE INTENSITY OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW. EVEN SO...THERE IS A SHARP DECREASE IN AVERAGE SNOWFALL FROM AREAS NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR TO INLAND LOCATIONS ALONG THE WISCONSIN BORDER. WHILE HOUGHTON TYPICALLY TALLIES ALMOST 33 INCHES OF THE WHITE STUFF...IRON MOUNTAIN WILL LOG ONLY 10 INCHES DURING A TYPICAL FEBRUARY. ALTHOUGH MONTHLY TEMPERATURES AVERAGED WELL ABOVE NORMAL...FEBRUARY 2002 WILL LONG BE REMEMBERED FOR HEAVY PRECIPITATION AND SNOWFALL...ESPECIALLY IN THE LAKE EFFECT SNOW BELTS. VERY MILD WEATHER INTO FEBRUARY THAT WINTER MAINTAINED LAKE SUPERIOR TEMPERATURES WELL ABOVE NORMAL...SO THAT HEAVIER THAN USUAL LAKE EFFECT AND LAKE ENHANCED SNOW ACCOMPANIED A GREATER THAN AVERAGE NUMBER OF SYNOPTIC STORMS. THE 91.9 INCHES OF SNOW THAT FELL AT THE MARQUETTE NWS THAT MONTH PUSHES FEBRUARY 2002 TO THE TOP OF THE LIST OF NOT ONLY THE SNOWIEST FEBRUARY...BUT ALSO THE SNOWIEST CALENDAR MONTH. THE 5.35 INCHES OF LIQUID EQUIVALENT PRECIPITATION THAT FELL AT THAT LOCATION EASILY ECLIPSED THE PREVIOUS STANDARD OF 3.62 INCHES OBSERVED IN FEBRUARY 1971. MANY LOCATIONS FROM IRONWOOD TO NEWBERRY ALSO RECORDED A TOP FIVE SNOWIEST AND WETTEST FEBRUARY IN 2002. DURING THE COLD FEBRUARY OF 1989...THE HOUGHTON COUNTY AIRPORT RECORDED 89.8 INCHES OF SNOW. NOT ONLY IS FEBRUARY 1998 THE WARMEST AT MANY LOCATIONS...IT IS ALSO THE LEAST SNOWY AT MANISTIQUE (1.0 INCH)...IRONWOOD (2.8 INCHES)... ONTONAGON (5.0 INCHES)...AND THE HOUGHTON COUNTY AIRPORT (5.5 INCHES). MONTHLY SNOWFALLS OF 3.0 INCHES AT NEWBERRY AND 8.8 INCHES AT MUNISING PLACE FEBRUARY 1998 AMONG THE TOP FIVE LEAST SNOWY. OUTLOOK FOR SPRING THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER (CPC) IS FORECASTING A GREATER THAN CLIMATOLOGICAL CHANCE OF AN ABOVE NORMAL 3-MONTH AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OVER THE EAST HALF OF UPPER MICHIGAN BUT EQUAL CHANCES OF AN ABOVE NORMAL AND BELOW NORMAL AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OVER THE WEST HALF DURING MARCH THROUGH MAY 2013. THE CPC INDICATES THERE IS A GREATER CHANCE OF ABOVE AVERAGE 3-MONTH PRECIPITATION OVER ALL OF UPPER MICHIGAN IN MARCH THROUGH MAY. GO TO HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/CLIMATE/L3MTO.PHP TO ACCESS DETAILED LOCAL THREE-MONTH AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OUTLOOKS FOR A NUMBER OF SITES IN UPPER MICHIGAN. CHECK OUT HTTP://WWW.CPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER AND MORE LONG RANGE PREDICTIONS. NOTE THAT STATISTICS FOR THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN NEGAUNEE TOWNSHIP ARE BASED ON RECORDS WHICH BEGAN IN OCTOBER 1961. THIRTY YEAR NORMALS USED ARE FOR THE PERIOD OF 1981 THROUGH 2010. NOTE ALL TEMPERATURES ARE IN FAHRENHEIT AND PRECIPITATION IS IN INCHES. ALL CLIMATE DATA LISTED IN THIS PRODUCT ARE UNOFFICIAL. FOR OFFICIAL DATA...PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL CLIMATIC DATA CENTER. ALSO NOTE THIS DISCUSSION DOES NOT INCLUDE DATA FROM CHIPPEWA AND MACKINAC COUNTIES. NWS MARQUETTE WEB PAGE IS AT HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MQT (ALL LOWER CASE). CONTACT THE NATIONAL CLIMATIC DATA CENTER AT (828) 271-4800 OR WWW.NCDC.NOAA.GOV. $$ KC
- National Weather Service
- Detroit/Pontiac, MI Weather Forecast Office
- 9200 White Lake Road
- White Lake, MI 48386
- 248-620-9804
- Page Author: DTX Webmaster
- Web Master's E-mail: w-dtx.webmaster@noaa.gov
- Page last modified: Jun 3rd, 2013 15:31 UTC