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Climatological Report (Monthly)
Issued by NWS Marquette, MI
Issued by NWS Marquette, MI
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000 CXUS53 KMQT 160103 AAB CLMMQT CLIMATE REPORT...PRELIMINARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI 805 PM EST TUE JAN 15 2013 ................................... ...THE MARQUETTE MI CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2012... 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 59 12/03/1998 12/03/1982 LOW -28 12/20/1983 HIGHEST 53 12/03 24 29 43 12/26 LOWEST 2 12/12 10 -8 -4 12/10 AVG. MAXIMUM 29.4 25.9 3.5 28.9 AVG. MINIMUM 18.0 11.2 6.8 15.9 MEAN 23.7 18.5 5.2 22.4 DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0 DAYS MAX <= 32 20 22.7 -2.7 22 DAYS MIN <= 32 29 30.5 -1.5 31 DAYS MIN <= 0 0 6.2 -6.2 2 PRECIPITATION (INCHES) RECORD MAXIMUM 6.91 1968 MINIMUM 0.37 1994 TOTALS 3.14 2.57 0.57 1.89 DAILY AVG. 0.10 0.08 0.02 0.06 DAYS >= .01 15 17.1 -2.1 17 DAYS >= .10 4 7.1 -3.1 7 DAYS >= .50 2 1.1 0.9 0 DAYS >= 1.00 1 0.2 0.8 0 GREATEST 24 HR. TOTAL 2.24 12/20 TO 12/21 SNOWFALL (INCHES) RECORDS TOTAL 89.5 2000 TOTALS 28.4 42.8 -14.4 24.7 SINCE 7/1 49.3 73.3 -24.0 45.4 SNOWDEPTH AVG. 6 11 -5 6 DAYS >= 1.0 5 10.0 -5.0 9 GREATEST SNOW DEPTH 15 12/26 10 12/06 12/25 12/24 24 HR TOTAL 16.4 12/20 TO 12/21 DEGREE_DAYS HEATING TOTAL 1271 1440 -169 1312 SINCE 7/1 3373 3642 -269 3171 COOLING TOTAL 0 0 0 0 SINCE 1/1 345 242 103 324 ................................................................. WIND (MPH) AVERAGE WIND SPEED MM HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION MM DATE MM HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 44/360 DATE 12/21 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 7 FREEZING RAIN 0 LT FREEZING RAIN 4 HAIL 0 HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 2 LIGHT SNOW 25 SLEET 1 FOG 6 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 2 HAZE 0 - INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS. R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED. MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING. T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT. && ...DECEMBER 2012 MONTHLY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR UPPER MICHIGAN... (THIS DISCUSSION DOES NOT INCLUDE CHIPPEWA AND MACKINAC COUNTIES) ...MEAN MONTHLY TEMPERATURE WELL ABOVE NORMAL... ...SEVENTH WARMEST DECEMBER AT THE MARQUETTE NWS AND ONTONAGON... ...SEVENTH WARMEST DECEMBER AT MANISTIQUE... ...EIGHTH WARMEST DECEMBER AT MUNISING... ...TENTH WARMEST DECEMBER AT MARQUETTE CITY... ...DRY TO THE WEST BUT WETTER OVER THE EAST... ...SECOND LOWEST DECEMBER PRECIPITATION AT ONTONAGON... ...NINTH LOWEST DECEMBER PRECIPITATION AT HOUGHTON... ...WELL BELOW NORMAL SNOWFALL... ...RECORD LOW DECEMBER SNOWFALL AT ONTONAGON AND MARQUETTE CITY... ...SIXTH LOWEST DECEMBER SNOWFALL AT MUNISING... ...EIGHTH LOWEST DECEMBER SNOWFALL AT HOUGHTON... DECEMBER CLIMATE STATISTICS FOR THE MARQUETTE NWS IN NEGAUNEE TOWNSHIP NORMAL DEPARTURE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 23.7 18.5 PLUS 5.2 AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE 29.4 25.9 PLUS 3.5 AVERAGE LOW TEMPERATURE 18.0 11.2 PLUS 6.8 HEATING DEGREE DAYS 1271 1440 MINUS 169 COOLING DEGREE DAYS 0 0 0 TOTAL PRECIPITATION 3.14 2.57 PLUS 0.57 TOTAL SNOWFALL 28.4 42.8 MINUS 14.4 HIGHEST TEMPERATURE: 53 ON 12/3 LOWEST TEMPERATURE: 2 ON 12/12 GREATEST CALENDAR DAY PRECIPITATION: 1.69 ON 12/20 GREATEST 24 HOUR PRECIPITATION: 2.24 ON 12/20-12/21 GREATEST CALENDAR DAY SNOWFALL: 11.9 ON 12/20 GREATEST 24 HOUR SNOWFALL: 16.4 ON 12/20-12/21 PEAK WIND SPEED: 44 MPH FROM THE NORTH ON 12/21 DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE ON 12/16...32 (OLD RECORD 31...1977) DAILY RECORD PRECIPITATION ON 12/20...1.69 (0.50...1978) DAILY RECORD SNOWFALL ON 12/20...11.9 (7.2...1976) SEVENTH HIGHEST DECEMBER MEAN TEMPERATURE...23.7 (RECORD 27.5...1994) --------------------------------------------------------------------- GREAT LAKES WATER LEVELS (FEET/METERS ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL) LAKE SUPERIOR LAKE MICHIGAN-HURON 12/01/12 DAILY MEAN 600.61/183.06 576.16/175.61 12/31/12 DAILY MEAN 600.51/183.03 576.11/175.60 AVG NOV 2012 DAILY MEAN 600.76/183.11 576.36/175.67 AVG DEC 2011 DAILY MEAN 600.68/183.09 577.56/176.04 LONG TERM DEC DAILY MEAN 601.70/183.40 578.50/176.33 MAXIMUM DEC DAILY MEAN 603.10/183.81 581.60/177.26 (1985) (1986) MINIMUM DEC DAILY MEAN 600.10/182.92 576.20/175.62 (1925) (1964) ...RECORD LOW LEVEL REACHED ON LAKES MICHIGAN-HURON IN DECEMBER... INCREASED EVAPORATION DUE TO VERY WARM LAKE WATERS 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 IN DECEMBER HOVERED ABOUT 2 INCHES BELOW THE PREVIOUS RECORD LOW LEVEL FOR THE MONTH THAT WAS ESTABLISHED IN DECEMBER 1964. THE STAGE NEAR 576.1 FEET/175.6 METERS AVERAGED ALMOST 30 INCHES BELOW THE LONG-TERM NORMAL. SINCE PRECIPITATION DURING 2012 IN THE LAKE SUPERIOR DRAINAGE BASIN WAS HEAVIER...THE LEVEL OF THAT LAKE FELL ONLY SLOWLY IN DECEMBER. HOWEVER...LAKE SUPERIOR WATER LEVELS WERE STILL ALMOST 15 INCHES BELOW NORMAL AT THE END OF THE MONTH. 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). --------------------------------------------------------------------- DECEMBER CLIMATE HIGHLIGHTS HIGHEST REPORTED TEMPERATURE...58 AT MARQUETTE CITY AND BIG BAY IN MARQUETTE COUNTY ON 12/3 LOWEST REPORTED TEMPERATURE...-16 AT WAKEFIELD IN GOGEBIC COUNTY ON 12/26 HIGHEST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE...29.9 DEGREES AT MARQUETTE CITY LOWEST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE...21.7 DEGREES AT CLARKSBURG-CHAMPION IN MARQUETTE COUNTY HIGHEST MONTHLY PRECIPITATION...3.12 INCHES A SITE 10 MILES SOUTH OF GRAND MARAIS IN ALGER COUNTY LOWEST MONTHLY PRECIPITATION...0.64 INCH AT ONTONAGON HIGHEST MONTHLY SNOWFALL...26.5 INCHES SOUTH OF GRAND MARAIS LOWEST MONTHLY SNOWFALL...3.2 INCHES AT MARQUETTE CITY GREATEST SNOW DEPTH...16 INCHES SOUTH OF GRAND MARAIS ON 12/21 A PREVAILING WEST-TO-EAST FLOW OF MILD PACIFIC AIR DOMINATED THE FIRST THREE WEEKS OF DECEMBER 2012. ALTHOUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN UPPER TROUGH INTO THE GREAT LAKES ALLOWED A RETURN OF MORE SEASONABLE CHILL THE LAST WEEK AND A HALF OF THE MONTH...THE DECEMBER MEAN TEMPERATURE THAT RANGED THROUGH THE 20S ENDED UP 4 TO 6 DEGREES ABOVE THE 30-YEAR AVERAGE AND ONLY 6 TO 9 DEGREES BELOW THE NOVEMBER MEAN EVEN THOUGH THE DIFFERENCE IN MONTHLY NORMALS BETWEEN THE 11TH AND 12TH MONTHS IS 12 TO 13 DEGREES. IN FACT AT A NUMBER OF LOCATIONS...DECEMBER 2012 WILL GO DOWN IN THE RECORD BOOKS AS ONE OF THE TOP 10 WARMEST DECEMBERS. THE DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL OF THE MEAN MINIMUM TEMPERATURES IN DECEMBER WAS MUCH GREATER THAN THE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES ANOMALY. ON AVERAGE...LOW TEMPERATURES IN DECEMBER WERE 6 TO 8 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL...AS COMPARED TO A 3 TO 4 DEGREE DEPARTURE OF THE HIGHS. THE MERCURY FELL BELOW ZERO AT SOME OF THE INTERIOR COLD SPOTS ONLY ON SOME OF THE DAYS WHEN COLDER CANADIAN AIR RETURNED AROUND CHRISTMAS...WITH SUB ZERO MINIMUMS REPORTED ON 12/24...12/25...12/26 AND 12/29. SOME OF THE TRADITIONAL COLD SPOTS SUCH AS CLARKSBURG- CHAMPION IN MARQUETTE COUNTY DID NOT REPORT ANY SUB-ZERO TEMPERATURES IN DECEMBER. THE THERMOMETER TOPPED OUT IN THE BALMY 50S AT SOME PLACES WHEN THE WARMTH PEAKED ON 12/3 AND 12/4. HIGH TEMPERATURES ABOVE 40 WERE FAIRLY INFREQUENT...OCCURRING AT SOME OF THE WARMER LOCATIONS OVER THE SOUTH CENTRAL ON SOME OTHER DAYS IN THE FIRST WEEK AND AGAIN AROUND MID MONTH. SINCE THE FLOW ALOFT WAS WEST-TO-EAST MOST OF THE MONTH...FEW LARGER SCALE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS IMPACTED UPPER MICHIGAN IN DECEMBER 2012. WITH THE UNSEASONABLE WARMTH THE FIRST THREE WEEKS...LAKE EFFECT SNOW WAS RELATIVELY INFREQUENT. IN FACT...MANY LOCATIONS OVER UPPER MICHIGAN REPORTED NO SNOW ON THE GROUND AROUND THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH. EVEN WHEN AN UPPER TROUGH BECAME ESTABLISHED LATER IN DECEMBER AND SEASONABLY CHILLY ARCTIC AIRMASSES RETURNED OVER THE UPPER GREAT LAKES...NO HEAVY LAKE EFFECT SNOWS OCCURRED SINCE SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEMS DOMINATED. DECEMBER 2012 IS NOW ONE OF THE TOP TEN DRIEST AND LEAST SNOWY DECEMBERS AT A NUMBER OF PLACES. BECAUSE THE ONLY LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OF SIGNIFICANCE IMPACTED MAINLY THE EAST HALF OF THE UPPER PENINSULA ON 12/20 INTO 12/21... PRECIPITATION AND SNOWFALL WERE BELOW NORMAL...ESPECIALLY OVER MOST OF THE WEST WITHOUT MUCH LAKE EFFECT SNOW. A SITE JUST INLAND FROM ONTONAGON MEASURED ONLY 0.73 INCH OF WATER EQUIVALENT PRECIPITATION AND 11.0 INCHES OF SNOW IN DECEMBER...VALUES THAT ARE JUST 25 PERCENT AND 20 PERCENT OF NORMAL RESPECTIVELY. ONLY 3.2 INCHES OF SNOW FELL NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR IN THE CITY OF MARQUETTE THE WHOLE MONTH BECAUSE SOME OF THE PRECIPITATION DURING THE 12/20-12/21 STORM WAS IN THE FORM OF RAIN. THIS MONTHLY SNOWFALL IS A MEAGER 13 PERCENT OF NORMAL AND THE LOWEST ON RECORD FOR MARQUETTE. IN THE AREA HIT HARD BY THE MAJOR STORM SYSTEM JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS... MONTHLY PRECIPITATION REACHED 3.12 INCHES AT GRAND MARAIS IN ALGER COUNTY AND 3.02 INCHES AT NEWBERRY...NOT FAR FROM THE DECEMBER NORMAL. MANISTIQUE RECORDED 2.12 INCHES OF LIQUID EQUIVALENT PRECIPITATION IN DECEMBER...A HEALTHY 170 PERCENT OF THE MONTHLY AVERAGE. BUT BECAUSE THERE WAS RELATIVELY LITTLE SNOW THE REST OF DECEMBER IN THESE LOCATIONS...THE MONTHLY SNOWFALL AT NEWBERRY AND MANISTIQUE ENDED UP JUST 20.9 INCHES AND 12.5 INCHES RESPECTIVELY... ABOUT 65 PERCENT OF THE MONTHLY NORMAL FOR THOSE TOWNS. AREAS FROM IRON MOUNTAIN TO ESCANABA AND MENOMINEE SAW NEAR NORMAL MONTHLY PRECIPITATION AND SNOWFALL DUE TO THE INFLUENCE OF THE PRE-CHRISTMAS SNOW STORM. THE STORM SYSTEM THAT HIT JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS IMPACTED UPPER MICHIGAN WHEN THE WEATHER PATTERN WAS EVOLVING TOWARD A TROUGH IN THE GREAT LAKES. A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TAKING SHAPE IN THE MID MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY ON 12/19 MOVED NORTHEAST AND THROUGH LOWER MICHIGAN AND THEN INTO SOUTHEAST ONTARIO ON 12/21. THIS LOW POUNDED MOST OF THE EAST HALF WITH HEAVY SNOW OF 8 TO 12 INCHES OR MORE IN SOME PLACES AND GUSTY WINDS AS HIGH AS 64 MPH AT MENOMINEE THAT CAUSED CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW ALONG WITH NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS. NEGAUNEE IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF MARQUETTE COUNTY LED REPORTING STATIONS WITH 16.7 INCHES OF THE WHITE STUFF DURING THIS EVENT. ALTHOUGH SOME LAKE EFFECT SNOW ENHANCED STORM TOTALS TO NEAR 12 INCHES AT LOCATIONS OVER THE FAR WEST NEAR IRONWOOD...PARTS OF WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN FROM BARAGA TO IRON RIVER FARTHER FROM THE STORM TRACK ENDED UP WITH NO MORE THAN 2 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW. BUT THIS STORM BROUGHT WIDESPREAD SNOW JUST IN TIME TO DELIVER A WHITE CHRISTMAS TO THE ENTIRE U.P. --------------------------------------------------------------------- ...JANUARY 2012-DECEMBER 2012 AVERAGE TEMPERATURE... OBSERVED NORMAL DEPARTURE PREVIOUS RECORD 2011-12 RANK /OR RECORD/ MARQUETTE CITY 47.3 43.2 +4.1 47.2 /1998/ RECORD WARMEST MARQUETTE NWS 43.9 42.1 +3.8 43.4 /1998/ RECORD WARMEST MUNISING 45.1 42.0 +3.1 44.7 /1998/ RECORD WARMEST NEWBERRY 45.9 42.0 +3.8 46.0 /1998/ SECOND WARMEST IRON MOUNTAIN 46.1 42.3 +3.8 46.3 /1998/ SECOND WARMEST MANISTIQUE 45.1 41.8 +3.3 45.2 /1998/ SECOND WARMEST HOUGHTON 44.0 40.5 +3.5 46.4 /1931/ FOURTH WARMEST IRONWOOD 43.7 40.1 +3.6 46.4 /1931/ SIXTH WARMEST --------------------------------------------------------------------- SOME OTHER TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION OBSERVATIONS ACROSS UPPER MICHIGAN IN DECEMBER 2012 INCLUDE: IRONWOOD...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 21.8 (5.2 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL) PRECIPITATION 1.56 INCHES (0.55 INCH BELOW NORMAL) SNOWFALL 18.5 INCHES (27.8 INCHES BELOW NORMAL) WATERSMEET (GOGEBIC COUNTY)...PRECIPITATION 0.71 INCH SNOWFALL 4.9 INCHES ONTONAGON...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 26.3 (4.7 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL) (6 MILES PRECIPITATION 0.73 INCH (2.31 INCHES BELOW NORMAL) INLAND) SNOWFALL 11.0 INCHES (43.2 INCHES BELOW NORMAL) ROCKLAND (ONTONAGON COUNTY)...SNOWFALL 18.4 INCHES GREENLAND (ONTONAGON COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 26.9 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 0.99 INCH SNOWFALL 8.8 INCHES TWIN LAKES (HOUGHTON COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 22.9 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 1.56 INCHES SNOWFALL 16.7 INCHES HOUGHTON COUNTY...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 25.2 (5.0 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL) AIRPORT PRECIPITATION 1.37 INCHES (0.52 INCH BELOW NORMAL) SNOWFALL 18.5 INCHES (34.4 INCHES BELOW NORMAL) ATLANTIC MINE (HOUGHTON COUNTY)...PRECIPITATION 1.71 INCHES SNOWFALL 22.5 INCHES MOHAWK (KEWEENAW COUNTY)...PRECIPITATION 1.86 INCHES SNOWFALL 16.0 INCHES COPPER HARBOR...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 27.6 DEGREES JACOBSVILLE (HOUGHTON COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 28.0 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 1.03 INCHES SNOWFALL 6.2 INCHES BARAGA...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 26.2 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 0.86 INCH SNOWFALL 7.8 INCHES WATTON (BARAGA COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 23.4 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 1.00 INCH SNOWFALL 10.6 INCHES HERMAN (BARAGA COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 22.2 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 1.62 INCHES SNOWFALL 22.0 INCHES CLARKSBURG (MARQUETTE COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 21.7 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 1.17 INCHES SNOWFALL 24.5 INCHES WITCH LAKE (MARQUETTE COUNTY)...SNOWFALL 13.0 INCHES BIG BAY (MARQUETTE COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 27.9 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 1.16 INCHES SNOWFALL 11.6 INCHES MARQUETTE CITY...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 29.9 (6.4 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL) PRECIPITATION 0.96 INCH (1.01 INCHES BELOW NORMAL) SNOWFALL 3.2 INCHES (22.1 INCHES BELOW NORMAL) HARVEY (MARQUETTE COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 29.3 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 1.20 INCHES SNOWFALL 10.1 INCHES GWINN (MARQUETTE COUNTY)...SNOWFALL 13.3 INCHES CHATHAM (ALGER COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 27.4 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 1.50 INCHES SNOWFALL 16.0 INCHES MUNISING...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 28.0 (5.1 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL) PRECIPITATION 1.96 INCHES (1.79 INCHES BELOW NORMAL) SNOWFALL 15.4 INCHES (25.8 INCHES BELOW NORMAL) GRAND MARAIS...PRECIPITATION 3.12 INCHES (10 MILES SOUTH) SNOWFALL 26.5 INCHES NEWBERRY...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 27.3 (5.1 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL) PRECIPITATION 3.02 INCHES (0.17 INCH ABOVE NORMAL) SNOWFALL 20.9 INCHES (12.4 INCHES BELOW NORMAL) STAMBAUGH (IRON COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 22.0 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 0.50 INCH SNOWFALL 5.0 INCHES AMASA (IRON COUNTY)...PRECIPITATION 0.73 INCH SNOWFALL 7.0 INCHES IRON MOUNTAIN...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 25.0 (5.6 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL) PRECIPITATION 1.55 INCHES (NORMAL) SNOWFALL 13.5 INCHES (0.4 INCH BELOW NORMAL) NORWAY (DICKINSON COUNTY)...PRECIPITATION 1.42 INCHES SNOWFALL 10.9 INCHES MENOMINEE...PRECIPITATION 1.32 INCHES SNOWFALL 5.9 INCHES GLADSTONE (DELTA COUNTY)...PRECIPITATION 1.87 INCHES SNOWFALL 13.5 INCHES GARDEN CORNERS (DELTA COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 35.0 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 2.34 INCHES SNOWFALL 13.0 INCHES COOKS (SCHOOLCRAFT COUNTY)...PRECIPITATION 2.74 INCHES MANISTIQUE...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 29.1 (5.7 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL) PRECIPITATION 2.12 INCHES (0.88 INCH ABOVE NORMAL) SNOWFALL 12.5 INCHES (6.8 INCHES BELOW NORMAL) DECEMBER WEATHER SUMMARY MORE TO COME LATER. JANUARY FORECAST THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER (CPC) IS FORECASTING A GREATER THAN CLIMATOLOGICAL CHANCE OF AN ABOVE NORMAL MONTHLY AVERAGE TEMPERATURE AND ABOVE NORMAL MONTHLY PRECIPITATION OVER ALL OF UPPER MICHIGAN IN JANUARY 2013. JANUARY CLIMATOLOGY ALTHOUGH DAYLIGHT BEGINS TO INCREASE THROUGH JANUARY (519 MINUTES OF POSSIBLE SUNSHINE ON 1/1 TO 576 MINUTES ON 1/31)...TEMPERATURES CONTINUE THEIR DOWNWARD SLIDE DURING THE MONTH AS ARCTIC AIRMASSES MAKE FREQUENT VISITS TO UPPER MICHIGAN. IN FACT...JANUARY IS THE COLDEST MONTH AT ALL REPORTING STATIONS...WITH AVERAGE TEMPERATURES 5 TO 6 DEGREES LOWER THAN IN DECEMBER. THE COLDEST FIRST MONTH IN RECENT MEMORY WAS JANUARY 1994...WHEN TEMPERATURES ACROSS ALL OF UPPER MICHIGAN AVERAGED ABOUT 10 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL AND THE MERCURY NEVER ROSE ABOVE THE FREEZING MARK. JANUARY 1994 GOES DOWN IN THE RECORD BOOKS AS THE COLDEST EVER AT THE MARQUETTE NWS (AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 2.8)...IRON MOUNTAIN (3.0)... THE HOUGHTON COUNTY AIRPORT (4.9)...MANISTIQUE (5.8)...ONTONAGON (5.8)...AND MUNISING (7.8). NEWBERRY RECORDED ITS SECOND COLDEST JANUARY IN 1994 (5.3)...AND IRONWOOD ITS FOURTH COLDEST (-0.3). WATER PIPES FROZE IN A NUMBER OF HOMES THROUGHOUT UPPER MICHIGAN THAT COLD MONTH. A BRUTAL ARCTIC OUTBREAK IN MID-JANUARY 2005 DROVE TEMPERATURES AS LOW AS -31 AT CHAMPION IN MARQUETTE COUNTY. AT IRONWOOD...THE MERCURY REMAINED BELOW ZERO FROM LATE IN THE AFTERNOON ON 1/13 UNTIL JUST AFTER DAWN ON 1/18 IN 2005...INCLUDING A HIGH OF 6 BELOW ZERO ON 1/15. BOTH IRONWOOD AND NEWBERRY...WHERE RECORDS GO BACK TO THE EARLY 1900S...SAW THEIR COLDEST JANUARY IN 1912...WHEN AVERAGE TEMPERATURES WERE A FRIGID -5.3 AND 2.7 RESPECTIVELY. MORE RECENTLY...JANUARY 2009 WAS A TOP TEN COLDEST FIRST MONTH AT MANY LOCATIONS WITH A PERSISTENT UPPER TROUGH LOCKED OVER THE GREAT LAKES THROUGH THE MONTH. THE MEAN MONTHLY TEMPERATURE IN JANUARY 2009 WAS 3 TO 7 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN...JANUARY 2006 IS THE WARMEST FIRST MONTH ON RECORD AT MOST PLACES ACROSS UPPER MICHIGAN. MONTHLY MEAN TEMPERATURES AVERAGED AN INCREDIBLE 10 TO 15 DEGREES ABOVE THE LONG-TERM NORMAL. A STRONG WEST-TO-EAST FLOW ALOFT KEPT ARCTIC AIR BOTTLED UP WELL NORTH IN CANADA...AND THE DAILY TEMPERATURE ENDED UP ABOVE THE MEAN ALL 31 DAYS OF THE MONTH AT MOST SITES. THERE WAS ALMOST A COMPLETE ABSENCE OF SUB-ZERO TEMPERATURES IN JANUARY 2006. FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE RECORDS BEGAN IN 1901...THE MERCURY DID NOT FALL BELOW ZERO IN JANUARY AT IRONWOOD IN 2006. AT IRON MOUNTAIN AND THE MARQUETTE NWS...2006 JOINS 2002 AS THE ONLY YEAR WHEN THE THERMOMETER NEVER DIPPED BELOW ZERO IN JANUARY. AT MANY PLACES WEST OF MUNISING AND ESCANABA...1/27/2006 WAS THE WARMEST OR ONE OF THE TOP FIVE WARMEST JANUARY DAYS ON RECORD. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES PEAKED AT OR ABOVE 50 AT MANY LOCATIONS...INCLUDING THE HOUGHTON COUNTY AIRPORT. THE PREVIOUS HIGHEST JANUARY TEMPERATURE ON RECORD THERE HAD BEEN 43. AVERAGE JANUARY TEMPERATURES IN 2002...2001...AND 1990 WERE AMONG THE TOP FIVE HIGHEST ON RECORD AT MANY LOCATIONS. READINGS DURING THOSE MONTHS AVERAGED 5 TO 10 DEGREES OR MORE ABOVE NORMAL. EVEN MORE RECENTLY...JANUARY 2012 WAS QUITE WARM. MONTHLY MEAN TEMPERATURES AVERAGED 4 TO 7 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL...ENOUGH TO QUALIFY THAT JANUARY AS ONE OF THE TOP TEN WARMEST FIRST MONTHS ON RECORD. JANUARY IS THE SNOWIEST MONTH OF THE YEAR AT MOST LOCATIONS. THE PASSAGE OF ARCTIC AIR OVER THE TYPICALLY UNFROZEN LAKE SUPERIOR RESULTS IN CONSIDERABLE LAKE EFFECT SNOW. AS THE COLD AIR PASSES OVER THE RELATIVELY WARM WATERS OF THE LAKE...THE AIRMASS BECOMES INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE. THE RESULT IS A GREATER FREQUENCY OF LOW CLOUD AND SNOW SHOWERS...WHICH ARE TYPICALLY HEAVIER AND MORE WIDESPREAD OVER HIGHER TERRAIN JUST DOWNWIND OF LAKE SUPERIOR. THE LOCATION OF MAXIMUM SNOWFALL IS VERY DEPENDENT ON THE LOW LEVEL WIND DIRECTION BECAUSE THE LONGEST WIND FETCH ACROSS THE WATER RESULTS IN GREATEST DESTABILIZATION. A WEST WIND FAVORS THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA; A NORTHWEST WIND USUALLY RESULTS IN HEAVIER SNOW AROUND ONTONAGON AND IN ALGER AND LUCE COUNTIES; AND A NORTH TO NORTHEAST WIND CAUSES THE HEAVIEST SNOW AROUND IRONWOOD AND IN THE NORTH CENTRAL HIGHLANDS OF BARAGA AND MARQUETTE COUNTIES. ALTHOUGH LARGE SCALE STORM SYSTEMS THAT TYPICALLY MOVE NORTHEAST FROM THE PLAINS STATES INTO THE GREAT LAKES CAN ALSO BRING HEAVY SNOW TO INLAND LOCATIONS...AVERAGE JANUARY PRECIPITATION IS QUITE A BIT LESS AWAY FROM LAKE SUPERIOR. FOR INSTANCE...THE HOUGHTON COUNTY AIRPORT PICKS UP 62.8 INCHES OF SNOW AND 3.71 INCHES OF LIQUID EQUIVALENT PRECIPITATION DURING A TYPICAL JANUARY. IRON MOUNTAIN RECEIVES ONLY 15.0 INCHES OF SNOW AND 1.25 INCHES OF LIQUID EQUIVALENT PRECIPITATION ON AVERAGE. WHILE RECORD SNOWS AT INLAND LOCATIONS ARE TYPICALLY AROUND 50 INCHES... LOCATIONS THAT RECEIVE BOTH LAKE EFFECT AND SYNOPTIC SNOW CAN PICK UP 100 INCHES OF THE WHITE STUFF. DURING THE COLD JANUARY OF 2004... A LOCATION JUST SOUTHWEST OF ONTONAGON WAS BURIED UNDER 121 INCHES OF THE WHITE STUFF. TWO HEART IN LUCE COUNTY LOGGED 115 INCHES...AND BOTH PAINESDALE IN HOUGHTON COUNTY AND PHOENIX IN KEWEENAW COUNTY REPORTED 112 INCHES. SNOWFALL IN JANUARY 1997 WAS ALSO HEAVY...106.3 INCHES FELL AT THE HOUGHTON COUNTY AIRPORT...100.7 INCHES AT IRONWOOD...91.7 INCHES AT THE MARQUETTE NWS...AND 88.7 INCHES AT MUNISING. DURING DRY AND/OR WARM YEARS...MONTHLY SNOWFALL MAY NOT EXCEED 12 INCHES AT MANY LOCATIONS. IRON MOUNTAIN PICKED UP ONLY 2.3 INCHES OF SNOW IN JANUARY 1961...EVEN THOUGH THE MONTHLY TEMPERATURE WAS NEAR NORMAL. AN ACTIVE STORM TRACK THAT YEAR TOO FAR TO THE SOUTH LEFT MUCH OF UPPER MICHIGAN AWAY FROM LAKE SUPERIOR HIGH AND DRY (TOTAL LIQUID EQUIVALENT PRECIPITATION AT IRON MOUNTAIN WAS ONLY 0.12 INCHES). DURING A RELATIVELY DRY AND MILD JANUARY 1973 WHEN THERE WERE FEW ARCTIC INVASIONS...THE MARQUETTE NWS RECORDED ONLY 12.0 INCHES OF SNOW. THE RECORD LOW JANUARY SNOWFALL AT THE HOUGHTON COUNTY AIRPORT IS 27.7 INCHES (1968). OUTLOOK FOR LATE WINTER AND EARLY SPRING THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER (CPC) IS FORECASTING AN EQUAL CHANCE OF AN ABOVE AND BELOW NORMAL 3-MONTH AVERAGE TEMPERATURE AND ABOVE AND BELOW AVERAGE 3-MONTH PRECIPITATION OVER ALL OF UPPER MICHIGAN IN FEBRUARY THROUGH APRIL. 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
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