National Weather Service Text Product Display

Climatological Report (Annual)
Issued by NWS La Crosse, WI
Versions: 1 2 3
000
CXUS53 KARX 012225
CLARST

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
425 PM CST THU JAN 1 2009

...NORMAL TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION FOR ROCHESTER IN 2008...

                TEMPERATURE                     PRECIPITATION
MONTH   HIGH    LOW     AVE     DEPT        TOTAL   DEPT    SNOW
JAN     20.9    6.4     13.6    +1.8        0.67    -0.27   13.0
FEB     21.4    5.1     13.3    -5.1        0.56    -0.19    7.3
MAR     36.0   21.0     28.5    -2.1        1.58    -0.30    9.0
APR     53.0   35.2     44.1    -0.6        4.17    +1.16    0.8
MAY     67.3   45.0     56.2    -0.7        3.47    -0.06     T
JUN     77.9   58.3     68.1    +2.0        7.15    +3.15    ***
JUL     81.7   60.7     71.2    +1.1        3.21    -1.40    ***
AUG     79.2   57.8     68.5    +0.8        1.92    -2.41    ***
SEP     72.8   52.3     62.6    +3.7        1.75    -1.37    ***
OCT     60.2   38.9     49.6    +2.6        2.45    +0.25    0.1
NOV     42.2   27.0     34.6    +3.4        2.34    +0.33    4.4
DEC     22.9    2.1     12.5    -4.8        1.52    +0.50   28.6
================================================================
YEAR    53.0   34.2     43.6    +0.1        30.79   -0.61    ***

NOTE: SEASON SNOWFALL IS MEASURED FROM JULY-JUNE...OVERLAPPING
YEARS.


*** RECORDS ***************************************************

TEMPERATURE

HIGHS:          75 ON NOVEMBER 3RD
                75 ON NOVEMBER 4TH

LOWS:           -8 ON MARCH 8TH

LOWEST HIGHS:   -4 ON FEBRUARY 10TH

HIGHEST LOWS:   61 ON OCTOBER 12TH...TIED WITH PREVIOUS YEARS
                55 ON NOVEMBER 4TH
                53 ON NOVEMBER 5TH

MONTHLY:        NONE

SEASONAL:       NONE

YEARLY:         NONE



PRECIPITATION

ONE-DAY PCPN:       1.20 INCHES ON APRIL 10TH
                    1.62 INCHES ON OCTOBER 7TH

ONE-DAY SNOWFALL:   5.5 INCHES ON DECEMBER 19TH
                    7.0 INCHES ON DECEMBER 20TH

MONTHLY PCPN:       9TH WETTEST JUNE WITH 7.15 INCHES


MONTHLY SNOWFALL:   3RD SNOWIEST DECEMBER WITH 28.6 INCHES. ALSO
                    THE 6TH SNOWIEST MONTH ON RECORD.

SEASONAL:           NONE.

YEARLY:             NONE.


*** DISCUSSION *************************************************

THE NEW YEAR STARTED OFF COLD...BUT MILD AIR QUICKLY RETURNED...WITH
WELL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR THE 4TH THROUGH 13TH AS LOWS WERE
CLOSER TO THE AVERAGE HIGHS RATHER THAN THE LOWS FOR EARLY JANUARY.
THE WARMUP WOULDN/T LAST THOUGH...AS COLD CANADIAN AIR FLOWED BACK
INTO THE REGION...SETTING UP RESIDENCE FOR MUCH OF  THE REST OF THE
MONTH. BELOW ZERO LOWS WERE RECORDED ON 12 OF THE LAST 18 DAYS...
WITH TEMPERATURES NEVER CLIMBING ABOVE ZERO ON THE 19TH AND 30TH.
DESPITE THE COLD SNAP...AVERAGE TEMPERATURES FOR THE MONTH FINISHED
ABOVE NORMAL. SNOWFALL WAS A BIT ABOVE NORMAL FOR THE MONTH...WITH
NEARLY ALL THE MEASURABLE SNOW FALLING ON 4 DAYS. THE SNOWIEST DAY
WAS THE 21ST...WHEN 5.5 INCHES FELL. THIS WOULD ALSO PROVE TO BE THE
SNOWIEST ONE-DAY TOTAL FOR THE 2007-8 WINTER SEASON. THE WINDIEST
DAY...ON AVERAGE...FOR 2008 WOULD OCCUR THIS MONTH. WIND SPEEDS
AVERAGED 27.1 MPH ON THE 29TH /GUSTS UP TO 47 MPH/...WHICH WHEN
COMBINED WITH FALLING SNOW A ND ACCUMULATIONS OF 3.5
INCHES...RESULTED IN BLIZZARD CONDITIONS FOR A SHORT TIME.

FEBRUARY STARTED OFF MILD...BUT TEMPERATURES WOULD TUMBLE AFTER THE
FIRST WEEK. AFTER THE 6TH...BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES WERE RECORDED
ON 19 OF THE REMAINING 23 DAYS /INCLUDING LEAP DAY/. FEBRUARY ALSO
BROUGHT A DAY WHERE TEMPERATURES COULD NOT CRACK ZERO...WITH A HIGH
OF ONLY -4 ON THE 10TH. SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH WAS RIGHT AROUND THE
MONTHLY AVERAGE...AND FELL FAIRLY UNIFORMLY THROUGHOUT THE MONTH.
THERE WERE 9 DAYS WITH MEASURABLE SNOWFALL...MOST COMING IN THE FORM
A FEW TENTHS TO AROUND 1/2 INCH.

THE COLD AIR HUNG IN PLACE FOR THE BEGINNING OF MARCH...BUT MORE
SEASONABLE AIR WOULD RETURN BY THE 11TH...AND THEN PERSIST THROUGH
MONTH/S END. THE LAST BELOW ZERO DAYS OF THE WINTER WOULD COME ON
THE 7TH AND 8TH...WITH THE LOW OF -8 ON THE 8TH SETTING A RECORD FOR
THAT DAY. LIKE FEBRUARY...THE MARCH SNOWFALL WAS RIGHT AROUND ITS
NORMAL AND FAIRLY SPREAD OUT. THERE WERE 10 DAYS WITH MEASURABLE SNOW
FALL...WITH MOST DROPPING LESS THAN AN INCH.

APRIL WAS A PRETTY AVERAGE MONTH FOR TEMPERATURES...FINISHING
ABOUT 1/2 DEGREE BELOW ITS NORMAL. THERE WERE BIG SWINGS IN THE
TEMPERATURE THOUGH...WITH HIGHS VARYING AS MUCH AS 20 DEGREES FROM
ONE DAY TO THE NEXT. THIS IS NOT OUT OF THE ORDINARY FOR THIS SPRING
MONTH...AS THE WEATHER PATTERN STARTS TO SHIFT FROM WINTER TO
SUMMER...RESULTING IN WHAT CAN BE A ROLLER COASTER RIDE FROM WARM TO
COLD TO MILD TO COOL TEMPERATURES. THE LAST FREEZING DAY OF THE
WINTER SEASON OCCURRED IN APRIL...WITH A READING OF 28 DEGREES ON
THE 29TH.  WHILE NOT A VERY SNOWY MONTH ON AVERAGE...THIS PAST APRIL
RECEIVED LESS THAN AN INCH...WITH A FEW TENTHS HERE AND THERE
THROUGH THE FIRST COUPLE WEEKS. THE LAST MEASURABLE SNOW FOR THE
2007-08 WINTER SEASON WOULD FALL ON THE 12TH. JANUARY MAY HAVE HAD
THE WINDIEST DAY OF 2008...BUT ON THE WHOLE...APRIL WAS THE
WINDIEST. THIS IS EXPECTED THOUGH...AS APRIL IS USUALLY THE WINDIEST
MONTH IN ROCHESTER.

RAINFALL FOR MAY WAS RIGHT AROUND THE MONTHLY NORMAL...WITH
12 DAYS OF MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION ACCOUNTING FOR THE 3.47 INCHES.
HOWEVER...ALMOST 50% OF THE MONTHLY TOTAL OCCURRED ON THE 29TH /1.55
INCHES/...WITH THE 2ND AND 6TH ACCOUNTING FOR AN INCH BETWEEN THEM.
A FEW FLURRIES FLEW ON THE 3RD...THE LAST TIME SNOW WOULD BE SEEN IN
2008 UNTIL OCTOBER. TEMPERATURES AVERAGED JUST A BIT BELOW NORMAL
FOR MAY...AND ASIDE FROM A COUPLE 20 DEGREE SWINGS IN THE HIGHS NEAR
THE END OF THE MONTH...TEMPERATURES WERE RATHER CONSISTENT.

JUNE GOT THE SUMMER MONTHS OFF TO A VERY WET START...WITH OVER
6 1/2 INCHES OF THE MONTHLY TOTAL FALLING IN THE FIRST 12 DAYS. THE
11TH WAS THE WETTEST DAY OF THE PERIOD...AND THE YEAR FOR THE
MATTER...WITH 2.79 INCHES FALLING. IT WAS NOT A RECORD FOR THE DAY
THOUGH. DRIER CONDITIONS SETTLED IN FOR THE REST OF THE MONTH...
WITH ONLY 2 DAYS OF MEASURABLE RAINFALL OVER THE LAST 18 DAYS /0.47
INCHES FELL OVER THE 27TH AND 28TH/. JUNE TEMPERATURES AVERAGED
ABOVE NORMAL...BUT THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT WARM STRETCHES AS DAILY
TEMPERATURES WERE A BIT ABOVE OR NEAR THE MONTHLY NORMALS.

JULY WAS DRIER...ALTHOUGH STILL HAD ITS SHARE OF RAIN...WITH 5 DAYS
RECORDING AROUND 1/2 INCH OR GREATER. UNLIKE JUNE...THE RAINFALL WAS
BETTER DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE MONTH...ALTHOUGH THERE WAS AN 11
DAY STRETCH WHERE ONLY 0.03 INCHES FELL /20TH THROUGH THE 30TH/.
TEMPERATURES AVERAGED A BIT ABOVE NORMAL...BUT AGAIN...THERE WERE NO
SIGNIFICANT WARM PERIODS AS TEMPERATURES WERE PRETTY CONSISTENT DAY
TO DAY. HIGHS EVEN FAILED TO CRACK THE 90 DEGREE BARRIER...WHICH
USUALLY HAPPENS 3 TIMES IN A TYPICAL JULY.

AS WAS THE CASE FOR THE OTHER TWO SUMMER MONTHS...TEMPERATURES
FOR AUGUST AVERAGED A BIT ABOVE NORMAL...BUT WITHOUT ANY APPRECIABLE
WARM-UPS AS DAY TO DAY CONSIST ENCY WON OUT AGAIN. THE 90 DEGREE
BARRIER REMAINED UNTOUCHED...AND WOULD FOR THE REST OF 2008. AUGUST
WAS A DRY MONTH...FINISHING ALMOST 2 1/2 INCHES BELOW THE MONTHLY
NORMAL. WHAT LITTLE THAT DID FALL WOULD COME IN BUNCHES...WITH 3
DAYS ACCOUNTING FOR 80% OF THE 1.92 TOTAL FOR THE MONTH.

SEPTEMBER WOULD MARK THE 4TH CONSECUTIVE MONTH WITH BELOW NORMAL
PRECIPITATION. THE 23RD BROUGHT THE BULK OF THE RAIN...WITH 60% OF
THE 1.75 INCH TOTAL FALLING ON THAT DAY. IT WAS A FAIRLY COOL START
TO THE MONTH...WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES ONLY IN THE 60S FOR 11 OUT OF
THE FIRST 15 DAYS. AFTER THAT...WARMER AIR WOULD RETURN...WITH HIGHS
POPPING INTO THE 80S SIX TIMES. THIS WARM END TO THE MONTH HELPED
SEPTEMBER FINISH WITH WARMER THAN NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR THE MONTH.

TEMPERATURES FOR OCTOBER AVERAGED ABOVE NORMAL FOR THE 5TH
CONSECUTIVE MONTH...BUT UNLIKE THE OTHER MONTHS...THERE WAS MORE
VARIANCE DAY TO DAY. FOR INSTANCE...A STRING OF HIGHS IN THE 70S AT
MID MONTH FELL OFF INTO THE 50S FOR A WEEK AFTER THAT.
MEANWHILE...HIGHS CHILLED INTO THE 40S TOWARD THE END OF THE
MONTH...ONLY TO WARM BACK INTO THE 60S FOR THE 30TH AND 31ST. AFTER
A FEW DRY MONTHS...RAINFALL WAS CLOSER TO THE NORM FOR OCTOBER.
HOWEVER...2/3RDS OF 2.45 INCH TOTAL CAME ON  THE 7TH...WITH A DAILY
RECORD OF 1.62 INCHES FALLING. THERE WERE 10 MORE DAY OF MEASURABLE
RAINFALL...BUT NEARLY ALL WERE 1/10 OF AN INCH OR LESS. THE FIRST
SNOWFALL OF THE NEW WINTER SEASON CAME ON THE 26TH...WITH A 1/10 OF
AN INCH FALLING...WHILE THE FIRST FREEZE OCCURRED ON THE 16TH.

TEMPERATURES MORE FITTING OF MID SEPTEMBER GREETED THE FIRST WEEK
OF NOVEMBER AS HIGHS APPROACHED...OR EXCEEDED...70 DEGREES. THE
WARMTH WOULD NOT LAST LONG...AS AIR MORE SUITABLE FOR THE SEASON
RETURNED BY THE 7TH...STICKING AROUND THROUGH MONTH/S END.
STILL...THE VERY WARM START HELPED THE MONTH FINISH A FEW DEGREES
ABOVE  NORMAL. MEASURABLE SNOW FELL ON 9 DAYS IN NOVEMBER...BUT
GENERALLY ONLY A FEW TENTHS AT A TIME. THE MONTHLY TOTAL OF 4.4
INCHES WAS A BIT BELOW THE MONTHLY NORMAL.

SNOWY WOULD BE THE EASIEST WAY TO DESCRIBE DECEMBER...AS AT LEAST
A TRACE OR MORE FELL ON 23 OUT OF THE 31 DAYS. MEASURABLE SNOW FELL
ON 15 DAYS...WITH 8 OF THOSE RECORDING AN INCH OR MORE. THIS IS WELL
ABOVE THE NORMAL OF 3 SUCH DAYS. THE BIGGEST SNOW EVENT OF THE MONTH
CAME ON THE 19TH AND 20TH...WITH 12.4 INCHES FALLING OVER THESE TWO
DAYS. THE GRAND TOTAL OF 28.6 INCHES MADE IT THE 3RD SNOWIEST
DECEMBER ON RECORD...AND THE 6TH SNOWIEST OUT OF ALL MONTHS. IF NOT
FOR THE APPRECIABLE SNOWFALL...COLD WOULD BE THE DEFINING WORD FOR
DECEMBER 2008. ASIDE FROM TWO BRIEF WARM-UPS...A STEADY SUPPLY OF
ARCTIC AIR KEPT TEMPERATURES BELOW NORMAL. ONE OF THOSE SHORT
WARM-UPS WAS MORE NOTABLE FOR THE DRAMATIC CHANGE IN TEMPERATURE
RATHER THAN FOR A HIGH ABOVE 40 DEGREES. ON THE 14TH...HIGHS REACHED
41 IN ROCHESTER...BUT AS AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT SWEPT THROUGH THAT
AFTERNOON...TEMPERATURES DROPPED 20 DEGREES IN TWO HOURS! BY THE
MORNING OF THE 15TH...LOWS HAD BOTTOMED OUT AT -8...RESULTING IN A
49 DEGREE DIURNAL CHANGE BETWEEN THE HIGH AND LOW TEMPERATURE.

OVERALL...2008 WAS AN AVERAGE YEAR ON THE WHOLE...WITH
TEMPERATURES AND PRECIPITATION RIGHT AROUND THE NORMAL. CONSIDERABLE
SNOWFALL IN THE EARLY PART OF THE YEAR WOULD RETURN FOR THE
END...WITH RECORD SETTING SNOWS FALLING IN DECEMBER. MEANWHILE...A
DRY PERIOD WAS EXPERIENCED FROM MID SUMMER INTO EARLY FALL. AFTER A
SOMEWHAT COOL START TO THE YEAR...MILDER AIR MOVED IN FOR THE SECOND
HALF OF 2008...ESPECIALLY DURING THE FALL. THE YEAR WOULD END CHILLY
THOUGH...WITH ARCTIC AIR KEEPING DECEMBER WELL BELOW NORMAL.

*********************************************************************

HIGHEST TEMPERATURE FOR 2008........... 89 ON JUNE 25TH AND JULY 15TH
LOWEST TEMPERATURE FOR 2008...................... -19 ON JANUARY 24TH
HIGHEST ONE-DAY PRECIPITATION............... 2.79 INCHES ON JUNE 11TH
HIGHEST ONE-DAY SNOWFALL................. 7.0 INCHES ON DECEMBER 20TH
NUMBER OF DAYS WITH HIGHS AT OR ABOVE 90 DEGREES................... 0
NUMBER OF DAYS WITH HIGHS AT OR BELOW 32 DEGREES.................. 88
NUMBER OF DAYS WITH ZERO OR BELOW TEMPERATURES.................... 42
PEAK WIND GUST..................... 61 MPH FROM THE WEST ON JULY 31ST
NUMBER OF DAYS WITH MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION..................... 127
PERCENTAGE OF DAYS WITH MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION................. 35%
NUMBER OF DAYS WITH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES.................... 183
PERCENTAGE OF DAYS WITH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES................ 50%


RIECK
National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office
