National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

• Home
• Site Map
• News
• Organization
• Search for: NWS All NOAA 

000
CXUS53 KIWX 011116
CLSSBN

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
616 AM EST TUE MAR 01 2022

...................................

...THE SOUTH BEND CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE SEASON, FROM
12/1/2021 TO 2/28/2022...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1991 TO 2020
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1893 TO 2022

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART   LAST YEAR`S
                VALUE   DATE(S)   VALUE   FROM     VALUE
                                          NORMAL
..............................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH             74   02/25/2000
 LOW             -22   01/20/1943
                       01/25/1897
HIGHEST           64   12/15         MM      MM       58
                       12/16
LOWEST                 01/26         MM      MM       -4
AVG. MAXIMUM    36.7               34.1     2.6     34.2
AVG. MINIMUM    20.0               19.7     0.3     21.1
MEAN            28.3               26.9     1.4
DAYS MAX >= 90     0                0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MAX <= 32    37               38.7    -1.7       36
DAYS MIN <= 32    83               77.5     5.5       81
DAYS MIN <= 0      1                5.6    -4.6        2

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM       13.35   1950
 MINIMUM        2.77   1945
TOTALS          7.95               7.37    0.58     5.77
DAILY AVG.      0.09               0.08    0.01     0.07
DAYS >= .01       39               44.1    -5.1       MM
DAYS >= .10       18               18.8    -0.8       MM
DAYS >= .50        5                3.5     1.5       MM
DAYS >= 1.00       1                1.0     0.0       MM
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL   1.69

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL         136.3   1978
 24 HR TOTAL    11.8   12/25/2020 TO 12/25/2020
TOTALS          46.9               51.4    -4.5     50.4
SINCE 7/1       48.7               56.7    -8.0       MM
SNOWDEPTH AVG.     2                                   4
DAYS >= TRACE     48               31.8    16.2       MM
DAYS >= 1.0       14               16.3    -2.3       MM
GREATEST
 SNOW DEPTH       11   02/03                          16
                       02/04
 24 HR TOTAL    11.2   02/02 TO 02/03

DEGREE DAYS
HEATING TOTAL   3274               3425    -151     3319
 SINCE 7/1      4288               4734    -446       MM
COOLING TOTAL      0                  0       0        0
 SINCE 1/1         0                  0       0       MM
..............................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              10.7
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    43/240    DATE  12/11
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    58/240    DATE  12/11

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.62
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR           20
NUMBER OF DAYS PC             32
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY         38

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     70

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              3     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN                5     RAIN                       8
LIGHT RAIN               25     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          7     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                3     SNOW                      10
LIGHT SNOW               44     SLEET                      1
FOG                      53     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE     12
HAZE                     42

-  INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R  INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T  INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.

&&

THIS WINTER OPENED WET AND WARM AND CLOSED WET AND AROUND NORMAL;
FINISHING WETTER AND WARMER THAN NORMAL.

TEMPERATURE-WISE, ALMOST ALL OF DECEMBER FEATURED TEMPERATURES THAT
WERE NORMAL TO ABOVE NORMAL. THE LONE EXCEPTION WOULD BE DECEMBER
7TH, WHICH HAD A MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 24 DEGREES AND WAS 1 DEGREE
BELOW THE NORMAL LOW TEMPERATURE FOR THAT DAY. JANUARY FEATURED
TEMPERATURES THAT WERE CLOSER TO NORMAL FOR THE BULK OF THE MONTH.
HOWEVER, AFTER JANUARY 20TH, BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES CLOSED OUT
THE MONTH; HELPING IT TO FINISH BELOW NORMAL. FEBRUARY HAD STRONG
TEMPERATURE SWINGS AND FINISHED OUT AROUND NORMAL. OVERALL, THIS
WINTER AVERAGED 28.3 DEGREES AND TIED AS THE 36TH WARMEST WHEN
COMPARED TO THE PERIOD OF RECORD.

PRECIPITATION-WISE, DECEMBER STARTED OUT WETTER THAN NORMAL WITH 3
DAYS OF PRECIPITATION TOTALS HIGHER THAN 0.5 INCH. A DRIER THAN
NORMAL JANUARY ENSUED WITH ONLY 1 DAY OF PRECIPITATION HIGHER THAN
0.2 INCH. FEBRUARY ALSO ENDED WETTER THAN NORMAL WITH 2 DAYS OF
PRECIPITATION TOTALS HIGHER THAN 0.5 INCH. OVERALL, THIS WINTER
TOTALED 7.95 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION AND TIED AS THE 37TH WETTEST
WHEN COMPARED TO THE PERIOD OF RECORD.

SNOWFALL-WISE, DECEMBER FINISHED BELOW NORMAL, BUT COLD AIR CAME IN
FOR JANUARY AND FEBRUARY AND THIS HELPED THEM FINISH AROUND NORMAL
AND ABOVE NORMAL RESPECTIVELY. WE WERE GOING TO BE HARD-PRESSED TO
MILK OUT ANY SNOW IN DECEMBER AS ONLY A FEW DAYS OF THE MONTH WERE
COLD ENOUGH TO PRODUCE SNOW. MORE COLD DAYS WERE OBSERVED IN JANUARY
AND DESPITE A LACK OF SYSTEM SNOW, LAKE EFFECT SNOW WAS ABLE TO
COMPENSATE. FEBRUARY SAW THE APPEARANCE OF SOME SYSTEM SNOW WITH
ENOUGH COLD AIR AND PRECIPITATION TO PRODUCE SNOW. OVERALL, THIS
WINTER TOTALLED 46.9 INCHES OF SNOWFALL AND TIED AS THE 54TH
SNOWIEST, COMPARED TO THE PERIOD OF RECORD.

A MONTH BY MONTH SUMMARY IS BELOW.

DECEMBER 2021:
DECEMBER RANKS WITHIN THE TOP TEN WARMEST AND LEAST
SNOWIEST

SNOW LOVERS WERE DISAPPOINTED THIS MONTH WHILE THOSE WHO DETEST
WINTER CELEBRATED THE MILD AIR AND LACK OF SNOW.

COLD AIR WAS LOCKED OUT OF OUR AREA, INSTEAD RESIDING OFF TO OUR
NORTHWEST. ONLY TWO DAYS THIS MONTH REPORTED AN AVERAGE DAILY
TEMPERATURE DEPARTURE BELOW NORMAL. THE WARMEST DAYS OF THE MONTH,
THE 15TH AND 16TH, WERE 26 AND 19 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL FOR THE DAY.

NEW RECORD HIGH AND LOW TEMPERATURES WERE SET ON THE 15TH; 64 BREAKS
THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 62 IN 1971 WHILE THE LOW OF ONLY 47 DEGREES
BREAKS THE PREVIOUS (WARM) LOW TEMPERATURE RECORD OF 44 IN 1928. THE
HIGH ON THE 16TH MISSED THE RECORD BY 1 DEGREE (65 IN 1984).

WITH THE ABOVE IN MIND, IT IS NO SURPRISE THAT THIS RANKS AS THE 5TH
WARMEST DECEMBER ON RECORD. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES THIS MONTH WAS
37.1 DEGREES WHICH IS 7.5 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THIS IS THE WARMEST
DECEMBER SINCE 2015 (39.4 DEGREES; THE WARMEST ON RECORD).

PRECIPITATION THIS MONTH, MAINLY RAIN, WAS COMMON WITH 3.86 INCHES
OF PRECIPITATION REPORTED. THIS IS 1.46 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL AND
RANKS AS THE 23RD WETTEST DECEMBER ON RECORD.

THE LACK OF SNOWFALL THIS MONTH WAS RECORD-BREAKING UNTIL THE VERY
END WHEN 1.5 INCHES WAS OBSERVED ON THE 28TH. UNTIL THEN, ONLY A
TRACE OF SNOW HAD BEEN OBSERVED. SNOW THIS MONTH TOTALED 1.5 INCHES
WHICH IS 12.2 INCHES BELOW NORMAL. DECEMBER 2021 RANKS AS THE 7TH
LEAST AMOUNT OF SNOW ON RECORD.

DECEMBER 2021 WAS NOTABLE FROM A NATIONAL WEATHER PERSPECTIVE AS
THERE WERE TWO DEVASTATING SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAKS. THE FIRST
OCCURRED ON THE NIGHT OF DECEMBER 10TH RESULTING IN NEARLY 400
SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS. THERE WERE 66 CONFIRMED TORNADOES INCLUDING
TWO SUPERCELLS WHICH TRAVELED WELL OVER 100 MILES. THIS INCLUDES THE
TORNADO THE IMPACTED MAYFIELD, KY. NEXT, AN ANOMALOUSLY DEEP LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEM PRODUCED A SERIAL DERECHO AS IT MOVED FROM THE
ROCKIES TO THE PLAINS AND INTO THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY
BEGINNING ON DECEMBER 15TH. THUNDERSTORMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE
DERECHO PRODUCED HUNDREDS OF WIND DAMAGE REPORTS AND OVER 90
CONFIRMED TORNADOES. DUE TO THE DEEP NATURE OF THE LOW, THERE WERE
WIDESPREAD SYNOPTIC WIND GUSTS OF 50 TO 70 MPH, WITH SEVERAL SITES
RECORDING WIND GUSTS AS GREAT AS 90 TO 100 MPH. (SOURCE: CENTRAL
REGION HEADQUARTERS)

JANUARY 2022:

...BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES WITH A VERY COLD END TO THE MONTH...

THE MONTH WAS CHARACTERIZED BY BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES DUE TO
COUPLE OF ARCTIC INTRUSIONS. SINGLE DIGIT LOWS ABOVE ZERO WERE
COMMON FOR THE LAST 11 DAYS OF THE MONTH WITH 8 OF THE 11 DAYS
EXPERIENCING LOW TEMPERATURES BELOW 10 DEGREES. THE COLDEST MINIMUM
TEMPERATURE OF THE MONTH WAS -1 ON THE 26TH. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE
OF 21.1 DEGREES WAS 3.0 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. THIS RANKS AS THE 32ND
COLDEST ON RECORD.

THE MONTH WAS OVERALL A DRY MONTH WITH A FEW SYSTEM AND LAKE EFFECT
SNOW EVENTS. PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH TOTALED 1.13 INCHES OR 1.56
INCHES BELOW NORMAL. THIS IS THE 17TH DRIEST ON RECORD. DESPITE THE
MUCH BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION, THE TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH OF
21.5 INCHES WAS RIGHT NEAR THE NORMAL OF 21.6 INCHES DUE TO HIGH
SNOW TO LIQUID RATIOS ACCOMPANYING THE ARCTIC AIR.

THERE WERE NO RECORDS SET THIS MONTH.

FEBRUARY 2022

ABOVE NORMAL SNOWFALL AND ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION

THIS MONTH WAS CHARACTERIZED BY THE ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION THAT
FELL DURING THE MONTH. OVERALL THE MONTH FINISHED WITH 2.96 INCHES
OF PRECIPITATION, WHICH IS 0.65 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL. THIS RANKED
AS THE 20TH WETTEST MONTH PRECIPITATION-WISE AND FINISHED WITH
RECORD DAILY MAXIMUM PRECIPITATION TOTALS ON THE 2ND AND 17ND OF THE
MONTH.

WHILE THE TEMPERATURE FINISHED OUT NORMAL FOR THE MONTH, WITH AN
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 26.8 DEGREES WHEN COMPARED WITH THE NORMAL OF
26.5 DEGREES, FEBRUARY WILL BE MORE NOTED FOR ITS TEMPERATURE SWINGS
THAN THAT IT FINISHED OUT AROUND AVERAGE TEMPERATURE-WISE. FOR
INSTANCE, 6 OF THE MONTH`S MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES WERE HIGHER THAN
FEBRUARY`S AVERAGE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE BY 7 DEGREES. IN ADDITION, 4
OF THE MONTH`S MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WERE LOWER THAN FEBRUARY`S
AVERAGE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE BY 7 DEGREES. THE LOWER TEMPERATURES AT
THE BEGINNING OF THE MONTH LEAD TO THE CREATION OF ICE ON AREA
RIVERS THAT BROKE UP LATER IN THE MONTH WITH THE WARM UP AND THE
OBSERVED RAINFALL.

FEBRUARY ALSO BROUGHT THE HIGHEST MONTHLY SNOWFALL TOTALS OF THIS
WINTER. AS SUCH, THE 23.9 INCHES OF SNOW THAT WAS OBSERVED THIS
MONTH SURPASSED THE 14.2 INCHES OF NORMAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH.
THIS RANKED AS THE 14TH SNOWIEST FEBRUARY ON RECORD. DAILY MAXIMUM
SNOWFALL RECORDS WERE BROKEN ON THE 2ND (5.3 INCHES) AND THE 17TH
(11.2 INCHES).

WITH SNOWPACK MELT, ICE JAMS, A FROZEN GROUND SURFACE, AND RAINFALL
OCCURRING AT OPTIMAL TIMES, STANDING WATER AND RIVER FLOODING
OCCURRED BETWEEN THE 17TH AND 23RD OF THE MONTH.

$$

ROLLER/SKIPPER/FISHER