WE'VE ALL GOT A BIT OF EXTRA CASH...

The numbers are in for January and it was a mild and wet month over the majority of the Midwest. Around my area temperatures averaged 3-6 degree above normal…generally in the top 25% for warmth. No doubt it saved us all a bunch of money with lower heating bills. Here’s some numbers. Moline was really toasty with a monthly departure of +6.2 degrees. Yikes.

Precipitation was generous. However, the mild weather led to rain being the primary form of precipitation. Dubuque was by far the wettest with a precipitation surplus of +.84″

Most areas were below to well below normal on snowfall. Davenport, Moline, and Cedar Rapids all had 1″ or less for the month.

Below you can see the departures from norm on temperatures, precipitation, and snowfall all around the Midwest thanks to the Midwest Climate Center.

Going forward the general consensus is that February will likely average above normal on temperatures and near to above normal on precipitation. Here’s the latest forecasts from the Climate Prediction Center. I can’t argue much with what I’m seeing.

If you are wondering about spring, the official outlook from the CPC show this for February-April.

Last thing I will say is that there is a storm system next Tuesday and Wednesday that has the potential to be disruptive for some part of the upper Midwest (not my area). The models have struggled mightily with this system and I’m still not sure if a single one has the right handle on the track or intensity. The disturbance will get better sampled in the next 24 hours and hopefully I can give you an accurate assessment of what that period looks like in my next post. Until then, roll weather…TS