Warmest Temps Since September

We are on the track to a very lamb-like end to March. We actually started out very nice and quiet. The biggest change in the forecast trend will be the temperature range this week.

Highs by Wednesday are expected to be in the middle 70s. In Des Moines the warmest we have been since September is 77 degrees. We should be very close to that temperature Wednesday and Thursday.

We are going to have to deal with some very gusty wind. The wind gusts will top out near 30 MPH tomorrow and Wednesday. This is going to be a south wind that will help to pump up the temperatures from some 80 degree highs over Missouri and Arkansas. It will make some travel difficult... especially if you are traveling east or west.

There are chances for thunderstorms coming our way Friday and Saturday. The extra heat and wind will be pushed around by a cold front Friday night and Saturday morning. Some storms to the south of Des Moines could be severe.

Have a great week riding out March into April.

Ed

Comparing Winter Cities

Hi.. hope you enjoyed the melting yesterday...more to come today. We lost an inch of snow Monday. I expect another inch of snow loss today and maybe a couple inches tomorrow. I wish weight loss was as easy.

I checked out some of the snow totals for the region and country this winter. It is amazing how the snow has stacked up.

I also was surprised by the amount of snow that has fallen over the eastern areas of the U.S. It might make you feel a bit better about the loads of snow we had to move this year.

Regional Cities...

City Total Snow Average + or - Average % of Average

Des Moines 62.3" 29.0" +32.7" 210%
Sioux Falls 56.6" 29.0" +27.6" 190%
Chicago 52.4" 30.4" +22.0" 172%
Minneapolis 40.7" 42.3" - 1.6" 96%
Kansas City 35.5" 16.9" +18.8" 213%

National Numbers...

City Total Snow Average + or - Average % of Average

Philadelphia 78.7" 15.5" +63.2" 508%
Washington DC 56" 13.6" +42.4" 412%
New York City 51.4" 18.7" +32.7" 275%

What A Winter!!!!

So... we collected the totals for our meteorological winter (December, January and February) and we knocked several records out of the park. Remember...these numbers are just for December, January and February and only for Des Moines.

Record Snow

We had 61.2" of snowfall. That dwarfs the old record of 54.6 set in 1885-'86.

Average Snow Depth

We were under a blanket of 10.5" This record snow depth killed the old one set in 2000-'01. That year we had a measly 7.8".

Record Average Snow Depth for Any Month

February 2010.....13.7"
March 1960..........11.5"
February 1979......11.3"
January 2010 and
February 1936 ....10.7"

So we had record average snowfall for February. January also has a record of it's own. The average snow depth of 10.7 was more than any other January on record.

Now for temperatures... You knew we had to have been in the top 20 for coldest winters...and you are correct. Our average temperature for December, January and February was 19.8. That is 4.2 degrees below the average. It was the 20th coldest winter on record.

In February the highest temperature was 35 degrees on the 28th. That is the coldest maximum temperature ever for any February on record since records started in 1878. The previous coldest max temperature for February was 39 degrees 1978.

Got to go do the 6:00 weather...but will post more of those numbers later this evening.

Ed