Although the threshold for what is considered extreme weather differs across research and government organizations, we used a standardized baseline to classify approximately 95% of 20th century events as average. Maine is the fourth-coldest state, with an average annual temperature of 41.9F (5.5C). The average temperature in North Dakota is 41.1F (5.1C). This is the lowest amount of ice coverage for this date in the last 48 years. -Kansas City International Airport reported a wind chill of minus 32 degrees on Monday morning. Hawaii County is represented by the weather station in Hilo, Maui County by Kahului, Honolulu County by Honolulu, and Kauai County by Lihue. Located in the Upper Midwest region of the United States and touching Lake Superior to its northeast, the state's climate is greatly affected by its latitude and proximity to Lake Superior. In the Panhandle, Ketchikan accumulated 77.64 inches of precipitation over the November to January period, which is 168 percent of average and the fourth-highest total on record for this three-month period. However, Truman Field Airport, USVI (1953-2020) tied for the seventh warmest January on record. The NClimDiv database hosts multiple types of historical averages: 30-year averages starting from 1901, 1895-2010 average, and 20th century average, the latter is being used in this experience. Precipitation for the month was a mixed-bag statewide with drier-than-normal conditions observed in the Cook Inlet, Northwest Gulf, and in parts of the Aleutians climate division (CD) while above-normal precipitation was observed across the Panhandle, Bristol Bay, Central Interior, and in the West Coast CD where King Salmon observed its fourth wettest March on record with 2.17 in (55 mm; 310% of normal). Grand Forks probably the coldest on record there. The states experience a wide range of climates, including a tropical climate in Florida, a subarctic climate in Alaska, a semi-arid desert climate in Arizona, and an alpine climate in the mountain states. Although presented side-by-side with the county-level averages, the Hawaiian data are station-specific averages and should not be considered representative of county-level climate. Despite the overall dryness of the month, Erie, Pennsylvania, had its wettest January day on record with 1.60 inches (40.64 mm) of precipitation on January 18. The wettest areas included eastern parts of Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota, along with pockets of Colorado and Wyoming, where precipitation totals were at least 150 percent of normal. Records there date to 1905. If you know anything about geography, you know that the farther away from the equator an area lies, the colder it is. Temperatures in North Dakota have been rising the fastest in these counties. differences. Central Kentucky had EF-0 and EF-1 tornadoes on the 25th. In the winter, highlands and mountaintops in Wyoming can experience up to 200 inches of snowfall, and lowlands typically accumulate about 50 inches of snow. font-weight: bold; Temperatures for the month of March were above normal across the Southern Region, with the greatest departures from normal in the central and eastern parts of the region. Severe thunderstorms on March 28 produced straight-line winds of up to 76 mph (34 m/s) in portions of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey. .highslide:hover img { -Shreveport, Louisiana, had its coldest morning since 1930 with a low of 1 degree above zero. Conversely, the greatest negative anomalies were observed in Southcentral along the Cook Inlet with Kenai AP observing an average temperature of 14.7 F (-9.6 C), a -11.0 F (-6.1 C) departure from normal. All state rankings are based on the period spanning 1895-2021. Grand Forks, which is the coldest city in North Dakota and the second-coldest in the US, has recorded temperatures as low as -43 degrees Fahrenheit (-41 Celsius). These regional summaries were provided by the six Regional Climate Centers and reflect conditions in their respective regions. The average minimum temperature in the winter range from 0F to 15F. There were numerous changes in drought conditions across the High Plains region this month. In the Southwest, drought-related conditions (snow drought, low soil moisture, stressed vegetation) in Arizona saw some modest improvement as beneficial rains and snow fell across the Sonoran Desert while moderate-to-heavy snowfall accumulations were observed in areas along the Mogollon Rim and Colorado Plateau including Flagstaff that observed a monthly snowfall total of 43.5 in (1105 mm; 11th snowiest January) and Prescott 18.1 in (460 mm; 10th snowiest January). (30 F [34 C]), and Bottineau, North Dakota (51 F . The Weather Companys primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. Lincoln, NE had some of the highest snowfall amounts, with 2-day storm totals around 15.0 inches (38 cm). The program itself uses the data collected in postcensal population estimates and the 10-year census population count, which calculates the difference between the two, and distributes that difference across the intermediary years, providing a yearly population estimate that is then retroactively verified. Hispanic/Latino population by difference from average temperature in February 2023. The coldest temperature ever recorded in North Dakota occurred in the same year as the highest North Dakota temperature, -60 F in Parshall on February 15, 1936. While it is not unprecedented to have a snowless March, it is not typical, as the monthly normal is 5.4 inches (14 cm). Cold weather kept blueberry bushes dormant, and farmers are hopeful that early maturity varieties will not blossom in February as they did in 2020. The strongest of these tornadoes was rated EF-3 with winds of 150 mph (67 m/s) and occurred in Jefferson County, AL on January 25th. Additionally, there was a report near Seymour, Texas indicating damage due to strong winds, with a barn destroyed, a semi blown over, and power poles snapped. For example, Cheyenne, WY had its snowiest day on record (for any month) with 22.7 inches (58 cm) on March 14 (period of record 1883-present), and Grand Island, NE set new records for wettest and second wettest March days (March 14: 2.75 inches/70 mm; March 13: 2.56 inches/65 mm). Please Contact Us. Warm January temperatures contributed to the ninth-lowest Bering Sea ice extent in the last 43 years. Fairbanks reported 0.5 inch of snow in January. For further details on the weather and climate events in the Midwest, see the weekly and monthly summaries in the. Arkansas and Mississippi did not report a tornado, while Arkansas and Louisiana did not report hail. The highest 1-day snowfall for Lincoln occurred on February 11, 1965 with 19.0 inches (48 cm). Unfortunately, one fatality was reported near Thomastown, Mississippi after strong winds caused a tree to fall on a car, while two injuries were reported nearby from a separate incident involving a vehicle hitting a downed tree. There was a fatality in Indiana where a tree fell on a man and an injury in Illinois where a vehicle accident was caused by the wind. The lowest and highest monthly state March average temperatures during this period ranged from 7 F in 1899 to 40.6 F in 2012 (Figure 4). In other areas of the region, Wyoming had an overall increase in drought of 2 percent, with the most notable change occurring in the northeastern part of the state due to precipitation deficits, low snowpack, and poor soil moisture conditions. font-size: 10pt; January precipitation varied considerably across the region, but the overall average was 1.40 inches (36 mm) which was 0.37 inches (9 mm) below normal. Minnesota is the third-coldest state in the U.S. border: 2px solid gray; Departures from normal ranged from just 1 degrees F (0.6 C) above normal in the southern parts of the region to more than 10 degrees F (5.6 C) above normal in the northwestern corner of Minnesota. There were several changes in drought conditions this month in the High Plains region, which is unusual for this time of the year. These averages are specific to each county . Severe storms moved through West Virginia on March 18. Melbourne, FL (1937-2021; 2nd driest) only received 0.04 inches (1 mm) of precipitation, which was over 2 inches (51 mm) below normal for the month. Plains, bringing life threatening cold to western and central North Dakota. Alaska data was limited to 1925 forward; therefore our 20th century average for Alaska is based on the known 75-year time span. However, the moderate drought conditions in southern Louisiana, northwestern Mississippi, and parts of northern Texas were eliminated. background-color: white; Wind chill alerts have been issued by the National Weather Service for a broad area in the central U.S. A reinforcing blast of cold air behind a second winter storm later this week could set dozens more daily record lows by Friday in the southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley. This was lower than the last two years, but greater than the extent seen in 2017 and 2018. -Tulsa, Oklahoma, dropped to minus 13 degrees. The average accumulated snowfall in Maine is 10 to 80 inches (25-203 cm). Trees, power poles, and buildings were damaged on the 25th. With back-to-back dry winters, the states two largest reservoirs, Shasta and Oroville, were at 65% and 53% of historical averages, respectively. temperatures of 114 F or higher. Temperature and precipitation are two of the main ways people experience climate. All of Minnesota was either abnormally dry or in moderate drought at the end of the month, with most of northern Wisconsin also abnormally dry. Additionally, tennis-ball sized hail was reported near Petersburg, Texas, while a wind gust of 64 mph (103.00 kph) was reported near McAdoo, Texas. The driest locations were found across Florida, Alabama, northern Georgia, northern Virginia, and Puerto Rico. Global Summary of the Year, Version 1.0. The poor hydrological conditions (snowpack and reservoirs) across California are expected to have a significant negative impact on water allotments and the agricultural sector, subsequently, moving into the summer dry season. In total, 30 injuries and 1 fatality were reported. A strong low-pressure system on January 28th brought strong gusty winds to parts of the Southeast. Final and certified climate datacan be accessed at theNCDC. In California, several cut-off lows during March brought cool temperatures and beneficial snowfall accumulations to areas of the Klamath Mountains and Sierra Nevada as well as modest rainfall accumulations to coastal areas, the Sierra foothills, and the Central Valley; however, the storms had little impact on the substantial WYTD precipitation deficits (up to 20 inches [508 mm] in northern California and the southern Sierra) observed across the state. Ultimately, more than 15,000 acres burned, causing evacuations and structural damage. The statewide temperature rankings for March were as follows: Arkansas (twenty-fifth warmest), Louisiana (twenty-seventh warmest), Mississippi (fifteenth warmest), Oklahoma (twenty-fourth warmest), Tennessee (seventeenth warmest), and Texas (thirty-second warmest). As of February 8, there were 1,918 warm daily high (787) and low (1,131) temperature records tied or broken during January. Parts of northern, western, southern, eastern, and southeastern Texas as well as southern Louisiana experienced temperatures 0 to 2 degrees F (0.00 to 1.11 degrees C) above normal. temperatures usually reach the 50s or 60s, but the region had below-normal . background-color: gray; In the United States, the northern states are farther from the equator and thus have colder temperatures. During March, the average contiguous U.S. temperature was 45.5F, 4.0F above the 20 th century average. With little to no snowfall as well, these conditions contributed to an expansion of drought across North Dakota and parts of South Dakota. In the Pacific Northwest, precipitation was near normal to above normal across western Oregon and Washington as well as in northeastern Washington. and has notundergone final quality control by the National Climatic Data Center. Texas had the most tornado (43) and hail (103) reports while Mississippi had the most wind reports (82). .highslide-display-none { Embedded within this area, several locations received over 300 percent of normal precipitation, which led to numerous records. Only two basins in each state had snowpack that was near median. Population by The lack of precipitation in the northern areas was also noticeable in the snow totals for that area. Warm records in January outpaced cold records by a three-to-one margin. Untimely rainfall hampered the last of the winter wheat planting in South Carolina. These areas included portions of northern New England, New York, and Pennsylvania. Several weak tornadoes touched down in Missouri on the 17th. NWS Billings, Montana, finally rose above zero Monday morning for the first time in a week, their longest continuous subzero streak since 1983. The first weather and climate disaster of 2021 to exceed the billion-dollar threshold was associated with the cold wave that occurred across the central United States in mid-February. visibility: hidden; In the southern Sierra, the Tulare Basin 6-station precipitation index was at 43% of the historical average (bottom 10th percentile) by the end of the month and the regional SWE breakdown was as follows: North67%, Central64%, and South42%. Missouri was the wettest with a good portion of the state picking up more than twice the normal precipitation total for January. The north-central states have temperatures in December and January that average about six degrees Fahrenheit (3 C) below those of the next chilliest states. North Dakota Climate Chart. As of the week of March 29th, the statewide snowpack for Colorado and Wyoming was near median, at 92 and 98 percent of median, respectively. Temperatures across North Dakota were fourth warmest on record. Scattered clouds. Eastern parts of the region were also impacted by strong winds, snow, and blowing snow, which created treacherous travel conditions. These were some of the highest non-thunderstorm wind gusts in recent years. There were approximately 651 daily cold high (442) and low (209) temperature records set during the month. Texas had the most reports (224) while Oklahoma had the fewest (25). In the winter, the average temperatures are around 24F (-4.4C), perfect for winter activities such as snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, ice skating, and ice hockey. Exceptional drought conditions persisted across western and northwestern Texas, while exceptional drought conditions developed in southern Texas. display: block; During that month, Billings, Montana, and Fargo, North Dakota, persevered through their longest sub-zero stretches since 1983 and . Not only was this a new record for wettest March, this amount came close to Grand Islands normal precipitation for the entire spring, which is 8.74 inches (222 mm). Although this temperature was 9.1 degrees F (5.1 degrees C) above normal, it did not come close to the 2012 record of 38.0 degrees F (3.3 degrees C) (period of record 1893-present). For the months of March and April, some locations in the valley look to set near record cold temperatures. On March 26, an EF-1 tornado, with winds of up to 110 mph (49 m/s), damaged buildings and downed trees in Addison County, Vermont. On March 23, 2021, an EF-1 tornado was reported near Washington, Louisiana. In Alaska, below-normal temperatures prevailed across much of the state except for areas along the North Slope and the Aleutians where average temperatures were above normal including at St. Paul Island which observed its 10th warmest March on record. Such methodology was applicable to all counties in the contiguous United States. A low or non-existent snowpack across the Plains portion of the region contributed to these departures. To provide a comprehensive account of climate across the United States, we supplemented the dataset with individual station data for each county in Hawaii. Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena - February 2021 NORTH DAKOTA, Central and West (ND-Z046) EMMONS, (ND-Z047) LOGAN, (ND-Z048) LA MOURE, (ND-Z050) MCINTOSH, (ND-Z051) DICKEY . Conditions were unchanged during January for the rest of the region. Precipitation for all 12 Northeast states ranged from 57 percent of normal in Pennsylvania to 80 percent of normal in West Virginia. .highslide-image-blur { Portions of eastern and central Kansas and Nebraska had widespread departures up to 6.0 degrees F (3.3 degrees C) above normal, while much of the Dakotas had departures in the 6.0-12.0 degrees F (3.3-6.7 degrees C) above normal range. Due to a strong temperature inversion and the persistence of fog in the valley location, the greatest range in daily maximum temperatures across the entire region occurred in the mountains of western North Carolina, from 5.3 degrees F (2.9 degrees C) above normal in Celo, NC (1948-2021) to 3.6 degrees F (2 degrees C) below normal in Marion, NC (1893-2021). The state has recorded only one other tornado in March since recordkeeping began in 1950. .highslide img { Overall, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, the area experiencing drought (D1-D4) decreased from approximately 82 percent to 64 percent since the end of last month. The two in Mississippi were verified to be an EF-1 and EF-0, respectively. This January ranked among the 20 warmest on record for five states: Maine, sixth warmest; New Hampshire, 15th warmest; Massachusetts, 19th warmest; and Rhode Island and Vermont, 20th warmest. Although this storm, along with subsequent precipitation events later in the month, helped to alleviate drought conditions, it will take much more precipitation to overcome the long-term deficits that have accumulated over time, particularly for parts of Colorado and Wyoming. -Dallas-Fort Worth dropped to minus 2 degrees. It's only 6 degrees shy of the all-time record low of minus 8 degrees set in 1899. FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) - If you thought the months of March and April were especially cold, you are correct. Because late spring and early summer is typically the wettest time of the year for the Dakotas, additional deficits could begin to mount quickly if precipitation does not materialize. Numerous daily and monthly records were set, with some locations receiving more precipitation in this storm than what would be expected for the entire month of March. drier than normal monthly precipitation for Moderate drought classifications expanded or developed across southern Louisiana, while moderate drought conditions persisted across parts of Tennessee, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas. All 41 reports occurred on four days. More Climate Data Bismarck. Approximately 75% of the state has experienced temperatures of -42 F below zero or lower. All twelve Northeast states were warmer than normal with departures ranging from 1.8 degrees F (1.0 degrees C) above normal in West Virginia to 7.6 degrees F (4.2 degrees C) above normal in Maine. Additionally, a wind gust of 80 mph (128.75 kph) was reported near Canadian, Texas. This was Lincolns highest 1-day snowfall for the month of January and the second highest 1-day snowfall for any month (period of record 1948-present). Station Data. The minimum average temperature in Grand Forks during the coldest month is -3.1 degrees Fahrenheit (-19.5 Celsius). Minnesota and Michigan ranked as the 8th warmest March, while Wisconsin ranked 9th and Iowa 10th. Between heavy rain and snow, flooding and drought, and near-record warmth, it was another eventful month for the High Plains region. On January 21, only 2.4 percent of the entire lake surface was covered by ice. Parts of northwestern Louisiana, southwestern Oklahoma, and northern, eastern, central, southern, and western Texas received 50 percent or less of normal precipitation. Indeed, these conditions helped fuel several brush fires in southern New England, as well as an unusually large wild fire in New Jersey that consumed 170 acres and damaged homes. The United States has a variety of climates thanks to its large size spanning over different latitudes. Moderate drought expanded slightly in northeastern Minnesota and emerged in southern Michigan and northern Ohio. The average temperature across the contiguous U.S. last month was 30.6 degrees F, 3.2 degrees below the 20th-century average, making it the 19th-coldest February in the 127-year record. .highslide-image { -Fayetteville, Arkansas, set a new all-time record low of minus 20 degrees. North Dakota is the second-coldest state in the U.S. Much of this precipitation fell in mid-March, when an intense, slow-moving storm system brought heavy rain and snow to parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, and South Dakota. A prolonged arctic outbreak that is smashing records in the Plains and Midwest may linger into much of the rest of this week before finally easing this weekend into early next week. On January 28th, yet another low-pressure system on a similar track brought 7.3 inches (183 mm) of snow to Lynchburg, VA (1893-2021) and 5.3 inches (135 mm) of snowfall to Roanoke, VA (1912-2021). However, abnormally dry conditions increased across the Upper Midwest. In the winter, the average temperatures are around 24F (-4.4C), perfect for winter activities such as snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, ice skating, and ice hockey. Marchs dry conditions added an increased risk of wildfires, allowing them to start easily and spread rapidly. These areas included portions of northern New England, New York, and northern Pennsylvania. A brief EF-0 tornado was reported near Collierville, Tennessee. Above average amounts of snowfall were seen in both Fargo and Grand Forks this season. Precipitation totals ranged from 150 to 300 percent of normal. Several stations to the north, however, had daily minimum temperatures that fell below 20 degrees F (-6.7 degrees C), including Richmond, VA (1871-2021) at 17 degrees F (-8.3 degrees C) and Mt Mitchell (1925-2021) at 7 degrees F (-14 degrees C). experiencing similar On January 25, 2021, there were 18 severe weather reports across Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas. Areas in Minnesota, Michigan, northern Wisconsin and Kentucky had less than half the normal amount of snowfall during the month. This was the first EF-3 or stronger tornado in January for Alabama since 2012. Questions? Dry conditions this spring have affected cranberry operations in Massachusetts, with growers concerned that yields will be reduced. NCEI references these averages as varieties of climate normals, we will reference these values as average. } Several storms impacted these same areas during the first half of January ahead of an intense storm on January 25th through the morning of January 26th. There was a decrease in the overall area experiencing abnormally dry conditions, with conditions improving across southeastern Oklahoma, north-central Texas, northwestern Louisiana, northern Mississippi, and most of Arkansas.