February was exceedingly warm, averaging almost 14 degrees above normal! It was also a relatively wet month, but not when it came to snowfall. The 3.8 inch total fell all on 1^st, with only a few days of a trace after that.

March was a typical march precipitation-wise. Both total precipitation and snowfall were right around the monthly normals. Still no "big" snows though. In fact, the largest one-day snowfall for the 1997-98 winter season was that 3.8 inches that fell on February 1^st. Temperatures, again, were above normal.

There weren't many April showers to bring May flowers, but it was another warm month. The first 80 degree day of the year occurred in April, with a high of 83 on the 24th. Mercuries then broke the 90 degree barrier in May, reaching 90 or greater 5 times. And if you exclude the 7^th, May was also a dry month. Over 40% of the monthly total fell that day.

June was a very active month weather-wise. It was the wettest of the year (nearly 4 ½ inches above normal), most average with respect to temperatures (only 0.1 degrees above normal), and probably the most active with severe weather.

In July it quieted down somewhat. It was warm of course, but precipitation was below normal. Measurable rain fell on only 5 days that month with 2 of those days accounting for almost 90% of the monthly total.

More warmth rounded out the summer months as August finished about 3 degrees above normal. The precipitation roller coaster was also on the upswing in August with over 6 inches that month.

September got the fall months off to a very warm but dry start. Not only was it the warmest September on record for La Crosse, but September's average temperature was actually warmer than the average for June! Rain was rather sparse with measurable rain falling on only 6 days. The total of 0.85 inches made it the driest September since 1979.

October was another "up" month for rainfall, almost 2 ½ inches above normal. Usually one of the driest months, this last October was the 3rd wettest for the year, and the 2.28 inches that fell on the 17th was the highest one-day total for 1998.

November started off on the coolside for a change, but quickly warmed up my mid-month and then finished with record temperatures. La Crosse's first snowfall of the season also occurred this month, with 0.3 inches falling on the 8th. That also happened to be the entire snowfall for the month, the lowest total for November since 1987.

And just as the year started, it ended on a very warm note. The 67 degree high temperature on the 5th not only set a record for that day, but was also the warmest temperature ever recorded in December for La Crosse. Winter finally "showed up" by the later part of the month with temperatures more typical of the season. Snowfall was still in short supply though.

All in all, although it was the warmest year ever for La Crosse, it certainly wouldn't have been considered hot. Temperatures cracked 90 degrees 23 times (the average is 18) while summertime temperatures were just a couple degrees above normal. The unusually warm winter and fall months were the big factors, making this past year seem almost like one long spring.