Freezing rain builds into north central Wisconsin this evening and continues through the overnight. Impacts to elevated surfaces possible. Severe thunderstorms are possible this afternoon and evening with the main threat of hail. Heavy rain today with totals of 0.5 to 1.5" expected with locally higher amounts possible... Read More >
| Temperatures | Precipitation | ||||||
| Month | High | Low | Average | Departure | Total | Departure | Snow |
| January | 26.3 | 8.8 | 17.5 | +1.8 | 0.78 | -0.08 | 1.9 |
| February | 26.6 | 12.3 | 19.4 | -0.9 | 1.22 | +0.39 | 15.4 |
| March | 31.7 | 16.0 | 23.8 | -8.6 | 2.85 | +0.97 | 23.5 |
| April | 47.8 | 32.6 | 40.2 | -6.5 | 6.79 | +3.55 | 4.2 |
| May | 65.0 | 46.4 | 55.7 | -2.4 | 12.26 | +8.63 | 14.5 |
| June | 75.7 | 58.2 | 66.9 | -0.7 | 6.86 | +2.18 | ... |
| July | 81.3 | 61.5 | 71.4 | 0.0 | 2.14 | -2.41 | ... |
| August | 79.9 | 59.8 | 69.9 | +0.8 | 1.80 | -2.72 | ... |
| September | 75.4 | 52.6 | 64.0 | +0.8 | 1.22 | -2.23 | ... |
| October | 58.5 | 39.0 | 48.8 | +0.4 | 1.85 | -0.39 | T |
| November | 39.5 | 22.6 | 31.0 | -2.8 | 1.76 | -0.15 | 1.3 |
| December | 20.9 | 5.4 | 13.1 | -6.6 | 1.10 | -0.13 | 13.1 |
| TOTALS: | 52.3 | 34.5 | 43.4 | -2.0 | 41.76 | +8.74 | *** |
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January got 2013 off to a cold start with a chilly -10 degrees greeting early morning risers. Temperatures would end up a couple degrees above normal for the month, but there was a lot of up’s and down’s. Highs reached 40 or greater 5 times, but failed to make it out of the teens 9 times (with single digit highs on the 21st and 22nd). It was a dry start to 2013 as around ¼ of inch of precipitation fell through the 26th – amounting to less than an inch of snow. One-half inch of precipitation fell after that, but only translated into 1.1 inches of snow. Precipitation ended up right around the normal. The 1.9 inch snowfall total, on the other hand, was the 4th lowest January on record.
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Cold air greeted February with temperatures not reaching 20 degrees until the 5th of the month. Temperatures would vary until the end of the month, but averages would wind up below the February normals. Temperatures never reached 40, while 17 days failed to break the freezing mark. The wet end of January persisted into February as measureable precipitation fell on the first 5 days, with around an inch or more of snow falling each of those days. There would be 8 more days with measurable precipitation, amounting to 9 more inches of snow. The 15.4 inch total for February nearly doubled its normal and is the 10th snowiest February on record.
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Any thoughts of spring as the calendar turned to March were quickly squashed with at or below normal temperatures for the first 8 days and a below zero low on the 7th. There were only 2 days above normal with 18 days where temperatures couldn’t warm above freezing. March finished over 8 degrees below normal and was the 11th coldest on record at 23.8 degrees. Temperatures felt like winter, and so did the precipitation. Measurable snow fell on 7 of the first 18 days, with 3 of those recording more than 4 inches. The 23.5 inch total made it the 3rd snowiest March on record for Rochester. The biggest one-day snowfall for the 2012-13 winter came in March, with 6.8 inches on 10th. The second half of the month was dry though as only 2 days received measureable precipitation.
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Winter coats, hats and mittens were still needed in April. Freezing temperatures occurred on 17 days while highs never made it out of the 30s on 10 days (well above the April normal of 3 days). The 40.2 average monthly temperature tied it for the 9th coldest April on record. Adding insult to injury, measurable snow fell on 8 days, setting the record for most snowy days in April. However, most of the daily amounts were small – less than an inch. The 4.2 inch monthly total tied it for the 22nd snowiest April on record for Rochester. Winter didn’t hold reign for the whole month. Warmer temperatures made an appearance for the last 5 days, cracking 70 on four of those. Also, rainfall was significant. Measurable precipitation fell on 17 of the 30 days, well above the average of 10 and just two days off the record of 19 (1965). The total liquid precipitation for the month was 6.79 inches, making it the 2nd wettest April on record.
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While April was wet by any standard, it paled compared to the deluge that fell in May. Measurable rain dropped on Rochester 20 of the 31 days. One-half inch or more of rain fell on 8 days, with an inch or more on 6 days. The 12.26 inch total made it the wettest May on record, blowing away the previous record by almost 4 inches. It was also the 4th wettest month out of any month. Part of this record amount came from a significant late winter storm which dumped 14 inches of snow on 2nd. This tied it for the 4th snowiest day on record in Rochester and helped make this May the snowiest on record (14.5”). The rain impacted farmers by water logging fields and delaying planting. Some early seeders lost crops, requiring replanting. Temperatures jumped around, cooler on the rainy days, warmer on the few rain-free. Highs ranged from a chilly 33 on the 2nd and 3rd to a hot 97 on the 14th. Temperatures couldn’t break 60 on 10 days, but made 75 or greater 8 times. The monthly average was about 2 ½ degrees below normal, not hinting at the wild day-to-day swings that occurred.
The spring months of March-April-May totaled 21.90 inches of precipitation, making it the wettest spring on record for Rochester (more than doubling the 8.75 inch spring normal) – beating out the previous record by 6 inches. The spring accounted for 66% of the yearly normal.
For the 2012-13 winter season, 74.0 inches fell – making it the 4th snowiest season on record for Rochester.
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Rain jackets continued to be a necessity in June. Half the days recorded measurable rain with the monthly total finishing over 2 inches above normal. The 21st through 25th were particularity soggy, with 5.25 inches of rain falling – well over the normal for the entire month (4.68”). The first 9 days of the month were quite cool, with the 4th not even reaching 60 degrees. Summer temperatures finally showed up for good around mid-month, although there was only one day that neared the 90 degree mark (89 on the 20th).
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The faucet would finally be shut off in July, and as the following months would eventually attest to, once it was shut off, it wouldn’t turn back on. Measurable rain fell on 9 days in Rochester, with two of those days reaching ½ inch. The monthly total of 2.14 inches was closer to an average October or November than a typical July. Still, the month brought a much needed break from the rainfall, and gave the region some time to dry out. Temperatures were more summer-like and averaged what is expected for a normal July. There was a brief cool down at month’s end. Highs only reached 61 on the 27th, closer to the normal low. It was also the 5th coldest high temperature for July on record.
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August was much like July – exceedingly dry with near normal for temperatures. There were only 7 days with measurable rainfall, below the normal of 10. Worse, two-thirds of the meager monthly total of 1.80 inches fell on two days – 0.51 inches on the 5th and 0.72 inches on the 11th. It was the 15th driest July on record. From the 12th through the 31st only ½ inch of rain fell in Rochester, and most of that came on the 22nd. Temperatures were a bit below normal for the first half of the month, but warmed up for the second half, including a 6 day stretch of 85 degree or greater highs. The July-August rainfall total of 3.94 inches was 9th driest July-August on record for Rochester.
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The dry trend continued into September with only 5 days of measurable precipitation – most of which fell during the middle part of the month. The month started off with 13 days of essentially arid conditions, recording only 0.01 inches of rain those days. September would finish over 2 inches below normal. The dry July through September stretch was the 3rd driest for this time period at Rochester - only 5.16 inches. On the whole, it was a relatively warm month, finishing around 3 degrees above the September normal. Temperatures did jump around though. There were 8 days where highs reached or exceeded 80 degrees, but 7 days where highs could not crack 70.
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The first half of October was mild with highs in the 70s on 6 of the first 12 days. It would cool down after that, with a chilly stretch from 21st through the 24th where highs hovered around 40 and lows were below freezing. There were 10 days with subfreezing temperatures in Rochester, which is the normal. On the whole, October was just a bit below normal. Precipitation finally re-introduced itself to Rochester as over 2 inches of rain fell during the first week. There would be 5 more days with measurable rainfall, although the 15th would account for the bulk of the additional rainfall (0.77 of 0.89 inches). The 2.98 inch October total was ¾ of an above normal. The first snowfall of the season would come as a few flurries on the 19th.
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November was nearly 3 degrees below normal, but the bulk of the days were close to the seasonable averages. Most of cold was accounted for by a few days – with lows in the single digits on 5 days and one day where highs could not crack 20 degrees (the 23rd). Precipitation was right around normal and there were 10 days of measurable precipitation. However, 70% of the monthly total fell on the 4th and 5th – with only trace amounts after the 22nd. The first measurable snowfall for the 2013-14 winter season fell on the 11th, but the 1.3 inch monthly total was several inches below normal.
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After a fairly seasonal start to the month, bitter cold moved in by the 5th of December, hanging on through the 16th. Single digit lows (above and below zero) were common during this period, with highs mostly in the teens – closer to the normal lows rather than highs. The cold trend would persist for the rest of the month, with 4 days of -10 of colder lows and highs barely above zero for the 30th and 31st. Precipitation fell on about half the days of December (14 out of 31), with 12 of those recording measurable snowfall. The 12.7 inch snow total was around normal, but most of the snow can in 2 inch or less increments.
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2013 will be remembered for its extreme wet and dry periods. Spring brought days of rain, finishing as the wettest spring on record for Rochester, crushing the previous record of 15.87 inches in 2001. It wasn’t all rain though, as the bulk of the 2012-13 snowfall fell in the late winter-early spring months. Almost 58 inches of snow fell from February through May – most snow all-time for this time period, and above the normal for an entire season (51.9”). Precipitation became a distant memory as the calendar moved into mid-summer and early fall. The July-September period was close to 7 ½ inches below normal, and was the 3rd driest for this time period. So, despite 2013 finishing as one of the wettest on record, the number doesn't tell the whole story. Looking at the year in halves, through June 30.76 inches fell – making it the wettest start to any year for Rochester. It was also nearly matched the normal for an entire year (33.02”). From July through December, only 11 inches fell – 14th driest end to a year for Rochester.
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| Highest temperature for 2013 | 97 on May 14th |
| Lowest temperature for 2013 | -15 on December 30th |
| Highest one-day precipitation | 2.43 inches on May 17th |
| Highest one-day snowfall | 14.0 inches on May 2nd |
| Number of days with highs at or above 90 degrees | 10 |
| Number of days with highs at or below 32 degrees | 89 |
| Number of days with zero or below temperatures | 23 |
| Peak wind gust | 60 mph from the SW on May 19th |
| Number of days with measurable precipitation | 142 |
| Percentage of days with measurable precipitation | 39% |
| Number of days with above normal temperatures | 167 |
| Percentage of days with above normal temperatures | 46% |
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