Heavy Rain Return to the Southwest U.S.; Potential Atlantic Tropical System Interaction

Heavy to excessive rainfall from monsoon thunderstorms may bring isolated flash and urban flooding to the Desert Southwest into Sunday. The tropical wave (AL94) continues to bring heavy rainfall to Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. The close proximity of Tropical Storm Humberto and AL94 could lead to interaction between them, but details of their track and intensity forecasts remain uncertain Read More >

With all the crazy weather in December and warmth preceding it, it’s hard to believe that January was several degrees below average. But, after the mid-December Derecho, we plunged right into the depths of winter, and January brought several episodes of snow and cold. While the cold was generally not record-breaking, it was consistently cold for most of the month. Snow and liquid equivalent precipitation was generally below average, though a rogue lake-effect snow event brought Duluth’s snow totals just above average. Drought status remains relatively unchanged per the US Drought Monitor, and Lake Superior’s water levels are now likely to remain below average as we go into spring.

Per CPC’s forecasts, the rest of February may feature cooler temperatures and higher precipitation than normal with drought persisting (but possibly improving going into spring).