Well above average temperatures will prevail across the Plains and the West Coast this week, while a cold front will bring Arctic air to the South and East Coast Thursday and Friday. Lake effect snow is forecast downwind of the Great Lakes through Thursday along and behind the Arctic front, as well as mountain snow across the Southern Appalachians. Read More >
The winter of 1978-1979 will long be remembered for not only heavy snow, but bitterly cold temperatures. A winter season record of 52.9 inches of snow fell over the area and the average temperature during the winter was a record low of 14.1F.
January 1979 was a record breaking month in terms of both snowfall and arctic cold temperatures. From January 12th to the 14th, a winter storm dumped an estimated 18.4 inches of snow. This was a record amount for a single snowstorm. A record 26.7 inches fell during the month of January, while the snow depth was a record 28 inches from January 14 through the 19th.
Besides being a month for record snow, January was also the coldest month ever in the Quad Cities. The average temperature for the month was only 6.3°F. The second coldest reading ever occurred on January 2nd, when the temperature dropped to 27°F below zero.
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| Figure 1: Total January 1979 precipitation (inches) at Cedar Rapids Airport |
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| Figure 1: Total January 1979 precipitation (inches) at Dubuque Regional Airport |
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| Figure 3: Total January 1979 precipitation (inches) at Moline Quad City Internaltional Airport |
|
Day |
Maximum Temperature (°F) |
Minimum Temperature (°F) |
Snow (inches) |
|
1 |
14 |
- 10 |
1.0 |
|
2 |
- 5 |
- 27 |
0.0 |
|
3 |
3 |
- 14 |
0.0 |
|
4 |
3 |
- 12 |
Trace |
|
5 |
2 |
- 19 |
0.2 |
|
6 |
10 |
- 19 |
0.0 |
|
7 |
10 |
- 7 |
0.0 |
|
8 |
4 |
- 17 |
0.0 |
|
9 |
13 |
- 6 |
0.0 |
|
10 |
5 |
- 18 |
0.0 |
|
11 |
8 |
- 17 |
1.3 |
|
12 |
18 |
7 |
2.3 |
|
13 |
20 |
11 |
14.8 |
|
14 |
11 |
- 21 |
Trace |
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