Meteorological Winter 2015-16 featured well above normal temperatures on average and above normal precipitation with below to well below normal snowfall. The above normal temperatures and below normal snowfall largely fit the expectations of the winter considering the near record strong El Nino episode in the tropical Pacific. Though January and February did finish above normal, the warmth was largely driven by a record to near record warm December. The above normal precipitation anomalies were also driven by well above normal precipitation in December. January and February were primarily drier and less snowy than average as is common during strong El Nino episodes. However, the exception in February was the significant winter storm/blizzard that impacted eastern Illinois and northwest Indiana on February 24th. This resulted in a corridor of above normal precipitation and snowfall for the month of February across the affected areas.
| Meteorological Winter 2015-16 Review: Precipitation and Temperatures (click to enlarge) |
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| Meteorological Winter 2015-16 Review: Snowfall (click to enlarge) |
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| Climate Maps are from the Midwest and Northeast Regional Climate Centers and Illinois State Water Survey |
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL 1200 PM CST TUE MAR 1 2016 ...A LOOK BACK AT THE CLIMATE FOR METEOROLOGICAL WINTER (DECEMBER...JANUARY...FEBRUARY) 2015-2016 FOR CHICAGO AND ROCKFORD... AT CHICAGO...THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THE WINTER SEASON WAS 37.8 DEGREES WHICH IS 4.2 DEGREES ABOVE THE 1981 TO 2010 AVERAGE. THE AVERAGE LOW TEMPERATURE WAS 24.9 DEGREES WHICH IS 5.8 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THE MEAN TEMPERATURE FOR THE SEASON WAS 31.3 DEGREES WHICH IS 4.9 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THIS MADE IT THE 14TH WARMEST WINTER SEASON ON RECORD DATING BACK TO 1872. A TOTAL OF 6.94 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION WAS RECORDED DURING THIS PAST WINTER...WHICH IS 1.17 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL. THERE WAS A TOTAL OF 16.3 INCHES OF SNOW RECORDED AT OHARE WHICH IS 11.8 INCHES BELOW NORMAL. RECORDS ESTABLISHED OR TIED DURING THE WINTER MONTHS: DECEMBER... DAILY RECORDS... * RECORD DAILY WARMEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 48 DEGREES ON THE 13TH. * RECORD DAILY PRECIPITATION OF 1.47 INCHES ON THE 28TH. TOP TEN MONTHLY RECORDS... **4TH WARMEST DECEMBER ON RECORD SINCE 1872 WITH 39.0 DEGREES. **6TH WETTEST DECEMBER ON RECORD SINCE 1871 WITH 4.87 INCHES. JANUARY... * NO DAILY OR MONTHLY RECORDS. FEBRUARY... DAILY RECORDS... * RECORD DAILY MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 62 DEGREES ON THE 28TH. AT ROCKFORD...THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE WAS 36.5 DEGREES WHICH IS 4.3 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THE AVERAGE LOW TEMPERATURE WAS 23.7 DEGREES WHICH IS 7.4 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THE MEAN TEMPERATURE FOR THE SEASON WAS 30.1 DEGREES WHICH IS 5.9 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THE 2015-16 WINTER SEASON TIED 1920-21 AND 1997-98 FOR THE FOURTH WARMEST WINTER ON RECORD IN ROCKFORD. A TOTAL OF 6.18 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION WAS RECORDED DURING THIS PAST WINTER...WHICH IS 1.42 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL. THERE WAS A TOTAL OF 12.4 INCHES OF SNOW RECORDED AT ROCKFORD WHICH IS 16.8 INCHES BELOW NORMAL. IT WAS THE 20TH LEAST SNOWY WINTER SEASON ON RECORD. RECORDS ESTABLISHED OR TIED DURING THE WINTER MONTHS: DECEMBER... DAILY RECORDS... * TIED DAILY MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 57 DEGREES ON THE 10TH. * RECORD DAILY HIGHEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 46 DEGREES ON THE 12TH. * RECORD DAILY MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 62 DEGREES ON THE 13TH. * RECORD DAILY PRECIPITATION OF 1.41 INCHES ON THE 13TH. * RECORD DAILY MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 61 DEGREES ON THE 14TH. * RECORD DAILY HIGHEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 41 DEGREES ON THE 14TH. * RECORD DAILY PRECIPITATION OF 0.63 INCHES ON THE 21ST. * RECORD DAILY MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 59 DEGREES ON THE 23RD. * RECORD DAILY PRECIPITATION OF 0.70 INCHES ON THE 23RD. * RECORD DAILY PRECIPITATION OF 1.25 INCHES ON THE 28TH. TOP TEN MONTHLY RECORDS... **WARMEST DECEMBER ON RECORD SINCE 1905 WITH 37.7 DEGREES. **SECOND WETTEST DECEMBER ON RECORD SINCE 1905 WITH 4.65 INCHES. JANUARY... NO DAILY OR MONTHLY RECORDS. FEBRUARY... DAILY RECORDS... * RECORD DAILY MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 62 DEGREES ON THE 28TH. $$ RC
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL 945 AM CDT TUE MAR 1 2016 ...A LOOK BACK AT THE CLIMATE FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY 2016 FOR CHICAGO AND ROCKFORD... AT CHICAGO...THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE WAS 37.2 DEGREES WHICH IS 1.9 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THE AVERAGE LOW TEMPERATURE WAS 23.5 DEGREES WHICH IS 3.4 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH WAS 30.4 DEGREES WHICH IS 2.7 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. DURING THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY...1.23 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION WAS RECORDED WHICH IS 0.56 OF AN INCH BELOW NORMAL. 5.5 INCHES OF SNOW WAS RECORDED WHICH IS 3.6 INCHES BELOW NORMAL. ONE RECORD WAS SET FOR CHICAGO FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY 2016... * RECORD DAILY MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 62 DEGREES ON THE 28TH. AT ROCKFORD...THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE WAS 36.7 DEGREES WHICH IS 2.5 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THE AVERAGE LOW TEMPERATURE WAS 22.8 DEGREES WHICH IS 5.1 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH WAS 29.7 DEGREES WHICH IS 3.8 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. DURING THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY...0.65 OF AN INCH OF PRECIPITATION WAS RECORDED WHICH IS 0.76 OF AN INCH BELOW NORMAL. 3.5 INCHES OF SNOW WAS RECORDED WHICH IS 4.2 INCHES BELOW NORMAL. THERE WERE 10 RECORDS FOR ROCKFORD FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY 2016... * RECORD DAILY MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 62 DEGREES ON THE 28TH. $$ RC
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