1 MARCH EXTENDED FORECAST

1 MARCH EXTENDED FORECAST

High pressure will remain entrenched over the state through midweek. This will keep precipitation out of the forecast but do little to warm temperatures significantly. TEMPS will remain below normal with only slow snow melt during the day.

No changes to thoughts on next system - moves in late Friday......................

MONDAY THRU THURSDAY: PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY - HIGH TEMPS LOW 30'S - LOW TEMPS 15/20F

FRIDAY 5TH: MOSTLY CLOUDY - HIGH TEMP 35 - LOW TEMP 22

SATURDAY 6TH: RAIN/SLEET TO RAIN

7 THRU 9TH - RAIN/FOG - THUNDER AND WIND
POTENTIAL RAINFALL 6TH THRU 9TH: 1-2 INCHES

10TH THRU 13TH - SNOW AND WINDY

SNOWFALL: HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON WHEN RAIN CHANGES TO SNOW - WILL UPDATE

THE METEOROLOGICAL WINTER SEASON HAS ENDED WITH A MULTITUDE OF RECORDS OR NEAR RECORDS AT WATERLOO...

THIS WINTER HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MORE REMARKABLE IN RECENT MEMORY... LETS SEE HOW IT STACKS UP HISTORICALLY. THE RECORDS HERE ONLY APPLY TO THE PERIOD FROM DECEMBER THROUGH FEBRUARY WHICH IS CONSIDERED
METEOROLOGICAL WINTER.

...TEMPERATURE...

THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES IN WATERLOO FOR THE DECEMBER THROUGH FEBRUARY TIME FRAME WAS 15.7 DEGREES WHICH WAS 4.4 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. THIS IS THE 20TH COLDEST WINTER ON RECORD AND THE COLDEST SINCE 2000-01 WHEN THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE WAS 14.6 DEGREES.

THE MAXIMUM HIGH TEMPERATURE REACHED DURING THE MONTH WAS 35 DEGREES ON THE 5TH. THIS TIES FOR THE LOWEST MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE EVER FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY SINCE RECORDS STARTED IN 1895. THE OTHER RECORD CAME IN FEBRUARY 1920.

...PRECIPITATION...

PRECIPITATION FOR THE 3 MONTH PERIOD WAS 4.99 INCHES WHICH WAS 1.99 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL. THIS WAS THE 10TH MOST PRECIPITATION DURING THE WINTER SEASON.

...SNOWFALL...

THIS WAS THE SNOWIEST WINTER SEASON ON RECORD. SNOWFALL WAS 51.3 INCHES WHICH WAS 28.3 INCHES ABOVE THE NORMAL OF 23.0 INCHES. THE TOP 5 SEASONS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. 51.3 2009-10
2. 47.7 2007-08
3. 45.9 1961-62
4. 44.0 1904-05
5. 42.3 2000-01

DECEMBER AND FEBRUARY WERE ALSO IN THE TOP FIVE FOR THE MOST SNOWFALL IN THEIR RESPECTIVE MONTHS.

DECEMBER 2009 - NORMAL DECEMBER SNOWFALL IS 7.5 INCHES

1. 34.0 2000
2. 27.3 2009
3. 23.0 1904
4. 20.5 2008
5. 20.1 1961

FEBRUARY 2010 - NORMAL FEBRUARY SNOWFALL IS 7.3 INCHES

1. 24.3 1962
2. 18.1 2008
3. 16.2 2010
4. 15.9 1983
5. 15.8 1997 AND 1994

JANUARY SNOWFALL WAS ACTUALLY A LITTLE BELOW NORMAL WITH 7.8 INCHES OF SNOWFALL. MONTHLY NORMAL IS 8.2 INCHES.

THE SNOWSTORM ON DECEMBER 8TH AND 9TH PRODUCED THE 2ND HIGHEST 2-DAY TOTAL ON RECORD WHEN 14.6 INCHES OF SNOW FELL. THIS STORM SET THE STAGE FOR THE PERSIST DEEP SNOW PACK THAT PLAGUED MUCH OF IOWA THROUGH THE WINTER SEASON.

1. 15.8 INCHES JANUARY 3RD - 4TH 1961
2. 14.6 INCHES DECEMBER 8TH - 9TH 2009
3. 14.0 INCHES NOVEMBER 30TH - DECEMBER 1ST 1934
14.0 INCHES JANUARY 2ND - 3RD 1906
5. 13.5 INCHES NOVEMBER 30TH - DECEMBER 1ST 1985

...SNOW DEPTH...

SNOW DEPTH WAS QUITE IMPRESSIVE FOR THE WINTER...BUT THERE WERE A FEW OTHER WINTERS THAT DID HAVE A LARGER IMPACT.

RECORD AVERAGE SNOW DEPTH FOR THE WINTER

1. 11.7 INCHES 1909-10
2. 10.5 INCHES 1935-36
3. 10.4 INCHES 2009-10
4. 10.3 INCHES 1985-86
5. 10.0 INCHES 2000-01

RECORD AVERAGE SNOW DEPTH FOR ANY MONTH

1. 20.4 INCHES FEBRUARY 1936
2. 18.1 INCHES JANUARY 1910
3. 15.6 INCHES FEBRUARY 1929
4. 14.2 INCHES FEBRUARY 1979
5. 13.6 INCHES FEBRUARY 1905

RECORD AVERAGE SNOW DEPTH FOR DECEMBER

1. 13.5 INCHES 1934
2. 12.7 INCHES 1985
3. 8.9 INCHES 1942
4. 8.0 INCHES 1919
5. 7.8 INCHES 2009 AND 2000

RECORD AVERAGE SNOW DEPTH FOR JANUARY

1. 18.1 INCHES 1910
2. 13.0 INCHES 1943
3. 12.7 INCHES 1971
4. 11.9 INCHES 2001
5. 11.4 INCHES 1979
6. 10.8 INCHES 2010

RECORD AVERAGE SNOW DEPTH FOR FEBRUARY

1. 20.4 INCHES 1936
2. 15.6 INCHES 1929
3. 14.2 INCHES 1979
4. 13.6 INCHES 1905
5. 12.8 INCHES 2010


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