February is month number three of winter, climatologically speaking.  December was snowy, January was bitter.  February, however, hasn’t been too bad.  In the span of just 36 hours a record high has been set, rain has fallen, and our snow depth has shrunk from 8″ down to a meager 1″.  Winter began in much the same fashion last year, but instead of a prolonged winter thaw, February went in a completely different direction in 2008.  Here are a few differences through the first 10 days:

                                                                      2008                       2009 

                                 Total Snowfall:                  4.4″                          0.1″

                                  Average High:                 24.1                         31.3

                                    Snow Depth:                  10″                             1″

Obviously, we still have a month to go before Spring officially begins (38 days and counting down), but this is certainly a step in that direction.  In case you are wondering, February 2008 concluded with 13.1″ of snowfall, an average temperature of 22.1 degrees, and a maximum snow depth of 15″ on the 19th.  A sneak peek ahead features a pretty quiet stretch for the Chippewa Valley, with our next best chance of accumulating snow not until next week! 

Chief Meteorologist Doug Michaels

Posted under Weather