Sunny, Cool Day

Compared to the last several days, yesterday and today are quite cool. We had some light rain on Wednesday, but the clouds have moved on and the sun has come out today to make for a beautiful spring day.

A/C in March!!!

I think this is the earliest I've ever turned the A/C on in the house. We had another March scorcher today with a high of 81 degrees. I've been looking at a few other blogs, namely Belski's Blog from WAVE3 in Louisville and Rich Apuzzo's blog in Cincinnati, and they both say that April and May looks as though it will trend cooler than normal for those two months. Only time will tell. I hope they are right though. I'm looking forward to it.

Canceled: April & May

What a difference a week can make. Last weekend, March 17-18, temperatures were cool and very much like early spring. Over the last several days though, the temperatures have been in the mid and upper 70's. We even hit 81 yesterday for a high. The warm weather is forecast to continue through this week, but a pattern change is in store by the weekend.
Today, the jet stream is flowing well into Canada which is very similar to what we would see in June and July. As I said though, the pattern is forecast to change and the jet stream will flip and dip out of Canada and into the midwest. When this happens, the western part of the country will warm and we will cool down. Perhaps we'll even see some severe weather too.

Cold but Sunny

The day started frosty with temperatures in the mid 20's. It didn't warm up too much today either with a high of only 39. The sun was shining bright though which helped make the day more enjoyable. The wind was gusty out of the NNW up to 25mph.

Winter - Spring - Winter

Well, we've had a bit of a roller coaster ride over the last week. The day after my last post was our first warm day in months. The temperature topped out at 65 on the 9th, but hit 77 on the 13th and 73 on the 14th. Two warm days that led up to some passing thunderstorms and a bit of rain. We've had the back side of this warm weather now though and temperatures are back in the 30's and 40's for daytime highs. Winter's not done yet.

The east coast is getting hammered with a late winter storm that is dumping some heavy rain, snow, and ice. Boston and New York are getting 3-6 inches in the city centers while up to a foot of snow has fallen in the western suburbs of those cities.

Meanwhile, back here in Indiana I've noticed that the daffodils are getting larger after their early rise in January and some trees are beginning to bud. With signs like these, spring can't be far behind.

Nothing Exciting

There hasn't been much to mention over the last week. We've had some cool but dry days. Today was a beautiful day with clear blue skies and bright sunshine. It was a bit cool but the days should be warming considerably soon. By the middle of next week, temperatures are forecast to be near 70. Spring is heading our way.

Winter '06-'07 Review

From the NWS in Indianapolis...

Winter 2006-2007 in Review

Warmer than normal?

With March 1 comes the end of meteorological winter, a period defined as covering the months of December through February. The winter of 2006-2007 in Central Indiana was marked by two extremely different periods, one much warmer than normal and nearly snowless, and the other much colder than normal with abundant snowfall.

When it was all said and done, the winter of 2006-2007 actually ended up being warmer than normal. This fact may seem hard to believe, given the prolonged bitter chill of February, but it was not enough to balance out the extreme warmth that December and January had brought.

The following is a review of weather conditions experienced in Central Indiana during the winter season of 2006-2007.

DECEMBER

December 2006 began on a cool note. 7 of the first 8 days of the month were at or below normal for temperatures. This was capped off by the season’s first measurable snowfall on the 7^th, when 0.3 inches fell. However, this early cold was not here to stay, and by the 10^th, high temperatures soared into the 50s with lows only in the 30s and 40s. The warmth continued, and not one day saw a high temperature below freezing during the final 21 days of the month. Some light snow fell again on Christmas night on the tail end of an all day rain storm. But this too did not stick around, as high temperatures nudged toward the 60 degree mark on the final three days of 2006. The month ended up being well above normal on both temperatures and precipitation, and well below normal for snowfall.

	Average Temperature	Total Precipitation	Total Snowfall	Highs below freezing
December 2006	38.7	5.24	0.9	3
Normal December	31.6	3.03	6.4	7
2006 Difference from Normal	+7.1	+2.21	-5.9	-4

December 2006 All-Time Ranks:

Temperature: Tie- 12^th warmest December

Precipitation: 11^th wettest December

Snowfall: Tie – 34^th least snowiest

JANUARY

January 2007 started up right where December had left off, extremely mild and wet. With a moderate El Nino taking place, it seemed that this winter might never come. Remarkably, the first 15 days of the month of January saw only a trace of snow. Throughout the first half of the month, highs were in the 40s and 50s on several occasions, again approaching 60 degrees on the 4^th and 5^th. But this was not to last. Winter seemed to finally decide to begin around the middle of the month. Temperatures finally returned to near normal in the second half of the month, and were even occasionally below normal. The first substantial snowfall of the season came on the 21^st, with 3.5 inches measured in Indianapolis. The cold intensified towards month’s end, and lows in the single digits came on the 29^th and 31^st. However it was too little, too late, and January ended up being above normal for temperatures. Precipitation was also easy to come by, again registering well above normal. While snow finally made an appearance, the month ended up below normal in that category as well.

	Average Temperature	Total Precipitation	Total Snowfall	Highs below freezing
January 2007	32.5	4.41	5.8	7
Normal January	26.5	2.48	9.3	12
2007 Difference from normal	+6.0	+1.93	-3.5	-5

January 2007 All-time Ranks

Temperature: 38^th warmest

Precipitation: 24^th wettest

Snowfall: 54^th snowiest

FEBRUARY

February 2007 brought an extreme and drastic change to the weather. The month started out cold, and then became extremely cold for the better part of the month. Temperatures plunged below zero on 6 days. The last time a temperature below zero had been recorded in Indianapolis was January 18, 2005. From the 3^rd through the 10^th, high temperatures did not even reach 20 degrees, with lows in the single numbers or below zero. A significant snow came to Central Indiana on the 6^th, with 5.2 inches recorded in Indianapolis. It was a very light and fluffy snow, with high temperatures only in the middle teens in the area. It was just a few days longer before the most significant snowfall in several years came to Central Indiana. Beginning on the night of the 12^th and continuing into the early morning hours of the 14^th, a powerful snowstorm blasted the region. Snow totals at Indianapolis officially measured 8.5 inches for the three day period, with 7.4 inches falling on the 13^th, a record for the day. In fact this was the fourth snowiest day in February ever. Snow totals in northern portions of Central Indiana exceeded a foot in many locales, with up to 17 inches reported. Winds of 35 to 45 mph whipped the snow into drifts as high as six feet. The storm was classified as a blizzard in North Central Indiana. In the Indianapolis area, winds were not quite strong enough, and extensive mixing with freezing rain and sleet cut down on the snow. It was still one of the most substantial winter storms in several years, either slowing down or stopping nearly all activities in the metro area for days. Following the snow came more bitter cold, ensuring that a snow pack would lie on the ground for the rest of the month. An additional 3.7 inches fell on the 17^th, thus bringing the total snow depth on the ground to the highest amount in 25 years. By the 20^th, a moderation in temperatures was experienced. Highs went above normal for a few days, but not significantly above. On the 24^th, a storm brought a quick 0.7 inches of snow to Indianapolis, in addition to strong winds and a glaze of freezing rain that created minor travel problems and power outages. By month’s end, the final tally showed a month that was well above normal for snowfall and well below normal for temperatures.

	Average Temperature	Total Precipitation	Total Snowfall	Highs below freezing
February 2007	19.7	2.77	18.2	16
Normal February	31.2	2.41	6.1	7
2007 Difference from Normal	-11.5	+0.36	+12.1	+9

February 2007 All-Time Ranks:

Temperature: 3^rd Coldest

Precipitation: 49^th wettest

Snowfall: 4^th Snowiest

WINTER SEASON SUMMARY

	Average Temperature	Total Precipitation	Total Snowfall	Highs below Freezing	Lows Below Zero
Winter 2006-2007	30.7	12.42	24.8	26	6
Normal Winter	29.8	7.92	21.8	27	6
2006-2007 Difference from Normal	+0.9	+4.50	+3.0	-1	0

Winter 2006-2007 All-Time Ranks

Temperature: 31^st Warmest

Precipitation: 5^th wettest

Snowfall: 16^th snowiest

The Winter of 2006-2007 was one of extreme ups and downs. It seemed through the first half of the winter that cold and snow would stay locked up over northern Canada. But a large scale pattern shift and a rapid decay of the moderate El Nino conditions brought extreme cold to the area by February. It was in fact the coldest February since 1979. However, the early winter warmth was too much to be overcome by the February chill. With an overall temperature that averaged almost one degree above normal, it is important to see that even in a winter that is above normal, periods of extreme cold can and will still occur.

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Data Prepared by Logan Johnson, Climate Services Focal Point

Please Contact the webmaster for more information.

Temperature and Precipitation Records Cover 1871-2006 in the Indianapolis Area.

Snowfall Records Cover the period 1884-2006 in the Indianapolis Area.

Normals refer to reference period 1971-2000.

Spring vs. Winter

Friday morning was probably the most beautiful morning we had had in quite some time. The sun was bright, the skies were blue, the air was cool but not cold, and the birds were singing. It truly was a sign of spring. The day continued with plentiful sunshine, but strong winds too. The highest gust that I measured here at the house was 30mph at 4pm, but I know there were stronger gusts of wind. On my drive to Rushville, there were several gusts that pushed me sideways as I drove down the road.
This morning was the flipside to this post. Light snow fell covering everything with white once again. I didn't go out and measure, but it looked as though about 3/4" fell early this morning. It is quickly melting though in the... I can't believe it. Five minutes ago I went out to put some mail in the mailbox and the sun was shining and the snow from early this morning was nearly all gone. I just turned me head to look outside though and it is cloudy out with a snow shower. When will this winter end? Tomorrow should be a better day. Hopefully.

February 2007: Coldest in Decades

From the NWS in Indianapolis...

February 2007:

Coldest in Decades

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Frequent bouts of bitterly cold Arctic air and heavy snow which never seemed to melt characterized the month of February 2007. The month started out cold, then became extremely cold by mid-month, before closing out on a slightly warmer note. Prior to the start of February, winter had been in short supply, but by the end of the month, snow weary residents of Central Indiana were anxiously awaiting spring’s arrival.

February 2007 was in the top 5 for all time coldest and snowiest.

The following is a summary of the conditions experienced in Indianapolis during the month of February, 2007.

TEMPERATURE

February 2007 finished with an average monthly temperature of 19.7 degrees. This was below normal by 11.5 degrees. February 2007 registered as the third coldest February ever recorded in the Indianapolis area. What was particularly remarkable is that no temperature records were broken during the month. It was a persistent and long lasting cold, which saw two peaks, from the 2^nd through the 11^th, and then the 13^th through 19^th. Nine days registered temperatures of more than 20 degrees below normal, with the 5^th of the month coming in 25 degrees below normal.

Overall, only 5 days in February 2007 reported temperatures at or above normal. 16 days during the month saw a high temperature fail to reach the freezing mark. An average February sees 7 days with sub-freezing high temperatures.

The last time February was colder in Indianapolis was February of 1979, with an average temperature of 18.8 degrees in Indianapolis. Residents of the area may remember that 1979 was the second bitterly cold February in a row. February 1978 was the coldest ever recorded in Indianapolis with an average temperature of 17.8 degrees.

The coldest temperature of the month was -6 degrees on the morning of the 16^th. This was the coldest February low temperature in Indianapolis since February 4, 1996.

PRECIPITATION

February 2007 experienced nearly all of the precipitation in the form of snow, sleet, and freezing rain. Not one day during the month experienced measurable precipitation without also reporting some kind of freezing precipitation. The biggest single day precipitation came on the 13^th of the month, when the snowfall melted into 1.33 inches of liquid precipitation. The month as a whole was rather unremarkable in terms of precipitation, finishing with 2.77 inches. This was above normal by 0.36 inches.

SNOWFALL

Snow came in abundance during the month, and once it fell, it never melted. Snowfall on the 6^th left a five inch snow depth. This snow depth never fell below 3 inches for the rest of the month. A total of 18.2 inches of snow fell during the month, making this the 4^th snowiest February ever. This was above normal by 12.1 inches. The last time February brought more snow was February 2003, with 21.7 inches of snow, which was the snowiest February ever.

Three significant snow events made up the bulk of February’s snow total. The first event came on the 6^th of the month, when 5.2 inches of powdery snow fell with very cold temperatures. Just a week later, on the 12^th through 14^th, one of the most significant snowstorms in years came to Indiana.

The event began late in the evening of the 12^th, and continued through the entire day of the 13^th. Falling heavily at times, snow rapidly accumulated across the area. Warming temperatures by mid-day on the 13^th ensured that most areas saw at least a brief change over to sleet and freezing rain. The Indianapolis metro area saw a prolonged period of sleet and freezing rain most of the daylight hours of the 13^th. Farther north, heavy snow and winds to 45 mph produced blizzard conditions. In excess of 15 inches of snow was reported at several locations in northern parts of Central Indiana.

The official three day snow measurement at Indianapolis was 8.5 inches. This made it the 11^th biggest February snow storm at Indianapolis. The 13^th saw 7.4 inches of snow during the calendar day, breaking the previous record of 4.5 inches set in 1914. This made February 13, 2007 the 4^th snowiest February day ever at Indianapolis.

The final snow event came on the 17^th, when 3.7 inches was tallied at Indianapolis. After this storm, the official snow depth reached 12 inches on the 18^th of February. This was the deepest snow depth ever recorded on that date. In all, the 14^th through 19^th of the month saw the deepest snow depth recorded since February 1982.

Several snowfall records were broken in February 2007.

2/6: 5.2 inches of snowfall, breaking the previous daily record of 4.4 inches in 1940.

2/13: 7.4 inches of snowfall, breaking the previous daily record of 4.5 inches in 1914.

2/15: 10 inch snow depth, breaking previous record of 9 inches in 1979.

2/16: 9 inch snow depth, breaking previous record of 8 inches in 1979.

2/18: 12 inch snow depth, breaking previous record of 10 inches in 1979.

MARCH OUTLOOK

The official outlook for the month of March calls for an equal chance of temperatures and precipitation being above, below, or near normal for Central Indiana.
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Okay, it's me talking now. I don't hold a lot of stock in the seasonal outlooks. They said we would be drier and warmer this winter. HA!

Spring Like Thunder Storms

It's been quiet for the last few days. This morning though, I awoke to the sound of thunder and a few flashes of lightning in the area. A warm front was pushing north and behind it some very mild spring like air was heading in. Forecasters were thinking that their might be a risk for severe weather in our area, in fact we were in the slight risk area by the SPC. The southwestern part of the state however, was in the moderate risk area. The southwestern part of the state also was one area that was under a Tornado Watch until 8pm this evening. There wasn't any severe weather that developed though. Just some heavy down pours and a little lightning and thunder. All of the severe weather stayed well to our south.

Severe storms ripped through parts of the deep south this afternoon. Most notable was in the town of Enterprise, Alabama where a tornado struck the local high school just as students were being dismissed. Thirteen people were killed while 50 were injured at the school. Five more people were killed in a nearby trailer park.



The winds have picked up considerably in the last thirty minutes or so. I believe the cold front is moving through at the moment. We have had gusts over 30mph so far. Forecasters are calling for gusts up to 50mph during the day Friday with much cooler temperatures than what we experienced today. A wind advisory has been posted for counties to our west.