PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 300 PM CST TUE JAN 1 2008 ...A WET 2007 FOR ROCHESTER... TEMPERATURE PRECIPITATION MONTH HIGH LOW AVE DEPT TOTAL DEPT SNOW JAN 25.4 11.2 18.3 +6.5 0.53 -0.41 10.5 FEB 17.3 3.7 10.5 -7.9 1.65 +0.90 20.1 MAR 43.5 28.0 35.7 +5.1 3.21 +1.33 12.3 APR 54.9 34.5 44.7 0.0 1.11 -1.90 7.4 MAY 74.3 50.8 62.5 +5.6 3.35 -0.18 0.0 JUN 79.8 58.8 69.3 +3.2 4.00 0.00 *** JUL 82.5 61.0 71.8 +1.7 1.07 -3.54 *** AUG 78.3 61.3 69.8 +2.1 14.07 +9.74 T SEP 75.3 52.4 63.9 +5.0 7.40 +4.28 *** OCT 63.0 45.9 54.5 +7.5 3.40 +1.20 0.0 NOV 41.6 25.8 33.7 +2.5 0.18 -1.83 0.9 DEC 23.9 10.2 17.0 -0.3 1.21 +0.19 13.1 TOTAL 55.0 37.0 46.0 +2.5 41.18 +9.78 *** NOTE: SEASONAL SNOWFALL IS RECORED FROM JULY-JUNE...NOT YEARLY. ALSO THE TRACE OF SNOWFALL IN AUGUST WAS FROM HAIL. *** RECORDS ********************************************************* TEMPERATURES... HIGHS: 41 ON JANUARY 3RD...TIED PREVIOUS RECORD 94 ON MAY 14TH LOWS: 32 ON SEPTEMBER 15TH LOWEST HIGHS: 28 ON APRIL 6TH...TIED PREVIOUS RECORD 65 ON AUGUST 4TH...TIED PREVIOUS RECORD 60 ON AUGUST 18TH...TIED PREVIOUS RECORD HIGHEST LOWS: 34 ON JANUARY 4TH 31 ON JANUARY 5TH 66 ON MAY 14TH 67 ON SEPTEMBER 24TH 69 ON OCTOBER 5TH 69 ON OCTOBER 6TH 71 ON OCTOBER 7TH MONTHLY: 10TH WARMEST SEPTEMBER AT 63.9 DEGREES 4TH WARMEST OCTOBER AT 54.5 DEGREES SEASONAL: 3RD WARMEST FALL WITH 50.7 DEGREES...TIED WITH 2005 YEARLY: 8TH WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD AT 46.0 DEGREES...TIED WITH 1949 PRECIPITATION... ONE-DAY PCPN: 0.67 INCHES ON FEBRUARY 24TH 5.16 INCHES ON AUGUST 18TH...ALSO 5TH HIGHEST ONE-DAY TOTAL 2.49 INCHES ON SEPTEMBER 24TH 1.46 INCHES ON SEPTEMBER 30TH ONE-DAY SNOWFALL: 6.0 INCHES ON FEBRUARY 6TH 3.4 INCHES ON FEBRUARY 24TH 7.6 INCHES ON FEBRUARY 25TH 7.2 INCHES ON MARCH 1ST 5.1 INCHES ON MARCH 2ND 1.7 INCHES ON APRIL 10TH 5.7 INCHES ON APRIL 11TH MONTHLY PCPN: 8TH DRIEST JULY WITH 1.07 INCHES WETTEST AUGUST WITH 14.07 INCHES...ALSO ALL-TIME WETTEST MONTH 5TH WETTEST SEPTEMBER WITH 7.40 INCHES 10TH WETTEST OCTOBER WITH 3.40 INCHES 7TH DRIEST NOVEMBER WITH 0.18 INCHES...TIED WITH 1962 MONTHLY SNOWFALL: ALL-TIME SNOWIEST FEBRUARY WITH 20.1 INCHES SEASONAL: 6TH WETTEST SUMMER WITH 19.14 INCHES YEARLY: 5TH WETTEST YEAR ON RECORD WITH 41.18 INCHES *** DISCUSSION ***************************************************** JANUARY GOT THE YEAR STARTED OFF ON A MILD NOTE...WITH TEMPERATURES AVERAGING AROUND 20 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH THE FIRST THIRD OF THE MONTH. MORE SEASONABLE AIR FLOWED INTO THE REGION FOR THE REST OF THE MONTH...ALTHOUGH TEMPERATURES ONLY DROPPED BELOW ZERO ON 6 DAYS. IN A NORMAL JANUARY THIS OCCURS 13 TIMES. IN THE END...DESPITE THE RELATIVE COOL DOWN...THE MONTH FINISHED 6 1/2 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH WAS BELOW NORMAL...BUT SNOWFALL WAS RIGHT AROUND THE MONTHLY NORM. MOST OF THE SNOW THAT FELL WAS GENERALLY OF THE LIGHTER...DRY VARIETY. FEBRUARY BROUGHT MEMORIES OF WINTERS GONE BY...WITH SOME OF THE COLDEST AIR IN RECENT YEARS FOR THE FIRST THIRD OF THE MONTH...FOLLOWED BY A MAJOR WINTER STORM TOWARD THE END OF THE MONTH. ON 9 CONSECUTIVE DAYS //2ND THROUGH 10TH//...LOW TEMPERATURES WERE COLDER THAN 10 DEGREES BELOW ZERO. THIS WAS THE 7TH LONGEST STREAK ON RECORD OF THIS KIND FOR ROCHESTER...WITH THE LONGEST BEING A STRING OF 15 DAYS WITH LOWS COLDER THAN -10 //JANUARY 8TH-22ND OF 1888//. DURING THIS LATEST STREAK...HIGHS WERE IN THE SINGLE DIGITS...FAILING TO CRACK ZERO ON THE 4TH AND 5TH. TEMPERATURES WARMED TO...OR ABOVE...THE SEASONABLE NORMAL FOR THE LAST HALF OF THE MONTH...BUT STILL FINISHED 8 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 10.5 DEGREES MADE IT THE COLDEST MONTH SINCE DECEMBER OF 2000. SNOWFALL WAS THE MAIN WEATHER STORY FOR THE LATER HALF OF THE MONTH...AS A MAJOR WINTER STORM BROUGHT 12.6 INCHES OF SNOW TO THE ROCHESTER AIRPORT FROM THE 23RD THOUGH 25TH. THIS STORM ACCOUNTED FOR OVER 60% OF THE 20.1 INCH MONTHLY...WHICH HELPED MAKE IT THE SNOWIEST FEBRUARY ON RECORD. ANOTHER WINTER STORM WOULD IMPACT THE AREA LESS THAN A WEEK AFTER THE FEBRUARY STORM...WITH 12.3 INCHES FALLING ON THE 1ST AND 2ND OF MARCH. THIS WOULD BE THE LAST TASTE OF MEASURABLE SNOWFALL FOR THE REST OF THE MONTH THOUGH...AS WARM AIR INVADED THE AREA BY MID MONTH...HANGING ON THROUGH THE REST OF MARCH. THE DEEP SNOW PACK OF UP TO 20 INCHES MELTED AWAY BY THE 14TH. THE FIRST 70 DEGREE WEATHER FOR THE NEW YEAR CAME ON THE 25TH THROUGH 27TH...WITH A HIGH OF 77 ON THE 26TH. THIS WARMER AIR ALSO BROUGHT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. MEASURABLE RAIN FELL ON 4 OF THE LAST 5 DAYS OF MARCH...ADDING NEARLY 1 3/4 OF AN INCH TO THE MONTHLY TOTAL. APRIL BROUGHT SOME COOLER AIR BACK TO THE REGION FOR THE FIRST COUPLE WEEKS...WITH TEMPERATURES ON A COUPLE DAYS NOT CLIMBING ABOVE FREEZING //4TH AND 6TH//. TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY...THESE WERE ALSO SOME OF THE WINDIEST DAYS OF THE YEAR...ADDING AN ADDITIONAL BITE TO THE ALREADY CHILLY AIR. TEMPERATURES WOULD RIDE A ROLLER COASTER OF SORTS FOR MOST OF THE MONTH...BUT THE TREND WAS TOWARD WARMER CONDITIONS FOR THE END OF THE MONTH. THE FIRST 80 DEGREE HIGHS OF THE YEAR OCCURRED THIS MONTH...WITH TEMPERATURES NEARLY REACHING 90 ON 29TH //88//. THE SNOW WASN/T DONE QUITE YET THOUGH...AS A STORM SYSTEM BROUGHT 7.4 INCHES TO ROCHESTER ON THE 10TH AND 11TH. THIS WOULD BE THE LAST MEASURABLE SNOWFALL FOR THE 2006-07 WINTER SEASON. MAY SAW ITS SHARE OF SWINGS IN HIGH TEMPERATURES ALSO...RANGING FROM A HIGH OF 58 ON THE 4TH...TO A MAX OF 94 ON THE 14TH. ALL IN ALL THOUGH...THE MONTH WOULD AVERAGE OVER 5 1/2 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. FOR PRECIPITATION...MAY WOULD FINISH RIGHT AROUND THE NORMAL...BUT TWO-THIRDS OF THE 3.35 INCH TOTAL FELL ON 3 DAYS //23RD...24TH...AND 30TH//. JUNE RECEIVED A NORMAL AMOUNT OF PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH...WITH A TOTAL OF 4 INCHES. HOWEVER...THERE WERE SOME SIGNIFICANT DRY PERIODS...WITH 8 STRAIGHT DRY DAYS FROM THE 8TH THROUGH 15TH...AND ANOTHER STRING OF 8 DAYS WITH ONLY 0.05 INCHES OF RAIN FROM THE 23RD THROUGH 30TH. TEMPERATURES WERE GENERALLY SEASONABLE...WITH A WARM STRING OF MID TO UPPER 80S HIGHS AT MID MONTH...HELPING JUNE FINISH OVER 3 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. JULY WAS A VERY DRY MONTH AS JUST OVER AN INCH FELL THROUGH THE 31 DAYS...WITH ONLY 7 OF THOSE RECORDING MEASURABLE RAINFALL. TWO DAYS ACCOUNTED FOR 60% OF THE MONTHLY TOTAL //16TH AND 26TH//...AND THE TOTAL FOR JULY OF 1.07 INCHES MADE IT THE 7TH DRIEST JULY ON RECORD. IN ADDITION...THE DRY STREAK FROM THE END OF JUNE PERSISTED THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF JULY...WITH ONLY 0.13 INCHES FALLING FROM THE 1ST THROUGH THE 15TH. EXTENDING THIS BACK INTO JUNE...THAT IS 23 CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITH ONLY 0.18 INCHES. TEMPERATURES WERE JUST A BIT ABOVE NORMAL FOR JULY WITH NO SIGNIFICANTLY WARM OR COOL PERIODS. THE BOUT WITH DRY CONDITIONS WOULD COME TO AN ABRUPT END IN AUGUST...AS A RECORD 14.07 INCHES FELL. THIS IS NOT ONLY THE RECORD FOR THE MONTH...BUT THE ALL-TIME RECORD FOR ANY MONTH IN ROCHESTER. THE 18TH SET A ONE-DAY RECORD WITH 5.16 INCHES...WHICH IS ALSO THE 5TH WETTEST DAY ALL-TIME FOR ROCHESTER. IN ADDITION...THE 7.03 INCH TOTAL FOR THE 18TH AND 19TH IS THE 2ND HIGHEST TWO-DAY RAIN TOTAL ON RECORD. FURTHER...MEASURABLE RAIN FELL ON 12 DAYS THIS PAST AUGUST...WITH 5 OF THOSE RECORDING AN INCH OR MORE. DESPITE ALL THE RAIN...TEMPERATURES STILL MANAGED TO AVERAGE ABOVE NORMAL FOR AUGUST. THE RECORD RAINS OF AUGUST...WHEN COMBINED WITH JUNE AND JULY/S RAINFALL...MADE IT THE 6TH WETTEST SUMMER ON RECORD FOR ROCHESTER WITH 19.14 INCHES FALLING OVER THOSE 3 MONTHS. THE RECORD IS 23.34 INCHES SET BACK IN THE SUMMER OF 2000. MOTHER NATURE/S FAUCET STAYED WIDE OPEN FOR SEPTEMBER...WITH THE 7.40 INCH MONTHLY TOTAL MAKING IT THE 5TH WETTEST SEPTEMBER ON RECORD. THE BULK OF THE RAIN CAME ON 3 DAYS THOUGH...WITH THE 7TH //2.34//...18TH //2.49//...AND 30TH //1.46// ACCOUNTING FOR 85% OF THE MONTH/S RAINFALL. TEMPERATURES WERE WARM...WITH 10 DAYS OF 80 DEGREES OR GREATER...ALONG WITH THE LAST 90 DEGREE DAY OF THE YEAR ON THE 17TH. HOWEVER...THE FIRST FREEZE OF THE FALL SEASON ALSO CAME IN SEPTEMBER...WITH A CHILLY 32 DEGREES BEING RECORDED ON THE MORNING OF THE 15TH. AS THE CALENDAR TURNED TO OCTOBER...THE RAINY WEATHER CONTINUED...SETTING YET ANOTHER WET MONTHLY RAINFALL RECORD FOR THE 3RD CONSECUTIVE MONTH. THE 3.40 INCHES MADE OCTOBER OF 2007 THE 10TH WETTEST ON RECORD FOR ROCHESTER. HOWEVER...IT/S SLIGHTLY DECEPTIVE AS THE BULK OF THE ACCUMULATIONS CAME IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE MONTH. AFTER THE 19TH...ONLY 0.11 INCHES OF RAIN FELL ...AND THAT CAME ON THE 26TH. TEMPERATURES WERE WARM...ESPECIALLY AT THE START OF THE MONTH. HIGHS TOPPED 80 DEGREES ON THE 4TH THROUGH 6TH...WITH MORNING LOWS ON THE 5TH THROUGH 7TH HOVERING RIGHT AROUND 70 //WELL ABOVE THE NORMAL HIGHS FOR EARLY OCTOBER//. IN COMPLETE CONTRAST TO THE PREVIOUS 3 MONTHS...NOVEMBER WAS A DRY MONTH. IN FACT...IT WAS EXCEEDINGLY DRY...WITH MEASURABLE RAIN ON ONLY 4 DAYS. THE MONTHLY TOTAL OF 0.18 INCHES MADE IT THE 7TH DRIEST NOVEMBER ON RECORD //TIED WITH 1962//. THE FIRST FEW SNOW FLAKES OF THE WINTER SEASON FELL IN NOVEMBER...WITH THE FIRST DAY OF MEASURABLE SNOW ON THE 17TH //0.1 INCHES//. TEMPERATURES WERE ABOVE NORMAL FOR ANOTHER MONTH...WITH NO BIG PUSHES OF WARM OR COLD AIR. THE MONTH DID END ON A CHILLY NOTE THOUGH...WITH THE FIRST SINGLE DIGIT LOWS OF THE YOUNG WINTER SEASON OCCURRING ON THE MORNINGS OF THE 27TH //9 DEGREES// AND 30TH //4 DEGREES//. IT/S SOMEWHAT INTERESTING TO THE NOTE THAT NOVEMBER MARKED THE 5TH CONSECUTIVE MONTH THAT ROCHESTER SET A MONTHLY RAINFALL RECORD... WITH JULY AND NOVEMBER BEING VERY DRY...AND AUGUST...SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER COMING IN VERY SOGGY. A WINTER STORM KICKED OFF DECEMBER...BRINGING SNOW...FREEZING DRIZZLE...AND SLEET ON THE 1ST. A UNIQUE FEATURE OF THIS STORM WAS THE AMOUNT OF SLEET THAT FELL...AND THAT IT OCCURRED FOR SEVERAL HOURS. NORMALLY...SLEET LASTS FOR ABOUT 1/2 HOUR TO AN HOUR.. .WITH THE PRECIPITATION THEN TRANSITIONING TO EITHER SNOW OR RAIN. IN THE CASE OF THIS STORM...THE TEMPERATURE PROFILE IN THE ATMOSPHERE WAS SUCH THAT IS SUPPORTED SLEET FORMATION FOR MANY HOURS. THE SNOW KEPT COMING FOR THE REST OF THE MONTH... ALTHOUGH ONLY A LITTLE AT A TIME...WITH 11 DAYS RECORDING MEASURABLE SNOWFALL. THE GREATEST ONE-DAY TOTAL WAS ON THE 4TH WITH 3.9 INCHES...OTHERWISE MOST OF THE SNOWFALL CAME IN 1/2 INCH INCREMENTS. ALL IN ALL...2007 WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR ITS SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION EVENTS. AUGUST CRUSHED THE PREVIOUS RECORD WETTEST MONTH BY 1 1/2 INCHES...WHILE TORRENTIAL RAINFALL ON THE 18TH AND 19TH LED TO FLOODING OF HISTORIC PORTIONS FOR PARTS OF THE REGION. MOTHER NATURE/S WRATH WAS NOT CONFINED TO THE SUMMER...WITH SEVERAL WINTER STORMS ALSO PUMMELING THE AREA. SIGNIFICANT STORMS AFFECTED THE AREA IN LATE FEBRUARY...EARLY MARCH...AND THEN AGAIN IN EARLY DECEMBER. NOT BE FORGOTTEN THOUGH WERE THE PERIODS OF DRY CONDITIONS...WITH JULY AND NOVEMBER EXPERIENCING SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL DEFICITS. ********************************************************************* HIGHEST TEMPERATURE FOR 2007..........................94 ON MAY 14TH LOWEST TEMPERATURE FOR 2007...................... -21 ON FEBRUARY 5TH HIGHEST ONE-DAY PRECIPITATION..................5.16 INCHES ON AUGUST 18TH HIGHEST ONE-DAY SNOWFALL .................7.6 INCHES ON FEBRUARY 25TH NUMBER OF DAYS WITH HIGHS AT OR ABOVE 90 DEGREES.............20 NUMBER OF DAYS WITH HIGHS AT OR BELOW 32 DEGREES..................69 NUMBER OF DAYS WITH ZERO OR BELOW TEMPERATURES.................... 19 PEAK WIND GUST..................64 MPH FROM THE NORTH ON AUGUST 11TH NUMBER OF DAYS WITH MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION .....................113 PERCENTAGE OF DAYS WITH MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION.................31% NUMBER OF DAYS WITH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES....................211 PERCENTAGE OF DAYS WITH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES................58%