February 2015 will be in the weather record books as the 8th coldest February since the records started in 1879. Tap ‘read more’ for the details.
Clinton area official weather observer Jim Blaess says the overall temperature was just under 15 degrees (14.8) and that was over eleven degrees below the normal (26.3).
During the month, he said there were two record lows. The reading of 14 below zero on the 27th broke the record for that date of 9 below set in 1934. The low of 13 below zero on the 28th broke the record for the date of 4 below set in 1962. The low of 9 below zero on the 23rd also tied the record for the date set in 1910.
Blaess also pointed out there were 9 days with zero or below weather and the normal is three days. The weather observer added that there were only three days during the month of above freezing weather.
Snowfall for the month was also higher than normal and most of that total came in one 24 hour period.
Blaess said that there was just over eleven inches of snow (11.3) on February 1st. He said that was the third highest 24 hour snowfall for a February since 1893. There two higher totals were 12 inches on February 5th of 1911 and 13 inches on February 20th of 1898.
The total snowfall for the month was 15.3 inches. Blaess said that was the 9th highest total for the month in records to the winter of 1887-1888. The normal snowfall is 7.6 inches.
With 1.49 inches of precipitation in February, Blaess says the total for the first two months is 2.6 inches which is about a half an inch below normal (3.08).
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Blaess said that February 2015 weather statistics are very similar to February 2014.
This year it was 8th coldest February and in 2014 it was the 6th coldest. There was just under 15 inches of snow last year and just over 15 inches this year. There were 12 days in 2014 with zero or below weather and 9 days this year.
For the meteorological winter of December through February, Blaess said there was about 28 inches of snow and that compares to the previous ‘winter’ with over 42 inches of snow. The normal winter season snowfall is about 25 inches (25.3)
The 2013-2014 winter was the 6th coldest in records to 1879 and this winter season was seven degrees warmer.
For this month, Blaess says you can expect about 2 and a quarter inches of precipitation with about 3 inches of snow.
