[Listen] Tom Hoverstad SROC February COLD

We were enjoying a very nice winter until the other shoe dropped in February. The meteorological Winter is December, January and February. The first two months averaged 5 degrees above normal. Then February was 11 degrees below normal. So, the meteorological winter of 2021 averaged right on normal! During those two cold weeks in February we came very close to setting a record for days never getting above zero. We were at 5 days and the sixth day the high temperature was just above zero.

The all time record for days not getting above zero was six days and that was in 1930. The average temperature in February of 1930 was 1 degree below zero. February of 2021 the average temperature was 7.5 degrees. I am sure our grandfathers were happy to see spring in 1930! February of 2021 with an average temperature of 11 degrees below normal was the seventh coldest on record at Waseca. They have records going back more than 100 years.

February of 2021 was drier than normal as was the meteorological winter. we received only two thirds of the normal precipitation. However winter is normally drier and we were only one inch below normal. That can easily be made up in one storm this spring! Click on the link above and listen to Tom Hoverstad Scientist at the Southern Research and Outreach Center at Waseca discuss the winter of 2021.